Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
“I’m a part of this,” I shouted, surprised by the strength of my voice. “And I deserve to be with you. The curse pulled me in, too. I’m eventually going to be a shifter, so I should shoulder some of the risks.”
“Absolutely not.”
My face was heating, and not with the usual schoolgirl blush I suffered from. No, this was the heat of anger. “Now wait one second. Are you giving ultimatums?”
Without hesitation, Miles said, “Yes. If it means keeping you safe.”
“Have you thought for even a second, that maybe I want you to stay safe as much as you want me to be safe? You’re the one being actively hunted.” The words started pouring out of my mouth, and I couldn’t stop them once I got going. “You’re the first person to ever care for me. Do you have any idea what would happen to me if something happened to you? You’ve focused so much on me that you haven’t even thought about your-fucking-self. I need to know you’re safe. If I wake up one day all alone again, I’ll—” The words finally stopped. I didn’t know what else to say. I’d laid all my fears out for him.
Miles simply stared at me. I couldn’t describe the look on his face. It was like a combination of horror, realization, sadness, and shame. He was quiet for a long time before he spoke again.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ve been selfish. I need to make sure you’re safe, but I have to care about myself, too. From now on, I promise to take your fears into account.”
I didn’t even realize I was crying until he stepped forward and wiped at my cheeks, smearing away the wetness. I’d never been so open with anyone, but at that moment, I couldn’t help it.
“It’s scary. All of this. And I can’t stop thinking that it’s about to get worse. There’s another shoe about to drop. This impending doom?—“
Before I could go on, he pulled me into his arms, silencing me. “I won’t let anything happen,” Miles whispered.
I dug my hands into his back, holding him tight, my tears soaking his chest. “I can’t lose you. You mean too much to me. You’ve changed my life. Made me feel wanted for the first time.” A spike of shame hit me when I saw the smear of snot I’d left on his shirt. I groaned and wiped at my face with a sleeve.
Miles pulled away and lifted my head, cupping my chin and looking into my eyes. “I feel the same about you. It’s why I’m doing everything I can to make sure Felicity never has a chance to get near you again. I will move heaven and earth to protect you. I would tear down the pillars of the world and rip apart the fabric of space to save you. Whatever it takes.”
I grinned and sniffled. “Sounds a little overly dramatic. Can I use that line in one of my books?”
“Sure.” He chuckled as he squeezed me closer. “I’ll do everything I can to get this over with as soon as possible. Then we can relax and start our lives together.”
He kissed me then, long and lingering. Suddenly, with no warning, he scooped me up, kicking the door closed behind him. Miles walked us straight back to my bedroom.
“Uh…are we gonna do that thing?” I asked.
“The thing?” he arched an eyebrow.
“Is this gonna be make-up sex? I’ve heard about it,” I said.
Miles laughed. “No. Your first time isn’t going to be hot and heavy post-fight sex. You need to sleep, and so do I.”
I was both relieved and a little disappointed, but as soon as he set me on the bed, deep and bone-tired exhaustion overtook me. I felt like I could sleep for a whole day. Miles helped pull my shoes, socks, and pants off. He then did the same and slid into bed with me after turning off all the lights. It was the earliest I’d ever gone to bed, but as soon as I rested my head on his chest and heard the steady beat of his heart, I was drifting off. Right before I fell asleep, I thought I heard him whisper four words.
“I love you, Celina.”
I woke up almost fifteen hours later, the sun barely peeking through the windows. I felt amazing. I’d definitely needed the sleep. The aroma of food cooking enticed me to roll over, and I realized Miles wasn’t in bed. He stepped into the bedroom a few seconds later, carrying a plate of food.
“Breakfast in bed,” he said.
I glanced down at the bacon, eggs, and toast. My stomach rumbled, and I started eating almost as soon as I had the plate in my hand. Miles placed a glass of orange juice on my bedside table and sat on the bed next to me.
“I thought we’d spend the day together today. No hunter stuff, no work stuff, just us. How about it? It’s cold as shit outside. Looked like it was sleeting. A great day to stay cozy inside on the couch.”
It sounded amazing. With a stuffed mouth, I nodded, not wanting to speak and spray the hot guy on my bed with chewed scrambled eggs. When we finished eating, we moved from the
bed to the couch in the living room and spent the next four hours streaming movies. It was wonderful, one of the most relaxing mornings I’d ever had. I could hear the sleet and snow spitting against the window the whole time. There was something inherently pleasant about being warm and inside when the weather outside was awful. What was the old Christmas song lyric?
Oh, the weather outside is frightful? It was accurate beyond belief.
By noon, Miles had gone to the kitchen to make us grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. That was when I started to get antsy. It wasn’t that I didn’t love spending the day with him, but it was starting to feel like we had our heads stuck in the sand. How would this ever get settled if he was holed up in here with me?
“Miles, are you sure you shouldn’t head back to the guys? I feel a lot better, and I don’t want to pull you away from your work,” I said, feeling embarrassed.
Miles flipped the two sandwiches in the frying pan and glanced over at me. “I’m not going to worry. All that can wait until tomorrow. Today is about you.”
“Positive? We have to figure this out to have any real peace. You’re the best one to help them track this guy down.”
Miles put the sandwiches on a plate and spooned out two bowls of soup. He then took it all over to the coffee table. “Come here and binge-watch this show with me. Let’s forget about the world for a while.”
I smiled despite myself and joined him. He pushed play on the TV, and I snuggled into him, my bowl of soup balanced on my lap. Miles kissed the side of my head. “You know I’d do anything for you, right?”
I nodded and started eating. The theme song to the show started, and Miles set his soup on his lap as well. He ate with one