Shifters of Shadow Falls Collection (Books 1-3) (19 page)

Claimed by the Werewolves

Shifters of Shadow Falls

Crystal L. Shaw

Part I

Scarred Mate

Chapter 1: Ari

              The palms of my hands and my knees roughly scrape back and forth in the grass, my nails dig into the dirt as my body pushes forward with every thrust.  I moan into the ground, but immediately lift my head up to take the punishing fuck.  Devin fists the flesh of my ass, his blunt nails bruising my skin.  His fangs graze the tender skin on my neck, causing another flood of arousal to ease his tireless strokes.  My blood heats and rushes through my veins with need.  I arch my neck for him, giving him easy access to bite me, to claim me as his. 

              “More,” I whimper my plea.  His hips pound against mine as his pace increases.  His thick girth stretches my walls, giving a hint of pain to the waves of pleasure crashing through me.  Overwhelming heat builds in my core; it spreads slowly through my body as my toes numb. 
Yes, yes!
 

              As he slams into me, my body pushes forward, nearly knocking me to the ground. I scream out as he continues to pound into me without holding back, the beast in him taking over, fueled by the pull of the moon. A growing heat rises from my core through my body; my head thrashes as I fight the need to pull away.
Too much. Too much.
I almost yell out for him to stop, but I hold myself back, loving his fierce desire to claim my body with his. He gently kisses my back, a move that's at odds with his forceful motions. Again, his sharp fangs glide across the skin of my neck, threatening to pierce me, to mark me and scar me forever as his.
Yes!
I desperately want to be his. I
need
to be his. I moan my pleasure into the chill of the air, knowing I’m his to claim. He owns me, my body, my heart, my future.

The unrelenting heat threatens to burn me as he pounds into me harder and faster. I whisper the words, "I can't," as he nips my ear sending a wave of pleasure to my throbbing core. A low growl rumbles in his chest, refusing to slow his pace. I gasp for air as my body gives out and he slams into me to the hilt. His fangs finally give me what I've been wanting. They pierce into my sensitive skin, making me scream at the agonizing sensation.  A sharp pain attacks my body, making every inch of me shake violently. A fire burns through my veins, blistering my skin and threatening to choke me. Just as I register the pain, a soothing wave of unmatched pleasure rocks through me, easing the burn and making me tremble with sated desire. I pulse around his thick cock as he pumps his cum into my hot sheath.

"Mine." Devin licks the deep marks on my neck. His hot tongue soothes the burning of his claiming bite. "Mine." His low growl makes his possessive words almost incoherent. If I wasn't so exhausted and in a state of complete bliss, I may have been worried by his primitive snarl.

"Yours. I'm yours." I say the words quickly as I try to catch my breath.  I feel his long, hot exhale on my neck as he licks his mark again and then nuzzles into the crook of my neck. His strong arms pull my hot body into his muscular chest.

"I love you Devin." My eyes refuse to open as I nuzzle into his embrace. I sigh with contentment. I am his mate. A small smile pulls at my lips. I kiss his chest over and over again. Feeling overwhelmed with the emotion consuming my every thought. I love him. I love him so damn much.

"I love you Ariana." Hearing the soft words from his deep voice has my heart swelling in my chest. My limbs continue to tremble as he holds me tighter.  

The heat in my veins slowly returns, demanding attention. I try to pull away from my mate, my alpha. I almost feel like I'm choking. I need air. I need this burning to stop. Every inch of my body heats, growing hotter and hotter with every passing second. I push away from Devin. I need to lay on the ground. The cold ground calls to me, promising me comfort. His arms tighten rather than loosen and I struggle against him. "I'm too hot." I barely breathe the words. The feeling of my breath against my face is too much. It's too hot. I feel my hands start to shake. I try to push away again, but a dizziness overwhelms my body. Anxiety washes through me. I'm not okay. Something's wrong. Something's very wrong.

“Shh, sweetheart. It'll be over in a minute. I've got you." His hands rub soothing circles on my back as he licks his mark. His touch calms me and his lick soothes the burn. The burning slowly wanes, starting at my neck and cooling in small waves down my body. The cold sweat that's left makes me feel even more tired. I lay limp in his arms, knowing I'm safe. Knowing he can comfort me and heal my pain.

