Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  “I am.”

  “You lie.”

  “I’m telling you the truth.”

  “If you are, how would I know that you’re not one of Atos’s men?”

  “Arnulf’s blood runs in my veins, baby.”

  Marisol sucked in her breath and let it out slowly.

  “Youven’s second-hand man? The one who disappeared with Kyra?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is your blood diluted, too, like Mom’s?”

  “No.”

  “So you can shift.”

  Callum tightened his hold on Marisol’s hand when she tried to pull it. Feeling her relax beneath his touch, he moved his hands higher to feel her pulse. The beat jumped beneath his fingers. “I am one of the Midnight Howl.”

  He was impressed. Marisol’s reaction to his declaration was to stare at him while chewing her bottom lip. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw her eyes sparkle. Was she laughing at him?

  “When Dad saved you, you were in wolf form and not a man.”

  He knew it! Finally, he didn’t have to find a way to correct her notion about his sexuality.

  While they continued to look at each other, Marisol gave him an earnest smile. “Glad to know you’re the good shape-shifter.”

  He couldn’t help the surge of happiness in his system, knowing that she accepted him. Callum lifted her hand, kissed her palm, and inhaled her scent—the one that drove him crazy every night.

  Marisol lifted her free hand to move the lock of hair that fell on his left eye. “Your eyes are blue. My wolf has blue eyes. He comes here every day, he but snubs the food I leave in his bowl.”

  “Maybe if you tried cooking the meat, he might’ve eaten the food. He likes Starbucks Cappuccino also.”

  Marisol gave him a smile that sent his pulse racing. “What if I put the food in the dog dish? Would he like that?”

  Callum grinned. “If it’s cooked. Maybe. And don’t add the kibbles.”

  Marisol laughed.

  Mark was right when he said Marisol possessed charm. The kind that was so strong it hit the oomph factor. She had pizzazz and damn him for noticing. Marisol didn’t belong in his league. She and her kind was what the Midnight Howl stood for—protect the humans, but avoid them at all cost. That was rule number one. A rule that he’d broken. How could he not? Any man would lose his head once he looked at Marisol. He knew the moment he laid eyes on her that he’d protect her no matter what, even if it meant breaking more codes. He’d do anything for her.

  “Sheriff Davis and Deputy Smithers didn’t find my wolf. Instead, they found you. Because you shifted. The wolf that often visits me—you’re him, aren’t you?”

  “Baby, your wolf and I are one and the same. I’m your buddy.”

  ***

  Marisol was having difficulty breathing. She couldn’t tell if the wild beating of her heart was due to his shocking revelation or the slow caress of his thumb on her wrist. Her reaction to Callum was understandable. After all, he was handsome and he had amazing blue eyes. She’d been in love and very much attracted to her old boyfriend before, but she couldn’t remember feeling like this or acting like this—staring at Callum as if he was her favorite Oreo cookie, one she wanted to devour. God, he made her want to do bad things, give him her body, and let him have his way with her. But Callum wasn’t exactly a man. He just said so himself. Boy, she should run as far away as Timbuktu and never come back. But for the love of her, she felt differently. She wanted to purr, lick his skin, and rub herself all over him. Her breasts felt heavy while her nipples pushed against her bra. She was a virgin but not an idiot. All her life, she never ventured beyond the Cascade Mountains, but she read books, watched television, and surfed the Internet. She even watched porn with her friend. And she lived in her own fantasies. She knew why her senses were screaming right now and her clit sensitive. Marisol clenched her pussy muscles. Oh God. It felt good. She’d been touched there before and she wanted him to touch her right now while in the midst of conversing about clans, shape-shifters, powerful swords, and gods. Lord, she must be nuts. Callum was a shape-shifter for crying out loud.

  Use your good sense, Marisol. Think hard. He could be lying to you. Yup. He could be.

  “I should call the police.”

  Callum raised an eyebrow. “But you’re not going to,” he said softly.

  “No.”

  “Because you truly believe me now?”

