Shifter Crown: Valley of Truth and Denial (The Shifter Crown Series Book 1)

by Desni Dantone

He watches me, waiting. After a few seconds, he gives me a lopsided grin. “Your wolf giving you a hard time?

  I shake my head without hesitation. “No. Is yours?”

  He stares at me for a moment before answering. “No. My head is clear.”

  I peer down at Luca’s lips in debate. There is a whole lot of longing mixed in there, too, making it difficult to think clearly. What I do know is that my thoughts are my own.

  I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure Luca is waiting for me to decide where we go from here. With any other guy, in this situation, I would probably appreciate the gesture. But not with Luca. The last time I tried to make a move, he rejected me. I won’t survive it happening again.

  “What happened that first night in my room?” I blurt.

  He continues to gaze up at me without so much as a flinch. He knows exactly what I’m asking. “Not what you think.”

  I wait.

  “I wanted to,” he continues. His thumbs roll in small circles over the curves of my hips. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to.”

  I swallow. “Then why . . .”

  “You didn’t know who I was yet,” he explains softly. “I wanted you to know me before that line was crossed.”

  “Do I know you now?” I wait anxiously for him to admit that he still has secrets. I may die a little inside if he tells me that, but I need to know.

  “I’m not hiding anything from you.” His easy grin slips. “But you don’t remember me either.”

  “I don’t need to remember everything.” I shrug. When he doesn’t respond I add, “A fresh start could be a good thing, and maybe . . . you can remind me of the important stuff.”

  “Anything, in particular, you have in mind?”

  My eyes drop to gaze at his lips. “There is this one thing . . .”

  “Name it,” Luca says softly.

  My voice is barely a whisper. “I think you already know.”

  Luca’s arms fold around my waist, anchoring me to him. At the same time, his shoulders lift off of the couch. I meet him halfway, and our lips touch. It’s light and questioning and only a glimpse of what I know is possible. With a sigh against his lips, I let him know that I am ready for more.

  His grip on my waist tightens, his fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt to dig into my flesh. His mouth moves against mine with a confidence that I always feared would intimidate me. With Luca, now, it only makes me want him more.

  His kiss is equally soft and hard, patient and demanding, sweet and passionate. As we move together in perfect synch, I have no doubt that this is what it’s supposed to be like. This is what the romance novels on my bookshelf rave about.

  It ends just as naturally as it started. Luca’s fingers brush through my hair as he eases back, and my eyes peel open slowly. I am rewarded with his signature grin.

  “Anything else I can help you with?”

  “That was a good start.” I smile. “I think the rest can be discovered a little at a time.”

  His grin broadens. “In the interest of discovery, feel free to explore all you want.”

  “Was that an attempt at a dirty joke?” I fake surprise.

  “I guess now would be a good time to remind you that you used to love my dirty mind.”

  My heart stutters at his casual use of the word “love.” I think I probably did love him at one time. It’s easy to accept because I can see it happening again. Some day. For now, I will settle for kissing him again.

  And then some more.

  Chapter 25

  We spend half of the morning at the lake, playing with the dog we decide to name Max. A few kisses are stolen between throwing sticks in the water and teaching him to fetch. It’s a good morning.

  Around nine, my phone starts going off and it all goes downhill from there.

  An hour later, Luca and I sit in my car at the bottom of my driveway, arguing like an old married couple. He thinks coming here is putting me at unnecessary risk. I don’t want to be grounded for the rest of my life.

  I win the argument by insisting that I come clean with my Dad. He deserves to know the truth about what is going on—assuming he believes me.

  “I’m talking to him alone,” I tell Luca.

  “Do you remember yesterday?” That is his nice way of saying, “Absolutely not.”

  “You can guard the house from outside,” I suggest. When Luca shakes his head, I add, “He has guns, you know?”

  “So?”

  “So . . . there is a chance he may actually shoot you.”

  “Your dad knows me,” Luca says. “He’s not going to shoot me.”

  “You think he’s going to care who you are once you walk through that door with me? Trust me. He has a shotgun ready, and he’s been waiting for this day for a long time.”

