Blue Ridge Bear: Paranormal Romance (North Peak Shifters Book 2) by Haley Weir (3)

Keaton’s Prey: Moonlight Alphas II

“Elli, I got somethin’ for ya…”

Ellison Reynolds just finished writing down the details of the shot she’d given a rabbit named Francis and turned towards the door. A big smile was creeping across her face when she recognized it was Lou, a neighbor of the Humane Society location where she worked.  ‘Hey Lou. What is…?”

Her voice trailed off as she saw Lou struggling to carry a big animal covered loosely in a material that looked like a boat cover. She gulped. Even from her spot behind the desk, she could tell it was bigger than a dog, though it looked canine in appearance.

She looked up to find Lou watching her with a grim look on his face. Softly, she asked, “What is it?”

He looked at the bundle, then back to her. “It’s a wolf…a big one at that. Biggest I’ve ever seen.  And it’s a black wolf, which is uncommon for these parts. I’ve ever seen one here.”

She stepped closer to it. Beautiful black fur stuck out from the poor animal’s wrapping. “It’s not…It isn’t…”

“No, it’s not dead…at least, not yet. But it’s struggling. I had to give it a tranquilizer so I could take a look at it. It’s still conscious though, so be careful. Just heavily sedated,” Lou warned, throwing up an arm when she went to lift the cover.

“I’m used to big dogs. After all, that’s really all a wolf is, isn’t it?” she asked, curious why Lou was being so hesitant and protective. He was a big game hunter himself and had likely seen other dangerous predators like wolves in the wild.

In her five years at the Society, she’s never seen a wolf, but she’d seen just about everything else. That was part of the excitement that came with the remote location of her work – she saw anything and everything.  While most other shelters saw domestic dogs and cats, Ellison frequently watched over turtles, coyotes, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, and anything else that came into the building.

Though she believed that she could handle it, she knew she would need to be careful, so she spent an extra minute tying up her long, straight blond hair and making sure she had extra tranquilizers.  Under Lou’s careful eye, she lifted the tarp and gasped.

While they share the same basic genetic makeup, there was no way this wolf could be mistaken for a dog. It was magnificent – huge and black as night, with a head practically the size of the whole body of most of the dogs in her care. But that’s not what shocked her. She saw instantly that the beautiful animal was wounded severely. Its leg hung at an awkward angle, and there was a massive gash on it’s belly that was still bleeding, although it appeared Lou had put some kind of cloth bandage around the creature’s stomach.

She looked up at Lou. “This wasn’t you, was it?”

Lou shook his head instantly. “No way. Wolves are protected in most areas, and even I wouldn’t attempt to hunt something like this. They keep to themselves, and it’s a shame to see one brought down like this.”

“What caused it, do you think?” She touched the injured limb carefully, feeling around like their resident veterinarian, Dr. Brisa Weber, had taught her. She was pretty certain the leg was broken.  Ellison had been taught how to reset a dislocated limb or set a fracture, but this felt much worse. The gash would have to be stitched up, so she grabbed her phone and texted Dr. Weber. Emergency. Come ASAP.

Lou paused for a moment, tilting up his trucker cap and scratching his balding head for a moment.  “My guess? Poachers. But I can’t prove it.”

Ellison swallowed back a sense of anger. She hated poachers. It was one thing to hunt for food, but for sport…it was just wrong.

“I should get going. Are you okay with him here?” Lou asked, looking down at the animal and then at her warily. “I can probably have my kid drop by here in an hour or so if you want him to look in on you.”

Ellison shook her head. “I’m good. I’ll just have to keep this guy tranquilized until Dr. Weber gets here.  I don’t want to try to set his leg or to stitch him up since the injuries seems pretty major. Thanks Lou. You did the right thing, bringing him here. I’ll take good care of the little…um, big…er, the guy.”

After Lou left, she felt around the animal’s body, but couldn’t discern anything else majorly wrong. She got Dr. Weber’s return text that she was going to be a few hours, and recommended a sedative to keep the wolf knocked out.

She successfully administered the sedative at routine intervals, but when it grew dark outside, she was delayed when a kitten was dropped off by an unmarked van. Rushing outside into the rain, she picked up the little bundle, and looked into its terrified orange eyes. People suck, she thought to herself.  Who would drop off a defenseless kitten instead of just bringing it two more steps inside?

While cleaning up Suzie, the newly named feline, she realized she was a few minutes behind on the next dose of the sedative. She grabbed the syringe and put Suzie into a cage to make sure she was out of danger. Humming with the radio, she flicked off the cap to the needle and turned towards the wolf. It was awake.

Its large brown eyes flicked back and forth from her face to the needle. She fought the urge to scream, knowing it would likely set the animal off. Instead, she breathed out and back in with a hiccup.  She froze, waiting for it to growl, howl, attack…anything.

Instead, it just watched her cautiously. It was incredible. This was a wild animal – a beast, for all intensive purposes. And yet, it was just watching her. In the back of her mind, she acknowledged that Dr. Weber probably underestimated how large this guy was, and had underdone it a little on the recommended dosage.

Another thought crossed her mind as she stared into it’s warm brown eyes. Those eyes didn’t seem canine. They almost seemed…human. Telling herself to focus, she took a half step closer, then paused. She waited for the beast to react and when it didn’t, she took another half step. Then she took another, until she was only a foot away. Reaching out slowly, she whispered, “Easy boy.”

Keaton just kept breathing. That’s all he could do: keep breathing in and out...in and out. He watched her small hand move closer, felt the ache in his belly, and noted the lack of feeling in his leg.  He knew it was bad. He didn’t need to see the damage that the poacher’s trap had done to him. He felt it every time he inhaled and exhaled. He was dying.

He watched her face, the one bright light in this whole situation. She looked like an angel – his angel. True, she was dressed in scrubs and they weren’t the cute kind – they were shapeless and boxy. They hid any kind of curves that she might (or might not) have. It was also true that her blonde hair was more ash blonde than an angelic gold, but her fair skin and plump pink lips more than made up for it.  She was wearing no makeup that he could see, and she was still ethereal. How could he have never met her before? Where had she been hiding? Oh yeah, The Humane Society.

He couldn’t believe he was even in this situation. He was always telling his half-brother Archer that they needed to be careful. He had established rules: no humans, no running in public, watch out for poachers or hunters. And he’d been injured by the very thing he’d warned Archer against – poachers.  The trap had caught him by surprise. He didn’t even know that someone had seen him, although that the trap might have been set for any large game, not specifically him. Still, it was irritating that he was in this position.

His biggest concern was that Archer would be alone. Well, he’s not technically alone, he remembered. He had his new wife, Vanessa. But she was human. She would never fully understand what a shifter like Archer would go through throughout his life. Even on two legs, Keaton was more animal than human. He couldn’t stand subterfuge, manipulation, or lies, and he respected honesty, loyalty, and fealty. After all, those are the tenets of a wolf pack. Except that now, Archer would be in a wolfpack of one. He exhaled, his frustration making him blink and sigh.

“Easy, easy there, boy,” her soft voice reached his ears. He opened his eyes again, hoping that she could understand that he wouldn’t hurt her. He hadn’t hurt a human, voluntarily or involuntarily, in a long time. Even the thought of hurting her made him physically ill. Well, more ill than he currently was, with his belly ripped open and his leg broken.

She stared directly at him, her blue eyes looking at him warily while his brown ones tried to convey trust and honesty. It must’ve worked, because her hand started to reach out again. When she finally touched his fur, he fought the urge to groan. She stroked the soft black fur at his neck where a collar would’ve been if he were a domesticated animal, and not a wild creature, untouched by human hands.

It felt like heaven. And if he was going to die, this was the way to go out. Her hands rubbed him slowly and methodically. It was soothing. He felt his body shudder, and then relax completely. His breathing evened out. It was like a Shiatsu massage capable of total body stress relief. Keaton forgot about the pain everywhere in his body and focused on her hands, and the soothing tones coming from her mouth. 

“You’re such a pretty boy…yes, you are. All this black fur, and you’re so soft…so warm,” she murmured in even, breathy tones. He fought the urge to flip over and expose his belly, something he taught himself not to do, and yet, the only reason he didn’t was because he didn’t want to scare her away. It had nothing to do with being exposed or vulnerable: as quickly as he knew he could never hurt her, he realized that she would never hurt him.

Then he felt the quick jab of the needle, and knew she’d given him another dose of the sedative.  He hated the feeling, but understood why she’d done it. He was a wild animal, and massive at that. She’d be a fool if she didn’t keep him tranquilized. He felt the haze of it cross his vision, heard her hums, and then he was out.

When he came to, he saw that another woman had entered the room. Unlike Ellison, who had a hidden, subtle beauty, this woman was a knockout in every sense of the word. Her natural curly auburn hair was down and free, making her look like a mermaid. She had an hourglass figure, visible even through her white vet coat. Had he had any humor left within him, he would’ve laughed about the fact that he felt like he was in a porno. She was the adult star, sultry and seductive, and she was working with her virginal co-star, innocent and wide-eyed, to do something nefarious with him.

Then he overhead what the doc was saying. “Elli, it really will be the best thing for him. He’ll feel no more pain. I mean, look at him…that poor thing.”

Without opening his eyes, he felt Ellison’s gaze on him. He felt her eyes wash over him like a healing rain. Please, don’t be saying what I think you’re saying, he begged, wishing he could open his eyes. But he wanted to avoid another heavy dose of the tranquilizer.

She waited for a moment, and then responded in a firm voice, “I’m not putting him down. I can’t. I think he’s much stronger than we know, than what we’re used to. He can pull through this.”

The vet seemed to disagree. “He has an eight inch long incision made from some kind of metal that could’ve been rusty or carrying who knows what types of bacteria. The chances of infection are high, especially because of the location. Even if I sutured him up, the minute we released him, he’d tear it open. And it’s not like I can just put a cone on him like a regular dog. Plus, how would he feed? He would die of starvation long before he’d die from the wound.”

There was another moment of brutal quiet. “What if I kept him here?”

The other woman laughed, the sound sultry and intoxicating. But it only made him long for the effect Ellison’s laugh had on him the first time he heard it. He desperately wanted to hear that sound.  All he wanted to do was take his human form and make her laugh somehow. The vet answered her in an honest, low tone, “Elli, I love you. But you’re too kind. He’s a wild animal, likely with fleas and other carriers.  And I’ve never heard of black wolves inhabiting in this area, so he’s probably from somewhere else. He could be carrying the viruses and diseases from that location. It wouldn’t be safe to keep him here – not for you, or for all the other animals. Besides, he would need constant care.”

Keaton fought a grimace. Dr. Weber made him sound flea-ridden. I am not, he thought indignantly.

“What if I kept him in the new addition in the back in my office? It has a few big kennels that I can open up to make a comfortable space for him. I’ll let him out separately from all the other animals to keep them separated. And yes, of course I won’t touch him without gloves or sanitizer. Please, Brisa.  Just look at him. I can’t kill him. I won’t.”

He stayed perfectly still as he felt both of their perusals. Look harmless, he told himself. Just because he knew that he was likely dying didn’t mean he wanted to be put down ahead of schedule. He needed time. Time to see Archer and Vanessa, time to get his affairs in order. If he could just have a day, he could hopefully fix everything.

