Palm Haven Shifters: Complete Five-Part Series Page 7

  He led her to a flat rock that hung over the water’s edge, tangled and gnarled cypress roots anchoring it in place. The perfect rock for drying in the sun after a leisurely swim as a tiger.

  She looked out over the still pond where a rising waxing moon illuminated the surface and a chorus of frogs serenaded them. He let her hand drop from his. Sarah stared into the distance, silent, observing.

  Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her here. He felt vulnerable, like he was baring a part of his soul to her by bringing her to this secret place. Then she released a heavy sigh and turned to him, looking lighter than ever.

  “I love it,” she finally said. Sloan felt the vice of anxiety loosen its grip on his chest. He didn’t know why he wanted her to approve so badly.

  “I brought us a little snack if you’re hungry.”

  They spent the next twenty minutes mostly silent save for the crunching of his trail mix or pointing out an animal or constellation to each other. He didn’t mind the silence. Sarah didn’t seem to either.

  “Oh, and there’s Sirius,” she motioned in the sky, seemingly a walking star map.

  “What’s that one?” Sloan asked, pointing to his half of the sky so that she’d have to lean into him.

  His plan worked and he had his arm around her before she could say “That’s a satellite,” with a giggle.

  “Well, it’s my favorite,” he teased, his heart light and so full that he expected it to erupt any moment.

  She pointed at something else, but Sloan didn’t hear what she named it. Moonlight twinkled off her charm bracelet and he spoke before he could second guess himself. It had been a lovely date, but he’d made no progress in the grand scheme of things.

  “What’s the bee for?”

  “What?” she asked, confusion lining her forehead.

  Sloan took her hand in his and twirled the bracelet around her wrist, his fingertips barely skirting over her skin, giving her goosebumps. He fingered the bumblebee charm and asked again. “The bee.”

  “Oh!” She laughed, “It’s just a name my mom has for me.”

  “What about this one?” He asked, finding an apple.

  “Christmas shopping in New York.”

  “Did you visit the tree?”

  “Of course. It’s prettier on TV, I think.”

  Sloan smiled. “And this palm?”

  “Because I’m a Floridian, obviously,” she laughed.

  “Obviously,” he answered, moving to the next. He felt her stiffen and she tried to pull away, but his arm held her in place.

  “What about this?” The all-seeing eye. The symbol of the Coven that marked her as a witch whether she liked it or not.

  She faltered, starting and stopping a few times, trying to come up with some kind of explanation. Finally, he stopped her.

  “It’s okay, Sarah. I know what you are.”

  A sharp intake of breath and she suddenly looked queasy. “You do? How?”

  Sloan chuckled softly. As if it wasn’t obvious. Like she weren’t a beacon of magic drawing him to her.

  “I’ve always known. Why do you fight your nature?” His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist, trying to soothe the rapid pace of her pulse. He only hoped he hadn’t sprung this on her too suddenly. She kept it a secret for a reason…

  Chapter 15

  SARAH

  “You don’t understand,” Sarah protested. He couldn’t understand. Why did he have to go and ruin everything? They were having a perfectly nice time and then…

  How did he know? He said he’d always known, but the general populace didn’t know witches existed, much less how to spot one in the wild. He knew about the Coven. Who was he? What was he?

  “What don’t I understand?” He tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear and Sarah resisted the natural pull to lean into his hand, to soak up his warmth.

  “My...magic,” it felt odd to say the word out loud to someone other than her mother. “It’s bad. Dangerous.”

  His hand cupped her face and she nuzzled into his palm against her better judgement.

  “So am I,” he whispered, his voice low and husky.

  Yes he was. So very dangerous. His thumb traced her lower lip and Sarah felt something stir deep within her, bringing her magic to the surface with it.

  “It hurts people. It’s out of control…” She searched his eyes for understanding, trying her best to keep from breaking down, “I’m out of control.”

