Shifter's Storm

by Carol Van Natta

  One perfect thrust and he was in her, stretching her, filling her, completing her.

  Her moan synchronized with his. Shifter-mate magic tightened around them, energizing the bond.

  She dropped one hand between them to rapidly stroke her wet and swollen clit. “Come with me, my love.”

  His eyes flashed sea green as he held her waist and slid out and in with like a piston.

  Sparks of magic engulfed them in flames. She spasmed once, twice, and she was gone, lost in a sea of sensation. He shouted with his last, deep thrust and bathed her channel with waves of wet heat.

  Her leopard danced, his sloth twirled, and mate magic added unbreakable strands to the complex woven threads they already shared.

  Even in her bliss, she could tell their scents were changing, taking on parts of each other, blending new ones that would tell the magical world of their true bond.

  Aftershocks of pleasure coursed through her and echoed in him.

  She opened her eyes to find herself grinning as she looked into the fathomless brown eyes of the shifter she loved. “Hi.”

  He returned her smile. “Hello, my mate.”

  She wanted to stay there forever, with her legs folded tightly around his hips, holding him inside her, but the real world annoyingly didn’t care. “We’re running out of hot water.” Tilting her head toward the still-running shower. “I’d really like to have clean hair when I make love with you again.”

  He kissed her forehead, then tilted his hips away from hers and slowly set her down on the floor.

  Embarrassingly, she had to lock her knees to keep them from wobbling when he stepped back.

  Worry settled on his face. “Did I hurt you?”

  A chuckle escaped her. “No, just the opposite. I’ve never had an orgasm like that in my life.” She glanced at his semi-tumescent erection. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to want another one soon for comparison.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “How do you always know how to make me laugh?”

  Her knees didn’t betray her this time as she bent to pick up the soap to put it on a small shelf. “Goddess powers.”

  “Ah, that must be it.” The twitching of his lips belied his suitably worshipful mien.

  She scooped the shampoo bottle from the shelf and poured a dollop into her hand. “You’re a god, too, you know. Your power is love. And making people feel safe.”

  His expression turned thoughtful as he stepped back and leaned against the glass wall.

  She used the hand-held showerhead to wash between her legs, hurriedly scrubbed the shampoo into her scalp and massaged it through her hair. Once would have to do unless she wanted to rinse in chilly water. The rapidly cooling spray washed the sullen suds away.

  When she shut off the water and turned around, Dauro stepped in to wrap her with a towel from the nearby rack.

  “In my time, the Heart of the Sky was the most powerful of all the gods.” He kissed her tenderly. “The Heart has blessed me in more ways than I’ll ever know.”

  She raised her hands to cup his beloved face. “This is your time, now.” She rose up on her toes to kiss his generous mouth. “This is our blessed day. Night. Whatever.” She kissed him again with slow and sensuous promise.

  He matched her intent with a firm caress of her butt and the slow grind of his hips against hers. “Can we try the bed this time? I think I’ll need to work up to hanging from the ceiling.”

  She chuckled. “The bed, yes. Lie down and let me worship at your altar.” Sending him her intent was as easy as breathing through their shining mate bond.

  The next thing she knew, she was being carried with shifter speed to the king-sized bed.

  She grinned as he set her carefully down and vaulted over her to lie on his back beside her. He splayed his legs and folded his hands under his neck, just as she’d imagined in the image she’d shared.

  From the collection of toiletries at the edge of the bed, she fished out the bottle of massage oil. The clever flamingos thought of everything.

  Out of nowhere, a yawn ambushed her. She refused to give in. Mate time was too precious to waste on sleep.

  Dauro sat up and caught her hand. “We have two days full of hours.” He took the bottle from her hand. “What I’d really like… okay, my sloth and I would like, is to sleep with you. Making love is great, but naps”—he grabbed two pillows and handed one to her—“are sublime.”

  A laugh escaped her. “My inner leopard agrees one thousand percent.”

  She took back the bottle of oil and shoved it and everything else into the backpack. Without thinking, she used a tiny bit of magic to flip the light switch. Motive magic had never come so easily before. Maybe she’d picked it up from the bond. In which case, she’d totally won the mate lottery with Dauro.

