Hidden cure the complete.., p.1
Hidden Cure: The Complete Series (Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance),
p.1
Hidden Cure
The Complete Series
A Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance
Copyright 2021 ©
Abigail Grant
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents, either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Free Gift
Sign up for my mailing list to receive this FREE exclusive copy of “Shifter Cure” as well as be notified on any new releases, giveaways, contests, cover reveals and so much more!
Click here for your free book
Acknowledgements
A huge thanks to my loving husband, who inspires me to write the hunkiest of hunks! And thanks to my three little kiddos for keeping me on my toes, and never letting me get too sucked into my fantasy life!
And of course, a huge thanks to my wonderful readers! You all make my heart happy.
Contents
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
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Review This Book
Other Books by This Author
About The Author
Chapter 1
⟣⟡⟢
Maia
I pull the backpack strap higher on my shoulder, looking back at the school for the last time until I need to actually walk for graduation. Thank the lord I get to leave classes early. It’s only February, but my less than social life doesn’t exactly make it hard to graduate early. Between school work, hanging out with my best friend Bree, and having the most overprotective father on the planet, I don’t have a lot of chances to run wild.
It’s not that I really care all that much though. Kids can be pretty harsh to a girl with white hair. I’ve tried countless times to dye my hair, but it doesn’t last more than a week before the dye fades. I’ve learned to embrace the silky white locks I was born with. If anything, my hair makes for a great conversation starter. They can call me “freak” all they want. I’m out of here.
I can’t stop the grin from stretching my cheeks as I dip into the forest that borders my little town in Vermont. I’ve loved these woods my whole life, but Dad rarely lets me explore them. He claims they aren’t safe, full of wild animals, but I’m going to be eighteen tomorrow. I’ve got to disobey good old dad at least once every few years, right? He also told me not to get a tattoo, but that didn’t stop Bree and I from getting matching mandala bracelet tattoos on my sixteenth birthday, symbolizing our tight bond as besties. It was all Bree’s idea, but I can’t deny that I was completely on board. Sorry, Dad.
I step through the old crunchy snow, loving the cold air on my skin. The cold is welcoming and rarely bothers me, even with only a light leather jacket and thin black leggings. I pull the crisp mountain air into my lungs as I continue along a game trail toward home. An eerie feeling begins sinking in, trailing from the back of my neck. Okay, maybe the woods are just a little sketchy.
I search for any signs of hungry animals, or axe murderers, but I’m met with only the slight crunching of month-old snowfall.
“Who’s there?” I can feel my heart rate pick up, but I’ve never been one to shy away from a fight if it has to happen. Of course, fighting a bear would be significantly more difficult than kicking Torrie Layton’s ass in the sixth grade. Still, I raise my hands and center my weight in a perfect fighting stance. Thank you, Sensei Kenji! If twelve years of karate classes helps me defend myself against a bear, I owe my dad a profuse apology.
Before I can start yelling at the forest, a figure dressed in purple, with curly red hair jumps at me from behind a tall bush. I scream, karate lessons going out the window as I throw my hands over my head, and I’m tackled to the snowy ground. My attacker jumps off of me and smiles down at my angry face.
“Hey, Mai. Didn’t your father ever warn you about the dangers of the wild woods?”
I groan and brush the snow off of myself as I stand. “For heaven’s sake, Bree! You scared the crap out of me!”
My best friend, Bree, just laughs and pushes her bouncy curls back, revealing her overly-jeweled ears. She has always worn at least six earrings on each ear daily. How she keeps from losing them all is a mystery to me.
“I’m just trying to prepare you for the inevitable wild animal attack that your adorable dad swears is around every corner. By the way, karate has failed you, girl.” She raises a single blonde eyebrow at me.
I adjust my backpack and grab Bree’s hand, ready to get out of the woods. I tow her after me toward home. “Please don’t call my dad adorable. It’s super gross, and karate hasn't failed me. I would be a great fighter if I ever had the chance to actually train. I’m too coddled!”
Bree nods beside me, pulling her thick jacket tight around herself. “Aren’t you freezing, Mai? You’re dressed like it’s springtime, and you know as well as I do that spring doesn’t happen around here until summer.”
I laugh at that. She’s absolutely right about the weather here. “I swear I’m not even the least bit cold. I think I have a theory about that, though.”
“What theory might that be?”
I reach down and grab a stick from the ground, waving it around like a wand. “I think I’m a witch.” I shout some nonsense magic word and point the stick at Bree with my best wide-eyed witchy stare.
To my surprise, she actually flinches, though her face immediately changes to a look that screams my-bff-is-an-absolute-idiot. “Why on earth would you think you’re a witch?”
I shrug and start to tick off each of my fingers one at a time. “First, I never get sick. I heal incredibly fast. I don’t ever get cold, though I have been too hot at times. And then there’s my super weird hair. I mean, it makes sense right?”
