A Shifter's Yearning Read online

  A Shifter’s Yearning: The Shifters of Eclipse-Book 2

  Magic, New Mexico #49

  Evelyn Lederman

  Contents

  Internal Title Page

  Also by Evelyn Lederman

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  A Cougar’s Longing

  About the Author

  Amazon Links

  A Shifter’s Yearning

  The Shifters of Eclipse- Book 2

  Magic, New Mexico- Book 49

  By Evelyn Lederman

  ‘A Shifter’s Yearning’

  Copyright @ 2019 Evelyn Lederman

  All rights reserved.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  Edited by Tina’s Editing Services

  Cover Design by Fiona Jayde Media

  The author of this Book has been granted permission by S.E. Smith to use the copyrighted characters and/or worlds created by S.E. Smith in this book; all copyright protection to the characters and/or worlds of Magic, New Mexico are retained by S.E. Smith

  Created with Vellum

  Titles by Evelyn Lederman

  Worlds Apart Series

  The Soul Mate- Prequel Novella

  The Chameleon Soul Mate- Book 1

  The Crystal Telepath- Book 2

  The Warrior Woman- Book 3

  The Mind Control Telepath- Book 4

  The True Ruler- Book 5

  Nightshade Saga

  Nightshade- Book 1

  Feral Nightshade- Book 2

  Lethal Nightshade- Book 3

  Deadly Nightshade- Book 4

  Drake’s Nightshade- Book 5

  Outer Worlds Passion Series

  Uncontrollable Passion- Book 1

  Unleashed Passion- Book 2

  Undeniable Passion- Book 3

  Shifters of Eclipse Series

  A Cougar’s Longing- Book 1

  A Shifter’s Yearning- Book 2 (A Magic, New Mexico Novella)

  The Laurent Blood Legacy

  Blood Entwined- Book 1 (A Magic, New Mexico Novella)

  Blood Interlaced- Book 2

  Zaratan Trilogy (Young Adult Science Fiction)

  Selected

  Chosen

  Designated

  Magic, New Mexico novellas

  A Touch of Patience

  A Touch of Prudence

  A Touch of Harmony

  Blood Entwined (The Laurent Blood Legacy: Book One)

  A Shifter’s Yearning (The Shifters of Eclipse: Book Two)

  Standalone Novella

  The Ultimate Act of Love

  Foreword

  Imagine The Worlds of Magic, New Mexico... A series that brings together outstanding paranormal and science fiction authors to expand a town where witches, aliens, vampires, werewolves, goblins, sorceresses, pirates, time travelers, and paranormal live in harmony - when they aren’t joining forces to defeat the bad guys. A magical town where being abnormal is the norm!

  I’m S.E. Smith, the creator of Magic, New Mexico and I invite you to curl up with each book now and discover all the action, the magic, and the love that makes Magic, New Mexico the ultimate go-to series for Paranormal / Science Fiction Romance readers.

  For all the stories, go to MagicNewMexico.com/books/. Grab your copy today!

  Chapter 1

  Eclipse, California

  Elle Thomas studied the faces of her friends over the deplorable hand of cards she’d been dealt. She’d have to select the right time to ask the question that had plagued her mind for days. Assuming she had the courage to discover whether or not her happy marriage had been a sham.

  “One heart,” Samantha Harper bid. The cougar shifter had been a regular in their weekly bridge game. Samantha had recently moved to Colorado to be with her true mate. She worked the game into her busy schedule while preparing her house here in California for a renter.

  With Samantha present, she knew her friends would be honest with her. Together, they’d weathered the storm surrounding the cougar’s affair with a much younger wolf shifter.

  Nancy Simpson, the wolf shifter’s mother, bit her lower lip. She always did that when she had a mediocre to terrible hand. After all the years they’d played together, no one informed Nancy of her tell. “One spade,” she muttered with a lack of confidence.

  A joyful squeal from outdoors captured their attention. Nancy’s grandchildren played in the backyard. Elle missed having young children and couldn’t wait to be a grandmother. She figured that wouldn’t happen for several years based on the lack of relationships her twins were involved in. Her youngest son seemed more likely to have children before his elder brother and sister.

  Her attention returned to the cards in her hand. The bid passed to her. She’d either pass or drop the bomb that would end the game. If she didn’t do it now, she never would.

  “I heard a couple of women discussing Jeffrey the other day. They didn’t realize I stood in the aisle next to them at Nancy’s hardware store.” Three pairs of eyes migrated from their cards to her face. “Is it true? Had Jeffrey been returning from a trip to see his mistress when his car ran off the road?”

  It felt like yesterday when the sheriff stopped by to give her the devastating news of her husband’s death. For the last twelve months, she’d been a grieving widow, ignorant of his infidelity.

  Although the ceiling fan rotated, the air around her stilled. The hum of the florescent lighting roared in her head. Life as she knew it would change again. She placed her hand over her mouth, afraid she’d be sick.

