Shifting Destinies: A Paranormal Interracial Story (HIdden Hills Shifters Book 3) Read online

  She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. This could turn dangerous if she weren’t careful.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” The word was out of her mouth before she could filter it, and she hoped like hell that she wasn’t making the mistake of a lifetime.

  Chapter Two

  Every alarm in Wade’s head said to stop, but from the moment he’d danced with Emmaline a few months back at the Cove Bar, the more convinced he’d become that she was his mate. He’d tried to deny it, saying that wolves and bears shouldn’t be together like that, but the yearning was too intense for it not to be true. He figured the only way to confirm his suspicion was to make love with her—or so he wanted to believe—but doing so in the backseat of his truck was crass and immature.

  Admit it. It held a bit excitement, too, and if he believed every other kid in high school, they’d all done it a time or two, and loved it. Wade never had though. It hadn’t been his style. What he couldn’t figure out was why at thirty he was here about do to the nasty with the woman who might be his forever?

  Simple. Emmaline Nettles had taken control of his mind and bewitched him.

  He blew out a breath, having no doubt that he was hooked. Nothing in the world was going to make him stop—other than her telling him to. He had to possess her. In the morning, he’d worry about how to handle their future.

  Wade placed her back on the seat, but there was no damn room to feast on her without his naked ass sticking up in the air. Crap. His luck, someone from the wedding reception would spot his truck parked at an odd angle and check on him. He’d have to make this fast.

  “You said you have a condom?” He wasn’t fifteen anymore. He should have restocked, but ever since his first meeting with her, he’d convinced himself that he was finished playing around.

  “In my purse.” She leaned over and handed it to him.

  Wade didn’t look in women’s purses as it led to trouble. “You find it.”

  She slipped her hand inside, fumbled around, and pulled something out. “Tada!”

  He plucked the foil packet from her fingers and held it between his teeth. Sitting on the edge of the seat, he removed his pants and briefs but only from one leg just in case he needed to get dressed in a hurry. Guilt assaulted him. He removed the condom from his mouth. “Emmaline, this isn’t how I want our first time to be.” He’d dreamed of taking her slowly.

  She pressed up on her elbows. “What are you saying? Now that you’ve seen me half-naked, you don’t find me attractive enough? Is that it?”

  He groaned aloud. “No, not at all. We’re in the backseat of my truck. We aren’t teenagers.”

  “You’re leaving tomorrow, right? You said you only came for the wedding.”

  He’d come to see her, too, but now wasn’t the time to discuss it. As he’d pulled into the parking lot, he’d received an emergency text from one of his biggest clients back in Pittsburgh. He had to get back. “Yes.”

  She glanced to the side and her lips seemed to harden. “Unless you’re lying to me, we only have tonight.”

  “I’m not; I swear.”

  “Then take off my panties and show me how much you want me.”

  He was caught between a rock and a hard place. “If you change your mind—”

  “Wa-ade.” She pulled him on top of her. “I. Won’t. Now, kiss me like you mean it.” With that, she drew his face to hers.

  Her tongue peeked out first, and he answered it with a thrust of his own. Her taste and scent drove him crazy, and the hint of perspiration brought out his inner animal. Wade growled and plunged in again, and his world spun with an urgency that told him she was the one.

  He slid his hand under her dress, pushed it up to her thighs, and then tried to remove her panties. After tugging once and them not budging, he realized it was because he was on top of her. Duh. If anyone had been watching, they’d be laughing at his inability to do this properly. He broke the kiss and sat up. “A little help?”

  In a flash, Emmaline’s white panties flew across the front seat. “Go.”

  He almost laughed at her urgency. He waved the condom. Women seemed to like the control. “You want to do the honors?”

  “You do it. It’s too dark.”

  He got the sense she wasn’t that experienced, so he tore open the packet and dragged the rubber down his cock. This was it. No turning back now. He sat next to her with her left leg bent against the back seat, and her right foot on the floor. Mentally, he tried to figure out how they were going to get into position given the lack of room. “Can you hook your right leg over the front seat?” She lifted it a few inches, and he helped her the rest of the way.

