Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection

by Lacey Carter Andersen

  A woman.

  After he'd heard the car horn echo throughout the forest, he'd raced home. Luckily, he was nearby. He halted at the edge of the forest when he saw the woman standing near a black SUV. He didn't recognize the vehicle, nor the woman. He'd watched her carefully, trying to determine whether she was friend or foe.

  She wore a long, cream-colored winter jacket with faux fur-trimmed hood which hung on her back exposing her long, blonde hair. Her hair framed attractive features in an oval-shaped face. She was pretty. Stunning, actually.

  Who was she? Why was she here?

  And then he saw Billy in the doorway.

  For whatever reason the woman was here, at the sight of Billy, he knew it was safe to approach the cabin.

  In fact, his curiosity warred with his need for solitude. He hadn't seen Billy in months. As grateful as he was to see him healthy and alive, Ben had the feeling this wasn't a social call. Anger mixed with relief.

  Why was Billy here?

  Ben approached the cabin, not hesitating at the doorway. Neither were outside, so he assumed they had gone into the cabin to await him. He opened the door without knocking. It was his home, after all. Why should he knock?

  He stood in the doorway. Billy peered out one window, perhaps searching the forest for him, while the woman sat at the table with four chairs.

  Both faces turned to him as he entered. The woman gasped when she caught sight of him. She didn't avert her face, but her eyes widened.

  "Jesus... Benjamin," Billy groaned, looking away. "Put some clothes on."

  Ben said nothing. He continued to watch the woman's reaction to his naked form. She stared as Ben walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

  "I wasn't expecting company," Ben said, his voice low and even.

  "Yeah, well, you got it. Go get dressed," Billy huffed. "We'll wait."

  Ben's eyebrow rose. The woman's gaze remained on his until he walked past her to get to the small bedroom at the back of the cabin. He couldn't help but grin at the shock on the woman's face. He supposed of all the things she expected to find here, a naked man wasn't one of them.

  "What the hell, Bill?" Ben's sharp cougar hearing picked up the sounds of conversation in the other room as he grabbed clothes from his dresser. T-shirt, boxers and jeans. He listened through the thin walls as he dressed.

  "Like I said, a bit rough around the edges," Billy responded, a hint of an apology in his voice.

  "He was naked!"

  "He's up here all alone. Hasn't seen anybody for months. He probably didn't leave any clothes outside when he shifted."

  At that, Ben walked out of the back bedroom and into the main room of the cabin. He finished zipping and buttoning his jeans.

  "Billy!" Ben's voice rose sharply with the admonition, his eyes wide with shock. He stared at the younger man in alarm. What was Billy thinking saying such a thing? Did she know about shifters? Ben glanced at the woman and then back at Billy.

  Billy's head turned at the sound of his name. As soon as he met Ben's fierce gaze, a panicked expression flickered across his face.

  "She knows," he blurted, his words tumbling out of his mouth. "About us. I mean, she knows about shifters and other supernaturals. She's one of us. I mean, not a shifter... like us, but—"

  "Billy!" Ben cringed inwardly at the hearing the word shifter again being used in front of someone he didn’t know or trust.

  "You're digging your own grave, Bill." The woman muttered with a smirk. She rested her elbow on the table, watching the two men with a slightly amused expression on her face.

  Ben folded his arms across his chest, staring at his brother. "What's going on? Why are you here, Billy? More importantly, who is this, and why did you bring her along?"

  "Right to the point," the woman said. "I like it."

  Ben glanced at her again, his eyebrow raised. She had straight blonde hair. He couldn't see how long since it nestled inside the deep hood of her parka jacket. She leaned her chin on the heel of her hand as she boldly returned her brown-eyed gaze, the small smile curving her pink lips upward.

  "We need your help, Ben." Billy stepped forward, placing himself protectively between Ben and the woman as if he feared Ben might react in an ill-mannered way to the snarky comments coming out of the woman's mouth. Ben remained where he stood, arms folded, staring at his brother.

