Shifters, Secrets & Surprises

by Lowe, Anna

  Three down, his next growl announced. Who’s next?

  Behind him came the tearing sound of a throat being ripped out, and Nala snarled in triumph. A moment later, though, she cried for help. Harrison!

  He swung around and fought his way over to her. A vampire had grabbed her by the neck and was closing in with a bite, but there were two other vampires in the way.

  No! he screamed inside. Not my mate!

  Vampire fingernails as sharp as stilettos ripped down his back, but he fought through the pain. It didn’t matter how many wounds he sustained. He had to keep Nala safe.

  Off! he snarled, grabbing the vampire with both hands. He pulled the man to his own chest, wrapped an arm around his neck and twisted hard enough to produce a sickening snap.

  Five vampires down. Harrison wobbled back to balance and squinted around him. Vampires carried their own form of poison, and he could feel it spreading through his body, burning as it went. His vision blurred, regained focus briefly, then blurred again.

  Harrison! Nala cried.

  For a second, he saw two Nalas jumping at the two Hlaveks that had been sneaking up on him from the side, and all four of them rolled in a tussle on the ground.

  Damn it, Nala wasn’t supposed to save him. He was supposed to save her.

  Two vampires jumped at him with startling speed, one from each side. He ducked one but couldn’t avoid the other. Razor-sharp nails ripped through his flesh.

  Nails? his beast scoffed despite the pain. Show them the real thing. Show them claws.

  He bellowed and slashed in diagonal swipes, making himself dizzy. His vision tinted over red, and thunder filled his ears as rage unlike anything he’d ever felt took over his body and mind.

  They want to kill her. To kill our mate, the inner voice howled.

  He slashed blindly, using the cries and tearing sounds to guide his moves. He grunted. Punched. Kicked. Over and over until another vampire crashed lifeless to the ground.

  Harrison swayed on his feet, looking for the other one. Where had he gone? And where was Hlavek?

  Harrison! Nala cried.

  Six down, he counted as he zeroed in on the vampire leaning over his mate. And you’re next, asshole.

  Nala had fallen on her back and clawed desperately at Hlavek with her rear paws, but he was too strong. He held her pinned with his entire body and extended his jaws.

  “Your blood is mine, little she-wolf. All mine.”

  Harrison lurched forward, but the last vampire tackled him. They wrestled wildly in the snow, knocking into hidden stumps and rocks. The vampire clamped his fangs around Harrison’s arm, and he roared in anger, punching his way free. Then he grabbed the enemy by the neck and squeezed until the life went out of the enemy’s eyes.

  Seven down. One asshole to go.

  He spun back to Nala. Too far. God, even the three steps separating them were too far. Hlavek was already at her neck, and nothing Harrison could do would get him there in time.

  The roaring in his ears intensified, but another sound joined in. A sound not only in his head, but sweeping over the woods. Even Hlavek whipped his head up to look around.

  A voice? No — many voices, baying for blood. Wolf voices, screaming bloody murder as they raced through the woods, closing in on their target.

  Hlavek’s eyes went wide in panic, and Nala pushed him away. He tumbled right into Harrison’s body.

  Now, you die, Harrison grunted, pinning the vampire’s arms behind his back. His head swam from the effects of vampire poison, but damned if he was letting go.

  Wolves swept out of the woods all around him, and he vaguely recognized Nala’s father and brother. The poison must have worked its way to his brain, because he swore her sister Lana was there, too, along with a huge, dark wolf he couldn’t quite place.

  “Mercy,” Hlavek panted, wiggling in his arms. “Have mercy. My coven will reward you…”

  The vampire’s voice faded slowly, and Harrison fought to keep his eyes open. The poison burned as it rushed through his body. Was he dying? Was it over? Had he won?

  It won’t be over until this vampire is dead, a voice whispered in his mind.

  “Mercy,” Hlavek cried again.

  Harrison focused on Nala, who had scrambled to her feet and was staring at him with wild, wide eyes. Nala, his mate, who this vampire wanted dead.

