Jacob (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 3)

by Selina Coffey

  Her legs gave out then and they carried her to the bed. They spent the next two days there, talking and learning about each other, but she never told them where she’d come from, or why she was there. Only about the place she was born, the town, how old she was, about her parents. And they made love, often, sometimes only two of them at a time, all three of them at others. She fell in love with both men in those two days and if she knew anything about the feelings she was getting from their future selves they were falling in love with her as well.

  Finally, she woke one night and could feel future Luther call to her with his mind. She knew it was time to leave. She did not want to leave these two lovely men but knew their future selves were waiting for her, that her mission was done and it was time to go back to her own world. She left a note, telling them she had to go and not to look for her but that they would see her in the future. She left quietly, making her way to the barn the men were in.

  As she entered they pulled her to them, each taking a turn in welcoming her back to them. Nathan pulled something out of his pocket, a note, tattered but now covered in plastic to keep it safe. The note she’d left them. They’d kept it all of these years. She kissed the men, wanting only to learn about their new selves, to learn them all over again, but she knew they had to leave. They had to go back to their own future.

  Quickly the men put on their belts, changed form and flew her back to the woods. Going back to their own time didn’t result in the blackout she’d experienced before, but her memories did shift, the new ones not taking the place of old memories, but somehow existing beside them, together. She knew her parents were both still alive, that her whole life had been different and that the world was different. Somehow darker, even with her parents love to change how things were for her. Stepping into the castle she saw a swastika on the side, a spotlight shining brightly on it, and knew that somehow they had all messed up. This was not the future they’d wanted to create.

  Chapter 4

  A month passed. She’d called her parents to let them know she was safe, but that she could not come home yet and that she was going to be staying in Germany a while longer. She spent her nights with Luther and Nathan, trying to work out a plan and cried as her 28th birthday passed without a hitch. When they weren’t planning they were making love and she would be happy if she knew that she hadn’t completely screwed the world up.

  In the weeks that had passed they’d learned that the men were still cursed, the tattoos having appeared on their skin when the curse was placed, still present. She and her family line, the fate of the world were the only things that had changed. They couldn’t do anything for a year, they had to wait because the men could only travel back in time once a year; the spell wouldn’t work more than that for some reason.

  Hannah would have been despondent without Luther and Nathan there to pick her spirits up, to keep her going. She’d learned something today, however, that could change it all. The plan had originally been to go back, to stop past Hannah from going to the men, thus stopping the German Army from winning World War II, for that is what had happened. The Germans had won and were still destroying the world, one country at a time. This was not something any of them could live with and each wanted desperately to get back in time, to fix what they had broken.

  Now, though, the men might not want to do anything with her, they might want to change the plan and she didn’t know what to do about it. Walking into the bar she got their attention and they followed her back into the office. Sitting on the couch she allowed Luther to pull her close as Nathan took his usual spot at her feet. He loved her feet.

  “You’re pregnant darling. You know that now, right?” Nathan asked her.

  “Yes, but how did you know? I only found out for sure today!” she exclaimed.

  “We’re dragonkin, we know these things.” Luther assured her.

  “Do you know whose it is? Past or present?” Hannah asked.

  “No, and it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change anything. We have to change the past. If it’s one of us, the future us that is, then the child will be conceived anyway. If not, we’ll figure something out. Because the one thing we know is that we love you, but we can’t let the world end up like this. We would both love this child, but we can’t allow it to survive in this world, it’s not fair to that poor baby. We just can’t do it.” Luther sounded as though he grieved the loss already, as though he knew the child already.

  Hannah wanted to scream, to cry, to hold her hands over her child and protect it but she knew she could not. The world had to go back to how it was and she had to sacrifice this child if that’s what it took. That meant she’d give birth, have the baby, and get to know it before she had to go back and erase it. The urge to scream increased until she burst out crying, her tears breaking the hearts of the men who now loved her more than anything.

