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

by J. K Harper

  “I’ve had some time to figure out walking in the daylight. I gather you’ve never met a vampire before?”

  “Never.”

  “And you’re flying in from Eastern Europe? I’m surprised.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re telling me you’ve never been in the company of a vampire. Okay, let’s say that’s true.”

  “It is.”

  The driver closed the trunk door and got in the driver seat. He wasn’t able to fit everything in the trunk, so he placed the bike case in the front passenger seat. Vincent smiled into the mirror and pressed the button to close the privacy divider between the driver and us.

  “I’m not saying I don’t believe you … let me ask you another way. That instinct you felt in the terminal. Have you ever experienced anything similar before?”

  I was about to dismiss his question without any thought. After all, he was a vampire. I’d been raised to believe that if I ever encountered one, I needed to shift swiftly, attack with no hesitation, and run like hell afterward. But something about his question resonated. Come to think about it, I’d had this burning in my gut before. I could recall at least one time at an outdoor bistro in Bulgaria, and on at least two occasions in the Carpathian mountains in Romania. I traveled there on many weekends to hike to the deep woods and shift to wolf form. For all of those times, I remember dismissing the gut feeling as my being jittery from shifting in a new country.

  Son of a bitch.

  Were all those raging instincts my response to vampires?

  I glanced over at him for a split second. “Maybe.”

  “And you’re still alive. That should tell you something… Take it from me. I’ve been around a while. It’s only an issue if you make it one. I mean, you and Angel are friends, just like Vincent and I are. We’re also here for them.”

  “I’ll be honest with you. I’m not sure I can do this weekend anymore. Think about it. A human, a vampire, and two shifters walk into a wedding chapel. That already sounds like the start of a bad joke.”

  “I respectfully disagree. Why make it a big deal?”

  “Because I. Am. A. Wolf shifter.”

  “So what?”

  “No one thought to tell werewolf girl I’d meet a mortal enemy?”

  “Hang on. You’re a wolf shifter, not a werewolf. There’s a difference.”

  I knew that, but I was curious about his knowledge of our species. “Which is?”

  He looked out his window, and I was sure he rolled his eyes. I wasn’t sure I could blame him. Having to explain the difference to me, well this didn’t happen every day.

  “Werewolves can’t control when they shift. The full moon controls their transformation … and they’re usually completely violent and blood-thirsty during those times. Wolf shifters, well, you have more control. You can turn anytime you want. Sure, the full moon affects you, but not in the same way.” He studied me for a moment. “You were born a wolf shifter, correct?”

  “As opposed to what?”

  “Being turned.”

  “There are turned shifters?” Now, to be honest, this part I didn’t know. I was raised in Red Ridge among generations of born shifters of every type. I didn’t know men could be turned to shifters.

  He nodded. “Yes, but it’s another story for another time. They’re rare around here, but travel up to Reno-Sparks sometime. There’s a cluster of them living there and in a few other cities.” He didn’t explain the turned shifter part further. “Let’s get back to you, shall we? As a born wolf shifter, if you turn during a full moon, you’ll remain a wolf until the full moon passes. Am I right?”

  “Yes.”

  “But even then, you’re not a murderous flesh-eater.”

  I snarled, unsure where the urge came from. “No matter what I am, I can’t … be in the same room with you. Not for long, anyway.”

  He cleared his throat. “Let’s see if we can do our utmost to grin and bear it for the next two days … for our friends’ sakes.”

  “It’s not safe. Two of us in the same space like this? Not safe at all.”

  His gray eyes pierced through me. “Perhaps there’s another reason behind your hesitation … attraction, maybe?”

  I whipped my neck around, glaring at him. “Of course there isn’t … that’s crazy … ludicrous.”

  He smiled smugly. “Prove it.”

  “How?”

  He must have been feeling lucky, because he tapped an index finger on his lips and replied with, “Kiss the mortal enemy. Right here.”

