Shifters in the Shadows: Seventeen Paranormal Romances of Sexy Shifters, Dangerous Vamps, & Things That Go Bump in the Night

by J. K Harper

  I chewed it up real good and swallowed it, trying not to let him see how awkward I found it as he watched me for any sudden signs of death.

  "We'll give that about fifteen minutes and see what happens. My understanding was that your reaction before happened very quickly, so fifteen minutes should be plenty."

  I just nodded. Whatever you say, Doc.

  When I didn't keel over and die, he started busying himself with other things, jotting notes, preparing the next sample, and checking his phone.

  I started taking a bored inventory of everything in the room.

  Wow, some of the posters on the wall were horror-story graphic. Damn, who knew allergies could cause some of the disgusting rashes and whelps covering the walls?

  I felt a tiny brush of something on the curve of my neck and shrugged, thinking it was a tiny bug, and the movement caught Dr. Greene's eye.

  He looked me over but then returned to his paperwork.

  I felt it again, but this time it felt less like a bug grazing me and more like a barely there kiss. I managed to not react this time and just stayed still, hoping it would land and I could kill it with one quick smack.

  The feeling changed from a grazing kiss to a more brazen kiss. Not just the brushing of lips, but this time it almost felt like an open mouthed kiss, and the teasing flick of a tongue. I heard myself inhale sharply and I smiled reassuringly at Dr. Greene when his eyes popped to me once again.

  "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm good. Just jumpy, I guess."

  He smiled back, giving me a more thorough once over with his eyes, and turned back to what he was doing.

  When the kiss-like feeling on my neck happened again, I made sure not to give any outward sign of it. I kept my breathing purposefully steady even as what I would have sworn was a tongue teased my skin slowly, from the opening of the hospital gown's neck hole draped over my shoulder all the way up to the hollow just behind my ear.

  The very same hollow that Cole had always made it a point to kiss.

  "I love how you purr every time I kiss you there," he'd say.

  I was quite certain my mind was playing tricks on me. Mark never kissed me there and it had been so long since that particular spot had been kissed like that, so I just went with it.

  Maybe I am allergic to peanuts after all, and I only think this is happening, but really, like before, I'm passed out cold. Maybe I'm dying again, and this is how my body reacts to dying, I thought, not really caring much either way. It felt way too good to care if it was real or not.

  I felt teeth graze the same sensitive spot the tongue had just kissed, and it was all I could do not to moan out loud. I leaned my head to one side, giving whatever was nibbling on my neck more access to do so. Death be damned if kisses like this were waiting for me on the other side.

  "Let's try a walnut, shall we? You mentioned that you thought one of the nuts in the mix you'd eaten was a walnut. Let's see how it does."

  The amazingly sensual feeling of kisses on my neck disappeared with the sound of Dr. Greene's voice. My eyes flew open even though I hadn't realized they had closed, and I saw him holding out another little cup for me to take.

  I guess I'm not dead after all, I thought. Unless I'm hallucinating this as well. Screw it, down the hatch.

  I obediently ate the walnut as he watched again. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. Would the sensation of being kissed come back?

  It didn't.

  Dr. Greene watched me for what seemed like forever before finally turning back to his work again. Still nothing on the kissing front.

  And then I felt the slightest touch on my right knee.

  I looked down, trying not to react to what I was feeling.

  Wait, was that an outline of a hand?

  My hospital gown came just to my knees as I sat on the edge of the exam table. I looked to my left knee—the gown was smooth, just sitting there covering my modesty. I looked back to my right knee and I could've sworn it was just slightly … how would I describe it?

  It looked depressed. Like a man-sized hand lay over it, pressing the fabric into my skin just a bit, wrinkling the gown some with the touch.

  As I stared, it moved some, and I darted a glance up to Dr. Greene, but he was absorbed in his paperwork.

  I felt the warm palm slide just a bit, up my thigh, pulling the edge of the gown a little higher up my leg, and then the hand released its grip, leaving the gown's edge raised up and teasing its way toward the inside of my thigh.