  Killing had never come easily to him. But this time, it did. With a quick wrenching action, he broke Hlavek’s neck and dropped the body like a stone.

  Harrison, Nala whispered.

  She was all blurry, and he couldn’t tell whether she was worried or disgusted by what he’d just done.

  Harrison? the gritty voice of Nala’s father boomed into his mind.

  Countless paws crunched through the snow around him, and he was surrounded by a dozen panting wolves.

  They all seemed to bark at once, and he blinked, wondering why the ground was so close. Wondering where the sun had gone.

  Harrison! Nala cried.

  Every beat of his heart pumped the poison further through his body, and the world zoomed in to one narrow tunnel that wobbled and swayed.

  “Holy shit. Harrison?” the unmistakable voice of Nala’s brother sounded to his right. “Jesus, man. What a fight.”

  What a fight was right, but Harrison didn’t care any more. Nala was safe. She was with her family. It was over.

  His heart thumped in his chest. Crap, did that mean his time with her was over, too?

  No! His soul shouted through the throb of pain. Not leaving her. Never.

  She pushed her way past the other wolves and looked at him with those amazing gray-blue eyes. Eyes that begged, Please, please stay. Please be my mate. Please love me.

  He’d always loved her. He always would.

  For one startling moment, his mind cleared, and he saw the face of destiny, smiling at him with a weary grin. Destiny had brought them together so long ago, and destiny had orchestrated the events that made him leave Nala, too, because a man had to earn his mate. He’d needed to grow up. He’d needed to go from a lost child to being his own man.

  And so you have, destiny murmured, nodding in satisfaction. So you have.

  He blinked, and the snowy landscape came back into view. Nala, too. Nala, his mate.

  Nala… he started, finally ready to say it all out loud. I love you. Want you. Need you.

  But his voice was weak. His knees wobbled, and his vision swarmed with spots. The woods tilted sideways — or was that him?

  Harrison! Nala screamed as he crashed to the ground.

  He felt the impact. He felt the cold snow under his face, the burn of the poison in his veins. And then he felt…nothing.

  Chapter Six

  One week later…

  Nala jogged up the steps to the guesthouse and quietly let herself in.

  Shh! her wolf growled. Don’t wake him up.

  She closed the door as quickly and silently as she could then unlaced her boots, pulled on slippers, and looked toward the bed.

  Her wolf wagged its tail wildly. Mate! Mate!

  Shh! she reminded the beast. Let him rest. He’s earned it. It’s been a busy couple of days.

  Her wolf hummed with satisfaction, remembering just how busy she’d kept her mate the previous night. And the night before that, and the night before that…

  She pursed her lips and stopped there, because delving further back in time made her confront uglier memories of Harrison on the brink of death. Harrison, holding her hand and whispering good-bye. Vampire poison had nearly robbed her of her brave mate — poison she’d been spared because the vampires wanted her blood clean for the feast they planned.

  Her stomach roiled at the thought, and she shook her head. Harrison was okay thanks to his strength and the pack healer’s skills. She was okay, too. Everything was okay.

  She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Whew.

  The first two days had been touch and go, and she hadn’t left Harrison’s side
. On the third day, he opened his eyes, and soon after, the healer had proclaimed the poison purged.

  The healing will accelerate now, the woman had said, and wow, was she right.

  By the fourth day, Harrison was back on his feet. He’d even made a slow loop of Miscoe, the tiny village they’d grown up in, and the kids whispered as he passed.

  “Eight vampires! He and Nala held off eight vampires!”

  He earned respectful nods from every wolf they passed, including Nala’s sister, Lana, and her mate, Ty. The second those two wolves from Twin Moon pack spotted Harrison, they came over, and Ty stuck out his hand.

  “Good job, man.” The desert wolf nodded, one hero praising another. “Good job.”

  For a man of few words, that had been an entire speech, and the sincerity in his voice made it clear his run-in with Harrison was forgiven, forgotten.

