White Doe [shapeshifter romance / romantic suspense] (8 page)

BOOK: White Doe [shapeshifter romance / romantic suspense]
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"
Mmmm." Chey tilted her hips against him.

He slipped inside her
… to nirvana.

*
* * *

She was
on the verge of orgasm when sapphire eyes shone through the sea oats. The form of an animal became clear. Deep chest, pointed ears and an unmistakable snout defined a huge wolf that loomed atop one of the dunes.

"
Baby?"

Shane
stilled, turning his head to follow her gaze just as the intruder vanished. She uncoiled her legs from his waist and he pushed her behind him.

She
'd never seen him so predatory. He raised his head and sniffed. "Stay here."  He growled.

He transformed and his
shrill cry echoed as he vanished into the night.

With a shiver,
she reached for her clothes. But fear for Shane won and she left them where they lay. The night became instantly clear as her powerful hind legs propelled her after him.

M
inutes later, she slowed as she spied two men in a thicket of trees on the other side of Highway 12. Both were naked. She shifted back to human form needing to comprehend their conversation.

S
he recognized Jim as Shane gestured angrily at his friend. Shifting back to human, she crept closer and listened.

"
What the fuck, Jim! You freaked the hell out of Chey."

Jim
seemed tense, but his words were calm. "I didn't mean to spy. I thought I heard a woman in trouble. You know how some of the guys get at these parties." His gaze fell. "When I realized it was you and Chey, I was about to leave. Then I heard others, so I shifted."

"
I'm not talking about spying, I'm talking about being a goddamned shifter." Shane paused. "You're a fucking wolf."

Jim narrowed his eyes
. "Works both ways, my feathered brother."

Shane exhal
ed.

"
Does Cheyenne know?"

She stepped from
hiding. "Yes, I do."

Jim
's jaw dropped. "Cheyenne?" His eyebrow arched. At that instant she transformed into a doe again and walked toward them. With a gentle hand, Jim stroked her head, his blue eyes widened.

Shane chuckled, patting her neck
. "Told you she was different."

"
This is the real reason you're worried about Dory's hunting expedition."

"
We think she knows. She might have seen us shift." Shane ensnared her by the waist as she returned to human form.

"
Sorry Cheyenne, Shane asked me to keep an eye on you, because of Dory.

She couldn
't ignore his muscular physique and nice package.
Geez, are all shifters gifted with porn-star cocks?

"
Is that why you were watching us, Jim?" Cheyenne asked with a teasing smile.

"
It wasn't intentional. I thought you were in trouble. By the time I realized you were with Shane," he shrugged, "people were approaching." He cleared his throat.

She
'd sensed his protectiveness since they met, but thought it was because of Shane.  Now she understood that Jim really cared about her. "It's okay."

"
She's just a little spooked at seeing a wolf who's our friend," Shane said.

"
Sorry." He kept his gaze off of her.

"
Your secret is safe." she said.

"
I've got your back, brother." Shane laid a hand on his shoulder.

"
Always." Jim nodded. "I should go." He morphed into a beautiful gray wolf and disappeared into the forest.

"
You didn't know about him?" she asked, trembling from the encounter.

"
No, and I wasn't going to share your secret, but…" His lips brushed the top of her head. "Now, he knows why I'm so concerned."

"
I always felt there was something mysterious about him."

"
A woman's intuition." Shane sighed. "It's good that Jim knows…In case…" His adam's apply bobbed.

Cheyenne
had never considered the possibility of Shane's death. The dark night closed in around her like a cloak of loneliness.

Shane drew her into his embrace
and smoothed his hands down her back. She melded against his warmth.

"
Don't worry, baby. Now we've got someone in our corner. Let's finish what we started."

Cheyenne
's gaze fell to his straining erection. "Let's go, baby, wouldn't want you to get frostbit." She winked.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 13

 

The last rays of sunlight cast a long shadow of Bodie Island Lighthouse
over the park grounds. Cheyenne removed her helmet while Shane engaged the Harley's kickstand.

Jim had agreed to meet them
for a run, but hadn't shown. It worried her that he might be uncomfortable in her company, especially since he hadn't stopped by the Black Raven in the last couple of weeks. She'd hoped Shane and his friend would grow closer after discovering their similarities.

She
morphed among the brush and hid her clothing. Shane followed and then took to the sky. She took to the nearby woods to hunt for food. Shane circled above, on the lookout for Jim.

B
eneath scrubby live oaks, she grazed on acorns unaware of the approaching storm. The wind shifted forcing angry branches to clatter overhead. Startled, she scampered for a clearing.

Her feathered lover
's cry echoed from above as he swooped into view. A downpour of cold rain followed him from the sky. As if on cue, jagged streaks scarred a blackening sky.