  Like someone had lifted the gown just a bit out of the way, so they could slide under it and over my skin, unimpeded by the fabric.

  Fingers teased the skin just inside my knee, drawing circles with slow fingertips, before slipping higher.

  I eyed Dr. Greene again, watching him as I widened my thighs a bit, allowing the invisible touch to explore its way along the line of flesh leading from my knee up to parts unknown.

  How high would it go?

  I leaned back on my hands, spreading my thighs wide enough for whatever was making me feel so good to explore, but not so wide as to flash Dr. Greene, who picked that time to look back at me.

  "Ready to try a nut?"

  I blinked at his words, thinking if you'll leave me alone for a while, I may just get to nut all on my own, but I nodded at him, expecting the sensation of the hand between my legs to disappear again, like the kiss on my neck had, when he spoke.

  It didn't.

  As I reached for the cup containing another nut with one hand, I stayed leaning back on my other hand and upended the little cup into my mouth, trying to not react to the feeling of the invisible hand sliding higher, nearing and then teasing my mound as I chewed and swallowed.

  I handed the cup back and watched Dr. Greene watch me as fingers teased my now wet slit. Up and down, slowly, not separating my lips but almost. I fought the urge to spread my thighs wide and rock my hips.

  I fought it hard.

  All I wanted to do was lay all the way back on the exam bed, open my knees and see what the invisible hand would do next.

  "You're so wet for me."

  The words were there, whispered in my ear, but so quietly I could have been imagining them. They were teasing, and tempting, and they were spoken in Cole's deep, warm voice.

  All I could do was swallow my reaction and blink at Dr. Greene.

  "I've missed this so much," the very impossible sound of Cole's voice teased my ear. "If I'd known this was possible I'd have made contact long ago. Just think of all the time lost. I wonder if I can.… Oh, yes! I can."

  Chapter 6

  I bit the moan back at the very last second when I felt Cole's invisible fingers slide along my wet slit, spreading my lips and then slipping deep inside me.

  "I wonder if I've always been able to touch you like this, or if your almost dying allowed us to find each other again. Maybe the veil between our worlds really is thinner at Halloween."

  I couldn't answer him, of course. I wouldn't have known what to say anyway.

  "If he'd leave the room I'd lock the door and taste everything I'm touching now. What do you think he would do if your gown suddenly flew up to your hips and I really got my face up in there? I know I just had you against that door at your party, but I want you again. Maybe if you scoot to the very edge of this bed and…"

  "That was an almond, by the way."

  "Yes! I mean, yes, I know," I answered Dr. Greene and Cole at the same time.

  If I could inch to the very edge, then maybe…

  This is crazy! This can't be happening.

  Wait, what about Mark? Shouldn't this feel guilty instead of divine?

  My brain couldn't decide, my body was driving my urges, and it wanted to scoot to the edge of the bed and see what all Cole had in store.

  "Don't think about Mark, not when I've got my fingers inside you."

  Cole's voice teased my ears as his fingers teased my pussy.

  How did you know I was thinking about him? Can you hea
r my thoughts?

  "You haven't slept with him yet, have you? I've been watching you. You've been saving yourself."

  He didn't answer my questions but I didn't know if it was because he couldn't hear my thoughts or if he didn't want to answer them.

  How is this possible? I thought. Maybe he'd answer that one.

  "How is what possible? That I've been watching you? That's a long story."

  Actually, I meant how was it possible to hear him when Dr. Greene obviously couldn't, and how was it possible to feel him like he was really here?

  "When I died, I saw all the things you hear about. The white light, the tunnel, the whole bit. But I felt more drawn to you. I went to you. I was there when you found out about the accident.

  I couldn't resist the pull of the light forever though, so I went through it. I had my life review, I asked about you."

  I was torn between giving my body up to what his fingers were still doing, slowly teasing as he talked, and listening to his story. I wanted to know though, so I tried really hard to concentrate on his words.

