Winter Tails: A Limited Edition Winter Shifters Collection

by Fox, Piper

  She was beyond beautiful. The wonder in her eyes, the moans coming from her throat, nearly sent him over the edge.

  Again and again, he thrust his hips as she moved her body. They found a rhythm between them, a dance that they both knew by instinct but never shared until now.

  And then their movements grew in tempo, faster as they each sought that release, that moment of ecstasy and joy.

  Patrick held back as long as he could, not willing to experience his pleasure until he knew she’d found hers. The first tremors that shook her gave him all the encouragement he needed.

  She shouted his name as she orgasmed, her inner muscles clenching him, tightening around him in the most delicious of ways. He pumped into one last thrust before joining her in their release.

  “Jo… Oh, Jo…” He whispered her name as her body continued to milk him, her orgasm continuing long after his was complete. Through it all, he caressed her, touched her in ways he hoped pleasurable, whispered words of love and encouragement as she rode him.

  At last, she fell, spent into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder, nestled against the length of him, her hair splayed over his bare skin.

  This moment between them, sharing their love for each other in such a physical, intimate act, brought tears to the corners of Patrick’s eyes.

  For the longest time, he didn’t think he’d ever find happiness again.

  Until now.

  “When I left my home and my boys several days ago, I thought I was running away from something. Turns out I was running to you. We have a lot to talk about. A lot of catching up to do. But first, I need you to know… I love you, Jo. I never want to be parted from you again. What we have together is special. It always has been. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner.”

  She made a mewling sound deep in her throat, a noise that made his tired body stir again.

  “I know, Patrick. But I’m glad it worked the way it did. We had to live our lives this way to get to this moment right now. The good and the bad. It’s made us who we are.”

  “You’re right,” he said with a contented sigh. “You’re absolutely right. I love you just as you are. And we’ll deal with whatever comes our way. Side by side.”

  He felt her smile against his chest as he played with her hair. She tilted her head until she could face him.

  “You make me so happy, Patrick. I love you.”

  And then she kissed him again.

  The End

  * * *

  Thank you for reading! Enjoyed Patrick and Jo’s story? Be sure to leave a review! Love paranormal shifter romances? You can read Patrick’s son’s story in Loving Boone. And don’t forget to get your FREE copy of Night of the Full Moon, a steamy short paranormal romance.

  About the Author

  Tricia Schneider is a multi-genre romance author. From werewolves, vampires and witches to wicked pirates and sexy aliens, she weaves sensual stories where happily-ever-after is a guarantee. She believes there is a book for everyone. A sentiment she gained after years of working as Assistant Manager and bookseller at Waldenbooks. After the store closed, she turned to writing full-time, publishing paranormal, historical, fantasy, sci-fi and gothic romances.

  Tricia lives in Pennsylvania with her four children and two rescued cats, Harley and Cassius. When she’s not typing away on her laptop, she’s riding shotgun in a ’67 Impala while keeping her eyes open for a madman in a Big Blue Box.

  Join Tricia Online

  http://www.TriciaSchneider.com

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  Tricia’s Romance Reader Newsletter

  Read More of Tricia’s Books

  The Merriweather Witches

  The Witch and the Wolf

  The Witch and the Vampire

  The Witch’s Thief

  The Witch’s Kiss

  Cougar Shifters

  Loving Boone

  Tempting Benjamin

  Claiming Cody

  * * *

  The Pirate’s Lady

  Ice Princess

  The Mermaid

  Her Haunted Valentine

  Anthologies & Collections

  Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology

  A Wink and a Smile Anthology

  A Kiss and a Promise Anthology

  Stolen and Seduced

  A Cursed All Hallows’ Eve

  A Winter Kiss

  Curse of Christmas

  Holidays Bite

  Love Bites

  Alien Embrace

  The Thrill of the Chase

  Elvira Bathory

  About The Thrill of the Chase

  Declan Fairfax has been fascinated by the animals of Madagascar all his life, so when his animal science professor picks him for the zoological expedition there he’s thrilled. He’ll finally have the chance to study the mysterious Cryptoprocta Ferox.

  Declan thought he was ready, but a scant two days into the expedition he suddenly realizes how wrong he was. In just one night, his world is upended. With a single bite, his life as a common, garden-variety human is over. And as a consequence, so is his expedition.

  Once home, he struggles to hide his condition from his fiancée, Tamara, fearing she’ll think him a freak but when his animal side comes growling through, she surprises him with her understanding.

  In an effort to manage Declan’s shifter side, the couple brings in his best friend, Christian, who just happens to be a Were-Lynx, and as the trio work together, their friendship grows closer and hotter.

  Unable to fight their mutual attraction, the trio's relationship moves to the next level. But will the heat of the moment stay with them forever...or sear them beyond healing?

