Unicorn Truth: Mountain Shifters, #3

By Laura Greenwood and Lainie Anderson

Leola thought she had the answers to her past, but soon discovers that's not the case. 

When mysterious presents keep showing up, Leola and her mates know that something isn't right. But the truth behind the situation turns out to be even stranger than they originally thought. Leola will do everything she can to protect her family, especially now they have a cub of their own. 

Can she figure out who is behind the perceived threats? Or is it too late...

- 
Unicorn Truth is the third and final book in a steamy paranormal reverse harem romance featuring three hot mountain lion shifters and one rare brown unicorn. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mountain Shifters Universe
• Release date: Apr 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393552710

Laura Greenwood

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set. Laura specialises in quick reads, with healthy relationships and consent positive moments regardless of if she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-heavy urban fantasy, or anything in between. You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in The Paranormal Council Facebook Group. Happy Reading!

Book preview

1

Sunlight streamed through the breaks in the trees, illuminating my skin as I moved. The only sound I heard was my heavy breathing. I stopped, bending over with my hands on my knees. Why couldn't it be easier to get back into shape after having a baby? Hannah was my world, even if she was only a newborn, but it had wrecked my body to have her. I just had to hope that my inner-unicorn shifter would take pity on me and help me get back into shape relatively quickly.

But she needed some encouragement. Hence the running. That, and I was out here because I enjoyed it. Nothing compared to running through the forest with the wind rippling through my hair. The isolation in this part of the mountain only added to the experience and the peace it brought me. Here there was no need to hide. Any part of me. It hardly seemed real to think that ten months ago, I'd still been concealing my true self.

Or that I still thought I was a deer.

I chuckled at that memory. Never in my wildest dreams had I considered that I'd be taught how wrong I was by three smoking hot mountain lions.

Right, come on Leola, time to get running again, I muttered.

Taking a deep breath, I set off again, starting a steady jog. I had to work myself up to a run, or I'd regret it later.

Fallen leaves and twigs crunched underfoot, and I lost myself in the sounds of the wood. There was nothing like living up here. The freedom, the privacy, the other shifters around who acted like one big family. I was so lucky to have found my mates and the people who lived around them.

I passed by one of the huge rocks that lined the way home. A nice, cool almond milkshake was waiting for me in the fridge. Maybe it wasn't the healthiest of options, but I needed a lot of energy to look after a baby. I deserved all the dairy-free goodness I wanted.

A shiver passed down my spine, and I slowed to a walk. I frowned as I looked around. My skin crawled, almost as if someone was watching me as I worked out. I recognized the feeling from when the guys and I played predator and prey. They found it fun to chase me, and I liked it when I was caught. They always made it worth my while.

Except that this wasn't one of my guys watching. I'd recognize the feel of their attention on me. I felt it often enough. This wasn't friendly.

Hello? I called out. Is anyone there?

Of course, I didn't get an answer, I hadn't really expected one if I was honest. But that didn't mean I shouldn't try. Perhaps it was one of the kids from the shifter village; they liked to play in the woods. Maybe they'd decided to play a stalking game with me. It was good practice for them.

Hello? I repeated, suppressing the urge to step back and block myself against a tree. At least then I'd only have to watch in front of me. Cas had been teaching me the best ways to protect myself, and while I doubted I could do much against claws and teeth, I could do some damage against a human.

In theory. As it was, I couldn't let whoever it was watching realize that I was uncomfortable.

I gulped down my fear. I know you're there.

A rustle in the bushes to my right drew my attention. The urge to call out for my mates intensified, but they weren't anywhere around and wouldn't be able to hear. It wouldn't make any difference to do that, other than letting the person know I was scared.

Deciding that the person probably knew where we lived already, given how close we were to our home, I did the only thing I could and sped up, moving back into a jog. With every moment that passed, I increased my speed, until I was running faster than I had intended when I'd set out today. My unicorn begged to take over, but I ignored her. Nothing would bring out the other person's shifter side faster, and that would very likely be more dangerous than this.

The moment I saw a familiar cluster of trees, I let out a sigh of relief. Soon, I'd be able to get inside and lock the door. That would hopefully mean whoever it was watching me wouldn't be able to anymore.

My toes caught on an upturned root, and I stumbled forward, throwing out my hands and catching hold of a tree trunk to steady myself. A sharp sting flew through me. No doubt my hand would be grazed now, but it was a small price to pay in place of a bloody nose.

Prickles traveled up my back. The person was still there, then. Meaning they had to be moving through the woods at the same pace as I was. Which could only be one of two things. Either it was a crazy coincidence, or it was someone who wanted me specifically. I just had to hope it was nothing sinister.

I brushed my hands against my leggings, knocking the worst of the dirt and bark from them.

Hello? I called out again, though I knew it wasn't going to make a difference. I can't help you if you don't talk to me. I knew it probably wasn't someone who just wanted to talk, but if I accepted the more sinister reasoning, I'd just end up more scared than I needed to be.

I shook my head. There really was nothing for it. Setting off at a brisk walk, I tried not to let my haste take over. That was how I'd nearly ended up falling in the first place. If I wasn't more careful, I'd end up with three overprotective mountain lions trying to tell me I couldn't go out without their supervision. It didn't even come from a controlling place on their part, they'd just gone from finding me, to having a pregnant me around all the time in the space of a few days, they hadn't had a chance to get used to having a normal me around.

Every time I stepped through a break in the trees, the sensation of being watched increased. This person really wasn't going to leave me alone. I should lap the house a few times and hope they got bored, but the need to be somewhere safe, and to check that Hannah was safe too, filled me. Besides, whoever it was must know where I lived. It wasn't exactly hard to find, even if it was carved into the mountain itself. And if they were a shifter, they could just walk up to any of the others and ask, and the next thing they knew, they'd be in my kitchen with Kerry making them spiced hot chocolate.

The incline made my legs burn, but I welcomed the sensation. It meant I