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

by C. D. Gorri

  “You are—” He doubled over, clutching his stomach and groaning.

  “Noah?” She gripped his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know.” As he straightened, he swayed, knocking his hip against the rail and nearly tumbling over into the water below.

  Amber grabbed his arm, tugging him back onto the bridge. “Is it your stomach? Your head? Tell me what I can do.”

  “It’s everything. It’s…oh god.” He doubled over again, this time landing on his hands and knees.

  “Noah!” She knelt beside him, resting her hand on his back as he heaved in a breath. “I’m calling an ambulance.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “No ambulance.”

  “Can you walk to the truck? We need to get you checked out.” She tried to help him to his feet, but he waved her away.

  “I don’t think this is a medical issue.” He groaned, digging his nails into the concrete.

  “What is it then? A spell? A curse? Talk to me!”

  “I don’t know!” He coughed hard. “I don’t know what’s happening.”

  “I’m calling Alexis.” She tugged her phone from her pocket and dialed the pack’s healer, her hand trembling as she pressed the device to her ear. “Please pick up. Please pick up.”

  She answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

  “It’s Amber. There’s something wrong with Noah. Can you come to the stone bridge in City Park?”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. He’s on his hands and knees on the ground, groaning, and he said it doesn’t feel like a medical issue. Maybe it’s a spell? Can you bring Rain too?” Chase’s mate, Rain, was a witch who’d recently helped undo a spell that had wiped another werewolf’s memory. Surely between her and Alexis, they could fix whatever was wrong with Noah.

  “Put the phone on speaker so I can talk to him.”

  She did as Alexis asked and held the phone toward him, her heart wrenching as Noah let out another groan.

  “I need you to describe how you’re feeling,” Alexis said. “What kind of pain is it?”

  “It burns,” he said through clenched teeth. “It’s like acid in my veins.”

  “Amber, check his eyes. Are they dilated?”

  “Noah, can you look at me?” She placed her hand on the side of his neck and lowered her head to meet his gaze. “They’re constricted like pinpricks.”

  “Oh, shit,” Alexis said.

  “Oh, shit? What’s ‘oh, shit’? Don’t say that.” Panic raced ice-cold through her veins. “What’s happening to him?”

  “Can you get him in the car? You need to take him to the hunting grounds. Now.”

  “Why?” She tugged Noah up by the arm. “Walk with me. C’mon, you can do this.” With his arm slung over her shoulders, she carried most of his weight as they trudged to his truck. He moaned, tripping over his own feet and nearly sending them both face-first into the dirt. She practically dragged him the rest of the way.

  “Alexis, what’s going on?” Amber helped him into the passenger seat before darting around to the driver’s side and climbing in.

  “Constricted pupils, doubling over in pain, blood that feels like acid… It sounds exactly like what happened to Bryce before his first shift. Apparently, the pain is normal if the wolf awakens later in life.”

  She started the engine and stared blankly out the front window. “Noah can’t shift.”

  “It sure as hell sounds like he’s about to, and if you don’t take him to the alpha, you might end up his first meal.”

  Chapter Nine

  Nausea churned in Noah’s stomach, an intense burning sensation pulsing through his body with each beat of his heart. He clutched the door handle as Amber sped down the highway, and he squeezed his eyes shut to ease the pounding in his head.

  “Are you okay?” Amber reached across the seat to take his hand.

  “No,” he ground out through teeth clenched so hard he tasted blood.

  “Alexis thinks you’re getting ready to shift.”

  “I heard.” He moved in the seat to rest his head against the window, hoping the cool glass would tame the fever threatening to burn him from the inside out. “It’s impossible.”

  Amber winced and returned her hand to the steering wheel. “There is a way,” she whispered.

  Noah groaned. She was right; there was a way, but in his current state of agony, he couldn’t add mental anguish to the pain.

  “If Nylah…” She swallowed hard.

  “I know.” If a first-born shifting wolf died prematurely, the second-born’s magic would be triggered, enabling them to shift. It was like a supernatural failsafe to ensure the pack had enough shifters.

