Shifting Shadows Read online

  SHIFTING SHADOWS (A Paranormal Romantic Thriller)

  © Copyright 2018 Barb Shuler

  Published by Barbara Shuler

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction which is only recommended for those 18 and older due to violence, strong language and adult content. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, (living or dead), places or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Cover Art: CJC Photography

  Models: Gus Caleb Smyrnios and Jeremiah Buoni

  Cover Design by: Madhat Books

  Edited by: Emily Maynard & Mindy Seal

  Formatted by: Tattered Quill Designs

  Other Books by Barb Shuler

  Shattered Lives Series

  My Own Nightmare

  Somewhere I Belong

  Shatter Me Whole

  Sparks Of Deception

  Living In Your Hell

  The Cowboy Way Series

  Wrangled By Love

  A Rescue Series Novella

  A Marshal’s Courage

  Primal Darkness

  Harmony Duets

  Finding Harmony

  Through The Eyes Of Madness

  (Co-written with KA Graham)

  Anthologies

  Dirty Fairy Tales - What Big Teeth

  The Parlour: All Access - Ultimate Control

  Coloring Books

  Shaded With Love: A coloring Book for a Cause Volume 5

  This book is dedicated to everyone that thinks they don’t belong. You do belong, you just have to find your place.

  Acknowledgments

  As always a HUGE thank you goes to my team of kick ass friends, beta readers and editors. Y’all are my rock, my sanity at times and a helluva lot of laughs. I’d be lost without anyone of you.

  My partners in crime, Emily Maynard, Jennifer Amerson, Annie Anderson, Kelly Graham and Mindy Seal, I could not have done any of this without you. Each one of you keeps me in line and on track. Y’all are more than my best friends, y’all are the BOMB. Like, totally!

  My beta team/readers - Kelly Graham, Jo Dawson, AnnaMarie Gardner, Kelly Marshall-White, Laura Nelson, Morgan Campbell, Mindy Seal, Donna Piecora, Jade Lindaas - Lord knows without y’alls insight and suggestions this would not be as good as it is. I love that y’all all see things I miss. I can’t do what I do without any of you!

  A special shout out goes to my sweet little man, Collin Amerson. You like to give me lines or ideas to use. I used one! You can see it for yourself in a few years when you turn eighteen. Then again, you are not allowed to read it, just trust me, it’s in there. LOL!! Love you, baby boy.

  A special thank you goes to Mindy’s hubby, my other boyfriend, Stephen. You heard me on the phone with Min, struggling to make something work, so you stepped in and offered your thoughts. You helped make it all come together. Thank you!

  Contents

  Reader Warning

  Character & Creature Name List

  Glossary of Beings & Creatures

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Epilogue

  Shifting Shadows Playlist

  Sneak Peek of Primal Darkness

  About the Author

  Reader Warning

  This book contains content that may not be suitable for everyone. Violence and foul language for one.

  There will also be sexual scenes between consenting adults that contain multiple partners. This can include but is not limited to male/male relationships and male/female/male relationships.

  Love is just a word, but you bring it definition.

  Eminem

  Character & Creature Name List

  Character Names can be hard to read sometimes. I get this. So, for the purposes of this story I’ve made you a list to show you how to pronounce them.

  Tiberius (Ty•beer•e•us)

  Horacio (Hor•a•she•o)

  Jasmine (Jazz•men)

  Alec (Al•ick)

  Kelanie (Kel•awn•e)

  Lalamke (Le•lamb•kee)

  Asheron (Ash•a•ron)

  Amandrell (Am•on•drell)

  Micah (My•kuh)

  Hadley (Had•lee)

  Montroy Vikord (Mon•troy Vi•chord)

  Malik (Mal•ick)

  Zyla (Z•eye•luh)

  Xorlan (Zor•lon)

  Keyna (Key•nuh)

  Saytor (Say•door)

  Cylis (Sigh•lus)

  Xayon (Z•eye•on)

  Raphael (Raf•eye•ell)

  Horkan (Or•ton )

  Xypher (Zy•fur)

  Kordmeyn (Chord•men)

  Cylor(Sigh•lore)

  Myling (My•ling)

  Rayon Vikord (Ray•on Vi•chord)

  Thaddeus (Thad•e•us)

  Haven Mykala (Hay•ven Ma•kay•la)

  Horace (Hor•is)

  Glossary of Beings & Creatures

  Direwolves (Dyer•wolves)

  ●Original Faery Beast

  ●Large body of grey and white fur.

