Gathering Darkness: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Anna Zaires

  Settling on the edge of the bed, he picked up her hand and held it. He would wait there until she woke, and then he’d take care of her. Nothing else mattered.

  ***

  An hour later, a soft moan drew him from his musings. He watched as Adriana slowly opened her eyes, then gasped, sitting up swiftly and clutching her throat as an expression of pain flashed over her face.

  Zane had reheated the tea every ten minutes since he’d made it. “You’re safe now, Adriana,” he said, offering the mug to her.

  She took it, sipping at the hot brew. “Who are you? Where am I?” Her voice was a low whisper, and he knew it still hurt to talk. She’d screamed a lot, in addition to having her throat squeezed by a powerful hand.

  “My name is Zane, and you’re in my home.”

  Adriana blinked. “I was at the safari. I…did I dream that?”

  She had the most enchanting green eyes. They were the color of spring grass, with flecks of gold. “No, you didn’t dream any of it. You were assaulted by the tour guide; I saved you and brought you to my home.”

  Her knuckles turned white on the mug and her hand began to shake as she stared at him. Fear lit her features, and the mug tipped from her hand. Zane caught it before it spilled entirely and put it on the nightstand.

  “There was a gorilla,” she said.

  “It was me.”

  “No. People aren’t animals. I...the guard had weird hands and teeth.” She pressed her palms to her eyes and inhaled shakily. “I must be dead or unconscious,” she whispered. “Wake up, Adriana, wake the hell up.”

  Zane took her wrists gently and pulled her hands from her face. She blinked big, tear-filled eyes at him. “Sweetheart, you’re not dead, unconscious, dreaming, or hallucinating. I was in the gorilla paddock, and I scented that you were my mate. I’m not entirely sure why the guide did what he did, but it’s possible he screwed with you to get back at me.”

  A tear slipped over her cheek and he brushed it away. “Mate?”

  Nodding, he twined their fingers together. “Yes. I saw you and I knew you were meant to be mine. I know I scared you. I was so enraged when Jesse put his hands on you that I couldn’t control my beast. I’d die before I hurt you, Adriana.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip and tugged one hand free to wipe her eyes. “I don’t know what to believe. I feel like I’m dreaming. You say you’re a gorilla and that you knew I was your mate at first sight. That’s the stuff of dreams. Or romance novels.”

  “It’s real. There’s nothing to fear with me.”

  “Are there others like you?”

  “There are seven gorillas in our band.”

  “Band? Like a music band?”

  “No, a group of gorillas is called a band. My dad is the alpha – the leader. We work and live at the safari.”

  “People aren’t supposed to be able to change into animals.”

  “But we do.”

  “Are you the only ones who can change?”

  “In the safari there are wolf, elephant, lion, and bear shifters as well.”

  “The guide is a shifter? That’s why his teeth and hands changed?”

  Nodding, Zane fought the urge to find Jesse and hurt him some more. Getting thrown into a tree was not nearly a brutal enough consequence for the terror and injury he’d inflicted on Adriana.

  “I want to see.”

  “See what?”

  “I want to see you turn into a gorilla. If it’s true, and I’m not just imagining things, then shift for me.”

  He’d expected her to want to see him, so her request wasn’t a surprise.

  He stood and tugged his shirt off. “Are you sure?”

  Her eyes dropped immediately to his chest, and he grinned. Shifters were naturally strong, even the smaller species like wolves, but Zane and his fellow band members also liked to exercise and keep their bodies toned. Right now, he was glad he’d spent so much time building muscle.

  She didn’t say anything as her gaze roamed over him. She licked her lips and his beast hooted in his mind, thankful she found him attractive. Her scent deepened and his beast growled in happiness. Their mate thought they were sexy; that was definitely a good thing.

  He undid the button of his jeans and her mouth fell open on a soft gasp. Her hands clutched the blanket that was pooled at her waist.

  “I don’t have to do this right now,” he said softly.

