Shifters of Ashwood Falls Book 12

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Former Shield Special Ops Agent, Jonathan Colemen spent his career tracking down shifters until the fateful day he suffered severe burns from an explosion at the rogue Onyx Pack den. He wakes from his coma to discover he’s half tiger and unable to resist a certain male wolf and female Healer.

Wolf Sentry, Tanner Raines is more like his father than he will admit. He holds in his anger for what the male did to his mother, anger that keeps his wolf on edge. He focuses on killing rogues without becoming one himself. That means never claiming his mates, keeping them at a distance.

Wolf Healer, Sasha Brooks has known Tanner is her mate since childhood, and she’s growing tired of waiting for him to claim her. When Jonathan comes into the Ashwood Falls medical center, her wolf goes wild. Two mates! While her wolf is all for claiming both males, her human heart is confused.

When Tanner’s mom—the wolf Pack Alpha—is kidnapped, it takes all his focus and control to not kill everyone in sight to get to her. The two people he’s avoided and pushed away may be the only ones who can help him hold it together. And they need to work together. Because if they fail, his mom’s life isn’t the only one on the line. Evil is brewing and threatens to destroy everyone involved, including his mates and the Pack.

Excerpt:

It’s a fucking trap! 

Jonathan Coleman grabbed Christa Baker’s wrist and dragged her through the maze of hallways. She was his friend even though she didn’t trust him, or anyone, and he had to get her out of that lab before it was too late. 

Vance, a Shield agent over Christa’s team wasn’t the shifter-hating bastard he led people to believe. No, he was Felix’s Pack Marshal and had set Jon and Crista up. It was all part of Vance’s grand plan to get them together so his rogue Enforcers and mutants could teleport them to Felix’s lab. They fell right into Vance’s trap. 

The rogue bastard wanted Christa dead because she had discovered the truth. The truth Jon had worked undercover—alone—to expose. He didn’t know who to trust. Apparently, Christa didn’t either. 

“Where are we going?” Christa stumbled behind him then regained her footing to keep up with him. 

He didn’t look back at her. “We’re getting the hell out of here before it blows.” 

“What?” 

When they came to a door at the end of a corridor, Jon kicked it opened and pulled her out into the evening air. They made it about fifteen feet away from the building before it exploded. Jon pulled her into his body, wrapping his arms around her and twisted to put his back to the blast. The movement caused them to fall to the ground. He turned again to cushion her from the fall, all the while protecting her for the searing hot flames from the explosion. 

The blast echoed around them, making Jon’s ears ring. Smoke and burning flesh filled his senses as the intense heat burned into his skin. He tried to stay conscious to keep Christa safe until backup arrived. But he failed and succumbed to the darkness. 

 

Jonathan woke on a start, but he didn’t move, just glanced around the room, listening for a threat. The first thing he noticed was how his eyesight was sharper. He’d worn glasses for distance since he was teen. He didn’t have those glasses on though. The second thing he noticed was the smells in the room. There were notes of alcohol, fresh mountain air, and a soft floral scent that was mixed with berries. There were other scents that were fainter. Odd. He’d never been able to pick up different scents. 

Fear stole his breath for a few moments. Had he been turned into one of Felix’s mutants? He fucking hoped not. 

Pushing away the thoughts, he sought out the floral and berries and inhaled. A low growl sounded inside the room and it took him several beats to realize it was him. Why the hell had he growled? 

“I’m glad you are finally awake.” 

He moved his head in the direction of the female voice. It was soft but held a power he was familiar with. She was a shifter. Not any shifter, an Alpha. The way her green eyes flashed with her inner animal confirmed it.  

Her curly red hair hung loose around her shoulders. She sat sideways on the small sofa against the window with her legs stretched out in front of her with her bare feet propped on the arm. There were three sets of blue paw prints on the top of one foot. 

Although she was beautiful, she was not the source of the floral berries scent that called to him like a siren. “Who are you? Where am I?” 

