Shifters Escape

by Selina Woods

  Too vulnerable indoors, I quickly gulped down fresh meat from the cooler, steaks and chops, enough to satisfy me without gorging. If I gorged, I couldn’t run fast enough to escape anyone. Switching forms long enough to leave cash near the register to pay for what I took, I regained my lion body and leaped out the window into the alley again.

  Full and satisfied, I loped toward the street, remaining cautious before slinking from doorway to doorway, keeping to the shadows. The snow made it difficult for me to see, but it also hid me from an enemy’s view. The wind had picked up, thus blowing the ever-thickening snow into covering the tracks I left behind. It also stabbed deep into my bones.

  A truck turned the corner and drove toward me, its headlights burning through the swirling blizzard. Crouching in a doorway, I huddled low and turned my muzzle away. I couldn’t risk my eyes reflecting the light and revealing where I was. It rolled slowly past me without stopping. “Time to get out of this shit,” I muttered, heading back down the street once the truck was out of sight.

  No longer worried about someone following me to a lair, I rushed through the streets, trying to see everywhere at once. I had no sooner crossed a wide lane when headlights blasted me right in the face. Shit! Sprinting back the way I had come, I heard a voice behind me yell, “Declan!”

  Jae.

  Sliding on the snow to a stop, I turned, seeing the truck follow me, Jae’s head and arm sticking out the passenger window. “Declan,” she called as I trotted toward the vehicle, “we’ve been looking for you.”

  Though I certainly appreciated a friendly face searching for me, I didn’t like the way she and Chad had put themselves at risk to find me. “Why? I thought you were at home.”

  “I told Chad you shouldn’t be out alone like this,” Jae explained, opening the truck door and sliding across the seat toward Chad. “Get in.”

  I didn’t argue. Changing into my human half, I got in beside her just as Chad hit the accelerator. “You’re too easy to track in the snow,” he said, “and you can freeze to death on a night like this.”

  “I was heading to one of my lairs,” I replied, shivering despite the heat blowing from the truck’s vents. “Thanks for looking for me, but you shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger.”

  Jae grinned; her eyes illuminated by the dash’s lights. “Too bad. You put your life on the line for me.”

  Her hand crept into mine, and she gasped. “Damn, your skin is cold.”

  “We’ll all have to be on guard,” Chad said, peering through the windshield and the wipers brushing the snow aside. “Raphael might accept Barry’s loss, or he might not. I haven’t heard that they found his body.”

  “Wouldn’t he be looking there first?” I asked. “Everyone tosses corpses at the creek.”

  “He may do that soon,” Chad agreed. “That may help us; it may not. Those enforcers believe Barry never made it to the bar, and they’ll pass that to Raphael.”

  “Anyone with a big enough grudge could start killing his goons,” Jae added. “No reason for him to look at us, right?”

  “Let’s hope for the best and expect the worst,” I commented. “Raphael will turn the city on its head to see what falls out when they find Barry’s body.”

  “It still could be anyone who did it,” Jae went on, stubborn. “Raphael is smart enough to know that. He has no evidence.”

  I eyed her with a small smile. “All he needs is a suspicion to start killing.”

  “I wish there were a way we could implicate one of his enforcers,” Chad mused, rubbing his chin. “Then he can kill his own and not ours.”

  “Maybe there is.” Twisting a little, I put my hand in my pocket and withdrew the jewelry. “Plant these on an enforcer, and somehow get Raphael to search him. If Barry was known to have these, and another goon does, that’ll point the finger rather quickly.”

  Chad glanced at my hand, then back at the road. “That might work, but we’ll have to involve others. We already said we hadn’t seen Barry.”

  “I wasn’t recognized,” I said. “I can plant this on one of his guys, piece of cake.”

  “All right, let’s think about it. Here’s your apartment, Jae. Both of you, get in, lock the door.”

  Jae and I got out of the truck and ran into the apartment. Chad drove away, the headlights of his truck vanishing around the corner. “He doesn’t live too far away, does he?” I asked as we climbed the stairs.

  “No, just a few miles.”