  My eyes narrowed and my eyebrows furrowed. The nerve of this cocky, bloodsucking bastard. My lips tightened. I was raging, and ready to fight. Closing my fists at my side, I looked over at him, welcoming the adrenaline flooding my veins. I couldn’t help it. He was about to get an uncensored piece of my mind.

  “What do I look like? An undead slut? Or one of those human female groupies who can’t get enough supernatural man-whores like you? I know your type … and trust me, it’s never gonna happen.”

  “Never is a strong word, Sonya.”

  “Not strong enough,” I insisted. “And seriously? Prove it? What are we, five now?”

  “We aren’t, but I would like to see you resist me after one kiss.” He smirked, smoothed out his suit jacket, and faced forward.

  It must have been the jetlag, or being awake for almost twenty-four hours after doing a rush job to pack and be ready for this long-haul flight. Fury burned inside me, so strongly that nearly all of my self-control eroded. Something inside me bubbled to the surface, and a second later I pounced on him.

  “I can tear you apart,” I warned him, gripping his neck with the full force of my human strength.

  “I’ve had brushes with death before.”

  He was lucky I could still hold on to the thread of control to keep my beast inside. It would be nothing to crush his windpipe, though I recalled that alone wouldn’t kill a vampire, but probably would piss him off.

  “By the way,” he added. “I’d love to see you try, but for now, I’m quite enjoying having you like this.”

  “Like how?” I growled.

  His eyes alone glanced down between our bodies. “Legs straddling me, body nice and tight against mine, looking deep into my eyes. I may just prefer you like this over my little old tame suggestion of a kiss.”

  Shit. I really had climbed into his lap. He didn’t so much as lay a finger anywhere on my person. Embarrassed, I released his neck, dismounted his legs, and returned to my spot. I still wanted to wipe that grin off his smug face, but I had already crossed the line. I used the rest of the time in the limo to blow up Angel’s phone, demanding an answer as to why she kept this detail from me. She replied with one smiley face just before we rolled up at the hotel.

  Well, fuck me.

  Vincent

  She was a feisty little thing.

  Brave too, believing she was any match for me, an over three-hundred-year-old vampire. My only reaction was one of lust, but not for her blood. Having her body taut against me, the scent of her adrenaline-filled blood rushing through her veins were but a candle to the raging heat between her legs. She was aroused. That knowledge was like a sensual attack on my groin. Before she moved off, I had already grown hard for her, and I was sure she felt the throb of my bulge while her inner thighs practically wrapped around my waist.

  I smiled all the way to the hotel. This could be an enjoyable weekend after all. Probably much more fun if Sonya would relax that gorgeous face and smoking hot body of hers. Pale, creamy skin, those light blue eyes both innocent and fierce, jet black flowing hair, pouty red lips, delicate facial features, erect nipples pebbling under her silky bra and thin t-shirt, jeans hugging her slender hips, and mile-long legs.

  Licking my lips, I enjoyed perusing Sonya as she used her phone to avoid me at all costs. Tapping away at a cell phone, filled with ire at my boldness, she seemed all the more intriguing. We arrived at the hotel, and Sonya didn’t wait for
the driver to let her out. She promptly opened the door closest to her and bolted around to stand beside the trunk of the car. A curbside bellman arrived with a luggage cart.

  “Allow me to help you with your bags, ma’am,” he said to her as I stepped out.

  “Sure,” she answered, seeming drained. “Thank you.”

  “Are my keys ready?” I asked him.

  “Definitely, Mr. Belmont. The entire thirtieth floor is reserved for you and your party. I’ll get your guest a key to the suite beside yours.”

  “No!” Sonya barked at him, then she lowered her voice to add, “I would prefer a room on another floor. I’ll check in myself.”

  “Miss—”

  “Miss Isabelle. Sonya Isabelle. Do you need a credit card to hold the room?”

  “We don’t, but I’m sorry, Miss Isabelle. We’re fully booked this weekend. Only the thirtieth-floor suites are available for your group.”