She turned to face him, putting her feet on the floor. “My name is Luna and I’m one of the Alphas of Ashwood Falls.” 

The mention of the infamous Pack sounded off warning bells in his mind. It was a knee-jerk reaction, years of training and being told that shifters were dangerous. That was what Shield had led them to believe. Jon wasn’t so sure anymore. 

Memories of them being in the lab with Christa and then the explosion filled his thoughts. “Christa,” he breathed. He shot up to a sitting position, draping his legs over the side of the bed. All the while his body tensing and his heart pounding. Had she lived? Now that he thought about it, how was he alive? 

“She is safe and on her way here.” Luna stood and when he stiffened, she slowed her movements. “No one in Ashwood Falls will hurt you. Despite everything you were told, not all shifters are monsters.” 

Monsters. No the real monsters were Vance and Felix. Jon had discovered that days before Jon and Christa fell into Vance’s trap. The thoughts of the explosion made him access his own body. That was when he realized he wasn’t in pain. He reached around to feel his back and frowned. His skin was ridged with burn scars. It was like they were from an old injury. 

“How long have I been out?” He met Luna’s stare.  

“A couple of months. Our Healers had to keep you in a coma longer so your tiger could heal you.” She glanced to the door moments before Christa and a man with short black hair and the same green eyes as Luna entered. 

Christa’s features brightened and she rushed forward. She hugged him. “Thank you for saving my life but you scared me.” 

Jon looked from Christa to the man standing behind her then to Luna. “What’s going on and what did you mean about my tiger could heal me?” 

Luna tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t know?” 

“Know what?”  

Christa took his hand in one of hers and covered it with the other. “You are half tiger shifter. That is how you are alive now and healed from your burns.” 

What the fuck? No way was he half shifter. He’d know. Wouldn’t he? 

“How would I go all my life and not know? You did something to me to turn me.” He started pulling the IV out of his arm and swung his feet off the bed. 

Christa didn’t let go of his hand. She fixed him with a hard glare. “Shifters are born, not turned. You know that. Someone in your family was a shifter, like a distant relative. Grandparent or great grandparent or someone.” 

“I was adopted,” he muttered. 

Luna stepped forward. “There are cases where half breeds go their entire lives without knowing they are part shifter. Some, in your case, go through a life-threating event that wakes up that part of your DNA.” 

Just then the source of the floral berry scent entered the room. His eyes locked with hers as she froze in the doorway. Her scent sharpened, filling the room with an intoxicating fragrance. In his mind and just under his skin, he felt what he guessed was his inner tiger move. The animal wanted to be closer to the female. 

He rubbed his chest and then his arms where the tiger seemed to be moving underneath his skin. Reality slammed into him. Fuck he was a shifter. So many questions rushed to the front of his mind, making is difficult knowing which one to ask first. 

For the time being, he focused on the female that made his body ache and his tiger pace. She had short blonde hair that brushed the tops of her shoulders that contrasted perfectly with her tanned skin. 

After a few moments, the female averted her gaze and moved farther into the room. “Hello, everyone.” When she reached his bed, she took his wrist in her hand. “How are you feeling?” 

“Confused.” 

She lifted her gaze to his and he noted how her irises—a vivid shade of purple—flashed brighter for a few seconds before returning to normal. “We are all here to help. Whatever questions you have, just ask.” She let go of his wrist and stepped back. “You’re healthy and have healed nicely.” 

Frowning, he watched her. “You know that from touching me?” 

“I’m a Healer.” One corner of her mouth dipped into a half frown. “I’m sorry. I’m Sasha, the wolf Healer. Dani is the leopard Healer, whom you’ll meet later today.” 

Mine. 

The word was growled in his head in a mix of his own voice and that of another. His tiger? His mind wasn’t the only thing that had a reaction to the beautiful blonde Healer. 

Fuck. What the hell was happening to him?