  He clenched his hands in his lap, pressing his feet into the floorboard and lifting his butt from the seat as his muscles contracted. “Can you drive any faster?” Whatever was happening to him, it was about to reach critical mass.

  “We’re almost there.” She turned onto a side road.

  His stomach lurched, and he bent over, pressing his head into the dashboard as he groaned. This couldn’t be happening. He refused to believe Nylah was gone, yet he couldn’t deny the intense pull of the moon. With every breath he took, he felt the magic growing stronger until his entire body began to hum—no…to vibrate.

  The truck bounced as Amber pulled off the path and rolled to a stop. “I’m sure Alexis will be here soon.” She rubbed his back, trying to console him, but her hand on his body felt like an electric shock, setting his nerves on fire.

  “Ah, fuck.” The vibration in his muscles intensified, the burning acid in his veins melting his insides. Every nerve in his body screamed with pain as if he were being shredded into ten million pieces. It was happening. “Get out of the car.”

  “Noah…”

  “You heard Alexis. I don’t want to hurt you.” His body seized, the magic consuming him. “Run.”

  Amber’s breath hitched, and she reached a trembling hand toward the latch before sliding out of the truck. “I’m here for you, Noah. I know you won’t hurt me.”

  “I don’t,” he forced out a moment before his wolf came to life.

  *.*.*.*

  Amber froze, staring in awe at the magnificent creature lying in the seat. Copper fur covered his body, with a sprinkling of black across his shoulders, and Noah’s brown eyes gazed back at her. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered.

  Shifters retained their human thoughts and emotions in wolf form. While he couldn’t speak, he would understand her. His fur looked so soft, she couldn’t help herself. She reached a hand toward him, and his lips peeled back, revealing white teeth with a massive set of canines.

  She gasped and jerked her hand away. “Why don’t you come out of the truck?”

  A growl rumbled in his chest as he rose to his paws. He lowered his head in what looked like a predatory stance, but he was so big he would have hit the ceiling otherwise. He wasn’t growling at her. He couldn’t be.

  Still, she took a few steps back, moving out of the way just in case. When his growl turned into a snarl, her heart slammed against her chest.

  He leaped from the truck, twigs cracking beneath his massive paws as he hit the ground with a thud. He blew a breath through his nose, and she swallowed hard. Uh oh. His head was still down, his ears flat.

  “Noah, it’s me.” Her hands trembled, so she clenched them into fists at her sides. “It’s Amber.”

  He took a step toward her, and in his crouched position, he looked fierce. If she weren’t alone in the woods with no way of knowing what was going on in his mind, she’d have been in awe. But Alexis’s words rang in her mind: you might end up his first meal.

  Slowly, carefully, she moved away, not daring to turn her back to him. Leaves crunched beneath her shoes, the sound melding with Noah’s low growl like a warning. “Luke is on his way,” she forced the whisper through her thickening throat.

  He prowled toward her as she backed away. Oh, shit.

&nbs
p; “Your alpha is coming.” Gripping the side of the truck, she stepped on the tire and hauled herself into the bed.

  Noah’s growl intensified. Her pulse raced.

  She lifted her hands, palms toward him, as he stalked around to the tailgate. Come on, Luke. Where are you? If she were a shifter herself, she could have sent her brother a mental message. Werewolves had a sort of telepathy in their wolf forms. Of course, if she were a shifter herself, she wouldn’t be in this situation, about to become her best friend’s dinner.

  Noah rocked back on his haunches and sprang, landing in the bed of the truck, inches from Amber.

  “Noah, no!” she screamed and scrambled onto the top of the cab. “I know you can understand me. Your wolf’s instinct is to hunt, but the man should always be in control.” How many times had she heard her father say those same words when he was alpha?

  Noah knew the laws. He’d gone through training with Nylah when they were kids and everyone thought he’d be a shifter too. “Remember what you learned,” she said as she scanned the branches above, calculating which one would hold her weight if she jumped. They were all too high to reach.