  Chapter 1

  Declan Fairfax lifted his head and took in a deep breath, testing the air. Catching the scent, he was searching for, he took off in the general direction of his prey. He loved hunting; the thrill of the chase and the feeling of exhilaration that ran through his veins causing his blood to sing. Declan wasn’t sure how his animal cousins felt when they hunted, but when he was in his Fossa form, he couldn’t get enough of stalking his prey. Though the current hunt wasn’t for food or survival, he couldn’t help himself from enjoying the chase, nonetheless.

  Tamara Bones heard Declan moving in the trees and looked up. It never failed to amaze her how well he could climb when he was in his animal form. Though she had asked him numerous times, almost begging, he would never let her see him as a Fossa. It didn’t deter her from playing the cat and mouse game he loved so much every time they were at his cabin together, in spite of not being able to see that one side of him. Tamara knew that Declan could smell her desire but there was nothing she could do about it; so, she tried to blend in with the bush she was hiding behind. She tried to keep out of the glow of light shining down from the full moon above and hoped that she might be able to win the game this time around.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Declan called out softly, so he didn’t disturb the nocturnal creatures that were also hunting.

  Tamara held her breath as she heard how close her mate was. She should have known that she wasn’t going to be able to win a game of hide and seek against a Were. But that didn’t mean she had to give him the satisfaction of coming out of her hiding place and conceding defeat. The rustling of leaves overhead let Tamara know that Declan was in the tree above her. Giving her no choice but to hide elsewhere, she moved quickly, making sure not to trip over the roots that had broken free of the earth.

  “You’ll not find me that easily, my love. Not this time,” Tamara shouted as she ran through the brush.

  Declan chuckled, “Much more of a challenge than the last time we played, my heart. But if that is how you want to lose tonight, I’m more than happy to oblige you.”

  Leaves fell as he leapt to the next branch, following the sound and smell of his mate. He could feel his excitement mount as he played the cat to her mouse. The desire to claim her grew as he chased his prey, lookin
g forward to what would happen when he caught her. Tamara had always been a good sport when it came to his peculiar tastes in bedroom games and Declan was glad of it. This was especially true since he’d come home with his new affliction. He heard her laughter as she ran through the woods behind his house and he followed the sound as his keen eyes searched the night for movement.

  Tamara slowed to catch her breath and called out, “You won’t catch me this time, Declan. I will win this night. While the end result is always fun, I’m tired of losing. Sometimes I think it unfair that you shift before you hunt me.”

  Declan saw movement to the right of the tree he had perched in as he replied, “Ah, but that is why I give you a head start, dear heart. So that you have time to hide before I do hunt you. Let’s not forget that my senses are heightened even in my human form, so I’m sure I would still be able to win our game even if I didn’t shift. It’s just much more fun this way. Not to mention the fact that I must shift at least twice a month or else the magic takes over and the choice is no longer my own.”

  She could hear the mirth in his voice and knew that she had been found. She ducked behind a tree, still trying to catch her breath, and wishing upon one of the many stars above her head that she was wrong. Leaves fell in her hair and she looked up into the bright brown eyes of an animal that looked like a small cougar. Gasping, she pressed herself against the trunk of the tree and watched as the animal’s round ears twitched, discouraged that she had once again lost a game of hide and seek against her lover. There was a human intelligence in those eyes that studied her, and Tamara was certain that she was looking at Declan in his Fossa form. She moved away from the tree and watched as he made his way slowly down, his eyes never leaving hers, taking in the appearance of his animal body. His body was long and sleek, like that of one of the big cats of the world. His head was mongoose-like in appearance with a muzzle that was broad and short, much like a dog’s. The eyes were set relatively wide apart and when he blinked, the pupils contracted to slits. Declan jumped onto the ground from the lowest branch and Tamara’s attention was drawn to the tail that was twitching. It was long, like a monkey’s, and was moving slowly back and forth like a cat would before pouncing. She’d never seen a Fossa in her life, hadn’t even known they existed before she’d met Declan, and was mesmerized by the beautiful cat-like creature.

  “This is why I didn’t want to show you this part of me. Please will you kindly stop staring?” Declan said in embarrassment.

  Tamara jumped slightly, her body breaking out in goosebumps.

  It was unnerving to have an animal talk to her, but she recovered quickly, “Oh sure! Sorry, my love, I didn’t mean to stare. It’s just that you are such a beautiful creature.”

  She looked over his shoulder to the tree behind him, “Just how high up were you?”

  Her skin tingled as Declan changed into his human form so close to her and the magic surged to engulf her lover’s body.

  He followed her gaze up the tall tree, “Pretty high up there. I gotta say, I may have to do some more research on Fossas. I keep finding new abilities in that form.”

  Tamara laughed, turning to look at her mate, “I wasn’t aware that you’d quit researching them. After all, you were taking animal science when we met. You’ve always been fascinated by the animals of Madagascar and were studying the mysterious Cryptoprocta Ferox before you came home with the ability to shift into one.”

  She tilted her head to the right, as if something had just come to her, “You know, you never did tell me how you became a Were, and such a rare one at that.”

  She moved closer to him, running her hand along his naked and slightly sweaty chest.