Brisa sighed. “Alright, but I have rounds out of town this week. So you’ll be on your own until next Sunday. I’ll show you how to administer the sedatives, medications, change his bandages, and care for both wounds. But you’ll have to devote a lot of time to him.”

Ellison responded instantly, “Of course, thank you.”

Yes, thank you, he thought, hopefully passing the message onto the two women telepathically. Thank you.

Ellison watched out of the corner of her eye as the big, black wolf stood shakily for the first time since he’d been brought in. She gulped. He was even larger standing up than he’d appeared laying down. He was twice the size of a Great Dane, and twice as fuzzy. The wolf was the size of a small horse, and his massive, intelligent head was cocked towards her.

She grinned. “You’re welcome, buddy.”

The wolf took another two steps towards her and she wondered why she wasn’t scared. Obviously, it had to do with the fact there was a chain link divider between the kennel and her desk, but it was more than that. She just didn’t feel terrified around the beast. He seemed so calm and gentle, even now that most of the sedative had likely worn off. She stopped administering the shots and switched to pain medication a few hours ago. She hadn’t wanted to tell that to Dr. Weber, but she didn’t intend on sedating him again unless it was necessary. He was wild and unused to medications like that. 

When he took two more slow steps and sat his butt down, she realized that he was close enough that if he poked his nose through the holes in the fence, he would only be a foot away from her arm. She had to remember that he could be dangerous. He could be rabid, or try to bite her, take down the fence, or injure himself. Instead, he just sat there, looking so much like the domesticated dog that he most certainly was not.

“You’re trying to distract me, and it won’t work,” she warned with a smile in his direction. “I need to get these files done tonight, and technically, you’re in my office right now.”

He cocked his head at her like he understood what she was saying. She fought the urge to laugh at his antics, but her smile grew in spite of herself. “I don’t know why I’m talking to you. It’s probably because I’m going crazy. First I save a wolf and then I keep him here like a tame house pet.”

He laid down, his front legs splaying out to frame his big head.

“I wish I could pet you,” she admitted in a soft voice. Immediately he stood and she gasped in surprise. It was almost like he’d understood her. But that was impossible. He must’ve stood because he’d heard her voice…but hadn’t she been talking before? Sighing, she shook her head and looked at her watch. It was late. She obviously needed to sleep, but didn’t want to leave him alone on his first night.

“I know you probably want to be alone. You know, with the whole ‘lone wolf’ thing. But I don’t know. I feel bad leaving you here. I don’t want you to do any damage to yourself, or my brand-new kennels. Yes, mister. I’m looking at you,” she said playfully, raising an eyebrow at him.

So she stayed. She pulled out the cot and set it up a few feet in front of the cage. She sang to try to help him fall asleep, and talked for what seemed like hours. She took notice of the amusing way that he cocked his head, lifted his paw, or dropped his head in response to things that she said. It was almost as if he knew what she was saying. But that was impossible. Still…she’d seen trained dogs do tricks like that, but never a wild animal, and certainly not a wolf. It was crazy, right?

Keaton watched her sleep. Her pretty pink mouth pursed as a chunk of blonde hair fell from her cheek and hung off the bed. What he wouldn’t give to be human right now and push that piece of hair back. He could romantically tuck it behind her ear and soothe the worried wrinkles in her forehead. He desperately wanted to settle in behind her, tuck him against her, and hold her safe through the night.

Wait, what? Keaton’s brain stuttered into awareness. What was he saying? That he wanted to spoon her? He wasn’t the cuddling type. He was more apt to hit it and quit it, if he was being honest.  He didn’t like relationships, entanglements, or commitments of any kind. Because he never knew when he’d feel the desire to shift, he didn’t trust himself to be around a woman for more than a few hours.

But something about Ellison was drawing him in like a magnet. He hadn’t felt this way in a very long time, if ever. It was a pull similar to how he’d felt with his half-brother, Archer. It was like his body was telling him that Archer was a shifter long before his brain realized the truth. With Ellison, the feeling was just as strong, but different. It felt more like he needed to be in the same room with her, breathing the same air. 

He’d always been protective and loyal. He was hard wired that way, likely due to his wolf genetics. But it had never felt like this. He knew without thinking that he would do anything to keep her safe, and to make her his. Except, of course, that was impossible. Even if he didn’t die tonight, he’d likely die within the week. And he couldn’t risk shifting into his human form because the injuries would be much more dangerous than in his stronger wolf form. Add all of that to the fact that if he didn’t die, it was not as if he could simply morph back into a human, pick her up like some white knight in a fairy tale, and carry her away to bed and then wed her.

Giving a low yawn that sounded more like a howl in his wolf form, he turned in three circles and then curled up in a ball on the floor. He made sure that his head was tilted in her direction so that, even in his sleep, he could keep a watchful eye over her. His senses were heightened in this form and any sound trigged an alarm in his body much quicker than when he was a human.

After a few minutes, his body relaxed into sleep.

“Time for recess, Sir!” Ellison grabbed the leash off the hook and opened the wolf’s cage. She resisted the urge to name it because she couldn’t get too attached (Humane Society training 101). But she couldn’t keep calling him ‘buddy’ when he was clearly not a harmless Chihuahua or poodle mix. So she’d taken to calling him Sir, as it was both a name and a term of endearment.

She saw the black shadow rise, stretch, and then trot to the front of the gate opening. When she opened it, he bowed his head out of habit, and she slipped the collar and leash around him. This had become their routine after only a few days. Ellison liked to take him out five or ten times a day to make sure that he knew that this wasn’t a punishment. He was wild and needed to interact with nature as much as possible to keep him from getting acclimated to a concrete floor and white walls.

She rubbed his head, another habit she’d developed. For Keaton, it felt incredible. Ellison was amazed. He was the most docile creature she’d ever watched. He played like a puppy, behaved like a well-trained dog, and his eyes…his eyes were mesmerizing. They were so expressive, so intelligent. She had become convinced he understood her when she talked, so she’d started to tell him things. Anything that she thought of, she confided in him.

Ellison walked him outside to the run. After taking a look to make sure there weren’t any predators of the human variety nosing about the Society’s property, she slipped the collar off. He looked at her curiously. “You’re not a dog.  You should be free, at least during recess.”

His jaw dropped open. Where some people would’ve been spooked by the sharp, white teeth, Ellison just saw a lolling grin. She laughed. “I know, you big goof. Now, have a good time…and no digging, Sir. I mean it. One hole, just one, and you’ll be back inside on the concrete during recess. You got it?”

He dipped his head in response and she chuckled again. As he sprinted away, running the length of the massive dog run, her grin fell into a soft smile. She was going to miss him when they had to release him back in the wild. But maybe he would come back? Her traitorous mind started to wish that he would recognize the location and come to the Humane Society, even if it was just once, so that she’d know that he was alive and well. Shaking her head, she realized that she was being ridiculous. As soon as  he was released, he’d go back to wherever he’d come from. She would never see him again. He was a wolf, not a circus animal or her pet.

She sat down on the concrete step, pulling open the file she’d been working on. She’d taken to waiting outside while he ran and played. She was usually doing some mindless office work while watching him to make sure he didn’t reopen his stitches or hurt his leg. His injuries were healing at amazing rates. He was still walking with a bit of a limp and his belly was tender, but when Dr. Weber came back tomorrow, Ellison knew what she was going to say. He was almost ready. Just a few more days and then he’d be gone.

She’d miss the big guy. He’d almost become a friend to her over the last week. He was a magnificent animal, but it was more than that. He’d never once made a move to hurt or intimidate her, even when she was feeding him or treating his wounds. She hadn’t given him a sedative since the first day. She hadn’t even considered it.

Suddenly, she felt a large presence standing over her. Without time to even feel fear, his big head dropped onto her arm, and a pair of big brown eyes gazed up at her adoringly. She laughed. “God, I’m such a sucker for those eyes. Is this what you want?”

She reached out and fondled the soft fur of his ears, rubbing his big head in calming circles. He was panting from his run and his tongue hung out. But his eyes closed, and a soft whine grew from his belly. She put down her work and started stroking him with both hands, down the nose, behind the ears, and scratching at his scruff. “I’m going to miss you,” she admitted quietly, for his ears only. Then his big brown eyes opened and he stopped panting. He nudged her again, and this time she wrapped her arms around his entire head, laying her head down on top of his for a moment.

It was amazing how safe and secure she felt with him. She knew that she was playing a dangerous game, feeling so unconcerned for her own safety. But it almost felt like second nature to trust him. He would never let any harm come to her, and she knew that. It was an odd sensation for Ellison, because she usually had quite a hard time establishing trust. She was shy around new people, which was probably a result of her childhood after her parents passed away. Being passed from one foster home to the next had done a number on her ability to be comfortable when new people entered her life.

But this place finally felt like a home, and she’d settled here after turning eighteen. She liked her friends, such as Dr. Weber, and loved her work and neighbors.

Suddenly, she heard the tinkle of the bell at the front counter. “We gotta go, Sir. Come on.”

She put the collar back on him, so loose that it couldn’t have restrained him even if she tried, and led him back into the cage. She secured the door and the lock before dropping the key onto her desk.

“Hey, Hal, I’ll be with you in just a sec…”

Keaton stared at the key. Every day, he saw her place it on her desk. He could easily reach it in human form through the holes of the chain link fence. He would give it a try tonight. He would have to shift and risk injury and slip away during the night. He knew that Dr. Weber was coming back tomorrow, and he couldn’t risk getting sent somewhere else to be treated or…anything else. He had to get to Archer and warn him at least.

That night, he waited until Ellison was asleep on the cot and shifted as quietly as he could. He didn’t make any noise, but there was a cracking and extending of bone that sounded like clicking.  Luckily, she only murmured and didn’t wake up to catch his transformation.

Standing as a human for the first time in a week, he stretched and groaned in a low, quiet voice.  Even though the wolf form was his natural state, it felt amazing to be back in his human body. He took one moment to look at Ellison through his human eyes. One word from him, and she’d wake up. She would let him out and…and what? Scream? Run? Call the cops?

He shook his head. It was a fantasy to think he could ever bring her into his life, especially now that she’d seen his wolf form. While he could try to make it so that she’d never connect the two, he couldn’t risk it now and have her quick mind make the connection. No. Once he left here, he would never be able to return to her.

Focusing, he reached through the wire and got the key. Then he stuck his hand out and opened the padlock. The locks were designed to keep an animal in, not keep a human from getting out. He carefully let himself out, moving slowly to avoid making any noise. He only had one shot. If she woke up, she’d see an intruder and wouldn’t wait to hear him explain.

He left out the front door, breathing a sigh of relief that there didn’t seem to be any kind of alarm or security system. Then he headed out to find Archer.

During the night, Keaton felt too guilty to leave the Humane Society entirely. He decided he would come back, and if they wouldn’t let him go, he would have to fight his way out. He returned just before dawn, staying in human form until he’d let himself back in the cage.  Ellison was still breathing soft puffs of air and snoring lightly. He took a beat to check out her body in his human form.

She tried to hide under shapeless scrubs, but in the last week, he’d gotten to see a lot more of her as she changed in the back room with him. In the beginning, he had turned away to give her privacy, but quickly realized that this would be the only time he’d be able to take her in before their time was up.  So he enjoyed watching the lithe grace she exhibited while changing from dirty scrubs into clean ones, or from scrubs into sleep shorts and a tank top. 

