House of Stars: The Shaka Reed Series Book Two

By Jennifer Schultz

Shaka Reed returns in House of Stars.
Born a shapeshifter, Shaka has spent most of her life hiding who she is, but when she goes on a solitary journey to the remote mountains of Yellowstone National Park, she discovers something she never dreamed possible: a commune of wolf shifters, just like herself, living and hunting together. She is taken in by them at once and becomes an eager observer to their ways. The mysteriously reluctant alpha, Orion, sees something special in her and urges her to take a place among their pack, but the pack has issues of its own. Between the way they detest ordinary people and the inherent violence of some of the members, Shaka finds herself longing for her Minnesota home, but leaving the pack isn't as easy as joining it.
In this sequel to the supernatural thriller Hearts of Prey, Shaka finds herself coming up against a threat she never could have imagined: her own kind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350931914

Book preview

Chapter One

The prairie was endless, like a dark, shallow ocean. Shaka walked over it with her hands outstretched, touching the tips of the long grass. The seeds felt soft against her skin. In the distance the grass swayed in gentle, golden waves. It reminded her of the Great Lake on whose shores she lived. But she was hundreds of miles from the north shore of Lake Superior now. As far as she could see there was only earth and sky.

She heard a whistle and looked over her shoulder. Adrian stood next to the car, a paper cup full of coffee in each hand. She smiled at him and turned around, leaving the dirt of the prairie for the uneven pavement of the gas station parking lot.

Having a moment? he asked.

Yes. A deep one. You wouldn’t get it, she teased.

Okay. I’ll take your word for it. Would you be kind enough to unlock the car for me though? he asked, smiling. The sun hit his face and she felt a thrill run through her. Though they’d been dating for over a year, she still got excited just being near him.

I don’t have the keys, she replied.

I know. They’re in my pocket. My hands are full.

Oh. I guess that would be easier than just handing me my coffee and getting them yourself. She grinned as she walked up to him and reached into his front pocket. She felt the muscle of his thigh and excitement surged through her. She leaned closer to him. He always smelled the same: soap and sandalwood. She heard his pulse quicken a little with the whoosh, whoosh that coursed through him, or was that her own pulse? She couldn’t tell.

His eyes were a deep-sea blue and she searched them for a sign. Were they going to go into the bathroom of this little run-down gas station and make love? Or were they going to run out into the prairie and disappear in the tall grass? She leaned in and kissed him. His breath was sweet and warm, his mouth was soft and sure, as it always was. A car driving out of the gas station honked at them. Adrian pulled back before she did.

We better get out of here before you ruin my reputation, he said as he handed over her coffee. Half coffee, half vanilla cappuccino.

Perfect, she said and walked around the car, feeling disappointed. She would have to wait until they reached the hotel room that night. She willed her feelings to cool as Adrian looked for a song to play on his phone. She no longer wondered how he was able to return to normal so quickly. Over the time they’d been together, one thing had become evident: her libido was twice what his was. She didn’t indulge the question of whether he found her attractive; she knew he did. They made love a few times every week, but that wasn’t always enough for her. She wondered if it was her half animal nature that made her crave his touch so fiercely.

Since she was eight years old, she’d had a mysterious and supernatural gift: she could shape-shift into a wolf. She inherited the ability from her grandfather, Arnold. He was one of the few shape-shifters she knew, and the only other one who could turn into a wolf. Though he understood her in ways that neither Adrian nor her best friend Rena ever would, this was one topic she certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing with him! She would just have to wonder.

Last year was the first time she’d met a shifter outside of her own family. His name was Winston Belleau. At first, he’d made her nervous, but he quickly proved himself a trustworthy friend. Winston and everyone in his family who shared his supernatural gift shifted into an owl. Though Winston shared her biggest secret, there was a lot about their lives that was different. At thirty-seven, Winston was fourteen years Shaka’s senior, and the sole caregiver of his thirteen-year-old son Michal. Michal was also a shifter. Unlike Shaka, Winston and Michal were Ojibwe and lived on the Fond du Lac reservation west of the city of Duluth, Minnesota. It was this city that Shaka had called home her entire life, until she’d moved up the shore to her grandfather’s cabin the year before.

