by Jeff D Ellis
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One - Arrangements
Chapter Two - Details
Chapter Three - First Date
Chapter Four - Morning After
Chapter Five - Vampire Tour
Chapter Six - Dinner with the parents
Chapter Seven - Greta's Place
Chapter Eight - The Fight
Chapter Nine - Busy Day
Chapter Ten - Mating Day
Chapter Eleven - Finding Help
Chapter Twelve - Journey
Chapter Thirteen - First Run
Chapter Fourteen - Still Pack?
Chapter Fifteen - Getting ready for opening
Chapter Sixteen - Nothing changes
Chapter Seventeen - Trip to Grandma's house
Chapter Eighteen - Launch
Chapter Nineteen - Thunderstruck
Chapter Twenty - Meet the ancestors
Chapter Twenty-One - Decision Time
Chapter Twenty-Two - Off to see the Shaman
Chapter Twenty-Three - A New Man
Chapter Twenty-Four - Cutting the Connection
Chapter Twenty-Five - Room with a view
Chapter Twenty-Six - Moving out
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Fact Finding
Chapter Twenty-Eight - It's starting
Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Fight Continues
Chapter Thirty - Debrief
Chapter Thirty-One - Lake House
Dear Reader
SHIFTING LOVE’S HUNGER
Illicit Seattle Book 3
A Paranormal Romance
Jeff Ellis
SHIFTING LOVE’S HUNGER
Copyright © 2018 Jeff Ellis
All rights reserved.
Published by Dragon Sight Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
This is a work of fiction.
Any resemblance it bears to reality is entirely coincidental.
First Edition: 2018
CHAPTER ONE
Arrangements
MARK WAS CONFUSED. “Father, why is this business meeting with the Vampires so important?”
Alistair looked back at him. “This is part of my plan to revitalize the Pack. Too many of our people are unemployed, and the Vampires are going to infuse money into our security business, as well as open doors with Human companies they have influence with.”
Sam spoke up, “You know, I have ideas about other sources of income. I wish you would let me run things without interference.”
Alistair growled, “Sam, as long as I’m Alpha, you will do things my way.”
That shut Sam up. Mark knew how much he hated Father playing the Alpha card. Sam had run day-to-day operations for years and was tired of waiting for his chance to be Alpha. Sam parked in the VIP area of Greta’s Place; it was the nightclub cover for the underground brothel that was home to the Vampire Clan. They took the hidden elevator down and were met by a receptionist who led them to the conference room.
Mark’s father entered the conference room first and held out his hand to the man in the room, ignoring the redheaded woman. “Alistair Blackthorn. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Mark held back a laugh as the woman grabbed his father’s hand. “Greta Burke. I’m the leader of this Vampire Clan. This is John Burke, my second in command, and the Vampire Clan’s lawyer.”
John held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”
Alistair looked a little flushed. “These are my sons, Samuel and Mark.”
After they all shook hands, they were invited to sit.
Mark quickly lost interest in the meeting as they went into staffing and money arrangements. He was not involved in the day-to-day operations and was not even sure why he was there. That was Sam’s job. The meeting went on for several hours as they hammered out the details. A young woman showed up at the conference room door. He hoped she was bringing in some food; he was ready to take a break.
Greta waved her in. Mark was a little disappointed that instead of food, he smelled the girl’s nervousness. The girl looked to be about eighteen years old and pushed all of Mark’s buttons. She had long, dark brown hair that flowed down her back. Her body was toned and moved with the fluid grace of a dancer. She wore a long black dress slit up the sides, showing off her legs. He had a hard time not staring at her. Instead of taking food orders, she sat down at the conference table.
“Let me introduce Chloe Price. She will be the one to wed your son.”
Mark’s mouth hung open. This was the first he heard of anyone getting married as part of the deal. “What’s this about a wedding?”
Greta smiled. “A marriage of state is part of the terms of the partnership. I thought it was understood when Mark came along for the meeting.”
“Father, is what she’s saying true?”
“Mark, you will do as you’re told for the good of the Pack.”
Mark bowed his head. “Yes, sir.”
Greta smiled. “Chloe, why don’t you take your mate-to-be for a walk and get to know each other, while Alistair and I conclude our business.”
Chloe stood. “Mark, why don’t you follow me.”
Mark followed her out into the hall, and when the door closed, he touched her arm. “Chloe, is it? Is this something you want?”
She looked at him with her beautiful brown eyes and smiled. “We should go somewhere more private to talk. I will show you the way.”
He followed her to an elevator and out into Pioneer Square. It was a sunny but cool day and not very well suited to Chloe’s thin dress. Away from the others, he could smell her nervousness had changed to arousal and the cold was making her look a little more perky than he wanted to think about. He removed his leather jacket and placed it over her shoulders.
