Shifters Hallows Eve

by Lori King

  Boon wasn’t stupid; he knew it was his responsibility to attend and participate in the upcoming event. Hell, he’d spent the past six weeks honing his skills as an enforcer in the lead-up to the trials. With a heavy sigh, he led Juniper out to where his truck was parked, packed with his bags and ready to leave. Opening the passenger door, he helped Juniper into the cab. Her hand cupped the side of his face as his forearm rested on the doorframe where it met the roof. Boon’s free hand took her wrist and removed her hand from his face; it was a show of familiarity the she-wolf was not entitled to make. She wasn’t his mate, but he had no desire to injure her fragile pride. Regardless of their history, he rebuked her offer, “Juniper, I am honoured that you would consider sacrificing your happiness for me, but I can’t accept. You will meet your true mate one day, and you will fret for him. If I claim you as my mate, my beast would be willing to kill any male who came to take you away from me.” He pressed his lips to her forehead as she dipped her head submissively.

  “I just…” Juniper whispered.

  “I know.” He agreed with the confirmation of what he knew was true. At one time, when they were young, he… they… had thought that maybe they were meant to be mates, but then they’d both gone through puberty and on the other side of twelve months, things had changed and the pull of mating had never developed along with their growing bodies.

  Taking a step backwards, Boon turned to see his father move out of the shadows of the bar. He knew he’d been followed, but until that moment he’d been too focused on Juniper to pick up on his father’s scent on the breeze.

  “Time’s up, son,” Bonfi Douglas spoke decisively. “Juniper, I’ll give you a ride home.” He clasped his eldest son’s right forearm, wrapped his left hand around Boon’s bicep and bid him a safe journey, “Make us proud Boon. Whether Rainah is your true mate or not, keep your honour intact.”

  Boon leaned in to bump his shoulder to his father’s shoulder in a sign of respect. Giving his father, the pack master of the East, a slap on the back before he rounded the front of his truck.

  Juniper watched the interaction between the Alpha of the East and her brother’s best friend silently. When the two men separated and Boon walked around the front of the truck, she climbed out. Turning to shut the door behind her, she looked up at Boon’s profile, “Be safe.”

  Boon tilted his head to meet her gaze, “Always,” he winked, then turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine. A firm hand on her shoulder informed her it was time to let Boon leave. She slammed the door shut and took a reluctant step back, then to the utter surprise of Bonfi Douglas and Boon she curled herself into the arms of Boon’s father and cried.

  “Shhh, child. Don’t let your heart bleed for a mate that will never bleed for you in any other way than as a brother or fellow pack member.”

  Boon parked his truck in the long-term parking area at the airport. His hand automatically went to the inside of his leather jacket as he threw his bag over his shoulder, shut the door and pressed the central locking button to engage the after-market security system. Boon knew he was putting his life in the hands of people, shifters, he didn’t know, and had previously only met as juveniles. Regardless, he was committed to attending the event just in case Rainah was, by some miracle of the compass, his true and fated mate. He jogged across the linking carpark to reach the airline he was booked on to get to Colorado. He checked in for the flight then sat in the lounge waiting for the flight to board.

  Six hours later, he walked out of the airport and into the territory of the Central Custodians, led by Rainah’s father, Grand Alpha Draven. Legend had it that Draven was originally from the South, going back some two hundred years ago. He was the eldest son of the pack master and he held his position due to the same set of circumstances Boon and the others were about to be subjected to. The Book of Arianas was the rule book which outlined the laws and proceedings associated with All Hallows Eve, and by some selection process, the Grand Alpha would succeed Draven as the Great Custodian of America in his both his duties and his role. Rainah would become the successful male’s mate, and everything would go back to how things should be. At least until the next generation was born, and only then if the child was female.

  Boon walked out of the airport and headed straight to where he’d booked and paid for a rental car. Handing over the documentation, the man behind the service desk gave him a set of keys and asked him to sign on the dotted line after taking a copy of Boon’s driver’s license for his records.