  “I can help with that, Sarah. I can teach you control,” his other hand slid over her hip, pulling her closer to him, “give me a chance.”

  Sarah closed her eyes, warding off fresh tears as they sprang up. She wanted to. It would be so easy to give in. Resisting Sloan was torture. Exhausting torture.

  “You’d be better off staying far away from me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He chuckled and tilted her chin so that she had to look him in the eyes. “You’re not going to hurt me, Sarah. I promise.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t know that. I could bring this whole tree crashing down and crush us both. I can’t help it.”

  Sloan sighed and dropped his hand from her face. She’d convinced him, but the gnawing ache in her stomach was full of regret.

  “You’re not the only one who’s hurt someone they cared about. I hurt someone once. They died because of me… indirectly. I could have stopped it, but I did nothing. I left instead of fighting. I…” His voice cracked and it was Sarah’s turn to trace the line of his jaw with her palm.

  “What was her name?” She assumed it was a lover, a wife even. She didn’t know why the thought made her jealous, her magic simmering at the thought of Sloan devoted to another.

  “Dana. She was like a little sister to me, if that’s what you’re thinking. A sister that I let down in the worst way possible.”

  The raw anguish in his eyes, the softness of his voice…

  “You’ve never told anyone about this, have you?” She asked, astonished that he’d share something so deeply personal with her.

  He took her hand in his and squeezed, “You’ve seen more of me today than anyone has since… Well, since her death.”

  Her magic thrummed and surged to their joined hands, urging her forward, encouraging what they both already wanted. His head bent toward her and Sarah started to close the distance between them.

  “Why?” She asked, stopping just before their lips touched. “Why me?”

  He made her head swim. She was drunk on her own arousal and the chemistry between them only fed her magic’s hunger more. Sloan’s hand slid around the back of her neck, burying his fingers in her hair as he pulled her closer. She winced, expecting something to explode or catch on fire. She relaxed a little.

  “It could never be anyone else,” he said, kissing her finally.

  It was everything she could have dreamed of for a first kiss. Sloan was gentle yet persistent. Soft, but passionate. For a long moment, the whole world fell away. All of Sarah’s worries, her fears and hang-ups disappeared.

  Her hands draped around his neck and deepened the kiss, a symphony of rustling leaves the only evidence of her usually destructive powers.

  Sloan’s tongue teased the corners of Sarah’s mouth and she granted him entrance, moaning in eagerness. She never knew how intense this need could be. It was more than just her magic egging her on. It was him. Everything about him was intoxicating and addictive.

  “See?” He broke the kiss leaving her dizzy and breathless with need. So much need. “Nothing happened. No chaos,” he joked with a grin, showing off that dimple she’d come to love.

  He wasn’t entirely right. Something had certainly happened. Sarah couldn’t deny that something happened between them and she wasn’t sure she’d ever be the same.

  She wouldn’t dwell on that, though.

  Sarah smiled and kissed him again. Could this really happen? Could this amount to something? Sloan knew her biggest secret and seemed accepting, but was he trustworthy? She wante
d to believe it. Needed to.

  For the first time, Sarah realized what she’d been missing out on all of those years alone. She’s always thought she didn’t mind being alone, resigned to a life of celibacy. Sloan made her question it all. He made her want to explore the things she missed. Made her crave the love and acceptance she shied away from for so long.

  It seemed too good to be true. So it probably was. But she wouldn’t let that dampen her mood.

  She wanted him and her magic refused to wait any longer. She pulled him in for another kiss and they were interrupted by the buzzing of his cell phone.

  Chapter 16

  SLOAN

  Sarah’s look of confusion pained him as Sloan reached into his pocket and fished out his phone. He didn’t even know he got signal way out here. She was so ready and willing and someone was going to pay dearly for interrupting them.

  His eyes found the caller ID and a low growl escaped his throat before he could stop it: Randal.

  He sure had incredible fucking timing, that sniveling little tiger.