In the week he’d been here, Ellison devoted all of her time to him. She’d never gone out, never had anyone stop by. It made him think that maybe she was as alone as he was, other than his relationship with Archer and, now, Vanessa. He’d never had anyone else to share his secret with. For the first time, he started to feel jealous of what Archer and Vanessa. His brother could show his wife who and what he was, and be totally honest with her. They had no secrets. If he ever found a woman like Ellison out in the real world, he knew that he would still always keep secrets from her.

She gave a light yawn, and he quickly secured the padlock and then he shifted back into a wolf, enjoying the warm confines of his animal body. Her blue eyes flickered open a few minutes later, and a soft grin spread across her face. “Morning, Sir. How did you sleep?”

He let out a soft howl, answering her question and making her laugh. He loved her laugh. It was even better than he expected when he’d first met her. Her laugh was mesmerizing, honest, and soft. He took her in with intensity, trying to commit the sound to memory. He knew it would likely be their last day together.

She stretched, and he got a peek at a sliver of golden skin. It made his canine mouth salivate.  “Yeah, I slept good too, even though I won’t be too disappointed to give up this cot and go back to my own bed.”

It was bittersweet, thinking of her in her own bed. Keaton wished he could see it.

The bell dinged at the front counter, likely introducing Dr. Weber’s arrival. Ellison grabbed her stuff and headed to the front. Then Keaton heard a man’s voice instead of the doctors. His wolf ears ticked forward and back, catching the conversation even from the back of the building.

“…Got it last night but haven’t looked at it yet.”

“Thanks, Lou. I will.”

Then he heard the door shut. What had they been talking about? What did she need to look at?  His heart beat a little bit faster. Surely it wasn’t…

He didn’t need to wait long to find out.

Ellison went to the back office to check the tapes. Lou said that the security system had sent him an alert last night that the front door had been unlocked and opened during the night. They didn’t have  any sirens or alarms, but the smart locks alerted him when someone came in or out of the building during non-working hours.

The wolf was sitting next to her desk on the other side of the cage, and she popped her hand in to touch him quickly on the nose. “No worries, Sir. Just something I need to check on. You would’ve heard if someone had come in the front door, right? You’d never let anything hurt me.”

For once, he didn’t give her any kind of indication that he’d heard her. It was unusual, but she shrugged it off. She supposed that even animals were prone to having good days and bad days just like anyone else.

She hit play on the tape. It’s motion detector starts sixty seconds prior to any motion at the front door. The building was dark, and Ellison started to write on the files next to her, positive that it was a false alarm. She looked up again and she saw a shape…a very human, masculine shape. She gasped.

“How did we not hear that?” she whispered to the wolf. She watched as the man came from the back offices and went out the front door. “He’d been back here, with us.”

She rewound the tape again and again, watching it several times before pausing it. “I think he’s wearing my scrubs…although they obviously don’t fit him.”

The scrubs were almost laughably short and fitted on his muscular body. “He’s kind of… he’s…pretty hot,” she admitted out loud, tapping her pen on the corner of her mouth.

He was tall, much taller than her, and looked muscular. He had tattoos that peeked up through his scrubs. “But why would someone break in here?”

Then she watched the next tape and saw the figure walk back in. The time stamp showed that had only been a half hour or so ago. “What the hell? Oh my god, maybe he’s still here,” Ellison said, the panic in her voice rising.

She rapidly flicked to the camera in the back room and watched the reflection of her back in the screen. She saw the animal was staring at her intently. His body seemed to be frozen. Ellison looked over at him, at the familiar brown eyes and huge dark shape. “…What is going on,” she whispered.

The wolf didn’t move. Shaking her head, she rewound the backroom footage with trembling fingers. She didn’t know what she expected to see, but knew that she’d be unprepared regardless. 

When she saw the footage of her beautiful furry friend change into a human, she watched it over and over and over until it was ingrained in her head. Her mind couldn’t believe it, but she knew what she had seen. “You’re a…a…”

The wolf whimpered. Slowly, she turned to look at him. Her whole world seemed to be moving in slow motion. Then she watched as he started to tremble, shake, and change. His fur dissipated, leaving warm tanned skin marked with tattoos in its place. His body lengthened and shrunk, his back legs growing longer and his torso elongating. His huge wolf head shifted into the face that she recognized from the surveillance footage. “You’re a…a…”

“I’m a shifter,” the man/beast answered in a low voice, close to a growl. She shivered.

“That’s…im...impossible,” she stuttered, her heart beating so fast that Keaton could hear it.

He grinned. “I assure you, it’s quite possible.”

“But y-you,” she stammered, her eyes scanning his ripped body. She saw the deep wound at his belly and the way that he stood off-kilter, putting most of his weight on one leg. “You’re still injured?”

He nodded. “Any trauma that happens to my wolf form is shared when I am human. Usually it’s a lot worse. I heal faster as a wolf.”

Her head was swimming. “This is not happening. This is a dream.”

He sighed, reaching through the fence. She jerked away from him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I was just going to let myself out,” he assured.

True enough, he grabbed the key, limped to the front of the fence, and unlocked the padlock. He let it close with a bang and walked up to her, dropping the key onto the desk. When she stood up to meet his eye line, she was hit with the scent of man instead of beast. Then she realized something else.  “You’re naked.”

He gave a low, throaty chuckle. “Yeah. Wolves don’t tend to wear much clothing.”

She gulped and handed him a sweatshirt and sweatpants left at the office by one of the male volunteers. “Here. P-put these on.”

She turned her head as Keaton dressed. After a minute, Ellison heard him say, “Better?”

Keaton clothed did make her feel more comfortable, but part of her wished that she could have continued watching him naked. This man…wolf…thing was insanely attractive. He was cut, with a body she had only seen on the cover of magazines. When she closed her eyes, she could picture him naked again. His six-pack tapered into a masculine V. His manhood was thick, and she flushed as she remembered that he was erect before she threw clothing at him. Clearly something about this situation was turning him on.

Shrugging that thought away, she tried to focus. “You need to just…explain.”

He spent the next hour telling her everything and answering all of her questions. He explained as much as he knew about how he’d been injured, why he was a shifter, and everything else that they could think of. After the conversation was exhausted, Ellison and Keaton sat down in their respective chairs and sighed.

“If you knew what I was doing and saying, that means that you saw…you saw…” she started and faltered.

He grinned, a dimple forming in his cheek. “I saw everything, sweetheart.”

She grimaced, and smacked a hand on her forehead. “Oh my god, I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be. Otherwise I would’ve never seen those curves. Why do you hide them underneath – oof.” He was interrupted by Ellison’s playful shove, and laughed. “Not a great move, Ellison.”

“Elli.”

He cocked his head at her. “What?”

“My friends, they call me…” she broke off, seeming to process the words as they spilled out of her mouth. She flushed deeper.

“Elli,” he repeated in a low baritone voice. Her eyes flicked up to his, then looked back down with a smile. He smiled in response, not knowing why. “What is it?”

“Your eyes,” she admitted. “They’re the same. I always thought they looked human. Now I know why.”

He grinned. “Yup.”

She paused, then said, “So, now what?”

“Well I’d like to go home, shower, and visit my brother and make sure he’s fine.”

She nodded, then hitched. “Well wait, I can’t let you do that.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What? Why not?”

“I can’t just let you go,” she said. Then, when she caught his grin, she pursed her lips at the flirtatious insinuation. “Not like that. I mean you look like this. And you’re wounded. I can’t just let you leave.”

“Then come with me,” he offered, knowing that was what he truly wanted. This was the moment. Either she came, or she ran off, disgusted and afraid of him. But dear god, he wanted her to come with him. He wanted to be with her more than anything else that he’d ever wanted before.

She chewed on her plump bottom lip and he fought a groan. Did this silly woman understand what she was doing to him? He’d watched her change, sing, dance, and live for the last week. He ached with desire for her. As she sat a few feet from him, he was using all that was left of his willpower not to push her up against the wall and have his way with her.

“I guess I could, at least for today. To…make sure that you’re taking care of yourself.”

He tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a grin. Oh yeah. He was definitely going to take care of himself. “Sounds like a plan. Do you mind driving?”

She giggled for first time since Keaton had shifted back into his human form. He cherished the sound. Just a few hours ago, he thought he would never hear her laugh again. Now he could hardly imagine his life without it. “Yeah, I guess you’re kind of sans car at the moment.”

He nodded. They walked out the front, making sure to lock up after.

When they got to his place, he felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. His apartment was an impressive mixture of midcentury modern styles. He was successful, and based on the décor of his home, he wasn’t afraid to show it.

After a week on the concrete and not being able to shower, he was looking forward to getting clean. He hadn’t even taken four steps into his living room before shedding his clothes.

He heard her gasp behind him. “What are you d-doing?”

He chuckled. “I’m taking a shower, sweetheart.” Feel free to join me if you want, he thought.

“O-oh. Sure. Yeah. That makes sense. I’ll just wait here and watch some TV or something.”

He chucked again, and thought about the fact that while he rubbed out a major orgasm in the shower, she would be in his living room, on his couch, watching his TV. The image made him hard. He liked her like this, in his space, in his world. He felt complete.

Once he was in the shower, he let himself think about their experiences together. Her laughing, changing, petting him. After only a few minutes, he was groaning, water coursing over him, with his raging hard on in almost physical pain at this point. He was just about to orgasm when he heard the bathroom door creak, and then the shower door swung open. “Keaton, are you…oh my god.”

He looked down at himself, naked, grasping his swollen shaft. It took everything in his power not to pull on it and finish the job, with this beautiful woman watching him. When the water started to hit her, turning her white tank top nearly transparent, he really did groan out loud.

“I thought you were in t-trouble,” she admitted. Her blue eyes were piercing. When they slid down his body to his abdomen, and then lower, he groaned again.

“Sweetheart, I don’t have much self-control right now. You have exactly five seconds to get that perky little ass out of my shower.”

She didn’t need five seconds. She took approximately two seconds to leave, slamming the glass shower door behind her.

Ellison tried to calm herself down and sat on the white leather sofa. Oh god. What had she just done? Hearing his groans, she’d thought maybe he’d hurt himself in the shower. But she realized that he was just…oh god.

She felt her flushed, enflamed cheeks with back of her hands in a fruitless attempt to cool herself down. She wasn’t a virgin, but it had been a while. She was more of a relationship person, and her romantic life had been at a stand still as of late.

When the water shut off, her heart started beating faster. Less than thirty seconds later, she heard him walking around in the kitchen behind her. She caught the scent of the steam coming out of the shower and off of him. It smelled amazing.

She turned and caught sight of him in just a towel, carelessly slung over his hips, hiding next to nothing. In fact, he still looked completely aroused. Hadn’t she seen him taking care of that? Her face flushed again. Why was he…was it because of her?

“Do you want something to eat?” he called over from the kitchen.

She shook her head. “No. Actually, I think that maybe I should get going. You’re obviously not that hurt. You can take care of yourself.”

She heard him walk behind the couch towards her slowly. She inhaled the scent of him, as he grew closer. He bent over, lowered his head until his lips were brushing the tip of her ear. “I could take care of myself. But why would I want to, with you here and offering to help?”

She shivered again. She clenched her thighs together, willing her body to control itself. “I-I’m not sure what you mean.”