  “You’ll find your vehicle parked in Section C, Lot 13. When you return the vehicle, if you could park in the same location and return the keys ‘All Vehicles Rent-a-Car’ will return your deposit. Do you have any questions, Mr. Douglas?”

  “No, thanks,” Boon answered, thinking Mr. Douglas, Alpha Douglas, was his father, and that if he won the right to claim Rainah, he would have to get used to being called those names enough to answer to them. As he turned to leave, the service assistant smiled, “Enjoy your stay, sir.”

  At least he’d given himself enough time to get familiar with the area and maybe even have a chance to check out the other competitors before the ceremonial feast. As he unloaded his bag and locked up his rental, he looked around at his surroundings, the knowledge that he was probably already being watched by the Grand Alpha’s enforcers wasn’t offensive to him. At least it meant they were keeping an eye on the four men who would be vying for the hand of Draven’s daughter Rainah. He had nothing to hide, so he welcomed the idea that he had fellow enforcers at his back, because he wasn’t all that certain about the other three shifters who would be joining him at the hotel prior to the commencement of the ceremonial trials.

  Boon unpacked a change of clothes from his bag and sat them on the end of the bed before heading into the bathroom to shower and change. He wanted to survey the surrounding lay of the land and get a feel of the terrain, but he could really only do that in the body of his wolf. So, that’s exactly what he’d planned to do. Mask his scent after freshening up in the shower, and then sneak past the enforcers to make a quick study of where the trials would be held, returning before anyone even noticed he was missing from the hotel.

  Boon quickly showered using the scent-blocking soap and then dressed in the fatigues he’d washed in scent-killing detergent. He grabbed the kit he’d prepared before leaving home and pulled out the spray applicator containing the mixture of liquid taken off of boiled pine needles, leaves, twigs, acorns, and bark, to further camouflage his scent. Fully equipped to slip past Draven’s enforcers, he left his hotel room and walked straight out the front door. Pulling a packet of cigarettes from his pocket, he tapped one out and lifted it to his mouth as he walked around the corner. Digging into his other pocket he disappeared from sight into the dark shadows of the hotel’s exterior, promptly reaching a safe distance from the hotel amongst the woodlands behind his accommodation. He removed his black clothing and sprayed his body with the prepared cologne, then without ceremony, he shifted into his wolf. Glancing around at his surroundings, he dug his back paws into the floor of the forest and took off at full speed to make certain he had enough time to look around and get back before anyone could discover he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

  Pausing every ten minutes or so to lift his head and sniff the air, the scent he’d picked up a while ago had grown stronger by several degrees the closer he got to its location. His wolf’s need to find its original source was beyond a driving force, it was imperative to his entire being.

  3

  30TH October – California

  Eos sucked the tequila jelly shot from the belly of the blonde beauty that lying across the top of the bar. His pack brothers had insisted on giving him a buck’s party, regardless of whether Rainah was his true mate or not. He didn’t want a mate; he was only going to the All Hallows Eve event because it was forbidden for the eldest sons of the pack masters to turn down the invitation unless they were already mated, then the honour would have fallen
onto the second eldest son of the pack master and so on. At the ripe age of twenty-eight, Eos was in his prime, and living in California, he was in his element. Standing at six feet three inches tall, with light brown hair and hazel eyes, he was what most women would profess to be trouble with a capital ‘T.’