  Jae unlocked her door and ushered me in, me appreciating the warmth inside as she turned the deadbolt. I took my coat off and went to the window to pull the curtain aside a little to gaze out and down. No cars or trucks moved sluggishly through the heavy snowfall, nor could I see any predators through the swirling blizzard.

  Turning on only one small light in the kitchen, Jae took off her coat and hung it over the back of the chair. “Not much will be moving around out there until tomorrow,” she commented.

  “Not unless Raphael gets his goons to fire up the snowplows,” I agreed, taking one last look down below before closing the heavy curtain.

  I stared at Jae and she at me. It occurred to me that she had other reasons for hunting me down on a night like this. Her thick hair hung in tidy folds past her shoulders, her eyes luminous in the faint light. That I wanted her, I had no doubt. Nor could I be the one to suggest intimacy, as she didn’t truly know me from any lion on the street. I couldn’t take advantage of her. I wouldn’t.

  “I’ll just crash here on your couch,” I said, my tone light.

  Jae stepped toward me, her expression as uncertain as when I walked her to her door and left her there. “Declan,” she began, taking my hand. “I’ve—never done this before.”

  I cupped her cheek with my free hand. “Neither have I.”

  Giggling, she covered my hand with hers. “I really like you; you know. And it’s not just because you saved me.”

  “You saved me first, remember?” I kissed her gently. “But it can wait until we know each other better.”

  “No.” Perhaps growing bolder by my manner, Jae turned and tugged on my hand, drawing me to her bedroom. “Chad approves of you. If he didn’t, I never would have invited you here.”

  Wondering if I had much choice in the matter, I followed Jae into the darkened bedroom. Inside, she turned to me and pulled me to her with her arms around my neck. Kissing her this time was not like the innocent kiss of last night. My passion rose, our tongues exploring one another’s mouths. I let my hands roam her back, slide down her ribs to her slender waist, then around to hold her tight ass.

  Pulling her hard to me, I wanted her to feel my rising erection straining against my jeans, giving her a chance to pull away, change her mind. Jae didn’t. Instead, her pelvis ground against mine, her excitement rising with her quickening breath. I slid my hands up her back under her shirt, her silky skin under my fingers making my erection throb all the more.

  Lifting her shirt, I pulled away long enough to bring it over her head and toss it aside. My mouth on hers, I unsnapped her bra and yanked that off, too. Not to be naked alone, Jae’s fingers unzipped my jeans and explored inside. I gasped at her touch, my member throbbing, aching with an almost real pain. Drawing away, I chuckled, struggling out of my jeans while trying to keep kissing her.

  “This is awkward,” I muttered.

  Taking the opportunity, Jae unbuttoned her pants and pulled them off, taking her panties with them. She helped me get my shirt off over my head, then we were both as naked as newborn babies. “I want to touch it,” she whispered, her hand gently enclosing my shaft.

  I let her stroke up and down its hard length, her touch gentle, questing. “You’re so big.”

  “Being small has its advantages,” I replied, making her giggle.

  Taking her in my arms, my shaft hard against her belly, I guided her to the bed, and we both fell on it, the springs squeaking in protest. Eager to shove myself into her, I forced myself to go slow. Leaning over her, I kis
sed her, my tongue tangled with hers. I caressed down her taut belly and inserted my finger into her warm wet mound.

  Jae gasped against my mouth, and I withdrew immediately. “Want me to stop?”

  “No. It just—felt so good.”

  I probed again, toying with her, driving her into arousal. Wet gushed over my fingers, and though I had never experienced sex before, I’d been told a woman needed moisture inside her so the male wouldn’t hurt her. Now I realized how easily I could by taking her too soon.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered, nuzzling her throat.

  “Just be gentle,” she murmured, her lips against my cheek. “Go slow.”

  I did. Rolling on top of her, I spread her legs, pushing my shaft at the entrance of her mound. Jae moaned, her knees lifting, spreading further to invite me. I pushed in only a little way, my sensitive rod craving more, hard, fast. Her wet opening was so tempting, it was difficult to not drive in all the way. Not giving in to temptation, I thrust in with tiny jerks of my hips, slowly spreading her open.

