Out Of The Shadows Read online

  Out of the Shadows

  Julia Davies

  Published by Phaze Books

  Also by Julia Davies

  Bark At The Moon

  Out Of The Shadows

  This is an explicit and erotic novel

  intended for the enjoyment

  of adult readers. Please keep

  out of the hands of children.

  www.Phaze.com

  Out Of The Shadows

  Copyright © 2011 by Julia Davies

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Edited by Kathryn Lively

  Cover Art © 2011 by Amanda Kelsey

  First Edition June 2011

  ISBN-13: 978-1-60659-609-8

  Published by:

  Phaze Books

  An imprint of Mundania Press LLC

  6457 Glenway Ave., #109

  Cincinnati, OH 45211

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Mundania Press LLC, 6457 Glenway Avenue, #109, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211, [email protected].

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  This electronic book is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be copied, re-sold, given away, or otherwise distributed. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  Out of the Shadows

  Julia Davies

  Chapter One

  “When are you going to get your car fixed?” Jai asked, pulling his motorcycle alongside Dane’s car.

  Dane gave the car’s tyre a disgruntled kick. “I can’t afford it at the moment.” He brightened and asked, “Do you think if I leave the keys in, someone might steal the damn thing? It’s insured.”

  “No thief in their right mind would steal this piece of shit,” Jai replied. “No offence meant.”

  Dane sighed. Jai was right. His car was a rusted heap with mismatched doors that he had salvaged from the scrap yard, and it tended to break down at least once a week. Unfortunately, with his rent and bills to pay, he had the choice of replacing his car or eating. As a werewolf who liked his food, he chose to eat. He did feel bad about having to continually call on his friends to come out and collect him so often.

  “Thanks for coming to get me,” he said, climbing onto the bike behind Jai.

  * * * *

  Jai should have said thank you to Dane, or to that damn car of his, but he kept his mouth shut. He had felt it from the moment Dane walked into his life, the instant attraction, but Dane either hadn’t noticed his interest or didn’t intend to. Jai suspected the former and kept his thoughts to himself, instead finding ways to spend time with Dane until the man was ready to acknowledge it. These recovery runs were as eagerly anticipated as the trips to the pub or chats at the office that he managed to orchestrate.

  Jai shrugged his shoulders. “No problem.”

  Dane slid his hands onto Jai’s waist to hold on as they set off, and Jai felt a rush go through him. Innocent as it was, that simple touch made blood race to his cock. Fuck. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up. For two months, ever since Dane had joined the pack guard, he had been fighting to keep his hands off, look but don’t touch, to force thoughts of Dane to the back of his mind. He had lost count of the number of mornings he had awakened with the covers kicked back and his hand around his dick. Images of Dane filled his mind as he jerked off, and he always came imagining that it was Dane’s hand on him. Thoughts of having Dane beneath him, and being able to sink his cock into the object of his fantasy’s tight little arse, could keep him awake at nights.

  They pulled into the car park behind their offices and Jai drew the bike to a stop. A shame it wasn’t a longer journey, he thought with a sigh as Dane let go of him and climbed off the bike.

  “Thanks again.”

  Jai secured his motorcycle and then walked in with Dane. Everyone else was already there, hard at work. Or rather, trying to look busy. Usually, they would be arranging permits for other weres to visit, escorting the Alpha if he travelled or policing the pack. It was a quiet month so far; not so much as a rogue wolf straying into pack territory.

  * * * *

  The day rolled by at an irritatingly slow pace. Jai was playing his umpteenth game of solitaire on his computer and discreetly watching Dane when Ret came out of his office. He grinned as Ret headed for Brand’s desk, where his boyfriend Andy was sitting. Not long ago, Andy had been inducted into the world of werewolves, first as Ret’s human mate. After an accident that left him fighting for his life, they had no choice but to turn him. He would never have survived without becoming a wolf and now, five months later, he had adapted well.

  It’s adorable to see them together, Jai thought with a smile. Ret may act like a bad-ass to the outside world but, it was clear to those who knew him best—his guards—how much he adored Andy. Jai glanced at Dane again; he would give anything for Dane to look at him as Andy looked at Ret.

  He could keep trying, however. The two of them had become good friends over the past few months, growing more comfortable around each other. Eventually, Dane would see that they were mates and reciprocate, he was certain of it. Dane was at ease around those in the guard who were gay or bisexual, although Jai still wasn’t sure whether or not Dane himself was interested. The mate bond, however, was something that couldn’t just be ignored.

  “Dane, you need a ride home?” he asked, glancing at the clock. The little paperwork they had left had been done and it looked as though Ret and Andy were packing up, ready to go home.

  The other man shook his head. “I’m going to take the bus,” he said, not meeting Jai’s eyes.

