20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  “Your mom probably wouldn't have approved of the way I raised you either. I'm not sure sometimes she hasn't come back to haunt me. But, I did my best to keep you safe all these years, waiting on that stupid Dragon to come find you.”

  Was that a hint of regret in Leon's voice? Also, a feeling he didn't ever have.

  “Why did you seduce my mother?” And more importantly, why hadn't she died like most other incubus victims? Leon had the ability to control his blood lust because he didn’t have those same emotions, so he could let his victims live if he wanted to. But, it was rare that he did, because of the aftermath. What does one do with a person who thought they were going on a date, or a one-night stand, and ended up becoming a one on one blood donor?

  It was a lot easier to dispose of a body than avoid an investigation.

  “Oh, ho, ho. I'm pretty sure your mother was the one doing the seducing.”

  That was interesting. Judy kept her mouth shut, hoping Leon would just tell the story.

  “That woman had a natural allure. It was magical, it was pure sensuality. She had those lush hips and —”

  “whoa. Stop right there. I know you well enough to understand where this is going. I do not want to hear about your sex life with my mother.”

  Leon chuckled and stuck his finger into the cookie to. He frowned at it, poking at the dough a few more times testing its consistency. Then he pulled his finger out sniffed and licked it. He made that not – bad face. “Hmm.”

  This day was turning out to be even weirder than she thought it already was.

  “Anyway, I almost gave it all up for her.”

  Really fucking weird. What was he saying? Give all what up?

  “Yeah, you're not the only one who looks at me that way when I decided to stay with her. In the end, she was the one who talked me out of it.”

  Jada opened and closed her mouth several times, not sure what words to say.

  Leon stuck his finger in the cookie dough again and tried a chocolate chip this time. He made a face at her and spit it out. After he wiped his mouth, he said something Jada was sure would stick with her for the rest of her life.

  “I'm in a tell you the same thing Lily told me.” He clapped both hands on Jada's shoulders and smiled down at her. Leon didn't smile that often. “You have to be who you were meant to be. I'm not talking about what destiny says, or fate. But who you know you are inside. We all wear a façade of what we think the world wants to see from us, but the more you hide what you truly are, the more miserable you will be. I won't hold you back, because you'll be miserable if you stay. I know you think this is what you want, and it might be for a little while. But, your heart lies elsewhere. We both know that. You have to go. I'll always be here, we'll always be here.”

  A sensation like Jada had never felt before, and almost couldn't describe settled in her chest. It was like when the sun went down over the ocean and threw a million sparkles out over the water. Like the smell of fresh baked apple pie. Like curling up with a kitten on your lap and a book you've been longing to read.

  Jada let go of the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She'd fought against the pull of her heart toward Ky from the get-go. Even when he had been gentle and soft with her, she didn't know how to act, how to be. She had continually second-guessed her every move. Every look, every case, every word. None of it had ever felt right, but not because of Ky, because of her.

  A tiny fraction of her debilitating self-doubt washed away in Leon's story, his advice. Her mother's advice.

  It wasn't all gone by any means. But Leon and Ky had pried open a door for her to step through on the path toward being and accepting herself.

  “I didn't understand until years later that when she said we'll always be here, she meant her and you. I left before you were even born and didn't return until she summoned me.”

  Jada knew the rest of that story. Her mother had gotten cancer and died on a Tuesday.

  “So, tell me, fruit of my loins, who do you want to be?”

  Jada wasn't a hundred percent sure, but she knew she wasn't going to hide anymore.

  She wouldn’t hide in the coven, she would hide from the demon dragons, and she wouldn't hide from the one thing in her life that she'd ever truly wanted. Love.

  “I don't know. But let's start with that I want to be the person who rescues my Dragon in distress.”

  Rough Night

  Fallyn’s sacrifice did not save Ky from receiving his own lashes. Instead of using Azynsa's tears to work himself free of the chains he called upon the inherent power in the element to encase his dwindling life force.

