Twisted Shifter

By Tielle St. Clare and Aurora Shifters

One little mistake changed everything.
The wolf who has shared Davin's existence since puberty has vanished from his soul and he doesn’t know how to get it back. But that seems like the least of his worries. Suddenly he can’t stand the sight or scent of blood. That makes things...awkward. His company specializes in vampire tours of the northern lights. Oh, and he just met his mate. Too bad she’s the blood slave to one of the vampires.

Wow, is he having a bad week!

It was supposed to be a week of fun!
Aurora viewing in Alaska is too good to pass up, even if it means Bree has to spend it with her ex-boyfriend turned friend. Wedge can sometimes be a drag and his friends are a little weird—they never go outside during the day!--but the aurora is amazing. So is the sexy tour guide. He’s the perfect man for a wicked vacation fling...

Except Davin and Wedge both have major secrets and Bree’s not sure she’s going to survive the big reveal.

❄︎~❄︎~❄︎
Welcome to the world of Aurora Shifters, where magic comes to life beneath the northern lights, and the wilderness isn't the only place to find fur and fangs.

About Aurora Shifters: We are a collaboration of Alaskan authors who decided to put our own Arctic spin on hot paranormal shapeshifters. Look for wolves, bears, moose, ravens, seals, and many, many others. Each book stands on its own, with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers, but be warned - once you read one, you'll want them all. Tap to start reading today

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tielle St. Clare
• Release date: Apr 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463416365

Book preview

Twisted Shifter

by Tielle St. Clare

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2020 T. L. Green

All rights are reserved. This e-book is licensed for individual readership only. No portion of this e-book may be resold or redistributed in any format.

To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at https://www.facebook.com/tiellestclare/

Author’s Note

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

One little mistake changed everything.

The wolf who has shared Davin's existence since puberty has vanished from his soul and he doesn’t know how to get it back. But that seems like the least of his worries. Suddenly he can’t stand the sight or scent of blood. That makes things…awkward. His company specializes in vampire tours of the northern lights. Oh, and he just met his mate. Too bad she’s the blood slave to one of the vampires.

Wow, is he having a bad week!

It was supposed to be a week of fun!

Aurora viewing in Alaska is too good to pass up, even if it means Bree has to spend it with her ex-boyfriend turned friend. Wedge can sometimes be a drag and his friends are a little weird—they never go outside during the day!--but the aurora is amazing. So is the sexy tour guide. He’s the perfect man for a wicked vacation fling...

Except Davin and Wedge both have major secrets and Bree’s not sure she’s going to survive the big reveal.

❄︎~❄︎~❄︎

Welcome to the world of Aurora Shifters, where magic comes to life beneath the northern lights, and the wilderness isn't the only place to find fur and fangs.

About Aurora Shifters: We are a collaboration of Alaskan authors who decided to put our own Arctic spin on hot paranormal shapeshifters. Look for wolves, bears, moose, ravens, seals, and many, many others. Each book stands on its own, with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhangers, but be warned - once you read one, you'll want them all. Tap to start reading today!

Prologue

This is a totally bad idea.

Bree rolled her eyes as her dear friend Janine’s voice rolled through the phone, the merest hint of judgement ringing through her tone. Crushing the sigh that threatened—because Janine was a dear friend—she closed her eyes and wished she could jump back in time. Not far. She didn’t need to zip back to the Jurassic period or drop in on King Louis XIV’s reign. She just needed to reverse time by five minutes.

Would it be too much to ask the universe to poof a wormhole into existence so she could go back? She wouldn’t change the future. Not by much.

In that alternate future, she would keep her mouth shut and not tell her best friend she was traveling to Alaska. With her ex-boyfriend. Well, sort of boyfriend. They’d dated for a while but never quite connected. Victor Wedgell—or Wedge as he liked to call himself—was a little too formal, too arrogant, too needy. So draining, she thought. But it was Alaska and the prospect of seeing the northern lights.

She stared out the window of her Seattle office. Not much of a view. If she leaned to the side, she could see a sliver of the ocean between two buildings. She needed a break from the winter rain and this was the perfect opportunity to check see the aurora off her bucket list. No more waiting around to find Mister Right so she could travel.

It’ll be fine, Bree promised. Hopefully, it’ll be fun!

