Palm Haven Shifters: Complete Five-Part Series Read online

  She looked to the clock on the wall and tapped her fingers again, this time in rhythm with the classical music playing in the coffee shop. Estrella wasn’t even late, yet. Ashley was just impatient. And curious. It wasn’t often that someone wanted her help and wouldn’t tell her with what.

  The door opened and a plump woman with a dark golden complexion and a streak of white in her ebony hair walked in. Ashley straightened her shoulders; was this her?

  The woman looked around, her eyes narrowed until they landed on Ashley. They went wide then and the woman hurried over on stubby legs to sit opposite Ashley.

  “Estrella?” Ashley asked.

  “Si,” she said, shoving a purse the size of Ashley’s first car under the table on her lap.

  “Ashley Montgomery, nice to meet you. What can I help you with?”

  Estrella leaned forward, closing the space between them and she reached a hand across the table. Without saying anything, she tapped a ringed finger on the surface of the table, seemingly trying to make a point with the metallic clinking. Then Ashley looked at the ring the older woman wore and noticed an engraving in the silver band, a triangle with a little swirl inside: the Eye of Providence. Ashley swallowed and raised her gaze to Estrella’s chocolate eyes. Reflected in the old woman’s eyes was a burning fire. Ashley nodded, not needing words.

  Estrella sighed and sat back in her seat, looking decidedly relieved.

  “It’s my grandson,” she said, finally.

  Ashley remained silent, encouraging the woman to continue.

  “His… father,” she said the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth, “is a… how do you say in English…? Aroooo,” she mimed howling at the moon and Ashley frowned.

  Normally, the little display would have been amusing, but not this time. This time, Ashley waited for the other shoe to drop. She was needed for something.

  “A wolf,” she offered. “Your grandson is a wolf shifter too?”

  Estrella shifted in her seat, “He’s still too young.”

  Ashley’s frown deepened. She wasn’t seeing where she came into the picture.

  Her phone lit up around the edges and she hit the button on the side to reject the call without even looking at the phone.

  “Why do you need me?”

  It was Estrella’s turn to frown, “He hit my daughter. I don’t know how many times, but she left him. She’s been running. Hiding from him.”

  Ashley’s hands clenched involuntarily. The thought was enough to make her queasy.

  “I want Manuel safe. He shouldn’t be locked inside afraid,” Estrella said, her eyes trained on her lap.

  “The Coven won’t interfere. If he has a witch mother and a shifter father, they’ll never even consider it. Shifter affairs are… tense.”

  “But you can help? I have friends to watch Manuel, but he needs protection. My daughter is too frightened. She has no magic left after…” She trailed off, the fire behind her dark eyes burning intensely. Her lips pursed and she abandoned that thought. “Can you help?”

  Beggars and choosers, Ash, she told herself. It sounded like a terrible idea. A really horrible idea. But there was a little boy being torn in two directions. A little boy that watched his mom get beat-up and maybe even got some of the same treatment.

  Her stomach flipped. There was really no choice.

  “Yes, I can help.”

  The old woman dug in her purse and pressed a piece of paper with an address into Ashley’s hand.

  “Tomorrow night,” she said. Ashley nodded.

  As Estrella left the coffee shop, her shoulders looking a little lighter, Ashley decided to look up the address. It was in a sketchy part of town she normally didn’t go to.

  Great, because practically kidnapping a baby shifter isn’t already crazy dangerous enough.

  Well, at least it was a good cause.

  The map on her screen disappeared for an incoming call: Callan.

  Oh. My. God.

  This had to end. Now.

  “Listen,” she answered, a razor edge to her voice, “I told you to stop calling me. If you can’t get that—”

  “Wait, Ash, please, hear me out.”

  With the first syllable, his voice made her anger melt away. Damn him. But his voice didn’t have that sexy husky edge to it. It was frantic. Worried. About what? He answered her silent question.

  “I think you might be in trouble.”

