STORY EXCERPT

“After breakfast we’ll join hands and meditate. With three of us maybe we can pick up more of our enemies’ diabolical plans. It would help if we had an idea of what their next attack will be.”

Sara sat down and drank water from the glass by her placemat. “If only we had gotten reconnected with the third tribe earlier, we’d have had better accommodations built before now. This has to be difficult, for families to be brought to a strange place and live with few basic comforts and have to fear the fire will take that too. I hope after this is all over the three tribes can be rejoined and truly become family.” Sara grinned. “And that’s my lecture for the day. I tend to ramble when I’m anxious.”

Shortly after they sat at the table, Tessa brought in three plates of pancakes and cups of coffee.

Jewel took a bite of the pancakes. “These are so good. I envy you having her for your cook.”

Sara nodded. “She’s the best, and she was one of the first friends I made when I came here.”

They ate, silently enjoying the meal. “Where are your children?” Jewel asked. The house was uncommonly quiet.

“Downstairs, in the underground facility, with their grandparents and Phillip. I don’t know what we’d do without our butler, and man of all trades. He’s tireless and always there to help with anything. Tessa will be taking food down to all our visitors who are camping out down there.

“We’ll stay up here until after we meditate.” Sara took a sip of coffee. “If we joined the others below it would be safer, but because of the extra-thick walls, we’d never be able to pick up any information. Phillip left three rifles for us. We’ll be armed.”

“Jewel and I are both good with a rifle. But I haven’t shot anything or anyone in a long time,” Rae added.

“You may get your chance. Most of our men are fighting this new menace. Whoever’s in charge of the enemy might be smart enough to try and attack our headquarters,” Sara said.

Rae stood. “I agree. If we’re all finished, let’s get started with the meditation.”

“We’ll go to the study, sit on the floor, and join hands.” Sara led the way.

The curtains were drawn and there wasn’t a fire in the fireplace. Jewel shivered. The air was cool, and with the dim light, the corners of the room were shadowed. Sara walked to the windows to open the drapes.

“Don’t.” Rae stopped her. “The setting is apropos for trying to contact evil.” Rae sat on the floor and put out her hands.

Jewel hesitated. She didn’t have the same talents as her friends. All her life she’d had to deny her talent. Only her father knew what she was capable of.

He’d instructed Jewel when she was very young about why she must hide her true self. After she graduated from high school it was easier to move away and hide in the Oregon woods. Not even her best friend, Rae, suspected what Jewel had hidden.

“I’m not sure how I can help,” Jewel said. “I’ll hold a rifle and sit to the side. If anyone comes barging in, you’ll be protected.”

“Good idea.” Sara handed her a rifle and then sat beside Rae. “Shall we hold both hands?”

“Yes.” Rae took her hands. They closed their eyes and sat perfectly still.

Jewel held the rifle ready. She wondered how the men were doing fighting the fire. Men could get hurt or burned dealing with a wildfire that large. Her heart had jumped a beat when she saw Raoul and Aleron. It was difficult to deny her attraction to them. She’d fought it ever since she’d met them. They hid something, too. She’d sensed it. Something that caused her to be wary and cautious. But still she had to admit she was worried about their safety.

When she brought her attention back to Sara and Rae, she noted their breathing was slow and deep, and they were still as statues. The room had suddenly gotten darker. Jewel tightened her grip on the rifle. Goosebumps rose on her arms. There was no one in the room but them. Yet she sensed the danger. Quickly, she lifted the rifle, aimed at the darkness in the left-hand corner, and shot.

Rae and Sara jumped and fell backward. The darkness was gone, leaving a smell of burnt fireworks.

“Thank you.” Sara’s voice sounded weak and breathless. She sat with her head in her hands.

“Are you all right?” Rae moved to Sara’s side.

“I will be in a moment.”

“I’m sorry I frightened you two,” Jewel said just as Phillip came storming into the room with his pistol drawn.

“What the hell happened in here?”

Jewel shrugged. “I shot at a shadow and scared Jewel and Rae. How did you hear the shot?”

Phillip pointed to the monitor on his belt. “This lets me hear any upstairs noise.”

“She saved us.”

“What?” Jewel was surprised by Sara’s comment. “How?”

Phillip took the rifle Jewel was waving around from her. “You might accidentally shoot me.”

Rae took Jewel’s hand and helped her up. “When we started meditating and opened ourselves, he or she was ready. I don’t know how they did it, but it was like a net thrown across us. We couldn’t move, and the voice kept trying to plant thoughts into our heads. My strength had weakened, and I feared we wouldn’t last much longer against them when you fired.”

“Immediately, we were freed and the darkness exploded and disappeared,” Sara added. “What did you shoot at?”

