Unbound: Shifters Forever Worlds
Elle Thorne
ABOUT THE STORY
Glory Aleman is bound…
…bound to her duties, and bound by ancient law. She’s pledged to a shifter of another family to keep old bloodlines alive.
Dane Forester has been anything but bound…
He’s a freewheeling, sexy, successful, movie star who uses every role and every woman to escape and forget the heartbreak he left in Woodland Creek.
Great, right?
Sure, right up until a will-reading brings him back to Woodland Creek, and back to that which he never really escaped.
Again, no problem, right?
Oh-so-very wrong. Glory’s bound to another man, slated to become his in less than a month.
This was the role Dane Forester was meant for. He better not choke.
Enjoy!
A spin off, standalone novella of Shifters Forever that takes place in Woodland Creek, a place teeming with shifters!
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1
Dane Forester leapt out of the military helicopter, spun midair and seized the rope dangling from a second identical helicopter. Hanging from the second one, sweat dripping down his forehead, he kept his eyes trained on the distance.
He waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
When the f*ck is he going to call it?
Finally, the director yelled, “Cut!” The megaphone booming the sound so loudly it resonated in his mind.
Shifter hearing is way too damned sensitive for this shit.
Dane let go of the rope, jumped to the ground.
He looked to the director for a nod that the scene would work and he didn’t have to repeat the entire ordeal.
The director looked at a computer screen, pursed his lips, looked up at Dane, frowned, pursed them even more, and then cocked his head. “It’s beyond me how you do those stunts so damned well and usually on the first take.”
“Luck,” Dane smiled the practiced smile his publicist was convinced got him most of his roles. “Are we done?”
“It’s a wrap.”
Dane wondered if he could slip away without catching anyone’s eye. He headed toward his trailer, where he had a change of clothes, a ball cap, and some dark sunglasses. If he could escape—
“Dane.”
He turned toward the voice and frowned when he saw his agent. “What are you doing here?” Damn, hope he’s not here with another role. I was hoping for a long break.
“Nice to see you too.” His agent crabbed right back with a forgiving smile. “You’re not answering your phone.”
“Yeah, well, I was jumping from helicopter to helicopter and dangling midair.” He instantly regretted saying that when he saw the expression that crossed his agent’s face. Dane raised a hand, preempting the words he already knew his oldest human friend in Hollywood was going to say. “I know how you feel about it. I won’t quit doing my own stunts.”
“I’m not going to preach, don’t worry. You had a call at the office. I didn’t want to give your number out, even though she said she was related to you. There are too many kooks out there.”
Curiosity made Dane’s eyebrow quirk upward. Stan wasn’t moved to call Dane for any random story. It had to be a good one, or at least one he’d fact checked. “Who was it?”
“The caller ID said the last name was Forester, but still, could have been a crazed fan.”
Stan was one of the very few who knew Dane Snow was only his stage name. That he was Dane Forester on all his paperwork. Stan had kept his secret for more than a decade.
“Right. I get that. What did they want? You wouldn’t drive all the way out here if it wasn’t legit and a damned good reason.”
“Her name was Mae Forester. She said your uncle had died. That there is a will-hearing.”
Mae Forester. Dane hadn’t heard or thought of her name in more than a decade. Maybe a decade and a half.
Mae Forester had been mated to one of Dane’s uncles. Brad Forester. Brad and Dane’s brother Greg had been killed by other shifters.
Dane had been sent to stay with a third uncle in Woodland Creek, Frank. So Uncle Frank had died? A surge of shame passed through him. Dane hadn’t kept up with Uncle Frank. Not after he’d been sent away from Woodland Creek.
“I’ll call Mae.” Later. “If she calls back give her my number.”
Woodland Creek. The very name brought back a monsoon of emotions and memories he’d tried to leave behind.
Red hair and cheeks that blushed too easily came to mind when he thought of Woodland Creek. Also, full lips, full hips, and a sassy attitude.
Glory.
He hadn’t wanted to think of her name because it brought back the searing pain.
Their shared time together had been unforgettable. Losing it had catapulted a headstrong young Dane to pursue a life that encompassed pretending to be everything he wasn’t.
And then one day, it was too late. He couldn’t fix what was undone. And he couldn’t go back and get revenge. He had no rights, not where she was concerned.