  She didn’t know what to say. Every fiber of her being told her to listen to him. To give him a chance. Her magic practically purred, but she knew… she knew… She wasn’t sure what she knew anymore.

  “Ash? Are you there?”

  She swallowed thickly, her throat dry and scratchy as she answered, “W-what do you mean, trouble?”

  “I heard some people talking. A tiger and a woman. They said your name.”

  Ashley pulled a face, pinching the bridge of her nose. It was probably Sloan and Sarah. Probably harmless.

  “What did she look like?” Ashley prompted, ready to debunk his theory.

  “I’m not sure. She had this cloak thing that covered her. She sounded older, though.”

  That made Ashley stop, her eyes widen, her heart beat rapidly. Sage?

  “What did they say? Tell me everything.”

  “Meet me somewhere. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

  Ashley clenched her teeth. “Just tell me on the phone.”

  “Please. I promise I just want to see that you’re okay with my own eyes.”

  Electric energy pranced through her veins at the mere thought of seeing him.

  “We can’t meet somewhere public. We can’t be seen together or I’ll definitely be in trouble.”

  She thought she heard a whispered ‘yes!’ on the other end of the phone, but she couldn’t be sure.

  “My place,” he said.

  She wrinkled her brow even though he couldn’t see it. The last time they’d been at his place they almost…

  “No,” she said.

  “Your place,” he offered.

  Her nose scrunched up this time. Did she really want him to know where she lived?

  “No…” She paused for a moment, thinking. There was only one place she could think to meet him. She didn’t know how she felt about sharing her special place with him, but she was dying to know what Sage had up her voluminous sleeve. “I think I know just the place.” Ashley gave Callan directions and hung up the phone with a plan to meet him in twenty minutes.

  She was equal parts nervous and excited. Nervoucited? What in the world had possessed her to agree to this meeting? This had to be in contention for ‘Worst Ideas Ever’.

  And yet, as she left the coffee shop and got into her car, a smile spread her lips.

  Chapter 10

  CALLAN

  “You know,” Callan called up to Ashley as she climbed the thin metal ladder, “you don’t really strike me as the breaking and entering type.” Though, he had to admit, the view from the ground was quite nice. Tight jeans hugged her ass in all the right ways and made his bear rear up with the urge to claim her.

  She huffed a breath, blowing her bangs from her forehead and tossed an annoyed retort over her shoulder. “What makes you think you have any idea what type I am?”

  Callan floundered, throwing up his hands in defeat.

  In the golden afternoon light he saw her roll her eyes. “Just come on.”

  He took one cool rung in his hand and hefted himself up the ladder, covering the distance between them in record time. As Ashley reached the platform at the top of the water tower, she dusted off her hands and spread her arms wide.

  “At least we won’t be seen or overheard here.”

  Callan’s feet touched the waffled metal of the platform and he sucked in a deep lungful of fresh air, taking in the view of Palm Haven from up high.

  “Good thinking.”

  “Besides,” she said, her voice softening as she leaned over the waist-high railing, “it’s the best vie
w in town.”

  He saw the light in her eyes as she turned from him back to the sprawling view of narrow city streets, dotted with wilderness and swamp. Humans had claimed this land from nature, but nature didn’t intend to go down without a fight.

  Callan realized that Ashley was sharing something special with him. How many times had she been here on her own? Had she brought anyone else up here? Or did she bring everyone?

  The last thought made his heart constrict. He wanted to think that he was the first person she’d ever brought to the top of the water tower. Needed to think that. Regardless, he wasn’t going to mention it. It had taken a Herculean effort just to get her to agree to meet him, he didn’t want to spook her now by being weird about her special spot.

  He noticed that her eyes never left the horizon. The sun slowly dipped down, painting the sky with vivid watercolors. It was stunning. Though it still paled in comparison to the woman herself.

  “It is a great view,” he agreed, not even looking at the sunset.