  Luca’s eyes narrow. He knows I’m exaggerating. But if he knows my dad as he claims, he should also know that there is some truth to my words. My dad can be a protective papa bear when he needs to be.

  “I have to do this,” I tell Luca definitively.

  He looks at the house with a reluctant nod. “Go talk to him, but I’m going to be close. I won’t make the same mistake I made yesterday.”

  I sigh. “Just don’t let him see you until after I talk to him.”

  “Fine.” Luca tosses his hands up.

  “Fine.” I roll my eyes as I get out of the car, and shut the door on Luca’s smirking face.

  I start walking before he finds another excuse to stop me. Halfway across the yard, I risk a peek over my shoulder.

  Luca has gotten out of the car, but he’s not coming after me. His alert eyes scan the woods beside the house as he leans against the rear bumper. He’s staying put as I asked.

  There is a smile on my face when I round the corner of the garage. It slips away when I spot my stepmom’s car parked next to the side entrance of the house.

  It’s Thursday. She is supposed to be at work, in Spokane.

  My stomach hollows.

  Dad must have called her. They’re both probably sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me to come inside so they can lecture me together. It’s bad enough getting it from Dad, but Rhonda has this way of dragging the torture out.

  I am steps from the side door when Luca calls my name.

  I don’t stop.

  I will not all him to talk me out of this, because there is a chance he may succeed. As nervous as I am now, moments from facing two angry parents, I may let Luca whisk me back to Silver Lake without doing what I came here to do.

  I speed up.

  “Sav!”

  I whip the door open without so much as I glance behind me. I must face this—without Luca.

  Neither Rhonda nor my dad is waiting for me in the kitchen, but I suspect they’re not far. The knot in my stomach tightens with anticipation as I move deeper into the house. I stroll halfway through the living room before I realize something is wrong.

  I am not alone.

  One of the kitchen chairs has been moved into the middle of the room, and a man is sitting in it with his back to me. His shoulders are slumped forward, so I can’t get a good look at his face, but there is something familiar about him.

  I inch closer. A wooden floorboard groans beneath my feet.

  “Dad?” I start around the chair, equally eager and terrified to see the man's face.

  It can’t be my dad. It can’t be . . .

  His arms are bound to the chair with rope. His shirt is tattered and bloodied. Duct tape is wrapped around half of his head, sealing his mouth shut. The side of his face is bruised and swollen. He is nearly unrecognizable, but . . .

  It’s him.

  I gasp. “Dad!”

  I fall to my knees beside him. With a trembling hand, I check his neck for a pulse. I think I feel something, but I put my ear to his chest to be sure. I hear a definite lub-dub. He’s breathing, but I don’t know for how much longer.

  “Wake up, Dad. Please, wake up.” A sob rises up my throat as I give a fu
tile tug on the ropes around his wrists. They’re too tight to untie.

  Suddenly, Luca is there with a knife from the kitchen. I blink up at him, certain I must be dreaming.

  “You got him?” Luca thrusts his chin at my dad.

  I stand in front of the chair while Luca cuts the rope, and I catch my dad’s limp body when he falls forward. He grumbles as I guide him into a seated position, and his swollen eyes slit open.

  “Who did this to you?” I ask him.

  “Shifters,” Luca answers. “I smell them. They may still be here. We need to go.”

  “Rhonda,” Dad whispers hoarsely. “She . . .”

  “We’ll find her,” I promise. “We’ll get both of you out of here.”

  Luca’s firm hand comes down on my shoulder before I go anywhere.

  “Ryse and Ryder are close,” he tells me in a rush. “Find them. They’ll keep you safe. I’ll get your stepmom and your dad, but you need to get out of here now.”

  “I’m not leaving without my dad, or you.” I plant my feet, squaring my shoulders at Luca. I don’t give a damn that he’s an alpha. I’m not leaving my family—that includes him.

  “Sav . . .” A growl rumbles low in his throat.

