Palm Haven Shifters: Complete Five-Part Series

by Sennah Tate

  “Reed, fuck me, please,” she cried, her voice breaking in desperation.

  How could he deny this siren anything she wanted? He’d walk right into the sea if it would make her happy.

  The next time he withdrew, Reed slammed into her, filling her in one swift stroke that made her cry out, clutching at the bedsheets.

  He fucked her mercilessly, rough and animalistic, letting go of his carefully held control.

  “Shit, you feel incredible— Oh, fuck,” he groaned as she clenched and came around him again.

  “I can’t stop it,” he said, his voice edged with the effort of holding back.

  “Don’t stop it, I want to feel you come,” she said, her voice breathless, her body visibly trembling with the effects he had on her.

  With a great roar, Reed exploded inside of her, grasping her hips for dear life.

  In the next moment, his knees buckled a little and he collapsed on the bed next to her.

  They laid there in silence for a long while, just trying to catch their breath. Then Monica giggled.

  “Wow,” she sighed, sending a surge of male pride through him.

  “Yeah, that was something else,” he said, still trying to catch his breath as he stole a kiss from her.

  “Yeah. What was that?” she teased, drawing lazy circles on his biceps.

  “I don’t know, but we could try it again to figure it out,” he said with a lop-sided grin.

  She laughed and tried to stand and support her weight on her wobbly legs without success. Reed caught her as she fell back onto the bed.

  “My legs are jelly,” she giggled.

  “Mine too,” he laughed. “Stay here, I’ll get something to clean up with.”

  He hurried off to the bathroom and returned with a damp rag, taking time to drag it up the insides of her thighs before gently circling her clit with the cloth. She shuddered.

  “If you keep that up, we’re definitely going to have to try that again,” she teased.

  Reed grinned. “Would that be so bad?”

  “Don’t you need a break or something?” She smirked, a hint of exasperation entering her tone.

  He shrugged. “For you? Definitely not.”

  A bright flush spread across her face and he smiled, leaning in to kiss her again before crawling into bed next to her.

  They laid together in silence, Reed absently teasing her nipples while he thought about what the fuck just happened.

  That was… something. More than just sex. Way more than sex with someone he’d only met that day. There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind anymore. The way his bear preened and settled with her at his side…

  Monica was his mate.

  And it scared the ever-loving shit out of him.

  How the hell was he supposed to be with a witch?

  What kind of cruel prank were the fates trying to play on him?

  Even as he wondered that, he realized how content he was to just lay there with her, listening to her breathing and the occasional happy sigh. Since when had he ever stuck around after sex to cuddle and dream about the future?

  Never ever. That’s when. It was unnatural and terrifying and Reed just couldn’t find it within him to move away from her, even with all of that swirling in his head.

  Because, in all honesty, being with Monica felt like the most natural thing for him. Being away from her was the unnatural part. Going on without her from this point forward seemed completely unthinkable. Impossible.

  Luckily for Reed, before he could dive too deep into that whirlpool of doubt and second-guessing, his phone rang from somewhere in the hallway.

  He groaned at it, willing the ring to stop. Wishing the rest of the world could actually disappear while he was with Monica instead of just seeming that way.

  It couldn’t be anything good. That phone had only brought him bad news tonight and he wanted to enjoy the company of the voluptuous vixen curled up on his chest far more than he wanted to answer the harbinger of doom.

  When he didn’t make a move to answer it right away, Monica frowned, her fingertips dancing up his chest. “Aren’t you going to answer it?”

  “No.”

  She pouted. “You have to.”

  He turned to her, burying his hand in her hair, cupping the back of her head to bring her in for a breath-taking kiss. “Are you sure?”

  Monica looked back at him with lust-shadowed eyes, licking her swollen lips, seeming to actually mull it over for a moment, but then she nodded.

  “It might be important.”

  Reed cursed and pulled himself away from her. “If you insist,” he said.

  He fished the phone from his discarded shorts and answered.

  “Where are you?” Callan answered without fanfare.

  “Safe,” Reed said, not sure if Monica wanted anyone to know he was there.

  Callan sighed. “It’s worse than we thought.”

  Reed walked back into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed where Monica came up and draped her arms over him.

  God that felt incredible. He never thought a non-sexual touch could be so amazing, but he was quickly learning that nothing was what he expected where Monica was concerned.

  “The Clans are all in upheaval now,” Callan continued. “The only clan sticking together are the wolves and José’s told everyone in his pack to stay put at the Den. It’s too dangerous with the other wolves causing all this chaos.”

  Reed nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

  “I’m trying to wrangle the Ursas I can and talk some sense into them. So far I haven’t had much luck. Sloan’s trying to do the same with the tigers. Hopefully he has a little more success.”

  Reed stiffened. “So let me help.” He’d been content to lay with Monica as long as there was nothing he could do, but the sooner they got all this fixed, the sooner he could spend all the time he wanted with her.

  “Have you forgotten everyone thinks you’re a traitor and wants you dead?”

