20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  Barry eyed the map before him. Each cougar sighting was indicated by a pin with a red flag on the top. There was one specific area with multiple flags. Although it was a lot of ground to cover, it represented their best chance of finding Samantha.

  As soon as the area was identified, Ranger Highland got on the radio and ordered the primitive camp sight in the middle of the area to be evacuated. They didn’t want any collateral damage. She told her coworkers a pack of hungry wolves was spotted and it was prudent to move the tourists. Their cover story was that some ignorant hikers had left food for the wolves and they were coming closer to the campsite. There were always people who visited the park who couldn’t differentiate a wild wolf from a domestic dog.

  “That story would be easier for my fellow rangers to swallow than anything we can come up with regarding cougars,” Ranger Highland remarked. “Our mountain lions tend to be solitary and no one believes they are big pussycats.”

  Ranger Highland was a tall, athletically built shapeshifter. She was probably in her late twenties. Her name wasn’t familiar, so he didn’t believe he’d gone to school with her in Eclipse. He noticed a wedding ring on her finger. She also didn’t question why several wolves were involved in the search for a kidnapped female cougar.

  She pointed to a spot on the map. “We will disembark from the primitive campsite’s parking lot. It’s a central location for the territory we need to cover. Alpha Baker, I’ll leave it up to you to determine how many teams and the area each will cover. I recommend using your walkie-talkies. If we use any park communication devices, I’ll have to explain what we are doing to my superiors. They’ll swallow the temporary evacuation of the primitive site, but that’s it.”

  Alpha Baker divided them into teams. Barry and his brothers had been assigned an area east of the campsite. After examining the map, there seemed to be no location more likely to contain Ian’s cabin than the next. It was strictly the luck of the draw. Until today, he believed he was a very lucky man. He just prayed his luck continued.

  Samantha’s mass hit the door, rather than Ian’s hand. The force of the closing door caused Ian to cry out and drop the gun. She shifted and picked it up. Her shaking hand supported the one holding the gun. The sound of Ian running up the stairs indicated he was not going to attempt to re-enter the room when she was armed. She didn’t know if this was his only gun or if he had others upstairs.

  Not bothering to dress, Samantha walked up the stairs. She listened for any sound that would alert her to where Ian was. It was hard to hear over the sound of her beating heart. She continued to tremble from head to foot.

  A slamming door indicated Ian had exited the cabin. He would have shifted and was either lying in wait for her or running for his life. She needed to examine all her options and choose the one less likely to get her killed.

  She could stay where she was and wait to be rescued. Since she wasn’t sure where here was, it didn’t seem like a good option. But on a positive note, she did have a gun. She pulled out the magazine and noted not a single round had been fired. On the other hand, Ian could be heading for his car that probably contained the arsenal he had when he shot up her home. Weighing the pluses and minuses, she quickly ruled out staying put.

  The question that remained was if she’d leave the house clothed in her human form or as her cougar. The cat would be able to better traverse the woods. Not hearing any automobiles, she knew she wasn’t in a residential area. On the other hand, once she reached civilization, her nudity would be an issue.

  A decision needed to be made and quickly. Although she spent the vast majority of her life in her human form, her cougar had a better chance of getting out of this alive. Her powerful jaw and claws were not a match for the gun in her hand. When she looked out one of the two windows and noted it was night, the gun seemed less of a strength.

  She opened the door and shifted. With caution, she stepped out of the cabin, half expecting to be brought down by Ian. She noted his scent, but not close by. It was time for her to run for her life.

  A shot echoed through the forest and her right shoulder burned. She had not been shot, but grazed. The smell of her own blood was prominent over all the other scents she picked up. It would be suicide to shift now to stop the bleeding. In her cougar form, she was less vulnerable. Ian had the advantage of speed if he shifted. However, he still had the rifle. He may not choose to kill her, but he could certainly slow her down.

  Chapter 29

  Barry’s wolf ran full out. He never had participated in any of the physical exercise and games the pack’s males were involved in. Where he stood in the pack’s hierarchy never mattered to him. Now that Samantha’s life depended on it, he regretted not developing his wolf’s skills as he did his human mind. It was too late to come to the realization that he could have done both. Life’s decisions were rarely all or nothing.

  It had been years since he ran side by side with his brothers. They were triplets, although Barry was very different. Those differences drove a wedge between them when it wasn’t necessary. He had only himself to blame. Marc and Nate made an effort when they were younger, finally giving up on him. There was another change to his life he’d make when this was all over.

  He was too young for regrets. With a shifter’s life expectancy, he had many years to make changes. But he knew his future was dependent on having Samantha beside him. So many of the decisions he had made up till this point were questioned once he met her.

  They modified their direction when they smelled the presence of humans. It took longer to clear out the primitive campsite than anticipated. Many of the campers would be armed. The last thing he wanted was to become the subject of target practice after the story they had planted.

  His wolf had no issues with the landscape’s sharp ascent. He knew cougars liked higher altitudes and prepared himself mentally. His wolf was not in as good shape physically as his brothers. Since his mate was in danger, Marc and Nate didn’t slow for him. It was up to him to keep up. Pure determination drove him on.

