Wild Things (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance): Shifter Lovers Romance by Catherine Vale Read Free Book Online

his fingers. Yes, this was
decadent. And wonderful.
    They
ate in silence, Gabriel sectioning the orange, offering her a slice, continuing
to feed her. She bit into it, juice running down her chin. She laughed as Gabriel
handed her a linen napkin and she wiped the juice away. The orange tasted of
sun and heat, sweet and tart at the same time.
    “Damn,
you’re so beautiful”, he told her as she found herself suddenly shy, a sense of
belonging overpowering her, not that she belonged at the castle as that had
always been her home, but that she belonged with him… to him.
    They
shared another glass of wine and she tried not to be a glutton and eat all the
figs, but there was no holding back, they were her absolute favorite. And, to
be truthful, she was hungry. Finally, the tray was picked over, full of orange
peels and cherry pits and the empty bottle. Gabriel set it on the floor and
then slid down in the bed, making a space for her next to him. She curled into
the crook of his arm, head resting on his shoulder.
    “You
came to meet me.” She ran her fingers over his chest, all smooth skin and taut
muscle. “You knew I’d be there. And so you came...”
    He
reached up, stopping her hand with his, holding it briefly to his lips.
    “I
wish that were the only reason.” He held her hand for a minute, and then set
both back on his chest. “Your train was attacked.”
    “Yes,
it was terrible. I’ve never seen aliens that close before.” A shudder tore
through her, and she sat up, looking down at him. The light from the
windows—the moon must have risen by now—caught the planes of his face, the high
cheekbones, square jaw. All the things she loved about his face. It was
irresistible, the urge to touch his face, trace the contours, slide her fingers
down the straight bridge of his nose. But he didn’t let go of her hand. He was
talking, but she’d lost track of what he’d said.
    “Senna.
There were sightings. Inside the outer...”
    “Yes.
I’ve heard that before. At the gate. They’ve come inside the outer walls
before. There have never been any problems before so what are you so worried
about?” She was still looking down at him, but his expression had changed,
darkened, brows pulling together.
    “There
are other...issues. They have been attacking supply trains, up and down the
rail corridor.” He met her gaze. “And they made an attempt on your train, that
was just outside the station.”
    “But
there were shifters...riders on the train? I was protected, yes? I was never in
any danger.” But the passion and excitement inside her had stilled. A chill had
started in her core, working its way outward. She shivered, let go of Gabriel’s
hand, and curled against him. Without words he pulled the sheet over her
shoulder.
    “The
shifters you saw were our shifters, sent from ranks. There were no shifters on
that train who fought at all. They watched, from the tops of the cars.”
    “But
there were guards. There was one in my car. I am certain he was a shifter.”
    “He
was. The rest were as well. It was our Protectorate who lost men today. Not the
Ottway’s.”
    She
heard the anger in his voice, and the sadness for the loss of his men.
    “I
saw… I saw one get killed. A wolf…I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
     “I’ve
lost men before, but this...this was different. The aliens were like savages,
and the Ottway’s men only watched us get murdered, doing nothing to help.”
    “But
they are savages, aren’t they? The aliens?”
    “Yes.
But they were wild this time, more than before. It was like they had nothing to
lose, no reason to live. I think there are things happening out beyond the
frontiers, changes in how they live. It’s driving them closer to us, making it
harder for them...making them desperate.”
    “This
isn’t their world. It should be hard for them. They came here...tried to kill
us...for heaven’s sake, they tried to take over our world.”
    “I’m
not excusing what they’ve done.