  Her juices perfumed the air and his need escalated. When he tried to mount her, her left leg was in the way with no place for him to gain access. Think. “Can you slide toward the front a little?”

  She did, but then one ass cheek came off the seat. “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she said. Emmaline lowered her legs, sat up, and hiked her skirt to her waist. “Have you even had sex before?”

  If his embarrassment hadn’t gotten in the way, he might have seen the humor in the situation. “A time or two.”

  Without a word, she pushed him against the seat, swung her right leg over his lap, and straddled him. She then grabbed his cock, and with practiced aim, placed her slick opening against the head.

  At the first touch, his libido shot out of control. The need to take her was so strong, it was as if he was in his bear form. Being so close to the edge, if he grabbed her waist and drove up into her, he’d be so lost he might never come out of this alive. For her sake, Wade had to let Emmaline set her own pace.

  Her full, lush tits appeared at mouth level and he had to taste them. The tiny buds had peaked, and when he sucked on one, she seemed to purr.

  “Yes, Wade. Harder.”

  He didn’t know if she was referring to his level of penetration or the way he was twisting her delicious nipple. He lifted his hips a few inches and impaled her farther, her pussy fitting him like a custom leather glove. Just to be safe, he bit down gently on her other nipple. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and his body nearly exploded. What he wanted was to be completely naked and have more of him touching her.

  Holding her by the waist, he groaned in pleasure every time she lifted and dropped back down on him. Her moans turned louder, and the windows fogged. Sealed in their cocoon, Wade never wanted to let her go.

  She dropped her head back and pumped her hips fast. Her mouth opened, and she sucked in a big breath. “Fuck!”

  He clamped his jaw tight, wanting to stay in control, but when she twisted her chest to present him with her other tit, he lost it. Just as his cum pulsed out, she climaxed and yelled again, tightening her inner walls on his cock. He couldn’t move if he’d wanted to.

  Whether it was his dick vibrating or her pussy, he couldn’t tell, but he’d never been this satisfied in his life.

  She lowered her head on his shoulder and hugged him. “That was amazing,” Emmaline finally said then lifted up.

  Uh-oh. “Got something to clean up with?” He hoped she carried tissues in her purse. Her juices had wet both his bare leg and the covered one. Oh, well, he’d planned to have the suit dry cleaned anyway.

  “I can use my panties.” She swung back around so that she was facing the front. “Oh, my God. They’re on the rearview mirror.” She cracked up.

  This couldn’t get much worse. There they were for the world to see. She nabbed them quickly and cleaned herself up. Emmaline then stuffed them in her purse and pulled up her top.

  He placed the condom in the cup holder, making a mental note to clean it up when he returned home. Getting his leg into his pants took some doing, but eventually he managed.

  Footsteps sounded outside his truck, followed by a knock on the window, causing his heart rate to triple.

  “Saw the car was a rockin’,” Burke telepathed. “So I came a knockin’.”

  His best f
riend had a sense of humor. “That means you need not be stoppin’.”

  Emmaline grabbed his hand. “Was that Burke?”

  “Don’t worry. He won’t say anything to Tasha if you don’t want him to.”

  “How do you know?”

  He couldn’t be certain. “I’ll tell him not to.”

  “Don’t do that. He’ll get you to confess what I did.”

  Poor Emmaline. “If I’m not mistaken, our sweet escapade involved the two of us.”

  She fell back against the seat, slipped on her heels that he hadn’t even noticed she’d removed, and picked up her purse. “I need to go. Trust me, I’m good to drive.”

  She sounded sober, but he still wanted to take her home. “I’ll drive you.”

  “No.” She pushed open the door and rushed out.

  Wade had no idea what he was supposed to do now.

