Shifters Hallows Eve

by Lori King

  If only they knew the real horrors that had played out that evening.

  “This is ridiculous, Jack. I’m fine now,” she insisted, having mostly recovered once they had reached the car. Shifting back had helped seal up any open wounds, and her new, advanced healing had taken care of the rest. Granted, the mental scarring caused by her abduction would take some time to repair, but for now, she knew she was safe.

  Groaning at his lack of response, Eva allowed herself to be carried inside their home, not even pretending to be surprised when Jackson headed straight for the bedroom.

  Her mate deposited her on the bed without a word, and turned towards their bathroom. She frowned for a moment and then realized his intention when she heard the water running. Eva had to admit, a nice hot shower sounded perfect right about then.

  Sliding off the bed, she made her way to the ensuite door and stepped inside the slowly heating room. Eva found herself hesitating as she watched Jackson’s movements. They were stiff and measured.

  “Jack?”

  He made a noise that indicated he heard her but said nothing.

  “Jack,” she said tentatively, reaching out to him. Her hand landed on one tension-filled shoulder, and she could feel him trembling beneath her palm. “Jack. Are you okay?”

  Quick as lightening, Jackson had her bundled up in his arms, his nose buried in her neck. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

  She chuckled even as she returned the embrace. “I told you, I’m fine. A little worse for wear, but nothing a long hot shower and a good night's sleep won’t fix.”

  Jackson growled, sniffing a trail up along her neck and across her jaw. “Yes. A shower is needed.”

  His peculiar tone made her pull back. “I smell that bad?”

  Baring his elongated teeth, Jackson’s eyes shifted to Alpha red. “You smell like him.”

  “Oh?” She smirked, raising an eyebrow. Eva knew she was pushing him, though she couldn’t for the life of her think why. Some primal part she figured belonged to her wolf insisted that she poke at his discomfort. Provoke him. “Don’t like me smelling like another Alpha, huh?”

  His large, firm hands wrapped around her arms and he dragged her to him. His breath came in quick, shallow pants as he reined in his obvious desire. The man was barely in control, and the wild side of Eva relished that it had been her actions that had caused this.

  She had unravelled the alpha.

  “I claimed you. I own you. I’m your Alpha, not him. Do you understand that?” He growled, eyes glowing molten red.

  Eva shuddered with the intensity of his stare, his grip around her tight. She lowered her eyes in submission to her alpha.

  That had been what her wolf was after. Their Alpha reaffirming his claim. God, how this man could own her. How she wanted him to. She just needed to remind him that it went both ways.

  “I know who I belong to, Jack,” she whispered, her voice low and breathless. Eva flicked her gaze back up to his, and she fluttered her lashes, a coy smile on her lips. “Do you?”

  Instead of rising to the challenge, Jackson smirked, closing the distance between them until there was only a hair's breadth of space. His lips moved against her as he spoke. “Why don’t you remind me, sweetheart?”

  Well, that...was unexpected.

  Never one to back down, Eva moved her hand between them to rest it on the hard planes of his chest, her lips pushing against his.

  “Mmm, I’ll make sure you’ll never forget it,” she whispered as she crushed her lips to his.

  The growl that vibrated in his chest didn’t compare to the almost feral snarl that she emitted, shocking herself, but only seeming to amplify his arousal by a million. Still, it brought a grin to his lips.

  “Are you challenging the alpha?” he said playfully against her mouth.

  Eva pulled back just enough she could look directly in the crimson pools she loved so much. “You bet your hairy ass I am.” She grinned and took control of the kiss, working her tongue against his with heightened fervour.

  She could feel the energy radiating off of him in heated waves and knew his restraint was slipping. Before he tried to turn the tables on her, Eva’s hand trailed down the firm muscles of his chest and abs, lowering to the waistband of his pants. She pulled her mouth from his once more, needing to see the fire in his eyes when she touched him. As her fingers dipped below the material, Jackson’s gaze narrowed.

  “Mate…” he growled in warning, not moving to stop her advances.

  Instead, he backed them into the shower stall, somehow stripping them both of their clothing. He cautiously checked the temperature of the water before guiding her under it. Once she’d wet her hair back, Eva ventured on, fuelled by the lustful desire that swam in his eyes. His wolf called to her. The bond between them grew so intense, Eva could feel every tingle of arousal surging through him. She could sense his wolf teetering on the edge of the surface, making him more animal than man.

  Eva grinned and tugged from his grasp, smiling at the snarl he emitted. He reached for her in protest, but she was quicker. She kneeled before him, her eyes locked on her goal as the warm water blanketed her. Her hair clung to her in ropes over her shoulders and down her back.

  “You’re so beautiful, baby,” he cooed.

  All of the love she felt for this man came to the surface, and tears stung her eyes. Jackson’s nostrils flared as a flash of alarm crossed his masculine features, but it was short-lived. He sensed her emotions and caressed the side of her cheek in reassurance. That was all the encouragement Eva needed.