  Reed’s jaw clamped tight and he ground his teeth together. “So why are you calling me?”

  Callan paused for a beat, then sighed. “Everyone’s on edge. If shit goes sideways, you need to get everyone to band together. I’m texting you all the info you need to contact Sloan and José, just in case.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that. That made it sound like Callan was ready to throw himself on the sword for the cause. Reed wasn’t exactly prepared to just sit idly by while that happened.

  He looked over his shoulder at Monica, realizing she’d slipped off of him and sat behind him with a frown curving that pretty mouth of hers. Her eyes had this glassy far off look to them and he wondered what she was thinking about. Was she worried about him? About the bears? The Clans?

  “Hey,” he whispered to her, “it’s gonna be okay. Us bears are volatile, but we’ll listen to reason eventually.”

  She shook her head, her face a few shades paler. A lump sprang into existence in Reed’s throat and his heart thundered; what wasn’t she saying?

  “It’s not that,” she said.

  “Then what?”

  In the background, Reed heard Callan giving him the run-down of which bears he’d already talked to and how each of those encounters went. He did his best to tune it out.

  Monica swallowed, looking positively green with worry. “Where’s the Guardian?”

  Reed’s eyebrows knitted together and he frowned. “Who?”

  “Sarah!” She squeaked, seeming surprised by her own voice. “Ask him where Sarah is!”

  “Uh… Where’s Sarah?” Reed tried, hoping that meant something to Callan.

  “Uuummm, I think she’s with Sloan. None of the bonded shifters want to be away from their mates right now, with good reason.”

  Before Callan even finished the sentence, Monica was jumping out of bed and into clothes, faster than light.

  “Come on! We have to go!” She cried, rushing out of the room.

  Reed stared after her for a minute, confu
sed by whatever just happened.

  “I think Monica’s lost it,” he said. “She just ran out of here like a bat outta Hell.”

  If Callan was surprised to hear they were still together, he didn’t show it.

  “Go with her. Figure out what’s going on and let me know.”

  Reed hung up the phone and sprinted after her, hopping into his clothes as he did. He made it outside just in the nick of time as she coaxed the hatchback to life. He dove in the passenger side before she could get out of the driveway.

  “Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

  Monica shook her head slowly, her lips pressed together in a thin line. After a moment, she turned to him, something haunted and worried swirling in her eyes.

  “The demon doesn’t give a damn about what happens with the shifter clans,” she said.

  Now it was Reed’s turn to frown. “What?”

  “It just cares about power,” she said, pulling out of the driveway. “And it’s caught us with our panties down.”

  She took off down the road and Reed watched the speedometer creep higher and higher.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t you see?” She slammed her palm against the steering wheel and the radio made a loud pop, sparks flying, followed by the tang of smoke.

  Reed didn’t see. He shook his head.

  “The Guardian’s not at her post! The Ley Lines are unprotected.”

  Reed frowned, recognizing the urgency in her tone, but still not really grasping the importance of what she was saying.

  Monica sighed. “Remember the balance I told you about? The Ley Lines keep magic flowing; they’re like rivers and this demon wants all the town’s water for itself. The person that’s supposed to stop that from happening isn’t there because she decided to go off and mate a freaking shifter. This is exactly what I was afraid of. This is why we never should have let this happen. I told them not to let it slide, and now—”

  Monica turned to him, seeming to suddenly remember Reed was there. He knew she could probably read every one of his thoughts on his face, just by the wide-eyed horrified look she gave him.

  How could she say all of that, though? About shifters and witches… Did she still believe it? He always had — before her. But Monica changed everything for him. He knew she was his mate, which had to count for something.

  But she still believed in the old ways, even after everything they just did…

  Was it really nothing more than a way for her to pass the time? His stomach turned itself inside out at the thought.

  Monica stopped at a red light and buried her face in her hand with a groan. “Reed… Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like tha—”

  He didn’t want to listen to her backpedal now. He held up a hand to stop her apology and pointed up at the light that just turned green.

  “Just drive. We need to stop this demon.”

  Chapter 11

  MONICA

  Monica drove toward the library with her hands gripping the steering wheel for dear life. Guilt clawed at her insides every time she cast a look over towards Reed. He stared pointedly out the window, his expression neutral.

  Those things she said — it was just her anger in the heat of the moment, not how she really felt.

  But how did she feel?

  The town of Palm Haven raced by and the tires squealed as she pulled into the library parking lot.

  It was late at night by now, the library dark and vacant, only the yellow glow of streetlamps lending any light at all. She swallowed the lump in her throat and reached for the door handle.

  Reed made her feel things that she’d never ever felt before and she wasn’t in a hurry to lose that, no matter how quickly it all seemed to be moving.

  Besides, she’d heard enough other accounts of witches mating with shifters and every one of them said the same thing: the connection was instantaneous, overwhelming, and soul-deep.

  Was that what was going on between Reed and her?

  The thought of being with one person terrified her, but then when she replaced the idea of one person with Reed specifically, the prospect seemed much more exciting. Thrilling, even.