  He knew it would cut him off from Jada, since he had given her his soul, she would be freaking out that she couldn’t feel him. They would not be able to connect now.

  This was pure survival mode. He had hoped that Fallyn had secured Azynsa’s release. But, as soon her birthday punishment had ended she left and didn't take Azynsa with her.

  Ky couldn't blame her, he'd had a fourth as many lashes as that woman and was on the verge of death. He didn't understand how she had survived.

  He didn't understand how he had survived.

  Azynsa had thrown a fit and protested each strike of Kur-Jara’s whip, until demon dragons dragged her away, presumably back to the cell. She would be okay for now. He couldn’t say as much for the demon dragons that hauled her off. One or two of them were probably missing their balls by now.

  The cavern was dark except for a muted glow from the nearby lava pit. He wasn’t sure if it was because the crone had used her magic to dampen the light or if his own vision was fading. Probably the latter, since he hadn’t seen the crone after her dressing down by the Black Dragon.

  Ky still hung on the wall not having been freed when Kur-Jara was finished with him. They might've all thought he was actually dead.

  He kind of felt like he was. He drifted between consciousness and his head was filled with wool.

  This was exactly what he thought the afterlife would look like, all hazy and filled with dragons and beautiful women.

  Uhh…

  “What the hell is up with these dumbass dragons?”

  Uh-oh. Either he was hallucinating, or he had really died. Because, a dazzling woman in white and a very cranky but colorful Dragon appeared before him.

  “I don't think this one is dumb, dear. He did what he was supposed to, mark, claim, mate, and in record time I might add. But, his mate is a little tougher than the others.”

  Were they talking about him and Jada? She wasn't tough. Don't get them wrong, she was a badass, but she also had a soft vulnerable heart.

  He tried to open his mouth to say that but couldn't.

  “Don't try to speak, Kaiārahi Tarakona Puru. You need to save your energy. That little spark of life that you protected with your element is fighting to keep you alive. Good thing you had already given your soul to Jada.”

  The woman approached him and pressed her hand against his chest. A soft blue light warmed him from the inside, but also felt like a cool balm to his injuries. His dragon stretched and basked in the glow.

  “We can't stay long, son. Were only here to give you a little advice.” The big dragon spoke and his voice had a similar power to it as when Ky used his alpha voice to hand out commands to his Wyr. Match had another layer of it when he called up his alpha of alphas pomposity. But this Dragon, had so much more. Could he possibly be?

  The dragon grinned, or showed his teeth in a grin-like grimace and nodded. “I know what you're thinking, my boy, and the answer is yes.”

  Holy First Dragon. It was the First Goddamn Dragon. So that meant, she was the White Witch.

  God damn it. He was dead.

  No. He couldn’t be dead. He’d just found Jada. The witch had said his water element had protected him and that Jada still had his soul.

  But, if he wasn’t dead, how the hell was he hearing the First Dragon talk to him?

  “Yes, I have always been this handsome. See that scale ri
ght there,” he used a talon to point to one particular scale on his chest with a brilliant blue color, “that's where you get your color from.”

  “Sweetheart. There are a lot of Galla dragons around, I don't think we have time for your preening.”

  The first Dragon leaned forward and not so quietly whispered, “She loves my preening, especially when it comes to my cock. I manscape for her, you know. You should think about doing that too.”

  TMI, First Dragon, TMI.

  Also, manscaping? The First Dragon was thousands of years old when he’d died, over seven hundred years ago. How did he know about manscaping?

  Shouldn’t it be called dragonscaping?

  Ky’s head was going to explode.

  He did not need to know about the first Dragon and the White witch's sex life. God, he hoped they didn't know about his. If they were some sort of spirits from the afterlife, they could probably go around spying on any of their children, checking in to see if they are being naughty or nice.

  Ky had definitely been naughty, very very naughty when it came to sex with Jada. He had every intention of getting naughtier. Assuming these two were here to help him get out of here and back to her.

