Their Wild Sea

Book 3 of the Wintervale Packs
***Another sexy reverse harem for you to keep warm***

Shaylin Daniels feels an intense pull toward Daeria. The more she learns about the planet and the alien shifter races who lives there, the more she knows she needs to go. It was like a calling—a knowing that she needs to do this. To help a dying planet rebuild. So she signs up for their surrogate program. When she arrives, a power awakens inside her and suddenly a lot of things makes sense to her. Mainly why she loves the ocean and swore it spoke to her.

Expecting to be paired with two wolf shifters, she is shocked when four potential mates shower her with attention. Drex, her protective dragon, grounds her. Her wolves, Quil and Nash, give her a playful escape from reality. Storm, the leopard shifter from Silvermoon, offers her warmth and friendship. Each of them knew the instant they saw her that she belonged to them. Sharing her isn’t a problem. Keeping her alive is.

Insane and determined to rule the planet, Xaxhin is building an army with the goal to take out the descendants before they come into their full powers. He’s failed three times already. When Xaxhin uncovers relics that could make him powerful enough to destroy all life as they know it, Shaylin with her mates and their friends work together to stop the evil sorcerer no matter the cost.

Chapter 1

Reading, Shaylin curled up with a blanket in the hammock swing on the balcony of her apartment. Soft piano music played from her earbuds. The air had finally started to cool down, the season changing into fall-like weather.

Days like this were when she loved to go to the beach. The summer crowds would have been gone, leaving the peaceful roar of the ocean and cool sand under her feet. Unfortunately, Craig was right there with her.

The thought of her ex-fiancé made a lump form in her throat and tears sting the backs of her eyes. Even though it’d been five years since she lost the love of her life, the pain was still there, just as raw as the day she woke and discovered he didn’t wake up.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. When she exhaled, she pushed all the pain away. Craig would not want her to mourn him for as long as she had. He wouldn’t want her to mourn at all.

When she signed up for the surrogate program, she promised herself to live and help the shifters of Daeria—the alien planet she and her five friends moved to as part of a surrogate program to help repopulate the shifter species—move on from their own pain and losses. By helping them, she hoped it would help herself.

Focusing on only the good times she had with Craig, she promised herself to live in the moment and find happiness. So far, her experiences in the few months she’d been here had been one surprise after another.

The first was her obsession with water, especially the ocean, was due to the fact that she—like her female friends—were descendants of the Daerian gods. Shaylin was a demi-goddess of the sea. Somewhere in her family tree, the sea god, Ormos, had impregnated…who? Her grandmother? Great-grandmother? Hell, Shaylin didn’t even know who to ask. As far as she knew, no one in her family had powers or showed signs of having them. Not like she did.

She definitely wasn’t going to risk being locked up in a mental institution for letting anyone know she could sense other’s emotions and manipulate the water. The craziness didn’t start until she hit puberty. No one but Craig knew, and he thought it was cool and told her all the time she was special.

Her chest tightened, again.

Moving forward.

The second surprise after arriving was that two of her friends found true love, times four. Blake and Adrienne each had four mates and were happier than they’d ever been. 

The thought made her snicker. Shaylin wasn’t so sure what she’d do with four mates. Besides the obvious—practicing making babies! She knew upon arriving that she’d end up with two shifters that would agree to share her because the program organizers were being very selective on who entered the program. Which was understandable. 

Still, was it possible she, too, would have four mates as well? She was beginning to think so.

Especially since she was approached by two hotties at the welcome party a few months ago. Storm was the IT tech for the Silvermoon Pride and leopard shifter. Nash was a wolf from the Wintervale Pack. Nash was on the construction team that built the community center and Pinnacle Crown—the apartment complex she and the other women stayed in until they met their mates.

Both men were sexy as hell and apparently didn’t have an issue with sharing her. They made that clear right away. She’d found out they were close friends even though one was a wolf and the other a leopard.

But those weren’t the only two watching her that night. She caught the eye of a dragon shifter, too. However, he never approached her. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t at a later time. She kind of hoped he did.

“Are you cold?”

The low rumble of the fourth male shifter to stake interest in her drew her attention to the tall, lean muscled hottie with dark purple hair that fell over his ears. Quil. He was a wolf with an intense power that flowed around him.

Taking in his half-nakedness, she smirked and said, “I should be asking you that.”

He wore only a pair of jeans with the top button undone. A few of the Dearian council members visited Earth every few months and traded various goods with them often. They brought all kinds of things home with them. Men's clothing, especially jeans, were the newest items. Quil liked them and Shaylin liked the way they hugged his tight ass.

“My body temperature runs hotter than yours.” He stepped out onto the balcony and sat on the end of the hammock where her feet were. “And you don’t have shoes on.”

There was a command in his tone, and she ignored it. One thing she learned about her potential shifter mates so far was they were overprotective and bossy. There was no way she’d show them any weakness. She pressed her bare feet to his chest, and he jump then laughed as he wrapped his large hands around them. She hadn’t realized they were as cold as they were until the warmth of his hands seeped into her chilled flesh. 

