Shifters Desire 1: Vampire Fangs & Venom Page 2

  “Recognize…” Briana stopped herself and stared at him. By God, he did look familiar! But she couldn’t figure out how, since she was also positive she’d never met the man until today. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know you.”

  “You deny the mating call, then?” Even his voice seemed laced with barely checked anger this time.

  “Hey,” she put out both hands and waved them. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I think I’ve had just about enough.” She turned to leave, but he moved before she could blink, blocking her way out.

  “You will not leave until you tell me why you answered my call, then deny me now.”

  “Look, buster—”

  “Raynor.”

  “Whatever. I’ve got a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, so if you don’t step out of the way, I’m going to bust your butt.” Even if it’s awfully cute, Briana couldn’t keep from thinking.

  “You really don’t know me.” He seemed astonished.

  She chuckled, she couldn’t help it; the situation was so ludicrous. “You mean my threat cleared that up for you?”

  He shook his head, causing that magnificent mane to fly about his shoulders in a sensual manner. “If you truly recognized me, you’d know I could tear your throat out in a microsecond.”

  Briana swallowed, her threatened throat clicking with dryness. “I think it’s time for me to leave.”

  Suddenly he pounced, that was the only word that came to mind, and grabbed her nearer arm. His grip was tight, not hurtful, but she knew by examining the biceps connected to that strong hand, it’d take quite a fight to break loose.

  Her gaze came up to lock with his golden orbs, and something in their depths told her he didn’t lie. She shuddered. Deciding that reason might work, even with a madman, she asked softly, “You only want an explanation?”

  He nodded, his restraint seemed barely in-check.

  “I’ve never met you before today, right?”

  “Just so.”

  She kept her voice low and pleasant. “Then, how can I know you?”

  “You heard the call?”

  The stress was too much. She was a woman alone, faced by this muscle-bound stranger, who insisted on asking her weird questions. Like he knew her! What did he want from her? His behavior was making her nervous. Her breath caught in her throat.

  He tenderly wiped a lock of hair from her forehead. “You do not have to fear me, I will not harm you.” His eyes went to the rock face behind her, his brow creased again in thought. “Perhaps you bumped you head and your memory has been affected.”

  She wanted to deny that, but maybe the safest course was to play along. “I did trip and bump my head earlier.”

  “Ah,” he brushed her hair back at each temple. “There’s no bruise.” He smiled softly, “Which there wouldn’t be, unless you fell very hard. It must have been a light bump.”

  Briana listened to his litany with a sense of familiarity and alarm. She’d always healed extremely fast, even bruises not hanging around long, unless she really hurt herself badly, as he stated. How would he know that? God, was he some kind of obsessive nut, who had followed her around back home and knew her life? Is that why he acted like he knew her? Had he dug into her past? Asked friends about her? The thought of some stranger barging into her world without her knowledge, made her queasy.

  Taking a grip on her fear, she asked, “Since I am having problems with remembering, can you explain what this ‘call’ is?”

  “Of course, my beloved.” He released her arm and stepped back. He appeared to be trying to make her more comfortable with the situation, but she also knew he’d try to block her passage if she attempted to leave.

  “The call is the feeling in your heart, when you know you are alone and no other but your mate can fill that void. It is the emotion of acute aloneness you perceive with every fiber of your being, even when you’re having hot sex with someone else.”

  So far, he’d not said anything that an astute person couldn’t surmise about a modern day, career woman. But then, his statements also hit home so solidly, she cringed inside. It was as if he’d crawled inside her head and read the secrets of her soul. Now, she was convinced he was some weirdo who had gotten obsessed with her.

  “That’s all very nebulous.”

  He smiled and gently tapped the side of her head, then drew a slow line to her left breast. “I am in your mind and your heart.”

  She didn’t flinch from his touch, which she thought odd. It was as if they were old lovers and she was comfortable with his caress. “I don’t understand.”

