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

by C. D. Gorri

  “Sora’s home in Washington has been vandalized,” he began, sending out what calming powers he could muster toward the males. With an alpha’s power, he could feel the emotions of his pride, just as they could feel his own. “They burned her family home to the ground, and the sheriff needs her there to survey the property. I need you two to go with my mate and protect her with your lives. I also want to know if this was done by a human or shifter.”

  The males could scent better than any detective. They’d know immediately if it was human or a rogue shifter group coming through the area. He didn’t have to look at his Guardians to know they were thinking what he was implying.

  “If it’s wolves, I want you to get my mate out of there immediately,” he snarled, his eyes glowing with his orders. “Protect her.”

  “Yes, sir,” they both vowed, placing their hands over their hearts.

  “Gather your things, and I will schedule your travel,” he continued. “I will make sure you are covered with everything you need from the time you leave here.”

  On their nod, Maverick dismissed them and started looking for flights to the nearest airport to Packwood. He wished he could send them with a bulletproof car and a thousand Guardians. Sora was that important to him.

  The only enemies they had were wolves. They’d never bothered the pride, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. Wolves had been rogues for thousands of years, and as far as he knew, most of them still were to that day. There had been government help in some of the more affected areas, but they still couldn’t round them all up.

  It was their alpha’s fault. Many years ago, the wolf alphas were bad, the worst of their kind. They fought packs and took them as their own, forcing their tainted blood on their kidnapped members. An alpha could calm an entire community, or order them to destroy. Those alphas chose to be rogues and their packs were feral. They moved around like gypsies and left a trail of destruction in their wake. Maverick just prayed that wasn’t the case for his mate’s home.

  Once everything was booked, he followed their mating scent to his quarters where he found her packing her small backpack, tears streaming down her face. She wasn’t making any noise to indicate she was crying, but the proof was there.

  “Come,” he ordered and opened his arms. “Cry it out here so you can stand tall once you leave our pride.”

  “Oh, Maverick,” she cried, finally giving in. He held her for the longest time, wishing he could take the pain from her heart. As her alpha, he could ease her, and he did so slightly. When someone was grieving, it wasn’t fair to force them to not feel. No alpha would do that to his mate or his pride. “I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’m sending two Guardians with you, and they will help you. I am only a phone call away, too,” He kissed the top of her head. “The insurance company will give you options on what to do about the house and land after the police do their investigation.”

  “I’m glad you know what to do,” she said. “I just hope I can salvage it enough to sell. I don’t want anything to do with that land anymore.”

  “I know,” he whispered and held her for a little longer. She would be gone from him for no more than five days. He couldn’t be without her, and he didn’t want three of his people to be away from the pride for that long. They were young and healthy enough to stay away a little longer without the fear of them becoming weak without him, but Maverick booked the flights, car rental, and a hotel with a five-day turnaround in mind.

  He needed his new mate returned to him safely.

  “Your flight leaves early in the morning. You should eat and get some sleep.” He urged her to clean up and join the pride for evening meal. So much had happened since they had come out of their room after lunchtime. The middle of the day had gotten away from him.

  There was a hush over the pride, and he tried to send them all calming energy, but they were still concerned. Females gathered around Sora as they entered the large kitchen for the meal, but she broke away after promising them she was okay.

  Sora had insisted he give her a few extra minutes to fix her hair and face before she showed herself to the pride. Regardless of her lack of knowledge about leading a pride, he did notice that she did things with the pride in mind…just like an alpha. Alphas never let their pride see them crumble. It brought too much pain to their people. Sora had them in mind when she wanted to put herself together before dinner. If the females had seen her tear-streaked face, they would’ve worried, and the males and Guardians would’ve become protective. Evening meal would’ve been a loss, and he would’ve had to send everyone away to calm down.

  When they finally made it downstairs, she looked every bit of an alpha and an alpha’s mate. Holding her head high, he escorted her to the table where she took her seat to his left. Yes, the pride was still quiet, but they were eating and the cubs were behaving.

  After the meal, they returned to their quarters, and Maverick tucked her against his chest as she fell asleep. He said a prayer to the gods to return her to him safely.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Vance and Levi drove Sora to the airport early the next morning, and they were in the air by the time the sun came over the horizon. The flight took most of the day, and the moment they landed in Washington, she felt the weight of her old life smothering her. It was time to return to her original home and figure out what had happened to it and to see the sheriff about his investigation.

  Vance picked up the expensive SUV at the airport and opened the door for her to climb inside. She’d waved off their offer to take her backpack and tossed it in the back seat while the two Guardians took the front. She rambled off the address and sat back while they drove from the airport to her land.

  Just referring to that land as hers sent a chill down her spine. She hated it there, and to be perfectly honest, she was glad the house was destroyed. Memories made in that home were worth burning to the ground.

  She missed Maverick already.

  After checking into the hotel, the Guardians made sure the door between the two rooms was unlocked in case something happened to her during the night and they could be there for protection. Sora thought it was a little overkill, but she didn’t complain. Her mind was more focused on what she needed to do.