She stood, grabbed her purse, and turned towards him. Big mistake. At a distance, Keaton was hot as hell, but Keaton close up took her breath away. She licked her lips unconsciously; her eyes traveled down his body.

He groaned. “You should not have done that.”

With a single step forward, he grabbed her, and pulled her into his embrace. For a moment, it seemed like it was only to inhale the scent of her, to rub his cheek on her hair, to run his hands up and down her body. But then she tipped her face up and with a heated brown gaze, he dropped his mouth onto hers.

Her world spun. Her body clenched. Her heart tripled its cadence. His mouth was open, and his tongue slid into her mouth with efficiency and passion. It was an onslaught, a sensual attack that she never wanted to end. She moaned and whimpered, his mouth drawing in her sounds like it was food for his starving soul. His licked, teased, and kissed her until she was wholly consumed with thoughts of him.

“Elli, Elli,” he groaned. “You’re playing with fire, sweetheart.”

She heard the words. She knew the implication and didn’t care. For once in her life, she was going to go for something. He obviously wanted her. She could feel his rock-hard erection pressing into her belly, and she desperately wanted to touch it, and feel him inside of her. She could feel her own wetness between her thighs. While her mind was still whirring with the thought that the wolf that she cared for  was actually a hot-blooded, sexy human male. She knew that she wanted him. She wanted him like nothing else she’d ever felt before, and she was sick of playing it safe.

With a move that was completely unpracticed but surprisingly natural, she leaned back, grabbed the hem of her white shirt and lifted the fabric, slowly exposing her skin to his hungry gaze. His brown eyes tracked the progress of the shirt, but he remained patient and let her do it on her own. When she pushed it past her white lace bra and up over her shoulders, she heard him let out a groan of pleasure.  She smiled to herself as she lifted it off her head, took her hair out of a ponytail to let it flow freely, and let the shirt drop onto the ground.

He just looked at her for a few moments before plunging his hands into her hair and pulling it back to expose her neck to his hungry mouth. She whimpered as his hot mouth was on her, trailing down her collarbone to the tops of her breasts. She reached behind her and released the bra strap, effectively letting her nipple fall into his mouth. When he bit down, she let out a breathy scream.

Keaton wasn’t gentle. He wasn’t careful. This was war, and she was being taken over by him.  She’d never felt anything like this before. His mouth and hands were everywhere on her body; teasing, toying, playing. His thumb rolled one hard nipple while his mouth sucked on the other. Her entire body was strung taught on the edge of desire and release. 

He kneeled down on his good knee, and pushed her leggings down to reveal innocent white lace panties. He reached out and tongued her clit through them and she stumbled backward, placing her hands on his shoulders. Her head fell back, enjoying the tender ministrations of his tongue through the lace. Her body started to tremble. He pulled over one side of her panties and then licked a hot, wet line from bottom to top. When his tongue started to circle, she lost it.

In an explosion of desire and intense arousal, her body shook and her mind exploded with glitter and light. At some point during her orgasm, he thrust a single finger into her and her body clenched around that finger like she wanted to do to with him inside of her. He smiled with satisfaction feeling her release.

When she was spent, he grabbed her and carried her into his room. He set her down on the bed.  For a moment, he just looked at her, taking in her nearly transparent panties and her body laid bare.  She trembled as he stared.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he confessed, closing his eyes for a moment. “I’ve wanted you so bad.”

He had? 

“I’ve dreamt about you every single night, picturing you here, in my bed. Now you’re finally here. I’m never letting you leave,” he warned in a low voice.

Without waiting for her to respond, he thrust the towel off, exposing himself to her.  It was her turn to take him in, and she committed it to memory. It was masculine and sort of beautiful. Long, thick, and hard, it was a testament to the honesty of his words. He wanted her.

While he stared, she gathered up the courage to do something she’d never done before. She sat up and tilted forward until she was on all fours on the bed, facing him. Slowly, she moved forward towards him until she was at the end of the bed. His eyes were blazing.

She caught his gaze and refused to look away. Then she leaned forward, drawing him into the heat of her mouth without any foreplay. He sighed while his eyes closed and his head rolled back. “Fuck yes.”

She slid her mouth down his shaft, sucking in as she pulled away. His body shook, attempting to control himself, and she took that as a good sign to keep going. She started a careful onslaught, drawing him in and out. When her fingers started to caress his balls, he let out a shaky exhale. “Sweetheart, you’re killing me.”

She released with a pop and then swirled her tongue around the head. Stifling another groan, he reached down and picked her up without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around his neck.  One of his hands slid into her hair while the other wrapped around her lower back, pressing her carefully against him. She took care not to move around and hurt his wound, but he didn’t bothered by it.

“I’m sorry, I can’t wait,” he admitted. She could feel the tip of his erection begging entrance into the legs wrapped around him.

“Please,” she whimpered, and he didn’t wait for any other permission. He slid into her with a hot stroke that had her crying out. “Oh god, yes!”

Keaton bit back an expletive that would’ve made her blush. Sinking inside of her was the best feeling of his entire life. It was like shifting, but way, way better. He fought the urge to release inside of her after only one stroke. Instead, he started a rhythm of thrusts that had her crying, whimpering, and screaming with pleasure.

His little angel was actually a vixen, a temptress. Her mouth on him had been the hottest fucking thing he’d ever felt…until now. He could feel the start of her orgasm as her walls started to tremble and her legs started to shake.

Burying himself into the hilt, he groaned as she started to clench around him, her body liberating into another orgasm. Unable to wait, he released inside of her moments later. His body pounded cum into her, inside of her. He felt masculine satisfaction knowing that he’d marked her as his. She was his and he was never going to let her go.

On shaky legs, he moved closer to the bed and set her down on it, then carefully laid beside her.   She moved away from him, worrying about his wound, but he didn’t allow it, He pulled her back into the safety of his arms. He didn’t care about the pain in his leg. He just needed her

For the first time in a week, he passed out into a dreamless sleep.

He woke up to the smell of bacon.  He stretched out and noticed that a bandage had been carefully placed on his stomach wound. He felt an amazing peace and satisfaction. What a great fucking morning.

He couldn’t even be mad that she had left the clutches of his arms sometime ago to make breakfast. They made love three more times between last night and the wee hours of this morning. She should be tired and sore. Instead, he could see her through the opening of his master bedroom in the kitchen, humming a tune that sounded vaguely familiar, and making breakfast in one of his t-shirts.  Something about that resounded in him: his place, his food, his clothes, and his woman. She would always be his, even if she didn’t know it yet.

He stood up, not minding his own nakedness and assumed after last night and this morning, Ellison wouldn’t either. He walked silently into the kitchen. While she stirred a pan of eggs, he reached out her, placing both of his oversized hands onto her breasts through his shirt. 

She gasped, and then leaned back, pressing her body into his. “Keaton!”

He grinned into her neck, inhaling the scent of her skin. “Morning.”

“Morning, Sir. How did you sleep?” She continued to stir the eggs, but his body froze. She seemed to notice his stillness. “What?  What is it?”

“Say it again,” he demanded in a deep voice. He felt her body tremble.

“Say what?” she asked carefully. He squeezed her breasts tightly, and a moan slid out through her open lips.

“Say it,” he commanded, needing to hear the words again.

In a small, quiet voice, she repeated, “Morning, Sir.”

He spun her around, letting the wooden spoon drop to the floor and the breakfast go unnoticed.  He picked her up and sat her on the granite countertop of the island. “Again.”

“Sir,” she breathed.

He lost it. Something about the implications of the sultry endearment had gotten to him. It was an admission that she had accepted not only the man he was, but the wolf inside of him as well. It was as if her mind had clicked that he was both her friend and her lover. He was her protector, in both animal and human bodies.

He pulled her to the edge and sucked on her sweet pussy as he licked, sucked, and fucked her with his tongue and fingers. She was writhing and screaming by the time he was done, begging for him his cock inside of her. But he wanted this, needed this. He forced two orgasms out of her before picking her up taking her into the living room.

“Turn around,” he ordered. She stood, then turned around to face the back of the couch. Her body was still trembling in a good way. He knew everything about her body now. It was his playground, his property. He knew every whimper, every moan, and every taste on all parts of her body.

He pushed her slightly forward so that she was leaning on the back of the couch; her hips and rear jutting out like a tasty offering. And it was. He took her up on her offering, kneeling down and reaching up to lick the juice from her pussy. He moaned into her, the vibration causing a sensation that drove her wild. When she started to shake again, he stood, pushing her over even farther until he was bent over her.

He drove his erection into her. At the first feel of his stiff cock inside of her, she clamped down on him in a way that drove him mindless with lust. It was like she was made for him. Every motion of her body set off a trigger inside of him. Her orgasms drove his, her moans pulled groans from inside of his body.

After five minutes of control, he lost it and released rope after rope of cum into her. He enjoyed seeing evidence of his desire on her body, but right now, he needed it to be inside of her.  He knew that she wanted it. Without words, last night she’d offered herself to him in a way that he knew was forever.  He didn’t want to scare her with grandiose words of the future, but now found himself unwilling to let it go unspoken.

“I love you,” he admitted into the soft skin of her neck. He felt the walls of her pussy contract as she heard the words.

“It’s too soon,” she whispered. “You couldn’t possibly.”

He sighed into her. “I think I knew from the moment you first touched me.  You saw more than just a beast. You saw me.”

Her body moved, turning until she faced him and he picked her up, securing her legs around him. Her butt perched on the top of the couch so that he could wrap his arms around her. One hand reached up and caressed her face. Her face was familiar and beautiful. He repeated the words. “I love you, Elli. Marry me.”

Her mouth formed a perfect “O”. “Keaton…”

He dropped a kiss on her mouth. “You can think about that last part. But I want you to know that I love you. And I’ve never said those words before…to anyone. Just you. Always just you.”

She breathed in and out, and their eyes locked. “Oh god, I know it’s crazy. But I think I’m I love with you too.”

His heart beat twice as fast. He’d known that she did, but he wanted to hear the words; he needed to. “And?”

She grinned. “And yes, I’ll marry you, Sir. I’m pretty sure I’d have to based on the amount of times you just came inside me.”

He let out a bark of laughter, then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

“But I made breakfast,” she whined, straining to look at the kitchen.

“We’ll reheat it. Right now, I’m still hungry for something else.”

She shivered. “You really are a big beast, you know that?”

“Seems like doggy style is in order then, eh?”

She laughed, the sound loud and pure. “I suppose. You’re lucky I love you.”

He dropped her onto the bed, looking at her with a serious face. “Yeah, I am.”

THE END

Tate’s Mission: Moonlight Alpha’s III

“…And you will be on your way in no time, Senior Fluffkins,” Dr. Brisa Weber murmured to the large white husky on her lab table. The name was ridiculous, but apparently the dog’s six-year-old owner was thrilled when she came up with it, and far be it from Brisa to change the name of a dog on her watch. She rubbed the head of the big dog and let her mind wander.

This dog reminded her of a different big white canine that she treated as the only veterinarian at the Sweeting Animal Hospital. The animal was beautiful, and truly magnificent in its size and color. But it hadn’t been a husky. It was a white wolf, the only one she’d ever seen. Ironically, she’d actually treated a black wolf not long ago, but he had run off. His need for freedom was too powerful to be contained. But she’d never seen a white wolf in person.