  “No. Because you’re too pretty to go to jail. Most likely you’ll escape anyway.”

  When Callum laughed, she knew he didn’t buy her reason. Deep down, she didn’t believe it herself either. God help her, but she liked him enough to keep the police out of this.

  Once again, Marisol tried to pull her hand from his grip. He was quick, though, and wouldn’t let go. She stopped pulling away.

  “For a human, you’re so calm. Others would be screaming like crazy.”

  “Believe me, I am screaming inside.”

  “Mari, listen.”

  “Yeah?”

  The smile left Callum’s face.

  “Now that Atos knows you exist, it’s only a matter of time before he finds out where you live. So I want you to pack your clothes.”

  “What?”

  “It’s good to be ready. It’ll save us time if you pack now.”

  “No, no. I never thought about leaving this house. Callum, this is the only home I’ve known. I can’t leave this place. The only memories of my parents are here.”

  “I understand, baby. Pack, just in case.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere. If Atos wants me then he’ll face me here. I won’t run away from him.”

  “Baby, leaving this house doesn’t mean we’re running away. It’s to keep you safe.”

  “I can and I will fight him. Thank you for your offer, but I won’t leave. I’m quite safe here. Besides, I want to see his face. And I want him to see me before I run my sword through his gut. And don’t call me baby. I’m not your baby.”

  Callum didn’t argue with her. He just smiled and raised a brow. She was sure they were both thinking the same thing—that her remark was ridiculous.

  The house was old and penetrable. Wolves could get in, just as Callum had, without her knowing it. Lord, how could she pack memories such as the sound of her father’s voice that still lingered around the house, the scent of his tobacco? What about her first cat, her goldfish, and her parakeet, all buried in the backyard?

  “How are you going to keep me safe?”

  “In any way I can.”

  A flash of lightning lit the room, followed by a rumble of thunder. They both looked at the kitchen window. Rain was still coming down hard.

  “Listen, the Blood Robbers are fools. Since the rain hasn’t let up, they might want to stay dry and forget about hunting tonight. But, like I said, it would be best if you pack. They have human friends just like us. It wouldn’t take long before—”

  Marisol pulled her hand from his grip, grabbed his hand with both of hers then placed it on her chest. “This home is my life. I want to grow old here and maybe raise my own family here. I’m not leaving unless we have to, Callum. Callum?”

  He didn’t say anything, but his smile had disappeared from his lips. In fact his face had turned hard. She could see his jaw muscles twitch and his nostrils flare. Darn man. He obviously didn’t like the idea of her staying. Of course he wouldn’t understand why she didn’t want to leave. Wolves travel from place to place. They were used to moving around.

  “You want me to pack and leave. Is that it?”

  Callum nodded then shook his head no. What the heck’s the matter with him? “Callum.” She squeezed his hand. Callum responded with a sharp intake of breath and he grimaced.

  “Uhm, babe,” he began. He lowered his eyes then raised them to stare at her. Marisol finally understood. She let go of his hand.

  “Sorry,” She made a move to leave her chair, but Callum stopped her, placing his hand on her sh
oulder.

  “Pack, okay?”

  She nodded. “You really gave your promise to Dad that you’d protect me?”

  “Yes, the night before he was killed. Mark knew his fate was inevitable. He must have felt it coming.”

  “Thank you for giving him the promise. It must have made him feel a little better.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “I’m glad you aren’t a member of the Blood Robbers. I wouldn’t think twice about killing you if you’d robbed me of two beautiful people I loved the most. Sorry for hurting you.” Could she do it, really? Kill someone? Marisol felt her shoulders slump. God, she was tired. She’d been working all day. The load of information about her family history weighed so heavily that she didn’t think she’d be able to stand up at all. “There’s nothing about what you told me that’s easy to accept. But I have to, don’t I?”

  Callum held her chin and forced her to look at him. “I would change everything if I could. Believe me, baby, nobody wants this war. We hate it. And I particularly hate the fact that humans are caught in the middle.”