  Billy hesitated, glancing over his shoulder as if seeking support from his guest. This time, she kept silent, leaving it for Billy to explain.

  "Roxie needs a place to stay for a few days—"

  "No." Ben turned, walking away from his brother, toward the kitchen area. He pulled a glass from the cupboard.

  "Wait, let me explain—"

  "No," Ben repeated, his lips tightening over the word. He reached for the pitcher of water he'd left on the counter and poured some clear liquid into his glass.

  "You don't know what's going on—"

  "I don't care."

  "You've been hiding yourself away from the world up here, you don't know—"

  "It's none of my business."

  "Ben, just listen—"

  "I said no, Billy." Ben interrupted, turning to face his brother's anger. Ben leaned back against the kitchen counter and calmly sipped his lukewarm water.

  Billy frowned, looking a little lost for words as he glared.

  "I'm pregnant," the woman said, breaking the sudden and tense silence. She stood, opening her jacket to reveal the round bump that had hidden in the bulkiness of the parka.

  Ben's gaze flew to her belly.

  "The baby is a shifter."

  Chapter Three

  She let that information soak into his brain for a minute. His eyes had widened and then quickly narrowed as he glanced from her to Billy. He lowered the glass of water from his lips. It dangled in his arm, forgotten. A few droplets of water dripped, absorbing into the woven rug beneath his bare feet.

  "A shifter baby," Roxie repeated, so he understood the magnitude of the situation. "That men like Hans Grünwald would like nothing more than to get their hands on."

  "Hans Grünwald is dead." He spoke the words between clenched teeth.

  "His organization is not." She moved her hands to her hips, giving him a full look at her very pregnant belly. "His men are after me. Billy suggested you could help."

  "What can I do?"

  "She needs a place to stay," Billy said, stepping forward to plead her case. "A place to hide."

  "Just for a little while," Roxie added, poking her head around Billy's shoulders so she could see Ben's face.

  "And you think hiding here is a good idea?" Ben let out a humorless chuckle, setting his glass on the counter. "Grünwald's men know about this place. Or did you forget they found us here before?"

  "I realize that." Billy raised his hand, pointing his index finger at what Roxie knew he thought was a brilliant idea. "But you've been hiding here for... What? The last six months?"

  "I haven't been hiding," Ben said, but Billy continued, not listening to his protest.

  "And you haven't had any trouble with Grünwald's men." He didn't wait for Ben to answer. "I don't believe they'll come back here. Why should they? It would be careless for us to hide in a place they already know about, don't you think?"

  "And you think this will stop them from looking here?" Ben's eyebrow rose again.

  Billy cocked his head to the side as he regarded his brother, then shrugged. "You haven't seen them skulking around here, have you? You've been here for six months."

  It didn't seem that Ben had a response for Billy's logic. He folded his arms across his chest again, staring at his brother.

  Roxie took advantage of that moment of silence between the two men. She glanced from one to the other, comparing their appearance. There was no doubt in her mind that they were brothers.

  Although Ben was an inch or so taller than Billy, they both had the same angular face, the same chocolate colored eyes and black hair. Ben's hair was shaved short, and he
sported a beard while Billy had a clean-shaven face, but longer hair. Ben's chest seemed a smidge broader and muscular than Billy's more lean-muscled body, but other than that, the two could be mistaken for twins.

  Ben rubbed his bearded chin, deep in thought. He continued to glance between her and Billy. She wished she could reach inside his mind, sense what he was thinking. Perhaps she might sway him?

  "How long?"

  Billy's shoulders sagged with relief. He glanced over his shoulder at Roxie, a smile stretching his mouth wide. She nodded to him, knowing how he felt about this situation. He wanted her and the baby safe, and he'd do anything to make that possible.

  He turned back to his brother. "A couple weeks. Maybe a month?"

  Ben's eyelids fell, shuttering whatever remained unspoken in his eyes. Billy must have seen the look too because he quickly added, "I've just got to get these guys off our tail. Once I take care of them, I'll come back for her."

  Ben lowered his face away from them.