He’s trying to win you back, Janine warned.

No, he’s not. We agreed. We’re better off as friends.

Friends don’t fly friends to Alaska for a luxury tour of aurora viewing.

He bought the tickets when we were going out and none of his other friends want to go. And—She kept talking when she heard Janine take a breath. He reserved separate rooms. I made it very clear this was not a hook-up. We’re going to Alaska as friends and nothing more.

Right. Janine snorted. Don’t be surprised if you arrive and suddenly ‘oh, they must have lost your reservation, my dear, but don’t worry, there’s an extra bed in my room.’

Bree chuckled. You actually do a pretty good imitation of him. I mean, I’m okay with pet names but the way he calls me ‘my dear’ makes it sound like I’m a heroine in a gothic romance novel filled with dark and spooky monsters who want to steal my virginity.

Yeah, well, tell him that got swiped years ago.

They both laughed. Janine’s voice dropped to the familiar, serious tone that made Bree tense. Too many times in the past, Janine had been right.

Listen, pay attention and stay alert. I worry about you. There’s a ton of places to dump a body in the Alaska wilderness, you know?

Bree’s mouth dropped open, even though Janine couldn’t see her. That’s a happy thought. Wedge isn’t going to kill me and hide my body on the tundra.

How do you know I wasn’t suggesting you hiding Wedge’s body? Hmm?

Bree chuckled. Well, if that happens, we never had this conversation.

If the cops come calling, I know nothing.

You’re a good friend and yes, will call every day. And who knows, maybe I’ll find some sexy Alaskan man who tempts me to move to a cabin in the woods.

Sounds dreadful.

I don’t know. Could be fun. Living in Seattle kept her social and fairly warm—more rain than snow. Sometimes, she wondered what it would be like to move to a small town. Never going to happen. Not with her job. Now, back to my original question... will you check on Daisy while I’m gone?

Daisy was her Bernese mountain dog. Big, fluffy and a full-on pussycat, but he needed to be walked every day to release his energy or he tore up her house.

Yes, I’ll look after the walking carpet.

The walking carpet loves you.

Whatever. Janine grunted. Wait. Wedge. He’s the one with the weird hickey fetish, right?

Bree groaned. So annoying. I had to wear turtlenecks all summer long. But don’t worry. We’re friends, nothing more. He’s not getting anywhere near my neck.

Chapter One

Vampires. Why did it have to be vampires?

Davin confirmed the schedule on his phone before shoving it deep into an inside pocket. The heat from his body would help the battery last longer.

He rubbed his hands together to generate a little warmth. He should have worn his mittens but didn’t expect to be in the cold for long. His breath burst from his lips in a cloud of mist. Long or not, ten below was freakin’ cold.

The van sat running four feet away, warm and comfortable, ready for his next tour group to come out of the hotel. He could have waited in the lobby, but then he’d have to turn the engine off, and while it wasn’t uncommon to see unoccupied cars running in every parking lot, company policy prohibited it

If they’d get the hell out here, he muttered in his brain. A clear night in Fairbanks, Alaska in February did not lend itself to standing outside.

But he should have expected this group would be late.

Vampires considered themselves the superior beings of the paranormal world. Yeah, you’re real tough. Except for the whole can’t go out in the sunlight thing, and a formidable garlic allergy.

He shook his head to clear the thoughts. Vampires couldn’t read minds but the ones on these tours tended to be old. That many years on earth made them excellent at reading facial expressions.

His phone buzzed in his pocket tickling his chest and making his nipple go hard with its vibration. He considered letting it ring for the sheer pleasure of the sensation but since he was at work...

He pulled the phone out. Riordon’s name flashed across the screen. Davin grimaced. Why was his friend—and newly minted Alpha—calling at midnight? Never a good sign.

With none of his passengers in sight, Davin jumped in the front seat of the van and tapped the screen.

Night Lights, your number one source for the best aurora views. Expect magical tours when you book with TripAlaska, he answered with an overly cheerful, slightly-smarmy attitude because, well, it was Riordon. As boss, Riordon dictated they all answer the phone with that same insipid patter. Didn’t mean Davin couldn’t mock it.

Shouldn’t you be on a tour?

Yes.