  On her hands and knees, she inched backward before rolling onto the balls of her feet. As Noah rocked onto his haunches, preparing to lunge, her foot slipped, and she slid down the windshield onto the hood.

  A howl echoed in the distance, and as she peered through the glass, she saw Noah’s ears prick. He turned his head toward the sound and leaped from the bed of the truck onto the ground.

  Amber rolled off the hood as quietly as she could and gently tugged on the door handle. The clicking of the door opening and the light from the cabin drew Noah’s attention, and he spun around as she scrambled into the truck and slammed the door, hitting both locks and exhaling a curse.

  Something was wrong. It was as if Noah didn’t even recognize her. Like the man ceased to exist the moment the beast took over. Even the youngest, most inexperienced shifters had more control of their wolves.

  Another howl sounded, unmistakably Luke, followed by several others, creating a symphony piercing enough to make even Amber’s blood hum.

  Noah turned toward the trees as a line of wolves approached the clearing. Luke stood in the middle, the biggest of the pack, with caramel-colored fur. Chase, his second in command with sleek black fur, flanked him on the right, and James stood to his left. Cade, Bryce, and Alexis made up the rest of the crew.

  Luke held his head high and let out a commanding woof, followed by a low growl. Amber didn’t need their special telepathy to understand the alpha was telling the fledgling to stand down. But Noah didn’t follow orders. Instead, he stiffened, the fur on his back standing in a ridge, and he took a tentative step forward.

  The alpha growled louder, moving toward him while the others fanned out in a semicircle, trapping Noah between the pack and the truck. Noah snarled and snapped, and the pack tightened the circle.

  “What are you doing, Noah? You can’t disobey the alpha.” Luke would be fully justified in tearing Noah apart if he continued this insolence.

  A knock sounded on the glass behind her, and she squealed. She turned around to find Rain, an elemental witch and Chase’s fate-bound, tugging on the door handle. Amber reached across the seat and popped the lock, and Rain slid inside.

  “Chase asked me to come in case he was under a spell, but I guess he isn’t.” She tucked her dark, curly hair behind her ear and gave Amber a sympathetic look.

  “With the way he’s acting, I’m not so sure. He almost attacked me.”

  Her brow furrowed. “That doesn’t sound right.”

  “I know. I was hoping Luke could calm him down, but he’s acting like the man doesn’t exist at all anymore.” She turned her gaze back to the confrontation outside.

  Luke and Noah stood nearly nose to nose, the alpha calm and stoic, while Noah bared his teeth. Luke didn’t waver, and she could sense the dominant, patient vibes he exuded as he tried to get the wild wolf under control.

  But Noah wasn’t having it. He lunged, latching on to Luke’s shoulder and trying to drag him to the ground. The other wolves closed in, and Amber held her breath, praying to every god in existence that her best friend would survive.

  “He won’t kill him, will he?” Rain asked.

  “I hope not.” Her brother was a kind, just alpha, but he was still alpha. One out-of-control wolf could wreak havoc on the pack structure.

  Luke spun, throwing Noah to the ground, but he got back up and snarled some more. He lunged again, but this time, Luke caught him by the neck and sent him careening into a tree trunk. The wood cracked with the impact, and Noah hit the ground with a thud.

  The wolves circled him again, and again he rose to his feet, letting out an enraged howl. He barreled toward Luke, and they rolled over each other, snapping and snarling like they were fighting to the death.

  “Stop it.” Amber’s breath fogged the glass. “They have to stop.” She unlocked the door and threw it open.

  “Amber, no.” Rain clutched her arm, but she pulled from her grasp, sliding out of the truck and running toward the fray.

  “Stop it! Noah, stop. It’s Luke. He’s your alpha.”

  Noah jerked his head toward her and whined as Luke clamped onto his throat.

  “Luke, it’s Noah.” She clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Please. Both of you.”

  Noah whined again, and Luke loosened his grip.

  “Stand down,” she pleaded. “Please take control. I can’t lose you too.”

