Healing Their Mate (The Love of a Shifter) Read online

  Healing Their Mate by Bryce Evans

  Healing Their Mate

  The Love of a Shifter

  Book Two

  by Bryce Evans

  © Copyright 2013 JK Publishing, Inc.

  ISBN# 9781310286841

  All cover art and logo © Copyright 2013 by JK Publishing, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Edited by Caroline Kirby

  Artwork by Jess Buffett

  Published by JK Publishing, Inc.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales are entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publishing company.

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  Dedication

  I would like to dedicate this book to my Mom, who I miss so much. The older I get the more I miss her. She would have loved this and been so proud of her daughter.

  To my amazing husband and beautiful children. I love you all very much.

  Next, I want to thank my sister who tells me I’m the greatest and gives me hope to continue with my passion.

  I have to give a shout out to Frederique who continues to be my friend and to all my best buddies: Brandi, Layne, Jerri, KD, and all my fellow authors who have continued to give me the strength to continue.

  I would like to thank Jess Buffett for creating my beautiful cover for me. She does awesome work. Thank you, Jess.

  This year I had a fan of mine pass away. Carin Vines Beal was a complete stranger who was the first person to tell me that she loved my books. Carin continued to encourage me when I needed that extra push. She loved to read and talk about the stories she had read. She will be missed and will always be in my thoughts and prayers. This book is dedicated to her.

  Thank you to all my fans for supporting me and giving me the push I need to prosper. I hope to continue writing and with your help get better and better.

  And as always, thank you to the JK family; my Editor, Caroline Kirby; CEO and mentor, Jana Leigh.

  Take care and keep reading!

  Bryce Evans

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Books Available from Bryce Evans

  Excerpt from Big Bad Alpha

  Excerpt from The Perfect Reflection

  Excerpt from Hades

  Excerpt from I Waited for You

  Prologue

  River continued to fight for her life as the vampire held her down. She couldn’t compete with his strength. She could still smell his rancid breath as he leaned down, inhaling her scent. Watching as his eyes turned red, and the vampire’s fangs slowly descended from his mouth, “Oh my God, you’re really a vampire.”

  She felt like she was the lead actress in a movie, but she wasn’t in a movie. No this was real life and she knew he was going to kill her. River couldn’t do anything but watch as the vampire lowered his head toward her neck. Then he disappeared from on top of her. Jacky Boy stared down at her. He had thrown the vampire against the wall. Jerking her up by the hand, Jacky Boy tried to rush with her to the door, but the vampire tackled him to the ground. Jacky Boy pushed River out of the way and took the brunt of the vampire crashing into him. River watched as Jacky Boy fought for his life.

  Frantically, River turned around and around looking for some type of weapon to help get the vampire off Jacky Boy. Standing in the corner was a steel knight suit with a sword in its hand. Figures, she thought. River ran to the knight and jerked until the sword came loose out of the hand. The sword was heavy as she ran toward the fight.

  Running back to help Jacky Boy, River could see that Jacky Boy wasn’t winning. Standing behind the vampire, River raised the sword like a baseball bat. She had to use two hands to swing it toward the vampire’s neck. Hoping River could follow through with it; Jacky Boy pushed the vampire up with all his strength as she swung the sword, cutting off his head. The vampire’s head rolled across the floor hitting the basement door.

  River breathed in and out, gasping for air as she stared at the head. Jacky Boy tossed the vampire’s body off him. He stood up as the pounding on the door jerked his attention back to the basement door. Jacky Boy grabbed the sword, threw it to the ground, then picked up River, and carried her out of the house and into her car. River stared back at the house in shock. She h
ad just cut a man’s head off.

  “I just cut a man’s head off,” River whispered as Jacky Boy pushed River into the passenger side then got behind the wheel and speed off toward town.

  “Look, River, you don’t have a lot of time to leave town before Paddock and his men come looking for you and me. Get only one bag of clothes and whatever you desperately need, then drive far away from here. Change your name but don’t stop, River. Never look back or come back to this place. There are vampires all over the United States. Get as far away from here as you can.” Jacky Boy looked over at River. She was holding her hands out in front of her staring at them.