She smiled up at him. “Thank you, Mark. It is very kind of you to think about my comfort. Here, why don’t you move close and we can share.”
She moved tight next to him. Mark put his arm around her waist. He felt a tingle of pleasure at her touch and worked to hide his reaction. They found a bench in a nearby park and took a seat. He felt the heat rise in his face as he felt the warmth of her body against his. Her scent filled him with longing. Sometimes it was inconvenient to have a wolf’s ability to smell.
“We’re in private now. What would you like to know?”
Mark looked her over. Her smile could light up a room. She could do so much better than him. “Why would someone as beautiful as you want to marry me?”
Chloe laughed. “You are not so bad looking. I could do worse.”
“Don’t you want to marry for love?”
“Honey, Vampires don’t get that choice. It’s better to be part of this alliance than to be stuck with some ugly politician.”
As the situation sunk in, his Wolf growled over the fact that it wouldn’t mate with another wolf. “This isn’t how I expected to find a mate.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? Is there something wrong with me? Am I too athletic or not beautiful enough?”
He could hear her heart beat faster. She was in the same situation as him and he’d made her upset. He couldn’t look her in the eye. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s like they read my mind and found my dream woman.”
He could feel her gaze on him.
“Then what’s the problem?”
Mark blurted out, “I always imagined I would mate for love. Are you even old enough to do this?”
Chloe laughed.
“What? Is twenty-five not old enough for you?”
Mark stared in wonder. “You hardly look eighteen.”
“Vampire bodies age much slower than Humans. I bet you could never guess Greta’s age.”
“She about forty-five?”
“Maybe if you add a couple hundred years to that number, you would be close.”
He looked her in the eye. “Shapeshifters also live longer lives. If you were thinking this would be a short assignment, you might want to reconsider.”
She grinned and nodded. “I will keep that in mind, but it doesn’t change anything. You just need time to get used to the idea of me being your mate.”
She turned his head and kissed him. A warmth flowed through him that he had never experienced with any other woman. It was a primal feeling that excited his inner Wolf and made him hunger for her touch. He wouldn’t give in to his Wolf. Lusting after was one thing, but he wanted to love her too.
He pulled away. “I think we should slow down. When is our union supposed to take place?”
She grinned again. “Why? Did you need time to kick a girlfriend out of your bed? Can I watch?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend right now.”
“Boyfriend, then?”
Mark grimaced.
She smiled. “So, no boyfriend. Then what is the problem?”
“No problem, I want to get to know you better first.”
She put her hand on his knee. “We can fix that. Your place or mine?”
“No … I mean I want to get to know you as a person.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll have many years for that. Why not have fun for now?”
His wolf growled. The women he knew in the Pack wouldn’t be so forward. “You must learn to respect my wishes.”
“I think you will learn to respect mine as well.” She smiled and added, “I’ll kick your ass if you don’t.”
Mark smiled at the thought. “You can try.”
“I can do more than try. I would be a mixed martial arts fighting champion if I was allowed to show off my skills. I had to stop training with Humans or they would have discovered I wasn’t one of them.”
Mark looked at her with new eyes. This could be interesting! “We should spar sometime; I would love to get in the ring with someone that isn’t family. But you should know I have been sparring with Wolves, not Humans, and it won’t be so easy.”
“See, you know something more about me already! As a child, I was also a gymnast and am very flexible, if you know what I mean. I would be happy to demonstrate that as well.”
Mark looked down at his feet as he blushed. She really knew how to push his buttons. Chloe was every man’s dream girl. So, what was his problem? It was all hitting him too fast. Most men would think he’d won the lottery and should get right to unwrapping his prize, but in the pit of his stomach, it didn’t feel right. He should be with the love of his life, not be forced to be with an outsider, no matter how attractive the package was. Father would expect him to follow orders, and by rights he had no choice in the matter. Following the chain of command was part of his being. No matter what he felt, he couldn’t go against the Alpha’s will.
“We should go back. My father must be wondering where I am.”
Chloe stood. “Let’s get back and set his mind at ease.”
Chloe led him back to the Second Circle, where everyone was waiting.
She shook Alastair’s hand. “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Blackthorn. I look forward to spending more time with Mark soon.”
Chloe bowed her head and left.
“Mark, it’s time to leave. I hope your time with Ms. Price was productive.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mark would hold his questions until he could get his brother alone.
***
Chloe thought about Mark; Greta couldn’t have picked a hotter guy for her to get close to. His hard body called to her hunger, and he might actually be strong enough to handle her. He seemed kind and loyal. If she won him over, he might be someone that wouldn’t run away when things got hard.
Chloe found Greta in her office.
“Chloe, please take a seat.”
She nodded and sat in one of the guest chairs.
