Silver Bell Shifter: Wolf Junction, #1

By Robin Deeter

Riley Flowers moves to Wolf Junction, Nebraska, and is intensely drawn to shy, sexy Calvin Lightfoot. Calvin's been burned by lost love before, and he's not willing to chance it again--until Riley enters his life. He wants her for his own, but will she be able to accept the shifter side of him and come to love the man within?

*Warning: Contains adult situations, violence, strong language, and graphic love scenes.*

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robin Deeter
• Release date: Sep 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223671299

Book preview

Silver Bell Shifter

Wolf Junction Series Book One

Robin Deeter

Other books by Robin Deeter

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Chance City Beginnings

(Prequels to Chance City Series)

Part One

Part Two

Chance City Series

Mail Order Mystery

Mail Order Mystery Audio Book

Mail Order Mystery Print Book

On the Fence

Crossroads

Gray Justice

When the Thunder Rolls

And the Lightning Strikes

A Very Decker Christmas

Flourish 2

The Paha Sapa Saga

Sacrifice and Reward

Sacrifice and Reward Audio Book

Sacrifice and Reward Print Book

Winter Moon

The Bear, Part One

The Bear, Part Two

The Phantom Horse Bridge Series

Phantom Origins Book 0

Phantom Heat

Wolf Junction Series

Silver Bell Shifter

Dedication

Flourish 2

The Silver Bell Shifter is dedicated to Stephany Yaple, Essie Michael, and Viola Vitanza for helping me create the concept for the first book in this series. It was born out of some crazy ideas that somehow solidified into a fun, entertaining story. You have my eternal gratitude.

Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

Excerpt from

A Shift in Time, Wolf Junction Series Book Two

About the Author

Chapter One

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For possibly the millionth time, Calvin wished that his last name was anything but Lightfoot. He sat on a stool in the Crushed Nut Bar & Grill, holding a frozen bag of peas to his right eye.

Why was he holding a bag of frozen peas to his right eye? Not because he’d tried to rescue a hottie from some perverted jackass who’d gotten too handsy with her. Not because he’d gotten in a fight with a guy who’d cheated at pool or poker. And not because he’d stolen a sexy lady away from her boyfriend, who’d come after him to exact revenge.

Those would be cool, manly reasons to be nursing a black eye. Reasons any man could tell his buddies without fear of being branded a loser. Not that he wasn’t already in some circles, but still...

No, the peas were necessary because he’d tripped on a slightly raised wooden floorboard and fallen face-first into the back end of Righty McGowan’s pool stick. To say he’d seen stars would be a massive understatement. As he’d crashed to the floor and lain there in a daze, Calvin swore that a whole sky of stars had rained down on him, filling his vision until he’d wondered if he was going blind.

Calvin winced when someone clapped his shoulder from behind. It jostled him, making the peas press painfully against his wounded eye.

Gonna make it, Calvin?

Turning all the way around on his stool so he could bring the person into view with his left eye, Calvin encountered Righty’s worried blue-eyed gaze. Yeah. I’ll live.

Glad to hear it. Tom needs to get that floor fixed, Righty said, even though they both knew that the floor had very little to do with Calvin getting up close and personal with Righty’s pool stick.

I can just imagine the kind of razzing I’m going to get about this. Calvin forced a smile even though it hurt his eye. Yeah, I guess so. He took the thawing plastic bag away from his eye and wasn’t encouraged about his appearance by the grimace on Righty’s rugged face.

Damn, son. You best go to the ER. That looks nasty, Righty said.

Calvin laid the bag on the bar and stood up. Nah. Mom will fix me up.

Righty gave him a doubtful look. You sure about that?

Yeah, I’m sure. Well, I entertained everyone enough for one night. Besides, I have an early day tomorrow. Night.

Night, kid, Righty said.

Ignoring the derisive laughter and murmured jokes as best he could, Calvin made for the door. However, his hyper-sensitive hearing picked up what others were putting down. One woman thought it was a shame that someone who had such a nice ass was so clumsy. That wasn’t so bad, but some of the other comments were downright cruel.

Careful not to trip again, Calvin got outside as fast as possible before he lost his temper and started shooting his mouth off. The bone-chilling early November Nebraska wind hit him, making his injured eye water and throb harder. His blood ran hot, so his heavy red-and-black checkered flannel jacket was plenty warm enough.

Tugging his beat-up black leather cowboy hat down to help protect his eye, Calvin took his cellphone from his jeans pocket and was glad to see that it hadn’t broken when he fell. He hit the icon for his buddy, Pete Killian.

"Lightfoot, this better be good. Game of Thrones is on."

Calvin rolled his good eye. Too bad. I need a ride.

Where’s your truck?

I left it at home and had Mom drop me off, Calvin said.

Pete sighed. Okay. Where are you?

At the Nut.

Fine. I’ll be there as soon as this is over, Pete said quickly, and hung up.

Hey! Calvin objected, but Pete was already gone. Shit.

He looked at the time. The TV show was only half over, and it would take Pete another fifteen minutes after that to reach the bar. What the hell was he supposed to do for forty-five minutes? He couldn’t go back inside, and he couldn’t shift and run home since he’d have to leave his clothes and cellphone behind.

With a frustrated groan, Calvin sat on the lone bench in front of the bar. He couldn’t call his mom because she was at bingo, and you only interrupted her bingo night if you had a death wish. All of his siblings of driving age were busy that night, so he didn’t want to disturb them. His dad was away at a cattleman’s convention.

So, that left only Pete. Usually when Pete picked him up, he’d take Calvin down the road a little and pull over where no one could see what he was doing. He’d leave his clothes with Pete, who would drop them off at home. Then Calvin would shift and have a good run. This was their usual routine, minus a black eye caused by extreme clumsiness. Shifting would speed the healing process and by tomorrow morning, the black eye would be gone.