  The woods were dense with foliage. Steady rain throughout the month had kept things moist. There was little risk of wildfires impacting this area. A careless cigarette or lightning strike would have complicated matters in drier times.

  He caught the scent of a cougar, but not a shifter. Keeping his brothers in sight, he charged forward. They would stop if something piqued their interest.

  They continued climbing, his legs burned with the effort. It was strange, but he had never felt so alive.

  Marc stopped in his tracks, circling the area. Both of his brothers had shifted into their human form by the time Barry reached them.

  “What have you got?” Barry asked. His heart was racing from the physical effort and in anticipation of what Marc would share.

  “I caught the scent of something, but lost it,” Marc answered. “We need to slow down and fan out. Shifters came this way. Cats.”

  Nate knelt and touched the wet ground. “It rained last night, so anything you picked up has to be fresh.”

  His walkie-talkie was secured around his neck before he shifted. Barry loosened the cable and pushed the button to talk. Static filled the air, scaring away the few birds that hadn’t already left to seek a safer place to roost.

  “Levon, over,” Barry said. He was not sure of the proper procedure while conversing.

  The cougar alpha would have to shift and pick up his call. He was not surprised when an immediate answer was not forthcoming. Static once again filled the air.

  “What have you got? Over,” Levon answered.

  “Marc picked something up. We are investigating. Over.”

  “Give me your coordinates. None of us have found anything worth following up on. Over,” the alpha responded.

  Barry turned the walkie-talkie over to Marc who had the necessary information. He started to sweep the area he had been assigned, praying he’d pick up the scent. The time for talking was over, he needed to find Samantha.

 
After ten minutes of walking his grid, he swore, believing Marc had picked up a phantom scent. He was about to return to his brothers when he picked up Samantha’s scent. Actually, it was her blood he smelled.

  She continued to run south, only deviating a little to the east or west when she scented Ian. The last thing she wanted to do was run in circles. If she continued to run in a southerly direction, she would eventually come across another cabin or road. Her wound was not serious, but she was losing blood. The more distance she put between her and her pursuer before she shifted, the better.

  The scent of other shifters was evident from time to time, but she couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe. Ian already had one accomplice, there could be more. Until she could identify someone, she continued to run. She was covering less ground with the passage of time. Pure determination drove her forward.

  A shift in the wind brought the strongest scent indicating Ian was nearby. This time it was his cougar she scented. That meant he would no longer be carrying a rifle. Finally, a piece of good news.

  “Samantha.” Ian’s voice echoed through the forest. “Stop running, baby. The longer I have to chase you, the worse it’s going to be when I catch up with you.”

  She knew better than to take his threats lightly. However, she couldn’t conceive giving up to the bastard, regardless of what it would cost her in the end. Each stride she made took her farther from him. She wasn’t a quitter and she wouldn’t start now.

  Her legs burned from the sharp pitch of her ascent. She wasn’t familiar with where she was and unsure if she should continue to climb. California had almost fifteen million acres of wilderness and she felt like she had traveled every inch of it.

  “You’ll love Alaska,” Ian shouted. “Our pride has more land than you can imagine. We don’t have to share it with wolves or any other shifters. It’s all ours. We live and mate as our ancestors did. You’ll proudly carry my mark on your shoulder.”

  Those words provided Samantha a new found source of energy. He would never get close enough to dig his fangs into her. She was raised in a community that shifted to protect their pride, exercise, and hunt. Modern shifters didn’t procreate in their animal forms. The thought of being mounted by Ian’s cougar fueled her now excessive speed.

  Ian’s roar caused more adrenaline to course through her body. Her paws barely touched the ground. It was almost as if she were flying.

  She could hear him behind her, narrowing the distance between them with each stride she made. He was larger and faster. But she couldn’t dwell on all the reasons he would soon catch up with her. Her focus had to be on pushing forward with every ounce of energy she had left.

  He sprang on her back, bringing them down. They rolled, as she frantically tried to escape. She’d die before she allowed him the ability to mark her as his.

  His brothers changed direction and Barry followed. He heard the roar as well. There was a slight difference between a real mountain lion’s roar and a shifter’s. As a cub, he had been taught to distinguish between the two. Wolf shifters knew better than to try to attack a cougar shifter. They out weighed them and could outlast a wolf’s stamina.

  In battle, the cougar would win six times out of ten. Today, they had no choice but to engage and take Ian down. There were three of them, the advantages of being part of a pack. Together, they would triumph and save his mate.

  They increased their speed, knowing seconds could matter when it came to Samantha’s wellbeing. Ian could be mad enough to kill her. What little he knew about his mate’s former lover, Ian had a temper and was abusive when he felt he was provoked. He had already killed at least one man.

  Loud growls, the crunching of leaves, and the breaking of twigs, caused them to shift to the east. They were close to where a fight was taking place. The mountainous terrain was not an advantageous location to separate his mate from her abductor. There was little room to maneuver, let alone finding exactly where they were battling.