  It was after four in the afternoon when she arrived at her old land. Just hearing the crunch of the gravel under the tires sent disgust through her body. She didn’t let it show, hoping the Guardians didn’t feel her unease.

  The sheriff and insurance adjuster were already on site, inspecting the damage. And she gasped when she saw what was left of her old home…or what wasn’t left. It was nothing but a blackened mound of debris. None of the structure survived.

  “Sora,” Vance called out. “Stay close to us until we scent the area.”

  “I will,” she replied and watched as the sheriff approached the vehicle. “This is Mark. I’ve known him for a long time. He is very shifter friendly.”

  “Good,” Levi grunted as he opened the passenger door.

  Sora waited for Vance to get out. The two males greeted the sheriff, who looked a little confused. She didn’t wait for the Guardians to open her door before she decided to get out. It was her home, and she had to know what they’d found.

  “Mark,” she greeted, standing back as he moved toward her…only to stop dead in his tracks when both Guardians moved in front of her.

  “You can’t touch her,” Vance growled.

  “Oh,” Mark realized quickly. “She’s mated?”

  “She is,” Levi responded. “She is our alpha’s mate.”

  “I guess congratulations are in order, Sora.” The officer bowed his head slightly. “You deserve that, and I’m truly sorry I had to have you come back here. Come and talk to Charlie. Your insurance guy has done all of his work but wanted to speak to you while you were here.”

  “What have you found?” she asked. The time for pleasantries was over.

  “We haven’t found anything other t
han the fire was intentional. The inspector’s report showed an accelerant was used all over the house. Do you know of anyone that might have done this?”

  “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “As you know, my father was a quiet man. He didn’t have much to do with the outside world unless it was for business.”

  “Did he owe anyone money before he passed?” the sheriff pressed.

  “Mark,” she sighed. “You know he never involved me in anything dealing with the pride or the business.”

  “I was hoping you had something we could go on,” he said.

  “Sora, I have a few questions for you as well and some paperwork I need you to read over and sign.”

  The Guardians relaxed as Charlie and the Sheriff moved to Mark’s cruiser and set a clipboard on the hood of the car. Both human males stayed on one side while Sora used the vehicle to keep a safe distance. The Guardians relaxed and gave her a knowing look. They were going to give her space and walk around the property to see if they could scent anything that could help. In other words, they were looking for the scent of rogue shifters.

  As she listened to the insurance adjuster tell her the home was a total loss, and all the options she had for the land, Mark watched the two males move around. The sheriff knew what they were doing, and he let them.

  “We can reimburse you for the house once the case is closed, or we can rebuild. What is your preference?” Charlie slid the clipboard over and showed her the numbers for the home. She swallowed a lump in her throat at the price. It was well over what she thought the house was worth.

  “I’m not coming back here, Charlie,” she began. “My life is in Missouri now. I…”

  She froze when she saw the Guardians hurrying to her side. They’d put on the gloves used when they had to touch a mated female, and Mark barked out a warning. The Guardians, who were twice his size, rushed past him.

  “Sora, in the car, now!” Vance’s face was half shifted and her cell phone immediately rang. She didn’t answer it right away but knew it was Maverick.

  “Wolves?” she asked, her eyes wide.

  “Yes, and they’re still close. Now, go!”

  There was a commotion as everyone grabbed their things. Packwood was a small community, and they all knew of the dangers that could befall a shifter pride. Mark was very knowledgeable about the rogue packs and was calling for backup when Vance and Levi locked her in the SUV. Vance was in the driver’s seat in an instant and they were speeding away from her home the next.

  Her phone blared again, but she couldn’t retrieve it from her pocket as the SUV was shifting left and right down the winding road leading out of town.

  “What is that? In the woods to the right of the road?” she said, pointing up ahead.

  “Fuck,” Vance snarled as he slammed on the brakes. There were three wolves, hiding…waiting. When they stepped out into the road, Vance and Levi whipped the vehicle around, but there were two more behind them.

  “What do they want?” she barked.

  “They want your land,” Levi cursed and opened his door. There was no way around it. The Guardians were going to have to fight, and it was two on five. Sora prayed there weren’t any others waiting to ambush them.

  The phone continued to wail, but she wasn’t going to answer it. She knew what she had to do. There was no way Levi and Vance could take them on by themselves. “I’m shifting, too.”

  “No!” they both barked.

  “You’re not doing this alone!” she ordered, feeling something magical stirring deep inside her. Strength…anger…power.

  The power swirled around her as her body began to shift. Sirens could be heard off in the distance, but what was about to happen couldn’t be stopped by the police. This was shifter business, and the sheriff knew that. He would have to be there for backup, and Sora prayed none of them got hurt.

  Before Vance or Levi could stop her, she started stripping off her clothes. She would need them later. Her body shimmered and her cougar ripped from her skin, standing tall and strong. A roar ripped from her animal’s throat, warning the wolves of what was coming for them.

