Hearts Unleashed: A Limited Edition Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Collection

by C. D. Gorri

  It was after midnight, and she still couldn’t sleep. She jerked in fear when a soft knock sounded on her door, and it took her a moment to realize she wasn’t at her old pride. No one called out for her, and she wondered if it was one of the females checking on her since her bedside light was still on. Either way, Sora was hesitant when she opened the door just enough to see who was waiting outside.

  She gasped softly when Maverick stood there, just as he’d been every time they’d seen each other; larger than life and sexy as hell. Her cougar rumbled inside her chest. The need to touch him sent a shiver through her body. He was her mate…he was her future.

  “Sora, can we talk?” Maverick asked as his eyes shifted from icy blue to gold and back to icy blue.

  “Sure,” she replied, opening the door wider and taking three steps back so he wasn’t close enough to touch her. “Is everything okay?”

  He took a seat in the highbacked chair by the door and motioned for her to take a seat on the bed. Sora tightened her inner thighs, scenting him again. If she could climax from just his scent, having him in the room was going to be her demise.

  “I’ve been thinking about what little you’ve told me about your old pride,” he began. “I know it’s late, but I need to know what your father taught you about being an alpha.”

  She chuckled darkly, “Maverick. My father beat the shit out of me whenever I did anything he thought was related to being an alpha. Yes, I have the genes, but I don’t have the knowledge.”

  “Jesus…fuck,” he groaned. “Do you even have your powers under control?”

  “Powers?” she frowned. “You mean like talking to my pride?”

  “Well, that’s part of it,” he said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he sat on the edge of the chair. “Sora, there are a lot of things you should’ve learned by now with having the alpha gene.”

  Maverick looked confused.

  “I was never taught, because my father thought he’d eventually have a son, but my birth was too much for my mother and she passed. I ended up being his only child. Because I was a female, it made things...harder.”

  “Harder, how?” he pressed.

  “I think I’ve explained myself clearly enough already,” she defended. “Can we move past that question? It’s a hard limit for me.”

  Chapter Eight

  “I understand.” Maverick nodded respectfully, but on the inside, his cougar was prowling. Her father had hurt her because she was a female.

  Just the thought of a male hurting a female…even his daughter…sent his animal into a rage. His eyes shifted and he bit back a curse when his canines thickened in his mouth. He had to be aware of his anger, because he felt his pride’s panic roll across his skin. He sent out a calming magic and a message to his Guardians to stand down. There was no threat to the pride.

  “Sora,” he sighed. “I would like for you to join my pride and take my blood when you are ready. I know that touching me will change us both in more ways than just a bond to my pride.”

  “We would mate,” she reminded him. “I don’t even know you, Maverick, but as your cougar already knows, we are bonded…or will be once we touch. I can feel my animal pacing, begging me to take your blood in more ways than just to tie me to this pride. It wants a blood bond as a mate and a sacred shift once we are one.”

  “Being an alpha, and a mate to an alpha, comes with a lot of responsibilities,” he admitted. “I don’t want you to decide that tonight. You’re exhausted, and I can see the dark circles forming under your eyes. Rest. Talk to me tomorrow. I should be in my office after breakfast. Please bring your grandmother to eat with the pride in the morning.”

  “I will,” she agreed and hid a yawn behind her hand. His heart ached that she wasn’t rested, and because they were not mated, he couldn’t care for her.

  “Get some rest, and I will see you tomorrow,” he ordered as he stood, watching as she slid down the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “Until tomorrow.”

  “Until tomorrow, Maverick,” she whispered as her eyes closed on their own, sleep claiming her before he even reached the door.

  Once he closed her inside, Maverick waited a moment to be sure she was secure before heading back to his quarters, trying his hardest to forget how he’d climaxed to the vision of the beautiful shifter female only an hour earlier.

  It was late, but he had enough on his plate to keep him awake for hours. It was after one in the morning before he finally gave in to his exhaustion, but it was seconds later when he opened his eyes to the bright morning light.

  Looking at the clock, he cursed at only sleeping five hours. He climbed from the bed and dressed, ready for another day. It was almost fall, and he knew the gardens would need tending and the pride would be preparing for the upcoming winter.

  When he reached the kitchen, the females of the pride were making breakfast as the males were waiting to be fed. Most of the Guardians were already there, dressed and ready for their shifts. Half of them would be working at the warehouse where his company resided, supplying construction supplies for the area, and the others would be harvesting the gardens while the females worked to prepare and store their food for the winter.

  His company was a very lucrative business, and between the Guardians and other males in his pride, they made enough to keep his extended family cared for and thriving. It was his job as the alpha to keep them fed, clothed, and housed.

  Two of the female pride members worked in the office, invoicing the companies who used Quinn Construction Supply for their buildings. The coming weeks would be extra busy as builders hurried to finish their projects before the snow and ice came for a few months before early spring.

  “We have six trucks arriving today, and I’m taking Jack and Evan in with me to help unload the pallets,” Vance MacLaughlin announced as Maverick took his seat. “Will you be in the office today?”