  She cupped his balls in one hand and licked up his shaft, taking special care to lap every inch of his length. When she was satisfied she’d covered every inch, she stuck her tongue out and sucked him down her throat, swallowing him down to where her hand cupped him. The pressure of his massive size stretched her throat and made her jaw ache, but her body’s reaction was undeniable. The pulse between her legs was too much to bear. Her free hand moved to her clit, the contact sending instant shock waves straight to her core. She used her own desire to tease his cock, licking and sucking him into the growling primal alpha he was.

  As she pulled back and licked around the sensitive head, Jackson snapped.

  “Mine!” he roared, weaving his fingers in her long locks.

  With both hands fisted in her hair, he began pumping in and out of her mouth, branding her with each delicious stroke. Eva relaxed and gave herself over to him, allowing him to own her. Time seemed to be non-existent. Each stroke against her tongue caressed her sex, driving her straight into her first orgasm before they’d really begun. Her body clenched as she thrust her finger into her pulsing pussy, shooting her higher and higher. They were both so close.

  One last hard thrust down her throat, and he pulled back, tugging her to her feet before the last tremor had subsided.

  Jackson’s hands trailed up her arms as he gently turned her to face the shower wall. He took his time caressing her, giving her that little bit of praise her wolf craved. He slid her arms up over her head, planting her palms on the cool shower wall.

  “Keep them there,” he commanded. She started to pull away, and he smacked her ass, a startled yelp escaping her. And just like that, the Alpha in him took control from her, not that she was complaining. Her smug grin told him he’d fallen for her little escapade. “You can try sweetheart, but you’ll never win.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, mate. I have you exactly where I want you,” she purred, arching her body in temptation.

  In the blink of an eye, he had her pressed against the cold granite, her legs spread, with one hand gripping her hip and the other wound in her hair. He filled her in one thrust, her body fighting to adjust as he pumped in and out of her slick heat. The sensation was almost too much to bear. Eva’s body constricted around him.

  “So tight,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

  He tugged her hair tighter, giving her a little bit of pain with her pleasure, until she c
ouldn’t hold back any longer. She arched her back and relaxed against him, opening herself completely for him.

  “Please,” she gasped, her fingers curling against the shower wall. “Jackson. Please.” Her pleading echoed around them.

  “That’s it, sweetheart, give it all to me. Now!”

  On his order she exploded, falling deep into another space and time as her body fell over the cliff of release. Jackson continued pumping in and out of her feverishly, preventing her from coming down from the high she floated on. Over and over her orgasm rolled, taking her higher into the clouds. When Jackson’s grip tightened, Eva braced herself and pushed back thrust for thrust until his growls dominated the small space. Jackson’s movements became jerky and desperate and she knew he was close.

  When Jackson went rigid and slammed into her one last time, Eva felt herself shatter around him again. Wave after wave of wonderful bliss washed over her as she swam in the depths of his orgasm, and her own.

  Her screams were distant in her ears, accompanied by the deep roar that tore from Jackson’s throat. Her body milked him until she fell limp against the cool shower wall. Jackson gently pulled out and folded her in his arms, cuddling her under the warm water.

  “So perfect,” he purred against her cheek. His tender touch moved over her as he sat on the built in bench.

  As Eva floated back to reality, Jackson washed and pampered her until every inch of her heated flesh had been scrubbed free of any scent but his. She smiled up at him.

  “I could say the same,” she answered, her head almost too heavy to hold upright. Jackson chuckled and pushed her head down on his shoulder, cradling her tight.

  “Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart.”

  He turned the tap off and stood her on her feet only long enough to grab a towel. He wrapped one around his waist and proceeded to dry her from her head to her toes. When he’d finished, he swooped her up once again and carried her to bed. It wasn’t until she was folded in his arms under the covers that he spoke again.

  “Mine,” she heard him whisper as sleep took her.

  The End

  About the Author

  Sydney Lea is an avid reader who enjoys falling in love with one book boyfriend after another. After years of dreaming up Mr. Perfect, she has finally put pen to paper and created him herself.

  www.sydneylea.com

  Also by Sydney Lea

  NEW HOPE VALLEY SERIES

  Claimed

  Tamed

  LIARS SERIES

  Dirty Liars

  SHIFTERS UNIT

  Rekindling Their Faith

  SILVERSTONE RANCH

  Cowboy Interrupted

  Haunted by Love by Lori King

  For Kristina Galbert, who has been waiting for me to write another shifter book for two years now! Enjoy!

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to Kathi Soniat and Jennifer Grimm, who helped me create these two characters! I hope you like the Happily Ever After I gave them.

  1

  “You don’t have to do this.”

  Eden Meade frowned at her sister as they barreled down the highway. Highway to hell, she thought, with a silent laugh at her own joke.

  “It’s a birthday dare. I can’t not do this.” Eden said with a shrug, “It’s not that big of a deal. The moon’s going to be full, I have extra batteries in my pack, and more than enough snacks to sustain me for a week if you don’t come back tomorrow morning to pick me up.”

  Carly gave her another worried glance, twisting her hands around the steering wheel anxiously. “I’ll be back at dawn, and you know it. I’m sorry, I never should have dared you to do something so stupid.”