  “Dry your eyes, Hannah. We will fix this, I promise. It’s a nightmare world we’re living in at the moment; we created it with our meddling. But we have each other and that will never change. We have one more chance and one other option. An option we haven’t explored yet but Nathan’s been working on it. So dry your eyes, my love, it may take some time but this will be sorted.” Luther wiped the tears away, kissing her despite her messy face.

  “The one thing I’m going to cherish the most out of all of this, Hannah,” Nathan spoke, “is that you became a part of our lives. The wonder of gaining memories as you made them, remembering you in two different times with two different lives is a miracle I will never want to give up. Loving you is one of the rocks of my life now and I would not trade it. But if it will dry your eyes, I’ll give my own life. I have a meeting in a couple of weeks and I believe we can fix everything then. I didn’t want to give you false hope but every day I believe I learn more and I’ve come to realize that I caused this. I have to fix it. I’m leaving tonight to start my journey, it will take a while, but when I return things will either be fixed or it will be even better than it was to begin with. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Hannah reached to him, loving him just as much as she did Luther. How could she love them so quickly, so completely? She knew why, the experiences they shared built their love, built their trust in each other. These were her men, nothing could change that. Running her fingers over the dragon tattoo spreading over Nathan’s chest, she pulled on his nipple rings. He hadn’t had them in the 16th century but she’d learned how much having the rings tugged on blew his mind since her return.

  Reaching for him she kissed him deeply, letting him pull her into his lap at the other end of the couch. Luther moved to one of the chairs in the room, wanting them to have this moment to themselves. Nathan removed her clothing slowly, with care and practiced ease. Having her beneath him was one of his favourite things in the world. He loved her intensely, his every movement and touch a declaration of his love. From her head to the soles of her feet he kissed her, caressed her, and memorized the taste, feel, and smell of her. His fingers knew every ridge of her skin when he was done; his tongue knew its taste.

  Nathan went so far as to turn her over, loving the backside as much as the front. From her dark rose nipples to her pert ass cheeks, he knew her. He knew the mole below her right shoulder blade, the birth mark in the shape of an angel on the right side of her tummy, the scar on the sole of her right foot from a broken piece of glass. She was imprinted on his mind, his soul now and he could go to his future knowing that she would be a part of him always.

  As he thrust into her, as her pulsing body pleasured his nerve endings, he knew that he loved this woman more than any other person on earth, even more than Luther and he would give his very life for her. His shout when he came was not only a shout of pleasure; it was triumph, understanding, and resignation. Beneath him, panting out her own enjoyment, Hannah opened her eyes as she came down from her own high.

  “Nathan!” she screamed. Touching his chest, she was amazed at what she saw. His tattoo had shrunk down, only covering
his shoulder and arm now. His chest was completely bare! He looked down, confused at what he saw.

  “Luther?” Turning to look at his friend, his brother, his compatriot, he saw that Luther’s tattoo had shrunk as well.

  “What does this mean?” Hannah asked the men.

  “I could tell you.” A female voice intruded on their shock and they all looked to the office desk where the purple headed vixen sat, looking at all of them with a pleased smile.

  “Erin? How did you get in here? What do you know about any of this?” Luther asked his barmaid.

  “Oh, for such old souls, you two can still make the common male mistake of seeing only what you want to see. I am Eir, the goddess of peace and mercy. I have been watching you for a while now; to see what changes you’ve gone through, to see what you have learned. Finally, finally you have learned the error of your ways Nathan; you have learned love and remorse. That is all we deities have ever wanted. For you to learn and finally you have. You destroyed two kingdoms out of your immaturity and uncaring ways. You destroyed lives. We decided to take one from you; that of your woman and your child. Yes, your child. That one belongs to you. Others in the future may not, but that one will be yours. Now, look outside and watch.”