  * * *

  Em didn’t roll out of bed until ten the next morning. She’d showered as soon as she’d arrived home last night, mostly because she was sweating from all the dancing. Okay, that might not have been the entire truth. Her body had heated to volcanic temperatures while she was riding Wade, and his scent was all over her skin. If she’d dropped into bed without washing, her sheets would smell like him, and then she’d never be able to sleep.

  Even after the relaxing shower, she was still vibrating from the intense sex. Dear howls in heaven, the man had rocked her world. Sure, they had fumbled around, but the more she thought about it, the more endearing it became. He truly acted as if he hadn’t had sex in his truck before.

  In a better mood than she’d been in months, she dressed in a pair of capris and a comfortable T-shirt, and headed into the kitchen to fix something to eat. She was starving. Now that the wedding was over, she didn’t need to worry about fitting into that tight dress ever again. As she made her coffee, she spotted her cell and wondered if Wade had called to say what a great time he’d had.

  She checked. Nope. It was no biggie since he was probably on the road back to wherever. In all honesty, it was for the best. He’d never mentioned wanting to see her again, and she’d known that going into it. Hell, they could never date. Her parents would disown her if she ended up with a lowly bear shifter. At least he wasn’t a cheetah. She might be booted out of the Clan if she’d dated one of them. Having Chey, a cheetah, as her good friend was fine. Having a cheetah—or a bear shifter—as a mate was not.

  In the past, she, Cheyenne, and often Tasha would meet for Sunday brunch at the Hidden Hills Café. Once Chey and Storm hooked up, it was just her and Tasha. Now that Tasha was with Burke, Em was left to fend for herself. A few weeks back, Piper, a friend of Cheyenne’s had joined them. The two had met through Storm since Piper worked at the hospital in the X-Ray department. Emmaline debated calling her, but then decided she was a big girl and quite content being alone.

  She probably should stop over at her parents’ house, since she hadn’t seen them in a while, but they always found something to criticize and that made going over to their place unpleasant. Only one of her sisters lived in town, but seeing Millicent held even less appeal.

  Em’s coffee finished brewing, and she poured a cup. While it cooled, she ate a bowl of cereal. Usually, she only volunteered at the women’s shelter Monday nights, but there were times when she’d help on the weekends. Because she wasn’t in the mood to sit around, she finished her drink, cleaned up, and headed on over there.

  No surprise, the place was quite crowded. Not only were people dropping things off for donation, the thrift store was packed. The back of the building housed the office where they processed the battered women and assigned them a place to live.

  Emmaline had worked in all three areas at one time or another, depending on where she was needed the most. While it was disturbing to see these desperate women, their gratitude made it all worthwhile. Without a home, a possible job, clothing, and money, these women—often with children—were at the end of their rope.

  Em parked and entered the office area to see where she could do the most good. Her boss, Francis Ebberheart, looked up and grinned. “Hey, you, it’s not Monday.”

  Em shrugged. “I know. I had nothing to do, so I thought I’d help out.”

  Francis nodded to the three women on the chairs lining the wall. “You want to process Mrs. Drake?” She nodded to a tiny woman with a black eye. “I’m just about to take care of Linda Sanchez.”

  “Sure.” With a gentle smile, she stepped over to the woman. “Mrs. Drake? You want to come with me?”

  The woman clutched her purse to her chest and stood. From the way she was hunched over, the beating might have extended to more than her face. Emmaline’s heart broke as she led her into one of the empty offices. If she ever met the man who did this to her, she might have to bite his ass.

  She inwardly smiled at that thought. As far as she knew, there was no database for wolf teeth marks. While she’d never use her other talents to harm another person, she bet plenty in her town had. This past year alone, bears had mauled two people, cheetahs had attacked three others, and wolves had bitten a few more. The chance it was from someone other than a shifter was slim.

  “I need to ask you a few questions, Mrs. Drake, if that’s okay.”

  She nodded. “Can you call me Mahalia? I don’t want to hear the name Mrs. Drake ever again.”

  “I understand.”