  He licked up the drops of lemon jelly that had melted on the female’s skin, removing the stickiness from her flat, tanned belly. Then allowed his tongue to travel along the salt trail down to where it met the elastic of her teeny, tiny scrap of material they were selling as bikini bottoms this season. Eos growled low in the back of his throat as the female giggled at the roughness of his tongue on her body. Only Eos could scent the moisture building between her thighs at his touch; fuck, he loved women, so much so that he almost prayed Rainah wasn’t his mate. Because deep down inside, he knew that if she was, he would not be able to resist the urge to claim her and that was something he wasn’t mentally ready to do. He scooped the blonde off the bar and headed for the door, only to be met by the sight of his second-youngest brother shaking his head. Snarling at Chase, he spun on his heels and walked back towards the office. If one brother wouldn’t let him leave, then his other brother Rascal could accommodate his need to quench his thirst from the blonde human. Humans, he fucking loved humans. It had been over a decade since any of his pack had claimed a human for a mate. It was rare in any state of America, but it had been known to happen. Eos buried his nose in the crook of the female’s neck and gave a good sniff, letting out a moan. Nope, no mate trapped in the skimpy red bikini. He collapsed into his brother’s chair, taking the female with him. “I think I’ll call you Giggles,” he said, as the back of his hand brushed against her Lycra covered snatch, causing her to giggle again while wriggling against his knuckles.

  Eos slid the triangle of fabric covering her pussy to the side and looked down to watch his fingers play with her waxed lower lips. He could see her building desire as his fingertips glistened. He could smell her need to be fucked by the aroma of pheromones emanating from her core making his mouth water and his dick hard enough to call wood. His free hand found the ties on the side of her bikini and pulled slowly until it was undone and the fabric fell away willingly. Giggles lowered both hands to the top of his jeans to unfasten the stud, then carefully, she slipped her hand inside to protect his member while she unzipped his pants. Her luscious lips kicked up into a smirk when she discovered her ride for the night was travelling commando. Eos lifted his hips so Giggles could lower his denim down to his thighs just enough for them to work with. His cock twitched as her pussy lips parted during her ministrations of getting his pants out of the way. Eos moved his thumb to strum over her swollen clit, causing Giggles to buck against the flatness of his thumb, and her hips began to undulate. Her legs dangled over the arms of the chair, holding her in a perfect position for him to glide his shaft along her slit and find the warm wet centre of her core. Poised at the mouth of her pussy, his thumb circled, building friction. Suddenly the door to the office flew open and bounced off the wall behind it by the use of Rascal’s forceful nature.

  “Gina, get out!” Rascal growled harshly.

  “Stay put,” Eos commanded.

  “I won’t repeat myself, Gina. You can pick up your first and last night’s pay on the way out.”

  “Well, if you’re going to fire her for fucking me, then the least I can do is fuck her,” Eos declared.

  “Eos, is she your future?” Rascal asked his brother. “Inquiring brothers want to know.”

  Eos looked at the human on his lap with her beautiful pussy displayed before him then lifted his eyes to meet her questioning gaze. When he didn’t immediately say anything, Gina slapped his face and scrambled off his lap as fast as she could. Fixing the ties on her bikini, she spun to face Rascal; she was about to say something when she saw his nostrils flare. He was beyond angry with her; he’d warned her about his brothers, Eos in particular, but she hadn’t listened, and now she was fucked without reaching the orgasmic heights of being well and truly fucked. She attempted to slide past Rascal who stood ominously in the doorway.

  In a meek voice, Gina squeaked, “Excuse me.”

  Rascal leaned to one side and allowed her to pass, but as she did, he grabbed her wrist. Gina ducked and covered her head as though she were about to be struck by her former boss. Rascal frowned, “Gina, look at me.” She shook her head too afraid to open herself up to being hit. Rascal heard his brother curse from where he had stood to straighten himself up.

  “Fuck!” Eos swore at what he’d just been witness to, making him feel guilty for taking advantage of Giggling Gina.

  “Gina, wait,” Rascal issued the warning before turning to glare at his playboy brother. “You have places to be. Get your head out of your arse and in the game, or pass the ball to Goliath. He’s at least honourable enough not to meet his future mate smelling of another female.” He chastised Eos, making Eos feel more like a shit than he did a minute ago.

  “As you leave, ask Chase to take Gina home,” he instructed Eos, then turned to face a still-cowering Gina, “Take the rest of the night off. Chase will drive you home.”

  “I have my own car,” she spoke softly.