  They all went to the window in the office, gasping and covering their eyes as a bright flash enveloped everything they could see, travelling out as though it were a tidal wave. In amazement they watched as the light surged away from them, the world changing around them as they gazed. The light somehow changed, the air cleared, lights came on in houses that had previously been dark, and houses appeared where none had existed.

  “We’ve eliminated the curse, we’ve repaired the damage your little escapade caused and we’ve turned you back to mortal dragonkin. But you will be the last of your kind. There will be no more dragonkin on this earth after you. Hannah and her line are no longer cursed and the world can be a much better place than the future you created. Just make no more mistakes or we will come back!” With that Eir popped out of the room. She just disappeared. Then she came back. “And keep an eye out for Loki, he’s been at it again with his mischief. I’ll be back to work on Monday.” With that she popped out for the last time.

  Luther, Nathan, and Hannah screamed their delight and joy, jumping up and down, hugging each other close. Hannah turned on the telly and it was normal again, not a state-sponsored program meant for indoctrination. Her parents had a Facebook account and were alive and well. She was still pregnant. Smiling at her men, at these two men she loved entirely, she knew that this was their final chance. They would, and could, make the most of it.

  Epilogue

  Eight Months Later

  Little Aidan slept in his bed, his green eyes closed peacefully in his sleep. He didn’t know anyone else was in the room with him or that it was a minor god there with him. Loki stared down at the child, mischief and mayhem in his mind. Waving his hand over the child’s head, whispering a few ancient words and gazing intently, Loki watched as a birthmark appeared faintly on the child’s left shoulder in the shape of a dragon. Loki laughed loudly, pleased with himself as the child burped and a stream of smoke exited form his tiny mouth. Aidan’s mother, thinking she’d heard someone in the room, came in to check on her baby, but not seeing anyone she picked up her child and carried him out to his fathers, content with her world.

  THE END

  The Wolf’s Kitten

  Shifter Romance

  About the Book

  How far will you go to save the life of your sister.

  When Lelani disappears in the blink of an eye, Luna is forced to find out. She is confronted by this cold, fear and she is pushed to the very limits and beyond what she thought she could do.

  When Lelani woke up in the house of Crimson Claw, with no memory of how she got there, it was clear to her that she was abducted. She is mischievous and calculating until she is offered a sexy werewolf as her bodyguard. Will she be able to fight her feelings to carry out her plan of escape?

  Chapter 1

  The asphalt blurred under Jack’s heel, his knees sent him flying south along the road. The plan had worked and he had Lelani. He always wanted her so badly and this was victory. It almost could have gone worse. The other people had seen him with his backside hanging out the cabin window, Lelani in his arms and about to start running.

  The werewolves didn’t care about the vertical surfaces. Jack tried to stay in human form while he held Lelani. She was freezing. He took a header into the bushes; he shifted on his way down. He ran in a flat sprint for his cabin while his legs and heart pumped. Every branch etched against his vision. He knew Lelani’s people would look for her especially her sister Luna. Howling through the woods, he shifted to a wolf again and propelled to the other side using his paws. Paws were good for many things but not carrying Lelani. He had to shift again to human form.

  Lelani opened her eyes as Jack put her on the bed. She looked up and saw three men looking at her. She sat on the bed as she tried to cover her nakedness. She was terrified and the alcohol was wearing off. She started remembering how Jack lured her into his trap.

  Lelani sat at the elegant marble bar, an un-drunk glass of champagne bubbling in front of her. The reason the champagne was un-drunk was apparent upon further inspection. On the rim of the glass, a tiny silver winged figure sat. His feet were dipping into the champagne. The amber colored wine swished around the glass as he moved his tiny feet back and forth. Lelani pinned the tiny fairy with her angriest glare.

  “My last date was a disaster, Clint. What made you think that an unwashed werewolf would be a fitting lover for the lioness of history?”

  Clint gave the lioness an abashed glance. “Now Lelani it wasn’t that bad. I mean granted, he smelled a bit… woodsy.”