Some things she and Winston could talk about, like their heightened sense of hearing and scent. But some things they could not, and Shaka imagined her libido was one of them.

She wished she knew another young woman like herself. Winston’s sister Rachel could shift, but she’d gone through so much trauma in the last few years that she now feared almost everyone she met. Along with Shaka’s grandfather, Rachel was held captive by a crazed scientist convinced that with enough research, he would find a way to replicate the mysterious abilities of shifters. Though the lab had been destroyed, and the scientist, Dr. Davidson, was dead, Rachel still lived in fear of capture. Adrian was Dr. Davidson’s son, and though it was because of him that the captives were free, Rachel didn’t trust him. Because of this, Shaka gave Rachel her space.

Shaka looked out the window and watched more of the prairie unfold as they traveled down the interstate. Adrian’s mind was already somewhere else, she knew it by the distracted smile he wore. They were driving to California to see Adrian’s son Collin. He was turning five years old, and Adrian promised to be at his birthday party. Shaka was nervous to meet him. She worried Collin wouldn’t like her, that he would see her as one of the reasons his parents weren’t together. Adrian assured her she didn’t have to worry. He said he was too young to think about all that. He would just want to have fun and spend time with them.

Though Adrian tried to present the situation to her in a simple, carefree way, his own anxiety was twice what hers was. He hadn’t seen his son in over a year. With everything that happened with his father, not to mention the two weeks he’d spent in the hospital after getting caught in the fire that destroyed his father’s laboratory, he hadn’t been able to travel for months. Once he recovered, he took a job at a new law firm and bought a house in a small town on the North Shore about a half-hour from Duluth. He hadn’t found the time to get to California until now, and it had been so long that he feared Collin would be mad at him, or worse, indifferent. Collin’s mother Molly was understanding through it all. She was always agreeable with him.

He reached over and grabbed Shaka’s hand. Are you excited?

Yes. I’ve never been to California, she said. I want to see the redwoods! She looked at him and saw his smile falter just a little and realized too late that he was asking if she was excited to meet his son. And I’m excited to meet Collin. Do you think we could bring him to the redwoods with us?

I don’t know. I’d have to talk to his mother, Adrian answered quietly as he let go of her hand. He had been moody since leaving Duluth. She tried to be understanding since she knew he was nervous, but still, the sooner they got there the better.

Chapter Two

They stopped for the night in Dickinson, North Dakota. Shaka felt a little lonely on the prairie. With no great lake or forests to keep the secrets of the place she felt oddly exposed. She watched Adrian as he walked in front of her down the long hall to their hotel room. He had noticed very little of his surroundings so far on their journey and his irritation with her had become increasingly unpredictable.

He reached the door to their room and slid the key card in. It blinked red. He tried it again and it blinked red again.

Come on you piece of junk, he muttered as he jammed it in for a third time. Again, red. You’re kidding me! he said as he turned to Shaka.

She watched as anger set quickly into his features for the hundredth time that day. I can go get a new card, she said as she held her hand out.

So can I. That’s not the point.

Well, there is no point, Adrian. We need a new card, that’s all.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and stormed passed her. She stood by the door, watching him quickly make his way down the hall. She was starting to regret accepting his invitation to travel to San Francisco. If she had known he was going to be so touchy she would have rethought her answer.

She leaned against the wall and enjoyed the momentary quiet surrounding her. She looked at the cheap art hanging on the wall across from her: pastel seashells on the shore of a soft, playful ocean. She wondered what a painting like that was doing so far from any kind of coast. Her best friend Rena’s art was hundreds of times better. She imagined how it would feel walking down that hallway if it displayed only Rena’s paintings. They were often dark and mysterious, but also quiet and unobtrusive. She thought of a series of trees Rena painted, all with the sun behind them at a different time of day. Shaka decided this series would be best for this hallway. It was palatable by almost anyone, but still graceful and intriguing.

She was pulled from her daydream by the sound of hard footfalls. She looked to the end of the hall as Adrian rounded the corner, new key card in hand. She was glad she didn’t have to listen to him yell at the desk clerk. The longer he acted like this, the less she wanted to be around him.

The walls of their room displayed equally dull art of pastel hues that clashed with the red and gold bedspreads.