  "They told me that you wouldn't be long behind me," he said. "That we'd see each other soon. I wanted to be there for you when it happened, when you died from eating that Hazelnut in the mix."

  So it was the nuts? Wait, I was supposed to really die? Am I dead now?

  "No, and that's my fault. I'm sorry. I was supposed to just be there to welcome you, to go through the tunnel with you, but I knew what you were planning to do. You were finally going to have the night we were supposed to have, only with him.

  I wanted you to have that night, our night, but I wanted it to be with me. So when you collapsed in the hallway, instead of leading you toward the tunnel, I led you away.

  You didn't know you'd left your body behind, that we were the same.

  Once we finished, and we left that room and headed back toward your body and the tunnel, I was going to tell you and guide you then, only…"

  Only Mark showed up.

  "Yeah. Since you hadn't crossed over, he and the medics were able to bring you back. To save you. Only that wasn't how it was supposed to go."

  Are you in trouble?

  "A bit, but not for why you'd think. Lives have a couple of exit points set up ahead of time. We set them up before we're born, kind of like exits on the freeway. Depending on how your trip is going, so-to-speak, you can take the exit ramp, or decide you aren't quite ready to get off yet. So I'm not in trouble for you missing your exit, as there will be others, but it was supposed to be by your choice, not my interference, and I'm not supposed to still be here, doing this."

  His fingers danced over me, pulling out of me to slip toward my clit and circle it, just to slide down and fill me again.

  So, why are you still here? Doing that? Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

  "I can't leave you again, not now that I know that it's possible to touch you, like this. To kiss you again. To finally be one with you; just once wasn't nearly enough. I want more.

  I have no idea if it is only possible to still be here because it's the day that the veil is thinnest or if we're connected now and this could always be."

  So come tomorrow, you could be gone again?

  "It's very likely. You'll recover, get stronger, the veil will thicken. I could be back to just watching, waiting until your next exit ramp."

  "Here's another one," Dr. Greene said, pulling my focus to him again.

  I'd forgotten he was even there. Obediently I took the little cup and ate the nut, in a hurry to get back to talking to Cole.

  I settled back onto my hands again, and took advantage of the movement to make crossing my legs in front of me look like a comfort decision, like they were getting tired of hanging off the edge. Of course I knew, and so would Cole, that the move had way more to do with widening my thighs than getting more comfortable.

  As I settled in for fifteen more minutes of glorious attention from Cole's ghost, I could almost feel him beside me. He seemed more solid now that I was open to him.

  I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, and for a second I could've almost sworn I could smell the cologne he wore. I sighed, and inhaled him again, trying to breathe him in as I waited for his fingers to move.

  "Hannah?"

  Hmmm?

  "Hannah! Open your eyes!"

  Why? I thought as I did what Cole ordered.

  Hey! I can see you! Kind of. Almost.

  "That's not good, babe. That means…"

  "What kind of nut was that one?" I asked Dr. Greene.

  "That was a Hazelnut. Well, a small sliver of one. Why?"

  Isn't that what you said… I aimed my thoughts at Cole.

  "Is what you're allergic to? Yes. You should be fine though. This isn't an exit ramp. You still have some antihistamine in your system, and he's armed to the teeth with more of that and other drugs."

  But I can see you! Damn, Cole. I don't want this to all go away in the morning.

  "How are you feeling, Hannah? I'm thinking we found our culprit. Your heart rate is speeding up, you're starting to get flushed," Dr. Greene said, checking and noting things as he examined me.

  Maybe that's just from your skillful touch, I teased Cole. Although, I couldn't deny that I was having a reaction.

  I started to feel like I had at the party, right after I ate the nuts and started to open the door. My heart was beating fast, only the first time I thought it was because I was heading to a night with Mark. This time I knew it was because of the Hazelnut.

  It started to get a little harder to swallow and the lightheaded feeling was back.

  "Take deep breaths, Hannah. You'll be fine, I'll just grab this syringe real quick and we'll get you feeling all better."