  He grabbed her hand as it made its way further down and pulled her towards him, “It’s not something I like to talk about much. Not only because it ruined my one shot at studying in Madagascar and living my dream, but because I still don’t fully understand what is happening to me and why. Maybe someday I’ll tell you all about it, but today is not going to be that day.”

  In a swift move Declan embraced his mate, crushing her against his body as he claimed her lips in a possessive and passionate kiss that took her breath away. Tamara followed his lead as he gently pulled her to the ground with him. Once their bodies met the soft grass their kisses became more insistent and their hands began exploring each other’s bodies. Tamara moaned in protest when Declan stopped kissing her and pulled away, her arms reaching out for him. Watching him adjust his position, still looking at her, at his prey, her moans soon turned to those of pleasure when he returned his lips to her body.

  Starting at her neck, he moved his lips over her body in a deliberate and determined manner. Declan began stripping away her clothing, one piece at a time. Every inch of her skin that was revealed was met with his lips setting her nerve endings on fire. Dragging his fingers over her smooth skin, taking his time to elicit the soft moans and mewls from her lips, even as his own body was filled with excitement, he wanted to make every moment last tonight.

  Once she was completely naked, he sat back and looked at her, “You are so beautiful, my love. Even more so with the soft moonlight shining upon your pale skin. I believe I will take my time tonight.”

  Tamara held her arms out, “I think that is a wonderful idea, my heart. We should take our time tonight and enjoy each other as if today was our last day on Earth.”

  Declan shook his head with a smile, “As much as I would love to cover your body with my own, I want to do so much more first,” he said as his smile turned more mischievous.

  “You have such a glorious body that I just have to explore; with my mouth,” he placed a soft kiss on her neck.

  “My teeth,” he nipped her collar bone, dragging his teeth to elicit a moan from her lips.

  “And my tongue,” he finished as he slowly lapped down her cleavage.

  He ran his finger sensually over her right breast, moving his touch slowly down her side, “I want to taste you, Tamara, and I want to make you scream my name before I ever slide my throbbing cock inside of your pussy. I want you dripping and begging me to enter you.”

  Tamara squirmed in anticipation as Declan leaned forward and lightly licked her left nipple, bringing it to a tight peak. Whispering softly, his lips moving against her breast with each word as his hot breath wafted over her nipple, “So hold on tight, dear heart, because we’re about to find out just how much foreplay you can handle in one sitting.”

  He gave her a wink, the gleam in his eyes obvious as he returned to raining kisses down the front of her body, leaving a scorching trail from her neck to her breasts. Slowly circling her right nipple with his tongue until it also stood at attention, he sucked it into his mouth and bit down softly, nibbling just a bit before moving to the other side to repeat his actions. Satisfied That he had given her breasts the attention they deserved; he moved his kisses down her body until his senses were overwhelmed with the desire that was coming off of her in waves.

  Declan moved to position his body between Tamara’s body, gently spreading her thighs a bit further apart. Looking up to watch her reactions, he gripped her thighs as he brought his mouth down to her pussy. Letting out a slow warm breath he watched her squirm, then flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue. Tamara’s breath caught in her throat once more as she fought her instinct to move, knowing that she wouldn’t get far with the strong grip Declan had on her thighs. He inhaled deeply appreciating the scent of his mate’s excitement as he chuckled low in his throat before playfully biting the inside of her right thigh. The feel of his teeth grazing over her sensitive flesh caused her to writhe and try to break free of his strong grasp despite knowing that doing so would leave bruises.

  He smiled up at her, “This is going to be so much fun. Are you ready, my love?”

  Without waiting for her answer, Declan began lapping at the juices that were already flowing from her pussy. Tamara began to writhe more urgently, and her breathing was coming in short pants as she fought to hold
her orgasm at bay. When he began to focus solely on her clit, she broke free of his grip on her thighs and slid away from him, only to have him grasp her thighs harder and pull her back towards his eager and waiting mouth. Tamara knew that she would have bruises in the morning, but she didn’t care. She could feel the orgasm begin to crash over her in waves and she cried out in pleasure, begging him not to stop.

  Declan looked up at her, his face glistening with her juices and a twinkle in his eye, “Do you need a break before I continue?”

  Tamara knew he was only teasing her and that it didn’t really matter how she answered, but she nodded her head anyway as she tried to catch her breath, “Yes, please. I don’t think I can handle anymore right this second.”

  He covered her body with his own, slowly entering her with his rigid cock, “That’s too bad. There is no stopping tonight, my heart. I want you too badly.”

  She said nothing as her hips rose off the ground to meet his thrust, her body taking all of him without resistance. She loved the feel of him filling her up after he brought her to orgasm with his tongue and was looking forward to whatever else Declan had in store for her.

  Chapter 2

  As the two of them were getting dressed, Tamara looked over her shoulder at the tree they were standing under, “How high did you say you had gotten again?”

  Declan chuckled as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, “High enough to see you running through the woods trying to stay hidden from view.”