  “We’re in the middle and we don’t even know it. Really, it sucks to be human.”

  Callum leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart. “Now that Atos has learned about you, yes, being human indeed sucks. But your life will be easier if you listen to me. When I say sit, you sit. When I say we go, we go. No questions asked.”

  “You sound like Dad.” Marisol stopped breathing. If she moved her head even a quarter inch, her lips would touch his.

  “He told me you’re quite Miss Contrary. One answer isn’t enough for you and you always question everything.”

  “Good. Now that you know that about me, your life will be easier if you accept that I don’t like being told what to do.”

  Callum grinned. “Baby, you will do everything I tell you to do.”

  “And if I don’t?” A shiver of excitement ran through Marisol’s spine when Callum moved his thumb to touch her lips.

  “Try me and you’ll find out.”

  Chapter Eight

  Marisol stood in the middle of her father’s study. After Callum had branded her lips with his thumb, it took a while before she was finally able to breathe normally again. Lord, all the man had to do was grin and she turned into melted butter right in front of him. She couldn’t believe she’d acted like a silly schoolgirl. Gah!

  She rubbed her temples. Her mind hurt. Boy, she couldn’t recall the last time she’d used her brain this much. Callum had dumped so much information she really thought her brain had expanded to twice its size—her mother, a descendant of shape-shifters. Who’d believe that? Why couldn’t she be related to Anastasia or something? More glamour there. But a wolf’s descendant? Geez. She supposed she should thank her stars that she hadn’t turned out hairy.

  Scientists believed that humans shared common ancestors, beings that existed five or eight million years ago, with modern African apes like the gorillas and chimpanzees. Well, they should look into the genetics of wolves deeper. Man, if they ever got the gist about humans sharing ancestors with wolves and war gods, they’d go nuts.

  Callum had mentioned powers. Aside from her ability to hear Callum’s inner voice, which some people would consider a sign that she was schizophrenic, she doubted she possessed any power at all. She would have known by now if she had. Man, any power would be nice. If she were given a chance to choose, she’d ask for the power to stop the war between the two clans and spare the humans from being victimized, and the power to chain Atos for the rest of his miserable life.

  Phew! Who was she kidding? Peace was something people dreamed of for many years. It would never happen so long as greed, mistrust, betrayal, corrupt politicians and all that nasty stuff, existed. She bet the Tibetan monks never stopped praying for peace, but it had gotten them nowhere.

  Callum had already told her a lot. Still more questions bounced around her head. Later, after her nerves calmed down, she’d talk to him again. Right now, she needed a break. Marisol sighed. Who would have guessed that a droolworthy man like him could change forms?

  She walked toward her father’s deep red mahogany table. Running her hand on the edge, she looked heavenward. “Why’d you keep a secret from me, Dad? Did you think hiding the truth would hold the danger at bay? Well, looks like danger’s coming this way anyway. Atos is looking for me. Your friend, Callum, told me everything. Well, enough to make my head hurt. He showed up as a wounded wolf, near death, and then he shifted into a naked man when Sheriff Davis showed up. I’m glad he did otherwise trigger happy Smithers would’ve shot him. Thank you for sending your friend, though.”

  “You have a funny habit of talking to yourself.”

  Marisol jumped at the sound of Callum’s voice. She turned around to look at him. “I know.”

  “I took a quick shower. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “No, not at all.”

  Lord oh Lord. Callum’s hair dripped water on his shoulder. He must have finger-combed it, which only made him look more scrumptious. Marisol wondered if his lips tasted as good as they looked. Man oh man. She licked her lips. Good God, she was salivating over a shape-shifter. She could hardly wait to tell Addy about Callum.

  Leaning against the door, Callum gave her an irresistibly devastating smile. “Done looking?”

  Embarrassed, she tried to hide her discomfort by squaring her shoulders. “I was just admiring my father’s clothes.”

  “I’ll make sure you get these back.”

  “You can have them.”

  “Sorry to intrude, but I heard you talking so I thought I’d check on you.”

