He made it a point to avoid them all. He alone knew his powerful secret; he alone knew he could lose all control in the throes of passion. It had happened once with Marjorie; she had discovered his secret and ultimately he had lost her forever.

  He smiled a warm welcome now at the assembled tourists in front of him, unleashing his fatal attraction on the gathered crowd with his potent dimpled smile that eased his chiseled features.

  Derek was very tall, at six-three, with a mass of long black hair that hung to his shoulders and was tied up at his nape with a band. His eyes were an unsettling shade of grey that tended to turn pure silver when he was in a mood — and he was in a mood more than half the time. Marjorie had described him in that lilting Spanish-accented voice of hers as the “tall, dark, brooding sort with animal magnetism.”

  The thought of Marjorie made his heart squeeze in his chest and he shut his eyes for a minute, allowing himself to picture her with her short, wispy blond hair, exotic green eyes, and throaty laugh. He wanted desperately to have her in his arms again, just like in the old days; to sniff her unique shampoo and kiss her chubby cheeks until she chortled. With a tired sigh, he forced his eyes open— hell had a better chance of freezing over before any of that would happen. Besides, at this point, he wasn’t necessarily fantasizing about Marjorie; just any beautiful woman! He had been celibate for more than a decade, thanks to Marjorie!

  “Welcome!” he got out, focusing his attention on the men and women assembled in front of him.

  Choruses of “Hi,” and “Hello” rent the air.

  “You guys ready for our tour? It’s gonna be amazing,” Derek said, smiling at the small group. They were two American couples, an African couple and a Chinese couple and they all seemed very eager to get started. Two little kids, a boy and a girl, were also hanging onto their mothers’ hands, dressed from head to toe in protective clothing.

  He hid a grin. He had taken special care of the area and it was as safe as could be. But then, they were tourists; he supposed the slight niggling fear at the back of their minds was part of the excitement. Adventure was supposed to come with some small dread in the pit of your stomach, wasn’t it? Fear was good in this context; otherwise, their outing would just be a snooze-fest.

  Something shifted in the wind; he tensed, inhaling deeply as a wild, indefinable scent quivered on the edge of his senses. It was sweet and tangy and strangely intense, and it seemed to go straight to his brain! What was that? Before he could fathom what it was, a fresh gust of wind blew right into his face and he lost the scent.

  “I’m Derek Cavanaugh,” he told the tourists, forcing his attention back to them. “I’ll be your tour guide today. The area is pretty much safe but because I’ll be showing you a lot of hidden caves and paths and wild animals, I don’t want anyone to get lost or hurt, so you have to do exactly what I say every time, okay?” he finished as he turned to lead the way.

  “Hey, hold up,” someone called, laughing breathlessly as a group of three people ran up to them. “Tom lost his shoe, so we got held up.”

  Derek turned, along with everyone else. Two women and a little boy were approaching the group. The woman who had spoken was clad in tee-shirt and jeans with a pair of glasses shading her eyes. Despite her casual appearance, he could tell she was extremely wealthy. She had that aura of quiet wealth about her, and she walked with the confident gait of the average wealthy American.

  Beside her, another woman tagged along with her son in tow. The second woman was wearing an unbuttoned shirt over a tank top and jeans with scuffed sneakers. She had a fresh, unspoiled face, and even from a distance, and devoid of makeup, he could tell she was a total knockout. As she walked forward, her chin-length red hair fluttered in the slight wind again and her scent blew his way, hitting him in the solar plexus like a blow.

  Derek tensed, every fiber of his being going on high alert as he inhaled the second woman’s scent. That was the exact scent he had picked up earlier; it was unlike anything he had ever perceived in his entire life. It was calming and drugging at the same time; it made him want to bury his nose in her skin and hair for the rest of his life; it stoked a hunger deep in his soul, and at the same time, satisfied him. Everything inside of him roared with need. That wild, dangerous side of him reared its head; snapping to be free. His eyes glinted in warning, his teeth started to shift, and with great effort, he clenched his fists to control himself.