  She blinked and seemed to force herself to meet his gaze. “I want to see it for myself. Unless it hurts? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  “It doesn’t hurt. It feels good, actually, like a part of myself has been caged up and is suddenly free.” He lowered the zipper and her gaze dropped to his hands. “I’m still me in my shift. I can’t talk, but I can understand you and I swear I won’t hurt you.”

  She never took her eyes off his hands. “I don’t know why I trust you, but I do. I know you won’t hurt me.”

  “Because I’m your mate, Adriana.”

  She looked at him. “What does that really mean?”

  “That I’ll always take care of you and protect you. It’s like marriage for my people, but unlike in your human world, there isn’t divorce. I’m yours and you’re mine. Forever.”

  “Would you let me leave?” Her head tilted slightly and she met his gaze.

  He raised a brow. “You already know the answer to that. Are you a prisoner? No. But you know what we are now. Shifters have lived in secret, and we can’t take a chance on someone finding out about us. I’ll take you to pack your things, but this is your home now.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m not more upset. You’re talking about me losing everything I have, to stay here with you – a total stranger – and yet I’m not freaking out. Is it because of what we are for each other?”

  “Say the word, Adriana.”

  Her eyes darkened and her scent spiked with arousal. Every muscle in his body tensed, and it took a considerable amount of effort to remain where he stood. “Mates. Why does that sound right?”

  He shrugged. “Mates are connected on a different level, sweetheart. It’s not as simple as love at first sight, it’s deeper than that. Soul deep. Our people believe that there’s just one person in the whole world who’s really right for us, and that person is our soulmate. You’re mine. I knew it the moment I locked eyes with you through the fence, and you felt it too. You were walking toward me.”

  She smiled. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  “I couldn’t either. I’m sorry you were hurt and scared. I’d give anything to go back and change what he did.”

  “I knew there was something off about him. What is he?”

  “Wolf.”

  She shivered. “I used to like wolves.”

  “They’re not all like him.”

  Blowing out a breath, she said, “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Are you ready for me to shift, sweetheart? I don’t have to do this now.”

  “Will you be stuck in your shift for a while, or can you change right back?”

  “I can change back quickly. If I change back and forth too much, it’ll make me tired and I could be temporarily stuck in one form or the other, but I can do this for you now.”

  There wasn’t a trace of fear in her eyes when she looked at him. “Show me, Zane.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Adriana watched as Zane shoved his jeans to the floor. He was the sexiest guy she’d ever laid eyes on. Tall and broad, he had muscles on top of muscles, dark brown eyes, and short brown hair that she bet was as soft as it looked. She’d never been more attracted to a man in her life.

  She’d woken up still scared, but she hadn’t run screaming from the room or passed out in fear, and she was sure that had something to do with Zane. Everything he told her – while fantastical – made sense in a way she couldn’t explain. It was as if she’d always known about shifters in the back of her mind, although she couldn’t say she’d ever consciously considered it. She’d actual
ly been on a tour for shifters. When that creepy guide had been with her in front of the elephants and asked if they were ‘good here,’ he’d obviously been talking to the elephants, who were shifters.

  Her gaze dropped immediately to his waist and the thick cock that jutted from his hips. Holy hell’s bells, she’d never seen such a big cock! Her whole body shivered and her heartrate sped up; not from fear, but arousal.

  He gripped his cock with one big hand. “If you keep looking at me like that, sweetheart, I’m going to blow my load right now.”

  Her stomach clenched and her nipples tightened. Tearing her gaze from his length, she let out a panting breath and said, “I can’t help it. I’ve never felt like this before.” Her panties were soaked and he hadn’t even touched her. As strange as that was, it also felt right.

  “Me, either. Do you want me to shift or not?”

  “You’ll come right back to me?”

  Nodding, he squeezed his cock and shuddered, cracking his neck.

  “Then do it, Zane. I want to see you.”