The wolf was amazingly docile, not needing the sedative she’d been trying to administer before getting frustrated. The animal was large and wild, but was his eyes had stayed with her. His beautiful pale blue eyes seemed almost human. She dreamed about those eyes for weeks afterward. By the time the wolf disappeared back into the woods, Brisa had been more nervous about its intelligence than its wild spirit.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up a moment before she heard a throat clearing behind her. She instantly knew who it was and rolled her eyes. “What, Tate?”

“Always a pleasure, Dr. Weber,” teased the masculine voice. Tate Little was the real estate mogul that had acquired almost all of the major property in the area, including the animal clinic, which he’d insisted on investing in when he bought the building. She couldn’t stand him; his confidence, arrogance, or the way he made her feel off-kilter.

“What do you want? I have work to do, which I know is something that you don’t understand. But some of us have real jobs because we actually grew up.” She finished writing in Senior Fluffkins file and then made a move to lift him off the table. Instead, she felt a large body sidle up behind her and inhaled, recognizing that scent as pure Tate Little. The man was a menace, a pure and unadulterated distraction.

He was big, almost intimidatingly so. She could also begrudgingly admit that he was pretty damn hot. He had big shoulders that could make a girl feel small and protected, even with Brisa’s 5’9” frame.  He was built like a linebacker, with a strong jaw, chiseled features, and piercing blue eyes that made her feel like she could drown if she wasn’t careful. His looping tribal tattoos made her mouth water every time she caught a glimpse of them underneath his suit and dress shirt.

Physically, he was her weakness, but she would never let him know that. She refused to let him see how much he affected her. After all, it was just his body. His mind was something else entirely.  Tate was witty, charming, and had entirely too much fun teasing her in the workplace. He also spent too much time sticking his nose into her business decisions, which frustrated her to no end. She did not need a man coming into her animal hospital to second-guess her choices.

Without asking, he lifted the ninety-pound dog like it was nothing, and then patted the husky on his head. The dog whimpered when he removed his hand. Tate muttered, “Yeah, I know, man. I’d like her hands on me too.”

Brisa’s breath caught in her throat. She was sure he didn’t mean it that way…had he? Shaking off his comment, she pursed her lips and glared at him. “What do you want?” She slid a slip leash over Senior Fluffkins’s head and led him toward the front of the building. Tate followed the pair through the halls, admiring the two-legged one’s assets.

“Just checking in. Did the supplier drop off the new equipment yet?”

She frowned at him. “No, not yet. And the old supplier was never late. Which is why I used him, exclusively. Until approximately one fucking day ago when you decided, without consulting me, that you wanted to use someone else.”

He grinned, seemingly unfazed by her frosty tone. “Well, it’s a better deal, and this supplier happens to be a buddy of mine. One of the perks of owning the place is that you get to help out your friends, right?”

She grunted, which was neither a yes nor a no. As if on cue, the back shipping desk buzzer rang, indicating there was a delivery van waiting to drop off the new shipment. She let out a deep sigh.  Dammit. She’d really been hoping to hold it over Tate when the delivery didn’t come. “I’ll get that.”

Tate stepped in front of her. “Yeah, I don’t think so. Those boxes weigh almost a hundred pounds each. You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you break your back over those.”

She bit back a sharp retort. She knew that if she grew defensive, he would make sure she didn’t unload anything at all. He was weirdly protective when she tried to do things like this. Despite his attitude about everything else, he had a bit of a gentlemanly streak when it came to performing  tasks like letting her close the clinic by herself, walk to her car alone, lift heavy boxes, or meet with a new supplier without him being there.

After she waited for him to go out the back door, she took the husky back to his owner, and made her way back to the loading dock. She saw a lanky driver with blonde hair and a barbed wire tattoo across his bicep opening the large door on the back of the truck. She put on a big grin when he caught her eye. “Hey there.”

Tate watched as the poor driver almost dropped his clipboard. He supposed the guy hadn’t been prepared for Dr. Brisa Weber, veterinarian. She wasn’t just intelligent or kind. She was witty, sarcastic, playful, and entirely too damn hot to be a veterinarian. She was built like a porn star with a curvy hourglass figure, an amazing chest, and rounded bubble butt. It was the first thing he’d noticed about her, but did not end up being the reason he was so captivated by her.

He didn’t know what his obsession with her was exactly. She was downright rude most days, but was currently charming the pants off the delivery driver with such ease that he was beginning to feel like it was only him that she was cold to. An ache started in his chest at that thought, and he rubbed at it as he watched the scene unfolding in front of him.

The driver’s mouth curled up into an appreciative smile. “You must be the doc,” he said, holding out the clipboard. His eyes travelled up and down her body as he said, “I need you to sign for these.”  Brisa reached for the clipboard, but Tate stepped forward and practically snatched it out of her hands.

“Hey!” she said, annoyed.

“I just wanted to make sure that you got everything you ordered,” Tate said, scowling.

“I managed to run this place just fine before you shoved your way in,” she hissed. “You need to back off and let the doctor take care of the clinic.” She turned to the driver and shot him an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry about him,” she said sweetly. “He thinks he’s in charge of the world because he owns half the properties in town.”

Tate’s jaw dropped at her rapid transformation from beast to sweetheart. He was more than a little turned on. He shifted his stance to hide it.

“No problem, sugar,” the driver replied. “I’ll bring these boxes in if you can show me where you want them.”

“You can just leave them inside the door,” Tate said tersely. “I’ll put them away. I wouldn’t want you to get off schedule with the rest of your deliveries!”

“That’s really not necessary,” Brisa said with a glare.

The driver looked back and forth between them as they argued. Seeing Tate as the bigger threat, the guy shrugged. “I’ll leave these and you two can figure out where they go.” 

Tate handed Brisa the clipboard to sign and then stood, arms crossed, watching the driver push the loaded dolly through the door and slide it out from under the boxes. He put the dolly back into the truck and pulled the door down, then went to retrieve the clipboard from Brisa. “See you next time, gorgeous,” the driver said, winking.

Tate stepped forward with a growl, and the man hurried back to his truck. At the last minute, he threw a quick grin over his shoulder at Brisa before climbing in. Tate muttered something about his friend needing to get a new driver as the van pulled away. Brisa pushed past Tate furiously. He watched her ass as she stormed into the building, hurrying after her when he realized where she was headed. He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on a chair, then unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves as he came up behind her.

Brisa gasped when she felt his hands grip her waist. He pulled her back against him. His enormous frame was just as taut with muscle as she’d imagined it would be. She gulped as he dropped his head and whispered in her ear, “I said I’d take care of the boxes.” Her eyes fluttered at the feeling of his lips brushing against her ear, but they flew open when his warmth was suddenly gone.

“Get back to work, doc,” he said gruffly, lifting a box easily. “You standing around isn’t going to make either of us any money.”

She stormed off into her office, slamming the door shut behind her. She stood, breathing heavily for a minute before sitting at her desk to update the files from this morning’s clients. At least with the door shut, she wouldn’t be able to watch Tate unload the boxes, or stare at the sexy tattoos on his forearms - no matter how tempted she was to do just that.

“All right, Penny,” Brisa said to the copper-colored Labradoodle as she led the dog back out to reception. “This is the last time I want to see you this year!” She chuckled as Penny gave a dainty woof in agreement. She handed the leash to Mrs. Claypool, who walked up to the counter to pay. “Have you called the trainer I told you about?” Brisa asked the elderly woman.

“No, I haven’t had time,” Mrs. Claypool admitted.

“You need to get Penny trained so that she will stop eating your socks,” Brisa said. “This is the fourth time you’ve been in this year, and that’s not good for her or your bank account.”

“Yes, I know. But I’m afraid the trainer will be mean to her. She’s so sweet, and doesn’t mean any harm. She just gets carried away when she gets ahold of a sock because she knows she’s not supposed to have it.  She’s really a good girl.” The woman’s eyes filled with tears.

“I know the trainer personally. I promise that he’ll help Penny learn more appropriate ways to play. He’s a great trainer, and I’ve never heard any complaints about his methods. I won’t charge you for today. Only if you promise to get that trainer in.” 

Of course, the moment the words came out of her mouth, Tate walked in. What was he doing here again?

“Oh, thank you, Dr. Weber!” the old woman said, smiling widely. “I promise, I’ll call the trainer as soon as we get home. You really are a sweet girl.” She collected her belongings and led Penny out the door.

Brisa turned and walked back toward her office, ignoring the enormous, fuming man stalking behind her. She tried to close the door without paying any mind to him at all, but Tate’s massive hand stopped her. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked angrily.

“Working.” She sat at her desk and started updating Penny’s file. He slammed his hand down on the file, and she finally looked up at him. For a second, his blue eyes almost reminded her of the white wolf, but the intense anger shining from them changed her mind. While both creatures had a dangerous edge, the wolf was kind and gentle. The man was something else entirely.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it!” He was almost shouting, and she stared at him in disbelief. He lowered his voice and continued. “You can’t be giving away services for free.  That’s not how you make a business profitable.”

“I don’t tell you how to run your business,” Brisa said calmly, impressed at her ability to control her anger while she looked Tate in the face. “Don’t tell me how to run mine.”

“When the success of your business directly impacts mine, I make it my business,” Tate growled.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. My business is profitable. Besides, I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the animals.” She leaned back and crossed her arms, pushing her breasts together. His eyes darted down to the sliver of cleavage, but he only let himself be distracted for a moment.

“Even if you are currently profitable, some of your practices prevent the practice from being as successful as it could be,” he pointed out.

“Such as…”

“Such as giving away services for free and ordering from suppliers who inflate their prices,” he said, crossing his arms triumphantly.

“Mrs. Claypool has been in several times already this year,” Brisa explained. “I let her go without paying today because she really needs to get that dog trained…before it eats something I can’t fix. She’s not a wealthy woman, and I was worried that money was keeping her from getting Penny trained. If treating Penny for free today helps Mrs. Claypool afford a trainer, that’s what I’m going to do. Part of my job is to give my patients the best quality of life possible, and that dog needs training.”

“It makes no sense!” Tate said, exasperated. “If that dog keeps getting sick, he keeps coming in, and his owner keeps paying for treatment. That’s how businesses work!”

“That’s how your businesses work,” she said. “But that’s not how mine does.” They glared at each other for a moment. “Did you come in here today just to yell at me?”

Tate dropped his arms, confused for a moment before dropping into a chair. “Of course not,” he said. “I was checking to make sure you got all the supplies you ordered.”

“Why do you care? How is that your business?” she asked, lowering her gaze back to Penny’s file. She started writing, clearly no longer interested in his response, or their conversation in general.

“But you were worried about the new supplier, so I wanted to make sure it was all okay.  Since…”

Her eyes flicked back up at him, shooting daggers. “Since you changed suppliers without asking me?”

He at least had the grace to look sheepish.

She sighed. “It’s fine. Everything was there.”

“Good,” he said, then stood. She felt herself looking at his muscular arms. She wasn’t sure how they fit into his suit jacket, but it had to be uncomfortable. They made eye contact and he was smirking at her, clearly enjoying the fact he caught her checking him out. She felt her cheeks flush. “I’ll let you get back to work, then,” he said, pulling the door open. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I hope not,” she called after him, realizing as she said it that it wasn’t true.