  Vance was his warehouse manager, and even though he was a Guardian, Maverick needed him at the business. He was the eyes and ears of the pride while out in the human world. Because their secret was no longer a secret, and the humans had known about them for almost eight years, now. Even though they were welcomed, there was always a hate group who wanted them dead or another shifter breed who could come for them to fight for their lands. Currently, they were safe, and no one had come forward to protest their existence, but that could change in an instant.

  “I will be by around ten,” Maverick advised as he accepted a plate from one of the elder females who cared for his home full time. “Thank you, Mabel.”

  “Yes, alpha,” she smiled as she turned.

  “I have to meet with Sora and her grandmother this morning,” he replied, hoping like hell his mating scent behaved. When he didn’t scent himself, he dug into his plate and watched as the three males filed out of the dining room. It wasn’t long before the front door closed and they were off to town.

  As much as he wanted to check on Sora’s grandmother to ensure she was comfortable and healthy, his focus was on the alpha female. She wasn’t aware of the power she could possess. There would be a time, later on, after she took his blood, that he would spend as much time as possible training her in her powers. The thought of her father’s neglect and abuse had his cougar prowling just under his skin.

  He scented her before she ever walked into the kitchen with her grandmother at her side. His body tightened, and he heard his chair scoot across the floor before he realized he was standing there waiting for them to arrive. A female took his empty plate and moved carefully out of the way as the two new females entered the dining area. Sora and Maverick locked eyes, but no words were spoken for a few seconds as he drank in her beauty.

  “Katrina, please take a seat,” he offered, pulling out a chair for the elder female. “Ella will bring you a plate. Sora. Please, sit.”

  “Thank you, alpha,” Sora’s grandmother replied. She looked much healthier than she had when they arrived, and he relaxed just slightly as the
two females were seated and a plate of food was put in front of each of them. Ella turned toward him with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

  “I have to go into the office today, but if you two need anything, anyone here can help you,” he offered.

  “Office?” Sora asked. She hadn’t touched her food yet, and the need to provide for her made his eyes flash in her direction. He held back an order and a growl.

  “I own a construction supply company in town,” he began. “We have a busy day with several trucks arriving. The area is hurrying to finish their building projects before winter settles in to the area.”

  “Do you need any help?” she asked. “I can drive a forklift.”

  He wasn’t expecting her reply, and he tried not to be aroused at her offer. She was strong in more ways than only her mind. If she’d only been taught to be an alpha, she could move mountains, he thought.

  “I thank you for the offer, but we have extra pride members going in to help,” he said. “I’d like you and Mrs. Hudson to get acquainted with the pride this week. You’ve had a long journey, and there are several people who’ve been waiting to meet you both.”

  “Okay,” she conceded, taking a sip of her coffee. “Will we see you tonight?”

  “I will be home around six,” he promised. “Dinner should be ready then. I’ll have evening meal with the pride.”

  She nodded and looked at her plate. Her grandmother made small talk with Mabel as he said his goodbyes. He didn’t look over his shoulder as he left the kitchen, but he could feel Sora watching him as he left. He liked the feel of the female’s eyes on him as he left her in the care of his family…his pride.

  Chapter Nine

  Sora spent the day meeting all of the female pride members, and she tried hard to remember their names, but there were close to twenty of them. They didn’t fault her for not remembering, and she found a few her age who were already mated to the Guardians. And speaking of the Guardians, the ones she saw were working to harvest their gardens. They mentioned their names, and she actually remembered the ones who were already mated, but only because their mates had personally introduced them. They didn’t stay for long, returning to their work.

  Gran had gone to her room after lunch to take a nap, and after she woke, Sora found her sitting in a rocking chair someone had brought to her room.

  “Come sit and talk with me, child,” Gran ordered. When Sora saw the gleam in her eyes, she knew what was coming.

  “If you have me here to talk about my alpha status, or Alpha Quinn, I already know what you’re going to say.”

  “You do, now?” Gran raised a brow.

  Sora chuckled a little and wiped a hand over her face. “My cougar wants to take his blood, but for a different reason. He is probably my mate.”

  “Probably?” Gran laughed. “Sweet child, I may be old, but I’m not blind. I surely haven’t lost my sense of smell, either. I can scent you both a mile away when you are close to each other. That alpha is your forever, and with your alpha genes, you two will be unstoppable.”

  “That’s what I’m feeling,” Sora replied. “I like him. He’s a good male…alpha. Gran, this is all new to me.”

  “It shouldn’t be,” Gran growled low in her throat. “I always hated your father for how he treated you. When you were younger and he didn’t give you the time of day when he should’ve been teaching you how to hone your power and lead a pride, your grandfather and I would keep you busy, taking you in when our daughter passed.”

  A tear rolled over her weathered skin. Sora started to rise, but Gran waved her off. The death of everyone they ever knew was hard, and it still hurt to remember the last few months. But she couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a child due to the birth of their grandchild.

  “It’s going to be okay now,” Sora promised, coming to kneel at her Gran’s side anyway. “We have a new home, and it’s beautiful here. I don’t know how I know, but I feel it. This is where we belong.”