  * * * *

  Jai watched him leave and walk toward the bus stop with his shoulders hunched and head down against the cold wind, before starting his bike. He sighed; he had the nagging feeling deep in his stomach that this was doomed. Every time he thought Dane was opening up to him, even a little, something happened. He had no idea what had changed tonight, but he had seen the wariness on Dane’s face, the walls going back up. It was killing him, to know that the one who was destined to be his mate was mere metres away each day. To him, it seemed like miles.

  He had dreamed of finding his mate ever since he could remember, and now that he had he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. To a were, his mate was like the other half of his soul, the one person who was his perfect partner. According to the legend that each pack passed from generation to generation, there had been mates since the first weres. In the beginning, there were two weres who were deeply in love. They were sworn to each other for eternity, unable to live without the other. When Mahalia died, she swore with her dying breath that she would find her love again in the next life. Nathaniel was lost without her and died of a broken heart only days after her. Their spirits never found each other, but they continued to sea
rch, never giving up. As their genetics were passed on through their descendents, so was a small piece of their spirit. Each new generation of wolves continued their search, to reunite the pair in some small way as they found their own soul mates.

  Now Jai had found his mate and the enormity of it sank in. Before a were found his mate, it was more of a vague wish, in the same way that humans dreamed of finding the perfect man or woman. Once he met Dane, however, the weight of that knowledge lay heavily across his shoulder. Now he knew what he was missing and it became all he could think about. If Dane turned him down, walked away, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Which was why he was taking it slowly, in the hope that Dane would realise their connection and acknowledge it instead of running for the hills.

  Turning his bike away from home, he headed for the woods that the pack used for hunting when the moon was full. He needed to run, to let the wolf take over for a while so that he didn’t have to think about anything. When he reached the dirt car park, he pulled his bike over and climbed off, hooking his helmet over the handlebar. There was no need to lock his motorcycle up here; even those in town who weren’t wolves knew that this place was private property and didn’t come here.

  The car park was enclosed on all sides by the trees, making it safe from prying eyes, so he quickly stripped out of his clothing and stashed it in the saddlebags on his bike. Unhooking the gold hoop from his right ear, he put that into the jacket pocket. He had learned from past experience that shifting with the earring still in was damned uncomfortable, not to mention that it caused a stir if humans saw a wolf with an earring wandering about. When everything was away, he walked into the woods.

  Jai reached the small clearing after a few minutes walk into the trees and stopped. Dropping to his knees in the grass, he allowed the wolf to surface. The shift was painless, albeit disorientating at first, and the change washed over him like a tide of magic. His skin tingled, heat prickling over him as his body contorted, his bones and joints altering to that of a lupine. Fur erupted from his skin, coating him with a thick, dark grey pelt. He felt his face morph into the wolf’s muzzle and licked his lips, tongue running over the sharp fangs. Jai shook himself from nose to tail, and looked around.

  Everything was a thrill to the wolf, every sound and every scent there to be explored. He dropped his nose to the ground and tracked one of the scents happily, ears pricking up as he heard a rustle in the undergrowth, but he didn’t follow it. Instead, he set off at a trot into the trees, picking up speed until he raced along. His senses helped him to dodge any obstacles, to leap over the fallen branches, without colliding with anything.

  Although Jai was still in there, still able to reason and think as he did in his human form, he had relinquished most of the control to the wolf. The wolf didn’t concern itself with such things as work and social occasions, only thinking of its basic needs. To the wolf, if it didn’t involve food, hunting or sex, it wasn’t interesting enough to waste time on. For Jai, being able to let the simplicity of the wolf’s thoughts take over for a while was freeing, relaxing.

  This section of the woods had been the source of speculation for many years, the local human population having sent conservation specialists here on a number of occasions. They heard the howls on the full moon or caught a glimpse of the wolves every so often and, since there were no wild wolves in this part of Britain, they called in the authorities. Maybe they were worried about the danger the wolves posed, or maybe it was just that they wanted to prove that they actually had seen a wolf. Then the conservation people arrived.

  Michael, as the registered owner of the land since he was Alpha of the pack, sent one of the guards to take them around the woods, letting them search. The visitors looked for tracks and traces of wolves, getting excited at the prospect. Of course, they found nothing. Michael made sure that the pack knew to stay clear on the days they were being investigated and the conservationists left, disappointed. Jai had often wondered what they would have done if they had known they were being shown around by one of the wolves they were searching for. Since no photographic or video evidence could ever be found, the woods had acquired similar stories to those of the unidentified big cat that supposedly roamed the countryside down south. People had been reporting sightings of a supposed black panther for years, and it had become an urban legend. The wolves of Blackthorn Woods had quickly become just as legendary, and the pack preferred it stay that way. Had any photos ever surfaced, the nature conservationists would have been back in force to study and monitor and generally get in the way of pack business.