  The Guardians were shifted and at her side in an instant. Sora let the animal lead as the magic inside her grew. The muscles in her animal’s body tightened and prepared for the fight. She knew she was going to feel the burn from touching them when she killed them, but it had to be done.

  One black wolf lunged toward her, his teeth snapping as he flew through the air, but her cougar moved to the left to avoid impact. Levi’s cougar attacked the wolf and ripped his throat out before it had a chance to come back toward them.

  Even though the enemy was laying at her Guardian’s feet, the others didn’t care. As one group, the four remaining wolves attacked, and that was when she felt something break free inside her mind. It was a power like she’d never known.

  Her eyesight sharpened, and her body swelled, growing in size. There was a powerful need to protect her pride and slay the enemy. When the smaller gray wolf came at her, she unleashed her claws and lunged for the male, ignoring the burn of pain when she went for his throat, tearing it from his body and rejoicing as it fell limp at her feet. She was in too much of a frenzy to care that its blood was dripping from her face as she was attacked by another wolf.

  The sirens stopped, but her human mind heard Mark call out for his men to stand down. They had blocked off the road, and officers were heading into the forest with weapons to look for others.

  She was hit in the side by another wolf, knocking her on her side. Pain bloomed in her ribs, but her animal was too angry to let it stop her from fighting. There were two left, and Levi was at her side, standing over her for protection while Vance roared his victory with another black wolf.

  The last remaining one leveled its head, staring right into her soul. It was the alpha. The reason why her home had been destroyed. Her cougar snarled at her Guardian, moving him out of the way. Vance came to her side as Levi took her flank. She shifted, not caring about her nudity.

  “Who are you? Why are you here?” she ordered, feeling the power inside her swirl. The pain of touching the males burned like she’d touched the fire with her bare skin, but she was too angry to let it break her down. “Shift! You son of a bitch!”

  The wolf shimmered and a male, tall and filthy with a dark beard stood where the wolf had been. “We are claiming your land, lady alpha.”

  “The fuck you are,” she replied.

  “We’ve already destroyed the home,” he chuckled. “You left it to be taken, and we want it. You may have killed four of my men, but I will make more.”

  “I’ll fight you to my death to keep that from happening,” she warned, taking a step toward him. Levi and Vance growled their disapproval, but they didn’t know Sora was already trained in hand-to-hand combat. She’d learned from some of the older females in the pride who’d taught themselves in secret and against her father’s wishes.

  “So, you’re the alpha,” he laughed. “Females should be birthers…not fighters.”

  “Well, you’ve just met one who doesn’t live by those rules anymore,” she huffed. The wolf would goad her until he was ready to strike, but she wouldn’t give him the chance. She knew how they worked, mentally confusing you until they found your weakness. They were the ultimate narcissist.

  She used her cougar’s strength and launched herself into the air, shifting mid-flight. The wolf alpha saw her coming and shifted to give himself an advantage. It didn’t work. Her animal rolled him over as the burn started in her paws. The pain only made her strength increase. Anger over pain drove her need to rid the earth of this rogue alpha.

  His wolf bit into her shoulder, but she didn’t feel the pain. Levi and Vance ripped the wolf from her, but it didn’t stop her from going for his throat. The Guardians moved away at the sound of her dismay at their interference, but stayed close enough to help should she need it.

  She didn’t need it.

  Before the wolf alpha regained his foo
ting, she was on him…sinking her canines into his throat as the animal’s claws raked down the belly of the alpha, spilling his insides on the pavement. The satisfying sound of his throat being ripped from his body made the cougar rejoice.

  The moment the alpha’s body fell to the ground, Sora shifted and rolled to her side. She was covered in blood and her mouth, arms, and side were on fire. She didn’t cry out…she couldn’t. The power was still affecting her. Like a live wire under her skin, she felt and scented everything…felt everything. It was obvious she’d found her true nature back at the place she’d left it…Washington. Gods, she hated it there.

  “Sora?” Vance bellowed, coming to her side. He laid a wool blanket over her that scented of the sheriff. It must’ve come from his cruiser. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

  “No,” she panted. “Just give me a minute. The burn is awful.”

  “It won’t go away until you get home, but the healer sent us with a sedative,” he offered, holding up a syringe. On her nod, she felt the pinch of the needle as he stuck it in her arm. “Just get me home.”

  “Yes, alpha,” she heard both males say as the sedative began to work. She closed her eyes and let it work. She was lifted and carried to the back of the rented SUV. The next thing she remembered was waking up a few hours later in her hotel room. The Guardians were waiting with their bags.

  “If you can shower, we will sedate you as soon as you are done. Maverick has a private plane waiting for us to use.”

  She fought against the pain and washed the blood from her body. Once she was dressed, they injected her again, and she finally accepted the relief and sleep, knowing she would be with her mate the next time she opened her eyes.

  Chapter Sixteen