“Why?" I don't have the strength for more words, but I know he won't need anymore. He'll tell me what I need to know.

“The essence of my wolf is claiming you. It will scent you as my mate." He gently pulls away from me to look me in the eyes and I whimper from the loss of his calming touch. "Everyone will know you are mine. Only mine. Forever." His words send a calming balm through me.

I lay in his arms, feeling the heat turn to warmth as my body slowly comes down from the high and from the effects of his mark. My eyes close as he kisses my hair, murmuring words of love and devotion. At the sound of a sob, my brows furrow and I pick up my head on alert. Lizie? I turn to my right to find her somewhere in the dark. "Lizie?" I whisper as I try to creep from Devin's lap. I feel his stubble gently scratch the shell of my ear as he shakes his head.

"It's not her, sweetheart." His voice is full of anguish. I look up at him and then follow his gaze to the entrance from where we came into the clearing. Off to the left I make out the small form of Veronica. She's alone and another sob rips through her as my eyes focus in the dark. She's hunched on the ground and crying. I scan the area for Vince, but he's nowhere to be found.

"He left her?" First disbelief, then anger, runs through me, awakening my senses and energizing my limbs. That mother fucker! How could he leave his mate crying? She must be in pain! The very thought that she's suffering from his bite, from that unbearable heat has me nearly in tears. How could he leave her alone to suffer?

"It's not what you think. She's not in pain. She's not human, she won't be feeling the same as you. She may not even feel anything at all." My brows knot together.

"How could she not feel anything? How could she not feel
that
?" He chuckles and I nearly smack him across the face for it. A member of our pack is crying!

"They’re working through other things right now. It's best to leave them be."

"But she's alone. He left her alone! She needs someone." My voice pleads with him to understand. Regardless of whether or not she felt the pain of Vince's mark, she's obviously hurting from something. "I want to go to her." Devin's arms constrict on my body and his jaw stiffens.

"I don't like to interfere." His words are hard and absolute. Tears prick at my eyes. How can he be so cold?

"She needs me." His eyes soften at my words and his grip loosens. He doesn't say anything, merely gazes into my hazel eyes, before nodding his head and releasing me.

I step out of his hold and start walking towards her, suddenly very aware of the fact that I'm naked. I gather my courage and set the thought aside. They're shifters, they don't care. Well, she's a vampire, but I doubt she'll mind. She needs me. I feel a pull to her. A pull to my pack as I get closer to her. It's a strange feeling that I haven't felt before, a pressure in my chest pushing me forward, urging me to comfort her. My hand rubs at the hard knot growing in my chest as the pain becomes apparent.

I ignore the uncomfortable feeling as I see her more clearly. Streams of blood leak down her face. Tears? Her eyes blink and become clear before clouding with the dark, red liquid yet again. The terrifying sight shocks me and I gasp while taking a hesitant step back. At my reaction, Veronica's head pulls up, in a nearly violent fashion. When her eyes catch sight of me, she immediately rises and sprints away from me in a blurred vision. I blink several times, not believing my eyes. Did she run? Holy shit? How is that possible? I'd heard that vampires were fast, but that was inhuman. If I wasn't shocked, I'd snort at my thought. She
is
inhuman.

I startle as Devin's hand comes down on my shoulder. My beating heart slows once I realize it's him.

"She ran." I don't know what else to say.

"I saw. I thought she would. Like I said, it's best not to interfere." I shake my head at his words.

"No. She's not okay. She needs someone. I need to help her. I felt a pull to her."

"You felt a pull?" He spins me in his arms to look at me. I nod my head at his question. That's exactly what I felt. I rub my chest remembering the slight pain and growing knot.

"I felt a physical need to go to her." Devin lips turn up slightly.

"You were meant to be an alpha, sweetheart. Fate has given me a strong mate." His words warm me with satisfaction.

"An alpha?"

He nods his head. "An alpha feels the needs of his pack. And sometimes those who aren't even his responsibility. You," his hand cups my chin and lifts my lips to him for a sweet, soft kiss, "you are an alpha." I smile against his lips. Damn right I'm an alpha.

I pull back, remembering Veronica. "Where do you think she went?"

