BOX SET: Shifter 4-Pack Vol 2 (Wolf Shifter, Dragon Shifter, Mafia, Billionaire, BBW, Alpha) (Werewolf Weredragon Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection)

by Candace Ayers

  Only Ben kept me, in my exhausted state, from falling. He lifted me gently and placed me on the ground settling himself next to me.

  “Are you still with me, beautiful?” Benjamin finally asked me. He propped himself onto his side to watch me.

  I tried to swallow but my mouth was too dry. “Yeah.” With a shaky breath, I licked my chapped lips and managed to moisten them enough to swallow before turning to him. “I… I’m sorry.” I winced, thinking of what I had just done. It had been so irrational and silly- but it was my first instinct when it came to Lyell.

  He nodded, but I couldn’t read his gaze. So far, he had been silent and he had been patient. Too patient, especially for a night like this. Now, his eye twitched and I could feel his fingers dancing against my hipbone. I watched him and listened to his heartbeat, an inkling of guilt growing in my chest.

  I had left Lyell, and I was rid of him. Perhaps I was imagining him. Maybe by now Lyell was long dead or at least very lost. I thought of his red eyes and I trembled ever so slightly. Ben’s arm around my shoulder and his thumb making circles on my shoulder reminded me that I was not alone. I never had to be alone again, if that’s what I wanted.

  I straightened up and kissed Ben hard on the lips. “I’m okay now.”

  “Oh?” He raised his eyebrow, wrapping his hand around my neck to bring me in for another kiss. I couldn’t help but smile between our lips, and his hot breath tickled my cheeks. His heartbeat sped, pulling me on top of him. The pull grew stronger, pulsating inside my chest, and I could sense it in him. Tonight was supposed to be our night, I hadn’t wanted to ruin it, and Ben was letting me know that he wouldn’t let me ruin it.

  He was more family than Lyell had ever been.

  Ben and I caught it at the same time and we turned to one another inquisitively. Thoughts of Lyell returned, and while it almost smelled like him, it wasn’t enough to confirm any concerns. It appeared familiar, but I wasn’t sure. Nuzzling one another, we weren’t sure what we wanted to do until we noticed the tail in the distance, and instinctively ran after it.

  Above us, the moon seemed to tug us forward. We continued on the move, curiously chasing after this wolf who was continued to appear and disappear as easily as a ghost. Because I didn’t want to lose Benjamin, I let him choose the pace that we followed after, trailing behind haphazardly.

  It was one of our kind, but it kept motioning for us to follow with a turn of its head and Ben was more than curious. At first, so was I. Until I smelled the territory we suddenly found ourselves on and realized we had fallen into a trap.

  At that point, it was too late. The wolf disappeared over a large mound and two other changed wolves arrived at either side of us, growling a harsh warning. I took a step back, cautious and confused. Ben stopped and waited for me to decide. It had to be me, because I was supposed to know better, because I had to have the answers. Except this time, I didn’t have one in time.

  I swallowed, backing up closer to Benjamin as he pawed the ground warily. It didn’t make sense and my heart began to beat more quickly, wondering what was about to happen. This ambush seemed odd; something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

  Suddenly, the one to my left charged at me. My heart jumped in my throat and I ran out of the way so he just missed my tail. I could hear Ben’s growl and knew the other wolf had gone for him. I didn’t have time to look to his safety with this threat and had to deal with my own situation. But I heard them and knew he could hold his own. I prayed he would be okay and turned back to the one attempting to run me up a tree.

  He was a big bully, but he wasn’t very fast. The only problem was that he appeared to know all of my tricks and was prepared for them. No matter where I went or how I dodged, he was right there. My speed accounted for nothing if I couldn’t go anywhere, and he knew it. I pawed the ground angrily, trying to find my escape.

  Taking the offense, I went in for the hind leg and he cut me off with a bite on the shoulder. Howling, I fought him off and scratched his eye. The tear wasn’t deep on my shoulder, but it stung. Stretching his lips back, he revealed his bloody teeth, and suddenly turned towards Benjamin who was still fighting the other wolf who was now missing half an ear. I growled, striving to get his attention back to keep Ben from being attacked from both sides.