  “It’s been a rough night, Gina. I want Chase to take you home, and you can pick up your car when you come to work tomorrow.” Rascal said releasing his hold on her wrist. “Wait for Chase at the back door; he won’t be long.”

  Gina scurried away down the corridor to do as she told, not willing to go against Rascal’s instructions twice in one night. As Eos moved to leave, Rascal fisted his hands in his brother’s shirt and spun him to slam his back against the wall. He narrowed his eyes and sneered at Eos, “Grow the fuck up and stop being such an asshole. The pack’s honour rests on your shoulders, and if our father gets wind of your latest antics, he’ll neuter you.”

  “Fine, but I wasn’t the one to insist on throwing me a buck’s party. You can blame Liam for sticking that wasp’s nest inside your precious Rascals.”

  “And you all should know better than to pull shit like this inside my club, now get the fuck out of here.” Rascal gave Eos a shove, pushing him out of the office into the corridor before giving Goliath a nod. “Take him home and make sure he doesn’t miss his flight.”

  Eos knew he needed to grow a set; he was the eldest son of the pack master of the West. He was supposed to lead by example, but he’d been hoping that Rainah would have met her true mate and the event would have been cancelled. He felt like a right royal chicken shit, for allowing his self-doubts to blur the real purpose of the All Hallows Eve trials. It wasn’t just about him – it was about the future of every shifter in America, and that’s what worried him the most. He had no desire to be responsible for a mate, let alone the entire shifter population. What if he wasn’t mate material? The idea of making the female who is supposed to be the other half of your soul miserable was a fate he couldn’t bear. A mate would be the one person who could bring you balance when everything around you was off kilter.

  “Do you ever doubt yourself?” Eos asked his brother Goliath as they drove towards the airport.

  “No,” Goliath responded.

  “I wish I had your conviction.”

  “No, you don’t Eos. I envy the fact that you are ruled by emotions, whereas I am ruled by logic. Logic does not keep you warm at night. Logic does not permit you to feel, and logic does not allow for spontaneity.”

  “Wow, that’s sounds so cold.”

  “It is, but there is an upside: logic won’t get me killed.”

  “Yeah.” Eos sighed, “Not like emotions can.” He opened the door and got out at the drop-off zone of the airport. With a heavy heart, he pondered his brother’s words as he headed for Colorado.

  Three hours later, after landing safely in Colorado, he walked out of the airport. Knowing his hotel had already been booked, he caught the courtesy bus to where he was booked to stay. Checking in at the service counter, he was given his room key and a voucher
for a complimentary buffet breakfast.

  “Thanks,” Eos said, with a smile that failed to reach his eyes.

  “Have a nice stay, sir.” The clerk said giving him a huge smile and a wink. “I believe all you need is on the back of the card. If you have any questions, please call and ask for Rhonda.”

  Great, Eos thought to himself. Even the desk clerk was hitting on him.

  Eos figured if he allowed his wolf to go for a run in the woods behind the hotel, then maybe he’d be more settled. He always slept well after he’d been out for a hunt. He tossed his bag on his bed and walked out of his room, slipping the key into his pocket. Pressing the button he waited for the elevator to arrive.

  Five minutes later, he walked out of the hotel and around the corner to where the woodlands met the back of the hotel. Once he was certain he was far enough away from the prying eye of the general public, he removed his clothes and stashed them in the nook of a nearby tree. He stretched his body then surrendered to the shift. On all fours, he lifted his nose to the air searching for something to hunt. Instinct had him digging his back paws deep into the foliage; as he lunged, he allowed himself to be led by his wolf’s intuition in the direction of something that scented of fear, anger, and… female.

  4

  30TH October – New Orleans

  Hunter ran down Royal Street and took a sharp left onto St. Ann Street. At the intersection of Bourbon and St. Ann, he turned a full circle. “Fuck!” He hated hunting in the French Quarter at night. The smells of Cajun Chicken and Hurricane Katrina’s messed with his nose, especially when every night was party night on Bourbon Street.