  Sarah stared at him with wide unblinking eyes, her lips plump and swollen from his kisses. He wanted to claim her mouth again, and then every other part of her. But it would have to wait. He didn’t want the fallout from ignoring the call.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, answering the phone. He wanted to shoot himself for leaving her for the other shifter.

  “I thought I told you not to call me,” Sloan growled under his breath.

  Randal tsked. “We need to talk. In person. Tonight.”

  “No. I’m busy,” Sloan answered, his hand idly tracing lazy designs on Sarah’s arm, delighting in the goosebumps that prickled her sensitive flesh.

  “I don’t care,” Randal barked. “Your Elder compels you.”

  “Then why doesn’t he call me his fucking self?”

  “That’s none of your concern. Now, bid your pretty little witch goodnight and meet me at the theater.”

  Sloan felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck bristle at the mention of Sarah, his tiger close to the surface, ready to protect its mate from the threat.

  “Fine,” he ground out through a clenched jaw, unwilling to let any harm come to Sarah for his own stubbornness. He would deal with Randal and then come back to the luscious librarian.

  He hung up the phone and sighed, an apologetic expression taking over his face. Regret was a better option to the untold fury that roiled within him. The Elder would never hover over him like this. Would never micro-manage the way Randal had been. It made Sloan suspicious, but he couldn’t concentrate on those suspicions with Sarah looking at him so bewildered.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, a pit forming in the bottom of his stomach, “There’s a family emergency. Would it be alright if I took you home? I promise to make it up to you if you’ll give me another shot at this date thing?”

  Sarah nodded mutely, seemingly speechless. Everything had just taken a complete 180 turn and he didn’t blame her for being a little confused. He knew he owed her a better explanation, but would sweet innocent Sarah welcome him to her bed if she knew the truth? She wouldn’t even want him near her beloved library if she knew what he was.

  Thankfully, the ruckus from the motorcycle prevented any need for awkward small talk on the ride back to Sarah’s home. He felt her grow more tense the closer they grew to Palm Haven. The nearer they got to the Kerris, the more her magic responded to him.

  Yep. She was definitely the Guardian. Even if she didn’t know it.

  He let the bike idle as Sarah dismounted and handed him the spare helmet. He wanted to kiss her senseless, but didn’t know if she’d welcome it with the abrupt end to their date.

  “Are you sure everything’s okay?” she asked, finally remembering her voice.

  Sloan shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I’ll make it all okay. Don’t worry.”

  Why was he telling her not to worry? She didn’t even have a clue that there was even anything to worry about. Now she was sure to worry. Sometimes, his stupidity astounded him.

  He gave her a chaste kiss — the best compromise for his two halves — and took off to meet Randal in the thicket of ancient mangroves known to the Tigris as the theater. Hallowed ground to their kind and a safe haven to shift or discuss matters of the clan away from the distractions of the modern human world.

  Dried leaves crunched underfoot and the sound seemed amplified in the eerie quiet of the woods. Daytime creatures were settling down for the evening and nocturnal beasts had not yet risen from their slumber. This was the in between time when it was easy to forget the dangers that lurked around every corner. The time when Sloan’s kind basked in their superiority.

  “I don’t like to be kept waiting,” Randal hissed as Sloan entered the clearing of the theater.

  “And I don’t like to be interrupted,” Sloan answered with malice in his voice, “guess we’re both having a shitty day. Now, what’s the stick up your ass about?”

  Randal’s eyes flashed in the darkness and Sloan knew he was walking a tightrope of disrespect and self-importance. He didn’t care.

  “Our timeline has changed. The other clans are mobilizing. The Elder fears that it’s only a matter of time before the wolves attack us.”

  Sloan tried to appear bored, “What does that have to do with what I’m doing?”

  “You have what you need, don’t you?” Randal asked, “Or have you been too busy trying to bed the witch?”