"I'm not sure. Vince is going to her now though." My confusion at his knowledge dissipates as I remember their ability to communicate even at long distances.

"But how will he find her?"

"He’ll always be able to find her. She’ll never be able to run from him. Not now that he's claimed her."

I look back at the direction she ran. "But what if she doesn't want him to find her?"

He shakes his head. "I suppose she'd have to keep running. Vampires are much faster than werewolves. She could outrun him forever, but she won't." I look back into his silver gaze in question. He gives me a small smile and a peck. "She may want to run now, but she needs him. And she knows it just as much as he does." I part my lips to question more, but his finger presses against my mouth. "Tomorrow. You can go to her tomorrow." I give him another kiss.
I'll go to her tomorrow.

Chapter 2: Ari

My body is so damn sore as I walk down the hall to Vince and Veronica's room. Every movement makes me ache, but it also gives me a deep satisfaction knowing it’s from being claimed by my alpha, my love. My fingertips graze the wound on my neck and I wince from the gentle touch. Fuck, it hurts. My entire neck is bruised and his mark looks horrendous. It's going to take a while for it to heal. Devin spent most of the morning licking at it. I rub my thighs together at the memory.

I sigh in contentment as I near their door. I shake out my hair and wipe the grin off my face. This isn't what Veronica needs. I remember her disheveled and broken appearance last night and my heart drops. I have no place going to her with my happiness so damn evident. I clear my throat and compose myself before knocking hesitantly on the door.

Veronica opens the door slowly and raises her brows when she sees me. It's obvious that she's not surprised to see me, just surprised at the sight of my condition.

"Well, that beast didn't take it easy on you, did he?" She steps away from the door, holding it open and allowing me to walk through. I nearly gape at her appearance. She looks just the same as she did yesterday. Not during the ceremony but before. The way she's always looked. Her porcelain skin is completely unmarked with the only exception being a very faint, silver scar along her shoulder. I have to squint to make it out. Fucking vampires. Seriously? I have to look like shit, like my mate mugged me, and she gets to go back to looking like a damn model. Not fair.

I clear out my throat to speak and notice how sore it is. I bet her throat isn't hurting her either. As I part my lips I notice she also doesn't seem to be bothered like she was last night. She's completely composed. I part my lips, but before I can speak she gestures to a high-back chair in the corner of the room by a desk.

"Sit." I hesitate and narrow my eyes not liking her tone or the use of the word 'sit.' Flashbacks of my first night with Devin run through my mind. "Please." She says the word easily while gracefully lowering herself into the desk chair. She crosses her long legs which cause the slit of her robe to expose even more of her. I glance around the room before sitting in the chair.

"Where's Vince?"

"I heard you were coming so I sent him out to get Starbucks."

"You must've heard about Lizie's obsession." I laugh a little, but Veronica simply stares back without any trace of humor. "Thank you though." I'm quick to add, "that's really sweet of you." At the word 'sweet' her pale lip curves upward and a small huff of a laugh leaves her lips.

"Yes, I can be very
sweet
." The way she speaks makes me uneasy. She's looking at me as though I'm her prey. I shift uncomfortably. She doesn't seem to need or want my company and I find myself regretting my decision to comfort her. She obviously doesn't need it. I start to get up, but then that knot in my chest forms again. My hand flies to the center of my chest and I push to try to ease the discomfort.

"Are you alright?" There's a trace of concern in Veronica's voice.

I nod my head and plant my ass firmly back down in the seat. "It's funny you should be asking me that; I came here to ask you the same question." As the words leave my lips, the hard, pain dissipates, leaving me free to breathe. I rub the spot, amazed at how quickly it left me. I make a mental note to talk to Devin about it. I really don't like it.

At the silence, my eyes find Veronica's dark gaze. Her lips are in a hard pressed line.

"I'm fine. I was mistaken about something last night." My brows furrow in confusion.

"Mistaken?" Her eyes narrow at me and a flash of anger pierces through me. I hold my ground. She was so shaken last night, so beat down, yet she seems to be just fine right now. My eyes widen at the realization that she's pulling that same shit Lizie does. I narrow my eyes right back at her and repeat my word incredulously, "Mistaken?" She seems to be shocked at how brazen I am, but I'm not going to back down. I'm alpha mate of this pack and I need to know what the hell had her so shaken last night. I swear to God if Devin was wrong and Vince left her in pain, I'm going to beat the shit out of Vince. And then Devin. "Why were you crying?"