  Something sparked in Noah’s eyes, and as Luke released his hold, he bowed his head, tucking his tail and letting out a submissive whimper. Luke stood over him, tail high, chest proud, and Noah licked his muzzle, accepting his place in the pack.

  Amber’s breath came out in a rush as the other wolves relaxed their stances. Noah was safe…for now.

  She leaned against the truck, pressing her fingers to her temples. As much as she wanted to be sure he was okay, she didn’t dare go to him. He was docile now, lying on his stomach while Luke and Chase stood on either side of him, but Amber’s pulse hadn’t yet slowed to a normal rate. She had no idea if he was willingly compliant or if he was merely trying to stay alive.

  A smaller, sandy-colored wolf approached, and in a mist of shimmering light, Alexis shifted into her human form. She wore beige cargo pants with a black tank top, and her short blonde hair was tucked behind her ears. Rain climbed out of the truck to stand next to Amber.

  “Is he okay?” Amber’s hands trembled again, so she crossed her arms, tucking them against her sides.

  Alexis sighed, shaking her head. “His wolf is wild. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I was rogue most of my life.”

  “Is there any way I can help?” Rain asked. “A calming potion, maybe?”

  “We’re going to take him hunting,” Alexis said. “Hopefully once he’s fed, we can help him shift and figure out what’s going on. His thoughts aren’t on the same wavelength as ours. He can’t communicate in wolf form.”

  Amber nodded. “Will you bring him back here when you’re done? I’ll wait.”

  “Luke wants you to go home. He’ll be by to get your story later.”

  “Thank you.” Amber waved as Alexis returned to wolf form and bounded into the trees after the others.

  “I’m sorry about Nylah.” Rain rested a hand on her shoulder. “I never met her, but Chase said y’all were close.”

  “She was my best friend. Both of them were.” Amber smiled sadly, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She clutched the side of Noah’s truck to steady herself as a sinking sensation formed in her stomach. Another premonition was coming on.

  “Are you okay?” Rain asked.

  “I feel like…” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. It was impossible. “I feel like Nylah’s still alive.”

  Rain tilted her head. “I thought the only way for Noah to shift was if his older sibling died prematurely.”

  “T
hat’s the only way I’m aware of, but these feelings are never wrong.”

  “How…?”

  “I have no idea, but I’m going to find out.”

  Chapter Ten

  Alrick gazed at the Thropynite lying in his palm. The she-wolf had constructed a wire cage, attaching it to a chain she’d worn carelessly around her neck like an ornament. Had she no idea of this tiny shard’s worth? Of its power? At its simplest, it gave magical beings the ability to shapeshift…an ability no one but the gargoyles should have. In the hands of the powerful, it could be used to meld the souls of two beings. No one knew the true origin of the stone, but the Sect believed it had been around as long as the earth itself.

  He fastened the clasp behind his neck, letting the stone rest against his chest and relishing the extra magic it fed into his veins.

  “It’s only a matter of time now, brothers.” He lay a hand on each of the three other gargoyles’ shoulders in turn, checking their auras for signs of life. But the small piece of stone he’d retrieved from the she-wolf wasn’t enough to bring life to them all.

  Alrick was one of the originals, the first of his kind to be created. Later, the Sect discovered they had more control over their abominations if they used the Thropynite to create them, but then forbade them from having contact with it until they deemed it necessary.

  His brothers in arms came from the second batch of recruits, and he would need a much larger piece of stone to revive them. Like the one his witch destroyed when she left him.

  He gazed at the she-wolf, now in human form, lying unconscious on the bed his traitorous witch used to occupy. Her superficial wounds had nearly healed by the time he brought her into his home, but the blow to the head he’d given her when she resisted had knocked her out for two days. Now, she stirred.

  Her long auburn hair spilled out in a tangle around her head, and she had a sprinkling of freckles across her nose that reminded him so much of his witch, his heart ached to look at her. Perhaps she was nothing more than a witch herself and the stone had given her the ability to transform into a wolf. He would soon find out.