  When she turned back to the bed, she discovered Dauro had been busy. “You made us a pillow fort.”

  “It’s the closest I could come to a nest.” He patted the spot next to him. “Our mate bed will need more pillows.”

  Her inner leopard quashed her busy little human brain that wanted to talk and plan. “It’s perfect, as long as you’re in it.”

  She crawled into the nest as he slid back and held up the sheet for them.

  Curling into his living, breathing warmth felt like coming home. His scent soothed her like no other. Another yawn crept up on her.

  “Let us share breath and dreams.” His voice rumbled in his chest and vibrated her ear.

  “Yes,” she murmured, letting sleep take her. “Together.”

  Chapter 14

  The last place Dauro ever hoped to be again was old Nessireth’s demesne, and yet there he was. He suspected Nibi and Rosinette felt the same way, and yet there they were, too.

  His two friends sat together on one of the bridge pathway’s stone benches, with a long, plain wooden box on the seat between them. Rosinette’s nose was buried in her new e-reader that somehow held a thousand books.

  Nibi grinned at him as she patted the bench. “Sit with us. Pacing won’t make your mate get here any faster.”

  Sunscar, hovering near the castle’s forest-giant statue, grounded himself and crossed his arms. He looked more plausibly human than he ever had, except he refused to wear clothes and his long silver-gray coils of hair still moved like a tangle of miniature eels. That, and the statues followed him around like ducklings.

  Zephyr jumped down from the top of the bridge’s side column, landing as if she’d only been three feet up instead of fifteen.

  A wave of fairy magic tickled his senses. A circle grew into a glowing arc several yards in front of him.

  Zephyr strode to the portal. The air pressure popped.

  His mate bond lit up like a sunbeam. Finally!

  A moment later, Chantal stepped through, wearing a uniform shirt and pants. She dropped her bag and launched straight at him.

  He caught her in his arms and twirled, taking in her scent. Aiming a kiss at her mouth, he instead got her nose.

  She laughed as she cupped his face in her hands. “I missed you.” Fortunately, her kiss didn’t miss.

  Nibi’s loud whistle distracted him. “Not to spoil the reunion or anything, but the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get out of here.” Her indulgent smile lessened the testiness of her complaint.

  Dauro pulsed his love for Chantal through their connection, then set her down.

  She wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled under his shoulder. “You’re right. I have news, and I want to hear yours.”

  Her welcome warmth made him realize the air was colder than he’d noticed. He didn’t know if he’d changed or the demesne had changed. Or both.

  Zephyr curled her little finger. The portal shut with an ear-popping snap.

  A subtle tickle of magic came from Chantal as she looked around. “This place looks the same, but it feels amazingly better.” She held up her hand as if feeling for rain. Tiny points of light appeared to dance over her palm. “The demesne see
ms happy.”

  Zephyr grinned. “Thank you for noticing. I’m still sorting out the quirks.” Her eyes darted to Sunscar and back again. “It’s a work in progress.”

  “Have you figured out yet how the demesne survived after Nessireth died?”

  Zephyr blew out a loud breath. “No, other than it has something to do with how she fused her magic into the living rock and shaped the demesne around it.”

  Rosinette joined their circle, clutching the e-reader to her chest.

  “I’ll start,” said Nibi. “After the underground auction house sold Kelvin to Nessireth, his aunt escaped during a big prison break. The Shifter Tribunal reunited them last week.” She shaded her eyes and looked up at Dauro. “I know where they live.”

  Dauro didn’t need Sunscar’s telepathic network to know Nibi meant to visit them soon to check. He intended to be with her. The young shifter had been through much and deserved to be well cared for.

  Rosinette looked up. “How are Yipkash and Rayapkhal?” The notes in her tone sang of missing them.

  Dauro smiled. “They are the proud parents of seventeen.” He grinned at his friends’ astonishment.

  Chantal gaped up at him. “Is that typical?”

  “No. It’s the largest birth in the last five centuries.” He circled a finger upward. “Their healers think exposure to fairy demesne magic might have caused it.”