“Report.”
“The situation is about like you thought. I can tell Mark is not happy about an arranged marriage, but in time, I can win him over. I could tell I had his mind reeling with thoughts of pitting his strength against mine, as well as what I can do for him in the bedroom. He’s a gentleman though, so I will have to get past those ideas and reframe his thoughts to me being his partner. As you expected, he gave me his coat when we went outside, and forgot to get it back.”
“Sounds like I picked the right woman for the job. Were there any signs that your feeding will hurt him?”
“It took more effort to pull energy from him than Humans. The effects were light and stopped the moment I stopped. It will make things harder to win him over, but I could tell he was pleased by my looks.”
“Remember why you’re there. Is there anything else to report?”
“He confided in me that Shapeshifters have long lives, and if we were to mate, it would be for a very long time.”
“Good to know. I suspected as much. You’re young and I have faith that you can handle a long-term assignment.”
Chloe nodded.
“Make sure you’re packed and ready to move in with him immediately. I want you to start winning him over and getting accepted by the Pack. That will be all.”
Chloe left Greta’s office and stopped by the reception desk to chat with Onyx. She was Greta’s assistant and helped manage the day-to-day operations of The Second Circle.
Onyx winked at her. “I hear you have a new assignment. Was it with the hot guy I saw you with?”
“Greta has arranged for me to marry him to keep an eye on our new allies.”
“Shapeshifter Wolves, right?”
Chloe nodded. “It’s strange we are working with them, but that’s above my pay grade.”
“Is he nice?”
“Almost too nice. The Wolves don’t seem very experienced with strong women, like us. I almost feel sorry for him. He was dreaming of mating for love and we are taking that away from him.”
“Such a romantic! You need to use a softer touch on guys like that. I wonder what he’s like in bed. None of our girls have bedded a Wolf. They normally only sleep with their own kind.”
“Then I should feel honored they are breaking that tradition with me.”
“It also means they will be that much angrier if they find proof you are reporting back to Greta. Take it slow. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Thanks, Onyx. I will keep that in mind.”
Onyx gave her a hug. “We will have to do lunch later so you can fill me in on all the juicy details of your wedding night.”
Chloe smiled and walked into the elevator.
She went straight back to her apartment. It was really the Clan’s apartment and was going to miss it. Since she wouldn’t be coming back here again, she’d have to pack everything that was important to her. If she failed this assignment, it would mean she would be stuck working in the brothel. Failure was not an option. Chloe knew she should feel excited about finally getting an important job, but she was sad about losing her freedom.
After entering the kitchen, she poured a glass of wine. Chloe never expected to get such an assignment. Luckily, her athletic looks weren’t as attractive to the customers of The Second Circle, so she’d never had to work there. This assignment could be the ticket to the Clan management job she always dreamed of. Gaining the trust of the Wolves would be hard; they didn’t trust outsiders. If they were expecting her to lie back and be a submissive wife, they had another thing coming.
The image of Mark’s hard body invaded her mind as she sipped her wine. He wasn’t the muscle-bound bodybuilder type, but a lean, powerful man with abs of steel. In a way, he was very much like her. What he would be like in be
d? Would he be hairy like an animal? She couldn’t imagine sex with someone covered in fur. Would she need to lock him up during the full moon? So many questions crossed her mind with no answers. Maybe it was good he wanted them to learn more about each other.
CHAPTER TWO
Details
MARK FINALLY WAS able to corner Sam at the Blackthorn main office for some answers.
Sam looked up at him with a sneer. “I am happy to see you made it in to work on time. From now on, you will be showing up earlier. It’s time to step up and take on a much bigger share of the work.”
Mark took a seat in the guest chair. “Is this all from the new Vampire work?”
Sam nodded. “You have no idea how much more work and money this is going to bring into the Pack. We are going to be able to bring back some of the Pack and give them jobs again. We will start with the ones that couldn’t find other work and pull back the others as we grow. I have a long list of things to go over with you. Did you have a question for me?”
Mark took a deep breath and let it out. “I was blind-sided by being forced to take on a mate. Why do I have to be the one to do it, and when?”
“You always said you wanted to take a bigger role in the company and the Pack; here it is. The Vamps want someone who has a vested interest in them to be their liaison for the partnership, and it gives them the chance to become one with our Pack in a sense.”
“Why me?”
“Your Alpha demands it. It’s not like you will have an ugly mate. Stop being such a girl and do this for the Pack. I wouldn’t have had a problem with the assignment.”
“Again with the put-downs? I can do what’s required. I was just trying to get a little understanding. How long do I have?”
“We can’t start the new work until she becomes your mate. You are to go pick up a marriage license today and Father will make it official on Friday. He wants us to get people put in place in three Vamp businesses by Monday.”