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Just as shapeshifters mate for life, so do Lightbearers. Happily isn't always part of the ever after.
In this third book of the series, Lightbearer Carley Santiago and shifter Reid Hennigan are running from their pasts. Hiding in the human world, they meet and sparks fly. But what happens when Carley’s past threatens her relationship with Reid?
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At noon the next day, Reid stood on the front porch of the three-story Victorian home Carley shared with half a dozen humans, all of whom worked at the same restaurant. He never knew humans were so pack-like. Working and living with the same people, day in and day out—he couldn’t imagine it, and he was a pack-like creature.
The dishwasher answered the door. Short, stocky guy with brown skin and thick, dark hair. His shrewd brown-eyed gaze swept over Reid’s person.
“Stalking her isn’t going to get her to sleep with you, bro,” he eventually commented, by way of greeting.
Reid lifted his eyebrows and gazed back at the shorter man. “Are you going to give me advice on what will?”
The dishwasher snorted. “Hell no. Even if I did know that answer, I sure as hell wouldn’t share it with you. Stay here. I’ll see if she’s willing to give you some face time.” And then he promptly slammed the door in Reid’s face.
Reid touched the peeling paint on the door. He felt residual magic there, although the wards were fairly old. At least a few weeks, maybe more. At some point, she’d warded the place against detection, and eventually stopped, or at least grew lax. The protective wards would have to be renewed regularly, as the magic, just like the Lightbearer who created it, would weaken with time. He wondered who had frightened her so much that she would actually flinch away when he only meant to touch her gently, encouragingly, as he told her that he wanted to sleep with her.
Not a past lover, she’d said. Family member, he had guessed. She denied it, but then she’d refused to tell him more. But someone had done something to hurt her. The way she’d jerked away from him—that was a learned behavior. He understood learned behaviors, and he knew well how hard it was to break oneself of a habit forced upon you by someone else.
She obviously had an unpleasant past. Or at least something terrible had occurred that triggered her reaction to him. She clearly wanted nothing to do with him. This would be no easy conquest he could bend to his will for a brief period of time, providing short-term mutual satisfaction, before he went on his way and they never spoke again.
So why was he here? Why was he pursuing her? Why did he feel as though he wanted her even more, despite—or because of—the issues that he really knew nothing about?
Because I can relate, a small voice whispered in his head.
Perhaps, he admitted grudgingly. But that didn’t mean it was a good idea.
The door opened again, revealing a different human, this one a male with ruddy skin and strawberry-blond hair that he kept closely cropped to his head. His eyes were bright blue, and he had a sprinkling of freckles across his nose. He was clearly young, although probably not as young as he looked.
“What’re you doing here?” the boy demanded.
“Waiting to speak to Carley.”
“She’s busy.”
“Doing what?”
“None of your beeswax.”
Charming. “The dishwasher was supposed to tell her I’m here.”
“Roman? He did. And she said to go away.”
The kid was lying. Reid could tell by the way his gaze darted to the side as he said the words. He started to flush, as well.
“I cannot abide liars,” Reid said in his low, dangerous voice. The one that intimidated most humans.
The kid flushed darker and dropped his gaze to stare at the ground. “How come you didn’t like my steak?” he finally blurted.
“You must be Sean.”
“Yeah. What of it?” Sean asked defensively.
“I didn’t eat your steak.”
“Why not?”
“Carley didn’t make it.”
“So? My steaks are good too, you know.”
“They might very well be, but I’m not trying to sleep with you.”
The kid’s face darkened until he was almost purple. Reid wondered if he would have to perform CPR.
“You can’t have her,” Sean finally managed to say on a wheeze.
“Your protective instincts are noble, but I hope you can understand that I really don’t care about your opinion on the matter.”
The dishwasher answered the door. Short, stocky guy with brown skin and thick, dark hair. His shrewd brown-eyed gaze swept over Reid’s person.
“Stalking her isn’t going to get her to sleep with you, bro,” he eventually commented, by way of greeting.
Reid lifted his eyebrows and gazed back at the shorter man. “Are you going to give me advice on what will?”
The dishwasher snorted. “Hell no. Even if I did know that answer, I sure as hell wouldn’t share it with you. Stay here. I’ll see if she’s willing to give you some face time.” And then he promptly slammed the door in Reid’s face.
Reid touched the peeling paint on the door. He felt residual magic there, although the wards were fairly old. At least a few weeks, maybe more. At some point, she’d warded the place against detection, and eventually stopped, or at least grew lax. The protective wards would have to be renewed regularly, as the magic, just like the Lightbearer who created it, would weaken with time. He wondered who had frightened her so much that she would actually flinch away when he only meant to touch her gently, encouragingly, as he told her that he wanted to sleep with her.
Not a past lover, she’d said. Family member, he had guessed. She denied it, but then she’d refused to tell him more. But someone had done something to hurt her. The way she’d jerked away from him—that was a learned behavior. He understood learned behaviors, and he knew well how hard it was to break oneself of a habit forced upon you by someone else.
She obviously had an unpleasant past. Or at least something terrible had occurred that triggered her reaction to him. She clearly wanted nothing to do with him. This would be no easy conquest he could bend to his will for a brief period of time, providing short-term mutual satisfaction, before he went on his way and they never spoke again.
So why was he here? Why was he pursuing her? Why did he feel as though he wanted her even more, despite—or because of—the issues that he really knew nothing about?
Because I can relate, a small voice whispered in his head.
Perhaps, he admitted grudgingly. But that didn’t mean it was a good idea.
The door opened again, revealing a different human, this one a male with ruddy skin and strawberry-blond hair that he kept closely cropped to his head. His eyes were bright blue, and he had a sprinkling of freckles across his nose. He was clearly young, although probably not as young as he looked.
“What’re you doing here?” the boy demanded.
“Waiting to speak to Carley.”
“She’s busy.”
“Doing what?”
“None of your beeswax.”
Charming. “The dishwasher was supposed to tell her I’m here.”
“Roman? He did. And she said to go away.”
The kid was lying. Reid could tell by the way his gaze darted to the side as he said the words. He started to flush, as well.
“I cannot abide liars,” Reid said in his low, dangerous voice. The one that intimidated most humans.
The kid flushed darker and dropped his gaze to stare at the ground. “How come you didn’t like my steak?” he finally blurted.
“You must be Sean.”
“Yeah. What of it?” Sean asked defensively.
“I didn’t eat your steak.”
“Why not?”
“Carley didn’t make it.”
“So? My steaks are good too, you know.”
“They might very well be, but I’m not trying to sleep with you.”
The kid’s face darkened until he was almost purple. Reid wondered if he would have to perform CPR.
“You can’t have her,” Sean finally managed to say on a wheeze.
“Your protective instincts are noble, but I hope you can understand that I really don’t care about your opinion on the matter.”