Caught Between Shifters

by Juniper Hart

  His lips traced the lines of her cheeks, inhaling the smell of her sweetness as he travelled toward her throat, savoring her tiny sighs.

  Gray felt himself growing hard and Rose felt it too, pressing her thigh against his crotch.

  His palms slipped beneath the shirt she wore and he groaned, realizing she wore nothing underneath. Rose pulled her head back to allow for him to yank the item from over her head, his mouth finding her nipples instantly. She moaned, falling back against the pillows and arching her back.

  Rose’s body was burning, and as Gray journeyed lower across her stomach, she shivered slightly, goosebumps erupting on her skin. Slowly, he slid her panties down and tossed them on the floor. He nuzzled her crotch, his tongue lashing out to taste her. She was already wet and waiting for him, quivering.

  His palms cupped her small, round rear, diving fully into her as she cried out. With long, smooth laps, Gray brought Rose to a climax almost instantly. Her hands pushed and pulled at him simultaneously as she bucked, releasing against him.

  Ensuring she had spilled entirely, his mouth made small circles around her thighs, moving up her sweating body to her mouth.

  Rose spread her thighs wide, allowing for him to position himself between her wanting legs.

  “Take me,” she begged him, and he didn’t need to be told twice.

  Instantly Gray plunged into her, Rose yelping at the shock of his enormity. He went to move back, but she grasped his waist firmly.

  “Take me,” she breathed again, and he could read the carnal desire in her eyes. Slowly he began to rock into her, guided by Rose’s rhythmic jerks below him.

  They were gaining momentum, rising into waves of passion, each jab growing more powerful while Rose’s cries grew louder.

  Gray felt a surge of pressure in his center and he knew he could wait no longer to fill her. She was ready for him, locking her calves around his waist and drawing him fully inside her.

  Gray shuddered, his breath coming out in long, jagged streaks, matching his climax. On and on it seemed to go until he felt his arms give way, and he rolled off to the side, struggling to even the wind in his lungs.

  Instantly, Rose propped herself up and stared at him.

  “Are you attracted to trouble?” she asked.

  “What?” Gray asked, laughing. “Not especially. I’m an assistant district attorney, remember?”

  “What are you thinking? We can’t get involved!” she breathed.

  “I think that you’re overthinking this,” he replied calmly, even though he knew her questions were valid.

  She has every reason to be scared. I don’t know how to convince her that she doesn’t need to be.

  Rose flopped back down dramatically, and a smile remained on Gray’s lips. How can someone so poised and professional be so vulnerable and terrified? Gray wondered if that was the reason he found her irresistible.

  “What am I going to do, Gray?” she whispered, and he could hear the fear in her voice. “I have lived in Riverton my entire life. My family is here. My friends. My cat…” After this, her eyes widened in alarm. “Oh, shit! Sadie!”

  He turned onto his side and peered into her face.

  “I will find out about your cat tomorrow,” Gray promised her. “You will stay here for a few days. We don’t need to formulate a plan tonight.”

  “We can’t ignore it and hope it goes away, either!” Rose pointed out.

  “I’m not suggesting that,” he assured her. “But I’m sure you will find that these things tend to work themselves out in the end.”

  “These things?” she repeated. “Is this a situation you often find yourself facing?”

  Gray reconsidered his words. “I’m saying in general. There’s no point in panicking. Everything will work out.”

  “And what about Chase?” Rose asked. “Who is going to defend him?”

  He stared at her incredulously. “Really?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re worried about who is going to defend Chase Van Gould when his father is a Lycan?”

  Rose’s brow furrowed. “What does that have to do with the ethical obligation I have to my client?” she demanded.

  Gray opened his mouth to answer, closed it, and then opened it again, his face contorting into several levels of surprise. “Wow,” he muttered. “You really are something else.”

  She stared at him, uncomprehendingly. “Because I care about my client?”

  Gray’s dark blonde eyebrows rose and he shook his head.

  “No, of course not,” he said. “But Rose, you know what that means, right?” He could tell by the expression on her face that she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Rose, Chase is also a Lycan. The evidence points to Chase killing both Suki Makanora and Patricia Belham, but in all honesty, I think there’s more to the story.”

  It was Rose’s turn to open and close her mouth, unspeaking.

  “You can’t worry about Chase,” Gray continued. “They will find someone else to defend him. Your job is to stay safe.”

  “Offer him a plea deal,” Rose said. “Go as low as you can.”

  Gray shook his head. “There is no way that is going to fly. The Japanese Embassy wants his balls. The Makanora family is—”

  “I can’t even imagine,” Rose sighed. “Sorry I suggested it.”

  “He wouldn’t take the deal anyway,” Gray told her.

  “You’re probably right,” she replied, closing her eyes as if to block out the conversation.

  “But I don’t think he did it.”

  Rose’s lids flew open. “What?” she gasped. “What do you mean you don’t think he did it?”

  Gray shrugged. “Since you’re not representing him anymore,” he said, “there’s no harm in telling you. I reread Tricia’s files over and over and there was something bothering me, so I started doing my own investigation. It’s still in the early stages, though.”