She
raised her nose against the stinging pellets of rain. With a loud mooing grunt, she alerted her lover to the human scent. Sharp golden eyes zeroed in, and the hawk flew toward the danger like a shot.

He squawked a
warning as deafening thunder shook the ground beneath her. Cheyenne turned her head. A hiss pierced the air.

An
arrow whizzed past her ear. The stench of sweat and fear rode on it. Through the bushes, she spied a hunter. His fingers quivered as he aimed a second shot. The bow sang as death stalked her.

She
leapt an instant too late.

*
* * *

The jagged point
ripped a line across Chey's throat, spinning her around. Her knees buckled. Already in a dive, Shane arrived too late. A dark line of crimson stained her white fur as she collapsed into the tall grass.

He squawk
ed a cry that pierced the night through the chaos of weather. Wings folded back, he aimed for his lover's assailants.

A flash of lightening
illuminated a pelt of blonde. Instinctively, he knew the human's identity. Shane extended his long talons, angling for Dory's head.

Wi
th blinding rage, he raked. Gouged. Ripped. Tore. She fought, but her hands were no match for his iron-like talons. Shane mangled with intent to kill.

He
'd forgotten about the bowman until a searing pain tore through his wing. Stunned, he tumbled through the air and landed in a sandy clearing.

Q
uickly, he righted himself and snipped the protruding missile with his sharp beak.

Dory writhed on the ground
her while accomplice tried to help her. Shane spied the bow and took flight. Swooping low, he snatched it from the ground and dropped it in a nearby treetop.

Then
he aimed for the hunter.

Using
short diving attacks, his razor like talons ripped flesh until the man abandoned Dory and sprinted for the beach. Over dunes, sea grass and brush, Shane pursued in anguished flight.

His strength faded
as he approached the ocean. The man dove in instantly consumed by the dark Atlantic. Shane circled above the waves to be certain his attacker didn't surface.

With f
ear lodged in his breast, he flew to Chey.

His heart n
early stopped when he spied her standing at the crest of a dune.

H
is Little Doe. Luminescent in the storm. Only a thin line of crimson marred her beauty.

He descended
to the sand. Relieved. Exhausted. He shifted with the last of his energy.

She approached
, trembling and bleating. Why wouldn't she change? Suddenly lightheaded, his injury proved more threatening than he'd thought.

Chey nipped his h
and, exposing her blood scored neck. Encouraged him to drink. As he suckled the warm liquid, her wound the pain in his bicep ebbed, restored his strength.

H
e blinked and she transformed. Naked and lovely against the tempest storm. She knelt and brushed her lips against his. With a firm tug, she drew the broken arrow from his arm. His wound healed before his eyes.

Shane lovingly
pushed her onto the sand. Pinned her arms above her head, and suckled her neck.

"
It's not the same when I'm human, stud." She wriggled beneath him.

"
I wouldn't say that. I'm hard as hell." His eyes raked her.

In
invitation, she wrapped her thighs around his hips and he slid home. Adrenaline sang through his veins, heightening every sensation.

His he
art pounded with renewed hope.

S
he held him captive, like a bird on a tether. Mistress and master. How he wished they could unite in flight. Mate in the air as they spiraled to back to earth during climax. Defying death.

Mist rained upon his
heated skin as thunder pounded the beach like a bass drum. His knees ground onto the sandy shoreline thrusting deep.

A primal
need to possess.

Chey surrendered even as she owned him
. Her silken heat enslaved him until he was lost. His essence became a part of her. A crescendo of thunder and lightning melded them into one.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 14

 

Sunday morning,
Cheyenne sat at Nona's breakfast table. Laden with flaky biscuits, white gravy and her special breakfast casserole. The spread was something her great-grandmother hadn't cooked since Jasper's death. Shane and her mother loaded their plates with gusto.

"
Did you hear the news? They found Dory's body by Bodie Island Lighthouse," Nona said. "They think she died a few nights ago in that vicious storm. Got lost in the woods and was attacked by a wolf or wild boar. They only found parts. It took dental records to identify her."

Cheyenne
raised a brow, swallowing hard. Shane had only clawed Dory's head. He'd blinded her at the most. She flicked a look to him. "Weird."

"And her lover, Ed, washed up on the beach a few miles south," Tegan offered with a smack of lips. "Minus his liver."

"
Ed?" Shane frowned.

Shane had told her he didn
't know the identity of the man he'd chased into the ocean. Thank goodness, Dwayne had decided to avoid Dory's sick web of treachery.

Ed was
an upstanding member of the community, except for leaving his wife for Dory. What had possessed him to get involved in Dory's quest? And who had eaten his liver? The phone rang, startling her.