  “That’s our understanding.” Samantha had been the first who offered her the truth. She had less to lose since she was leaving for Colorado in three days. They wouldn’t see each other on a continual basis.

  Elle placed her cards on the table, no longer having the stomach to play. Her late husband had been guilty of the worse offense one spouse could do to another and she couldn’t confront him.

  There would be no explanations. No declaration of love and how the woman meant nothing to him. She wouldn’t have the ability to throw him out of the house or with time, forgive him.

  “It no longer—” Nancy began to say, but Elle cut her off.

  “What could you possibly say to me?” Elle snapped at the woman who had let her appearance go. “You finally left that abusive son of a bitch you married. How much weight have you gained feeling sorry for yourself?”

  It wasn’t like her to verbally attack a friend. Her nerves were raw and exposed. Her manicured nails all of a sudden became of great interest to her. She couldn’t look at Nancy’s hurt expression.

  “Let’s take a step back and breathe.” Samantha had chosen a career over mating with the wrong man. She couldn’t understand what either she or Nancy had been through. But she’d allow the beautiful blonde to calm things down between them.

  Her eyes downcast, Elle said, “I’m sorry. I can’t lash out at Jeffrey, so I attacked one of my best friends. Please forgive me, Nancy.”

  She’d always valued family and friends. Her generosity had often been to her own detriment. Her attack on the wolf shifter proved how out of sorts she’d become.

  With Jeffrey’s infidelity verified, she’d move on to the n
ext step in the plan she’d hatched. She couldn’t ignore and live with the truth. It wasn’t as if she had someone waiting for her at home.

  “You’ll have to get a sub for me next week,” Elle informed the group. “I’m going to New Mexico to confront Jeffrey’s mistress.”

  All three women voiced their opposition to her plan. Even the ever quiet Bernice Andrews. The bear shifter had the perfect marriage, but she’d believed the same before the truth about Jeffrey came out.

  “Horse shifters are terrible travelers,” Samantha pointed out. “How are you going to get to the airport?”

  “Uber,” Elle replied.

  In the week since overhearing the discussion about Jeffrey, she’d done nothing but plan. Her actions couldn’t be called impulsive.

  “What about your kids?” Nancy asked.

  “The twins are away at school and Joey’s living in his future mate’s home. My future daughter-in-law became homesick, so I put them on a bus yesterday. Like I said, I’ve thought long and hard about this.”

  It had only been seven days, but it felt like an eternity. She’d barely slept. Her fatigued mind had orchestrated the plan, but she’d never admit it.

  All three women quieted, planning their next individual attacks against what she’d planned. She knew they did it out of love. Their concerns only strengthened her resolve.

  For the next thirty minutes, a barrage of questions were hurled at her. There were a couple she didn’t have answers for, but she would before she left. The sounding board her friends represented turned out to be exactly what she needed.

  “Where in New Mexico does the woman live?” Samantha had transitioned to obtaining facts, no longer presenting a frontal assault.

  She lifted her chin and answered, “Magic.”

  Through Samantha’s association with a cat shifter organization, they all knew about Magic. A jaguar pack lived in the town, along with a variety of other supernatural beings.

  “It’s in the desert,” Nancy pointed out. “Where are you going to graze?”

  Elle shrugged. “I think I can make it a week without shifting.”

  Her horse loved the mountains. She knew every meadow in the area. Horses, unlike other shifters, weren’t threatened when spotted by human visitors.

  Bernice sighed. “We’re not going to talk you out of this, are we?”

  “Not this time,” she admitted. “This is something I have to do.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Nancy announced. “The kids can handle the hardware store without me. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see Magic, New Mexico.”

  The last thing she wanted was one of her friends second guessing every decision she’d make once she reached New Mexico. She needed to do this on her own. How else would she regain her self-respect? The look on the gossiping women’s faces when she stepped into their aisle haunted her.

  Jeffrey’s actions made her a victim. By making this trip, she’d reclaim a little of what she’d lost.

  “You’ll have to go sightseeing another time, Nancy,” Elle responded. “This is one trip I have to make on my own. It represents a new beginning for me.”

  Bernice rubbed her hands together. “Maybe you’ll meet a man.” Elle and her other two friends groaned in unison. “I’m just saying, it’s been a year since Jeffrey’s death and he wasn’t the saint everyone believed him to be.”

  No, he wasn’t. Her memories of Jeffrey had altered over the last week. Everything he did or said now became suspect in her mind.

  It didn’t surprise her Bernice had been the one who started the discussion about a new relationship. Why did married women believe a single woman’s life had to be incomplete without a man? She’d transitioned from being a widow to a single woman in a week’s duration.

  “The last thing I need or want is a man in my life,” Elle said.

  In all likelihood, she’d never trust another man. She doubted a trip to the desert to confront her husband’s mistress would change that. Even in Magic, New Mexico.