  Could she really see herself with a shifter?

  Regardless of the thousand questions swirling in her mind, Monica had a job to do. She got out of the hatchback and started to walk the perimeter of the library, muttering warding spells as she did.

  She turned her focus inward, trying to push out the uncertainties and doubts about Reed. Monica looked with her mind’s eye, searching for the shimmery threads of the Ley Lines.

  Somewhere behind her, Monica felt Reed’s steady presence, silent, strong, and reassuring. Even with the hurt she remembered seeing in his eyes, he followed her and made sure she was safe.

  Once Monica finished walking around the library and had located the Ley Lines, she began trying to shield them. Setting up alarms that would trip if anyone tried to tamper with them.

  Finally, her eyes refocused and Monica saw Reed giving her a questioning look.

  “Well?”

  She nodded. “We made it in time. I just need to fortify the best I can. I don’t think it’s going to wait long to make its move. Not with all the clans in anarchy.”

  He nodded, reaching for his phone. She assumed he was calling Callan to keep everyone up to date, but she couldn’t pay attention to the phone call. She had to focus on setting up her triggers, the walls and shields all around the Ley Lines.

  One thing was for sure: Reed was right about her needing the recharge. With all the crazy hot sex they had, she felt like her magic was overflowing, supercharged and rearing to go. Wards that normally required a fair bit of effort and concentration sprang into existence with the mere thought of them.

  She felt crazy powerful.

  Maybe crazy enough to try to take on a demon.

  Something in the air shifted. She couldn’t hear Reed talking behind her anymore. She couldn’t hear the wind rustling through the leaves or the sound of cicadas singing.

  In fact, she couldn’t hear anything. The absence of any sound was more deafening than a jet engine and Monica’s skin prickled with awareness, her magic swirling restlessly.

  The air around her chilled and from the silence there was a high cold laugh that turned her blood to ice.

  “How adorable,” Esther’s patronizing voice came from the darkness. It wasn’t Esther’s voice though, it was inhumanly loud, like it was inside her head and it sounded like so many different voices layered on top of each other, as if the demon spoke through a dozen mouths at once.

  But it was only Esther that stepped out of the darkness, laughing.

  “You’re wasting your energy,” the Esther-demon said, its voice losing all Esther qualities as her visage bubbled and morphed into a creature made of nothing but darkness. Monica felt suddenly queasy, unable to look directly at the demon as it broke through the Esther disguise and continued laughing.

  “You think your pathetic spells are any match for me?” The demon said, crashing through half of Monica’s wards with only a cant of its horned head.

  She winced, staggering backwards as all of those alarms went off in her head at once.

  “I think if you want this magic, you’ve got your work cut out for you,” she said, finding her voice, even if it was uncharacteristically shaky and uncertain.

  The demon’s unholy laughter shook the ground, booming, mirthless, haughty and derisive.

  “You will not stop me. I cannot be thwarted.” The demon towered over her now, its obsidian muscular form stretching to impossible proportions, an aura of dangerous energy crackling all around it as it swept past the remaining wards Monica had raised.

  Monica was more thankful than ever now for the extra magic — she raised another shield and then another. Every time the demon knocked one down, she raised another, moving as quickly as she could, not pulling any punches.

  But every shield she put up came a little slower. H
er magic wasn’t endless, her power only so strong and the demon was just toying with her now, gaining headway steadily, waiting her out.

  “Monica!” Reed called from far far away. “Back-up’s on the way!”

  She didn’t know what he meant by that, but it gave her hope. It gave her strength. She only had to hold the demon back until help arrived.

  It was a good thing, too, because she felt her energy draining and the demon still seemed unfazed. Her last shield stuttered and failed to take hold. The demon crashed through it and three others, leaving the Ley Lines all but exposed.

  Monica threw another shield up, focusing with everything she could on holding it strong.

  Just a little longer.

  Chapter 12

  REED

  He could see she was struggling and he desperately wanted to help. But what could a bear do to a demon?

  Nothing.

  Reed did the only thing he could: he called Callan and told him to bring all the help he could ASAP.

  Ashley and Callan were the first to arrive and Ashley took her place next to Monica, flashes of light and colorful sparks shooting between the two witches and the demon.

  Callan hovered behind Ashley and Reed wondered if he should do the same — if Monica would even welcome his presence.

  It seemed like an eternity passed, the witches slowly being pushed back by this monstrous creature of nightmares, but then more people joined the cause.

  Reed recognized the wolf Alpha José. He didn’t recognize the two tigers, but Callan did, nodding to them each in turn as they arrived with their mates.

  The witches formed a circle around the demon, forcing it to divide its attention.

  Then one of the witches — the Guardian, he guessed by her librarian-looking clothes — stepped forward and extended her arms. Her entire body was engulfed in a blinding white light that grew brighter and brighter until Reed had to look away, blinking away tears from the searing light.

  “This magic is under my protection and you will not touch it,” she said, her voice coming to him on the wind, ethereal and echoing.