Nona answered
. "Wonderful. When? I certainly will." Her face beamed at Shane as she ended the call.

Cheyenne
held her breath, noting her lover's frown.

"
The tribe voted Shane our new chieftain. Cheyenne, you'll take my place as medicine woman."

How much influence had Nona used
over the tribe? The council? Cheyenne placed her hand atop of Shane's and gazed into his eyes with admiration.

Nona continued.
"Our elders didn't care for Ed, you know. His family disputed our ancestry. He persuaded our town's historical society to the same conclusion. The tribe wasn't invited to participate or be active in historical celebrations. At any rate, Shane will become our new chief at the next full moon."

*
* * *

How
's is the steak?" Shane asked, setting another beer in front of Jim.

"
Rare, the way I like it," he replied, cutting into the juicy meat again before meeting his and Cheyenne's gaze across the table.

U
ntil now, everything had been small talk. No mention of the night of the Pirate's party. Nothing about shifting.

"
You didn't meet us at the lighthouse the other night." Cheyenne used a light tone while smothering her baked potato in butter, yet her eyes searched him intently.

"
Oh, yeah sorry," he said, like he'd forgotten.

"
Jim, Chey and I are happy to have a friend who's like us."

He
sighed and shook his head. "Really? I gotta be honest; I'm embarrassed at how everything went down."

"
Because you caught us fucking?" Cheyenne grinned at his friend.

Shane
chuckled. "Well, bro, she is beautiful woman. I have a hard time tearing my eyes away from her, too."

"
He did ask you keep an eye on me." She winked.

Pointing his fork,
Shane nodded.

Jim sank back in his chair and
laughed. "Okay."

You heard about Dory and Ed?
" Shane asked at the end of the meal. He suspected his friend played a part in Dory's demise that night.

"
Guess we should be careful when out at night." He smirked, chewing his last bite of steak.

"
Speaking of that, Chey would enjoy a running partner tonight. You game?"

After dinner
he led his lover and friend into the living room. Chey and he stripped while Jim looked uncomfortable.

"
Come on Jim, you weren't shy the other night." She stepped toward him and without warning, unzipped his jeans, and yanked down his boxers. His cock bobbed proudly, unabashed.

Jim
's face paled like he wanted to disappear, but Shane just grinned.

"
Come on big boy, let's run," his lover took his friend's burly paw.

He followed them
out the door into the night. With a flap of wings he soared over the tree tops, keeping a sharp eye on those he loved.

After few
minutes of reconnaissance he swooped low. With a downward flap of wings, Shane's legs lengthened and his muscles expanded as his talons became hooves.  Feathers transformed into short brown hair as his body morphed from hawk into a large buck. The pupils of his wolf buddy's blue eyes dilated at his sudden change.

Back at the house,
Jim zipped up and dragged on his shirt. "What the hell are you, bro?" he asked Shane with a smile.

"
Not sure, it happened after I drank Chey's blood." His friend's next question would answer Shane's suspicion.

"
Can you shift into other forms?"

"
Shouldn't you be asking when I drank her blood? He squinted, curiously.

Cheyenne
wandered in from the kitchen and handed Jim a scotch. "We know you were there that night." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"
Don't know what you're talking about." A corner of Jim's mouth turned up. He eased onto the recliner and took a sip of his drink. "I do wonder if only Chey's blood can make a shifter morph into a different form?"

Shane
exhaled and sank onto the sofa and flipped on the TV. "Us too."

"
What's a little blood between brothers?" Cheyenne chimed in.

Jim nodded
. "Doubt you want to be a wolf, bro, but damn if I wouldn't love to fly."

"
Thanks babe." Shane accepted a frosted glass of whiskey from his lover. "Well Jim, I owe you."

"
No you don't, but you know I've always got your back, man."

"About that," he said focusing on Chey. "You will lookout for her should something ever…"

Jim leaned forward resting his forearms on his knees
. "It goes without saying." And then a grin spread across his face. "Now…what's this I hear about you becoming a chief?"

Only his woman could have giv
en Jim a head's up on tribal business. "Cheyenne…"

"
Oh, get over it. Everyone is going to know soon enough," she chided.

*
* * *

A
fire pit glowed in the chilly afternoon, lending its warmth as the tribe gathered on the beach. In native dress, Nona sprinkled herbs and mumbled prayers for her great nephew as the tribe's new chief.

A pale D
ecember moon rose in the east.

Mutli-colored beads jangled from the fringe of
Cheyenne's buckskin dress. Although she felt hypocritical dressed in the skin of her own kind, she followed tradition wearing the ceremonial garment. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation until she caught Jim's reassuring smile among the guests.