Tate got in his car and sped away, his heart racing in a mix of anger and excitement. Brisa twisted him up inside, but he couldn’t get enough of her. He always made visits to the clinic during his off hours so that he had time to run off his frustration after their encounters. He pulled onto a small, dirt road in the woods, drove a couple of miles in, and parked in an area he had leveled off himself.

He quickly stripped; neatly placing his suit on the hanger he kept in the backseat of his car. He got out of the car and locked it. Then he shifted into his wolf form, shaking the kinks out of his muscles before taking off. He ran full speed through the woods, making his way up the mountain. He finally emerged onto a flat, treeless ledge where he stretched out in the sun, panting. He closed his eyes and thought about Brisa. He ached with the need to possess her fully, but was determined to keep their relationship professional. He needed her business to do well so that the town would see that he wasn’t just a money-hungry businessman. He helped businesses like the clinic become more successful, too.

Once they saw that he only wanted what was best for Sweeting, they would approve his plans for the commercial center. Then he would be free to pursue Brisa. Until then, he would have to go out of town and spend a night in another woman’s bed. The idea was much less appealing than usual. Tate cocked his canine head in thought.

As he pushed up and stretched his legs, a thought occurred to him. What if he was going about this wrong, and the way to convince the town council that he’d changed was to make Brisa his now? If she could see the good in him and was willing to be seen on his arm, surely that would be enough to convince the council…right?

Tate howled triumphantly. The solution was right in front of him. He could have the commercial center and Brisa, too. He’d get her to go with him to the Fourth of July Ball next weekend, and everything would fall into place. Giving a wolfish grin, Tate trotted back to his car at a much more leisurely pace. Everything seemed so simple, so obvious. He’d felt her reaction to him when he touched her yesterday. There was no way she would refuse to go with him, right?

“Are you serious? There is no way in hell I’m going to the Ball with you, Tate,” Brisa shouted the next day. His jaw dropped. He’d stopped by at the end of the day when he knew the other workers would be gone, so that they could maybe celebrate after she agreed to go with him. An outright refusal hadn’t even entered his mind as a possibility.

“Why the hell not?” he demanded, furrowing his brow. His angry face intimidated most of his business competitors, but Brisa didn’t seem scared in the least. She stepped toward him and poked him in the chest. His gut twisted in admiration. The woman was perfect.

“You come in here and demand that I accompany you to the Ball, and what? I’m supposed to just swoon? Who do you think you are?” Her eyes had narrowed to dangerous green slits. Tate swallowed, suddenly realizing that his plan was in danger. Unsure of how to proceed, he tried reason with her.

“You’re not going with someone else, are you?” he asked more calmly.

“That’s none of your business,” she said, throwing her hands up and walking away. “And that is not the point. You can’t order someone to socialize with you.”

“But if you’re not going with someone else…” he stopped cold when that green glare swung back toward him.

“You’re not listening to me,” Brisa said in frustration.

“No, you’re not listening to me, you stubborn woman!” Tate knew, as the words came out, that he should have just kept his mouth shut. But he was powerless to stop his word vomit.

“Get out,” she said, her voice deadly calm.

“Brisa, be reasonable,” Tate began, realizing too late that these words were another mistake.

“Out!” she shouted, pointing toward the door.

“I’ll talk to you about this tomorrow, when you’ve calmed down,” he said as he passed, hurrying when he saw her pick up a stapler as if contemplating the idea of chucking it at him. He wasn’t sure what had gone wrong, but he was determined to change her mind. He just needed to figure out how.

She fumed when he was gone, dropping into her seat. He’d acted as if her agreeing to go with him was a foregone conclusion, like she should be honored to be seen out in public with him. His arrogance was astonishing. It wasn’t even that she didn’t want to go with him. In fact, the idea of spending the evening in his arms was more appealing than she wanted to admit. But the alpha male, superiority complex bullshit had to stop. He couldn’t keep ordering her around, especially when it had nothing to do with the clinic. If he wanted to dance with her, he would need to ask her. Politely.

Unfortunately, she was pretty sure he’d missed the point of her anger. He was going to come back in tomorrow and start telling her what to do all over again. That’s what he had done with the clinic, and it was apparently how he handled his personal life. No wonder he was single.

Brisa looked at her watch and sighed. If she didn’t get going, she’d be here all night. There was no use giving the man any more thought, she decided. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to let out the tension that had built up inside of her. She focused on finishing up her work for the day so that she could go home, have a glass of wine, and not think about Tate Little.

When she got to work the next morning, Tate was waiting outside the door. “I want to take a look through your books,” he said.

“Again?” she asked suspiciously. “You went through everything when you bought into the clinic.”

“I’m just checking up on my investment,” he said. “Making sure you’re operating with maximum efficiency.”

“Why do you care so much?” she asked, unlocking the door.

“By increasing efficiency, we free up capital for us and for the clinic. I think we can afford to bring in a second vet, which will make the clinic more profitable, and allows us to take care of more animals. It’s win-win for everyone,” he followed her into her office as he talked.

That actually made sense, Brisa admitted to herself. Still, she didn’t want him messing with her system and making the clinic a less pleasant to work. It would break her heart to let any of her co-workers go because of Tate’s heavy-handed administration. She logged him into her computer, pointing out the accounting software she used. She grabbed her lab coat and tablet, logging in to check her schedule as Tate examined something on the computer screen.

“Have you thought about the Ball?” he asked.

“You mean the Ball you ordered me to attend with you?” she asked sarcastically. “Nope.”

“I need you there with me,” he insisted, looking away from the computer. “And...I want you there with me.”

“Why is this so important to you?” she asked.

“Brisa, you’re beautiful,” he began, and she softened slightly. “Everyone likes you. They respect the business you’ve built here.”

“Which you’re trying to change,” she snapped. “This is about your ‘commercial development’, and the town council, doesn’t it?”

“If they see us together, they’ll take me seriously,” he answered harshly. “I need their approval to move forward with the commercial development on Main.” He stopped, realizing what he’d said.  She started for the door, and he stood, moving toward her. “Wait, Brisa,” he said.

She stopped, shaking her head. “It all makes sense now,” she said. “I thought this was just about wringing as much money out of the clinic as you could, or maybe getting into my pants, but that’s not enough for you, is it? And to think that I thought you were actually interested in me!” She laughed bitterly.

“Brisa, just listen.  I—”

She held up her hand. “Dr. Weber.”

“What?” he asked.

“You can call me Dr. Weber.”  Her face was cold, with none of the gentle warmth that usually radiated off of her.

“I am interested in you,” he reached for her, but she stepped away.

“That’s enough,” she said. “I’ve had enough. Don’t forget to log out and let Ellison know when you’re finished. I have work to do.” She turned and left. Tate fell back into her chair, rubbing his face in frustration. How had that fallen apart so quickly?

Tate pretended to work for another ten minutes before logging off. He found Ellison, a volunteer from the Humane Society that helped out at the vet clinic when they were short staffed, and let her know that he was leaving. Waving goodbye to the pretty blonde, he headed into the woods for a run. He needed to figure out how to fix this before he lost his chance with Brisa for good.

That evening, Tate decided to try again. He knew she would still be at work doing inventory, and if nothing else, he could insist on helping her. She would get work done faster, and he would know that she was safe. He hoped starting with an apology would at least get her talking to him again.

He arrived just before six, when he knew Ellison would be leaving. Elli might be his only chance of getting through the door. Not only did she have control, but she was also a good friend of Brisa’s. Elli was just walking out the door. She immediately shook her head when she saw him.

“She really doesn’t want to see you right now,” Ellison warned. “I’m pretty sure she’s done with you. Maybe you should go on home and leave her alone.”

“I can’t do that,” Tate said. “I need to apologize.”

“Yes, you do,” she agreed. “But tonight’s not the night. You pissed her off, and you really hurt her feelings. Do you really not know how to talk to a woman?”

“Ellison, I’m going in there with or without your blessing. I’d rather not make an enemy of you here,” Tate said. “Let me through. She’ll be fine.”

Elli shrugged and moved out of the way. “Lock the door behind you,” she said with a sigh.  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she muttered as she walked toward her car.

“Thanks, Elli,” Tate called after her. She waved her hand without looking back. He locked the door behind him and made his way toward the storage room. He glanced in Brisa’s office as he passed to make sure she wasn’t there, and then used his key to get into the storage room. He could hear her working in the back of the room, and he walked past two rows of shelves before reaching her. She didn’t look up or acknowledge him, so he cleared his throat.

“I’m busy, Mr. Little,” Brisa said coolly. “If you’re here to insult me with more demands, could it wait until tomorrow?”

He put his hand on hers to get her full attention. She snatched it back as if burned. “Brisa, please…”

“Dr. Weber,” she corrected him.

He sighed. “Fine. Dr. Weber. I need to apologize for my behavior this morning. I was wrong to be so forceful and demanding, and I wasn’t asking you to the Ball just because it would help me professionally. I want you to come with me because I want to spend time with you.”

Brisa’s eyes were empty. She said, “Thank you for the apology,” and went back to work.

“Is that it?” Tate asked, frustrated. She kept working, ignoring him. “Brisa!” he said in exasperation.

She finally looked up at him. “Mr. Little, I know your primary concern is the profitability of your businesses. As you know, talking when I should be working is a misuse of time. I would like to finish this up so that I can go home at some point this evening. So, unless you have something else to say—”

She was interrupted by a loud crash from the front of the building. “What the—” Tate said, starting toward the door. Brisa followed closely, the sound of breaking glass reverberating down the hall. Tate opened the door cautiously, and whispered to Brisa, “Wait here.”

“Like hell,” she muttered, and locked the door behind her, following Tate. They heard heavy, booted footsteps as they approached the lobby. Tate paused at the end of the hall, stopping Brisa with a hand. He peaked around the corner to see a gruff-looking middle-aged man leaning against the wall, grinning at him.

“Hey, there,” the man said in a deep, raspy voice. “Sorry to interrupt your little rendezvous with the doc, but I need some supplies.” 

Tate took a threatening step forward, but the man had a rifle raised, cocked, and pointed at Tate’s chest before his foot hit the ground. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the man said, and Tate stopped short. “Come on out here, doc,” the man said, never taking his eyes off of Tate.

Brisa stepped around Tate, her eyes turning fierce as they locked on to the man. “There she is,” the man said with a smile.

“I told you before, you’re not getting any of my supplies,” Brisa said angrily.

“You’ve met this guy before?” Tate asked in surprise.

“He’s a wolf hunter,” she said. “He’s been after my stun guns and tranqs for months.”

“Wolves are a protected species.” Tate’s blue eyes turned to ice as he spoke. “Hunting them is illegal.”

“Wolves are vermin, and are a threat to my livestock,” the man snapped. “I have every right to protect my herd.”

“Protecting your herd is not the same as hunting innocent animals,” Brisa reasoned. The man shifted his gun toward her.

“Just give me what I want, doc, and we can all be on our way.”

“No.” Brisa’s response was quick and definite. The hunter stared at her for a few moments, and let out a bark of a laugh.

“I guess we’re at an impasse, then,” he said. “Let’s all have a seat in your office. There are too many windows out here. We might be seen.”

Brisa glanced past the man and was relieved to see that the damage was contained to the door area, and wouldn’t take long to repair. She turned and stalked back toward her office. Tate glared at the hunter until the man nodded toward the office. He turned to follow Brisa, who they found sitting at her desk, hands folded. Tate dragged a chair around to the side of the room and dropped into it. He wanted to stay between Brisa and the hunter. He entered the office, holding his rifle across his chest, and sat in the third chair.