“I’m not cold. It feels amazing out. I usually go to the beach on days like today.” She set her book on the small round table beside her and leaned toward Quil.

He cupped her nape with one hand and kissed her. It was soft and much too brief. “I have to go to work. You coming to the grand opening tomorrow?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

Quil recently opened a restaurant in the area where she currently lived. They called the area Empyrea. But before naming it that, it was known as the neutral zone—the large patch of land that bordered all three of the main shifter houses. Now it was like a common business district with a hospital, community center, shops, restaurants, and the Pinnacle Crown complex where her apartment was.

She knew firsthand that Quil was an amazing cook and she couldn’t wait to see the restaurant on the inside. He was keeping it a secret until opening night. Of course, just about everyone from Wintervale would be there. She was sure some of the cats from Silvermoon and some dragons from Nightflame would also join in the grand opening. It was a good thing there was a large outdoor seating area to house all the people.

What worried her was Nash and Storm would be there, and it was possible the mystery dragon from the welcome party would also show. The uncertainty of how the guys would react once all together was a nagging thought on her mind since realizing she had four potential mates.

Would they fight for her attention? Would they make her choose? Gods, she hoped not.

Adrienne and Blake had found a balance with their little harems of men. So it was possible Shaylin could, too. How would she divide her time among four mates and then when the children came, what then?

Okay, she was getting ahead of herself on the kids department, but it was going to happen, most likely sooner than later. After all, that was why she was here—to help them rebuild and repopulate. Plus, she loved kids and wanted a house full of them.

She still needed to find the balance first and see if she was truly a match for all four. So far, there was a connection with Quil. Nash and Storm seemed to come as a package deal.

Quil cupped her chin and lifted it. His ice blue eyes held concern. “What are you thinking so hard about?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Finally she said, “You know Nash and Storm made it clear they want me as their surrogate.”

“And yet here you are with me.”

She stared at him wide-eyed, making him chuckle. Leaning into her, he pressed his forehead to hers. “Don’t worry so much. I’ve talked to them and they’re cool with the idea of me joining them and being your harem. They also said a certain dragon was also eyeing you.”

It didn’t surprise her that they noticed. The males were alert to everything around them. “And you’re not jealous?”

“No. Not really. I mean when one of them are with you the rest of us will be wondering what you’re doing and refrain from popping in and crashing on your individual dates. We have to get over it in our own way. It’s not like we have hundreds of surrogates signing up to come live here.” Quil kissed her nose and stood, making the hammock swing.

“I get it.” She had talked with Katrina, the human liaison for the surrogate program, the other day and she said the recent human applicants hadn’t met the qualifications. The council was careful on who they let enter the program. Good physical and mental health were only a small part of what they looked for. The females had to want to be a mother and willing to enter a polyamorous relationship with alien shifters.

“But you still worry?” He held out his hand and she took it, letting him pull her to a stand. That was harder than it sounded. The hammock tipped and she stumbled into him.

“I always worry. With my newfound powers and heritage, I have more things to worry about.” Besides being able to control and manipulate water, she wasn’t sure what other types of magic stirred in her veins. “And there is Xaxhin. No one knows where he is and what his next evil plan will be. He failed to get whatever he wanted from one of us demi-goddesses. His next attack could be more desperate, more vicious.”

Quil’s features hardened and a soft growl rumbled in his chest at the mention of Xaxhin. With a hand on her back, Quil softened his features and motioned to go inside. “Empyrea is secure with a mix of magic and technology. If he gets in, or anyone else with the intent to harm, the security team as well as the alphas and their betas will be notified. As for your powers, Storm has a theory that because of your abilities and seeing how powerful Blake and Adrienne have become, having four mates helps balance you when you come into your full strength.”

She hadn’t thought of it that way. “That kind of makes sense.”

When she stepped inside, warmth surrounded her, making her shiver and realize just how cool it had gotten outside.

Quil went to the bedroom, most likely to finish dressing for work. He had to make the final arrangements and inspections of the restaurant before he opened the doors the following day. 

She crossed to living room to head to the kitchen when a knock sounded. Frowning, she changed direction, going for the door.

Instantly, Quil was at her side while pulling his shirt over his head. She noted how his nostrils flared a little as if scenting the air. Then a crooked grin formed.

Rolling her eyes, she opened the door expecting it to be Nash or Storm from Quil’s expression. Her heart skipped a few beats and her entire body heated as she looked at the golden dragon-like eyes of the dragon shifter from the welcome party. His snow-white hair was straight and fell to his waist. The strands appeared to shimmer much like his tanned skin. She had to fight the urge to thread her fingers through his hair.

“Hello,” she said and instantly wanted to kick herself. Why did she have to sound like a teen meeting her crush face to face?