Bree thinks over my hypothesis for a moment, but dismisses it with her words. “I think if you were a witch, you’d be a lot less afraid of cats.”
I shiver, scrunching my nose up. I despise cats, and Bree thinks it’s my least appealing trait. I can’t help that they practically eat their own hair and then proceed to cough it up immediately afterward! It’s disgusting!
“I guess you’re right about the cat thing. So, what then? I’m just a weird loner girl with no special abilities? That’s just too boring.” I pout as we near my house.
Bree laughs again and nudges my shoulder. “You’re not boring, girl. You’re more unique and special than you think, trust me.”
I smile at that. “Aww. Thanks, Bree.” I turn my eyes to the back porch and see my dad staring at us with arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “Oh, crap.”
Bree follows my gaze and snorts. “I don’t know how he built a house at the edge of the woods and expected you to never wander the place.” Then she raises a hand and waves. “Hey, Mathew!”
I sigh and shake my head. “Did you not hear me say gross, Bree?”
With a groan, she waves again. “I mean, Mr. Collins, of course.” She turns to me with a wink and I’m rolling my eyes all over again. At least, thanks to Bree, my life isn’t totally boring.
♢♢♢
Seth
My bones crack and slide as I land on two feet instead of four large paws. I stretch out my shoulders and look around for the pants I discarded before shifting an hour ago. They’re soaked through from the snowy rock that I laid them on, and I sigh. “Great.”
Now I have to go into the house completely naked in front of Dad. I don’t care that he sees me in the nude, but when I run like this, it’s a reminder to him that he can’t shift, and I can see the hurt that it causes him to think about what he has lost.
I was only three when our wolf shifter pack was attacked by the lupercus. Those nasty cat-like shape-shifters are incredibly strong, and although they have always been an enemy to my kind, they aren’t exactly known to ambush a pack in the middle of the night. They also don’t normally move together in large numbers. Nobody saw it coming.
That night, many of the pack members fought back and were killed, including our alpha, Jackson Shaw. Jackson’s beta and his wife were killed as well, along with their pregnant daughter. It was the biggest tragedy to happen in our pack lands in all of the Shaw pack history. That baby that was never born would’ve been our future alpha instead of me.
But all of that death led to Jackson’s son, Nate Shaw, becoming our new alpha overnight, and my father became the new beta. When they were young, my fath
I was so young at the time that I’ve only ever known my dad to be bound to a wheelchair, his legs limp and lifeless. On that night, my mother died protecting me from the lupercus. She was my father’s fated mate, and in the rage he felt from losing her, he went after three lupercus at once. It was a miracle he survived, but the pains of losing his mate and his shifting ability still haunt him. Of course, he won’t talk to me about these things.
I hurry into the house and into my bedroom, slipping on a pair of sweatpants before finding my dad in the kitchen. “Hey, Dad. What are you up to?”
His tired gray eyes land on me and he continues stirring the boiling pot of pasta on the stove, having to reach high from his chair. “Did ya have a nice run?”
I chew on my bottom lip but try to hide the pity I feel for him, and I nod. “Yeah. It was great. The weather is perfect today. You should get out and enjoy it.” Yeah, not happening.
Dad snorts and pushes himself higher, reaching for a jar on a high shelf. His arms are ripped, so it’s not too difficult for him to push off the wheelchair, but he still struggles. I want to help him, but I hold myself back. He hates when I jump in and help. We all feel that alpha-wolf pride, but his is over the top at times.
He grunts and sits back down empty handed. “You gonna help me here, or what?” He growls the words at me, but the fact that he’s asking for help means he’s in a good mood today.
I hurry over and grab the red sauce from the shelf, handing it to him with a smile. “Making spaghetti? Does this mean we have company tonight?” Spaghetti is his go-to meal for company.
“Nate’s coming to talk to you. He says it’s time that you earn your place in the pack.” Dad’s eyebrows rise and he flashes me a slight smile past his thick beard. I’d like to think he’s proud of me for my future place as alpha, but it’s not like there were any better options. Nate never had kids, and he treated me like I was his son, training me to fight and control my wolf.
My hands start to sweat but I hide my nervousness. I know I’m strong and more than capable in a fight, but I also know I have a beast of a temper and don’t do well with responsibility. I can’t lie and say that I am going to make a great alpha someday. I’m only twenty, and I feel far from such an honor. And who knows if I’ll ever find a mate. Most alphas-to-be are matched with a mate at birth, but the attack changed our ways after so much death and loss. I’m so out of my league.