“What’s it going to take to convince you to give me what I need?” he asked.

“I’m not giving you anything,” she said stubbornly.

“I don’t want to hurt you, ma’am,” he said. “But I will. You need to understand that.”

Tate cleared his throat. “What’s your name?” he asked the hunter.

“What difference does that make?” the man responded. “You think I’m gonna tell you my name so that you can send the police after me the second I walk out of here?”

“Fine,” Tate said. “I’m going to call you Frank. Is that ok?” The man lifted his chin in agreement.  “Good. I’m Tate, and this is Brisa,” he said.

“I know who you are,” Frank said. “Juvenile delinquent makes good, buys up half the town and thinks he owns the rest. You’ve been sniffing around after the doc here for weeks, and that empty property on Main for even longer.”

Tate’s cheeks colored slightly. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, Frank, I’m hoping to find a way out of this without any of us getting hurt.”

“Talk to your woman, then,” Frank nodded at Brisa.

“I’m not his woman,” Brisa seethed. 

Frank laughed. “Trouble in paradise?” he asked, turning his attention back to Tate.

Tate ignored him. “Brisa, maybe you should just give him the supplies.”

“Dr. Weber,” she corrected. “And maybe you should mind your own business.”

“I’m pretty sure the fact that I’m being held at gunpoint makes it my business,” Tate pointed out. “Let’s get out of this safely. Insurance will cover the loss.”

“I’m not going to be a part of helping him hunt down a protected species. Have you ever seen a wolf? There’s a reason Native Americans revered them. They’re beautiful, intelligent creatures that are just trying to survive. Have you ever seen what a non-fatal gunshot does to flesh?” She looked at Tate expectantly. He dropped his eyes without responding. “I’ve patched up two injured wolves already this year, thanks to people like him. I’m not giving him anything.” She closed her mouth. The decision was final.

Tate’s heart was racing at her defense of, and clear respect for, wolves. He wondered, as he studied her clenched jaw and jutted-out chin, if she might be someone he could trust with his secret. He flashed back to the way she’d taken care of him in his wolf form.

Her refusal to negotiate with the hunter was frustrating, but Tate knew that if he shifted, he could take out the hunter quickly. He could save them both. He just wasn’t sure how Brisa would react to seeing him shift, and learning that he was the white wolf that Brisa remembered so fondly. 

He met her determined gaze and willed her to recognize him. For a moment, he thought she had received the message, but her expression turned confused. She looked away, chewing her lip thoughtfully.

They sat quietly for a few minutes contemplating the best way to move forward. Tate realized if he wanted to save Brisa, he would have to trust her. “Frank, I have a key to the storage room,” he said finally. “I’ll let you in.”

“Tate, no!” Brisa said. She looked devastated. Tate gave her an apologetic look, and hoped that his plan would save them and convince Brisa to give him a chance.

“Let’s go,” Frank stood, keeping the gun leveled at Brisa. Tate led the way down the hall, with Brisa behind him, and Frank taking the rear. Tate opened the door and they filed in, walking to the back of the room.

“I think this is where the sedatives are kept,” he said, nodding at a shelf. Frank pushed past both of them and started reading the labels. He pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket and began loading it with bottles from the shelves. When Frank was fully preoccupied, Tate began undressing. With an apologetic look at Brisa, he began to shift, howling and leaping with full force at Frank. His momentum slammed the man into the shelf, and the blow to his head knocked him unconscious. He collapsed to the floor, and Tate moved back over to his clothes, shifting back and pulling his pants on.

He took a deep breath and turned around, uncertain of how Brisa might be reacting. He didn’t expect to see her on her knees, digging determinedly through a box of office supplies. “What are you doing?” he asked tentatively.

“Looking for something to restrain him with. Get his gun away from him while I look for…” she pulled a roll of packing tape out of the box and lifted it into the air triumphantly. “This,” she grinned, standing and walking over. “Make yourself useful, Little, and hold his hands together.”

“Make myself useful?” he said in disbelief. “In case you didn’t notice, I’m the one who knocked him out.”

“I noticed,” she said, crouching down to wind the tape around Frank’s wrists several times before bending her head to tear the tape with her teeth. Standing again, she glanced over at Tate. “Put your shirt on,” she said, tossing the tape back into the box.

“Distracted?” he asked, grinning as he bent down to pick up his shirt. “The buttons are gone,” he told her.

“Still, put it on,” she said.

“What are we going to tell the police?” Tate asked, shrugging into the shirt. He rolled the sleeves a few times so that he didn’t have to button the cuffs. He noticed Brisa’s eyes following his movements and suppressed his grin.

“We tell the truth,” Brisa said simply. “He broke in and held us hostage, wanting supplies. You pushed him when he was distracted, and then we restrained him.”

“That’s it?” Tate asked cautiously.

“What? You think they need to know more than that?” She raised her eyebrows.

“No, I’m just…surprised. You’re taking this better than I would have expected.” Tate watched Brisa walk to the back of the room, where she’d been working. She pulled her phone off of one of the shelves.

“I mean, I’ve never met a…what are you? A werewolf?” She looked expectantly at him.

“No! Werewolves aren’t real, as far as I know.” Tate said. Brisa rolled her eyes incredulously.  “I’m a wolf shifter. I can shift whenever I want. The moon has nothing to do with it.”

“Ok, then. I’ve never met a wolf shifter before, but…I don’t know. I’m not surprised for some reason. It was you then, wasn’t it? The white wolf?” Tate nodded. “I knew that there was something human about that wolf. When I saw you…shift…it all kind of made sense.”

Tate watched in awe as Brisa stayed totally cool. She called the police and explained the situation. He realized that the calm demeanor that kept Brisa from panicking when Frank had a gun pointed at her, or when Tate shifted, was part of what made her such a great veterinarian. Her confidence showed her patients that they could trust her to help them. It made them more understanding and cooperative. He’d felt it himself when she had tended his wounds. He had been tempted to stay with her longer than he’d needed to, just so he could feel her hands on him and the warmth of her presence embracing him.

He knew now that his need to be near her, helping, and protecting her, was a precursor to the feeling that burst through his body when she accepted him with such grace. Tate knew now, with absolute certainty, that he loved Brisa Weber. He just hoped he could convince her to give him a chance.

She looked up at him as sirens announced the arrival of the police. Tate gave her a small smile as they turned and made their way toward the lobby to meet the officers. Mike Connor arrested Frank, who regained consciousness shortly after the police arrived, while Amy Sutton took statements from Tate and Brisa. The team photographed the damage to the door and storage room. Mike returned after taking Frank to the station to help board up the door.

While the police were there, the hair on the back of Tate’s neck stood up. He could feel…something. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t go away until he saw two large wolves watching from the tree line as Tate and Brisa were about to finally leave for the night. He nodded at them, and they came forward cautiously, following him into the clinic. Once inside, they shifted, and two tall men stood naked in front of him.

Brisa walked in from the storage room, where she had been straightening up, just as they shifted. She shrieked, covering her eyes. Tate could see her cheeks flush as she protested, “Dammit, Archer, I did not want to see that!” She pulled two blankets out of the linen closet and held them out, keeping her eyes averted. The men chuckled as Archer and his half-brother, Keaton, took the blankets and covered themselves up.

“We heard your call, but the police were already here when we arrived,” Archer told Tate, sinking into a chair. “What happened?”

“A wolf hunter came in wanting supplies,” Tate said. “He held us hostage. Apparently, this isn’t the first time.” He gestured at Brisa.

Archer and Keaton looked at her, and she shrugged. “It’s the first time he’s held me hostage,” she said. “And he didn’t get anything. Tate took care of it.”

“Then all is well?” Keaton asked. Tate nodded.

Brisa sat across from the brothers. “Do Vanessa and Ellison know you’re wolf shifters?” she asked.

“She knows?” Keaton looked sharply at Tate.

“As of tonight,” Tate replied. “I had to shift to keep the hunter from killing her and taking the supplies.”

“Yes,” Archer told Brisa. “We told them we’re shifters before we married them.”

“And your kids?” she asked. “Will they be shifters? Can you even have kids with…non-shifters?”

“Yes,” Keaton said. “Many shifters end up getting married to regular people. Offspring are always shifters, unlike if we were to mate with regular wolves. The DNA is too different. The offspring is usually just regular wolves.”

Brisa nodded, deep in thought. The men exchanged anxious looks while she processed the information. Finally, she said, “you know I won’t tell anyone, right? I understand why it has to be kept quiet, especially after tonight. With people like that hunter out there, the fewer people who know about you, the better.”

Tate couldn’t hide the loving smile her words produced. “That means a lot, Brisa,” he said, wanting to take her hand. But he was afraid that she would reject him in front of the men.

The brothers nodded. Archer grinned and said, “Lock this one down ASAP, Wolf Brother,” and Keaton chuckled as Tate’s eyes went wide. “You might want to look away, Brisa,” Archer said as the men stood. They dropped their blankets on the chairs, and shifted back into wolves as Tate opened the door for them to leave. He locked it behind them and turned to face Brisa: his beautiful prey.

Her green eyes were narrow slits, and her arms were crossed. Now why was she pissed? Tate decided he didn’t care. He stalked over to her, pulling her out of the chair, and into his arms. She pushed at his chest, but he held her fast, patiently waiting for her to give up.

“Tate!” she said, squirming against him. “Let go!”

As her head lifted, his dropped. He captured her mouth with his. She gasped, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Finally, he was getting his first delectable taste of her. As soon as his tongue found hers, Brisa stilled, and soon, her body melted against his. Tate smiled and let his hands roam over her body, finally resting on her round ass, which he squeezed and lifted, pulling her snug against his erection. She moaned into his mouth, and he growled in response, kissing her with more urgency.

He lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her back to her office, kissing her thoroughly before setting her on the desk. He gazed at her, stroking her hair. “Beautiful Brisa,” he said with a sigh.

He tasted the skin of her neck as he reached for the hem of her shirt. He tugged it up and off, and tossed it to the side. Her firm body was clearly carved by the gods, with full, round hips, luxuriously generous breasts, and a waist he could almost span with his hands. 

He slid his hands down her waist and hips, then back up to unhook her lacy pink bra. He slid it off, and took a moment to gaze at her bare breasts. They were perfect: heavy and rounded, with rosey pink nipples that pebbled under his gaze. Cautiously, Tate reached forward to cup them, squeezing and stroking them gently before focusing on the nipples. He kissed her again as he tugged and pinched them, smiling as she sighed and pressed herself into his hands.

With a groan, Tate bent his head down to take a nipple into his mouth, and sucked it firmly.  Brisa moaned, burying her hands in his hair as he tugged the nipple between his teeth and then soothed it with a swirl of his tongue. He turned his attention to the other nipple as his hands unbuttoned her pants. He swiftly pushed them and her panties to the floor. She kicked her shoes off with the clothes, and Tate stood back up to take possession of her mouth.

He worshiped her silken skin with his rough hands, stroking and exploring her curves as they kissed. She pushed at his shirt, and as he tugged it off, she admired him. His muscular chest was dusted with dark hair that tapered into a thin line down his flat stomach and disappeared into his pants. With a smile, Brisa leaned back on her elbows, spreading her knees as Tate sat in her desk chair. He moved the chair in and leaned down to slide his tongue between her folds. She stroked his hair as he licked and teased her.