  He wondered if anyone else had ever imagined the first Dragon wearing a Santa hat? The White Witch could totally pull off a sexy Mrs. Claus costume.

  Oh my God, what was he saying?

  He must be feeling better if his mind could come up with weird shit like that.

  “I don't think preening means what you think it means.”

  The First Dragon rolled his eyes for only Ky to see. Then he whispered again this time so that the White Witch wouldn't hear. “She thinks I'm as dumb as you.”

  She smacked him on the wing. “He's not dumb, Kur-Jara is getting more aggressive. We didn't expect him to go this far, at least not this soon.”

  Wait, so that had to mean that the First Dragon and the White Witch new about Kur-Jara’s evil plans.

  They needed to tell him. Ky tried to get their attention but got out nothing more than a small groan.

  The White Witch turned her back on him, and Ky swore he saw her put her fist to her mouth, as if she were holding back sobs. Before he could even be sure though, she moved away. “You two talk a little shop, I'm going to try to find our little red Dragon.”

  If there was another Dragon down here they should try to escape together. There is no way they were talking about Match, where they?

  “Damn. I upset her.” The first Dragon began pacing in front of Ky clearly not thinking about the advice he was supposed to be giving. Ky was in no position to remind him.

  “You'd think after a few couple of centuries, I'd have her figured out. Women, am I right? You've got your hands full with that pretty little succubus.”

  Ky would gladly have his hands full of Jada. He adored the way Jada's ass filled his hands, Jada's tits filled his mouth, Jada's heart filled his soul.

  “Well, I've pissed her off already, might as well go big or go home.”

  The First Dragon raised his head and stared down at Ky with an intensity that bore into him.

  “Because she's not here, and can't hear us, I will let you in on a little secret, boy. But if you tell her I said anything, I'll turn your scales brown with orange polka-dots. You got me? “

  It wasn't like Ky was going to refuse.

  “There's a lot of mates running around these parts. You get that mermaid girl and get her out of here. Your brother's been waiting on her.”

  So, Azynsa was a mate. But, whose? By brother did he mean a dragon or one of the other Wyverns? If a mermaid was going to be anyone's mate, she'd be best suited to a blue. Ky couldn't imagine her with a gold. Where would they live?

  He felt like he should say yes, sir. But he still hadn't recovered his voice.

  “And you boys watch out for the black Dragon youngling.”

  Which one? There were like a million demon dragons, not to mention the Black Dragon’s daughter.

  “That kid is both friend and foe. I wish we had figured out a way to get him out and raised right. He'll be just as powerful as his father someday. It will depend on you all and his mate which way it goes.”

  In his wildest imagination, there was no way a single one of demon dragons had the power or the smarts to be a friend, but they were all pretty horrible foes. No fucking way any of them deserved a mate.

  Then the First Dragon smacked Ky on the head with a tap of his tail. His brain went off like a 3D movie with the memory of Ciara's story about a man in the forest outside of Jakob's Villa when she had escaped. She had sworn there had been a demon dragon fighting off some of the others. Then again, she had said he was in her apartment during their battle and had relinquished Jakob's soul to her.

  Ky couldn’t identify his scent, and the other Wyverns couldn’t account for him either. The Wyverns had decided he was some sort of a rogue. He had to be the youngling the First Dragon was warning him about. Being the son of a black Dragon certainly made him someone to watch out for.

  The White Witch popped back into the room and slid underneath the first Dragon's wing. She snuggled into him and close her eyes.

  Ky hadn't thought a supernatural being like the White Witch would need comforting.

  The two rested together like that for only a heartbeat, before the White Witch recovered and patted the first Dragon scales.

  “We must go. Any longer and my sister will feel our presence. She’s going to be pissed I ruined her spell. Like she isn’t already mad and out for revenge.”

  Ky wasn’t ready for them to leave. He still didn't know the Black Dragons plans and he wasn't completely healed. How is he supposed to get himself and Azynsa out of here?