  “More,” Jae muttered thickly. Her nails dug into my back and neck. “More.”

  Driving in a little deeper, I gasped. The incredible pleasure of her tightness around my length, I pulled out to push in again, going in further. Her tunnel accepted my slow invasion, her wetness giving my member the lubrication necessary to glide in deeper.

  Then I burst through, broke her tissue, and she was no longer a virgin.

  Nor was I.

  Pulling back out, I thrust in faster and deeper, my breath coming in hard gasps. “Am I—hurting you?”

  “No. Don’t stop.”

  Plunging into her, I felt my climax drift in close, the pressure building in my loins. Out of control, I knew I would explode, but I had no experience in how to drag it out, to bring her pleasure before I blasted my seed into her. Perhaps I didn’t have to worry, as Jae’s fingers dug hard into my shoulders, and she cried out, her hot breath in my ear. Her nest clamped down on my erection like a vise.

  Still pumping, I knew I was close. Unable to stop it, I groaned, my body shuddering as my rod spasmed, spurting my seed into her. Thrusting a few more times, I relaxed on top of her, panting. “I’m sorry. I lost it too soon.”

  Jae kissed my neck. “You didn’t.”

  Worried that my weight might hurt her, I rolled off of her, my now limp shaft pulling from her. Jae got up, and for a minute, I thought she was unhappy with me. “Jae?”

  “Get up. We need to get the covers over us. It’s cold.”

  With the blankets pulled over us, Jae snuggled against me, her head on my shoulder. Her fingers played with the few hairs I had on my chest. “I expected the first time to hurt,” she murmured.

  “I tried not to.”

  “Declan, stop worrying. You didn’t. I had the most incredible experience.” Lifting her head, Jae leaned over and kissed me. “Thank you.”

  My arm around her neck, I refused to let her go until I could let her witness the sweet gift she had given me. Kissing her long and deeply, I wondered if two days was enough to fall in love. “You are very special, Jae,” I murmured against her cheek.

  “You are, too.”

  Enfolding her in my arms, I held her close, and her soft breathing that informed me she had fallen asleep. Gazing into the darkness, listening to the blizzard howl around the eaves, I knew that even if two days wasn’t enough to fall in love, I was well on my way.

  Chapter Five

  When I woke, I was alone in bed, and the wind howled outside the window. A quick glance showed me the blizzard still in full force, reassuring me that Jae and I were in little danger of Raphael’s goons. At least for now. Yawning, I stretched, luxuriating in waking in a real bed, with sheets and blankets, and the sound of soft singing coming from the kitchen.

  “How did I get so lucky?” I muttered, climbing from the bed.

  Shoving my legs into my jeans, I padded barefoot and shirtless into the kitchen, unable to halt another enormous yawn from cracking my jaws. Jae looked up from frying something that smelled awfully good. “I’d say good morning, but it’s afternoon now.”

  She had showered, and her damp hair spilled down her back. Putting my arms around her waist from the back, I nuzzled her neck, breathing in her fresh, clean scent. “What’s for lunch?” I inquired, kissing her cheek, then resting my chin on her shoulder.

  “Ham and potatoes,” she replied. “Go take a shower while I finish this.”

  “A shower,” I breathed. “What a luxury.”

  “Yeah, well, you still sorta stink,” Jae said with a grin. “Just a little.”

  “You should have said something last night.”

  “And spoil the moment? Never.”

  “Sorry.” I dragged my hands through my shaggy red-gold hair. “I thought I was clean.”

  Turning, she kissed me. “Stop fussing, Declan. Just go shower.”

  Yawning again, I stretched my arms over my head as I ambled down the tiny hallway to the bathroom, the steam from Jae’s shower still lingering. Undressing, I ran the hot water. Given my life on the streets, I generally bathed in cold water, so washing in hot was something akin to heaven. I scrubbed my body and my hair twice, then finally turned the water off.

