Shifter Legends (4 page)

She fought it, tried to fight it, but the longer it surged through her veins the weaker she got.

“Give in, Briana. You need to give in. Fighting it is only going to make it harder, baby. The first time is the hardest. The most intense. Let it happen. Let your Mountain Lion take over.”

She did. Screams erupted from her as her bones stretched and her body changed. She prayed for the pain to be taken away, for unconsciousness to take over, but it didn’t. She was witness to her transformation.

When it was over she was on all fours, her body covered in a caramel colored fur. Her entire perspective shifted as she shrunk down and her body lengthened out. She could smell everything. See everything. It was too intense.

She looked around for Grant, but he wasn’t there. He said he would stay with her.

You are even more beautiful in cougar form than I would ever have imagined.
A Mountain Lion with fur that was a dark caramel color stared back at her, his eyes glowing a bright icy blue.

Grant.

What am I?
She whispered inside her head, the words not forming in her mouth.

A Shifter. We shift whenever we want, but our first shift is always with the moon. No matter the type of shifter, we are connected to the moon.

You knew?
Does it always hurt?

Only the first time. Briana, I knew since the moment I met you. I knew you were the one. So powerful…

Wait, so you were only interested in me because I was powerful? What do you mean?

It isn’t like that, Briana. When we meet the right female for us… we just know. We don’t have time for this. We need to go. Follow me. You have a pride to meet.
Grant turned from her and ran, leaving her to follow.

Anger built up in her as she faced her choice. Rather than go with a man who claimed to want her, who mated her without her knowing, she turned and ran the other direction.

She had been told too many times what to do, or face the consequences. Well, not this time. No one would dictate her life for her.

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Fuck.
Grant ran through the forest making a beeline for the pride. He didn’t have time to chase Briana down and explain to her the importance that she come with him.  He had fucked it up, and royally. Book was going to hand him his ass on this one.

The Alpha was going to shred him into pieces. Second in command and no mate after ten years? He finally finds her and fucks it all up. What the hell was he going to do?

Grant ran alongside Route 212 at top speed in his cougar form until he spotted “The Sharp Tooth”, his bar. A row of bikes was lined up in front of the building.

“I see you have finally arrived, sir. The meeting is waiting for you.” Slimy greeted him at the door, a sardonic smile gracing his lips and a beer in his hand. By the smell of him it had to have been at least his fifth.  Motorcycle clubs were known for their drunken debauchery, and even this group couldn’t get away from the reputation.

The worst was when the drunk ass noticed how Grant had arrived. Alone.

Grant shifted out of his Mountain Lion form and into his human form, grabbing the robe that was in Slimy’s hands. Being naked in the pride didn’t matter, but Grant didn’t want to remind the rest of the pride of his well-earned second in command status. The tattoo that made its way down his left arm, a reminder of who he was and his well-deserved status as VP was a constant reminder.

“Thank you, Frederick. I will be there shortly.” He shooed Slimy out of the room, complimenting himself on resisting the urge to force the Omega to submit, and then walked confidently into the meeting hall.

“Finally, you grace us with your presence.” Book was not happy, but he tried not to show it. “Were you able to help her transition? Where is she? Bring her in.”

“She is mated and has transitioned. But she ran.”

“Dammit, Grant. I needed you to secure the girl. One of the most powerful shifters left in the world, and you let her go? Why didn’t you go after her?” Book leaned across the table, cigarette in hand as he took a puff and blew it out over him. He knew Grant hated that, he was just trying to push his buttons.

Shifters could turn anytime between the ages of 15 and 25. Briana was so powerful they could feel her a county over. Every pride, good or bad, must have been looking for her now that she shifted. Especially because her magic felt even stronger. Shifters with powerful magic were special, coveted. By mating Briana, Grant had brought her into his pride.

Grant growled, his anger boiling over into his Alpha state. “I wanted to give her a chance to calm down.”

 He may have been second in command, but his Alpha potential was clear. One day he would have his own pride, it was only a matter of time.

“We don’t have time for this shit, boy.” Book wouldn’t listen to what he had to say, his own powers heavily asserted.

Grant resisted. He was the more powerful Alpha, no matter who was in charge. “Make time. Because I will give her what she needs.”

“The pride is getting antsy, Grant. We need to make a move. Marco is not someone you want to let have the upper hand.” When in doubt, use reason and logic.

“I don’t give a shit if they attack us tomorrow. She gets what she needs. I won’t do it any other way, Book.” Grant barked back.

No one else would dare talk to Book this way, if they could manage it at all. The Alpha power of the two members was undeniable. Book allowed him, encouraged him. He was hardened, but he was no tyrant.

“You’re right, and if they see my second can’t even control his new mate, they may think it is time for a restructure. Find her. Convince her. We need her. You know the situation.” Book glared at him and put out his cigarette. The man knew how to glower, and it was especially effective with the rows of tattoos leading up his arms to his neck.

He did. A warring faction was preparing an assault. They were a formidable opponent, and had a flowing of power that Book’s faction did not currently match. Briana may very well be the deciding factor. It was why they had been monitoring her for close to a year, making their move as soon as she got settled as an adult.

