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

by C. D. Gorri

  Every evening at six and eight, the place would be packed with visitors taking them up on their special drink offer. Half an hour later, things would be quiet again.

  She glanced at the clock on her computer. Five-thirty. It was time to help Kaci get ready for the rush.

  A few tourists had already wandered into the bar, their blue wristbands indicating they’d leave with the first tour group. Kaci had set up a row of black plastic cups across one side of the bar and was filling them with ice as Amber lifted the hinged section of the counter and joined her. A cylindrical cooler filled with premixed hurricanes sat to her right, and she grabbed a few cups, filling them with the red liquid.

  As she set them on the bar, her head spun, and an overwhelming feeling about her employee seeped into her soul. “Kaci, are you mated?”

  She laughed. “Not hardly. I’m not even dating anyone.”

  Amber nodded. “You’re about to be soon.”

  “Really?” Her eyes sparkled. “Is it Cade? God, I hope it’s Cade.”

  “I didn’t know you liked him.”

  “Who doesn’t? He’s the hottest shifter in the pack.”

  Not anymore. In Amber’s eyes, Noah held that title now. “I don’t feel like it’s Cade, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be. Keep your mind open, though.”

  Within minutes, people packed the bar, filling every seat and most of the floor as they waited for their tours to begin. She and Kaci served drink after drink, ran credit cards, and made change until the final tourist strolled out the front door.

  “Whew!” Kaci wiped the counter with a dishrag. “Those tours are getting more and more popular.”

  “They won a few awards this year, so they’re getting a lot of free promotion.” Amber pulled bottles of light and dark rum from a cabinet and began mixing the drinks for the next rush when a man with long brown hair and a stocky build strode through the door.

  “Welcome to O’Malley’s.” Kaci beamed a smile as he approached, and his gaze locked on her.

  “Amber?” He stopped at the bar and rested his hands on the surface.

  “That’s me.” Amber brushed her hair from her face and moved toward him. “How can I help you?”

  The guy looked like it pained him to tear his gaze away from Kaci to look at her. “Hi.” He glanced at Kaci again before continuing. “I’m Judd Wilson. Your father contacted me and suggested I stop by to say ‘hello.’”

  Not again. She really needed to have a conversation with her dad. Now he was sending them in unannounced. What was next? A guy showing up in a tux with a ring in his hand? “It’s nice to meet you, Judd, but I’m afraid you’ve been sent here under false pretenses. I’m not in the market for a mate.”

  “I see.” He couldn’t seem to stop his gaze from flicking to Kaci.

  “I hope you didn’t drive far.” Amber lifted the flap in the counter, ready to escape to the back room. She didn’t need any kind of empathic ability to see what was happening between Judd and Kaci. This was a fate-bound bond forming.

  “I came in from Lake Charles.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to stay and have a drink or two on the house. Kaci will take care of you.” She winked at her bartender and slipped into her office.

  Damn. She didn’t realize Kaci would find her mate that soon. And at only twenty-two years old. She was a lucky girl.

  Two hours later, when Amber returned to the bar for the second rush, Judd was still there, making heart eyes at Kaci as she prepared the drinks. The man exuded love. There was no doubt in Amber’s mind Kaci was his fate-bound, and seeing the joy it brought him…knowing the happiness he’d feel for the rest of his life…Amber’s resolve to not mate with a shifter unless his wolf claimed her solidified.

  So what did that mean for her and Noah?

  After the rush, Kaci began to wipe down the bar, but Amber took the rag. “Why don’t you take off early? I’ll close up tonight.”

  Kaci bit her bottom lip and glanced at Judd. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” She leaned toward her and whispered, “I’m happy for you.”

  When Kaci left, Amber retrieved her laptop from her office and sat at the bar. It was a weeknight, and no festivals were going on, so the rest of the evening would be slow. She occupied herself with work to keep her mind off her current predicament, but she couldn’t stop her thoughts from wandering to Noah. Even with closing time approaching, she remained at the bar, pondering what to do.