“You’re so sweet,” Tate moaned, drawing her in deeply. Her hips lifted as she moaned, and she moved her hands to her breasts. Tate tugged on her legs, draping them over his shoulders. Brisa’s head dropped back as Tate slid his hands under her, gripping her ass to get a better angle. Her body bent and flexed, answering his worship at the essence of her femininity.

Brisa gasped, shocked at the bliss he was giving her with his lips and tongue. No one had ever used such expertise to pleasure her. Tate continued to tease and suck, slowly exploring her. He controlled her pace, drawing out his ministrations until she begged him for release. Her eyes fluttered shut as she moaned and twitched against his mouth. He slid two fingers into her, and curled them up to hit her G-spot.

Soon, Brisa was writhing and crying out continuously as she stretched toward release. Tate gave a long, deep suck on her clit. She clutched his hair, holding him to her until, at last, he let her find what she had been reaching for. He watched the feelings flitting over her face as he skillfully used his tongue and lips to bring her into the heavens she’d descended from. Her back arched as she came, and he replaced his fingers with his tongue to catch her sweet nectar. He kept tracing her clit until her body relaxed. He stood, unbuckled his belt, and stripped hurriedly.

He settled over her, kissing her deeply, letting her taste herself.

“I suppose if I have to be locked up, at least this makes it bearable,” she murmured against his lips.

He lifted his head in confusion. “What do you mean ‘locked up’?”

“Archer said you have to lock me up so I don’t talk. I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone, and he said to lock me up.” There was genuine hurt in Brisa’s eyes. “I don’t want to be locked up,” she said dejectedly.

Tate stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Suddenly, he was barking with uncontrolled laughter. She pushed at his shoulders angrily, trying to wiggle out from under him.

“I don’t think it’s funny,” she said. “Let me go!”

Tate held her in place, trying to get control of his laughter. “Lock it down!” he said. She looked at him, confused. “You,” he explained. She still wasn’t getting it. “Archer just meant that I shouldn’t let you get away.” Anger filled her expression again, so he added, “he wants me to marry you.” As shock registered on her face, he began laughing again. “Oh, my beautiful Brisa,” he said, kissing her. “I insist that you marry me as soon as possible!”

“Yes,” escaped her lips on her next breath. When she realized what she had said, she stuttered. “Wait—I mean—”

Tate roared with laughter, pressing kisses to her cheeks and lips against her protests. “You can’t back out now, darling.” He sobered, gazing into her eyes as he said, “Even if you’re not sure now, I’ll spend the rest of our lives convincing you that you made the right choice.”

He kissed her gently, slowly coaxing her back into arousal. When he felt her body responding to him, he pulled back and turned her over onto her stomach. Her legs dangled off the side of the desk. He grasped her ass appreciatively, pressed into her and she gave a long moan. Completely buried in her, Tate chuckled. “It’s a good thing we’re getting married,” he said, “because I don’t have a condom.” He felt her tense for a moment, so he kissed and stroked her back, letting her adjust to his intrusion. His cock was thick, almost to the point of being painful. Tate ground his pelvis against her before starting to move.

He gave long, slow thrusts that were purposely taunting, drawing out the pleasure of being inside her. Brisa began moaning and rocking back to meet him. He took her hips in his hands again and squeezed, leaning forward to bite her earlobe as he began moving faster.

“You feel so good, baby,” Tate groaned in her ear. He was nudging her cervix with every thrust, and Brisa gripped the edge of the desk, inching toward orgasm. A continuous stream of sounds escaped her lips.

Her reactions fueled his body, and their energies surged. He moved faster, thrusting harder into her. He seemed to swell inside her, and she writhed, begging for release the second time that evening. Brisa’s cries drove him forward. He centered his entire focus on the friction and the slide of her hot sheath around him. His lower back ached with his increasing need to release, and he slid a hand under her to find her clit. He rubbed vigorously, desperately wanting to make her come again. Finally, Brisa’s body tensed, and she screamed.

Tate felt her pulsing heat clench him even tighter, triggering his own undoing. He released with vigor, and poured his seed into her as his hips continued to pump involuntarily, unwilling to give up the pleasure of being buried deep inside her.

“Holy shit,” he said finally, pulling out of her, kissing her shoulder and back. “You nearly killed me there.” He pulled her up and held her in his arms, kissing her gently before sitting on the floor, pulling her into his lap. He stroked and kissed her. He was totally content, and felt the energy draining from his muscles as his breathing slowed.

Brisa snuggled into him, happy and languid. She placed lazy kisses on his chest and neck with a small smile on her face. “That was incredible,” she said after a while.

He chuckled. “Incredible, amazing, mind-blowing, and phenomenal,” he agreed, his blue eyes glowing hotly. He kissed her again, reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms. With a short laugh, he said, “did you see Archer and Keaton’s faces when you asked if Elli and Vanessa knew they were shifters?”

Brisa laughed.  “Yeah. They weren’t expecting that, were they?”

“Not at all,” Tate smiled, stroking her back. His body began to stir again as it recognized the slide of her skin against him.

“What did Archer mean?” Brisa asked suddenly. “He called you Wolf Brother. It seemed… important.”

Tate smiled down at her. “It is important. By calling me that, he was officially welcoming me into the pack. He was accepting me as part of his family.”

“Don’t you already have a pack?” she asked.

“I was born into one, but I left it when I moved here. I didn’t know if there were other shifters in the area, and I hadn’t thought about trying to gain acceptance into a pack. It isn’t easy, and I was doing fine on my own.” He kissed her. “I suspect that you’re the reason they welcomed me so easily.”

“I suspect it also had to do with the fact you saved my life,” she said.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “But I think a big part of it was that they could sense how desperately I want you,” he caught her mouth again, his slow, teasing kiss intentionally arousing.

When Brisa pulled back to catch her breath, she realized that they needed to clarify his role in her business before anything could progress. “Hey, if we do this, I need you to listen to me,” she said. “I love that you’re strong and want to take care of me, but you can’t just plow ahead with your plans without consulting me.”

“I’ll do my best. But I hope you know I only want to help,” Tate responded. “I’m good at what I do, and I can make your business more successful if you let me.”

“I’m happy to hear you out, but the final decision has to be mine,” she said. “I’m good at what I do, too.”

“I know you are, and you look sexy as hell when you’re doing it,” Tate dipping his head to place another kiss on her full lips. She laughed as she pulled away.

“So, if I don’t marry you, Archer and Keaton won’t let you be in their shifter club?” Brisa teased.

“I guess not, which is why I’m going to do my best to plant a cub in you as quickly as possible,” he said, turning her over so that she straddled him. She giggled. “Shifter babies are real beasts,” he told her. “You wouldn’t want to raise him on your own.” He kissed her as his hands found her hips and guided her into a slow, irresistible rhythm.

Tate watched Brisa’s face as she moved. Her beauty enraptured him. “I love you,” he said. She stilled, surprised.

“What did you say?” she asked.

Tate smiled and kissed her gently. “I love you, my beautiful, brilliant Brisa,” he said. “I can’t imagine anything better than spending my life making love to you and raising stubborn, brilliant children with you.”

Her face lit up in a radiant smile. “I love you too, Tate,” she admitted. He wrapped his arms around her in delight, and rolled her onto her back to take control of their mating. He spent the rest of the night convincing her that marrying him would be the best decision she’d ever made.

Six Months Later

Tate kissed Brisa as he passed, shifting and running to join Archer and Keaton, who were already in wolf form. She laughed as she watched the wolves wrestle in the yard and then race toward the woods behind Archer and Vanessa’s house. Instead of going to the Fourth of July Ball the weekend after Frank held them at gunpoint, they had spent the weekend eloping. They found out a few weeks later that Brisa was already pregnant.

With their two strong personalities, their months together had been a struggle at times. But they always made the effort to come together and talk through their issues. Brisa constantly reminded herself that Tate’s overbearing approach came from a place of love and desire to help. Their explosive chemistry during make up sex helped them both get through the disagreements.

When her husband was out of sight, Brisa turned and went back to where Elli and Vanessa were sitting in the living room. Her rapidly growing belly was a smaller version of Vanessa’s, and Elli had told them the week before that she, too, had a cub on the way. The women were excited that their firstborns would be so close in age. Brisa was surprised and thrilled to have so much support from the other pack-wives.

“How is the house coming along?” Vanessa asked, sipping her lemonade and fanning herself with a book. Brisa and Tate had bought a large piece of land outside of town and were building a house. When they moved in, they would only be a short drive from Vanessa and Archer.

“The framing is done,” Brisa said with a sigh. “They’ll start on the roof and siding this week.”

“I bet it’s starting to look like a house,” Elli said. “That has to feel good.”

“It would feel a lot better if we were farther along,” Brisa laughed. “I don’t want to have a half-decorated house when I’m giving birth.”

“It’ll come together,” Vanessa reassured her. “The beginning is the slowest part. Once the roof and sides are on, the inside goes much faster. Besides, you’ll have plenty of help once you get to that point. That’s one of the benefits of having a pack.”

“How many bedrooms are you putting in?” Elli asked.

“Tate insisted on six,” Brisa said, and Vanessa choked on her lemonade.

When she was able to breathe, she asked, “how many kids are you planning on?”

“Me, or Tate?” Brisa asked, and the women laughed. “He wants as many as possible. I want two or three, but I’m not firm on that. Plus, Tate can be very convincing. We’ll just see what happens. How many do you want?”

“Two,” Vanessa said at the same time that Elli said, “Four or five.”

“Where are you going to put five kids?” Vanessa asked Elli in dismay.

“We’re going to buy some land on the other side of Tate and Brisa,” she looked over at Brisa.  “We’re in negotiations now, but I’m hoping it’ll all go through by the end of the week so that we can start clearing the land.”

Vanessa shook her head. “You all are crazy,” she said. “Are you going to keep working full-time with half a dozen kids?” she asked Brisa.

“Not with half a dozen,” Brisa laughed. “I’ll stay full-time with the first couple, I think, but we’re going to start looking for a second vet to work with us. If I need to cut back, I will. But as of right now, I’d rather not.”

“Just wait until the baby comes,” Vanessa said.  “I’ll bet you change your mind.”

“Maybe,” Brisa responded. “But I’d bet Tate breaks before I do. He’s so excited to be a daddy, I’ll bet he’s working from home for the first year after this one comes.” They laughed.

“Archer’s the same way,” Vanessa admitted.

“Keaton, too,” Elli said. “It just about killed him that we waited until the end of the first trimester before telling anyone.”

“It’s a virility thing, I think,” Vanessa said. “He wanted his Wolf Brothers to know he’d proven his masculinity by putting a cub in you.”

Elli and Brisa looked at each other and said, “Men!” at the same time.

The women sat and talked until the sun sat low in the sky, and their wolves came running up.  The party broke up when they returned, because the men smelled terrible after running outside in the wilderness. The three pregnant women’s sensitive stomachs were unable to tolerate the odor. Besides, Tate’s lovemaking was always more playful after he’d been out with the pack. Brisa always looked forward to his antics…after he showered, of course.

As she waited for him that evening, Brisa smiled to herself. Life with Tate would always be a battle of wills, but there wasn’t another creature she’d rather fight them with.

THE END