"Well," he said, huffing. "Absolutely positively one hundred percent certain beyond a shadow of a doubt?"
Hannah sank her pearly whites into her lower lip. The pensive hesitation that followed hit his heart like a full-gun battery to the bow. Foreboding sank him—she'd changed her mind. They'd held off a month, but to Silver it'd been an eternity. He worried that he'd pressured Hannah into a premature commitment even as he craved the empathic connection of the mate bond. He should've known better than to succumb to blind faith optimism. It served him right—
"What're we supposed to do with these?" Hannah flashed her wedding ring and tipped it toward Silver's own band in an inclusive gesture. "We just got them. I'd hate to lose them."
"How about we give them to Disco for safekeeping?" His breath exhaled in a gust of relief. He strove to hide his insecurity behind cockiness, but Hannah's sweet smile said she wasn't fooled.
"Disco, not Branwen?" Hannah lay her open palm over the string of musical notes that filled up the previously empty staff on his chest. Her song, forever tattooed over his heart. He hadn't expected the symbols to appear until after they'd sealed the mate bond, but love commanded a special magic of its own in defiance of rules and reason.
"Don't ever trust ravens around shiny things." Silver smiled up at her, so lost in Hannah's emerald gaze he hoped to never return.
"Hey! That's totally unfair!" Branwen dissolved into rambunctious laughter on the far side of the bonfire.
Cheyenne leaned over, his open hand extended.
Carefully, Silver slid the wedding band off his finger. Hannah deposited hers into his palm, and he passed them to Cheyenne, who in turn handed the jewelry to Oz. Eventually, their rings wound up in Disco's possession. The bass guitarist stowed both and gave Silver and Hannah a thumbs up. Their rings were safe and sound in his keeping.
Hannah hooked her fingers beneath the bottom of her blouse and pulled it up in a slow striptease to reveal her firm stomach. His admiration took a lustful turn when she tugged it over her head. The muscles across her chest drew taut, flattening her small breasts. The sight riveted his attention and set his mouth to watering for her spicy sweet heat. Patience. He'd have her soon enough and forbearance brought its own rewards.
"Are you sure about this?" Silver asked, well aware he was repeating himself. He had to be sure, though, for the sake of his own sanity and her liberty.
She answered him with a kiss, catching his face between her hands. Her mouth covered his, smothered and consumed in a true joining of souls. Her distinctive flavor was ambrosia, a taste of heaven. In an instance, all his doubts evaporated, vanished into thin air. Yes. Yes. This was perfection. Truth. They were two halves of a fated soul—meant to be.
In the grip of fervor, Hannah fumbled with his belt and the fly of his pants. She left both hanging open and bent to tug at the laces of his boots. She skipped on to her own garments, toeing off her shoes. With an erotic shimmy of her hips, she shed her blue jeans, leaving her clad in only a lacy pair of black bikini briefs. Her long, shapely legs just went on forever. His gaze engaged the enticing intersection of her thighs. Next, she eased her panties off in a sexy little strip tease. The muscles in her shapely legs bunched and she swayed, telegraphing her intent. She launched straight at him.
Silver threw up his arms and braced for impact. He dug in his heels, unintentionally tilting the camping chair onto its back legs. Hannah landed full force on his chest, and the chair's aluminum joints creaked in protest. It was a miracle the whole thing didn't collapse out from under them. He hollered and laughed, wresting with an armful of the most beautiful woman alive and no man—or coyote—had ever been luckier.
Hannah shifted, undertaking the swift transformation to a red fox. In the blink of an eye, she shrank to a squirming armful of vixen. With a sigh of pleasure, he stroked his hands across her back. Her fur was long, plush, and silky beneath his palms. He almost got a grip on her but she twisted and turned so the sharp little claws on the end of her paws scraped across his bare chest.
"Hey!" Silver's indignant yelp goaded the rest of the band. While he wrestled with his lover, the others howled with laughter.
Hannah growled, baring her teeth, and lunged for his neck. He tensed and quelled the reflexive instinct to guard himself. Since time primordial, mating rituals had required the male to take risks. She would either rip out his throat or put her mark on him—her choice. This was the way it was meant to be, and what Nick had deprived her of when he’d drugged her. Hannah deserved to experience a proper courtship, so Silver bowed to meet her, turning his head to the side.
Her jaws closed on the juncture of his throat and shoulder, and her sharp teeth sank deep into the muscle. With a raw cry, Silver seized hold of her shoulders and dug in, holding her against him. He'd anticipated the bite but the erotic shock slammed him, an intense throbbing in his core. When she released him, rivulets of hot blood ran down his chest, and the saltiness filled his nostrils. He breathed through his mouth, tasting her delicious aroma.