This place needs a new decorator, Shaka said as she threw her suitcase on the bed.

Not good enough for ya, huh? he replied.

Shaka looked cautiously over at him, unsure if he was joking, but when he grinned at her she felt a little relief.

Next time we’ll stay at the Ritz, he said as he turned toward her.

She walked over to him and threw her arms around his neck, pushing him back on the bed as she did so. That’s all I ask, she said and leaned in to kiss him.

This time he didn’t stop her as she ran her hands over his body and unbuttoned his shirt. One article of clothing after another was pulled off their bodies and they crawled under the red and gold bedspread and made love. When they were done the stress of the day was gone. It had floated away like hot air.

That was amazing, he said as he lay next to her.

It was, she agreed. But I’m starving now.

Uh-huh, Adrian said as he shut his eyes, trying not to move. Room service. Shaka crawled out of bed and walked nude around the room looking for a menu while Adrian watched her. When she found it, she faced him and summarized it for him.

Burgers or pizza. No alcohol. She set the menu down, put her hands on her hips and looked at him.

Alright. I’m getting up, he said and followed her to the shower.

They walked through the downtown streets, which had more charm than Shaka was expecting. The old brick buildings had a quaint feel to them, and though there wasn’t a lot of variety, the place was warm and friendly. They had left their hotel room in search of a restaurant serving more than burgers and pizza, but they ended up having burgers and beer at a sports bar.

Cheers, Adrian said as he lifted his beer, to the wild west.

Cheers, she echoed, though it doesn’t look all that wild anymore.

She looked around the room to see a handful of middle-aged men drinking and watching TV, along with one table of two women and five kids. Two of the kids fought over an iPad and the youngest, who looked less than a year old, cried loudly while her mother rocked her absent-mindedly. Geesh, Shaka said to herself as she turned around in her chair.

Looks like they’ve got their hands full, Adrian said.

Yeah, they don’t look like they’re enjoying their evening at all, she said, then regretted her comment immediately. I mean, maybe they are, who knows? I think one or two kids would be fun, but any more than that would push me over the edge.

Is that so? he said. Lucky for you I’ve got you covered. I think you’re really gonna like Collin. He likes nature. He’s gonna love Arnold.

Oh, is he coming back with us?

No, Adrian corrected himself quickly. Not now, but eventually. I haven’t talked about that with his mom yet. I’m going to take it slow for now, but eventually I’d like to have him out during the summer. Adrian looked at her nervously.

Of course, she said. There’s nowhere better than the North Shore in the summer.

Their food came and Shaka ate quickly, juice from her burger running down her hand. She felt Adrian’s eyes on her as she ate. She set her burger down and wiped her hands as she chewed.

You don’t have to eat like a wild animal, you know, Adrian said, and she shot him an irritated glance.

It was true that since she began living with her grandfather and shifting to run wild through the forest almost daily, she placed less and less importance on things like table manners. She had to remind herself to use a napkin and not lick the juice off her hand. Her appetite was growing, too. Just as she felt more easily aroused than ever before, she felt a near constant hunger for red meat as well. She knew shifting so often was changing her, and though it worried her a little, it seemed to worry Adrian more. She saw it in the way he reprimanded her during dinner and routinely denied most of her sexual advances.

After they had both recovered from the trauma of the previous year, she felt a huge weight lifted off her: she was in a relationship with a man who knew about her secret ability for the first time. But she soon found that it wasn’t that simple. He had to work to accept her, and it came out in little comments and frightened glances. At their best, she assured herself he just needed time to get used to being around someone like her, and at their worst she questioned if he would ever be able to truly accept her.

Don’t talk to me like I’m a child, she said as she picked up her hamburger again.

I’m sorry. I’m just a bit on edge right now, he answered.

I’ve noticed.

I just don’t know if he’s going to hate me for being gone these last couple of years. I mean, what if he hardly remembers me?

If he hates you, and I doubt he does, then he’ll grow to love you. I mean he’s five, right? I don’t know a lot about kids, but I do know that they are very forgiving. They don’t hold grudges like the rest of us.

Adrian smiled at her and took another sip of his beer. You always know the right thing to say.

Shaka shrugged as she finished her burger.

