Shifter Legends (19 page)

She heard that some people committed suicide that way, after their mate died. Howling in the woods, never to return as human.

Eventually never to return at all.

She loved being a mountain lion, but she would never let it turn into her own personal prison. It was too freeing for her. More freeing than anything else in the world. She knew deep down in her soul that this was the closest she would ever get to being truly liberated. And she embraced it.

Even if her power as a Shifter made her the most wanted person in the entire world.

She was one of the quickest in the Pride and she left nothing behind as she raced off towards the hollow, letting the brush and trees fall away into a blur as she passed them. Pushing herself to her limit she wanted to see how fast she could move, and dodge. It was thrilling to know she could run as fast as a car, with more agility than she ever imagined possible.

Her mountain lion pushing her, begging her to be faster, to use all of her strength, but she kept some reserved. She didn’t know exactly who she was meeting, or if he was friendly, but she knew it was better to be safe than to go there without any manner of defense.

When she finally approached the hollow she waited in her mountain lion form, sitting at the base of it, letting her tail dip into the water. It was a gorgeous place to sit and wait, she had to admit that. The pooling of water mixed with the hilly forest view made for an excellent retreat.

She was surprised that when she saw a figure emerge from the bushes, it was not a mountain lion, but a human. A human woman.

She had a kind of fierce beauty that was so intense Briana couldn’t tear her eyes away from her. The woman looked to be no more than thirty, if that, but Shifter ages could be deceiving. Grant said that once they changed, their aging slowed. She could be as old as a hundred for all Briana knew. In a tight pair of jeans and lace shirt this woman looked like the spitting image of Briana’s future self.

“Hey, kid.” Her voice was familiar, she could almost remember it. “I’m glad to see ya.”

“Are you…” She paused to take in a breath, “Brigid?”

“I’m your mother, kid.”

Her eyes landed coldly on the woman. “I don’t have a mother.” She didn’t have anyone. Not until the Pride. Not until Grant.

“I deserve that. This life ain’t easy, girl, but I suppose I owe you an explanation. If you will let me give you one?”

“I’m out here, aren’t I?” She didn’t mean to growl. Hell, she didn’t even know this woman. All she knew was that her anger brought out the worst in her.

“You have probably been wonderin’ why I gave you up, put you out there in the world, huh kid? Well let me tell you, it wasn’t my first choice. I knew if I didn’t, you probably wouldn’t have made it to your first birthday.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, a little confused.

“Briana, you… you weren’t conceived by my mate. I was involved with another Shifter, albeit briefly. My choices were to keep you and risk both our lives, or give you up, so that you could live.”

“But… why?”

“Because I was foolish and in love. Your father was a very powerful Shifter in another Pride, but I was mated to a man for political reasons. The president of another M.C. I didn’t have much of a choice, and I didn’t want to risk your life.”

“I’m not fooled by you, I know you have ulterior motives. Why should I believe anything you have to say?” She fought back the fear that what she said was the truth and hurled her anger in her direction instead.

“It is simple. I am telling you the truth.” Her eyes softened just a bit as she continued, “I have no reason to lie to you, dear girl. If I wanted to convince you to come over to my Pride, to join with me, would I provide you with such an easy excuse to hate me? I want your trust. I will never lie to you.” The woman claiming to be her mother pulled an envelope out of her pocket and unfolded it, giving it to Briana.

“There is the proof, Briana. See it for yourself.”

She glared at him and then looked down at the envelope. It was addressed to her mother’s motorcycle club and postmarked at a date that was more than six months ago.

“You use the postal service?” She asked as she opened the envelope and looked inside at its contents.

“We may not be entirely of this world, but that doesn’t mean we don’t use the methods that are presented to us.” She cocked her brow at Briana and waited for her to open it. “When a man claims a woman they send out an announcement to lay claim. Kind of barbaric, I know. But those are the ways of our kind, and have been for centuries. Tradition is strong in Shifter Prides.”

Claim Announcement,

A Shifter has been located, the one called Briana Braun. She will be acquired by the Demon Hunter’s Motorcycle Club Pride.

Our Vice President has been following her closely, and he has laid his claim. Anyone who comes against it, will be violating club sovereignty.

Respectfully,

Book Shepherd, President

Grant Dixon, Vice President

It was his signature on that paper. She would know it anywhere.

“This doesn’t change anything,” She protested, but even she didn’t believe it. She bit her lip and stared at her. “What do you want from me, anyways?”

“Your trust, like I said. I want you to know the truth about your
Pride
. Know what they really are. We are all schemers, Briana. But some of us won’t lie to you.” Brigid looked her up and down, pride showing in her eyes. “You are beautiful, and strong. You deserve the chance to make your own way in this world.”

Brigid stepped a little closer, but she didn’t touch her. She just looked into her eyes, searching for a connection. There was little that could connect the two besides lineage. She didn’t even know if she believed her.

Briana handed the letter back to her, and bit her lip.

“I don’t expect you to give me an answer right now, of course I don’t. But I do want to let you know that I am here for you, and that I am here because of you. I am going to give you time to decide, but I want you to come home with me, Briana. You are a full Shifter now, it will be safe this time.”

She didn’t trust her. She didn’t trust any of this. How could she? It seemed like everyone wanted something from her and no one was being truthful. Everyone was withholding something from her.