  Drying myself in the steamy bathroom, I dressed again, brushed my hair with Jae’s brush, and discovered breakfast, or rather lunch, was on the table. Jae fixed us plates, which we took to the sitting room to eat while seated on the couch.

  “This tastes so damn good,” I told her, my mouth full of the hot food.

  “My mom taught me to cook,” Jae answered, devouring her own with forkfuls. “My sister, too.”

  “Do you still miss them?”Jae hesitated. “Every day.”

  “I wish I knew my family. Sometimes, I dream of a woman I think is my mother.”

  She watched me; her head tilted to one side. “I believe we can see real people, in real time, in our dreams.

  “As in, that really was my mother, and she saw me the moment I saw her?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I don’t believe that,” I replied, cleaning every crumb from my plate. “Dreams are just one’s imagination running in high gear.”

  “Does she talk to you?”

  I stopped and swallowed. Without looking at her, I nodded.

  “What does she say?”

  “She tells me it’s time to come home.”

  Jae sat up; her expression eager. “That has to be your mom. Declan, she’s calling to you.”

  Setting my plate aside, growing angry, I stood up and paced to the window. Watching the blizzard outside, I snapped, “Then why did she give me up? Why didn’t she keep my siblings and me?”

  “You don’t know what happened,” she answered, retrieving my plate and taking both to the kitchen. “Maybe she was forced to.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  I gazed down to the street where nothing moved except the snow. It had piled up in deep drifts in some places; in others, the asphalt showed through. White humps indicated where old rusted wrecks lay buried, and I suspected it would be days before anyone dug out of their homes. “I hope you’re well stocked with food,” I commented. “Or we’ll be eating each other.”

  “Mmm,” she replied with a naughty grin. “That sounds like fun.”

  I laughed, and my brief anger passed. “I’m serious, Jae. We’ll be stuck here for days.”

  Returning to me, Jae wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned against me. “As long as the power stays on, we’ll be fine.”

  “I’m surprised it hasn’t gone out.”

  Punching me lightly in the belly, she groused, “Don’t jinx us, dummy.”

  Together, we stared out at the blizzard, which showed no signs of blowing out. “If Chad and I hadn’t found you, where would you be right now?”

  “In one of my hidden homes,” I replied absently. “I stockpile food and wood in them, so while I might have gone a little hungry, I’d survive. They’re
mostly all underground, so the blizzard couldn’t harm me. I’ve gone through them before.”

  “I can’t imagine you living like that,” she said.

  “Like what?”

  “Like a damn badger in a hole,” she snapped. “That’s not how civilized people are supposed to live.”

  “Civilized people aren’t supposed to be ruled by brutal shifters like Raphael,” I replied. “But we are.”

  “Chad is right about one thing, though,” she admitted, nibbling her lower lip. “If we tried to escape in a storm like this, we’d die.”

  I sighed. “I know. We still have to find a way out. We can’t wait for spring.”

  Jae suddenly laughed. I glanced down at her, quizzical. “What?”

  “Barry the Blade is now buried in that creek. Raphael may not find him till spring.”

  “Yeah, that may help us out for a while,” I replied with a grin. “Maybe he’ll think ole Barry ran off with his taxes.”

  “Wouldn’t that be great?”

  Jae went to the kitchen to wash the dishes while I continued to stare out the window. Would I really have survived this in one of my lairs? While I had survived many storms since I left the orphanage, none were as savage as this one was. While I guessed some of the drifts were easily six feet deep, that wasn’t a true indication of how many feet of snow had fallen on the city.

  “Quit staring out the window and come sit down,” Jae ordered me.

  I obeyed her and joined her on the couch. “What will we do to pass the time?” I asked.

  Jae grinned. I laughed. “Besides that.”

  “I don’t know,” she answered, propping her elbow on the back of the couch and watching me with those huge hazel eyes. “I’m always working, and when I’m not, I’m sleeping.”

  “I’m so busy just trying to survive,” I said, grinning, “I don’t know what to do with food in plenty, and no need to run for my life.”

  Picking up a book Jae had left on a small table beside the couch, I glanced through it. “What does this say?” I asked, pointing at a word.