Even if you eat like you haven’t seen food in weeks, he added.

Shaka licked her fingers and looked at him. Are you going to finish yours? she asked.

Go for it, he said as he slid his plate over to her.

She looked over his shoulder to the door as two women walked in. She glanced down and took a quick bite of his burger then looked back up and froze. She gulped down the bite of unchewed burger, her eyes never leaving the two women at the bar.

I know you hate mustard but the way you’ve been inhaling your food, I didn’t think you’d even notice it’s on there, he said.

Your sister, she said in a choked whisper.

Adrian’s sister Amanda had worked closely with their father in the laboratory. Shaka remembered her from the short time she had spent as a captive there, and from the days prior to her capture, when she feared Amanda and her colleagues were hunting her. Adrian turned around slowly and saw the two women at the bar, one with Amanda’s long, dark hair.

You go outside. I’ll be right there, he said as he rose from his chair.

Shaka rose, too, and quietly walked to the front door and slipped out. She walked to the end of the block, turned left, and waited under the awning of a pharmacy.

Inside the restaurant, Adrian walked up to the bar and stood about five feet from the woman in question.

Can I help you? the bartender asked.

Yeah, we’ve got to take off and I don’t see our waitress.

No problem. Let me grab her for you.

When the bartender left, Adrian listened closely to the woman as she spoke about her stepson getting in trouble at school. This woman had a deep voice. It wasn’t Amanda, though when Adrian chanced a glance at her he found her appearance strikingly similar, just not exactly the same. This woman had dark eyes; his sister had light eyes. This woman had a smaller nose and wore more make-up than he had ever seen on Amanda. As he paid his bill, he shook his head. It was all so unlikely, so paranoid.

When he left the restaurant, Shaka was nowhere to be seen, then suddenly she stepped into view at the end of the block. He walked over to her.

It wasn’t her, he said as he wrapped an arm around her. She hates the Dakotas.

Are you sure? she asked, her eyes dancing over his face.

Yes. I think I’d recognize my own sister. How did you know when to step out onto the sidewalk, anyway? he asked.

I could smell you.

Okay. Weird. I probably have the only girlfriend who can pick me out of a crowd by smell, he said smiling, then he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. I’ll keep you though.

Well don’t do me any favors! she teased, trying to settle her nerves.

By the time they reached their hotel she felt calm again. They walked down the hallway hand in hand, past the seashell painting and he slid the key card into the door lock. This time it blinked green on the first try. They got ready for the night and fell into the unmade bed. Exhausted from the long day on the road, the heavy dinner and the beer, they were both asleep within minutes.

In the middle of the night, Shaka had woken up in a sweat and made her way to the window. She heard Adrian slowly come out of sleep behind her. She glanced at the clock and saw the numbers 2:47 illuminated in red. She watched as he reached out to her side of the bed, and finding it empty, sit up, rub his eyes, and look around the room.

She stood in front of the window with one hand resting on the slats of the blinds. When his eyes found her, his expression changed from one of confusion to one of concerned understanding. She was watching for Amanda and they both knew it. She felt ashamed and even guilty when she did these things. She knew it worried him, and although he had once almost gotten himself killed trying to protect her, it was hard for her to simply trust that they were safe because he said they were.

He got out of bed and walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. Whatcha looking for, darling? he asked.

Just watching is all.

You should come back to bed. The parking lot will still be there in the morning.

She half scoffed, half laughed under her breath but didn’t move. I will soon, she answered.

Chapter Three

Shaka woke at 7:00 a.m. to the sound of Adrian pulling the blinds up. She dove under the blanket to avoid the light.

Rise and shine, sugar! he said in a cheerful voice. Shaka peeked out from under the blanket and squinted at him. He was fully dressed and ready to leave. He held a cup of coffee out to her. She ducked back under the blanket and shut her eyes.

It’s too early! was her muffled reply.

No such thing. We’ve got a long day on the road.

Shaka groaned but didn’t move. The room was quiet for a second and she thought maybe Adrian would go get breakfast and let her sleep a little longer, but then she felt the blanket move. He was tugging it off her an inch at a time. She grabbed a wad of it in her fist and held on, but he just tugged harder until he was pulling both her and the blanket down to the foot of the bed. From under the blanket she laughed, then finally sat up and took the coffee from him.