  "How do you plan to do that?" Ben lifted his gaze.

  Billy smiled, that arrogant confidence that Roxie knew so well, shining in his eyes. "I'll worry about that, big brother. I just need you to keep Roxie safe for me."

  His brother sighed, heavily. He nodded once before turning to walk across the floor to the opposite side of the cabin to the living room area, giving them a moment of semi-privacy.

  Billy turned to face her. Before she could say a word, he pulled her into his embrace, hugging her tight before releasing her.

  "He'll take care of you. You'll be safe here, don't you worry."

  "I'm not worried about me," Roxie said, gazing into Billy's smiling face. "I'm more worried about you."

  He laughed, a brief burst of noise. "I can take care of myself. You know that."

  "Uh-huh," Roxie muttered, his words not dissolving the tension in her chest. He was going to place himself in danger for her. To save her and her unborn baby. "Don't do anything too reckless, okay?"

  "I'll play it safe, I promise." He leaned over her, placing a quick kiss on her forehead before turning to face his brother. "Thanks, Ben. I owe you one."

  "I'll add it to the list," Ben muttered.

  Billy chuckled, then headed to the door.

  “Billy,” Ben’s voice stopped him with his hand on the doorknob. “Be careful. Those men are dangerous.”

  “Aren’t I always careful?”

  Billy grinned as Roxie watched him leave, her heart in her throat as she hoped this wasn’t the last time she'd see his smiling face.

  When he left, she turned to face Ben. He stood by the window, drawing back the thin curtain to watch his brother depart.

  "So..." Roxie said, forcing a smile. "Just you and me. My name is Roxanne Bouchard, by the way. My friends call me Roxie. Billy is rubbish with introductions, I see."

  Ben said nothing. Simply stared out the window. She heard tires crunching on gravel as Billy drove away. Only when the sounds faded did Ben lower the curtain. He didn't face her, but he turned away from the window, at least.

  Still, he didn't speak. Roxie grew anxious with the sudden silence.

  "I'm sorry this is such an intrusion," she said, mainly because she couldn't stand the quiet. "When Billy suggested bringing me here, I thought he'd called you. He didn't, did he?"

  She tilted her head as she regarded him and held her breath, wondering if he might ignore her. The frown on his face looked permanent. She knew he didn't want her here.

  He kept silent for a moment longer than necessary.

  "No phone."

  "Ah..." Roxie said after those two softly spoken words. Some tension eased from her shoulders. At least, he was willing to speak to her. "I can see that would be a problem with letting you know we're were coming."

  Ben stepped away from the window, startling her with his sudden movement. He crossed the room, walking around the sofa that stood as a divider between the living room area and the kitchen.

  "You can have my bed," Ben said, his voice deep.

  "No, that's unnecessary," she said, waving her hands to dismiss the idea. "I don't want to put you out. I'll take the sofa."

  "You can have my bed," Ben repeated. "I won't need it. I'll sleep outside."

  "Outside?" Roxie's voice rose an octave higher with the question. She watched incredulously as Ben moved passed her to the door. "What do you mean, outside?"

  He paused as he opened the cabin door, hesitating in the doorway as he looked back at her.

  "You know about me," he stated, his voice low and even. "You know my brother and I are shifters."

  "Yes," she nodded, confused. He said it like that was the answer to her question. But that explained nothing. "And?"

  "I'll sleep outside."

  She frowned, watching as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. She stared at the empty space for a minute, baffled over his response. Then she hurried to the door, opening it to re-emerge into the brisk autumn air. She searched the driveway and the area around the front of the cabin, but she didn't see any sign of him.

  He was gone.

  Chapter Four

  Ben didn't return to the cabin that night. He didn't return the next day, either. Instead, he loped around the area surrounding the cabin, searching the forest in his cougar form. Occasionally, he'd stop to check the traps he'd made when he moved back into the cabin six months ago.