  For the next half hour, Emmaline took down the woman’s information, and then tried to find a temporary place for her to stay until a permanent home could be located. Only Francis would know where the woman’s final place would be. “Let’s get you someplace safe. Did you bring anything with you?”

  She shook her head. “I had to leave in a hurry. I took the bus here.”

  “No children?”

  She looked away. “No.”

  Emmaline bet there was a story there. “Follow me, and we’ll get you some place safe.”

  After she told Francis that she was going to drive Mahalia to Hollis House, a temporary boarding home, they left. The citizens of Hidden Hills had generously donated to the place, enough to make it quite nice. “You’ll be staying here only until we find you more permanent accommodations, okay?”

  Mahalia nodded, but said nothing. Emmaline picked up the key from the receptionist at the front desk and walked her upstairs. When Emmaline opened the door, the woman gasped. “It’s so nice.” She spun around. “I can really stay here?” The smile that surfaced was short-lived, probably because her face ached.

  “Yes, I’m glad you like it.” Emmaline needed to ask Francis about getting this woman some good medical treatment. “Someone from the office will stop by tomorrow and she’ll bring you some clothes. Help yourself to what’s in the closet. I suspect all of it will fit.”

  Mahalia leaned over and hugged her. “Thank you.”

  “Sure. Lunch is served downstairs at noon and dinner is at six.”

  Tears clouded the woman’s eyes. “Bless you.”

  When Em’s own emotions were about to burst, she left. Seeing violence made her mad, and when she got angry, people needed to watch out.

  Chapter Three

  When Emmaline returned to the shelter the next day after work, she parked near the drop off zone like she usually did. As she neared the processing center at the back, a man stepped out from behind a tree.

  “Can you help me?” he begged. His fists were clenched at his side and he was wearing a trench coat, which was odd since it was still August, and it didn’t get cool until later in the evening.

  She debated whether to speak with him—being a strange male and all—but he appeared desperate. “What do you need?”

  “My wife came here yesterday—or at least she threatened to—and I’m worried about her. Could you find out where she is?”

  No. “What’s her name?”

  “Mahalia Drake.”

  Oh, shit. Stay calm. “If she did come here, her information is confidential.”

  He ste
pped closer, invading her space. Don’t shift. Don’t shift. When she was pissed, the tendency to change form was strong.

  He leaned in close, his breath strong and foul. “You don’t understand; I need to find my wife.”

  I bet you do, so you can beat her again. Emmaline wanted to shout at him, tell him that hitting a woman was horrible and disgusting, but getting into an argument with him wouldn’t do any good. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

  The door behind her opened. “Is there a problem, Emmaline?” Francis asked.

  “No. Mr. Drake was just leaving.” She gave him her meanest glare.

  “I’ll be back.”

  He twisted around and stomped off. Once she stepped into the office, her heart went crazy. Francis led Em over to a chair in her office while her boss sat on the edge of the desk. “You know we’re not supposed to speak with anyone, especially about our women. It’s dangerous for them.”

  “I didn’t. I told him nothing.”

  Francis relaxed. “Okay. If he gives you any more trouble, let me know.”

  “I will.”

  “Why don’t you see if Sherry needs help in the store?”

  “You don’t need me here?”

  “Not tonight.”

  It didn’t matter that the seats outside were all taken. Emmaline stood, happy she didn’t have to hear another sad story since she wasn’t sure she could handle any more tales of abuse. Working in the store marking prices would help calm her. “Thanks, I will.”

  As soon as Em entered the store, her three-hour volunteer time went by quickly. Before she headed to the parking lot, she asked the guard to escort her out, as Em didn’t trust that Mr. Drake wouldn’t jump out at her again. It wouldn’t matter if she told him what she knew. By now, Mahalia had probably been moved to her permanent place.

  Driving home, Em kept her gaze on the rear view mirror, but no one seemed to care where she was going. No sooner had she stepped into her welcoming home, than her cell rang. She plucked it out of her pocket. It was Wade.