  “You think Derek did it?” Rose questioned. “He was in Nevada, though. The timeline…” She trailed off and only retook her sentence after a moment. “Wait, how fast are these creatures? Could he have made it back?”

  Gray chuckled and shook his head. “They can be very fast,” he answered. “But I’m not done looking into this, Rose. I don’t want to jump the gun prematurely.”

  Rose continued to watch him, and Gray could see a million questions flying through her mind, but she suddenly seemed incredibly tired. Her lids grew heavy and Gray pulled her near, kissing the top of her head.

  “Sleep now,” he told her. “Leave everything to me.”

  Almost instantly, he felt her body fall into a deep, relaxed slumber.

  Lucy whined quietly at the door and Gray waved her inside. Happily, the dog jumped onto the bed, parking her shiny body at his side.

  Gray allowed his eyes to close too, then, a feeling of complete peace stealing over him. In that moment, he knew he was exactly where he needed to be: sandwiched between the two girls he would die to protect.

  Chapter Nine

  The criminal courthouse for Freemont County was located in Lander, not far from where Rose was hiding out in Gray’s house.

  “This is it?” Rose asked as she watched Gray put on his silver tie that morning, her short hair a disheveled mess from their lovemaking the previous night. It was a hairstyle she had grown accustomed to waking up to.

  “It’s almost over, Rose,” he assured her.

  Rose felt a spark of hope shift through her. She had been staying in Lander for three weeks now, each day worrying that Derek or Julian would bust down the door to find her any minute.

  Gray had gone to her house to recover Sadie, and to her surprise and delight, her cat and Gray’s dog seemed to be kindred spirits, happy to have each other’s company.

  “It looks like we weren’t the only ones who needed companionship,” Gray commented, watching the two pets frolic about on the kitchen floor.

  Rose couldn’t believe how easily she had melted into Gray’s life. It was almost as if she had a
lways been there.

  We’re an unlikely pair, too, she thought wryly. I guess it makes sense that our animals get along as well.

  She missed her job, but for the first time since she could remember, Rose was getting to know herself on a personal level. She found herself looking up recipes online and cooking extravagant meals for Gray when he came home from work at night.

  “I had no idea that you were a gourmet chef,” he told her.

  “Neither did I,” Rose replied, thinking about how much cold pizza she had consumed in her adult life because she hadn’t even had the time to cook for just herself.

  She also missed her dad terribly, but she dared not contact him, still worried that Derek or Julian may be listening or watching. She desperately wanted to warn Clive about the dangers lurking in Riverton.

  He’s always known, she realized. I think we all have.

  She’d had plenty of time to ponder her life in the small town, wondering why the locals had always allowed it to happen.

  Maybe there is no way to stop them. Maybe no one truly believes it. Maybe there are more Lycans than us.

  All of Rose’s thoughts were equally terrifying, and she knew that even after the trial that day, she was still in grave danger.

  How can I stay in Freemont County? Rose questioned herself. I must leave or eventually I will be found.

  “Wish me luck!” Gray told her, kissing her lips softly before hurrying toward the door. He paused to scratch Sadie behind the ears and pat Lucy on the head.

  Rose stood in the doorway, holding a mug of coffee in one of Gray’s old t-shirts. He had also brought her clothes from her house, but she opted to stay in his garments. She loved the smell of him, and the desire to have him near her when he was away seemed to burn a hole in her heart.

  Jesus, look at me, she thought, waving at him as he pulled the Mustang out of the garage. I’m like a housewife from the sixties. I’m barefoot and in a kitchen. I just need to be pregnant and I would be a textbook example.

  The thought sent a fusion of excitement and fear through her body.

  I shouldn’t be pursuing this, she scolded herself. I can’t let myself fall in love with him, not when I must leave.

  The melancholy was almost too much to bear.

  She didn’t know who she was kidding; she was already in love with Gray.

  Maybe he will come away with me, she had thought in the beginning, but almost immediately, she realized how selfish it would be to ask him such a thing.

  His life was as much in Lander as hers had been in Riverton. If the roles were reversed, there would be no way she would have given up her job with Peterson and Pawson to run away in hiding with Gray… right?

  They had never discussed it, but Rose knew it was only a matter of time before the conversation arose.

  And when it does, I will not cry. I will not become hysterical. I will simply hold my head up and tell him that our time together was amazing and I will always remember him fondly.

  Even as she thought the words, tears filled her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks.

  Rose closed the front door, shooing the pets into the living room, and she sighed heavily, placing herself into the reclining chair before the television. She took a sip of coffee and aimed the remote control at the device, her heart pounding.

  There’s really no point in prolonging it anymore, she realized. When he comes home this afternoon, I will be packed and ready to go. This won’t get easier by waiting longer. It can only get worse.

  As the local news station came on, reporters swarming about the front of the courthouse, Rose didn’t stop the tears from falling down her face.

  ***

  Gray arrived at three minutes to nine by design, pulling up in a spot reserved for the prosecutor and hopping from the car in a rush as the media outlets flew toward him for a comment.

  “Mr. Pierson, do you believe you have enough evidence to proceed against the boys standing accused of murdering Suki Makanora?”