He looked up when the bar door opened. Music spilled forth and the scents of alcohol and BBQ wings wafted on the wind. Candy Brannigan shuffled outside, and Calvin smiled as he realized his saving grace had just arrived in the form of a feisty, blue-haired elderly lady who would most likely need a designated driver. If he drove Candy to her place, he’d get home a lot sooner than if he waited for Pete since she lived near his farm.

Hurrying over to the door, Calvin held it open for Candy. Evening, Candy. You’re looking especially sexy tonight.

Candy smiled up at him. Oh, Charlie! Your poor eyeball. Tsk tsk. She shivered as a gust of wind threatened to knock her thin frame over. Brr! Damn cold weather. One of these days, it’ll freeze my ass right off.

Candy had drunk names for everyone. When she’d downed too many shots of JD, Calvin became Charlie the same way that Pete turned into Paul.

Calvin put an arm around her slim shoulders to keep her upright. I hope not, he said. I’m kinda fond of your ass.

Her faded green eyes gleamed. It’s okay if you’re fond of it, just don’t fondle it.

Calvin laughed as he guided her toward her red Buick Verano Turbo. Candy might be old, but she still liked things that went fast. I’ll try to control myself.

Candy chuckled as she opened her huge purse and started rummaging around in it. Well, shoot. Should’ve gotten my keys out in there. Can’t see a thing.

Although Calvin could see the keys even in the dim light, he helpfully got his cellphone out, turned on the flashlight app, and shone it down into the cavernous handbag.

There they are! Thank you, Charlie, Candy said.

Have you been drinking tonight, young lady? Calvin asked.

I didn’t come here to play Tiddly-Winks. Of course I had a few.

Calvin cleared his throat dramatically. Then, in good conscience, I can’t allow a fine lady such as yourself to drive home in your somewhat compromised condition. Grant me the honor of assisting you home.

Well, aren’t you the gallant one? She handed him the keys. Where’s Paul?

Calvin grinned. Home on the throne. Paybacks, Pete.

Oh, well, that sucks balls, Candy commented. I’ll have to ask how he’s doing when I go to Barkley’s tomorrow for breakfast.

You do that, Calvin said.

Pete was the daytime cook at Barkley’s diner and Candy ate there every morning.

Finally, they reached her car and he helped her into the passenger seat. Walking around to the driver’s side, Calvin bumped his hip on the taillight. He rubbed it for a moment before sliding behind the wheel.

That new store is opening tomorrow, Candy told him.

Calvin backed out onto the road and put the car in drive. The tack and feed store?

Yep. From what I hear, the new owner is quite the dish, Candy said.

Calvin hadn’t gotten a chance to meet the woman who’d bought Shannon’s old place because he’d been so busy. I heard she’s nice to look at, too.

Which was another reason why he’d steered clear. He always made an idiot out of himself around beautiful, single women.

Gunther says she has golden honey-brown hair, big corn-flower blue eyes, and a nice rack, the retired English teacher informed him.

Well, he would know, Calvin said.

Gunther Dalton, Wolf Junction’s resident writer of erotica, was an expert on the female species. It didn’t surprise Calvin that Gunther had already met the new store owner. Gunther made it his business to know all the women in town.

For the remainder of the ride, Candy regaled him with stories about her worst students. Calvin had heard it all before, but he still enjoyed them. Once they reached her house, he helped Candy inside and said goodnight.

Back outside, he headed into the woods behind her house. Finding a deer trail, he stripped and spread out his coat. He left his cellphone in his jeans, balled them and the rest of his clothes up, and laid his boots and hat on top of them. Then he folded up his jacket and tied the arms tight to secure everything. The resulting bundle was unwieldy, but he wasn’t far from home. He’d drop them near the back porch and then go for a run.

Smiling, he tapped the ground twice with his right foot, which was his body’s trigger to shift. All shifters had their own unique abilities. Calvin could take the shape of any hooved animal, but his favorite form was a stallion.

All the cells in his body heated as his bones broke and immediately knitted again in the proper confirmation. Organs grew and skin stretched. Short hair sprouted all over his body and a tail grew from the base of his spine. His ears elongated and his face lengthened. The whole process took less than thirty seconds and, while it was painful, it felt good in a strange way.

With an all-over body shake, Calvin snorted happily and half-reared. Coming back down, he picked up his clothing bundle in his teeth and walked through the woods until he broke through the trees.

His fleet hooves, long, trim legs, and powerful shoulders and haunches allowed him to exceed the speed and jumping abilities of a normal horse. He’d been clocked at sixty-one miles an hour and recorded jumping a nine-foot fence in the past. With a gleaming jet-black coat, noble head, gracefully arched neck, and long, flowing mane and tail, this sixteen-hands tall powerhouse of a horse would’ve been sought after worldwide for stud services.

His injured eye began healing as he trotted across a huge field that bordered his family’s farm. The wind carried his younger brother, JJ’s palomino stallion scent clearly to Calvin, indicating that JJ was somewhere up ahead. He let out a muffled whinny, announcing his presence to his brother.

A moment later, he heard JJ’s answering call and the approach of hoofbeats. Soon, JJ came into view, his powerful golden body turned silver by the half-moon, and his mane and tail streaming out behind him. He let out a loud blast and crow-hopped a couple of times, which made Calvin smile inside.

JJ came over, sniffed Calvin’s clothing bundle and let out a horsey laugh. Calvin’s ears swept back, and he squealed his irritation. No doubt JJ had surmised that something involving his clumsiness had occurred. Calvin’s lack of coordination disappeared when he changed. His stallion was surefooted and graceful, granting him a reprieve from his awkward human state.

JJ gave him a playful nip on the