  Movement to their left proved they had found Samantha and Ian. They were locked in mortal combat. It was easy to identify which was the female because of the relative size of each opponent.

  Without having to verbally communicate, Barry and his brothers came against the cougars from three different directions. His particular angle was compromised by a tree the two entangled cats rolled into.

  Marc’s powerful jaw bit into Ian’s cat’s shoulder while Nate clawed his hind quarters. Under attack, Ian released Samantha and concentrated on the two wolves. Barry planted himself between Samantha and Ian, waiting for his opportunity to join the battle.

  Ian’s throat was exposed and Barry leapt toward it. His powerful jaw locked around Ian’s throat and bit down. Blood, flesh, and bone entered his mouth, but he didn’t release the cat.

  Samantha joined the fight and clawed at Ian’s abdomen. It took the four of them barely another minute before Ian stopped struggling. Barry wasn’t ready to release his grip on the cougar.

  Knowing the cat was dead, his brothers took off running. Samantha shifted back into her human form. She looked down at Ian and spat on his body.

  “He’s dead, Barry,” Samantha stated. Her voice was steady and soft.

  Barry released his hold on the dead cat and shifted. He had killed a man for her. His promise to do no harm had been broken. In the end, he had no choice.

  “What do we do now?” Barry asked. He had never been involved in a fight to the death before. They were in an area of the park where it was unlikely a human would traverse, but they couldn’t leave Ian’s body there.

  “The alphas will deal with the clean-up,” Samantha answered. “We have pride members who are responsible for removing all evidence we exist. Although he won’t shift back, we don’t want the park service to get ahold of his body. His size could cause the authorities to put bounties on our animal cousins.”

  Barry nodded. He could still taste blood in his mouth and he knew Ian’s flesh was between his teeth. A severe case of nausea caused him to leave Samantha’s side and vomit behind a tree. His body reacted to what he had done faster than his mind.

  His first impulse should have been to take her into his arms, instead he was emptying his stomach. When he started school, he mentally distanced himself from his wolf. But it was his wolf who helped to save his mate. He was confused and sickened by what he had done.

  A large cougar came into sight, followed by a number of cats and two wolves. His brothers had guided the alpha and some of his lieutenants to the kill.

  “It’s done then,” Levon said standing over Ian’s body. “Barry, take Samantha home. I’ll come by the house later to talk to you both.”

  He followed the orders of Samantha’s alpha’s, taking her by the hand and walked away from Ian’s body. Two wolves passed them, guiding the two back to the car. It was doubtful he would have known where to go. Once again, his brothers looked out for him.

  “Talk to me, Barr,” she pleaded.

  It was odd. Samantha was the one who had been abducted, but she was attempting to help him deal with what had occurred. He didn’t deserve a woman as strong and as beautiful as Samantha. He was unworthy.

  “Look,” his mate said, “I know you have all sorts of ridiculous thoughts floating through your head. Stop thinking like a human. You did what had to be done and I’m proud of you.”

  All he could do was snort. He didn’t believe a word she said.

  Samantha shifted and her cat ran beside his brothers. He continued to walk, his feet negatively impacted by the forest litter. Each branch that dug into his feet was a reminder he was a sorry excuse for a shifter.

  Chapter 30

  Samantha washed Ian’s touch, scent, and the memory of his touch from her body until she scrubbed herself raw. She was alone with her thoughts since Barry was still downstairs brooding. How she wished he would have joined her in the shower and together they would have distracted each other from the memory of what had occurred. But Barry was dealing with his own demons.

>   She got out of the shower and examined her body. There was not a single scratch or bruise visible. The bullet graze, Ian’s bite, and whatever injuries her body sustained were gone physically. She wrapped herself in a robe and left the bathroom.

  Nancy was sitting on the bed. She wasn’t expecting to see her friend, figuring she’d be comforting her son.

  “How are you feeling?” Nancy asked. Her friend’s eyes scoured her body for any signs of injuries. At moments like these, she missed her mother.

  “Your sons came after me,” Samantha choked out the words. “Yet Barry is downstairs chastising himself.”

  “His father and I should have demanded he join a pack when he was at school and not lose his wolf,” Nancy answered.

  Samantha smiled. “Always the mother.”

  “Never forget it, my friend,” Nancy replied. “Mate or not, I’m still his mother and will interfere in your lives.”

  Rather than arguing with her, Samantha wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you.”

  Nancy had separated her from Barry when he was a pre-teen, maintained their friendship, and finally fought beside her. If Samantha was going to battle a mother-in-law from a wolf pack, she was glad it was Nancy.

  Her friend placed her hands on Samantha’s arms and pushed her back gently. “You need to go downstairs and talk to my son. He’s in a dark place and I don’t like it. I tried to reason with him, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Maybe he’ll listen to you.”

  Samantha released her friend and got on her feet. She didn’t bother to dress. All she wanted was to be with her mate, even if he was moping.

  Instead of finding him in the living room, Barry was on the lanai. He sat in the rocker and stared at the wilderness behind her home. She doubted he even perceived what was before him.

  “What is more important: a doctor’s oath or a mate’s life?” Samantha asked.