  Nibi raised an eyebrow. “I hope capricorns have nannies, or Yip and Raya will never sleep again.”

  “The whole clan is helping. It’s their miracle.” He squeezed Chantal’s shoulders. “Wait until you see their land house. Five island cabins could fit inside.”

  “Are you going with him to Greece?” Rosinette tilted her head quizzically.

  Chantal nodded. “After my final week in Barron, yes. Kotoyeesinay owes me twelve weeks of vacation, so I’m taking them all.” She nudged Dauro with her hip. “My mate will need time to recover from my family and friends.”

  Dauro laughed. “I’m looking forward to meeting them.”

  “What about Trixis and Omorachi?” asked Chantal.

  Nibi’s smile turned feral. “They’re in deep alligators. They are both fugitives from fairy justice, and their antics cost their tribe the demesne. If they’d have just let us go, we’d have all moved on, and the tribe could have claimed it with none the wiser.” Nibi crossed her arms. “Hiring the auction house and the hunters demonstrated their intent. The Shifter Tribunal lawyers used Nessireth’s book to prove she wasn’t a tribe member when she died. The Celestial Fairy Court awarded the demesne to us six prisoners as compensation.”

  Dauro didn’t know what to think about that. Everything he currently owned fit in one soft-sided bag. What would he do with a demesne?

  The mate bond pulsed briefly with a soothing message from Chantal. You don’t have to decide today, love.

  She was right of course, which was another thing to thank the gods for.

  Rosinette turned to Nibi. “What are your plans?”

  “Find my sister. Find a lake to call my own.” She cracked a sardonic smile. “Learn to use the internet.”

  “You might check out Fort LeBlanc, the sanctuary town in Canada.” said Chantal. “They’ve organized ‘welcome to the modern world’ classes for some of the ahklut that stayed.”

  “Ahklut?” Nibi blinked. “As in the Terror of the North? They’re back?”

  “Yep. They’re reformed. Well, mostly.”

  Sunscar stepped closer. “Has Kotoyeesinay read our proposal?”

  “They have,” replied Chantal. “They’re interested. I have a draft agreement in my bag.”

  “Proposal?” It was the first Dauro had heard of it. And from the expressions of Nibi and Rosinette, the first they’d heard of it, too. He looked at his friend expectantly.

  Sunscar’s hair stilled. “This is why I asked you all to come back to the demesne together. First, to see how the demesne and statutes are not your enemies, and second, to discuss this.” He tilted his chin toward Zephyr. “We proposed that the demesne become a refugee center for others like me who aren’t ready for the real world. Who need a sheltered place for transition. We’d all have to agree of course, including Kelvin’s aunt. And we’d need help from others to create habitats.”

  Dauro wished they still had the telepathic network to tell him how Sunscar felt about it. “Would you be the sinchi?” Dauro couldn’t think of the English word.

  “No, I am a bad leader. I terrify everyone. I will manage the castle and statues.” Sunscar tilted his chin toward Zephyr again. “She will manage the demesne and help move the anchors to Kotoyeesinay when the time comes. We asked the town to help us find demesne specialists, therapists, and an appropriate director.”

  “Intriguing,” said Nibi. “A halfway house for magic folk. You’ll have a ton of details to sort, but if you’re willing to do it, I’ll sign off on the deal.” A sharp smile passed her lips. “And just imagine how much it would have pissed off Nessireth to share with others.”

  Dauro snorted in amusement.

  Rosinette squared her shoulders. “I will be your first resident.”

  Dauro didn’t try to keep worry off his face. “You often talked about missing your family.”

  “I know, but...” Rosinette’s shoulders tightened. “They won’t have missed me.”

  The bleak, discordant music under her words made Dauro wince.

  “If you’d like someone to talk to about it,” said Chantal, “the klenath wyvern known as the Scholar of the Skies makes his home in Kotoyeesinay. I could introduce you.”

  Rosinette’s eyes widened in surprise. She opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, then shook her head. “I will consider it. Thank you for the offer.”