“Hello.” He smiled and she swore her legs were going to fall from under her. “I’m Drex, head of Night City Security. I’m also working with the tech team on the security here. We’re adding wards to the building. May I come in and look around?”

Then his gaze moved to Quil and nodded. Drex’s features darkened a little, but the expression was gone in a flash. “Quil.”

“Drex.” Quil moved to the couch and put his shoes and socks on.

Holding out her hand, she said, “I’m Shaylin. But you probably already know that.” After he took her hand, he kissed her knuckles, making the heat of desire flood her system. 

She stepped aside, opening the door wider for him to enter. After shutting the door, she watched him move to the balcony doors which were still open. He stepped out and looked around.

Heat spread through her insides as desire bloomed alive. Even though he appeared youthful, she could tell he was much older than he looked. Hello, silver fox. Or in his case, silver dragon.

Great. She was lusting after the dragon with Quil right there. The wolf probably sensed her reaction to Drex.

Quil stepped up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders as he pressed his lips to her neck then whispered, “Stop worrying.” Then he stepped around to her side. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” She glanced at him and he smirked.

After placing a kiss on her temple, he watched Drex move around the balcony then met her stare. “Have fun.”

Quil left the apartment before she could comment. Did he just give her permission to pursue the dragon?

Movement drew her attention to Drex as he reentered the living room. He met her stare and her cheeks heated. A crooked smirked formed on his handsome features as if he knew where her thoughts were headed. He shut the balcony door. “It’s cold out. If you wish to sit out there, I’ll call the staff and have them bring you a heater for the balcony.”

“It’s not that cold. I had a blanket.” Frowning, she wasn’t sure she liked the fatherly tone. She was capable of taking care of herself. “If you’re concerned I’ll get sick, I’m a demi-goddess. Plus, germs get you sick. Not cold air.”

He lifted a brow as if to challenge her. She rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen. What was it with men that they thought they always needed to be the protector and bossy?

Opening the fridge, she pulled out a bottle of water. When she closed it, she jumped at the sight of Drex standing inches from her. Good grief, she didn’t even hear him move. Unable to stop herself from being a smartass, she said, “I thought only cats moved without a sound.”

The corners of his lips twitched, and his eyes darkened slightly. “Have dinner with me.”

She studied him for a long moment. His words were close to a demand. However, the need to get to know him was strong. “Tonight?”

“By the time the team is finished here, it’ll be night fall. I can pick you up before I leave Empyrea.” He reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

She had to fight off the groan that stuck in her throat as his words sank in. Shaking off the drugging effects this dragon had on her, she drank in the sight of him. “You’re not concerned about Quil?”

“Nope.” Amusement lift up his face. “I also know about Nash and Storm.” Drex stepped closer, filling her personal space. “A leopard, two wolves, and a dragon. What will you do with the four of us?”

All kinds of naughty thoughts entered her mind at his question. She ached in places she hadn’t since she met her ex-fiancé years ago. Only the heat and desires her shifters stirred in her were far more intense.

“How long will that be?” She sidestepped him, putting space between them before she did something crazy, like kiss him. She knew she wouldn’t stop at a kiss.

“A few hours.”

She took a drink of her water and nodded. “Where are we going?”

She didn’t miss how his gaze lit up from the inside. His dragon? Possibly. Then he closed the space between them again. “A quiet place in Night City. It’s one of my favorites.”

“I look forward to it.” She was surprised she was able to keep her tone even and not shaky like her insides were at the moment. 

With a single nod, he left the kitchen and went to work. She watched him for a little bit as he set small devices in each window and above the doors. She had asked what they were and he said it would keep unwanted guests from teleporting in. A sense of security settled over her.

She hadn’t realized how uneasy and anxious she felt until that moment. After Blake and Adrienne’s run-in with monsters that wanted their blood or whatever the hell they needed to strengthen their powers, Shaylin and the other women were on alert.

Xaxhin—the evil bastard who wanted to use Shaylin and her friends to start a war with the shifters and the Graxecons—had teleported inside Adrienne’s apartment a few weeks back. He had kidnapped her and used some kind of mind control to use her powers. 

The fact that Xaxhin was still on the loose and a master of illusion, they had to keep their guard up. Watch for anything not normal. 

During their interview with Ellona, the Graxecon healer, Shaylin and the others asked Ellona to unlock their powers. They wanted to be prepared to fight with everything they had when the time came. 

If Xaxhin thought he could fool them anymore, he was about to get a rude awakening. Shaylin may come off as a little timid and shy, but she had a dark streak. Much like the ocean she loved and drew her powers from, she could be calm and cool, then a raging storm when she needed to be.

A little while later, Drex came out of the bedroom and stopped beside the sofa where she sat, reading. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“See you soon.” She grinned.

He let out a low growl and it seemed like he had to force himself to leave her apartment. A satisfying smirk tugged at her lips. That dragon was a sexy mystery she was going to have fun solving and seducing.