Falling for Shifters: A Limited Edition Autumn Shifters Collection

by Lacey Carter Andersen

  Olivia

  Shortly after pulling away from Drake’s house, probably for the last time, she almost stopped her car. Was that a dog howling? Sounded more like a wolf, but she knew there weren’t any wolves in the area. Maybe someone had one of those wolf-like dog breeds. That solution satisfied her to keep on driving.

  An almost cloudless sky bathed the area in moonlight. The road was deserted this late in the evening. Instead of going home, she took the long way, with one planned stop. She hummed along to a song on the radio.

  In four hours, the sun would peek across the horizon. Aunt Jessie would rise to put the kettle on and steep a pot of tea. Uncle Evan never woke up early. His younger brother, Kevin, sometimes stayed in the apartment above the garage. He still held special meetings there occasionally. After a pancake breakfast, Olivia would accompany her aunt to the marina to check on the fishermen’s catch of the day.

  Considered a top commercial fishing hub in New York and the Northeast, some fresh wild seafood could still fetch a premium price. Since Aunt Jessie was head chef, she based the day’s specials on whatever she could get a good deal on. From there, the next stop was the Farmer’s Market. Her mother, Rachel, was the younger sister of Kevin and Evan. They were from the Armstrong family. That name had history and held clout with certain people in Lavender Cove. The market owner was close to Jessie and her aunt only did business there.

  Olivia regarded herself a Masterson, even if her father was a drunk and had run off.

  After shopping, they’d bring some of their purchases to the restaurant, the rest would be delivered. Olivia oversaw the employees and was involved in everything from prep work to stocking supplies, cleaning tables and resetting the various workstations. When the lunch crowds came in, she became the answer expert and chief problem solver.

  Summer was the busy season. Business catered primarily to the tourists who came in off the boats that docked in the bay. Knowing the schedules of each business—from the individual fishing vessels to charters, various party boats, seal and whale watching boats, and the ferries to the islands was important. They prepared for each crowd. There were also walk-ins.

  Whenever there was lull, Olivia grabbed a meal or a short break. Happy hour started at four p.m., followed by the dinner rush at five. The dining room closed at nine, then she would assist in clean up and leave around ten. The bar which was located upstairs remained open until four a.m.

  Uncle Evan came in around two, took care of any pressing business matters, and would then supervise the staff while he hung out at the bar and socialized.

  They were closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Those were the days she’d spent working for Mrs. Santiago.

  Ten minutes in, she slowed and turned on her blinker to make a left onto Cemetery Road. One of the hamlet’s original roads, there were no streetlamps here. Trees of Heaven lined the front of the Lavender Cove Cemetery from the road’s beginning to end. Out of respect, she turned the music off. Halfway down, past the cemetery entrance, the lane veered and ran along the banks of Lavender Pond. In the rainy season, this area flooded easily. As a child, she loved to ride her bike here and pick wild berries, which grew around the wrought iron bars of the fence.

  After her mom died, her dad raised her. Remaining single and content to drink his life away, he had been the caretaker here until health issues made him retire. He left for Canada, and she stayed behind, moving in with Jessie and Kevin. Olivia had already started freshman year at Hartford High and didn’t want to leave.

  The memories never faded. They merely strengthened her resolve to do something worthwhile with her life. Olivia dropped the speed down to ten miles per hour. Reliving the past could only fuel her determination to set things right. The short bursts of an ovenbird joined in with the constant chirping of crickets as she traveled down the faded asphalt.

  Just before the bend, a red symbol lit up on the dashboard.

  Olivia knew the ones for oil and tire pressure, door ajar, and washer fluid, but that one?

  Not a clue.

  Her phone buzzed, and she stopped short.

  Rylan texted her: Why did you leave me? Drake ended the party You OK?

  He rarely used his phone. Did he really want to talk her tonight?

  She responded: fine, needed air, took scenic route

  The smile emoji popped up. She giggled.

  let me know if you need me otherwise meet me she read before she noted the level of power remaining. One percent. The number in red. Quickly, she typed sur—

  The screen darkened, cutting off the last letter. Another cheap charging cable had stopped working.