  “River? Damn it, River. Look at me,” Jacky Boy yelled. River slowly dropped her hands and looked over at Jacky Boy. “You don’t have time to worry about what just happened. He was going to kill you. You had no choice in the matter. It’s your blood. Paddock says it’s special and he has to have you. I overheard him and Rick talking about you. He planned on keeping you, River, as a pet and drinking from you every day. I heard what he said, River. I couldn’t let that happen. You are my only friend and you cared for me even when you didn’t have to. I couldn’t let him do that to you. I have seen how they treat women and what they do with them when they are done.”

  “You’re a vampire?” River croaked out as she stared at Jacky Boy.

  “Yes, but I would never hurt you, River. Never! I promise,” Jacky Boy pleaded.

  “I’m taking you home and you pack a bag then you hit the road. He knows I helped you escape by now. He will kill me…”

  River could hear the fear in Jacky Boy’s voice. She placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “Thank you, Jacky.”

  Jacky Boy tried to smile at her. The crowbar he put over the basement door, locking Paddock and his men in, wouldn’t hold them long.

  “I know you have a lot of questions so I wrote down everything I could to help you understand what is going on. It’s in the brown envelope on your table at home.” River looked over at Jacky Boy, shocked that he got into her apartment. “I went to your apartment first looking for you, and I’m sorry but I broke in and put the envelope on your table. Don’t get mad, River, but I packed you a bag. You already had some stuff in the black bag. It’s waiting on your bed in your apartment.” Reaching into his pocket, Jacky Boy pulled out some cash money and handed it to River.

  “No, Jacky, this is your money. I have a little saved after taking the computer classes,” River said softly.

  “You’re going to need it, River, for gas and food. I’m not joking when I said that Paddock would be coming for you. He won’t stop until he finds you. He will kill anyone who gets in his way. He…he is cold-blooded, River, and an evil son-of-a-bitch. He kills for fun. He would have raped and eventually killed you when he got what he wanted.”

  “Where are you going to go, Jacky Boy?” River croaked out as she tried to get her emotions under control. She was listening to every word he told her, but her head was hurting so bad and she had just killed a man. Well not a man but a vampire.

  “I heard there are some vampire clans up north near Colorado. I thought I would take a chance and try to go up there. I have to go south first and try to get them off your trail then backtrack. They will think we stuck together. At least that’s what I’m hoping,” Jacky Boy whispered the last part, praying his plan would work. “You need to head north. Everything you need to know is in the paperwork in your apartment. I hope to see you again, River, but don’t take a chance with him and let your guard down. He will send his men after you so please keep running far away from here,” Jacky Boy said as he glanced over at River who was silently staring out the window.

  “Do you hear me? Are you listening to me, River?” Jacky Boy asked urgently.

  River didn’t have time to think as Jacky Boy pulled up to her apartment. Getting out of the car, Jacky Boy looked at River then ran up the stairs. River got out of the car gaping at Jacky Boy who stood at the top of her stairs. River couldn’t believe any of this. She killed a man and now she was on the run from vampires.

  Jacky Boy yelled down at her. “Hurry, River. He may already be on his way here.” This brought River out of the haze she was in. She turned around, scanning the parking lot. When she didn’t see anything, River ran up the stairs and started looking around for anything she wanted to take. Jacky Boy brought a black bag out of her bedroom and laid it on the table beside the brown envelope. He grabbed it and placed it inside her bag. River ran to her refrigerator and got down on her knees. Pulling the grate back from the bottom, River reached in and pulled out a black box. River then got up and put the box in the black bag.

  “I don’t need anything else,” River said as she looked around her small apartment.

  “Let’s go now,” Jacky Boy said as he pulled River toward her car.

  Running down the stairs, River had to stop for a second. Her adrenaline had dumped and now she felt like her legs wouldn’t move. Jacky opened up the car door and pulled her into the seat. River got in the car and stared out the window. Jacky Boy stood outside her door kneeling down in front of the window. “You will be okay. I will see you again one day.” River looked over at Jacky Boy with tears in her eyes. She knew they would find him. She could feel it. This would be the last time she saw Jacky Boy. “Remember, get far away from here before you stop.” River placed her hand on Jacky Boy’s hand.