  That’s when the moon took a stand, and reminded me I wasn’t a whole wolf and that a fight wasn’t necessary. The problem was, I didn’t know what I needed to do. If this was an ambush, it was a very mediocre one and carried too much risk involved for any hope of success. The first wolf that had led us there had disappeared and nothing was making sense.

  My heart thumped loudly, and glancing around, I tried to straighten my thoughts out and concentrate. It was so easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment, especially in battle. Their red eyes glared at me and realizing I had the distance to my advantage, I changed back into my human form.

  Everyone shook their heads, even Benjamin. It was always off putting at first with the new scents, and it gave me their complete attention. I put my hands up in defense as they growled angrily, ready to charge.

  “Stop! You have no right. We were led onto your territory. If you are looking for a fight, so be it. But not this way. Not like this. I demand answers. We demand answers.” I called to them harshly, glaring them down. I may not have the red eyes of the blood-thirsty, but I knew I was skilled enough. This was all absurd, and I refused to play part in it any longer.

  The wolf who had attacked me lowered his head, ready to jump. I stood my ground and continued staring him down as I repeated myself. “You have no right. You will address me before attacking us again.” As though for a reminder, my shoulder stung and I tried not to look at it. But I smelled the blood, and I knew they smelled it.

  Ben was closest, and after something of a small sigh, he changed to join me. His face was pale and scratches covered his body, but he gave me a nod and stood tall beside me. The two of us stood there, waiting. We had made our move and they had to make theirs.

  Packs were getting out of hand lately, but this really did it in. My blood was pure and every wolf would have sensed that. It was an insult to be treated this way and we all knew it. Even now, I could sense the reluctance in their heartbeats, beginning to realize how bad an idea like this was. While it had been foolish of that other pack to attack us at the mountain before when Benjamin was still human, this was straight up insolent.

  “Well?” I demanded, shouting at them.

  With that, the two wolves glanced at each other and changed form. They were two sullen young men, who turned their backs on us and began around the mound. From there, two more figures arrived in clothed and human form. I dropped my hands and took a physical step back when I saw him. I couldn’t breathe, and my hands formed into fists as I fought to stay composed.

  Benjamin put his hand on my arm for support, but there was still only so much he could do. Forcing my heartbeat to slow down, I levelled my gaze and stood tall before Lyell. Be strong, the moon told me, and I had to obey.

  For a minute, we were quiet and I observed him. He looked older, more haggard, with blood-shot eyes. His hair was a dirty tangle but he seemed to wear it with pride, along with the numerous more scars he had gained since the last time I saw him. For a short eternity, we stared each other down and sized one another up. Every second reminded me of what I had gone through, what I had suffered, and the miseries that he had caused countless people. I didn’t miss him, I didn’t feel bad for him, but I hated him.

  “Remy.”

  “Don’t call me that,” I snapped at him. He raised his eyebrow and I glared. “You lost all rights to use my name that day.”

  His nostrils flared. “You left us.”

  “You forced my hand,” I gritted my teeth.

  “I did no such thing.”

  “Liar.”

  “Whore,” he scoffed. I took a deep breath, but Benjamin put his arm on my uninjured shoulder and I was reminded of where I sto
od. Though the invite was clear, it wasn’t technically a true invitation unless the Alpha approved. While he would be shunned by all other packs for committing any wrongs towards me, I remembered that he didn’t care much for tradition.

  Just as well, we were adults and needed to act as such. I drew a deep breath and controlled any retorts, reminding myself to not be childish. Something about Lyell always drew out my bad nature. I straightened my posture and finally nodded in acknowledgement, and he did the same.

  “One of yours invited us onto your territory,” I managed in a level tone. “Was this invitation a false premise or not? Until we know, your pack has behaved most abominably.”

  “This is my territory and I don’t answer to you, Remy.”

  The figure behind him scoffed and uncovered her hood. The woman was covered in scars as he was, and her scrawny figure only emphasized the large red eyes sunken into her skull. Her face was contorted into a mask of fury as she scowled at me. “How dare you accuse him of such injustice?”