“I have no idea. The room got darker, especially in that corner.” Jewel pointed toward the spot where she had fired her rifle. “I didn’t realize you were in trouble. I thought you’d gone into deep meditation. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Phillip said. “I’m not sure I’d have thought to shoot at the darkness.” He chuckled. “It must have scared whatever it was, pretty bad.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“You feel very good under me.” Aleron moved his hips against hers and leaned forward to nip at her lower lip. She breathed in his intoxicating scent with every breath and his body felt just as good against hers. Her insides felt all gooey and shivery. She opened her mouth, and his tongue leisurely explored the inside. He tasted of coffee and mint. Her tongue tangled with his.

All fight had gone out of her. She hadn’t liked his determination to try to stop her from helping, but she’d seen the worry in his beautiful dark blue eyes.

When his lips moved to the opening in her shirt, a shiver shook her body. Aleron pulled back and studied her expression.

“Are you afraid of me?”

“I’m not good at this. I didn’t like it before. It hurt.” She swallowed around the lump of fear in her throat.

“We’ll take our time. Touch me and I’ll touch you. If you want me to stop at any time, I will. We’ll get you past this fear, that the boy, because that’s what he was—well actually he was an asshole—caused.”

Jewel giggled. “He was.”

“Don’t let his crude behavior be what you judge all men by. I know it’s difficult. Did he arouse any of the feelings Raoul and I make you feel?”

“No, I think I was just thankful someone was interested in me. I wanted to be part of the group. In high school, I was shy and awkward.”

“It’s difficult to imagine someone as beautiful and graceful as you having a time when you were so insecure. Raoul and I will tell you every day how wonderful and lovely you are.” He bent his forehead against hers.  “Shall we try to continue or stop for now?”

Tentatively, she ran her hands through his thick hair. The dark strands spilled across her hands like warm silk. Her fingers slipped along the outlines of his ears while he remained still. Touching him, smelling his scent, feeling his strong heart beating against her chest aroused every cell in her body. A lustful pulse beat along her nerve endings.

When he moved down and licked across the pulse pounding in her neck, she moaned. A yearning ache made her pussy clench in anticipation. She’d never experienced any of these feelings that other dreadful time. Then her body had stiffened and was dry. Now moisture seeped out of her pussy.

Aleron unbuttoned her blouse and pushed her bra up. Then he put his hands on her breasts. He nuzzled her in the valley between them and took a deep breath. “You are so soft, and you smell like violets.” He licked across her nipples, and a spike of desire shot straight to her belly.

“And you taste like the sweetest strawberries,” Aleron added. He raised his head and looked at her. “Your body is wonderfully responsive to my touch.”

“I never felt this way that other time,” she whispered.

“We’re just starting, darlin’. But we need to get these clothes off. Is that all right?”

Jewel nodded, although her breathing became more rapid. Aleron slipped her blouse and bra off. He waited a moment until she was more relaxed, and then he unsnapped her jeans and removed the rest of her clothes. He stood at the side of the bed to yank off his T-shirt, jeans, and boots, and then he pulled a condom out of his jeans pocket.

Jewel watched him intently. His large, well-muscled body and big cock were a bit intimidating.

“Remember I won’t hurt you, and I’ll stop anytime you say to. Ready?”

She nodded yes.

“Are you on birth control?”

“No.”

“We knew we were all right, but after Raoul and I met you we had our blood checked anyway. Our doctor is authorized to give you the report, so we don’t have to always use these.” He held up the condom. “You probably need to see our doctor about birth control. I imagine the pills for a shifter are a little different than the usual ones.”

“Just use the condoms for now,” Jewel said. She wasn’t ready to think about birth control, marriage, commitments. A few days ago she didn’t even expect to be taking this first step so soon, to let Aleron make love to her.

Jewel had been a loner so long. Could she change enough to include not just one but two men in her life? So much had happened so fast. But she was beginning to believe she might want to.

Aleron did as she asked and put the condom on. He straddled her body and cupped her breasts. Instantly, her body responded. Her nipples tightened and her breasts seemed to swell in his hands. He took his time kissing them and rubbing her peaked nipples between his fingers.

She closed her eyes and let the sweet bliss flow over her. Aleron moved to her stomach and kissed her skin on his way to her lower lips.

When he moved his nose across her mound and took a deep breath, anxiety jerked her out of the pleasant place she’d been floating in.

“What is it? You smell delicious.” Aleron looked at her taut body. “You were relaxed.”

“I’m not sure, but…”

“It’s all right. Just remember I won’t hurt you and I won’t tell anyone about our private life.”

“I know. I’m being silly.”

“No, my love, you aren’t. You have bad memories that need to be replaced by new good ones.”

His sexy smile melted her inside.

“Can I continue?” Aleron asked. She nodded. But he surprised her by moving to her feet. His hands massaged each foot, her toes, instep, the whole area. When he finished, he told her to turn over. She did but felt more vulnerable in that position.

“Relax, don’t tighten up on me.” His husky, warm voice ran through her veins like drinking hot cider on a cold night. He rubbed his hands across the back of her legs, he massaged her butt, and then he rubbed all along her back. She melted into the soft mattress, all her nerve endings attuned to him and his touch.