  Chapter 2

  Magic, New Mexico

  Billings Montana grabbed the counter as a vision bore into his mind. This one had been intense and about him. That hadn’t happened before.

  “Are you all right?” Marc Bouchard asked. “You’ve got that damned glazed look about you.”

  Marc had been his neighbor since he moved to Magic. Billing’s last vision involved him. Normally, his visions were harbingers of bad things to come. In Marc’s case, he’d come through unscathed, thanks to a centuries old spell and the appearance of his soul mate. He doubted he’d be as fortunate.

  With his sight still impaired, Billings dealt with the vertigo accompanying each vision. This one turned out to be as vague as past images playing in his mind had been.

  “The steaks are burning,” Annie, Marc’s soul mate, called from the patio. “One of you guys have to get out here and deal with it. Women don’t grill.”

  Annie had come out of her shell since the ancient vampire who transformed and stalked her had been dealt with. He found it refreshing when she expressed how she felt with no filters. The girl had also found a home in Magic, something she hadn’t achieved as a mortal being.

  Marc patted him on the back. “I’ve got this, my friend. Join us when you’re able.”

  As his eye sight began to clear, Billings watched Marc join his soul mate to deal with dinner. He liked spending time with the couple. Unlike many people who settled in Magic, they didn’t pry into his past. There would be ramifications if he revealed too much.

  When his vision cleared, he joined his guests outside. He pulled his robe’s hood over his head. His timing turned out to be perfect. Marc pulled the two steaks and a veggie burger off the grill and onto a platter.

  Annie speared one of the chunks of meat with her fork and placed it on her plate. Before he could blink, she’d cut into the tender beef and placed a piece in her mouth. Her eyes closed in appreciation of a great tasting ribeye.

  Billings shook his head. “I can’t believe two vampires are able to eat, even if Marc is sticking with his vegan diet. Topper needs to check her book of shadows for other miraculous spells.”

  “Not that the old witch will share if she discovers anything,” Marc said between bites. “I think she gets a perverse thrill by watching others stumble toward their destiny.”

  He cut into his steak. It was too rare for his tastes and he put it back on the grill. Vampires liked things bloody, but not him.

  Annie finished her steak and joined him in front of the barbecue. He’d like a girlfriend like her. But women of her caliber wouldn’t look twice at a troll. To be honest, no woman would consider dating him.

  She took a hold of his robe. “We need to go shopping and get you out of this brown piece of burlap.”

  Billings laughed at her appalled tone. “It’s a cotton blend and I’ve got one with wool for cooler nights. I’ve never worn anything more comfortable.”

  The female vampire frowned. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. We’re your friends. You shouldn’t have to hide under bolts of material when it’s only the three of us.”

  That was easy for the beautiful blonde to say. She looked like the cheerleader next door. Her mate could grace the cover of GQ with his rugged good looks. He, on the other hand belonged hidden. Too ugly to be seen.

  She pulled back his hood and kissed his cheek. He couldn’t remember the last time a pair of female lips pressed against his skin. The heat from his embarrassment colored his cheeks.

  When he attempted to replace the hood, Annie stopped him. She straightened his disheveled hair with her fingers.

  “Leave Billings in peace, Annie,” Marc said. “Tell us about your latest vision or any gossip that occurred while we were away.”

  Marc and Annie had returned from a trip to inform one of his blood brothers about the legacy their creator had left his children. It allowed them to become day walkers. Today’s picnic wouldn’t have been possible before the fated couple exc
hanged blood.

  “All I can remember is a horse and an energy orb,” Billings admitted. “One will kill me, while the other will bring about a transformation.”

  “A horse?” Annie asked in disbelief. “A horse in the desert? Maybe the horse is symbolic for something else.”

  Billings shook his head. His visions tended to be literal, not something that required interpretation. They could be broad, like impending danger. But he never had to search for inner meanings.

  He pulled his steak off the grill and sat beside Marc. Rather than paying attention to Annie who examined him, he filled his plate with the side dishes he’d prepared.

  “Why are we focusing on the damned horse?” Marc asked. “You stated the energy orb could kill you. Did you see who produced the weaponized energy?”

  He shook his head. “In a normal vision, I see images from a third party’s perspective. This time it came through my eyes.”

  The experience had shaken him. He’d seen the hand that produced the orb. A woman had wielded the energy weapon. At this point, he didn’t want to share the information with either of his friends.

  Marc had been a hunter who retired to Magic. He didn’t want to bother him with any more specifics than he already communicated. If his troubled existence proved over, then so be it. He’d had enough of this discussion. Marc needed to be side tracked with another topic.

  “The pregnant alien’s father will be arriving from the ice planet.” Billings loved to gossip. It allowed him to concentrate on the trouble of others, not dwell on his own misery. His booming voice brought a variety of beings to his side to share information. “He refused to travel through the portal the witches opened between our worlds. The covens are dealing with shielding a spacecraft from Magic’s tourists.”