Veronica clicks her tongue while searching my eyes before she purses her lips. "Why does it matter to you?"

"I hurt for you. You're a member of my pack and I want to help you."

"I don't need help, little human." Her wicked grin returns and her hard mask resurfaces, "how could you possibly help me?"

"I can't answer that question until I know what the problem is." I stare straight back unaffected by her arrogant tone. She's not going to fool me any longer. I bite the inside of my lip wondering if how much harder I should push her.

She relaxes her shoulders and leans back in her chair while tapping her nails on the desk. "I just didn't like last night." Her cool expression and flat tone are at least a bit more genuine. I'll take the small opening she gave me.

"You didn't want him to claim you?"

She gently shakes her head. "It's not that. I'm honored to be his mate. I really am." She takes a deep breath. "I didn't know fate would give me a mate."

"I don't understand. Don't you all have mates?"

She shakes her head with a small smile. "No, only werewolves dear." She watches her fingers tap along the desk. "Other shifters too, I suppose." She breathes in heavily before meeting my questioning gaze. "Not vampires. We don't have mates."

"But you have Vince?" I don't understand.

"Only because Vince has me as a mate. Fate's a cruel bitch." She snorts a laugh although there's no humor in what she said.

"How's that?"

"Well for starters, she gave Vince a bitch for a mate. And then for me," her voice trails and she straightens in her seat before staring into my eyes. "Fate decided to give me a mate. One person to love for my entirety. I will love him with everything I have, but I will live much longer than he will. I will watch him grow old, while I do not. I will hold his hand when he dies, yet I will live." Red tears brim around her eyes as she smirks. "Like I said, fate's a bitch. I never planned this." She huffs that same humorless laugh. "I never wanted this. I never thought I'd have someone to love. And now that I have it, I'm not sure that I should. I wasn't made for this. It's not what I am." Her voice turns hard at the end and it makes my body stiffen with fear. She's a roller coaster of emotion ranging from disbelief to sadness and ending in anger. At first I'm taken back by her honesty, but then I concentrate on what she said.

"You never thought you would love?" She can't truly mean that. "Do vampires not have the ability to love?”

She laughs with real humor and leans back in her seat while wiping the blood rimming in her eyes. I grimace at the sight and unfortunately she sees my reaction.

"You don't know much about vampires do you?"

I shake my head and press my lips together. "I'm sorry I didn't-" She cuts me off before I can fully apologize.

"I've been vampire for nearly a hundred years and I still despise some aspects of our species." She wipes her fingers on a tissue and tosses it onto the desk. "If I could change it, I would."

"You're a hundred years old?"

"Something like that." Her voice is flat. Then she tilts her head and a glint of happiness sparkles in her eyes. "Would you like to know how I came to be immortal? How I was changed?" Her smile widens. "I wasn't always like this." She shakes her head. "Vampires are an interesting species."

I clear my throat. From what I know of vampires, I wouldn't say they're interesting. But then again, I don't know much about them. I nod my head. "Tell me." She quirks a brow and I suppress my smile. "Please." Her grin grows as we share a knowing look.

"Well, I was a little older than twenty. I don't remember exactly what day my birthday was; it was winter though. I know that because there was snow on the ground and where I lived it only snowed during the very heart of winter.

Anyway, I was in the woods collecting berries for my grandmother. She sent me out all the time to gather things. My mother and father had both passed away when I was ten or so, leaving me alone with my grandmother. She was in good health for her age and took care of me as any mother would." A sad smile pulls at her lips, "She always said I looked like my mother." That humorless huff of a laugh erupts from her throat. "I don't remember her at all. I used to, but it was so long ago that I can't even picture her." Her voice trails off as she tries and fails to recall her memory.

"I'm sorry." My voice brings her back to the present. Her dark eyes find mine and her grin returns.