  “I think there is still more information to glean,” Sloan answered calmly avoiding the second half of Randal’s comment. He wouldn’t be baited.

  “We don’t need more information. The witch needs to go. She’s endangering everything. A Guardian could royally fuck up all of our plans.”

  “She’s not endangering anything. She’s not a Guardian. There’s no need to get rid of her,” Sloan said, a threat making his voice rough and lower than usual. He knew the truth. And he knew that hiding the truth from the clan could be his death sentence. It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t let Randal anywhere near her.

  Randal growled, “It wasn’t a suggestion. I won’t let ruin come to Tigris because you have a soft spot for a little witch.”

  “And what are you going to do if I refuse? Run to your wife’s daddy?” Sloan taunted.

  A sinister bark of laughter made Sloan think he’d crossed the line.

  “If you refuse, I’ll finish your assignment myself. I’ve never had a witch… I bet she’s delicious,” he sneered.

  Sloan roared and shoved the man into a thick-trunked Oak, his tiger responding to the threat to his mate.

  “You stay away from her,” Sloan growled, tipping his hand.

  Randal laughed maniacally, “I’ve heard that they’re very special. What with all that sex magic… they’re always ready. Willing to jump into bed with anyone with a pulse,” he sneered, knowing he’d struck a sore spot and twisting the knife deeper even with Sloan’s arm pressed into his windpipe.

  “One more threat against her and I’ll rip your fucking throat out without another thought,” Sloan promised, his voice cold and surprisingly steady given the amount of emotions coursing through him.

  A twig snapped and both shifters’ heads swiveled. Then it hit him. The sweet citrus scent. The rapid heartbeat that didn’t belong to either of them.

  Randal sneered and his body began to shift.

  Sarah gasped.

  Sloan had no choice. He shifted just in time to tackle Randal as he pounced for Sarah.

  Chapter 17

  SARAH

  As Sarah tip-toed through the swampy forest, she started to question the wisdom of her choice to follow Sloan. What kind of ‘family matter’ led someone into the middle of the woods?

  She’d gotten the niggling feeling that something else was afoot with his last words to her. He didn’t know if things were okay, but he’d make them? What did that even mean? Maybe she could help him. She was magic after all.

  If nothing else, she didn’
t buy the ‘family emergency’ excuse and she wanted to know what was worth cutting short their date. Call her vain, but she’d thought that Sloan wanted her as badly as she wanted him. His sudden change had her confused and hurt.

  The sound of voices stopped her in her tracks.

  “You have what you need, don’t you?” an unfamiliar voice asked.

  She heard Sloan answer but couldn’t make out the words.

  What was he talking about? Who was he talking to? Why did they need to talk about it in the forest of all places?

  “We don’t need more information. The witch needs to go. She’s endangering everything.”

  Sarah’s eyes grew wide; were they talking about her? Had Sloan told them her secret?

  She tried so hard to hide her unruly powers. She fiddled with the charm her mother got her – the very first charm that started the bracelet – the eye, meant to give her something to channel her nervous energy into. Her mother thought that an ancient symbol of wisdom and power would help Sarah remember how to focus and contain her powers. Had she failed to conceal herself so badly? Sloan knew what she was the moment he saw her. Did others too?

  She lost track of the conversation for a moment, panic overtaking her at the thought of everyone recognizing her nature.

  A sharp bark of laughter made Sarah think she should turn heel and run. She was frozen in place. Could they hear her ragged breaths? The staccato of her pulse? They were talking about her and if she hadn’t followed Sloan, she never would have known.

  “If you refuse, I’ll finish your assignment myself. I’ve never had a witch… I bet she’s delicious,” he sneered.

  Sarah crept ever closer, desperate for a look at the stranger that threatened her existence. She knew she should run. She just couldn’t.

  Sloan jumped into action, slamming the stranger into a tree, holding him half a foot above the ground, his face purpling with the effort of breathing.

  “You stay away from her.”