  “I understand. It’s fine, but if you can, I’d like to be a few doors down from Mr. Belmont.” She turned to me, scowling. “No offense, Mr. Belmont.”

  “None taken.”

  The bellman nodded. “That will be no problem. If you’d like, I’ll show you to the room now, and bring your keys to you right after. This way, you don’t have to wait. Check-in has been rather busy this afternoon.”

  “Okay. Sure.”

  “Excellent choice. After you, ma’am.” He waited for us to go in ahead and followed with her things.

  “Thanks.” She tilted her head, scrutinizing the contents of the cart. Turning to me at the elevator bay, she asked, “Don’t you have any clothes for the weekend?”

  “They’re already up in my room.”

  “Oh. I forgot you own the place.”

  The door to my suite was closest to the elevators, so I stopped at my door instead of escorting her to her room. “I’ll see you later on, Miss Isabelle. At dinner, I believe, but if you need anything at all, call down to the front desk or send me a text. Anytime.”

  Huffing, she kept walking and didn’t give me an answer.

  I had a few hours of business to attend to. Entering my suite, I headed to my office at the end of the hall and got started. Less than an hour into it, my cell phone buzzed on my desk with a text from Sonya.

  Her message read, “I owe you an apology.”

  I replied with, “I’ll only accept it in person.”

  I smiled when her answer came in at the same time as her knock on my door. Her message read, “Fine.”

  Sonya

  I should have left well enough alone.

  Finally settled into my private suite at the far end of the floor, I took a shower to unwind from the long day of travel. After that, I should have found my pajamas, opened one of the bottles of wine in the generously stocked full-sized fridge, crawled into the room’s king-sized bed, and taken a nap.

  That didn’t happen.

  I threw on a tank top and sweat pants, and sent the vampire down the hall a text. Yes, I needed to apologize for my outlandish behavior, but I could have waited until Angel and Axe were here.

  I should have.

  The apology by text was bad enough, but no, I had to play with fire by agreeing to go to his room. Now that I stood outside his door, about to close my slightly stinging fingertips into a fist to knock, I took a breath, tamping down my thoughts of Vincent Belmont as my mind raced. I groaned, rubbed the bridge of my nose and knocked on the door. I was utterly hopeless, entertaining all manner of salacious ideas about him for some unknown reason.

  And that was another thing. Why was he on my mind at all? The insistent image of my palm at his neck should have reignited my rage, but instead, it only spread heat through my core and left me craving him. Could the rumors of vampires being able to perform mind control be true? If it were, it could mean all these scandalous urges were his doing. The very notion had me seething.

  With a defiant huff, I took another bracing inhale and turned on my heels. Before I took the first step to return down the hall, there was a noise behind me.

  “Leaving so soon?” he murmured.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the unreadable expression on his face. “It was a mistake to come see you.” I turned to face him and took a step back from the door. “I wanted to apologize, but now I’m thinking you’re the one who should be apologizing to me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “And that apology would be for what exactly?”

  “Admit it. You used your vampire hoodoo on me, didn’t you?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play innocent. You did some kind of mind control on me back in the limo.”

  “I’ll humor you for the moment. What exactly did I do to you? What I mean is, what was the outcome?”

  Heat flushed my cheeks and neck as I struggled to find the right way to tell him he’d managed to stir up a powerful longing inside me. How exactly was I supposed to phrase it? That he’d compelled me into a state of total arousal and now I found him to be sexually irresistible? I fumbled for a response, and came up empty-handed, merely blinking at him.

  “I would love to know what that mind of yours is thinking right now,” he muttered. “Care to come in anyway? Standing here in my doorway feels so … formal.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t think so. Any more time around you is probably harmful to my health.”

  “If you say so, but for your peace of mind … or perhaps not … you should know that I did not perform any mind control tricks on you. Whatever you’re thinking or feeling is of your own volition. Sorry to disappoint. ”

  Aww crap.