  Nala had been holding Harrison’s left hand, and she’d felt his grip tighten, but otherwise, her mate didn’t so much as blink.

  Of course he didn’t, her wolf said, swelling with pride. He’s proven himself.

  That he had, a hundred times over. And boy, was it nice to see Harrison realize it, too. He hid his pride with a modest shrug and mumbled thanks, but there was a new shine in his eyes. An inner peace.

  Her pack had celebrated his return, and everyone treated him as if he was another son of the ruling alpha. In other words, a cut above the rest.

  “Good to have you back, son,” Nala’s father had said when Harrison had recovered enough to receive visitors. “Good to have you back.”

  “Good to be back,” Harrison replied. The little shake in his voice said just how heartfelt those words were.

  And when her mother had come to visit on that same day…

  “Thank goodness!” the pack matron had said, hugging Harrison like one of her own brood. She’d leaned away to wipe her tears, then shook her head and hugged him again. “I’m so glad you’re all right. And that you found home again,” she said, tilting her head toward Nala.

  Nala gaped. Whoa. Had her mother known all along that Harrison was her destined mate?

  When she cornered her mother with that question a day later, she’d simply winked and smiled. “Some things are just meant to be, sweetheart.”

  Nala took a deep breath and looked at Harrison, sleeping peacefully. Some things really were meant to be. Like her and him. Harrison. Her mate.

  His recovery had been quick since those early days, but he still slept for hours. His wounds hadn’t healed entirely. But even wounded, it was amazing what he could do.

  Just one kiss, he’d whispered three nights ago, and she’d happily obliged with ten. Twenty. Thirty. So many, she lost track, and before she knew it, they were making slow, sweet love.

  You sure this isn’t too much for you? she’d managed to ask despite the burning need inside.

  I need this, he’d said, holding her close. Believe me, I need this.

  She’d needed it, too. The contact, the intimacy. The reassurance that everything truly was all right.

  By the next night, they’d progressed from gentle, healing sex to desperately down-and-dirty sex, and ever since then, she’d positively glowed. No, they hadn’t exchanged mating bites yet, but that was just a matter of time.

  She walked over to the bed, sat down carefully so as not to disturb him, and drank her fill of the view. Harrison, alive. Harrison, her mate. How did she get so lucky?

  She set down the thermos of coffee her mother had sent over with her — a sure sign of approval — and sniffed the air. Harrison’s scent was intertwined with hers, and she blushed just thinking about the number of times they’d screwed. The sweet scent of birch came from the logs crackling in the fireplace and mixed with the faint lavender scent of the quilt lying over the bed. Her grandmother had stitched every inch of that quilt, and when her mother brought it over to cover Harrison the night he’d nearly died, Nala’s jaw had dropped. That quilt was a family heirloom, an honor reserved for the nearest and dearest of kin.

  He deserves it, her mother had said, wiping a tear from her eye. And you deserve him.

  Nala let her eyes travel over the bear paw design of the quilt. Did she deserve him? She wasn’t so sure. But she’d spend the rest of her life trying, that was for sure.

  “Hey,” a deep, sleepy voice rumbled from the bed. The quilt stirred, and a broad hand slid out, taking hers.

  “Hey,” she whispered, stroking his fingers with her thumb, then touching his cheek. His skin was smooth everywhere but his chin and hands, and she loved the contrast of soft and rough.

  He lifted up the blanket, looking at her with those luminous blue eyes. And, whoosh! The flood of love and gratitude she always felt when seeing her mate washed over her again.

  “How did I get so lucky?” she mumbled.

  Harrison smiled. “I’m the lucky one.”

  “So you keep saying. But I’m not buying it.”

  Her heart thumped, just seeing him smile. Now that they’d both had the chance to relax a little, the hard edges had faded from his face. A little hint of Harrison the kid remained around the corners of his mouth and eyes, and that blended with the older, wiser Harrison to create an irresistible mix.

  “You coming in here?” he asked, tugging her hand.