Jasper
's second in command used stiff fingers to paint Shane's face with lines of red and black, while his eyes pierced him. Her lover had been believed without direction, but he had proven his worth to the tribe by protecting her. Now, he would become their leader and defender.

His golden eyes
turned glassy. He'd told her he never felt the call to lead, but now duty outranked his personal desires. Jasper had always believed in him, and now she did, too. In time, he would trust his own judgment.

The elders encircled
Cheyenne and Shane while the rest of the tribe surrounded the smaller group. Their serious expressions of confidence made her swell with pride for him. But Shane's heart-stopping gaze lit her soul.

As the wind whipped through his dark hair
, she could imagine him leading a war party. His chestplate of bone and beads accented his broad torso while armbands strained at his brawny biceps. Deerskin breeches finished his chief's ensemble. He was a dizzying mix of Shane and a warrior from another time. His unrelenting stare sent shivers of desire down her spine.

A
large golden hawk circled above, crying out. Shane peered up. Did he believe the bird was a sign from Jasper as she did?

The ceremony began. Shane
took his oath, his voice resonating deeper than normal. After the elders passed the pipe in acknowledgement, they placed Jasper's war bonnet on his head.

Cheyenne
sucked in a breath.

S
peaking in native tongue, Shane addressed the tribe. Afterward, he motioned for her to stand beside him. He took her hand and proclaimed her their new medicine woman. Nona passed the medicine pouch to Cheyenne, completing her transfer of duties.

Afterward, her great grandmother
tugged a leather band from the belt of her tunic and raised her voice to the crowd. "Today we also join our new chief and healer together in marriage.

Shane and
Cheyenne recited their vows, the Rite of Seven Steps.

Nona drew
out a small knife. Lightly, she scored both of their wrists and bound them tight with a piece of leather. "In blood and in life they will be one."

She
was amiss as to why her great-grandmother drew their blood. The ritual wasn't part of the wedding ceremony. However, she trusted Nona had a reason.

After thanking everyone, her lover led her along the isolated shore
away from the crowd. Did he have a need shift like she did?

She
felt different. Lighter. As she stared into her beloved's eyes, his pupils went vertical. The war bonnet slid from his head, and he shrugged off his chestplate before pulling her against him.

In instant later, wings e
nveloped her as he drew her out of her tunic. He soared up with a hoarse cry, begging her to follow. Without thought, she spread her arms.

They were wings
. Lofting on a growing breeze, she caught up to her mate.

H
er need to be with him outweighed her fear of flight. The fresh, clean air amplified her predatory senses. They flew along the water's edge, climbing higher and higher in the twilight.

In
midflight, he cloaked her in his wings. Locked talons and claimed her. They mated in midair, plummeting to the earth.

She
trusted her lover.

At the
very last second, he uncoupled, spread his wings, and drew her upward with him. His maneuver allowed her to regain flight.

When they returned to the empty beach, the ceremonial fire had reduced
to embers.

"
You could've warned me that would happen," she said, falling into Shane's strong arms.

"
You have my blood, now." He hugged her tightly. "Guess it works in reverse, as well."

"
So, do you think we can become wolves too, with Jim's blood?"

"
Maybe, but don't you think you need to get used to me as a buck first?" He winked.

"
Hummm." She rubbed her naked rear against his engorged cock. "I always did like you taking me from behind." She giggled.

"
Anytime. Anywhere, baby." He growled, reaching for his war bonnet and dragged them to their knees.

"
My chief!"

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

Jim smiled after the ceremony as his friends strode arm in arm along the beach. At least they accepted him. The real him. It abated his loneliness, somewhat. A thirty-two, he hated always sleeping alone because he feared he might shift during the night.

"
They make a beautiful couple, don't they?" A pleasant voice forced him to glance toward the disbanding crowd.

Big, beautiful brown eyes gave him the once over
. Petite compared to his burliness. He could probably pick her up in one arm. "They certainly do. Are you related?" he asked.

"
All the tribe is distantly related." She smiled sweetly. "I remember seeing you at Jasper's funeral."

How had h
e missed this sweet little thing among the crowd? He imagined tangling his fingers in the loose waves of her shoulder length bronze hair and the soft feel of her curvy body between the sheets.

No, he would
've definitely remembered her. "Sorry. I must have missed seeing you."

"
We met once before that." Her smoky eyes lit with an unusual fire that pinned him.

"
At a Pirate's party?" He didn't believe he'd ever gotten that wasted.

"
On the beach. Under the light of the full moon. You were chasing ghost crabs on all fours. I wore a fur coat…as did
you
."

BOOK: White Doe [shapeshifter romance / romantic suspense]
3.77Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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