  Will I still be able to see you? I asked Cole as the doctor reached for his tray.

  "It's still Halloween. Maybe. If not you should still hear and feel me. At least till morning. After that—we'll see."

  I shot a glance over toward Dr. Greene. Just short of where he was grabbing my prepared shot was the tray of nuts he'd been feeding me. If he would just move over some, I could grab a handful of…

  "Hannah! Don't!"

  Cole was in front of me, impossibly fast.

  I could see him even better! His chest filled my vision, he seemed almost solid!

  "You can't! There is no exit ramp before you right now, this isn't how it's supposed to go."

  Then I should be fine, right? Dr. Greene is right here. He'd bring me back before I went too far. I just want more time with you, is that so wrong? If eating more nuts gets us more time together, if Halloween night is the only time I can have you, why wouldn't I take that chance?

  "Here you are," Dr. Greene said, walking through Cole's chest like he wasn't even there. "This shot should help. Seems it's the tree nuts in the birch family that you're allergic to. No wonder you didn't know. The hazelnut is the most common nut in that family, the others, like the alder, are way less common."

  I'd missed my chance to grab any more hazelnuts, all I could do was nod at Dr. Greene as he gave me a shot and kept talking about how as long as I avoided hazelnuts and kept an EpiPen on me, I should be fine from here on out.

  As the shot took effect Cole thinned and dimmed before me until I couldn't see or smell him anymore. Thankfully I could still hear and feel him, at least for the moment.

  Once I'd recovered Dr. Greene pushed me in my wheelchair back to the Emergency Room. Cole held my hand and walked beside the chair as Dr. Greene took me back to Mark.

  Mark stood up when we entered, and after I was settled back into the bed I watched Mark get all the details about my test from Dr. Greene. Mark's eyes kept shooting to me as the doctor spoke of hazelnuts, EpiPens, and what a lucky woman I was that Mark had gotten help to me so fast.

  I didn't feel lucky, though. I felt like my last chance to be with Cole, even if for just a few magical moments, had slipped through my hands with the injection I'd been given.

  For a moment I'd had it all
—the thinner veil of Halloween was ticking away, medical help to bring me back was all around me, and the nuts, the last key to the usually locked door between me and Cole, had been right there.

  As I watched Mark speak with the doctor, and saw the love and concern in his eyes, all I felt was guilt. I was holding a hand I could feel but not see, wishing I'd been able to steal a handful of hazelnuts and hide them in my hospital gown. They'd probably become completely useless to me after tonight, after Halloween and after my exit ramp. They'd still kill me, I was sure, but to what effect if Cole was no longer there?

  Had I missed my shot?

  Chapter 7

  I found it quite ironic that my goal at the Halloween party had been to put my past, my past being Cole, behind me once and for all.

  Ha!

  I'd planned to walk through that door to my future, my future being Mark, or sex, or LIVING LIFE WITH CAPITAL LETTERS, or however you wanted to spin it, but all walking through that door had done was thrust my past, the thing I was walking away from, smack into my present once again.

  How was I supposed to embrace the future when my past could literally reach through the veils of death and make me feel more alive than anyone ever had, before Cole, or since?

  So what was I supposed to do now?

  Wait?

  What if morning came, leaving Halloween and Cole a wild memory?

  What if morning didn't take Cole from me?

  I grabbed the second one first.

  What would my future look like if I could forever more hear and feel Cole like he was really there, only no one else could?

  Could I continue to date Mark? While letting Cole come to me as well? How do you juggle a man and a ghost? What if Cole decided to get possessive and didn't like me being with Mark? What if I decided to sleep with Mark and Cole jumped in there as well?

  The mere thought of having a real life lover and a ghostly lover, at the same time, turned me on and freaked me out simultaneously.

  If Cole was still around, what if I chose him and never had a real relationship? Could I live with a ghost lover forever? No wedding. No kids. Just Cole, as he was. Could I do that?