  The shift happened quickly. One moment she was staring at his gorgeous human face, and the next she was looking at an enormous gorilla. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to happen, but it hadn’t been a gradual change, more like a rush from human to gorilla. He was flesh and then he was fur.

  His fur was black except in the middle of his back, where it was silver. He was on all fours but he was still enormous. She slipped from the bed and approached him. When she gazed into his eyes, she knew that Zane was looking back at her. He wasn’t a beast inside, just on the outside.

  She touched his face, tracing his brow and cheek and rubbing her thumb gently across his lips. The fur on his head was thick and coarse. He wrapped a huge hand around her knee, and she smiled. “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the least scary.” She leaned forward and kissed his nose. He grunted, wrapping both arms around her and drawing her close.

  She let herself be folded into his embrace as he sat down. His scent – wild, like forests and sunshine – enveloped her, and she snuggled deeper into his arms. He was very warm, and she thought she could have fallen asleep if she wasn’t as turned on as she’d ever been in her life.

  He looked down at her and hooted softly, his chest rumbling with the sound. “I like that sound, Zane. I can’t believe that I’m sitting in a gorilla shifter’s lap. Can you change back now?”

  He grunted softly and shifted back, his body shrinking from gorilla to human with apparent ease. Sinking her fingers into his thick hair, she drew him down to her lips and kissed him. He hugged her close with a soft growl, and Adriana grinned against his mouth. Licking his lower lip, she whispered, “You’re naked.”

  “You’re not,” he answered, nuzzling her throat.

  “I want to be. I’ve never wanted anything more.”

  He lifted his head slowly, his eyes darkening. “If we make love now, Adriana, I’ll never let you go.”

  Rightness settled over her. It did feel like love at first sight in a way, but it wasn’t superficial – it felt soul-deep. “I don’t want you to let me go, Zane. I want this. I know it’s fast, but it feels so very right.”

  He stood and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently. Her heart pounded with anticipation. Leaning over her, he cupped her face and kissed her, sliding his tongue into her mouth slowly. Her whole body trembled as their kiss deepened and the wild scent of him surrounded her. While they kissed, she slid her hands along his upper body, her fingertips gliding over the smooth, hot muscles that tightened under her touch. Her thumbs glanced over his nipples, and he growled. She smiled inwardly, glad that he liked how she touched him.

  As she played her hands across his muscles, he gripped her shirt and tugged it off her shoulders. Lifting from their kiss, he gave her room to sit up and helped her remove the top. It was torn where the guide had tried to rip it off her. When her tank-top hit the floor, Zane growled, his eyes flashing with heat. She undid her bra, and he flung it away. She would have laughed at his eagerness, but he straddled her body, lowering her to the bed with one hand on the back of her neck and cupping her breast with the other.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, his voice a deep rumble.

  Her vision lost focus for a moment as his finger and thumb squeezed gently on her nipple. “Zane,” she whispered.

  “I’m right here, sweetheart.”

  He massaged the back of her neck with his big fingers before moving them down to circle her breast. He kissed her nipple gently before drawing it slowly into his mouth. He licked and sucked her nipple to tight perfection before turning his attention to the other one. Each draw on her nipple felt like it went straight to her clit, making her pussy throb.

  He lifted from her breast and grinned sinfully. He kissed his way down the center of her body, tracing patterns on her skin with his tongue. When he reached her jeans, he undid them swiftly and hooked his fingers in the waistband. She lifted her hips, allowing him to slide her jeans and panties down her legs. He circled her ankles with his fingers and stared up her body, his eyes so dark with passion they were nearly black. She wanted to say something profound, but when she opened her mouth the only thing that came out was a groan as he slowly spread her legs apart, and moved between them.

  He nibbled the inside of her thighs as he pushed them further apart to make room for his broad shoulders. Gripping the backs of her knees, he lifted them to rest on his shoulders as he settled over her pussy.

  She went up on one elbow and reached for him, stroking her fingers down his jaw and rubbing her thumb along his bottom lip. His gaze was so intense and full of desire that she felt like she could combust just from the tension that hummed between them. He growled softly and his lips curled up in a smile. He was the sexiest guy she’d ever seen.

  Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he lowered his mouth to her pussy and flicked his tongue over her clit. She shivered, and he grinned. Spreading her pussy with his thumbs, he turned his attention to her heated flesh. Her head fell back to the pillow as he licked her from the bottom of her pussy to her clit, circling the tight bud before dipping his tongue inside with a soft growl. One hand cupped her butt and lifted her from the bed, drawing her closer to his mouth as he stroked his tongue into her.

  Holding the folds of her pussy open with his hand, he stroked her clit with his finger as he licked her. Her stomach began to clench as he worked her clit faster. Her toes curled as her pussy flooded with heat, and her muscles clenched as pleasure thundered down on her. Screaming his name, she pressed her pussy to his mouth and rode his tongue. His finger continued to move as he brought her through her orgasm and pushed her over the edge again.

  Snarling softly against her throbbing flesh, he kissed her clit and lifted from her body. Without words passing between them, she knew what he wanted. She rolled to her stomach and lifted her hips from the bed. Spreading her knees, she gripped the pillow under her head and cried out in hot pleasure as his thick cock breached her pussy. He cupped her hips with his hands, pulling her against him as he rocked forward. Each stroke took him deeper, stretching and filling her.

  When their bodies met and he was seated completely inside her, she felt a connection snap tight between them. Right at that moment, she knew in her heart that he really was meant to be hers. She didn’t understand it completely, but she couldn’t deny her feelings. He was hers and she was his. Forever.

  He moved in and out of her slowly at first, so she felt every inch of him. Then his pace quickened and she felt her body respond. She rose onto her arms, leveraging herself against him, meeting his strokes as she pushed herself against him. He pulled her upper body back against his chest, his cock pistoning in and out of her as he sat back on his heels. With one arm braced around her shoulders to hold her tightly to him, he strummed her clit with his fingers.

  “Zane,” she moaned, gripping his arm and holding herself closer to him. Her pussy clenched around him, and he snarled.
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br />   “Mine,” he growled.

  “Yes, fuck, yes!”

  Her pussy locked down on his cock as her clit throbbed under his touch and her body writhed with white-hot pleasure. She screamed, shaking against him as she came. She felt his cock thicken, and he roared. His come was hot inside her, and each time he spasmed, she felt an answering tremble of pleasure slip through her. He nuzzled the juncture of her neck and shoulder and then bit down. Teeth that felt too thick to be human slid into the meat of her shoulder.

  His fingers, which had stilled on her clit when they’d both come, started to move again, and she forgot about the ache of his bite and lost herself into pleasure once more. Her vision spun as she came again, and he lifted from her shoulder and roared.

  “Zane,” she whispered, her throat raw from screaming in pleasure.

  “Adriana.” His voice was a rough growl as he licked the wound he’d made. A shiver wiggled down her spine. “You’re my mate.”

  Laughing lightly, she rested her head against his. “You’re mine, too.”

  He settled her on the bed, and she rolled to face him. He drew her close and sighed deeply. She felt warm and content, perfectly safe. Her heart clenched and tears stung her eyes.

  Zane lifted her chin. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No. I’m just happy.”

  He smiled. “I’m happy, too. Let’s rest for a while and then we can talk. You wore me out.”

  She grinned and rested her cheek on his bicep. She promised herself she’d only close her eyes for a moment, but she slipped off to sleep.

  CHAPTER 7

  Zane lay with his mate in his arms, happier than he’d ever been in his life. Adriana was amazing, and he couldn’t wait to start their new life together. She dozed against him, tucked close with a small smile on her lush lips. They were strangers, but their connection as mates made them comfortable with each other. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after they had made love. He understood that the stress of the day – being attacked and then learning about weres, for starters – was enough to short-circuit anyone. He didn’t know what he’d think if he were in her shoes, but he was proud of her strength and courage. Her trust in him humbled him to the core.