  Ashley turned and caught him looking at her; her cheeks pink, or was that a trick of the light?

  “So,” she said, pursing her lips, “tell me what you heard.”

  And he did. Callan told her everything from the first hushed words he’d heard, to the tone of every syllable. Ashley had more questions that he couldn’t answer, but by the time he’d finished explaining everything, she seemed concerned.

  “What do you think it means?” He asked.

  Ashley worried her bottom lip before meeting his gaze. “I think the Coven is allied with the tigers… in secret. The other sisters certainly don’t know about it. Maybe Sage is out to get me… Monica thinks so,” she muttered the thoughts so fast, pacing back and forth, that Callan couldn’t even follow.

  “But then who was the tiger?” she asked out loud, not looking to Callan for an answer. “Sloan? No. He would never want the Guardian destroyed, he’s totally smitten with Sarah… But that leaves… who? Another tiger. With Sage… No wonder the old crone is so concerned about Sarah’s new mate.”

  She blew out a long breath before muttering “Shit” under her breath.

  “And the rumors… public opinion. They don’t want other clans to think they have anything to do with shifters…”

  Callan got the impression that Ashley had forgotten he was even there. She rambled on and on, stalking across the narrow platform like a caged lion. He decided to sit, resting his back against the cool metal exterior of the tank that held the city’s water supply.

  “The sunset really is something else from up here,” he remarked, fishing his latest project from one of the cargo pockets on his pants.

  Ashley’s eyes went wide before roving back to the horizon where she sighed, tension melting from her shoulders.

  “I really really love this view,” she said.

  Callan flicked his pocket knife open and set to work on the little raccoon.

  She turned, an eyebrow arched. “Am I boring you?”

  He shrugged. “No, not at all. I just like to keep my hands busy. It gives me something else to focus on than…” Than what? How badly he wanted to take her into his arms and make sweet love to her? How he wanted to watch her come undone beneath him. How he couldn’t stop imagining her fingernails digging into his back, her voice screaming his name…

  She sat next to him, peering over to get a better look at his carving. His bear rumbled with satisfaction at having her so near, her sweet lilac scent clouding all of his senses.

  “You just carry that around with you, wherever you go?”

  His shoulders lifted in another shrug.

  Then she leaned over, tracing the edges of the carving with her fingers. He let the knife fall away.

  “It’s really good,” she said, “he looks like he’s coming to life.”

  Callan’s chest swelled with pride and he felt embarrassment heat his face. Hopefully it was too dark to see.

  “Thanks. I never seem to know what it’s going to be until I’m halfway done.”

  Her voice softened to a whisper. “I like it.”

  He found himself leaning forward, her magic pulling at him like a magnet, making him desperate to kiss her. Taste her. Devour her.

  Instead, he pulled away, a burning question stopping him from taking what he wanted.

  Ashley frowned, sensing his sudden shift. “What?”

  Callan dropped the carving to his lap and sighed, unable to look at her. Unable to accuse her of the unthinkable. He didn’t want to believe it, but he’d never know if he didn’t ask…

  “My clan seems to believe that the Coven tried to destroy all shifters with a big burst of magic.”

  Ashley stiffened and Callan’s eyes found her, expecting to see an expression of guilt. Instead, she looked appalled.

  “No. Absolutely not,” she said, shaking her head.

  Callan didn’t know if he could believe her. She didn’t know everything her Coven was up to.

  “But…”

  She sighed. “No. That magic you felt was the Ley Lines opening.” Seeing his confused look, she tried to explain, “Like a dam bursting. It wasn’t a spell. Witches don’t trust shifters, but they’d never try to destroy them.”

  “How do you know?”

  She huffed a breath, stirring the stray honey strands over her forehead. “For one, it would be an open declaration of war. For another, it would be impossible. Witches are bound by the rule of three. Any harm caused with magic is reflected back at the witch threefold. The amount of power needed to cast that kind of curse… only a really dark witch could do it and they’d probably never survive it. Sage isn’t exactly a white witch, but there’s no way she could…” Ashley shook her head. “She’s not that stupid. But if those rumors are going around…”

  Her eyes widened as she looked off into the distance, her gaze unfocused.