  He paused and eyed the male reporter disdainfully.

  “The boys?” he echoed, his lips curling into a sneer. “Don’t you have a degree in journalism, Marc? I would say four twenty-five-year olds are a bit exempt from the ‘boys will be boys’ adage, don’t you think?”

  He didn’t allow for the journalist to recover his composure before skipping up the steps and hauling his body into the courtroom at the same time the judge entered. Everyone rose out of respect for the older woman who was well-known for her no-nonsense rulings.

  “Forgive me, Your Honor,” he cried breathlessly. “Gray Pierson for the people.”

  “Nice of you to make it, Mr. Pierson,” Judge Camden snapped. “I hope you’re ready with opening statements.”

  “No, Your Honor,” Gray declared, and a murmur spread throughout the packed courtroom.

  “No?” she repeated. “No, you don’t have opening remarks, or no, you aren’t ready?”

  “Both, Your Honor,” Gray answered. “After careful deliberation of the evidence, we have found the case against Thomas Kilarney, Brady Yews, Chase Van Gould, and Harper James to be unsubstantial. We do not wish to proceed with the trial at this time.”

  The whispering in the courtroom became a roar as Judge Camden slammed her gavel to regain control of the crowd.

  “Did I hear you correctly, Mr. Pierson? You are not proceeding with the charges of murder in the second degree against the defendants?”

  “That is correct, Your Honor.”

  Judge Camden looked over at the shocked defense table.

  “Any objections, counsel?” she asked dryly.

  “No, Your Honor,” came the unanimous reply.

  “All charges against the defendants are dismissed,” the judge stated as she slammed down her gavel.

  Gray grabbed his attache case and turned to the defense lawyers.

  “Nice working with you,” he said, and they snickered.

  “What’s the matter, Pierson? Losing your macho litigator charms?” Theo Svenson chortled.

  Gray winked and smiled. “Not at all. I just want to get all my ducks in a row.”

  Svenson dropped his smirk and leaned in, the others doing the same to listen.

  “What ducks?” he demanded.

  “Your clients know who murdered my colleague, Patricia Belham,” Gray explained to them. “I hear they have opted for a firing squad as a backup method these days. I know a few people who would want to ensure that the ammunition they use is shiny and silver.”

  A terrified silence followed his announcement as Gray waved cheerfully at them before hurrying back out to his vehicle.

  He evaded all questions, climbing into the Mustang and zooming away, his heart hammering. He still had lots of business to attend to that morning before going home to Rose.

  And when he finally did, he was going to ask her to marry him.

  ***

  Gray expected Christiana Van Gould to be surprised when she opened the door to find him on the other side, and he was not let down.

  “Gray!” she cried. “I— Oh my god! What are you doing here?” she blubbered, stepping back and eyeing him with uncertainty.

  “Good morning, Christiana,” he said. “Is your father home?”

  She nodded quickly, her eyes darting toward the staircase.

  “And are you expecting Chase home anytime soon?” Gray asked.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I thought you were in court.”

  “I was,” he told her conversationally. “I dismissed the charges. It’s done now.”

  Relief washed over her face, and before Gray knew what was happening, Christiana had thrown herself into his arms, sobbing.

  “Oh my god, thank you!” she moaned. “Thank you! Thank you!”

  “Don’t thank me yet,” he told her tightly. “Go get Derek.”

  She pulled back and studied his face. She read the seriousness in his expression and nodded.

  “Of course,” she murmure
d.

  Christiana disappeared up the steps to locate her father, and Gray wandered into the grand sunken living room, ambling toward the bar to fix himself a drink.

  “Gray?”

  There was a tremor in Derek’s voice as he appeared in the doorway, Christiana at his side.

  Gray turned to face the man, casually rolling the tumbler around in his hand.

  “Hi, Derek. It’s been a while,” he commented. “How are you keeping?”

  Derek forced a smile onto his face and shuffled inside the living area, casting a nervous look at his daughter, who wore an identical expression of worry on her pale face.

  “We’re good, Gray,” the senior Van Gould answered. “We’re good. What are you doing here?”

  “You’re shitty at small talk, Derek,” Gray pointed out. “That always surprised me about you. I would have thought that for a man in real estate, you would be better at it.”

  Derek didn’t answer, but Gray took satisfaction in the fine line of anger made by the man’s mouth.

  “I dismissed the charges against Chase and the others,” the prosecutor continued.

  A slow, cocky grin spread over Derek’s face.

  “Of course you did!” he exclaimed. “You always take care of us.”

  “That’s my job, Derek. To take care of the pack. It is a job I have always taken great pride in.”

  Derek exhaled and moved to join him at the bar, pouring himself a celebratory drink.

  “Well, thank you,” he said. “I wasn’t sure how you were going to manage that with the other DA on the case, but I guess that doesn’t matter now, does it?”

  “Doesn’t it?” Gray replied casually. “You must know that there’s an active investigation going on. The scrutiny on your family is not going to go away just because I said so, Derek.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do whatever you have to do to make it like it never happened.”

  Derek offered him a knowing smile, but Gray glanced at Christiana.

  “Suki was an accident, wasn’t she, Chris?”