  This was all me?

  I huffed out a frustrated breath. “What exactly do you want from me?”

  “You’re the one at my door, so I believe the appropriate question here is what can I do for you, Sonya?”

  “I … I, uh … I was …” For whatever reason, this fogginess in my brain had me confused as hell.

  “You … what?”

  His body floated toward me, and he took a step forward until he was achingly close to me, closer than he should have been. Every molecule inside me resonated in its awareness of him. I itched to retreat, but there was another urge, an impulse to tackle him to the ground and let him ravage me until I was screaming his name.

  I needed something, anything that wasn’t sex. That was not the answer. Repeat. Not the answer.

  “Sonya?” His lips caressed my name, calling to me as my eyelids fluttered half-closed at the sound.

  There was no time to react before his fingers traced the line of my jaw, so gently I barely felt the pressure as I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. Jesus Christ, this wasn’t happening to me. It was time to bring out the big guns. I had to put a stop to this wolf-vampire train wreck waiting to happen now before all hell broke loose.

  But I couldn’t help it.

  I was frozen. If it was true that he wasn’t using any form of compulsion, and if it was all me, then hell, maybe I needed to get it out of my system. I’d never pretended to be a saint, and I’d been with human and shifters of all kinds. Maybe it was time to add a vamp to the list.

  Bloodlust be damned.

  I just hoped I wouldn’t end up ripping him to shreds. Or the other way around.

  A small smile traced his mouth, but didn’t move into his cheeks while I was still reacting to the icy, electric touch of his fingers still pulsing against my skin. And then his lips crashed against mine for one hell of a stolen kiss.

  Vincent

  Sonya’s gaze burned into me with so much interest and curiosity, kissing her was the only option. My hands still tingled to touch her skin again, to capture all of that heat washing through her veins. It had been so long since merely touching another person led to pure lust taking over. Sonya stirred up an urge in me that needed to be sated.

  And she was standing at my door, frozen.

  Her short, sharp, warm breaths cascaded up over my face, warming
my chilled flesh. I pulled her close, and her body relaxed into mine, neck arched, dark tresses tumbling down her back, her lavender and vanilla scent so inviting. Her breasts pressed tightly against my chest, and her nipples hardened through her tank top. I could taste her growing excitement in her short, tight inhales. Clasping my arm around her waist, I took her mouth with abandon, exploring every curve and contour of her lips, tongue, and teeth. She sighed as our tongues danced together as if it was the most normal thing in the world for our two species. I groaned at the contentment of the raspy growl she made at the back of her throat.

  Her hands traveled along the nape of my neck, getting lost in my hair. Soon one of her hands roamed down my back, and I took the liberty to lift her up at her hips and back us up into the foyer to close my door. Lowering her feet to the floor, my hand molded to her ass. She gasped against my lips, and for a second, I released my hold on her body, giving her permission to pull away if she so desired.

  “Don’t … no … don’t stop…” she breathed out, and her tiny hands swiftly moved down my back and mirrored my touch, gripping my ass much more tightly.

  A primal growl left my throat, thick and threatening, even to me, emboldening me to continue. My lips traveled the supple length of her throat, and when she begged me to touch her everywhere, I wrapped her legs around my waist and carried her to the nearest piece of furniture, which, this close to the front door was the wet bar table. It would do.

  Sonya relaxed back on the table, raven black hair fanned out, parting her thighs for me. My cock, already thick and ready against my fly, gave a jerk of impatience, and I swallowed the thick craving that coated the insides of my throat. We needed less clothing between us. That was immediately clear. So I set about disrobing us as quickly as my hands could manage, given that she would stop me here and there to nibble, caress, bite and otherwise distract me from the task. By the time I’d shucked my shirt and pants, she was in only her panties on the table, eyes willing me closer while she played with her nipples. The pleasure vibrating through her body nearly shot my fangs out to pierce her delicate, pale flesh. Almost.