  “I’m fine. A bit overwhelmed, but okay. I’m curious. I thought shape-shifters had the power to manifest clothes?”

  “So you’ve read paranormal romance junk.”

  Arms crossed beneath her breasts, she leaned her hips on the table. “I told you, I’m not a big fan. Addy is.”

  “Addy?”

  “A friend of mine. She tells me all about the books she reads. Her brother’s worse. Always talking about websites that wolves are supposed to be running. Do you guys have websites?”

  “We do. Who is this guy?”

  “Morgan Hughes. A really smart kid. He’s a computer-engineering student at the University of Washington. Addy said Morgan spends hours in front of the computer checking out websites.”

  “I’d like to meet him.”

  “Okay. So, can you manifest clothes and weapons from thin air?”

  “Ah. Well, it would be great if I had those powers.”

  “No?”

  “No.”

  “So let’s say you shifted into your wolf form and then back to human again, you’d be butt-naked?”

  “Yup. That’s why we change forms only when it’s safe and not in front of kids and ladies or in the middle of a crowd. What happened earlier… I didn’t have enough time to cover myself. Sorry.”

  “I’m not.” Her answer was already out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Her blood pounded, her cheeks burned from embarrassment. When Callum grinned, she wished she had the power to disappear.

  “You’re not?”

  “Well, the sight of you kind of shocked the officers so much they forgot to be angry. They just started talking about something...big.”

  Callum laughed. “Did I shock you?”

  “No.” Hell yes. The only time she’d seen a man’s penis was when she and Addy watched Papa John’s porn DVD one night. She learned a lot from watching that DVD, though. And she even went as far as checking out porn sites that Addy suggested. Seeing what one could do alone in her own darkened bedroom awakened her own sexualities. She experimented, sought pleasures in bed, which only made her hungrier for more. Other than that, her personal experience with a man’s physical characteristics was zero. So yeah. He shocked her, but it was a good kind. In fact, she wanted to see him naked again. “Damn brain, stop thinking about him naked,” she muttered.

  “You know it�
�s not a good sign if someone talks to herself.”

  Marisol scoffed. “With the kind of info that you dumped on me, I’m surprised I can still think straight. Talking out loud helps me sort out my thoughts.”

  “Ah, that’s why you always talk to your wheel and pots.”

  Marisol groaned. She remembered talking to him whenever he came by as a wolf. What did she tell him? Did she say something no one else knew about? Secrets perhaps? “That’s downright wrong, you know. You listened to everything I said while you sat by the door looking like a tame puppy.”

  “As I recall, you asked me to listen. You were glad whenever I showed up so you could talk to me.”

  “That’s because I didn’t know you could understand what I was saying. I know you’re a wolf, but not the kind wolf I know.”

  “Right you are. I’m a big badass wolf. Not a tame puppy.”

  “I didn’t say you’re a puppy. I said you look like one.”

  “Puppy, my ass.”

  “Sheez, you’re sensitive.”

  “Are you trying to shrink my self-esteem?”

  Marisol laughed. “I think it would take a lot to do that.”

  Callum stood beside her. His lithe body, Marisol noticed, emanated warmth and an aura of invisible power.

  “Mark’s study.”

  “Yes. Have you been in here before?”

  “No. Only in his clinic.”

  “When I was a little girl, I used to spend hours here watching him smoke his pipe. I don’t know how many times I fell asleep on that same couch, waiting for him. It was a habit that turned into hours of talking about his job, my business, and the gossip we both heard. We shared so many memories here. I can still hear his voice, you know? When I come in here, I feel his presence. It helps ease the loneliness and the pain.”

  “He was a good dad.”

  “The best.” Marisol looked at her dad’s desk, wishing he was still there, reading his book. “Too bad Dad never mentioned anything about Mom’s past, or the truth about me. He should have. I could have kept him company whenever he went somewhere. Maybe I could have saved him from that horrible shape-shifter, Atos. He’d still be here and I wouldn’t miss him until it hurt.” Marisol’s vision blurred with unshed tears.