  That had to be the Alpha’s mate. I raised my eyebrow and recalled that I knew her. The last memory I had of her was of hiding in the shadows, shaking from the cold and wishing for a clean cup of water. Furrowing my brow, I observed her features more but the limp hair and bony limbs made it difficult until I noticed the crooked nose.

  “Alicia?” I stared in disbelief.

  “Remy,” she snarled. “Why are you here?”

  “You have no right to ask me that,” I said finally, unable to think of anything else. It was surprise that threw me off. She had been young and lovely and eager when I had left, the youngest of the pack. She was of pure blood as well, and had recently grieved over the loss of her family. It had only been a few years since I saw the young foolish girl, but that time appeared to have aged her several decades.

  She laughed drily, stepping forward before Lyell. I rose an eyebrow as he let her. “You have no idea what you’re doing. I am his woman- I am the Alpha’s mate. What are you? A lone wolf? A whore on the side of the road? You haven’t-”

  “Not officially, you are not.” Lyell cut her off with a raise of his hand. He stepped forward and looked at us thoughtfully.

  They were right, after all. I had left, and I had done so with the intentions of never returning to the pack. I didn’t know tonight would bring me back to meeting those I had considered family for so short a time. But I knew now that I was much better off for it, and they were not. I considered the situation we were in and as the moon was nearly vanished, the itching was dull and I was no longer shaking.

  “We welcome you,” Lyell broadcasted.

  “We do not,” now Alicia interrupted the Alpha in disgust. “We do not. She left. That is as good as banishment. She may not cross our lands.”

  Lyell grabbed her arm, but he had so little influence on her anger. She huffed, throwing him off and muttered to him something about propriety. I could feel Ben’s gaze on me. His grip only tightened around my arm but I couldn’t think of anything to say.

  Finally, the red-eyed Alpha spoke. “I will address this with my pack. Stay in this grove, and we will return to you after the dawn.”

  “If we are going to be here a while, you might as well let us grab our things,” Benjamin pointed out as they turned to leave us. The Alpha was supposed to have the last word, but I couldn’t suppress a small smile at Ben. Not for his lack of knowledge, but rather his confidence.

  After a moment, Lyell brought forward another member of his pack, a younger she-wolf who preferred her wolf form. “She will accompany you back to get your things and return here,” Lyell announced and left us.

  I freed myself from Benjamin even though I could hear his mouth open to say something to me. Nodding to the she-wolf I changed form and grudgingly, Ben copied. We were quick in returning to our campsite. There, we gathered our things and changed back, dressing in our clothes, preparing to walk back to Lyell and his pack. As we moved about, I tried to gather my thoughts and comprehend what had happened. In addition, I couldn’t keep Ben in the dark, and there were things he would need to understand.

  I silently called to the moon, wondering what to say. Pulling my bag over my shoulder, I glanced to my companion and tried to find the right words. Slowly, as we walked back towards the hills, we began to talk and I found my way through the conversation.

  “Why are we even returning to them?” Benjamin asked me, inspecting my shoulder as we went. “They attacked us. They- you left them, for a reason. A good reason. Why would you return?”

  Sighing, I pulled my shirt back up and tried to put this into words. “There are rules regarding this. It’s stupid and ridiculous, but they do exist and I live my life by them. Lyell knows that. If there is an invitation given and it’s in your power to accept, then you do. Packs usually stay apart so to receive a solicitation is usually honorable, or- or it means something. We won’t stay long,” I added, but bit my lip because I couldn’t be sure.

  He realized that when he glanced my way. “Could they make us stay? If we didn’t want to?”

  I shook my head. “No. No, there’s no way to compel us to stay if we don’t want to. A day at the least, and then we would be off. But… Benjamin, we’ve smelled other packs and other wolves since we first crossed one another. That’s not normal. I didn’t cross one of my kind for two years, and suddenly they are everywhere.”

  Ben stared at his feet as they moved through the grasses. This meant nothing to him. I groaned and glanced at the wolf padding beside us, just close enough to listen to our conversation but still able to pretend she didn’t.