Even her mate.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

Grant was in a meeting when she got back to their room. She didn’t have to look at him for several hours. She could just curl up in a ball and cry. Which is what she did, and she did it spectacularly.

No family, no home to go back to, a woman trying to tell her that she was her mother. She felt alone. Who was she going to go back to? Her old foster brother, Zane? Unlikely.

 She was trapped here, in this world of Shifters, with her life in shambles. Her best friend and her mate weren’t who they said they were. She doubted they even cared about her, save the important role she could play in giving their Pride status and strength. It was too much for her to handle at that moment. She just wanted to escape it all. So she let sleep take her, ignoring the reasoning of her lion, ignoring everything around her.

At least her dreams would provide relief for a little while.

Briana stirred when she heard the door to her room open. Grant was finally home. The council must have arrived while she was indisposed, and she could tell by the weary look on his face, lit by the hallway lights, that he was more than just tired. He was under a lot of pressure.

“I got some news today.”

“News?”

“Two pieces, both good. Less important first. I’m the new President of the Demon Hunters.” His smile was wide, and she could tell that there was pride in him at the news.

“That’s great! No patch over? How could that be the least important news?”

“Eliza is fully conscious. Looks like she is going to make it.” He pulled her into him and looked her over. “At this moment, I don’t think anything beats that.”

Her heart swelled for him, and in that moment all she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and let him know that everything was going to be okay. Everything was falling into place for him, even in the wake of so much tragedy. Everything but her.

But it wasn’t. He betrayed her. She wasn’t sure he loved her, that he wanted her. Even when she loved him. She didn’t know if she could stay there, with a man that was pretending.

One more night. That was all she wanted. She wasn’t going to make any real decisions, not now. Not yet. Not until she was absolutely sure of what she wanted. She was just going to live like tonight was the last night with him, the last night with the man she loved. Even if he didn’t love her.

Briana opened her arms to him and called for him, “Baby come here. I need you.”

She put her plan in motion.

Grant perked up a little as he walked over to the bed and crawled on her. It was what he needed to hear, she could tell by the way his smile shifted. The bond they had was strong, but it wasn’t strong enough for her to forgive him, forgive his motivations. She would make a decision to stay or to release him from this mating. She owed that to him. To herself.

After their last night of love making.

Briana surrendered herself to him. Her breath mingled with his as he leaned over her, only inches apart from each other; their mouths broken apart but so close that she could feel the soft ripple of his skin on her own lips. This Shifter was hers, for now.

She breathed him in, the musky scent of man arousing her, sending a trickle of juice from her pussy down her inner thighs. Everything about him was pushing her deeper under his spell.

“I want you, Briana. Want to make you mine,” Grant growled between ragged breaths, his eyes glowing as the Shifter in him came alive.

His primal hunger sent chills up her body, both scaring and exciting the voluptuous woman. Briana was determined that this would be the best night she ever had with him. Even if it was her last. She wanted to remember this forever. The man she first loved, that she wanted to love her. Even if he didn’t.

Before she knew what was happening the strong man picked her up like she weighed nothing at all and shifted her so that she was atop of him, straddling his thighs as she rubbed her naked flesh against his jeans.

 She could feel his grip on her ass, the way his hands cupped it and held her up. He was strong and rugged, like she had always dreamed about, a man who could hold her and carry her and didn’t even grunt at her size. A real Alpha.

Their kisses lasted for minutes, but they felt like hours as they teased her, reminding her of what she wanted. Who she wanted. She was so wet, and she knew that he could tell, from the way her juices dripped down onto his jeans, surely leaving a damp spot of her want. After what seemed like forever he separated from her and looked into her eyes.

“Do you want me to fill you, Briana?” He asked as he laid her down on his bed, and roamed her body with his hands, ghosting along her sides and up her breasts, hovering over the gentle curves.

She nodded and bit her lip, looking at him through her thick lashes. She was soaked with anticipation of him, surely he could see just how much she wanted him. She needed him to take her, possess her. It was all that filled her mind in that moment as she lifted her hips towards him, her frustration evident. His smile was feline as Grant looked her over.

“You look delicious,” He said and for the first time she felt it. And it made her ache all the more.

Grant pulled his shirt off and quickly stripped out of his pants. He was naked before her, exposed. His hard cock was lean and long against his belly, the handsome curve giving Briana a full view of his total length. And his girth. She sucked in a breath as she tried to take it all in. Tried to remember this moment.

Before he moved towards her he reached into his nightstand drawer and pulled out a little foil package, unwrapping it and sliding a condom over his aroused manhood.

He bent down over her, his face mere inches from the apex between her thighs. He breathed her in as he bent down to kiss her, his tongue finding her clit and giving it a small flick. She was dripping wet and she knew it had to be all over his mouth.

With his first touch Briana bucked into him, her molten hot body grinding into his face. He opened her legs wide so that he could better access her. The thrill of the anticipation of his touch left her dripping, so that when he finally did clamp his mouth down on her little nub she could barely stand the thrill of his touch. It didn’t take her long with him lapping away at her before she climaxed, moaning as she came onto his face. He held on for the ride, his mouth moving with her writhing body, a silent promise that this was the first of many to come.