  ●They’re the size of a polar bear with large canines and dark eyes.

  ●They’re fast and agile.

  ●In human form they are about 6 feet tall.

  Draykons (Drake•ons)

  ●Drakes aka Dragons

  ●Large scaled beasts with horns that run from their snouts, across their massive shoulders and along their spine.

  ●Angry and menacing looking - not very attractive in their beast form.

  ●Have bellies full of fire which is used in a defensive way.

  ●Human forms: females are beautiful, men are handsome, yet rough around the edges.

  ●They have a distinctive “smoke like” marking that runs from the right temple, across their eye and down to their jaw bone.

  ●Drakes do not typically mate as other shifters. A male’s role is to impregnate as many females as possible while they are in their fertile time. The Drakes are mostly women. There are few men to go around.

  Reapers (Re•purs)


  ●Creatures created for destruction and mayhem.

  ●Tall, dark haired beasts in the body of a man with red eyes.

  ●Their blood is poisonous to all creatures. It causes their bodies to freeze up which aids them in killing large creatures.

  Angels of Angelicus (An•gels of An•gel•e•cus)

  ●Group of the Archangel Raphael’s sword wielding warrior Angels

  ●Tall, blonde haired men

  ●They have a hard time distinguishing ‘good’ from bad sometimes. They are crafty, yet creatures.

  Chrichon (Kreesh•on)

  ●Original Faery Beast

  ●Created as hybrids by the Fae to use as protection from their enemies.

  ●Large lizard like creature who is the size of an elephant with thick leathery skin, reminiscent of a hippo’s slick skin. Has large scales and spikes running from its head and down along its back. Has a spiked ball on the top of its tail.

  ●Formidable fighters who anger easily.

  ●In their “human” form they are 7 ½-8 feet tall with broad shoulders and a massive body.

  Gobi (Go•Bee)

  ●Original Fae Beast

  ●Created as hybrids by the Fae to use as protection from their enemies.

  ●Large lizard like creature the size of an African elephant, with thick leathery skin, reminiscent of a rhino’s armored skin. Has a horned nose. Large and small spikes run along its sides. Has a flat spade tipped tail club on the tail.

  ●Formidable fighters who anger easily, especially when they’re hurt.

  ●In their “human” form they are 8 feet tall, broad shoulders and huge hands.

  ●They do not appear as menacing in human form as they do in their original form.

  Polti (Pool•tee)

  ●Large Prehistoric Bear

  ●Original Faery Beast

  ●Large bears (twice the size of a polar bear) with silver and brown fur. Long silver stripe from snout to neck.

  ●They have extra long canines and claws that are used for tearing and shredding.

  ●In their human form they stand about 7 feet tall, have large shoulders and hard, defined muscles.

  Ganters (Gan•tors)

  ●Large Prehistoric Cat

  ●Original Faery Beast

  ●Large “cat” with long upper canines.

  ●Multi colored fur that runs in stripes along their sides and back.

  ●Stealthy, fast runners due to the long, lean muscles of their shoulders.

  ●Rarely choose human form, but when they do, they stand at 6 foot tall and have long, lean bodies.

  Sabers (Say•burs)

  ●Large Prehistoric Cat

  ●Original Faery Beast

  ●Saber-tooth beast

  ●Large “lion like cat” with long upper and lower canines.

  ●Have a solid colored coat of fur that is thick and bristly. Helps guard their skin during attacks.

  ●Large shoulders, long lean legs that are good for short bursts of running power to take down prey.

  ●When in human form they are rough looking. They stand around 6 ½ foot tall and are very hairy.

  Prologue

  “Fight it! You fucking fight it, Ty!”

  Horacio’s words rang out across the clearing like a bell. The changes inside me have brought me down to my knees. The bonds that tie us to the clans were breaking. Each break felt like a sharp cut into my soul. Black spots flipped through my vision.

  “Trying…” I growl out my reply. It took all I had in me to get that out.

  I try to move over to where he is kneeling - no more than fifty paces from me - but I can’t move with pain consuming me. He, too, is fighting to stay conscious with the pain drilling through him. Each twinge is multiplied by the other’s pain. The ties that hold us together as not only pack, or as mates, but as Guardians to the ones that stand in the outline of the trees snap with more ferocity than the last.

