Page 1 of Winter Unleashed
Chapter One
Achilly breeze moved over my skin, and I shivered as goosebumps covered my body. Pulling the blanket up to my chin, I opened my eyes to a sky full of a winter’s sunrise. The call of a hawk in the trees had my eyes drifting over the surface of the lake. The purples, pinks, and peaches of the sunrise reflected there made the scene beyond perfect.
A smile played on my lips when Liam’s arm slid around my waist to pull me against him. He inhaled deeply as he nuzzled my neck, and his beard tickled me as he pressed a kiss just below my ear.
“Good morning, Red,” he whispered.
I rolled onto my side to face him. His eyes were open but still held the haziness from sleep.
“Good morning, Mr. Fraser.”
His fingers danced over my body, making me arch closer to him. “You’re up early.” His lips were warm against my neck as he spoke.
The blanket shifted lower when he trailed his fingers over the hawk tattoo on my shoulder blade.
“I have a lot going on today. My brain won’t shut up,” I said, letting my fingers play over the matching hawk on his upper arm.
He touched his lips to mine for a soft kiss. “You’re worried your editor will quit on you.”
“I am. Patricia has every right to walk away. I’ve lied to her too many times over the past few months, and I have no choice but to do it again today.” Snuggling into his warm body, I tucked my head under his chin.
“You have a choice. You can tell her the truth,” he said as he caressed my back.
I pulled my head back to look at him. “And what would I say? ‘Hey Patricia, you know those shifters I write about? Yeah, they’re real. I’m one of them. Oh, and I’ve been missing my deadlines because vampires are also real, and their queen kidnapped me for a little while.’ Is that what I should say?”
He gave me another kiss before standing to find his clothes. “You forgot to mention the Fae. She should probably know fairies are also real.”
I groaned as I pulled my sweater over my head and looked around for my leggings. “You’re not as funny as you think, Mr. Fraser. Stick to your Vinur duties and your plethora of businesses.”
“Duly noted,” he said as he pulled on his pants.
He still hadn’t put on his shirt, and the sight of his bronzed skin lit up by the soft glow of the sunrise had me forgetting about my own clothes for a moment. I closed the distance between us to wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?”
He scowled at me. “No.”
“Oh, I did. I hurt your feelings.” I gave him a little pout. “Well, I guess I’ll have to make it up to you.” I leaned forward to kiss him and ran my hands down his back to hook my fingers in his belt loops. “Tonight. Be prepared.”
He held me closer, deepening the kiss for a few minutes before releasing me. “I’m holding you to that.”
I found my pants and pulled them on as he buttoned his shirt. We walked hand in hand through the trees, stopping to kiss and caress each other every so often. It’s a wonder we didn’t strip each other and make love in the middle of the forest.
Before I knew what was happening, my face slammed into the forest floor. Blood filled my mouth when I bit my tongue. I didn’t even have time to take a breath before my attacker landed a kick to my side, cracking my ribs and knocking the wind out of me. The force of the next kick broke more ribs and had me rolling onto my back as I gasped for air.
“Dammit, Stella,” I ground out through clenched teeth. “Give me a second, would ya? I haven’t even had coffee yet.”
She snorted. “What? You think the vamps will make sure you’re caffeinated before they’ll attack? Maybe they’ll bring you a latte and a muffin first.”
I groaned as I rolled over again to push myself up onto all fours. “Fuck you,” I said, but I knew she was right.
Even though it had been a while since the vamps had attacked, the purpose of these exercises was to keep me ready for anything they threw at us. We could sense them out there, lingering close while hiding deep in the forest. It was just a matter of time before they struck again.
I’d been fighting my fellow shifters my entire life, some of them twice my size, but vampires are faster and sneakier. So, I had to change the way I fought to make sure I didn’t become dinner for the bloodsuckers.
Stella and her mate were the perfect teachers. They were a blend of shifter and vampire, also known as tribreeds. Whatever made them part vampire had boosted some of their innate shifter abilities, making them even stronger and faster than a straight-up vamp or shifter. If I could learn to fight them, it would make taking on the vamps much easier.
Using a tree trunk for leverage, I pulled myself to stand as my injuries healed. As soon as I was upright, she landed another kick to my back. My face slammed into the tree trunk, breaking my nose.
“Ya know what? I’m starting to regret forgiving you.” Bracing for the pain, I covered my nose with my hand and adjusted it back in place. “Motherfuck!”