  “Woodsy?!” Lelani sputtered. “He smelled like he hadn’t bathed in months. Perhaps I could have overlooked the fragrance.” Lelani made a moue of disgust.

  “Certainly he was handsome enough. If it hadn’t been for…”

  The tiny fairy held up his hand. “I know, I know. I should have checked out his educational background a bit better. That’s completely my fault.” She knew that was sarcastic.

  “He thought I was Cleo, Clint. Not Lelani the Lioness, but Cleopatra Philopator, last pharaoh of Egypt. Cleopatra! Who not only was a mortal, but has been dead for almost two thousand years.” The lioness put a hand up to her aching head.

  “I realize we lionesses aren’t as well known in this millennium as we once were. I understand, truly I do. However, don’t you think, Clint, if you were trying to find me a mate, you might have at least stopped to check and make sure your candidate knew who I was first? When he realized I wasn’t the Egyptian seductress, he got all pouty and barely spoke to me the rest of the night!”

  Clint blushed. “Yes, I probably should have thought that through better. At least he was better than the first guy!” The fairy said brightly, trying to put a positive spin on the terrible date.

  Lelani gave Clint an exasperated sigh. “Oh yes. I will give you that. At least the werewolf didn’t try to enslave me! Why did you try to set me up with a sloth?” The tiny fairy flushed, his whole body taking on a pink hue.

  “Hugh is an old friend of mine. When he heard I was trying to find you a mate, well… he volunteered. I thought you two would hit it off. I sort of forgot…”

  “What did you forget Clint? That Sloth enslave women with poisoned sweat glands? Of course Hugh volunteered. If I wasn’t immune to those sorts of enchantments, Hugh would have been the only sloth with a pet lioness. Yuck by the way. That was revolting. I’ve never been gladder to be invulnerable to mortal female ailments. Why are you friends with a sloth anyhow?”

  “It’s a long story involving my ex-mate.” Clint muttered under his breath. He plunged on louder “I know the last two guys weren’t exactly your cup of tea Lelani. I already apologized about Hugh. Just hang in there with me. I promise tonight’s guy is going to be perfect!” Lelani sho
ok her head and gently poked the fairy.

  “He had better be. I realize you are trying for a promotion Clint, but I only promised you three chances. If this guy is another stinker, we are done. Now will you please get your feet out of my drink? Fairy foot doesn’t exactly add to the taste.” Clint obliged her. When she tried a sip, Lelani wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  “You owe me a new glass of champagne. Waiter!”

  While the waiter brought the lioness a new drink, Lelani looked around the elegant immortals only restaurant where she was meeting her third blind date. A mixed crowd of fey, vampires and other beings of mortal legend sat at linen draped tables, eating and enjoying each other’s company. A dark skulking movement in the corner of her eye caused the muse to turn. However, Lelani could see nothing that matched the dark shadow she thought she had glimpsed.

  “Clint, did you see something odd just now?” The lioness asked, turning back to her tiny companion.

  “Huh? No I didn’t notice anything, beyond all the normal strangeness.” He indicated the entire restaurant. “Don’t worry our guy should be here any minute now.” Clint said in an attempt to placate her. Lelani continued to look around the restaurant, trying to figure out what had drawn her eye. That was when she saw him. A striking man was being escorted to a lone table by the host, a bouquet of narcissus in his hand. He was dressed in an impeccably cut Italian suit, his slightly long, dark brown hair was bound back with leather thong. Put him in armor, and he would easily have been at home on a Greek battlefield. Lelani gave a little sigh of longing. She hadn’t thought they made men like that anymore. He certainly wasn’t anyone she recognized from the old world.

  The host tapped Lelani on the shoulder, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Lady Lioness, your table is ready, right this way.” With Clint perched on her shoulder, Lelani followed the host into the main restaurant. When they stopped at the table with the narcissus bearing man, Lelani could not have been more shocked. The host pulled Lelani’s chair out, while the handsome man stood up.