  “Seriously?” she grumbled. “Screw it.” Resolved to go home and leave her plan for another night, Olivia twisted the wheel about to make a U-turn, her foot pressed on the gas. The vehicle lurched forward and stopped.

  Panic flooded her mind. Quickly, she put the car in park—and froze.

  Every colored light on the instrument panel flashed at once before the engine died.

  Olivia gasped.

  The trees shrouded the cemetery in pitch darkness. Fortunately, moonlight highlighted the middle of the road where Olivia sat and the remainder, including the pond.

  “Are you kidding me?” She peered out through the open windows, coolness spreading inside. Leaning her head against the rest, she closed her eyes. In similar situations, her best friend Taylor would have panicked and jumped out of the car to run back to the intersection. All the time muttering to herself not to worry while praying for divine intervention.

  Luckily, Olivia wasn’t like that. She considered herself more pragmatic.

  A realist.

  No one would be traveling in this direction. Not at two o’clock in the morning.

  Montauk, the next town over, was nicknamed “The Last Resort” for a reason. There was nothing around except for two state parks: the weird Camp Hero, and Montauk Point, which included the lighthouse and the restaurant out by the island’s end. Everything was closed.

  “I’m stranded until morning,” she mumbled, staring ahead. “Have a roadside assistance plan…and a dead phone. Awesome.” When she bought her car last year, she’d been too cheap to purchase OnStar.

  She also knew that after her dad had moved from here, the house had been razed to make room for more plots. The new caretaker had office space inside the Welcome Center, but he lived on the outskirts of town and drove in each morning to unlock the gates at eight o’clock.

  All she could do was sit and wait.

  Her fingers shook as she first removed her corsage, then she grabbed her heavyweight hoodie off the back seat and slipped it on. Unfortunately, she’d left the windows open and it had turned chilly. The scent of moss and leaves wafted in. She dug her hands into the kangaroo-pouch front pockets, sat back, and began her wait.

  The tranquility began to make her drowsy. Nothing bad happened in Lavender Cove, but there had been several incidents….

  Olivia

  “You all right, miss? Did your car break down? Need a ride?” A seductive voice tore her from a dream as Olivia’s eyes popped open. She screamed, triple smacking at the head that had been partially poking in through the driver’s side window.

  The guy winced and drew back, hands held out. “S-sorry! I was passing by and saw this vehicle stopped here in the dark.”

  Not the best time to grab a nap. How long had she been asleep? Sitting up, she spotted nothing in front and checked the rearview mirror. Instead of headlamps, strange red lights reflected from a vehicle parked about twenty feet back. She regarded the guy presently standing farther away, closer to the cemetery entrance gates.

  Every few seconds he’d scrutinize her and rub his forehead.

  “My car broke down.” She cleared her dry throat. “Does your cell work?”

  The stranger ambled over, a cheap flip-phone in his hand, and squinted at her as if she was a dull light bulb. “There’s no service here. It’s a dead zone.”

  His appearance reminded her o
f a cute nerd with his open, long-sleeved button down and torn in the knee jeans. Such dated style. Of course, his phone didn’t work. Did he pay for minutes too? Biting back an insult, she drew in a deep breath and climbed out.

  After he pocketed his phone, he held the door. “I’m Greg.”

  When he extended his hand, Olivia pegged him for an out-of-towner. Greg appeared lanky, yet his tight Nirvana tee showed off thick arms.

  “I’m staying with my uncle over in Clover Bay. He sells cars. Nice to meet you…”

  “Olivia.” She stood beside her door, keeping it ajar.

  When she didn’t take his hand, he shrugged. “Want me to drive you home?” That smooth voice didn’t match his nerdy look.

  Olivia shook her head. “No thanks. A friend’s coming for me.”

  Mom taught her never to get into any vehicles with people she didn’t know.

  Greg’s eyebrows hitched. “You sure? It’s not safe out here for a girl by herself.”

  Olivia cocked her head and folded her arms. “I’ve lived here all my life. I’m not worried.”

  “Really?” He took a few steps towards her and scratched his dull brown hair. “Haven’t you heard about the legend?”

  She rolled her eyes and began to tick off the list on her fingers. “Which one? The Lady in White? The Hooded Mauler? The Suffolk Sea Beast? What’s the fourth one again?”