  If only he had a little water.

  The White Witch came up to Ky and kissed him on the forehead. “You take care of your mate, Ky. She still thinks she has to hide her true self away for you to love her. Prove her wrong.”

  “Yeah, and then for good measure give her a good couple dozen orgasm. Mates like that.”

  His brain fizzled, first from the sex advice from the First Dragon, but then in a nice way, like going back to bed on a Sunday morning.

  Ky blacked out and when he blinked open his eyes the room was filled with the glowing light from the lava again, but no First Dragon or White Witch.

  Shit. At least she had healed him quite a lot. The burns on his body weren’t even tender anymore. He looked down and only a few scars remained. Sweet as.

  Ky hadn't exactly had favor on his side today, but it appeared he had the First Dragon and the White Witch on his team.

  He yanked at the chains, damn tired of waiting to be rescued.

  So far, Match sucked at this game. He should have been here by now if they were in fact in the bottom of the caldera in Africa.

  I growled out his frustration and jerked as hard as he could against the chains. They popped out easily as if he had had the strength of his Dragon and he tumbled to the floor.

  In front of him, digging into the porous lava rock, where talons, blue ones.

  His talons. He rubbed his gaze along his forearms but saw scales instead of skin.

  He took a deep breath and blew out a frigid puff of air.

  Fuck yeah.

  He had his Dragon back.

  He used his Dragon site to peer into the dark tunnels and find both his enemies and his little mermaid. He didn't see Azynsa anywhere, but the black Dragon followed by a shit ton of demon dragons were headed his way.

  “You stupid shits. How fucking hard is it to find one half human woman, when I tell you exactly where the fuck she is.” Ooh, the dickhead was mad. Poor baby.

  That filled Ky with a little bit of joy. Jada was safe for a little longer.

  “You made them too stupid, you old hag.”

  “They're from your genes, not mine. My suppression spells only do so much.”

  Strange. Why would Kur-Jara have the crone suppress anything in his offspring? When Ky got out of here,
and it was when now not if, he had a lot Intel to bring back to the AllWyr. Then Jakob and Match could hash out what all these questions meant. He was taken a goddamn vacation. Just him and Jada on a secluded little cove, where they can have plenty of sex on the beach, and not the drinks.

  This was Ky's chance to kick the Black dragon's ass. He hadn't had a chance to stretch the increase in powers he'd felt when he and Jada mated. It had been curtailed by her powerful allure. But, now that he knew what that felt like, the next time she used it he would be ready to harness her power and add it to his own.

  But, the first Dragon had given him the mission to get Azynsa out of here.

  On one claw the odds were stacked against him in a battle. This was their home turf and there were a lot more of them. He had no doubt he could take a lot of the demon dragons out, and at least injure the black Dragon. He wasn't sure he'd make it out of that battle with enough energy to find Azynsa and escape. But, damn, he hated leaving this opportunity untaken.

  He would go find Azynsa and he would get back to Jade as soon as he could. In one more minute. Anything else he could glean from eavesdropping on the enemy would help them win the war. Loose lips sink shits.

  Their voices were getting louder and he would only have a few moments. Now that he was back and Dragon form, it was like he could hide behind a rock.

  He had a plan that involved grabbing Azynsa and stretching his senses to find the tunnels leading to the tide pool. Come hell or hopefully high water, they'd get out of here quickly.

  “Yes, I know the succubus went back to her coven. Stupid bitch. Leonard can only protect her for so long.”

  Ky had missed something. Why had Jada gone back to Leon?

  “The dragons have forsaken her for taking the golden shard. She won't be safe for long,” the crone said, gleefully.

  If Ky's heart had plummeted any further it would have fallen right out of his chest, rolled across the floor, and into the lava. Jada had taken Cage’s soul shard.

  No. He wouldn't believe it. He would've known. She trusted him, she would've told him.

  “She still thinks she has to hide her true self for you to love her.” That's what the White Witch had said. “She's tougher than the others.”