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CHAPTER 1
BRIE
Olympic Mountain Range
Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Aubry Hawthorne walked to the entrance of her cave home nestled deep in the Olympics. She stood in the shadows, which seemed appropriate. After all, as alpha to the group known as the Shadow Sisters, her entire life seemed to be lived amongst the shadows. The view from the natural porch that extended beyond the cave’s entrance gave her a spectacular and commanding view—the surrounding mountains, the Pacific Ocean less than thirty-five miles away, and the treacherous approaches that anyone seeking her company would have to use to try and reach her.
She breathed in the cold air, letting it fill her nostrils as she lifted the mug of dark roast coffee to her lips. She loved her home, tucked in among the craggy peaks and crystalline glaciers. Her home lacked some of the luxuries most people couldn’t live without, but it was safe, and considering how many people wanted her dead her security was paramount. She didn’t blame them; Brie had earned their fear and hatred—something she was damned proud of.
She turned back and went inside her cave, slid the rock door closed and pushed it into the opening so that it appeared to be a part of the rock. It cleverly concealed the large cave that lay beyond. She grinned as she looked around. The cave was something of a modern miracle of engineering. Brie had trained in structural engineering and architecture. She had planned to follow a much different life path, but that was water under the bridge, and for now she was content with her present and focused on her future.
To those who might look at the face of the mountain, they would see nothing amiss. But inside her cave, beyond her all but impenetrable door, her home was warm and cozy. It might be a bit dark for some, but she found solace in the shadows. She managed to have heat, electricity, hot water, and even a communication satellite—all without anyone being the wiser.
When she had first discovered it, the cave had been rudimentary at best, but it had been large with high ceilings. Brie spent months leveling the floors with hand tools and then hauling the furnishings she needed either up from the base of the mountain or lowered from a crane on a helicopter she rented and flew herself. It was isolated and secret, the location was only known to a handful of individuals; those with whom she trusted her life and those who depended on her to ensure their freedom.
It would have surprised many to discover how comfortable her home was. Thick, antique wool rugs were used to designate certain areas of her home: the seating area in front of the fire, her sleeping area, and her office area. She liked to describe her style as elegantly bohemian. She returned to her kitchen and poured another mug of coffee. The leather chesterfield couch, the 1930’s kitchen island, and the enormous iron bed were among her most prized possessions. They made her smile each and every time she returned home.
The trek up the side of the mountain last night had been long, cold, and hard. Even in the guise of her shifted self—a Canadian lynx—the footing had been treacherous. Lynx were uncommon in the Olympics but not unheard of, and most people couldn’t tell a lynx from the far more common bobcat. Once inside, she’d tended to the fires in the fireplace and wood stove before banking them for the night. She’d crawled into bed, snuggling under the flannel sheets, down comforter, and antique quilt, and dreamed of all the things she’d never have, including her fated mate.
As was often the case in her dreams, they were both naked, standing in front of the fire. Leaning in, his lips met hers in a fevered kiss that left her breathless. She clutched at the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair.
His hands slid down her body, tracing paths that left goosebumps. She had no will to resist him in the dreamscape and she had come to believe dreams would be mostly all they would ever share. She moaned against his mouth, all resistance swept away by the storm he stirred within her. He moved them onto the bed without breaking contact and gently laid her down onto the soft mattress. His body covered hers in a way that was comforting, like a warm blanket on a cold day.
His kisses provoked soft sighs as they traveled down along her neck. She wrapped her arms around him, her hands roaming his broad shoulders and tracing the hard lines of muscle with which he was endowed. Brie knew from past dreams, stolen moments, and glances over the years that muscles weren’t the only thing with which he’d been generously endowed.
He sighed against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. His lips were everywhere, leaving a trail of fire wherever they touched. His mouth found hers again, and he kissed her with a passion that threatened to consume her from within and destroy everything Brie had spent her life building.
“I’ve wanted you for so long Brie…” He whispered against her lips, “I can’t bear to wait any longer. You are mine, and you will take your place at my side.”
His words fueled the flame that he ignited within her, but also threatened to douse the wildfire that burned between them, for what he wanted could never be. He was waiting for her to respond, to offer her submission. It was the one thing she feared she would never be able to give him.
She looked into his eyes, her emotions so intense they filled her with words she might never be able to say. His fingers traced lines on her stomach, each touch only egging her on. The feelings, both physical and emotional, were overwhelming.
He looked into her eyes as well. Her hands held him closer, his lips meeting hers with an urgency and need she didn’t know he possessed. Brie reached down between their bodies to grip his hard cock. Tightening her hold, he hissed as if in pain. Brie started to loosen her fingers, but his hand wrapped around them to reestablish her grip; he groaned in pleasure. Making a place for himself between her thighs, he helped her guide his throbbing length to the entrance of her core before removing her hand and sinking deep inside her.
Brie cried out—the pleasure intense, sharp, and intoxicating. Nuzzling his neck, her hands came up so she could dig her nails into his shoulder blades, reveling in the feeling coursing through her system.
He shuddered as he drew back almost completely before sinking back into her with a low growl.
“Brie...” he murmured against her ear before nipping it. “Soon, my fated mate, I will claim you completely.”
His hands traced the contours of her waist, before slipping underneath her to grasp her buttocks, steadying himself. He seemed to be in no hurry, as if they had all the time in the world. He moved in and out in a slow rhythm that sent waves of renewed pleasure coursing through her body.
“Please...” she moaned, hardly recognizing the sound of her own voice—desperate, needy—quietly pleading for him to continue pleasuring her.
His movements became swifter and more determined, each thrust met with a gasp or a sigh from Brie. They were in sync, moving together as one. The world beyond them ceased to exist. Nothing mattered but the two of them—not his clowder, not the Shadow Sisters, nor the Shadow League. Here and now, there was no past, present, or future. It was just the two of them, joined together as fate had predetermined.
The core of her being was hot with need, and it boiled up within her. His grip tightened on her hips as he drove himself into her relentlessly, each thrust more powerful than the last.Her body arched up into him, meeting his movements with an urgency that matched his own.
“Come for me, Brie,” he growled, low and seductive, but commanding nonetheless. His voice rumbled deep within his chest.
Deft hands moved her hips, changing the angle and allowing him to hit that sweet spot with every stroke. The motion had her gasping in pleasure.
“Yes…” she breathed, her fingers digging into his strong back, holding on for dear life as he started a ruthless rhythm that sent wave after wave of pleasure flashing through her body.
“Fuck...Brie...” he barely managed to say before burying his face in the crook of her neck, panting heavily against her skin.
