Claiming Skyler

Shifter - Book Two

by Jaden Sinclair

She had watched him from afar, thinking of him as her knight in shining armor, but when her heart gets broken, Skyler Draeger discovers there isn't much to her fairy tale.

Adrian Laswell made a big mistake one night, and it seems an even bigger one when he makes his claim on Skyler. He lets a few months go by before he shows back up into her life only to discover that claiming Skyler isn't going to be as easy as what he had hoped.

An old saying goes that there is nothing worse than a woman scorned; only man has no concept of that until he comes face to face with a shifter female. Now the battle of wills is on and a shadow lurks over their shoulders. Can Adrian mend her broken heart, or will his mistake prevent Skyler from loving him forever?

Excerpt

Chapter One  

Adrian Laswell drove down the long, gravel driveway of the Draeger home with a grin and flutters in his stomach. Six months had gone by since he was here last, and in those six months, Adrian had had a lot to think about and plan. His beat-up truck was packed with everything he owned. Since the day his father had died, when he was in his teens, his only family had been the Draegers, and now his status as a member of the family was going to become something official and permanent. Adrian was now a mated man, the same as married, and he couldn’t wait to get started with this new life. The only drawback, he knew it was going to be an uphill battle.

Adrian was a golden shifter, called so because of the golden locks on his head and his baby blue eyes. Most male shifters were dark in complexion and in personality, but Adrian was very different. Not only was he the golden boy, but he was also carefree and lighthearted. Adrian stood at six-two. His hair was cut short at the back of his neck, but long on top. At times, the girls used to say he was a Brad Pitt look alike with an Orlando Bloom smile. His nose was straight, and his lips full. He’d been told that he was very kissable, and he had a body like a pro athlete. The only thing missing in his life was his mate, Skyler. The past six months without her had been torture for him.

Adrian smiled when he saw a brand new yard decoration in front of the house. The driveway that he knew so well had changed, now a circle drive with a large water fountain in the middle and grass around it, with a very nice-looking arrangement of roses around the fountain. The one thing that came to mind was that Sidney, Stefan’s new wife, was making some major changes to the household. Adrian wondered how well Natasha, Stefan’s mother, was taking it all. For years, that woman had single handedly run this household, so Adrian wasn’t so sure how it was going.

He stopped his truck on the left side of the fountain and put it into park, but he didn’t get out. He sat back and gawked up at the house, thought about the last time he was here. Stefan had just gotten married, and Adrian had made a huge mistake that night, just before he went to talk to Stefan, and Dedrick— the head of the family—about placing his claim. He knew that mistake was hanging over his head, and he began to have some doubt as to what he could do to fix it, thus making things right between him and Skyler. So far he still had no clue how to make things right. He hoped like hell that Dedrick had Skyler at a point of understanding. After all, six months had gone by. Plenty of time for her to cool off and work things out about him.

Sidney Draeger popped her head into the passenger side window with a bright smile on her face. “You do realize that sitting out in the truck watching the house isn’t going to work?”

It had been a long time since he had seen her, and he had to admit one thing, married life agreed with her. Her face was lit up like a Christmas tree, and the smile spread across her lips was one that could melt any man’s heart. As far as Adrian was concerned, Stefan was one lucky bastard to have found a mate like Sidney. She was the perfect match for him, one that had Adrian dreaming and wishing. He wanted nothing more in his life than to get the same from Skyler.

“Well, you know—” Adrian smiled as he rested his right arm over the back of the truck seat and acted like he was thinking hard “—not quite sure what I’m about to get myself into once I go up those steps.”

Sidney snorted, opened the door, and hopped inside. “I know what you mean. Let’s run away.”

Adrian chuckled. “That bad?”

Sidney took a deep breath and brushed a few strands of her brown hair from her eyes. The rest was in a ponytail at the back of her head. Her hands were nearly as dirty as her jeans and blue T-shirt. Adrian clearly knew she had been digging in the dirt. “Let’s just say, I don’t think I was quite that bad when Stefan brought me here.” Adrian frowned at her, which got him a smile. “In the six months I’ve been here, I have never ever seen Skyler so pissed. What did you do?”

Adrian opened his mouth, but closed it. How much to tell, he thought. “Ah...um...well...” He cleared his throat. “Um...”

Sidney laughed. “That bad, huh.”

Adrian took a deep breath. “It could be better.” He let out a deep sigh mixed with a groan.

Sidney nodded and looked back at the house. “You know, Dedrick just told her this morning.”

Adrian, his jaw dropping, turned his head to the right. “What?” he growled. “He was supposed to have that conversation six months ago.”

She shrugged. “Well, he didn’t.”

“Son of a bitch,” he moaned and dropped his head against the back of the seat.

Sidney patted his arm before opening the door. “Hope you have a cup back there,” she smiled when he glanced at her. “She might go for your nuts.”

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