Then why are you talking to me? Riordon’s tone hummed with irritation. His tone did that a lot these days. Poor guy. One minute, he’s running the best paranormal tourism business in Alaska. The next, he’s running the best paranormal tourism business in Alaska, new Alpha and acting as the Councilman for a clan of shifters—mostly wolf. A few bears and fox thrown in. Dude was crazy busy these days.

Davin grinned, half amusement-half sympathy.

They’re vampires and they’re late. No surprise.

Right. I forgot you were on vampire patrol for a few days.

Davin rolled his eyes. He didn’t mind. Much. And he preferred vampires to leading the aurora pot tours. When marijuana became legal in Alaska, Riordon—businessman that he is—jumped on the Aurora Pot Tour industry. The driver took the tour group to several pot shops to pick up their product, then drove them out to the viewing site to smoke or eat and get goofy looking at the lights.

Given the choice, Davin chose vampires. Yes, they were arrogant but they didn’t say things like ooh, dude, do you hear the music of the aurora?

Now, in truth, the northern lights made noises but they weren’t musical. The aurora cracked and snapped. His wolf hearing picked them up with ease.

Two nights ago, he’d escorted a group of photographers to view the northern lights. The sounds had exploded on his ears. He couldn’t process if the aurora was particularly noisy that night or if something else—something deep inside him—had changed.

So, I was calling to check on your, uh, problem.

Davin winced. Speaking of something changing... It’s fine.

Is it?

Yes. No.

Is it though? Riordon pressed.

No.

Wolf still hiding, huh?

Yep. His wolf—the creature who shared the second plane of his existence since he’d hit puberty—no longer answered his mental call. No longer clawed at his insides, begging to be released so he could run in fur-form across the crisp winter snow.

I’m getting Braxton on the phone.

A strange sound squeaked from Davin’s throat—a horrible mix between a moan and a whine. Don’t do that. He’s going to nag my ass. That cocky polar bear thinks he knows freakin’ everything. He’s an arrogant prick who’s going to tell me how I fucked up.

I heard that, Braxton’s voice rang through the line.

Unwilling to back down because...well, fuck it...because he was right.

Tell me I’m lyin,’ Davin challenged.

First, tell me what’s wrong.

Davin repeated what he told Riordon a couple of days ago. His wolf had gone missing. Vanished from his soul.

Silence hummed through the phone. Well? he prompted. Any ideas?

I’m trying to find a way to respond without sounding like—remind me again what you called me? An arrogant prick telling you how you fucked up?

Brax— Riordon managed to infuse one word with enough warning the hairs on the back of Davin’s neck jumped to attention. I included you because you study shifter history, not to be a dick.

Sorry, Alpha.

Hearing anyone call Riordon Alpha, especially Braxton, still startled Davin. Braxton entered their social group when they were all teenagers and he, Davin and Riordon became fast friends. Once school ended, Davin and Braxton joined Riordon in the tourism company, specifically catering to paranormals and magical creatures across the world.

And now that Riordon had become Alpha, Davin and Braxton became his Betas.

When did this start? Brax asked.

Right after the three of us left the glacier. Three week ago, the three of them—newly appointed Alpha and his two Betas—journeyed to the Source, deep in the Matanuska Glacier.

The Source was the origin of their powers to shift. Their ancestors had stumbled on a glacier cave and drank from a stream under the light of the aurora. Somehow—and in a hundred and fifty years no one had precisely figured out how—they’d become shifters.

Since that time, the three clans grew and spread out. Shifters in other parts of the world discovered the Alaska clans and a whole new world of paranormal beings exploded into existence.

Riordon, as Councilman, had been entrusted with the location of the Source, and wanted Braxton and Davin to know how to access the Source in case something happened to him.

It was during that trip Davin made the fatal mistake.

Well, maybe not fatal, but seriously jacked up.

Tell me your symptoms. Brax’s tone hummed with a brisk formality that warned he was probably taking notes or writing a spreadsheet.

Davin rolled his eyes but tried to focus on what changed that night.

"My wolf is gone. It’s like he’s disappeared.

Reviews for Twisted Shifter

[Jennifer Gregory · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I had to put the book down many times because the heroine was so stupid. Oh lawd just don't waste your time. There are many books just like this