  “Hey, Amber. You’re working late tonight.” Odette sashayed through the front door, carrying a big cardboard box. Her curly black hair spiraled down to her shoulders, and she wore her signature colors, purple and black, to honor Baron Samedi, the Voodoo spirit who guided her.

  Amber closed her laptop and lifted a half-empty mug of beer. “Not really working. I wasn’t ready to go home.” Truth be told, she was hoping Noah and the hunting party would stop by for a drink when they were done. “What do you have for me? That looks like more than I ordered.”

  Odette slid the box onto the bar and took the seat next to Amber. “I brought you some swag to give to your customers.” She pulled out a stack of coasters and a small cardboard box. Tape sealed the edges, so Amber tugged her trusty Swiss Army knife from her pocket and sliced it open to find shot glasses with the distillery’s logo, a skeleton wearing a top hat, painted on them. Odette was James’s mate, and she ran the popular rum company, The Baron.

  “Thanks. These are great.” Amber wiped the condensation off the side of her glass.

  “James told me about what happened with Noah. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m fine. I just… I didn’t expect…” She didn’t expect to nearly be eaten by the magical beast who was supposed to make Noah fall instantly in love with her. “When you met James, how long did it take before his wolf claimed you? Was it immediate?”

  Odette returned the swag items to the box and pushed it away before swiveling on her stool to face Amber. “That was a special circumstance, what with the reincarnation business and all. It took him a while to sort it all out.”

  Amber sipped her beer. “Once he did figure it out, when he knew you were his fate-bound, did you feel it too?” She’d never thought to ask a shifter’s mate what it felt like to be claimed. Based on the way Luke and the others talked about it, and how giddy Kaci was with Judd, she assumed the feeling worked both ways. But after the way Noah’s wolf terrified her, she couldn’t imagine feeling any kind of connection to the beast, no matter how desperately she wanted to.

  “I knew he was the one before he did, but again, that was due to our circumstances.” She smiled knowingly. Through her Voodoo priestess, Odette had done a series of past-life regressions, so she knew she’d been with James in previous lifetimes. “I don’t think it feels the same as it does for a shifter. You and I don’t have a second soul to guide us like they do, but I do sense a connection like no other. It feels as if a cord runs from my core to his, tethering us. An unbreakable bond. But I’m a Vodouisant, and you’re a werewolf. It might be completely different for you.”

  “Hmm.” She drained the rest of her beer. Aside from being terrified of Noah’s wolf, her feelings for him hadn’t changed since he shifted. The connection she felt to him was simply a woman falling in love with her best friend.

  Odette placed her hand on top of Amber’s. “Give it time. Your case is unique as well. Most shifters have known their wolves for ten or fifteen years before they claim a mate. Noah only met his yesterday.”

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t have expected him to claim me the moment he came into existence. He’s not a baby duck. I have to be patient.”

  “Your ability doesn’t give a glimpse into how it might work out?”

  She laughed. “Sadly, I’ve never had a premonition about myself. And Noah…” She shook her head. “I sensed change coming for him, but my emotions get in the way when it comes to him. I should have warned him.”

  “I’m sure you did what you thought was rig
ht.” She slipped her purse strap onto her shoulder. “Even if his wolf doesn’t claim you, y’all have a lifetime of friendship behind you. That’s the best foundation for a relationship I can imagine.”

  Amber shook her head. “I could never do that to him. If he doesn’t claim me, I’ll have to end it.” And then she might have to take her mother up on her offer of having that party. She shuddered at the thought of being put on display for other packs, but it would be better than the random ambushes her dad was planning.

  Odette stood. “If you want to stop by the temple sometime, we can leave an offering for Erzulie, the loa of love. She might help you.” Loa were Voodoo spirits. They weren’t gods, but they did have the power to help people in situations like this.

  “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” She slid off her stool, preparing to take the box to the storage closet when her head spun for the second time that evening. She pressed the heel of her hand to her temple as the familiar sinking sensation brought on another empathic premonition. “Whoa.”