  “Thank you. I…I…” Before River could say anything else, Jacky Boy was gone. She looked around the complex and there was no sign of him. River didn’t wait any longer watching. She pulled out of the apartment complex and headed north.

  Chapter One

  Six months later…

  River stretched as she watched her fourth customer of the day pay their bill without leaving a tip. Mary walked over and sat down beside her. “It’s not looking good today, hun.” River sighed. She had to agree it was looking like she would have to stay in town another week in order to save enough money to move on.

  “Nope, Mary, it’s not looking good at all. Damn man and woman made me get them this and then that. Then they don’t even leave a dime for a tip. What do they think, we work for free? Hell, I would take anything at this point.” River sighed, thinking about what to do now. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ve got to move before he…” Horrified, River stopped herself from saying anything else. She wouldn’t put Mary at risk. She knew they were looking for her. She could feel it. Something else that had changed since she met Paddock and that was gut feelings. She would always get the feeling something bad was going to happen and it usually did. One of Paddock’s goons would show up asking if she worked there. She had to move and move often. She needed to stay one step ahead of them if she was going to survive. People had already died because of her. River shuddered as she thought about the past. Mary looked up when River stopped talking.

  “Listen, I have some money saved up so if you need it then it is yours,” Mary offered.

  “Oh, Mary, you are such a sweet, sweet lady. That is your nest egg. Remember you have to go to Hawaii and live with your sister. You need to live it up and party like there isn’t a tomorrow.” River smiled as she teased Mary about being a secret party animal. “Plus, I’m being serious now. I know how long you have been saving for that move. I appreciate it, but no, ma’am, I can’t take your money.” River leaned her head on Mary’s shoulder as they sat in silence looking out the window.

  Mary Swift was the mother she never had. She never knew who her parents were. She had been in and out of orphanages all of her life. Never even had a friend until Mary. She knew the first time she met Mary that she had cancer. This so-called gift she had allowed her to see things and know stuff that nobody else could see. She could see the cancer nestled in her stomach. Two weeks later Mary went to the doctor and they informed her that she had cancer. Mary refused any treatments, said she wanted to spend the rest of her days on the beach at her family home, enjoying life without sticking her head in a toilet throwing h
er guts up from the chemo treatments.

  Forty years ago, Mary lived in Hawaii and met a solider who she fell in love with. They were married and then moved back to his hometown. They never had any children but Mary said River was her adopted child. Mary’s husband passed away a few years ago and she wanted to go back home to die. Her sister still lived at the old home place she was raised in and planned to move in with her. Mary kept adding to her nest egg so she could afford to stop working. She didn't want to owe anyone when she passed away. River hated the thoughts of Mary dying. The woman was filled with so much life and happiness and she was an all around great person. Everyone in town loved her. River felt privileged to be her friend.

  Mary patted River’s arm, rubbing up and down trying to soothe her. It broke her heart thinking of Mary leaving.

  The bell over the door jingled when River smelled his scent as he walked in the door looking around. The man was a vampire. Don’t panic, River. Don’t panic. River told herself over and over. River’s body tensed and then trembled as the man came in and looked around then sat down at one of the booths. The change in River was obvious to Mary so she patted River’s arm then got up and went to the man’s table.

  Pouring on her charm, Mary turned and spoke in her grandmother voice, “Hello, sweetie, can I get you something to drink?” Mary placed herself so the man couldn’t see River.

  The man tilted his nose in the air. River could see the flair of his nostrils as he took in the scents of the diner. River had gotten up and walked over to the window where the food was cooking so he couldn’t smell her. She had learned long ago how to mask her scent. That was another thing Jacky Boy wrote about in his letter. Vampires had incredible sense of smell. The man never looked over at her. He turned his attention back to the menu, ordering from Mary. Watching for any movement, the man got his phone out as Mary walked over to where River was standing.