  “You’d be welcome in Kotoyeesinay.” She snapped her fingers, then dug into the bellows pocket on her thigh and brought out thin metal rectangles with small straps. “Speaking of which, these luggage tags are for each of you. They’re guest tokens that will exempt you from the ‘get-lost’ spells in case you want to visit.”

  Sunscar held his up for a moment, then buckled the strap onto the chain he wore around his neck, next to a charm. Dauro couldn’t resist teasing him. “You’d have a pocket for that if you’d wear pants.”

  Sunscar scowled imperiously. “Neither wraiths nor eels wear clothes.”

  Zephyr rolled her eyes. “Like I said, work in progress.”

  Nibi looked at the new watch on her wrist. “Since Chantal still has to do time in Florida, how about Dauro and I go see Kelvin and his aunt about the demesne proposal?”

  Chantal laughed. “You make it sound like I’m working off a jail sentence.”

  Nibi snorted. “All the land cougars I knew were kitty-brained. If that dopey male you told me about is anything to go by, they haven’t changed.”

  “You mean Fontaine? He won’t be bothering anyone for a while.”

  “Did you transform him into a slug?” asked Rosinette hopefully.

  Chantal laughed. “No, but I appreciate your confidence in my ability.” She hooked a thumb over her belt. “My first day back, I fixed the noisy air vent above my desk and discovered a wireless surveillance camera. Three others, too. When the sheriff threatened to bring in a wizard with a truth geas spell, Fontaine confessed. He thought I was hooking up with the other deputies. The proof was supposed to get us all fired. Instead, the sheriff busted him to probationary foot patrol for the next year.”

  Dauro had already heard some of the story. Fontaine had first tried to claim that Chantal had done it. Although he’d been away from his mate for too many days already, perhaps it would be better to go with Nibi. If he went to Barron, he might be tempted to introduce himself to the cougar who had tried to shove Chantal off the bus.

  Their mental connection strengthened as Chantal tightened her arm around his waist. Thank you, love, but the sheriff took away his gun privileges, too. That’ll humiliate Fontaine far worse than being sat on by a prehistoric sloth.

>   Dauro caught Nibi’s eye. “I would like to go with you to visit Kelvin.” He frowned. “But I have nothing to trade for portal passage.”

  “We’ve got a year’s worth of free trips coming from the Celestial Court as part of our compensation.” Nibi pointed to the box on the bench behind her. “Besides, Rosinette told me which of Nessireth’s charms and wands are safe to sell, and your clever mate knows a dark elf in Kotoyeesinay who can help us get top price. Even split six ways, you’ll have plenty of money.”

  His new memories said money was like a future promise to trade, but he didn’t understand how it worked. From something Chantal had said, he gathered she had money held in trust, so maybe she could explain it to him. So much to learn about the real world.

  So many important decisions to make, too, but not right then. The gods had truly blessed him with a mate who understood his need for time to think.

  “Then let’s go see Kelvin.” He turned and stepped closer to Sunscar. “I owe you more than I can say for teaching me, for being my friend. For helping me make friends with the others.” He held up his wrist with the demesne-to-world charm Chantal had made for them. “If you ever need help, or just someone to talk to, call me. I’ll be calling you, too.”

  Sunscar nodded gravely. “I will answer.” He hesitantly reached out to pat Dauro’s upper arm. “You saved me, too. You taught me hope.”

  Dauro opened his arms, but let Sunscar step into them before giving his friend a tight, hard hug.

  To Dauro’s surprise, Sunscar then turned to Nibi and hugged her, whispering something in her ear.

  Nibi nodded and responded in a language Dauro didn’t know.

  Zephyr whistled. “I know you all think fairies are impatient, but we’ve got nothing on flamingos. They’re pinging at the guest portal.”

  Chantal laughed. “They’re probably worried about you. They’re still convinced my starving leopard wants to eat everyone.”

  “We’re done here, anyway. Let’s not keep them waiting.” With a rush of fairy magic from Zephyr’s careless gesture, the portal opened with a quick glow and a pop of air pressure. Dauro couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have so much power at his fingertips.