  “Are you okay?” Odette placed a hand on her shoulder.

  “There’s going to be another murder.”

  *.*.*.*

  Noah ran beside Luke, twigs crunching beneath his paws as his wolf pushed his body to its limits. He’d shifted easily, his beast coming to the surface on command as if he’d been there his entire life. Following commands from the alpha was another story.

  Luke stopped abruptly, his ears pricking as he gazed at a pair of gators lying in the mud near the water’s edge. Noah started toward them, his wolf eager for a fight, but a growl from the alpha signaled he should wait. They’d already hunted. He’d satiated his hunger, but electricity hummed through his veins, the urge to engage with the potential prey overwhelming him.

  Crouching, he began his advance, and Luke’s growl turned into a snarl. The alpha had issued an order, and Noah had to obey. He fought for control, wrestling with the wolf in his mind, but the beast refused to listen. He continued his pursuit.

  Luke leaped in front of him, blocking his path and snapping at his face. The alpha’s teeth grazed his muzzle, and Noah growled against his will. Luke growled in return, exerting his dominance until finally, Noah’s wolf surrendered. With a whine, he lay on his belly and watched as the gators disappeared into the murky water. Luke shifted, and Noah tried to follow suit, but his wolf wouldn’t release control.

  “Return to human form,” Luke commanded.

  Noah clawed his way to the surface and was finally able to shift. Hanging his head, he stood before his alpha. “I’m sorry. I swear it’s not me disobeying you. I don’t know why my wolf won’t listen.”

  Luke walked up the path toward his truck, and Noah followed. “You still can’t sense my thoughts? No form of telepathy at all?”

  “None. I’m going off body language and instinct.” He climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door. What the hell was wrong with him? All he’d wanted his entire life was to be a shifter, and now that he had a wolf, the damn beast was out of control.

  “I’ve never heard of anything like this.” Luke started the engine and pulled out onto the road. “But that doesn’t mean it’s never happened. I’ll call the congress to see if a case like this is on record somewhere.”

  Noah grunted. “Can we wait a week or two and see if it fixes itself? I don’t want the entire werewolf population knowing what a screwup I am.” It was bad enough when he was a rare twin who couldn’t shift. He didn’t need the added humiliation.

  Luke shook his head. “If this goes downhill, it’s my responsibility as alpha. Issues like this are required to be reported. I’ll contact my father. He’ll be discreet.”

  “Thanks, man.” Noah rubbed his forehead, cursing himself silently. He had to get his wolf under control, not just for himself, but for his pack.

  Luke’s phone rang from his pocket, and he dug it out before pressing it to his ear. “Yeah.” His jaw clenched, his fingers curling around the steering wheel in a death grip. “Where?” He blew out a hard breath. “I’m on my way.”

  He dropped his phone into the cupholder. “That was Cade. There’s been another one. A Vodouisant this time. Heart ripped out like the others. Can I count on you to keep control?”

  Could he? Not really. No. “You know I’ll do my best.”

  Luke nodded, but his expression was grim. They parked in front of a bar on the outskirts of the city, and he killed the engine. “We can’t chance your wolf going rogue during a fight.”

  “Understood.” Noah climbed out of the truck and followed the alpha into the woods behind the bar.

  Cade met them beneath a massive oak tree a few yards away. “It’s back here. The beast had the decency to drag his victim away from prying eyes this time, but it won’t be long until the smell draws attention.”

  “He’s getting smarter,” Luke grumbled as they made their way toward the body.

  The previous corpses had been discovered right in the middle of the French Quarter. No one had witnessed the actual crimes, but the gargoyle-like demon Noah and Cade had found in the cemetery had to be responsible.

  James and Chase stood over the victim, and Chase gestured to the chest wound as they approached. “Looks like claws, same as the others, but check this out.” He moved to stand at what was left of the woman’s head.