  “I won’t argue with that, but I’m still not backing down. I won’t be the first person to chicken out of a birthday dare.” Eden reached for her backpack and pulled out a stick of gum to give herself something to do. She might talk a big game, but she was nervous as hell about completing this challenge.

  It hadn’t seemed like a big deal when Carly had first tossed it out, spend one night at the local “castle in the woods” all alone. “Black Castle” wasn’t even really a castle, it was just an old stone mansion that had been built over a hundred years before by an eccentric man with more money and political ambitions than brains. According to the legend, Gideon Blackburn had been killed when his political opponent took exception to his winning the race for Senate. No body had been found, which made the murky details of the man’s disappearance seem all the more nefarious.

  Eden used to play in the woods when she visited her grandmother’s house as a child. The mansion was a game for her and her siblings. A challenging hide-and-seek location, the perfect place to play pranks, and the best possible choice for daydreaming about her future Prince Charming. Who knew she’d be headed back into its embrace on an unusually warm Halloween night?

  “You know, this never would have happened if you hadn’t dared me to go bungee jumping. This was the only thing I could think of that was scarier than jumping off a perfectly good bridge.” Carly’s tone was petulant, and Eden rolled her eyes at her younger sister.

  “Admit it, you had the time of your life on that trip.”

  Carly grumbled under her breath, as she turned off the main highway onto an overgrown dirt road that led to their grandparents’ old property. “Holy crap, we need to call in a grounds crew. This place is a jungle.”

  “What did you expect? Gran died four years ago, Carly. No one has been here since we emptied out the house.” Eden fought the urge to cry as long-buried emotions swamped her. She’d spent the best days of her childhood wrapped in the bosom of her grandmother’s house, safely protected from her mother’s mental illness and her father’s burning addictions.

  “I thought you’d at least be able to stay in Gran’s house if something went wrong.” Carly looked panicked as she parked the vehicle a hundred feet away from the house. “What if the weather gets bad? Or an animal tries to eat you?”

  Eden’s laughter filled the small car, “What kind of animal capable of eating me is going to be in these woods? For God’s sake, Carly, it’s just twelve hours. The sun will be setting soon, so I need to get moving. I really don’t want to break an ankle because I was trying to find my way through the trees after dark.”

  She opened the car door, and Carly grabbed her arm, “Wait, Eden. Your cell phone, it’s charged? And you brought that back-up battery thingy too, right?”

  “Christ, go home, Carly. Call Samantha and tell her I’m fine. I’ll be perfectly fine, and most likely exhausted in the morning, so bring coffee.” She climbed out and retrieved her sleeping bag bundle from the back seat, securing it to the bottom of her backpack for easy access. “Oh, and not that gas station crap either. Get the good stuff, with an extra shot of vanilla.”

  Standing, she slammed the door shut before her sister could protest again, and headed for the tree line. She’d been hiking and backpacking in this region since she was a young girl in the scout program, but a shiver of apprehension zipped down her spine as she stepped out of the field and into the shadows of the towering trees.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she felt her heart lurch when she found the driveway empty already. The space between her and the house suddenly felt monumental, and she blinked as a haze seemed to fill the air around her.

  Her nerves were rattled, but she’d be damned if she failed at this dare. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told Carly that there was nothing capable of eating her in these woods, but that didn’t mean she was completely safe, either. No one hiking alone was completely safe.

  Putting one foot in front of the other, she began her journey, all the while stewing on the stupid birthday game she played with her sisters every year.

  It had all started when they were kids and Carly dared Samantha to kiss the neighbor boy, Dalton. Sam had fulfilled the dare on her birthday, and an annual tradition began. With their birthdays spread evenly throughout the year, they worked long and hard to create the
most unique dares possible for each other.

  In years past, Eden had learned to drive a motorcycle, taken pole dancing classes, performed with a local improv group, bet on a horse race, and gone kayaking down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. None of those events had left her feeling as shaky as this one.

  With her head down and her movements constant, it didn’t take long for her to reach her destination. Through the trees she could see Black Castle appear as if from a dream. Its rock walls reached for the darkening sky like gnarled fingers trying to claim the first stars, and goosebumps rose on her arms as she drew closer.

  The front entrance was boarded up, the boards weathered and marred with graffiti, but she knew a small balcony on the east side, held up by stone pillars, that had just the right number of hand- and foot-holds for easy climbing. Ten minutes later, she stood in the doorway of the brittle, abandoned building, trying to overcome the urge to flee. No dare was going to kick her ass. She was Eden Meade, award-winning journalist, and future anchor of the network morning show. Maybe she’d do a story on this experience one day, or maybe she’d just get through the night and forget it ever happened.

  * * *

  Gideon felt her presence before she even touched the stones. She had finally come back to him. His heart would have raced if it were still beating in his chest. With only a thought, he changed forms and perched in a crevice high above her dark head, watching as she climbed up the side of his house as nimbly as any forest creature. When she reached the top, she hesitated and then took a huge breath and whispered, “I’m stronger than I think, and braver than I feel.”