  Through narrowed eyes, he observed that she was a deliciously stacked woman, with curves in all the right places. She was about five-eight, with slim, delicate shoulders that made a man want to protect her, smooth flawless skin like a baby, high arched brows, high cheekbones that defined her slim face and aquamarine eyes that were so startling in their intensity that even from several feet away he was struck. And yet, there was a sad quality in her eyes; barely there but he saw it. Her breasts were high and firm beneath her tank top and her tiny waist gave room to curvy hips encased in jeans so tight she seemed to have been poured into them. She was incredibly hot and … rather dangerous, he thought— she had to be, because why else would she affect him like this?

  Everything in him was raring, straining to be free.

  The women came closer, heedless of his inner turmoil, and Derek realized, for the first time in his life, that if he didn’t beat a hasty retreat, he could shift form right there in front of everyone.

  Derek took a few hasty steps back for self-preservation; the little group kept coming closer. He saw Murphy, his co-guide, shoot him a confused look.

  “I’m gonna be sick,” he got out desperately. Before anyone could so much as comment, he lunged for the back of the resort and disappeared from view.

  He ran off into the dense forest behind the resort and grabbed the first strong oak he came to. He shook it hard, shaking it until it began to uproot from the ground. His entire skin was on fire as the familiar heat spread through him.

  What was it about that woman that had made him lose all control? At thirty, he had mastered himself enough that he never once shifted form, unless he absolutely wanted to or unless it was a full moon. Today, though, one whiff of a woman’s scent and he had lost all control and had been about to reveal his secret.

  Okay, not just any woman; this woman!

  What was wrong with him? Who was she?

  He gave the tree one last vigorous shake as he felt his wild side begin to recede some more. I am under control now, he thought as he slowly let go of the tree.

  He’d wanted to have her in his arms with a desperation that defied all logic. He’d wanted to revel in her unique scent and bite her cheeks and lick every part of her in the most sensuous way possible — and he didn’t even know her name! What the hell was wrong with him?

  Continue this adventure HERE on Amazon…

  About the Author

  When I am not writing hot tales of alpha males and the ladies they love - or at least that they lust after - I am just your ordinary stay at home mum. I live in the countryside in a little town in a faraway magical place. I hope you love my shifter tales...and/or some of my biker tales too! Lately shifters have taken my fancy though...! I hope you enjoy my tales!

  https://www.totallyromancebooks.com/samantha-leal

  Depending on where you like to hang out, please

  And/or

  Also from Samantha…

  The Lost Creek Shifters

  The Lost Creek Shifters series is a collection of novelette length standalone Bad boy romances that fit together to tell the longer story of the ancient tale of the bear and wolf shifters in a small mountain town. Enjoy!

  Lost Creek Shifters Complete Collection

  The Forsaken Riders

  The Forsaken Riders series is a collection of novelette and novella length standalone Bad boy romances that fit together to tell the longer tale of the Forsaken Riders – and the woman they love - as they fight to dominate the town of Slate Springs.

  Forsaken Riders Box Set 1

  Forsaken Riders Box Set 2

  Forsaken Riders Box Set 3

  Forsaken Riders Box Set 4

  Forsaken Riders Box Set 5

  Other Series from Totally Romance

  Please check out these other Paranormal Shifter stories from Totally Romance Publishing!

  Cynthia Wilde

  Burning Falls Shifters Complete Collection

  Leela Ash

  Dragon Dreams Complete Collection

  (Wellspring Chronicles 1)

  Shifters of the Aegis Complete Collection

  (Wellsprings Chronicles 2)

  Banished Dragons Complete Collection

  Dragon’s of Kaldernon Complete Collection

  Stonybrooke Shifters Complete Collection

  Oak Mountain Shifters Box Set 1

  And we would also love it if you would

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  Samantha Leal, Her Fated Dragon Protector (Lone Reach Shifters Book 2)

 

 

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