  He didn't believe Billy's assumptions that Grünwald's men wouldn't return to the cabin seeking them. In fact, he'd set traps as a measure for that reason. Grünwald may have died during their escape, but the organization carried on. He was sure of it. That's why his uncle and cousins fled Tennessee. At first, they'd gone to Florida, hiding in the everglades. More recently, they'd relocated to the Pocono region in Pennsylvania.

  He promised Uncle Patrick he'd keep in touch with him. Every few months, Ben took a trip into town where he borrowed a phone from Clint Reynolds at the grocery store to check in with his uncle and cousins. Aside from Billy, they were the only family he had left.

  Ben roamed the perimeter of the cabin twice to ensure all was well. When he was satisfied that everything was as it should be, he returned to the cabin to check on Roxie. He kept to the edge of the forest for a while, watching the cabin in silence. He saw no movement from any of the windows.

  A flicker of concern surfaced. Even with his keen cougar ears, he heard no sounds coming from within. Surely, if she were inside, she'd be making noise.

  She couldn't have left. His pickup truck remained parked in the driveway.

  So, where was she?

  Ben returned to the area where he stashed his clothes the day before. Typically, he'd just leave his clothes in the cabin when he shifted, but seeing as he had a guest, he figured he'd appease any sensitivity she might have regarding a naked man walking in and out of the cabin.

  Once he shifted, again an agonizing process, he dressed quickly. After that, he trekked through the forest to the cabin. At the door, he hesitated.

  Should he knock?

  He felt odd at knocking on his own door, but he didn't want to startle her. Still, it was his house. His property. She was a guest here. An unwanted guest at that.

  Ben turned the knob, pushing open the door, then stopped abruptly at the sight of the gun barrel poised at his head. Inwardly, he cursed. His body went rigid.

  Had they got passed his traps? Were Grünwald's men inside his cabin waiting for his return?

  Then Roxie stepped out of the shadows by the door, her fingers tight on the handle of the .45. His heart pounded fiercely, but he remained still, only his eyes moving as he watched her, waiting for her next move.

  Slowly, she lowered her weapon, clicking the safety on.

  "Knock next time." She walked away to shove the weapon into the pocket of her winter jacket, which she'd hung over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. Then she turned back to him. "Where have you been?"

  Ben stared. "Where did you get the gun?"

  She sh
rugged. "A girl's got to have protection. Especially when her knight in shining armor dashes off into the unknown." She wandered into the living room area. "I didn't know if you were coming back or not."

  "I have traps set. I went to check on them."

  "Traps?" Her eyes widened. "As in animal traps?" She rolled her eyes and sank onto the sofa, one hand on her belly. "Please don't tell me you expect me to skin animals and cook them over a campfire. I'm not that kinda girl."

  Ben's lips twitched. "No."

  "Good," she said with a sigh. "That's a relief."

  He moved into the kitchen. The few dirty dishes he'd left in the sink were cleared away. She must have washed up after him. Now that he had a guest, he'd have to do better cleaning up after himself. Living alone had spoiled him.

  "What kind of traps?" Roxie watched him from her position on the sofa.

  "The human kind."

  "Oh? You're not as confident as your brother."

  "A precaution."

  "You think his men may come here." It wasn't a question. She stared with a matter-of-fact expression. No fear or worry. Just curiosity.

  "It's possible."

  She nodded. "I told Billy I'd stay at a hotel while he took care of things. He wouldn't hear of it. I think he didn't like the idea of leaving me alone."

  "Aren't you afraid of being alone?"

  "I can handle myself." She smiled. "But Billy worries."

  "Do you want to leave? Go back to town?" He wasn't certain if the idea appealed to him or not. "I can drive you."

  She considered his offer. Then she glanced around the cabin and shrugged. "This is nicer than a hotel."

  He nodded, accepting her decision.

  "Besides, I don't want to upset Billy. He's trying his best."

  "He's going to get himself killed," Ben muttered. He reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a beer, then hesitated to remember his manners. He tilted the bottle in her direction. "Want one?"

  She frowned and shook her head, then pointed down where he couldn't see over the sofa. "Baby, remember?"

  "Right. You want something else?"