  Noah exhaled sharply as he took in the carnage. The skull had been pierced in multiple places, as if by claws, and the eyes bulged from their sockets. “Are we sure the same creature did this? The woman I found last month didn’t have this kind of head wound, nor did the werewolf we found in the street.”

  “The second victim did,” Luke said. “Do you know if the police have been contacted?”

  “Not yet. I believe we’re the only ones who know,” James said. “I called Odette. She’s on her way to identify the body.”

  “What brought you out here?” Luke moved around the body, examining it. “This isn’t the normal patrol area.”

  “Amber called,” Cade said. “She sensed something was going down in the area, so we came out to have a look.”

  “The wounds look fresh,” Chase said. “I’d say this happened less than an hour ago.”

  Noah ground his teeth, a strange sensation of jealousy churning in his gut. It was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help wondering why she chose to notify Cade over him. He’d never been jealous before. Could this be his wolf beginning to claim her? He could only hope.

  “When she couldn’t get ahold of you,” Cade said to Luke, “she went down the chain until she reached one of us.”

  The tightness in Noah’s chest eased. As a former non-shifter, he didn’t have a place on the call chain. Of course she wouldn’t contact him about this. It was pack business, not personal.

  “Do you think we’re dealing with the Grunch?” James asked.

  “I’m not positive,” Luke said. “But based on the information we’ve gathered, I assume so.”

  Noah gazed at the mangled body lying in the dirt. If Nylah really did find the Thropynite, the creature might have gone after her first. His connection to his sister and Amber’s insistence that she was still alive were the only things keeping him from fearing she’d met the same fate.

  The sound of a branch breaking drew their attention to the east, and Luke held up a hand indicating they should wait as he crept toward it. Shuffling sounded, and the bushes rustled like something was attempting to escape.

  “Shit. Let’s go.” Luke transformed into his wolf, and the others followed suit, darting into the trees.

  Noah stood there squeezing his fists, fighting the urge to shift, Luke’s words echoing in his mind: We can’t chance your wolf going rogue during a fight. He took a deep breath to steady himself and ran into the woods behind them. But as he approached and found his pack encircling the same stone-like creature he’d encountered before, he couldn’t simply stand aside and watch. He had to help, so he shifted and joined the other wolves.

  The creature smelled like a de
mon, of rotten garbage and sulfur, but it lacked the signature red eyes that most possessed. Its skin was gray and cracked, and blood stained its crooked mouth. Not mildew like he’d originally thought.

  Luke lunged, snapping his jaws at the creature’s flesh, but the demon was too fast. It teleported, shooting deeper into the woods.

  The alpha grunted, and the others bobbed their heads as if they had received a message. But Noah’s wild wolf heard nothing. He’d be of no use to them if he couldn’t follow orders, and he didn’t know the plan without the telepathic bond he should have shared with his packmates.

  The wolves fanned out around the creature, lunging and snapping, but the beast bounced from position to position, always out of their grasp.

  Noah reached out with his senses, trying to manipulate the energy around him, but in his wolf form it seemed he couldn’t access his telekinetic ability.

  Come on, buddy, he said to his wolf in his mind. Give me back control.

  He struggled, his wolf battling him for dominance. The beast did not want to let go. The fight continued in front of him, but he focused inward, willing his human side to come to the surface. His wolf snarled then let out a pained yelp. Cade swung his head around to look at Noah, and the demon used the distraction to his advantage, swiping his massive claws into Cade’s shoulder and knocking him into a tree.

  Fuck. He shouldn’t have shifted. In this form, he was nothing more than a hindrance. Cade scrambled to his feet and limped away from the fight to heal, while Noah forced his wolf to grit his teeth, biting until he tasted blood. His body hummed, and though his wolf dug in his claws, trying with all his might to hold on, Noah beat him down and shifted to his human form.

  Holding out his arms, he gathered the energy around him, sending out an invisible wave of force and freezing the massive demon to its spot. Luke attacked, sinking his teeth into its side, and Noah released the fiend, allowing the alpha to drag it to the ground.