  “We can waste time arguing,” I snap, “or we can get out of here together.”

  I try to pull my dad to his feet, but I quickly realize it’s not going to be an easy task. The rope burns on his wrists suggest that he sat in the chair for a long time. The buckling of his knees under his own weight confirms it. He’s too weak to stand, let alone walk, himself.

  Luca quickly ducks under one of Dad’s arms to support him. “I got you, Mr. Preston.”

  I want to smile, but the sight of my badly injured father relying on another person to help him stand is too heartbreaking to allow it. Instead, I wipe away a tear and take Dad’s other arm. Together, the three of us shuffle toward the front door.

  My gaze lifts to the ceiling at the sound of footsteps on the floor above us. A cold sense of dread zips through me, showering me with goosebumps. I glance at Luca, wondering if he feels it, too.

  We have found ourselves in some scary situations over the past few weeks, and we have experienced a wide range of emotions together. I have seen his concern. I have seen his fear.

  I have never seen anything like the look I see on his face now.

  “Sav, go.” He hoists my dad higher, taking nearly all of his weight. “Get out of here.”

  I shake my head. “No, I—”

  Footsteps click on the stairs. Whoever did this to my dad is coming.

  They are here for me, but I cannot run. I will not let Luca face them alone, and I will not allow my dad to suffer their torture again. The three of us are walking out that door together, or not at all.

  I secure Dad’s arm over my shoulder, and we move. Harder. Faster. Toward the door.

  Each shambled step brings us closer.

  The hollow echo of footsteps on the stairs follows us.

  I glance behind me to size up the approaching threat, and I nearly fall. Luca picks up the slack, nearly dragging both my dad and me the rest of the way to the door, while I reel from bewildered surprise.

  My stepmom is okay. She descends the stairs in a skintight black dress, perfectly coifed hair, and heels. Behind her is a barrel-chested man with a thick beard, bushy brows, and empty, dark eyes. His gaze locks on me, and he bares his pointy yellow-stained teeth.

  I feel a flicker of recognition, though I am positive I have never met him before. I would never forget those terrifying eyes.

  “Move,” Luca orders, forcing me to keep up with his pace.

  We are steps from the front door when it bursts open. A man who has to be a twin of the first one stands in the doorway, blocking our path. He moves toward us with a leer, corralling us into the center of the room, before joining his twin.

  Both position themselves directly behind my stepmom. They’re tall enough, and big enough, that I can still see them clearly. I notice the matching bear tattoos on each of their biceps, and my hackles rise.

  I know exactly who—or what—they are. What I can’t figure out is why Rhonda looks perfectly at peace sandwiched between the two dangerous shifters. It’s almost as if she is in charge.

  Her lips lift into a smirk as her gaze swings from me to my dad and finally to Luca.

  “There is no reason for anyone else to get hurt,” she starts in a smooth, crisp voice. “I am here for Savannah, and her alone.”

  A cold shiver snaps down the length of my spine as understanding sinks in.

  “You?” I blurt. “You’re behind all of this?”

  “I am. Of course, I made the mistake of hiring the wrong rogues to take care of the job for me. Lesson learned the hard way.” She smooths the front of her dress with her manicured fingers. “I prefer to keep my hands clean, but their incompetence has forced me to take care of this matter myself.”

  Luca smirks. “What about the goons behind you?”

  “They are to subdue you.” Rhonda gives Luca a predatory smile. “Your efforts to prevent the inevitable are commendable. Do not hang your head. You are the reason I had to come here to finish this myself, after all. But no more. This ends today.”

  “Why?” My voice cracks. “Why are you doing this?”

  Rhonda redirects her attention to me with a sneer. “Money, of course.”

  “You’re a bounty hunter,” Luca spits.

  “Someone very important, and very wealthy, wishes for you to . . . cease to exist.” Rhonda shrugs. “It’s nothing personal, dear.”

  “Who?”

  Rhonda ignores my question. “I have put a lot of work into this particular job. It has been years in the making,” she boasts. “Of course, I didn’t know I would have to kill you when I accepted it. The young Caspan here sealed your fate that when he decided to interfere. He will only have himself to blame for your death.”