  From his reaction, he hadn’t heard any. Seasonal visitors. Give her townies any day.

  “The Demon Wolf,” he declared in a low voice.

  She giggled. “That’s ancient. It existed for, what? Half a day, maybe two?” Social media went wild when someone posted a photo of a deformed animal of some type. Then a media circus ensued. Lavender Cove had a chance to be famous, but the mayor downplayed it. Olivia remembered reading some of the ludicrous comments people put up. Unable to stop laughing, she clutched her stomach and covered her mouth until she regained control. Wiping her eyes, she added, “You know it was proven to be a hoax. A scientist did tests on that body.”

  Brows pinched, he huffed. “No hoax. That one’s still around. It gets revived often. There were witnesses. People saw it.”

  Maybe he was raised here. She couldn’t be sure. Crossing her arms, Olivia argued. “You mixed up the stories. Some claimed to have seen the Suffolk Sea Beast, not the Demon Wolf. Then there was that one picture that went viral. But the body disappeared. That urban tale has lasted for years.” Taking in his incensed look, she sighed. It didn’t hurt to find out what others knew. “What have you heard?”

  Greg visibly relaxed. “That the Demon Wolf prefers girls. It attacks, bites them, drinks their blood, and sometimes does other things.” He raised his eyebrows theatrically.

  A shiver raced down her spine. “That’s just…gross. Why blood? That’s a vampire thing.”

  “Blood contains a lot. Lifeforce. Power. Nutrients. Magic,” he answered matter-of-factly.

  Olivia began to pace. What was this guy into? “Heard that from your uncle? Has he lived here long?”

  “Yeah.” He straightened. Had he puffed up his chest? “All his life.”

  “Well, Greg, let me tell you.” She stopped in front of him. “All that nonsense about so-called legends is good for two things: As scary stories told around campfires and for parents with teens learning to drive. They feed them these ridiculous tales as warnings, so their kids think twice about parking in strange places with friends. Nobody. Believes. That. Crap.”

  “Not true!” he shot back. “My uncle said it’s real. That’s why he doesn’t come around here.”

  Olivia scoffed, glancing around. “Is that his ride? It’s sweet. What’s wrong with the headlights?”

  “Nothing. I turned the headlamps off. They can be blinding.” They both stared at the neon blue sports car. He pointed. “Those are ‘Demon Eyes.’ They’re aftermarket accessories the previous owner had installed. Cool, eh?”

  Those crimson lights bothered her. “They’re…unique.” Standing close, she picked up on his cheap cologne, breath mints, and something like wet dog.

  “It’s a loaner.”

  She’d noticed the dealer plates earlier.

  An owl hooted. Olivia listened. When she peered back at Greg, he stared at her. “What’s the matter?”

  “You’re beautiful.” His tone sounded confident, no wavering.

  She dug her hands into her pockets and flashed a sarcastic smile. “Thanks.”

  His continued perusal unsettled Olivia. She stepped away to admire the handful of clouds, grateful none had passed close enough to disturb the bright illumination of the full moon. When she returned her attention to him, he remained fixated on her every move. “Greg, you should go. Thanks for checking on me.”

  Silent, his thumb scratched at his other hand while he cricked his neck. “When’s your friend coming? Sure are taking their time. I’ll stay till then. I don’t mind.”

  Sucking the inside of her mouth, she wished her phone had charged.

  Greg casually moved beside her. “That’s the gentlemanly thing to do. Someone as gorgeous as you might attract the wrong attention. Who knows, like a legend or some other kind of monster.”

  Olivia was out of laughs. Wonderful. This dude was pissing her off, but there was nothing she could do besides beating him up. Maybe he would grow bored?

  From her side view, she noticed him inhale deeply. Leaning against the side of her car, she studied him. “They’ll be here soon. How’s your summer going?”

  Despite the still cooling temps, sweat beaded across his forehead. “Okay. I work full-time at the dealership. You smell interesting. You work in a seafood restaurant.” He sniffed again, making a face. “I get a whiff of lilac and vanilla…” His eyes grew huge. “Interesting. What kind of dog do you have?”