Hannah nuzzled his chest with her nose and lapped at his skin. It tickled. Laughing, he stroked his hands over the writhing fox in his arms. He was marked now. Hers. He marveled at the sheer wondrous magnitude of it. His soul sang with joy unlike any music he'd ever known or created.
"Time for you to run, my fox," Silver whispered, brushing his cheek against her muzzle. She squeaked and quivered in excitement. When he opened his arms, she bounded off his lap.
Hannah alighted on the hard-packed desert dirt. The bonfire backlit her so her lush fur shone with a cinnamon brilliance. Her emerald eyes glowed gemstone bright. She pranced with her head and tail high as she strutted her stuff. He stayed put, enjoying her dance, even though his most primal instincts drove him to give chase. Rushing wasn't his style. Tonight, he intended to savor every sweet moment of a long courtship chase and then a through capture and claiming.
"Isn't that sweet? Hannah's waiting for him!" Branwen teased from across the bonfire where she sat sandwiched between Oz and Ursula.
"Yeah, she's probably worried he'll get lost." Disco's mocking provoked catcalls from Oz and Cheyenne, and the band cackled like too many hyenas.
Silver shared his middle finger with his friends.
"Silver, moy syn." Ursula leaned forward in her seat and caught his gaze. "Go chase your fox."
"On my way." Silver grinned and leapt to his feet, reaching for the fastening on his fly. He took a step, but he got caught on something and fell flat on his face. While his friends rocked and rolled with drunken mirth, he rolled onto his side and twisted to inspect his feet. Damn it, he'd fallen for it again. The laces from his boots were tied together.
Outfoxed.
Hannah squeaked, emitting her high-pitched fox laughter. Silver craned his neck and pushed a tangle of hair out of his eyes. He gazed up into his vixen's grinning face. She stood over him, having circled back around to gloat.
"Enjoy it while you can. I'm gonna getcha," He grumbled for effect, willing to play the fool for her pleasure. He fumbled with the knot for a sec but gave up with a growl of frustration. He tugged off one boot, kicked off the other, and shoved his pants down his legs.
Fully nude, Silver summoned his coyote and shifted. His animal form flowed across him like water. He sprang to all fours and looked around. Hannah had run, so he put his nose to the ground and picked up her scent. He lifted his head and dashed after her, leaving the fire and his friends behind.
The trail took him into the chilly desert evening. Overhead, the opulent moon hung low in the starry sky. Overcome with the sheer beauty, Silver lifted his muzzle and loosened a haunting howl in praise. His song carried far and faded.
Across the empty sky came a lilting cry and a gorgeous red fox appeared on the summit of a distant dune. Their gazes locked. Through her music, Hannah teased him—You can't catch me—a dare, an invitation, a tease, and a promise.
His fox smiled, shook her tail, and dashed into the night.
He chase
d as he was meant to, born to, confident he'd turn around and find her right there, coming after him.
She looked at me,
Saw straight through my disguise.
I smiled at her and then stole a kiss;
Better watch out I’m comin' on fast.
Watch out, I've got the fox by her tail;
I glance over my shoulder to see her there.
The fox is at my back comin' after me,
My red vixen has got me in her sights.
The alarms came on and it was all over;
Heart in my chest, pulse getting stronger,
The beat compels me to run and you chase;
Gonna claim you, girl.
Watch out, I've got the fox by her tail;
I glance over my shoulder to see her there.
The fox is at my back comin' after me,
My red vixen has got me in her sights.
The End.
I hope you enjoyed Outfoxed. Reviews are always appreciated! Don't forget to join my newsletter for free reads, exclusive sneak peeks, and giveaways.
Thank you for reading this Zodiac Shifters romance.
A shifter’s mate is in the stars... Welcome to Zodiac Shifters, a collection of books with an astrological spin on love. From Aries to Virgo... discover all-new tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Zodiac Shifters features New York Times, USA Today, and other bestselling authors. Each month expect new releases based upon the twelve astrology signs. Happily Ever After... it’s our promise to you.
Learn more at http://zodiacshifters.com/
About the Author
Melissa Snark is a paranormal and romance author with a particular interest in werewolves and Norse mythology. Her Loki's Wolves series combines elements of both in a contemporary fantasy setting. She lives in Northern California with her husband, three children and a glaring of cats.
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Books By Melissa Snark
Zodiac Shifters
(A Loki’s Wolves Spin-off)
Outfoxed
Loki's Wolves Series
Valkyrie's Vengeance (Book #0)
Hunger Moon (Book #1)
Battle Cry (Book #2)
Wolf's Cross (Book #3)
Blood Brothers (To be released)
Star-Crossed
(Loki’s Wolves Prequel)
Hunter’s Mark
Romance Standalones
A Cat's Tale
Learning to Fly
The Mating Game
Revision Log
05/23/2017.
First edition.
Outfoxed: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Gemini Page 21