  His arm withdrew, but his sweet smile stayed. “I call to you in your dreams.”

  Briana’s eyes popped open. Was that why she had this funny sense of recognition? Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself. The man-thing in her dream had turned out to be a werewolf.

  “You do remember something!”

  His ecstatic look made her want to run, but she held her ground. She also wanted to understand.

  She sighed. “I’ve been having these strange, irritating dreams ever since I was eighteen.” His happy expression forced her next words out. “But, it wasn’t you, just some dark stranger…until this morning.”

  “Ah. The dream changed?” At her nod, he asked, “How?”

  “It was weird, really silly.” She flushed pink, embarrassed to share even a smidgen of her erotic dream with a stranger. At his determined look, she threw her hands aimlessly into the air. “Okay, if you must know, it couldn’t have been you, because this man changed into a werewolf in my dream.”

  If she thought he looked happy before, she was mistaken; he practically glowed at her statement.

  “You still don’t recognize me?”

  His hopeful tone set up a pang of guilt in her breast, which was really strange. Stamping it down with a dose of realism, she folded her arms, stared at him, and said, “So, now you’re trying to say you’re a werewolf?”

  His worried expression came back. “Truly, you must have bumped your head hard.”

  “I’ve had enough of this.” Her fright had fled with his utter nonsense; she was getting angry. “I’m leaving and if you try to stop me, you’re going to have a fight on your hands.”

  “I will stop you by showing you what your heart already knows, but your head cannot remember.” With that enigmatic statement, he tore the shirt from his chest, then quickly divested himself of his shoes and pants.

  Briana was too shocked to make a move. He stripped naked in a few seconds, giving her no time to run. Besides, he was the most spectacular man she’d ever seen in the nude. Just examining his wide, muscular chest and other matching body parts stopped her cold. She refused to glance down at his…male equipment. She was sure that he was intent on rape and she did not need to encourage him.

  Furtively, she glanced behind her. That was as good a direction as any to run. But Briana was aggravated at herself for not running when she had the best chance, as he stripped.

  Raynor unexpectedly started trembling all over, which halted any further plans on her part. Her eyes came back to his body. She couldn’t help it; he seemed to be in distress. But she still wasn’t going near him.

  His tremors turned into spasms that ripped through his whole body. Suddenly, he threw back his head and howled. Yes, howled, Briana dazedly realized. There were no other words to describe the wolf-like call. His form seemed to suddenly be surrounded by a haze, for she couldn’t see his body clearly any longer. Bright colors shot from the fog-like mass, beautiful, but somehow terrifying.

  She couldn’t have moved, even if she’d wanted to; she was too stunned and too damned curious. After a few more ticks of the clock, the mistiness cleared and she had a clear view of his body once more. Only, it wasn’t the handsome, black-haired Raynor, it was him—the werewolf. His amber eyes shone within the cave’s shadowy interior, looking far too intelligent for a legendary monster and eerily familiar.

  Chapter Three

  She should
have turned and bolted before the fog cleared, or at least after she got a good look at the transformed Raynor. But she couldn’t move an inch. He was magnificent, as physically attractive in his own way as his human counterpart. Thick black hair covered his massive body. He was a beautiful male animal, in the truest sense.

  Briana’s wandering eyes went there, to his male organ, which she’d avoided visual contact with earlier. While she stared, it rose slowly, pushing aside the hair hiding its large size. Her breath came in short pants and she swiped at her mouth. She was shocked when she glanced down at her hand. Spittle shone on the back of it. She was drooling!

  She stumbled back a step. “What’s happening to me?” she shouted, strangely unafraid of the beast facing her.

  A thick, guttural, barely human voice came from the wolfman. “You are my mate. Come to me.” It waved a furry hand at her.

  Briana didn’t know if she were dreaming or going insane, but the fact that she did want to step into his embrace, that she wanted to wrap her legs around his hairy body and plunge herself down onto his hard penis shocked her to the core. This attraction terrified her, unlike his physical appearance, which she should be frightened of, but wasn’t. Real or not, she couldn’t deal with this horror in any form.