  “With Maverick?” Gran asked, leveling her eyes on Sora. The knowing look in her eyes couldn’t be missed.

  Sora nodded. “With Maverick.”

  “Will you at least take his blood and work on the mating?” Gran asked.

  In their world, matings were met with joy and excitement. There was an old saying, Mating comes first, but with time, love will follow. It was true, and Sora had seen it many times. When a shifter finds their mate, their scent never lies. When they touch, something magical happens to connect them. Once they formally mate, marking each other with a bite during sex, they are considered married in the eyes of the pride.

  “I’ll think about it,” Sora promised. “Maybe he will have time to talk to me tonight.”

  “I think that male will make time for you any time of the day, dear,” Gran replied, looking up at the clock. “In fact, he should be home soon. Dinner will be ready at six. Why don’t you change into something nicer and curl your hair?”

  “Gran,” Sora growled, looking down at her tight jeans and hoodie. “I’m not ready to come out of my shell just yet.”

  “Okay.” Gran shrugged as she stood from her rocking chair. “If you say so.”

  Sora rolled her eyes where her Gran couldn’t see and huffed to herself, turning for her room as soon as they made it to the hallway. She found herself doing exactly as Gran had suggested, adding a little curl to her hair and changing out of the hoodie and into a tank top with a beige cardigan to match. She was still going to wear her sneakers.

  The moment she entered the main living room, the front door opened and Maverick came in, looking tired from his workday. There was dirt around the bottom of his jeans, and his shirt was speckled with dried mud where he’d obviously been doing some type of work outside.

  “Sora,” he greeted, but his voice was as tired as he looked.

  The mating scent they carried filled the air, and she had an urgent need build inside her to care for him. She didn’t even realize it until she opened her mouth. “Maverick, you look exhausted. Do you want to take your meal in your quarters after a shower?”

  He smiled warmly and she saw his eyes flash gold. His cougar was near, and she saw his thick canines when he moved closer to her. “That’s very kind of you, but I always eat with my pride.”

  “I’m sure it’s almost ready.” She glanced at the clock. “You have enough time to rest a little.”

  “I’ll take a shower and meet you at the table,” he agreed. “Please take the seat to my left.”

  With his request, he turned down the hallway toward his office, taking the stairs at the end of the hallway to his quarters. Sora watched him as he walked away, just as she’d done that morning when he had left for work.

  She tried not to think about his tall, muscular frame. Or his dark hair. Or his scent.

  “Sora, dinner is almost ready,” Mabel interrupted her thoughts before she could analyze the alpha any more.

  “Coming, Mabel,” she called out, turning away from where Maverick had disappeared.

  When she entered the kitchen, the long table held at least twenty seats. She knew there were more pride members than chairs, and she wondered if some of the small cabins she’d seen the other day were married couples who chose to live outside of the home.

  One by one, females and males entered from their rooms in the mansion. She hadn’t had a chance to even begin to find her way around the home, yet. It was very large and had several rooms. Eventually, she would know the home, and the names of everyone in the pride, but for now, she was more focused on Maverick.

  The chair at the head of the table moved out of the corner of her eye, and she looked up to find him taking his seat as the males were being served. She wanted to help the women who cooked and provided for the pride, but when she started to stand, Maverick made a noise in his throat. She started to ask him what his problem was, but remembered her manners.

  “Sit, Sora,” he mumbled under his breath. “The females will serve you.”

  �
��I could help,” she whispered, feeling a bit out of place. She’d always helped serve her pride with the other females and her Gran.

  “We will discuss this later,” he stated as Mabel set down a plate in front of her. “Eat.”

  Sora didn’t mind the order from Maverick. In fact, she liked it more than she should. Her cougar’s hackles raised just slightly, but she pushed her animal away and picked up her fork and knife.

  As she ate, he watched her for a moment before being distracted by one of the young children at the table. The little girl couldn’t have been older than five, and her eyes kept changing from blue to the golden color of her little cougar.

  “I shifted today, alpha!” she cheered.

  “That’s wonderful, Lillian,” he replied. The little girl giggled and ran over to her mother and climbed in her lap, accepting a bite of chicken from the female’s plate.

  A yearning deep in her gut froze Sora. She had never thought about having children before, but she’d also never been in the presence of her mate, either. Taking another bite of food, she focused on her plate and ignored the sounds around her. It was too soon to be thinking of touching the alpha and having his cubs.

  Or was it?

  “Sora?” Maverick’s deep voice startled her from her thoughts.

  “I’m sorry, what?” She frowned, looking toward the head of the table.

  “I asked how your day was and what you did,” he obviously repeated.

  “Oh, it was wonderful,” she answered. “I met so many of the pride today. Your Guardians are worthy males.”

  “Thank you. We take our training here seriously,” he mentioned, nodding toward some of the males she’d met earlier in the day. They were done with their food, waiting for their mates to finish and follow them back to their rooms or homes.

  “Who lives in the cabins?” she blurted, remembering seeing them.