  Luca quivers with barely contained rage. “You’re not going to touch her.”

  The two bodyguards step forward, forming a wall between us and Rhonda. They leave just enough room between their shoulders for us to see her.

  “I have done everything I could to avoid this,” she continues in a regretful tone that is as fake as her platinum hair. “I destroyed your mother’s necklace, which took care of the memories he selfishly tried to restore months ago. But he wouldn’t let it go. He came back. It is his refusal to leave you alone that has brought us to this point.”

  “Leave Luca out of this,” I snap. “Who hired you and why do they want me dead?”

  “What does it matter?” Rhonda waves my question off dismissively.

  “She doesn’t even know,” Luca scoffs. “She’s nothing but a pawn.”

  “Are you forgetting that you are to blame for this?” Rhonda laughs manically. “They left her alone for years before you came along and stirred up her memories. Not even the most ruthless shifters in the Kingdom want to kill a child, especially one who doesn’t even know who she is.” Rhonda pauses to redirect her gaze at me. “Your mother, on the other hand, had to go. There was no way around it.”

  My throat constricts. “You killed my mother?”

  “Of course not,” Rhonda mutters. “She was long gone before I was hired to monitor you.”

  I fold over at the waist from the pain that slices through me.

  Luca was right. My mother didn’t die in an accident—she was killed. By the same mysterious someone who now wants me dead.

  Fog fills my head. Spots fill my vision. I can’t breathe.

  Finding its way through the suffocating cloud of panic is Rhonda’s voice. She is still explaining herself, though, at this point, I no longer care what she has to say.

  “That was all I was supposed to do,” Rhonda continues like she is simply telling a story. “I had a role to play—a young single mother in search of a loving man. I was given an orphan to raise as my own, if only to make myself appear soft. And it worked. Once the Caspans were out
of the picture, I swooped in.”

  “You tricked my dad?” I swallow hard, digesting her words. “Jill isn’t even your daughter?”

  “And you knew nothing,” Rhonda prattles on excitedly, ignoring my questions. “That was the only thing that kept you alive this long. For god’s sake, you were a shifter who didn’t know you were a shifter.” She laughs manically. “You couldn’t even protect yourself—and you still can’t protect yourself! Not with his help”—she jabs a finger at Luca—“not with the help of the two wolves circling the back yard, waiting for a chance to strike. They cannot save you. He cannot save you. You can’t save yourself from what—”

  Rhonda suddenly gasps. It’s quickly followed by a gurgling sound, like she is choking on her own saliva. Her body jerks violently, and a dribble of blood trickles down her chin.

  I have no idea what is happening to her. I don’t think anyone does.

  Then she goes limp and falls to the floor—a knife protruding from her back. Jill stands above her with a sneer on her face.

  “Bitch,” Jill spits.

  Then everything happens at once.

  Luca shifts. The bodyguards shift. Two grizzlies and one silver wolf take over the living room.

  Ryse and Ryder burst through the back door. Ryse has already shifted, and Ryder shifts mid-leap as he launches himself at one of the grizzlies.

  With a flurry of activity erupting all around us, I help my dad shuffle to the bottom of the stairs. Jill is still standing there, staring down at Rhonda’s body with a blank look on her face.

  I grab her arm. “Jill!”

  She looks up, giving me a glimpse of the unshed tears that rim her eyes. “She said . . . I heard her,” Jill stammers. “She’s not my mother.”

  “No.” I don’t have the time to feel bad when I push Dad at Jill. “Help him upstairs. Shut and lock the bedroom door.”

  Dad finds his strength and uses every ounce of it to fight me. “Savannah, no.”

  “Go,” I plead. “I’m one of them. I can protect myself, but I can’t do it if you’re in danger.”

  I’m lying, but neither of them know that. It doesn’t matter, because the lie works.

  I watch Jill help my dad up the stairs long enough to ensure they are safe. Only then do I turn toward the chaos behind me.