  Jai ran a little further and then turned, heading back to the car park. When he reached his bike again, he changed back to his human form, dressing once he got his clothes from the saddlebags. The run may not have chased away all of his problems, but it had definitely relaxed him a bit. He had thought about heading out to Howlers for a while, but even that didn’t appeal. There he could have his pick of men who would gladly go home with him and provide a bit of fun, but it wasn’t the same. He wanted Dane. The others just weren’t him.

  Chapter Two

  Jai dropped onto one of the low leather sofas on the balcony of the club and took a drink from his beer bottle. Next to him, Dex leaned on the railings and waved as four men edged their way though the crowd and headed for the stairs. No one here knew they were wolves; they were just the same as anyone else. When the men reached the balcony, Jai called out a greeting, recognising three of them. Lou and Chris were both police constables whom they had met a few years ago whilst investigating a pack incident that had strayed into the human police jurisdiction. Afterwards, they had kept in touch. Chris was tall and skinny, his hair always giving the impression he had just crawled out of bed. Lou was just the opposite. Where Chris would be described as permanently dishevelled, Lou always dressed as though he was going to a job interview. His hair was always perfect, his clothing not daring to wrinkle. The two were as different in attitude as they were in appearance, and it had made Jai wonder what had brought the pair of them together as friends to begin with.

  The third man, Tony, had been introduced by Lou. And a good thing that was, too. Tony was in his mid twenties, like the rest of them, but when Jai had first laid eyes on him, his first thought had been, wow. The man stood just over six feet tall, with jet black, shoulder length hair and olive skin that he had inherited from his Japanese mother. When he flashed his usual seductive smile, the wicked twinkle in his eyes as he had shaken Jai’s hand, it had taken all of Jai’s self control not to pin the man to the nearest wall and kiss him senseless.

  “Jai, Dex, this is James,” Lou said, indicating to the stranger with his arms wrapped firmly around Lou. He leaned down to the smaller man and kissed him.

  Dex chuckled softly as the young man’s hand slipped down to squeeze Lou’s arse.

  “If you aren’t going to share, Lou, quit showing off.”

  James laughed as Lou flipped Dex the finger. “Back off,” he said. “Find your own.”

  He led James to the sofa, pulling the young man almost into his lap where they remained so wrapped up in each other that they were oblivious to the others. Dex shuffled over to make room for Tony and Chris.

  “So, how long has he had this one?”

  Chris laughed. “About twenty minutes. He picked him up downstairs.”

  Yes, that sounded like Lou alright. Lou changed boyfriends on a daily basis, some not even making it to a day. Chris, Jai knew, was slightly pickier, wanting something a tad more permanent out of life. He had recently split from his partner of six months after finding out that the man was sleeping around behind his back. They talked for a while, catching up and having a few more drinks until Tony stood.

  “I want to dance,” he announced, looking around. “Aww, come on. Anyone?”

  Dex took a gulp from his glass and shook his head, as did Chris, looking up from their conversation. Tony’s gaze settled on Jai as he pouted, lower lip sticking out.

  “Don’t make me go on my
own,” he pleaded.

  Jai rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said, taking the hand Tony offered and allowing the man to pull him to his feet.

  The smile Tony flashed him lit the room and he bounced happily onto the dance floor downstairs. Jai let himself get carried along with Tony’s mood, enjoying himself as he danced.

  “Oh, I love this song!” Tony enthused as the music changed.

  Tony’s arms circled him, pulling Jai back against his chest as they swayed, and as the other clubbers moved in around them he found himself pressed close to Tony. In the heat and noise of the club, Jai could actually forget his problems and relax. Tony’s arms felt wonderful around him and he knew that it could feel even better. He had spent nights with Tony before, never making more of it than that. There was always the little voice in the back of his mind that kept reminding him it was Dane he wanted, but he also had needs. There had been a few others, some of his fellow wolves and all one night stands, but more often than not it was Tony. He felt vaguely guilty about using Tony, but the other man didn’t seem to mind. Tony had summed it up best when he referred to it as friends with benefits.

  When Jai felt the touch of lips on his neck he tilted his head to the side, offering his throat. Had this been another wolf, the gesture would have been submissive, but this was Tony. He was human, with no idea of what Jai really was, making it nothing more than an invitation. Jai wriggled his backside against Tony’s groin, feeling the hardness there and hearing the hissed-in breath.

  “Shouldn’t tease, Jai,” Tony murmured in his ear.

  Turning in his arms and kissing him, Jai grinned. “Who’s teasing?”