"Don't be dear. My first twenty years were good years. Even if I suffered loss, I was still grateful for my life." She visibly swallows. "At least until that day." I settle into my seat as I watch her pull her legs into her body. "So I was picking berries in the woods. They were in good condition; I remember that well. They were nearly frozen but I'd put a few in my mouth to suckle them. They were sweet and delicious. It was a little treat for me. A reward for going out for my grandmother." Her smile fades and her voice drops as she continues her tale, "I travelled to my usual area, I knew where all the bushes were that would give me fruit. I was at the last bush with only half of my basket full. I knew she'd need more and I felt bad for eating as many as I had, so I went out a little further. There was a large clearing and on the other side more bushes. The snow was maybe a foot deep, much deeper in the clearing than in the woods. It was so pretty. Undisturbed and sparking in the light. So pure. I almost felt bed trampling through it to get to the other side." She gently shakes her head again and swallows. "But no one lived close to us and I didn't think I'd ruin it for any one but myself. So I went along and continued into the other side until my basket was full." Her lips pull down in a frown, "I knew my grandmother would be grateful. She would've been so happy to have so many berries."

I lean forward in my seat and clasp my hands. A hard pit forms in my stomach and my blood chills. I can tell I'm not going to like what I hear next. She clears her throat, but her dark eyes stay focused on her nails, trailing along the grains in the wood desk. She nods her head slowly. "I knew something bad was going to happen when I got back to the clearing. I could see so many large footprints in the snow. They came from the left. I remember thinking there may have been four of them." The red tears brim in her eyes and run over, trailing streaks of blood down her pale skin. I part my lips as my throat dries, but before I can speak she continues. "They were werewolves. I saw them shift in front of me. Well some did. Some didn't.” Her breath hitches.

“I don't have to tell you everything they did. But know that I didn't value my life afterward. I wish they'd just killed me. Instead, they left me mangled and damaged after they'd had their way with me. I was covered in bruises and bleeding out from the wounds they'd left on me. Now that I think of it, it was good thing it was winter. I think the cold kept me alive long enough to get back. It was the longest journey of my life. Part of me wanted to stay and just let the cold take me, but I was so scared they would come back." Her breath catches and I reach a hand out to her. She takes it in hers and I squeeze tight.

"Where did you go?" I whisper the question.

"Back to my grandmother's.  Where else could I’ve gone?" Her sad smile returns and she laughs, "she scolded me. When she heard the door open, she yelled from the kitchen that I'd scared her and to never do that again. And then she came out and saw me." Her hand pulls away from mine as she hunches forward and sobs. "She looked so broken when she saw me. When she saw my bruised body and she knew what happened. I was barely clothed and covered in blood." She reaches across the desk for the crumpled napkin and regains some of her composure. "It took forever for the doctor to come to me, but he'd said I live. There was nothing we could do about the werewolves." She straightens and faces me, "they were supposed to protect us. We had a pact with them. Apparently they were allowed to do what they wanted so long as the vampires were kept at bay. What happened to me was a small sacrifice." Her eyes harden as she spits out, "that's what they told me. 'It was a small sacrifice to pay!' That's the day I started to hate everyone. My grandmother was the only one who wanted justice. No one else dared to confront the wolves." She calms herself and wipes her eyes again. I can't even imagine her pain.  To experience so much pain and injustice and survive only to live through a horrible betrayal; my heart breaks for her.

"She died a few weeks later. I think it was too hard on her. She was so sad for me and so angry at everyone else. Her poor, old heart just couldn't take it. So I was left on my own, on the skirts of the town. I lived in fear that the shifters would come back. And one night I thought they did. I thought they'd come for me again." A wicked glint shines in her eyes. "But it wasn't the wolves." An evil smirk forms on her plump lips. The look on her face is one of a scorned woman who's on the skirts of revenge. "No, it was three vampires. They'd come to kill me. They’d come to kill everyone." She leans her neck and I hear it crack as she sits back in her seat and crosses her legs. The facade she's known for replaces the emotional woman who I'd just been sitting with.

"They were going to kill me. They'd already slaughtered most of the town. They were pissed at the wolves and decided to take it out on everyone who'd sided with them. Not that we had much of a choice in the matter of what the werewolves did. Obviously. When they saw me they smiled. Like we were old friends. They'd heard what the wolves had done and offered me a choice, death or the chance to have vengeance. If I'd been smart, I would've chosen death. But then again, fate wouldn't have been able to curse my poor pup had I died all those years ago."