  When Olivia’s eyebrows arched, he shrugged. “Talent of mine.”

  The dude was annoying and downright strange. Those were the scents of the shampoo and body wash she’d used this morning—nineteen hours ago. She paid no attention to his other stupid remark. No pets were allowed in her uncle’s house unless they dead and stuffed. He liked to shoot at things. “Out alone on a Saturday night. No girlfriend?”

  He folded his arms. “No. My video games keep me busy. Why? You single?”

  For the second time, she found herself lying. “I have a boyfriend,” her voice harsher than she’d intended. She lazily wound a strand of hair around her finger, thinking of Rylan. “What do you do on a date?”

  From his expression, Greg seemed mesmerized by her. “If we were going out, I’d pick you up in the most expensive car from the lot. Take you to a nice restaurant. Watch you eat and then we’d go to the movies. Get ice cream for dessert….”

  Olivia released the strand. “That’s cute and very high school. How old are you?”

  His admiration withered. “Twenty-four. What’s wrong with those things? What would you do?”

  For a moment, Olivia thought his eyes had changed from light brown to ebony, but then they seemed normal again. That’s the second time tonight she’d imagined something like that happening. First with Rylan. When had she last had an eye exam? Shifting onto her feet, she faced him. “We’d start by going to a club. Drinking, dancing, getting a feel for the guy I’m with.”

  Greg’s attitude changed. He deliberately took his time perusing her body from her hair to her sandals and then back up again. “I could do that.”

  The smile he gave her glare angered her more. “Please go home, Greg. It’s late.”

  “I’m having too much fun.” He turned suddenly and stared into the cemetery. She looked over but could see nothing in the dark.

  “Excuse me. Nature calls.”

  Olivia watched him trudge off towards the trees. When he reached the fence, he seemed to suffer from a back spasm. Greg yanked off his outer shirt, then fell to his knees. Not sure what to do, she remained still and stared. Could he be having a seizure or a fit of some kind?

  “Hey, do yo
u have a medical condition, Greg?” She yelled out. Not knowing what she was dealing with kept her rooted in one spot. “Are there pills or something in your car I can get for you?”

  He’d fallen in a spot cloaked in shadows. She had to rely on her hearing to figure out what was going on.

  “Aahhhh!” he shrieked.

  She crouched by her car and peered out, sure to keep her distance. “Damnit, this is what happens in those zombie movies,” she mumbled, with a quick pat at the sides of her legs.

  Greg stopped crying out. The early morning turned chillier. She stood, aware of the complete silence around her.

  “Greg? Are you all right?”

  What soon followed her inquiry was not his reply but noises. Horrible popping sounds.

  Olivia

  From silence to complete chaos in the span of seconds. Olivia let out a slew of curses. Something was wrong with him, she couldn’t see a damned thing to investigate, the air felt electrically charged, and her instinct screamed at her to prepare. For what?

  Is this the awareness she waited for?

  His groans rumbled from the darkness. Those terrible sounds continued a few minutes more and ceased.

  That’s when her ears picked up a low growl like a hum…from somewhere behind her?

  Greg laughed. At least she thought that was him, the deep timber not like the voice she’d heard earlier. Then the trees began to shake and sway, branches breaking one by one, the pace picking up and growing closer.

  Olivia backpedaled in a crouch, unsure of where to go and what to do. When her sandal caught in something in the cracked asphalt, she fell onto her behind. Leaning against her vehicle, she stood as a shadow moved into the path of moonlight covering the road.

  A very tall, oddly shaped form.

  What lumbered towards her was not Greg.

  Olivia froze. The thing headed in her direction was not human.

  It was a damned monster.

  Lycan.

  She recognized it from drawings she’d seen during training sessions. Glowing red eyes fixated on her. Olivia took a bunch of hesitant steps back. The creature stopped a few feet away from her car fender. At least seven feet tall, the beast towered over her. It stood, it’s wolf-like head angled as though studying her. Drool fell from massive canines housed in an extended snout. Thick, gray fur covered its well-defined, muscular body including its two long ears angled on the sides of its massive head. A pair of limb-like arms ended in dark claws. The monster careened its tall head, first in one direction and then another and sniffed.