  Finally, Briana broke from her paralysis. Running swiftly past the beast, she entered another tunnel that shot into dark. Unknown territory. She didn’t know why she didn’t run back the way she’d come in, but something pulled at her to continue in this new direction.

  She ran for a full minute or so before she heard his voice calling to her. It sounded fully human; he must have metamorphosed back into the handsome Raynor.

  Putting an extra spurt of energy into her run, Briana almost stumbled when she screeched to a halt upon entering another rocky room. This one was large, but strangely, several large comfortable looking couches lined one wall, and three heavily upholstered throne-like chairs faced the couches.

  Turning, she quickly surveyed the room, surprised to see an arched opening, its foot wide facing carved with strange etchings. The elegant markings looked like writing. What lay beyond the arch was just as surprising. Trees and low growing bushes met her eyes. For a second, she was completely disoriented, then realized this must be some type of interior garden. Maybe, there’d be a place she could hide from the man/beast. His voice echoed; he seemed but mere feet away. Without hesitation Briana ran into the courtyard.

  * * * * *

  “Briana.” He called her name over and over, to no avail. Raynor stepped into each of the tunnels which connected to the room. Her scent was in none of them. Pushing his head higher, he followed the scent of faint perfume to the edge of the portal.

  He stared into a scene of ancient times. Heavy, jungle growth overran the area he could survey, and a six foot tall dinosaur ran by on strong, swift back legs. “No,” he whispered aloud. “You cannot have gone there.” She would not survive such a world, alone and unaware of her powers.

  Turning quickly, he headed for the central passage, going through its tortuous path in record time.

  The large inner sanctum was pleasant; its many pieces of heavily padded couches and chairs, plus several lush carpets underfoot, made it a welcome abode.

  And a comfortable dwelling for the elders, who guarded the cave and the time portal.

  “You are distressed, my son. Did your mate not come?” Bhaskar, the eldest and wisest of the three shapeshifters spoke. His tall, slender form was swathed in the guardians’ ceremonial robe; his flowing white hair stark against the black material.

  “Yes, but she ran into the portal.”

  “What?” Chao asked with alarm, his heavy Mediterranean accent evident even in that one spoken word.

  “Explain,” Gorna, the female elder encouraged kindly.

  Raynor paced, his agitation too forceful to contain at a standstill. “She acted peculiar when she arrived. In fact,” he eyed each in turn, “she acted like she didn’t know what she was…nor did she have any idea who I was.”

  “This is very unusual.”

  “Stranger still,” he looked Bhaskar in the eye. “She freaked out when I changed.”

  “Freaked out?” Gorna turned to Bhaskar, her waist length ice-blue locks fanning out around her as she moved.

  “Was terrified,” he answered. Turning to Raynor, he said, “She doesn’t get out much. I’m afraid the language of younger people confuses her.”

  Raynor bowed to Gorna. “I apologize.”

  “Father,” he addressed Bhaskar in the fullest, respected title, one reserved for the wisest of elders. “Do you know why my mate would be so terrified of seeing my werewolf form?” He paused for a heartbeat. “I suspected she might have bumped her head, but I’m not sure.”

  “We must read her scent,” Chao stated, getting up swiftly for one so old; the others followed just as spryly.

  It didn’t take long to gather in front of the portal, but it took much longer for the elders to sniff the air repeatedly and whisper in argumentative tones.

  “We smell no injury, my son.”

  Raynor stared with surprise at the leader. “Then, what is wrong with her?”

  “We sense an uninitiated.” He paused, confusion in his red-brown eyes. “Also, she was never imprinted on us.”

  “What?” He stumbled over his words. “How can that be, Father?” He knew as well as the elders, shapeshifters came into their first shifting around the time of puberty. And imprinting—all shifters were brought to the elders for this ceremony within two years after their birth.