Their plan was to drive to Elko, Nevada, that day, which would put them in the car for over fifteen hours. The long hours on the road were tiring, but being able to see new places for the first time made it worthwhile for Shaka. The plains of eastern Montana seemed like they went on forever, but eventually the land grew more rugged and the Rockies revealed themselves. In Bozeman they turned south and brushed the western edge of Yellowstone National Park. Shaka was so excited to see it she didn’t want to blink as they drove past. The mountains in the distance enticed her. To her, they were severe and beautiful at the same time. She could only imagine the thousands of tiny worlds that lived within them. Adrian noticed the intensity with which she watched the park go by.

You ever been to Yellowstone before? he asked.

No. I’ve never really been anywhere. This is my first time out of the Midwest.

We could go in there, you know. Camp, hike, check out Old Faithful.

I would love that. There’s an exit up ahead you can take.

Not now, hun. On the way back. We can’t be late to Collin’s birthday party.

Oh, of course. I almost forgot, she said and the car was quiet again as she watched the nearly untouched wilderness bloom around her. Minutes passed before the silence was broken by Shaka.

Buffalo! she yelled pointing down to a meadow where several large, dark mammals grazed.

Look at those big bastards, Adrian said.

There must be a lot of wolves here, Shaka said as she watched two young buffalo run in circles.

Maybe you can meet them on the way back. Just don’t go falling in love with any of them, Adrian said and chuckled to himself.

God, you’re embarrassing, Shaka replied, her eyes never straying from her window. She thought about her grandfather and how much she suddenly wished he had accompanied them. Adrian invited them both on the trip, but Arnold declined, as everyone expected. He rarely left his property in the woods, but Shaka thought maybe he would have if he’d have known this was out here. She never pushed him to leave. Adjusting back to a life where she didn’t have to look over her shoulder had not been easy for her, and she was only held captive in the lab for a week. She couldn’t imagine what it had been like for her grandfather who had been held there for years. She would have to take pictures and videos to show him this place when they came back through.

All too soon they passed the park and the mountains fell behind them. The land grew drier and more barren. The mountains were a story in the distance, or as Skaka saw them, a promise.

They stopped for dinner in Idaho Falls. They went to a grill where Shaka ordered a steak and Adrian ordered fish.

So have you camped in Yellowstone before? Shaka asked over dinner.

No. I drove through it though. It was beautiful. I always thought I’d go back there. I guess I was just waiting for the right company.

You’re too kind, she said. How many days can we stay there?

Probably just one. I have to get back to work. Salem had to pull a lot of strings to get me this much time off. I can’t ask for anymore. And before you suggest we leave California early, you should know I’m not going to sacrifice time with Collin.

Shaka watched him as he stabbed his fish with his fork. The occurrences of him going from complimenting her to attacking her in one breath were increasing far more rapidly than Shaka could have imagined. She guessed this would continue until she stood up for herself. Still, she resisted the urge to fire back at him. Because she knew he was feeling vulnerable, she felt she should pick the time carefully, yet she couldn’t imagine being with someone who spoke to her like this so often. His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket before quickly answering and standing to leave the table.

Hey buddy! he said as he walked toward the door.

Shaka looked back to her steak and cut another red piece free. It was a good steak, it was satisfying. She hadn’t shifted in a few days and she wondered if some of her new urges were starting to subside as a result. She hadn’t wanted to ravage Adrian at all that day for the first time in weeks. She recognized that it could have just as easily been because his mood was becoming so unpredictable. She slowly cut her steak into pieces but didn’t eat it. She looked around the restaurant. The sun was getting low and sent hot beams through the windows. One illuminated an old man in a cowboy hat. She wondered what his life was like. Had he lived here all his life? Behind the bar an old woman with black hair stocked beer bottles in a cooler. The lines on her face told of a hard life. Shaka wondered if she had ever wanted to get out of this town.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Adrian slid back into the booth across from her. From the way he picked up his fork and started stabbing his fish again she knew the conversation didn’t go well.

How’s Collin? she ventured.

He’s fine, he answered then looked from her to her plate. "What,