  Callan let out a breath of relief and slid a hand over her knee, testing the waters. When she didn’t flinch away, a surge of protectiveness flowed through him.

  Their eyes met, and he noticed that hers sparkled with unshed emotion. “Things are going to get very bad soon. The clans… the Coven… there’s going to be a war,” she said matter-of-factly, sending chills down Callan’s arms.

  He swiped at a tear that raced down her cheek and shushed her.

  “It’s alright. It’ll be alright.” Was he trying to convince her, or himself? “Let’s talk about something else. What do you do for a living?”

  A ghost of a smile played on her lips and Callan pressed his luck by snaking an arm around her shoulders.

  “Don’t try to turn this into a date,” she teased with a mock-admonishment.

  He held up his hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly eager to go back down into the real world where all of this is happening.”

  She pulled a face before nodding. “Yeah, good point.”

  Chapter 11

  ASHLEY

  Somehow or another, she found herself cuddling with him. The night had gotten chilly, the conversation a little warmer and before she knew how it had happened his arm was around her. Pulling her close. Her senses overwhelmed by his woodsy scent.

  He’s a freaking shifter. Pull yourself together.

  But the old argument sounded hollow and meaningless.

  No, he’s a freaking teddy bear. And what do you do with teddy bears?

  His warmth seeped through the layers of fabric that separated them and Ashley nestled in.

  You snuggle them.

  Callan yawned and pulled her a little closer. “It’s getting pretty late,” he said.

  Ashley’s heart dropped. She’d been reluctant to meet him again, but now that they were together again, she didn’t want it to end.

  He frowned at his cell phone. “Make that pretty early.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Well, you’ve made it this long, you might as well hold out for sunrise. I think it’s even prettier than sunset.”<
br />
  Callan thought it over for a moment. “Well, if you’re going to twist my arm like that. We need to head over to the other side, though,” he said, nudging her gently.

  “Unh,” she protested, snuggling into his warmth even more. God, it wasn’t right that he felt so good. So right.

  “Come on. You can’t tease me like that. I want to see it now.” Callan flashed her a heart-stopping grin as he pried himself from her grip and held out a hand to her.

  Ashley stood, her joints popping in rapid succession as she stretched with a yawn of her own.

  They ventured to the east-facing side of the water tower and Ashley slid back to sit on the metal grate platform. Callan didn’t wait for an invitation to join her.

  As the sky lightened, Ashley yawned again, her eyelids growing heavy as her head fell to his strong shoulder.

  “Do you want me to take you home?”

  She shook her head. “No, I want to watch the sunrise with you.”

  His lips turned upwards in a smile and a twinkle lit his eyes from within. Ashley realized how much she liked that little spark. How it warmed her all the way to her toes. It was more than just her magic that drew her to him. It was him. He was sweet and kind, funny and caring. Everything she’d ever dreamed of.

  But he was also a bear.

  The argument didn’t even register this time. The long-held prejudices that she thought all witches were bound to no longer seemed important. Sage was allied with a tiger in secret. Why shouldn’t Ashley get to be with her bear?

  Because you’re not Sage and she already has it out for you.

  She pushed those thoughts out of her mind, determined to simply enjoy the brilliant pinks and oranges of the sunrise.

  They sat in silence for a long time, the day warming quickly as the sky turned to flawless blue.

  “Well, I guess we should get out of here before someone spots us,” she said reluctantly.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?”

  “I’m fine, really.”

  He sighed. “I don’t trust these people Ashley. Someone wants you hurt. They want you out of the way and I want to know that you’re safe.”

  She gave him a sleepy smile and traced the outline of his chest muscles with her fingertips. “I can defend myself. My magic stores are well-stocked, thanks to you.”