  They’ve done this to us. They are stripping us of our pack for simply being mates! The reality is worse than one could imagine. A pack should embrace the love between two shifters. What did they expect? The fates like to mix things up sometimes. We never expected to find love with each other, nor had we expected a mating bond to surge through us under the full moon.

  The Mother Goddess saw fit to make us one. A pack in our own rights. Why isn’t that good enough for them? Why can’t they see it? Small minded asshats. If that isn’t bad enough, we’ve found a human woman that calls to our animals. Yes, she calls to both of us. It’s a strange relationship, but one we need. She is ours, even if it isn’t always in an intimate way. She is a part of us, the part that keeps us grounded and our animals in line, if that’s even possible. The cub she will bear will make us inseparable. It will be a stronger bond than anyone has seen in centuries.

  Now,though, it is all falling apart.

  I fall over onto my knees, my bear fighting to get free. Each time his mate gasps or cries out in pain he roars and claws at me to be set free. My head falls forward once more. I pant through each tear in my soul. My fingers slowly turn to claws and my jaw ticks as the crunching of sticks and leaves reach my sensitive ears. The scent that fills my senses makes my head jerk up.

  My gaze meets Jasmine’s panic filled eyes. My bear lets out a roar at the sight before us. They - the men who drug her forward - shove her to the ground where she collapses into a sobbing heap, her arms protectively cradling her belly and the cub that is growing there. I can smell her blood, her fear, her shame - it’s too much.

  I can hear Horacio’s Jaguar roar moments before my own roar fills the air. My bear springs forth, and with a shake of my massive body the tattered bonds that once were my lifeline are gone. That’s okay. We - Horacio and I - have each other, and Jasmine. There is no need to be bonded to a clan that refuses to accept us as we are. We may no longer be clan, but we are still Guardians. The only way to no longer bear the mark of a Guardian is to be killed. The Guardian spirit chooses who to mark . It is an honor only bestowed upon shifters that are found to be worthy.

  Today, however, I’d happily forget that I am a Guardian and tear them all into very tiny pieces.

  My massive body blocks both my mates, Horacio and Jasmine, from the men as the saliva drops from my muzzle. I’m fighting - only slightly now - to stay under control. If I let loose at this moment - many would perish.

  I will protect what is mine, with my life if I have to.

  One

  Tiberius

  Stalking the shadows was a job that I, as a Guardian, treasured. My bear and I walked the woods, stalked the streets, and kept the lines between the human reality and the shifter life separate. What humans didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt us. We - shifters - were not allowed to interact with humans. We couldn’t let them discover that we were more than just the things in their nightmares, we were real. This is why Guardians were created. We were the go-between for both worlds.

  With each step I made against the half frozen earth I cursed Mother Nature. It was supposed to be fall, but I think she is PMSing again. When she is cramping we are all in for it. I am a shifter, and it’s true that I am used to being in the bad weather, but that didn’t mean I had to like it or even appreciate it when my balls freeze and shrivel up into my stomach. Okay, I wasn’t that cold, my bear kept me warm, but in my human form I wasn’t as warm as I wanted to be on this windy, rainy night.

  Tonight night was just like any other night. I walked the streets and alleyways, looking and listening for trouble. My other half, Horacio, was stalking through the other side of town. I hated being away from him, but it was needed on nights like this. Seems both humans and shifters alike acted out when the weather changed. I guess even humans have a little animal in them.

  The rain started to pelt down harder, the wind whipping the rain right into my face. The stinging of each drop across my face had my hackles up. With a growl, I tugged the collar of my jacket up and ducked my
head a little more. I sure as hell hoped Horacio was having a better time patrolling than I was.

  With each store back I crossed, I made sure there was no one standing about that would cause trouble. I passed a few of the shop owners, ones I’d seen every day I’d been out on the town. They’d all become a familiar part of our lives. Horacio and I lived in this town, after all. How else could we keep it safe? The council - as they were called - had assigned us both to this town due to its size and the closeness of the enchanted forest. Yeah, you heard that correct. The old legends, the ones our parents told us as children, started with the enchanted forest.

  It was the birthplace of the first shifters. It was also home to the fae, or that’s what legend says. No one has actually seen the fae in years. We know they’re around, even though their presence is guarded. As a Guardian I can feel the slight tug of magic when it flares. That flare lets me know that the magical creatures are close, even if I can’t see them.