  Hell yes, she was. But not with her parka on. Come to think of it…

  “Just a second,” she murmured as she stood.

  She threw off the parka and unwrapped her scarf. The blizzard had come and gone, but the cold snap that followed it was still in full force. She pulled her sweater over her head next, not caring one iota about the static electricity that put in her hair. She was too busy watching Harrison’s eyes spark and heat.

  Yeah, her sasquatch was on the mend, all right.

  “So warm in here,” she murmured, undoing her jeans.

  “Really warm,” he agreed a little breathlessly.

  She pulled off the jeans then found the hem of her shirt — his shirt, actually. A forest-green Henley she’d borrowed when she stepped out that morning. The shirt came down to her knees and looked a hell of a lot better on him than on her, but she loved wearing it to stay close to his scent. It had earned her a lot of raised eyebrows when she checked in with her parents and grandmother, but she’d stopped caring about that. Harrison was hers, and she was his. And damn, did that feel right.

  When she’d pulled his shirt on that morning, she’d never wanted to take it off again. But suddenly, she was in a desperate rush. She tossed the shirt over a nearby chair then reached around to unclasp her bra. She turned, keeping her back to her lover, drawing the moment out. Was it cruel to tease a wounded sasquatch?

  His sharp intake of breath told her he could live with the torture, at least for a while.

  She pulled off one sock then the other and slowly shimmied out of her panties. Then she raised her arms high over her head and stretched. Her back was still turned to him, but she could feel his gaze caressing her skin.

  A rumble sounded from the bed, and she turned slowly, rubbing her arms. The air was nippy enough to put goose bumps all over her skin — or maybe it was the hungry look in her mate’s eyes doing that to her.

  Mine, those eyes said. I earned you. I love you. I adore you, and I always will.

  She slid under the covers and melted right into place at his side. The man was huge, and they’d only been together for a few days, but the movement came as naturally as if she’d been doing it her whole life.

  “Nice and warm,” he whispered, pulling her closer.

  “Perfect,” she sighed.

  It really was perfect — the perfect contrast to the cold outside. Frost dusted the windows, and she heard Lana’s kids run past, dragging a sled. The fire crackled softly, snapping and sparking with life.

  “Perfect,” he whispered, covering her mouth with his.

  She groaned and opened her lips, already hungry for his taste, his touch, his heat. How a man who’d been on his own for so long c
ould be such a good kisser, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that her mind went blank of everything but a hot, pulsing need.

  She wiggled closer, and his hands slid around her body.

  “Mmm,” she whispered, coming up for air. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

  He snorted. “I’ll show you how ready I am, wolf.”

  She ran her hands down his stomach. “I don’t know. Maybe I should check your wounds.”

  He grinned. Days ago, she really had despaired over his wounds. Lately, though, she’d mostly used them as a cheap excuse to fuss over him.

  Still, he put up just enough resistance to make it fun.

  “Nala, I was fine yesterday. I’m even better today.”

  “Just let me check.”

  “If you must,” he said, flopping back onto the mattress with an exaggerated sigh.

  She sat up, making a tent of the blanket and straddling him. “Hmm. This one’s coming along,” she started, tracing the pink line that ran along his broad, hard chest. Then she frowned, looking at the four red gashes lower down where a vampire had cut deep. The scars didn’t bother her, but the memories did. Harrison had put his life on the line for her. For her!

  When she leaned down to kiss his chest between the scars and his nipple, he threaded his hands into her hair.

  It’s okay, he whispered into her mind. Everything’s okay.

  It was now, but man, had it been a close call.

  “You know what still hurts?” His chest expanded with the question, and she looked up.

  “What?”

  “This right here.” He patted the other side of his chest.

  “Poor baby,” she said, glad that he’d lightened the mood again. “Let me see what I can do about it.”

  She circled his other nipple with her tongue then sucked lightly and followed up by kissing a sloppy trail down his body.

  The farther she went, the more he held still. She kissed his belly button and traced the boxy lines of his abs, then looked up.