  “It means there is unrest and disorder. We don’t usually cross one another’s paths,” I repeated myself to emphasize the fact. “There aren’t enough of us. We keep it that way.

  “Lyell is talking to his pack right now. He makes the choices but if everyone disagrees, then there is the possibility of his decision being annulled. With him as Alpha, I doubt it. He has a snake’s tongue, and not everyone will be as sour as Alicia.”

  Why did he even invite us?” Benjamin shook his head. “You act as though there might be war or- or something equally catastrophic.”

  I gave him a look. “That is what I’m saying. I’ve been out of touch, I know that- but… but something’s going on.” I shook my head, wishing I understood this better myself. “And I have the responsibility to learn what that is. At least before we move on.”

  “Responsibility?” He scoffed at that idea.

  Shrugging, I glanced at him as we walked. “What? I do. It- it’s in my blood.”

  “Just because you think you have pure blood doesn’t make you royalty,” he muttered. He hefted the pack over his shoulder and walked quicker, forcing me to speed up my own pace to keep up with him.

  “It’s strange compared to the human world, I know. But humans have rules and so do our kind, it’s as easy as that. Humans believe in gods, and we believe in particular customs.” I stumbled over my tongue in my attempts of explaining in a way he would understand.

  Ben gave me a look. “It’s not like that, not at all. Humans do what they can to survive. Then they make the rules of their society. What you speak of- greetings, invitations, blood- that is built by society, not by the moon. Not by anyone but yourselves. You created a hierarchy.”

  I stared and stumbled over a large rock. Gaping, I struggled to keep myself up straight and walk with him as I mulled over his words for several minutes. How was I to make him understand this? While he spoke of reason, it was still entirely human reason.

  “Believe what you will,” I said finally. “But as a human society will keep to their rules, so will our kind. I’m not about to dishonor them just because you think differently. Right now, Lyell is-”

  He cut me off. “Hours ago, you had a panic attack over just seeing Lyell!” I glanced at the wolf following us along but it did nothing. Gritting my teeth I turned back to Ben as he angrily continued. “Now you’re talking to him. Now you’re just fine going off with him
. Now you’re okay talking and- and joining his pack.”

  “I know; I just- I was shocked. And it went better than I expected,” I managed hurriedly.

  “He called you a whore. Two people in his pack tried to kill us,” he reminded me, and stopped short with an indescribable expression that made my heart drop to my stomach. “You’re in love with him. Aren’t you?” Ben’s brow furrowed and he tried to read my gaze as my heartbeat jumped. But he took it as something else, rather than the anger it was.

  I gaped and started walking again. “How dare you!” I spat furiously. I had been trying to be calm and understanding, but he was pushing it. “How could you say such a thing? You heard Alicia- I was banished. The last home I had, I was kicked out of because I didn’t want what the Alpha wanted. I can’t-”

  “You can’t leave him? Is that what you’re going to say?”

  “I can! I left him! I left him gladly,” I snarled. “How dare you suppose that I would return to that man, that monster, willingly?”

  “But you are!”

  We had returned to the grove and I threw my things to the ground in frustration. The she-wolf stood off by a tree warily, not sure if she wanted to leave us alone. It was probably best, and the presence of someone else there reminded me to stay better grounded.

  “I’m not, I assure you, I’m not. I’m being careful. If we just left now, they have every right to attack us.” Shaking my head, I began to pace.

  He shrugged. “So we attack first. I’ve seen you fight; I know what you can do. I could hold my own. We would be fine.”

  I scowled. “Lyell taught me, okay? He taught me all of my tricks. Then I taught you my tricks. He taught his pack everything and all I have against them is my speed. But speed isn’t everything. Benjamin, I am sick of fighting. I am sick of running away.”

  “So you’re running into Lyell’s arms?”

  “No! I’m running- I’m not running. That’s the point. I did it with you before because… because it was the only thing I could do. But here, I have a choice. I can use my human half and talk, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what needs to be done. We can still talk. I am doing what I can, I’m trying… I’m trying to do better.” Turning to him, I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me.