A knock comes at the door and I run to grab it. Alpha Nate Shaw nods his head at me with a kind smile. He’s taller than me by only an inch or two, standing at six-five. His skin is a dark brown, a contrast to my beige complexion. At his side is his wife, Lydia Shaw. She has always been so kind to me, and I can’t stop my broad smile at seeing her. No gray has seeped into her wavy blue hair as of yet. I don’t know what it is with the blue hair. She claims it’s in memory of someone she once loved, but hasn’t offered any further explanation. All I know is that I’ve never seen it in any other color. Thanks to our wolfy genes, she and Nate don’t look much older than myself.
“Hey Luna Lydia. It’s so good to see you.” I lift her up into a tight hug and she swats at me to put her down.
“Don’t you give me that Luna Lydia crap, Seth. I’m more of an aunt to you than anything. And put a damn shirt on.” She winks at me with a finger pointing at my bare chest.
She has always been one to speak her mind and I love her more for it. I heard a rumor years ago that Nate and Lydia weren’t supposed to be mates. Being the Alpha heir, Nate had been given a mate at birth, but nobody knows what happened to her. Nate doesn’t hold me to that same tradition, thankfully. I’m glad Lydia is our Luna, though. They seem good together.
I bow to her like an obedient pup and throw a shirt on before greeting Nate. “Sir, it’s great to have you both here.”
He dips his head to me and pats me on the back. “I hope you still feel that way once we get down to business, Seth. An important day is here, and I’m about to tell you something that only the people in this room, and three others know.”
My chin pulls back and I look at the elder shifters all watching me with worried eyes. Well, hell. This can’t be good.
Chapter 2
⟣⟡⟢
Maia
BE THERE IN 5.
I send a quick text message to Bree as I walk along downtown. It’s officially my birthday and I’m a woman now. And what do grown women do with their best friends? Get together for coffee.
Yeah, so far adult life feels an awful lot like teen life. Still, it’s probably just in my mind, but the new dusting of snow this morning looks crisper and the usually faint coffee smell that lingers on the street is stronger. I feel a strength today that I haven’t felt before, and I am ready to face anything. Namely, coffee-time chit chat with Bree.
I enter the small shop, but Bree is running late like usual, so I order my coffee and settle into a comfy chair by the window. Looking out onto the street with the warm cup in my hand makes me wish I would’ve brought along a book. Yup, day one of adulthood and I’m still a nerd. If Bree were here she’d be mocking me right now.
I smile at the thought and look around the cozy shop. My smile falls when I spot the dark brown eyes watching me with hooded lids. A man that I’ve never seen before is staring directly at me, his eyes roam from my tie-dye skechers, along my dark jeggings and overly-worn leather jacket. He locks eyes with me and I swear my heart flip flops in my chest.
Holy hell, this man is gorgeous.
If it wasn’t for the pissed-off expression on his way-too-handsome face, I’d love to saunter on over to him and embarrass myself by plopping down on his lap. Not that I’m that kind of girl, but my body sure wishes I was. But his narrowed eyes and tight jaw make me look away. I chance a glance at him again and he’s still staring like some murderous stalker.
His arms are large, thick against his long-sleeved sweater, and the speckle of hair on his jaw is perfectly trimmed. He doesn’t care that I watch him right back, his arms crossed and unflinching. This dude has got some nerve to look at me like I’m some insolent child. I narrow my own eyes and lean forward in my seat. He should know that I’m not some blushing Barbie doll. His eyebrows raise slightly but he still doesn’t look away. I shake my head, done with being creeped out, and I get up to leave.
The guy’s eyes follow me all the way out the door, landing on my butt as I pass by him. He stares, completely unashamed and I want to turn around and kick him in his super hot face, but I just grind my teeth and leave without a word. I definitely shouldn’t be able to smell him at this distance, but right before I shut the door behind me, a scent floats to my nose, and I swear he smells like a sexy Christmas tree.
I push down the stupid butterflies that go crazy in my stomach and I march down the sidewalk, mentally telling myself not to look back at the broody guy. I launch myself into the adjacent forest at a run, loving the breeze that flows through my hair. Bree is going to get an earful for being late today. I look down at my phone and shoot her another text.
SOME CREEP AT THE COFFEE SHOP. GOING HOME NOW.
Dad is just going to have to be okay with me going in the woods from now on. It just feels right being in here. The towering trees make me feel small, like I could just hide away from the world forever if I stayed beneath their protection. I sigh as I slow my pace toward home and I close my eyes, drinking in the serenity of the forest. Maybe I should take up camping. I could be a person who camps.
A hissing sound makes my eyes pop open and I gasp at the woman standing on the trail ten feet ahead of me. My hand flies to my chest and I laugh awkwardly.
“I’m so sorry. I am just jumpy lately.” I apologize to the woman, but as I step closer, something is off about her and I feel sick to my stomach.
She is incredibly pale and skinny, wearing only a red spaghetti strap dress that falls to her bare feet. Her hair is stringy and graying, but her skin still looks clear and wrinkle-free. Strange. I can’t judge too much with my own white locks flowing in the wind, but this lady is definitely not young.