  “Remember your first shifting, Raynor? It is not only a natural part of our being, the young must be guided by an experienced shifter.”

  “What are you saying?”

  The three glanced at each other, then back to him. “Many years ago, there was a young couple who left their clan…they’ve never been heard from since. The elders’ council picked up their essence through the years, but we’ve not sensed them in fifteen years.”

  “I did not know this was possible.”

  “Oh, very possible.” Gorna chuckled. “But very unwise. To be alone without support of the clan members amongst so many humans…”

  She did not need to finish her sentence. All shapeshifter children were brought up to believe in the unity of the clan. It was central to their survival.

  “How—why would they do this?” he asked. Why would any shapeshifters leave their clan and endanger themselves or any children to the humans?

  Bhaskar shrugged. “Who knows for sure? Perhaps they were rebels.”

  “Or maybe they didn’t wish to be shifters,” Raynor stated. He was horrified at such a thought. His parents had been enthusiastic teachers of their ways; it was hard to imagine shifters who did not wish to share their rich heritage with their children.

  “Where did you hear this?” The leader’s expression was concern exemplified.

  “Rumors have a way of making the rounds.” He shook his head. “All this time, Fathers, I thought it simply another myth about our people.” His voice was hesitant when he asked, “You think she is the daughter of this couple?” If this were true, how sad for poor Briana. To never have known the love and caring of the clan, the history of the Reeshon, and to never experience the thrill of shifting—it was unfair that she missed all these wondrous practices and knowledge.

  “Yes,” Bhaskar nodded. “The entrance to the cave would not have opened, as well you know, if she were not a shifter. She would not even have seen it.”

  “Then how?” Raynor was truly puzzled over his mate, a shifter who was not truly a shifter, not yet at least.

  Gorna picked up the thread of the conversation, “Her parents either died before teaching her to shift, or they chose not to teach her.” Her sharp blue eyes became slightly sad. “Certainly, her parents never brought her for the imprinting.”

  He looked perturbed. “What would this do to her—not shifting as is her nature?”

  Bhaskar’s face was solem
n. “She would be a restless spirit, never feeling as if she truly belonged anywhere. She would find no human male to her liking for long. And she would hear her mate’s call as only a distant song, not a deep yearning she could not resist.”

  Raynor nodded in instant understanding. He’d often wondered over the past few years why it’d taken so long for his mate to respond. When he’d discerned her presence near at last, he’d come to the Cave of Immortality to await her arrival.

  “I must go after her.”

  “Of course,” the three acknowledged as one voice.

  “How do I find the right time period?”

  “We must meld our wills together, imprint her essence that still remains here, and when we have located her, we will tell you to go.”

  “How long will it take?” Raynor was worried. Briana could be, at this moment, getting attacked by some human from the past, or even more deadly, a savage beast from some ancient time. He must protect her at all costs. She was his. Briana was his chosen mate; no other would come along in his lifetime. And even though their mental contact had been sketchy at best through the years, he cared for her. Just meeting her briefly had cemented his feelings further—he wanted to make love to her, to fall in love with the bright, brave personality he’d caught only a glimpse of.

  “Perhaps days, hours, even minutes.” Bhaskar answered. The three smiled kindly, watching him pace.

  “We don’t have complete control over the portal, as you know, until a united couple is ready to leap through,” Chao responded kindly. “But, by centering our powers on both of your essences, we can pinpoint a particular century and country. After that, we can locate the decade she’s in. Then, we just wait until her being pierces the portal.”

  He ran one hand through his hair in frustration. “I remember my lessons. What do I…we do now?”

  “We need to prepare you for your journey first.” Gorna led him to a far corner where a large, gleaming mahogany cabinet stood. She opened it to expose many different items stashed inside, but withdrew only a few and handed them to him: a bag containing a collection of modern coins, another pack with food, and a water bottle.