Grant nodded at his boss and pushed the doors open to the bar, not caring that he wasn’t wearing any clothing. In fact, he enjoyed the attention.

Not everyone in the bar was a shifter, but most of them were, and most of the ladies knew exactly what he looked like, but every once in a while he wanted to give them a reminder. Tonight he just wanted to go upstairs to the shifter’s personal lounge to grab an extra set of clothing.  But he didn’t mind the stares he got.

He was a big bad biker, after all.

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“Come on, Briana. Let me in.” Grant paused and waited a minute, then added, “You have to let me in. You can’t stay away from me for much longer, the pull of your mate is calling.”

“Go away!” 5 minutes of silence until she was compelled to talk to him. Probably the longest any mate could go.

“Let me in, baby. Please?” His voice turned sweet in response to hearing her own. He needed to see her. To touch her.

Mates were linked, and if they shared the bond as equals they were connected in metaphysical ways. Together, they were stronger than any force, but apart? Apart they were weak.  Unable to think straight if the separation was prolonged. If one mate died, leaving the other to live life without them? Unbearable. It was a weakness, but it led to an over-all stronger pride. The strength of a mated couple, it was more important than anything.

The door creaked open, just a little. Grant stuck his boot in the door and wedged it open easily with the force of his strength. Briana sucked in a breath, shocked at how easy it was for him to push through her own resistance. If only she knew just how strong he was. She may never want to see him again.

 She was on the other side, her beautiful blue eyes staring at him. He could tell she was pining for him, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it. The bond had taken in both of them. A good match.

He covered the distance in mere seconds. He was quick, it was his power, and he used it now, overwhelming the young shifter as he wrapped his arms around her.

“I don’t want this, whatever it was you did to me. Take it back.”

“No,” He growled.

His mouth was on hers with a fever, their kisses exchanging in passionate bouts, one person taking control after another. The pressure of their flesh against the biting and tugging of teeth, it was just the feeling Grant needed. It erased all kisses he had before this very kiss. None of them quite stood up to this kiss.  

Now that she had shifted, her strength was immeasurable. The two of them fought for what they wanted, to be in control of the touch. She wasn’t as strong as him, but he wasn’t expecting it. Which is why he was taken off balance when she pushed him away.

She glared at him as she put up her hand when he tried to close the distance between them again.

“No, stop it. This isn’t what I want. How do I know this is me feeling it, and not this, this” She pointed to her scar, his bite on her neck.

“Does it matter? You feel it.” He reached for her again, desperation clinging to his voice, but she dodged him.

Briana hesitated, but stepped forward towards him this time, closing the gap on her own terms.

“It does matter, Grant. It matters because I want to be in control of my life.” She reached out and touched his arm, unable to keep avoiding contact with him. Her face softened immediately, the endorphins rushing to her brain.  He was right, she was just as connected as he was. He knew eventually he would win her over. She could not resist.

“No one is ever in control of their lives, Briana. I lost control of mine when I met you.” He threaded his fingers through her hair.

“I just, I need to think. I can’t think around you.” She shook her head and pushed away from him again. She was torn between her feelings and the warring thoughts going on in her mind. He had seen that look before, it was the futile resistance of a successful mating. She would succumb to it like every person before her. He welcomed the feelings, letting them rush through him, and he knew soon she would too.

“It is only going to get worse with me gone, baby. That is the way we work.” Grant couldn’t help it, he pulled her back into him and kissed her deeply. “I need you, baby. I need you now.”

He could see her give in, see those eyes roll back in her head as she finally consented.

Grant’s hands were over her body, grabbing at her and pulling her up onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist as he picked the sexy, curvy woman up like she was nothing. He growled, his eyes glowing as he carried her into the bedroom, setting her down on the bed.

He crawled over her, kissing her deeply before stripping off her clothing one piece at a time.

“Every bit of you, it is a part of me now.” He kissed her collarbone, and down her breasts as he looked up at her. “You and I, we are connected to one another. For eternity.”

He pulled his shirt off to reveal his muscular torso, each of his muscles hard and sinewy as he undid the button on his jeans and unzipped her pants, pushing them down. He couldn’t look away from her, she was too damn beautiful.

“You are mine, Briana. Mine. We belong to each other.” Grant pulled a condom out of his pocket before he took his boxers off. He sheathed his cock, letting her get a full view of it as he rolled the rubber out over that thick member.

“I need you now,” She repeated as she thrust her body up towards his, her breasts firm against his chest, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“God, you are hard to resist.” Grant gripped her hips and pressed himself against her, his throbbing cock meeting her sensitive opening, pushing through the threshold and into her hot pussy.

She moaned in satisfaction as he filled her up, giving her exactly what she wanted. Briana cried out as Grant braced himself and drove into her over and over again. Briana held on tight to his back, rutting against him, meeting each thrust with one of her own, their bodies grinding against each other.

It wasn’t enough for him to merely be inside of her, she wanted him to possess her. The passion only intensified; he couldn’t be close enough to her, couldn’t touch her firmly enough. He was driven by need, her hunger, her power, fueling his desire. Briana wrapped her arms around his neck and leveraged herself, helping him to move in and out of her as fast as possible.