Rusty, preparing for his nightly prowl, felt a need for speed tonight. He decided to do another perimeter run around the town at the end of the night, his fears for Sherry overcoming his common sense. He could call Sheriff Kasun and let him know he suspected something might happen with her ex-fiancé, but he selfishly wanted to be the one to watch out for her. And really, he had nothing concrete he could point to for the sheriff to get involved at this point.

Roaming the mountainsides and trails around the town, he found nothing out of the ordinary. Nearing the back of the inn, he once again stayed in the shadows. His wolf form sensing no unusual scents or sounds, he finally turned away.

As he roamed about on his patrol, Rusty caught a whiff of Brad’s odor. He stopped, and lifting his nose to the air, he turned, trying to discern where it came from and how long ago, but the smell was too faint, disappearing on the wind. While it unsettled him, he couldn’t go after the man simply for smelling bad, so he dismissed it.

A little while later, Rusty reached his stash of clothes and transformed back into his natural shape. His nakedness highlighted silver by the moon, he dressed quickly and returned to his home where he went to bed, falling into a deep, exhausted sleep.

* * *

Sherry rose the next morning with a new attitude. She ate in the small dining room of the inn and walked outside. Just as she reached the gate, Brad met her. He wore a huge grin on his face, and groaning, she began to turn back around, but he grabbed her arm.

“How are you this morning, darling? Going anywhere special?”

“No,” Sherry said, trying to shake off his grip. He didn’t remove his hand, but instead increased the pressure of his hold. “Brad, stop it. You’re hurting me.”

As if on cue, Rusty drove up in his truck. Pulling over, he stepped in front of the two and motioned for Brad to let her go.

Brad laughed. Pulling out his phone, he turned and confronted Rusty.

“You might want to back off, ranger,” he said, waving his phone like some kind of flag, “or I just might have to reveal your little secret.”

Rusty looked at him with a wary expression while Sherry jumped to his defense.

“What are you talking about? You’re the one with secrets!”

“Am I? Why don’t you ask your lover here what he does at night?” Brad turned to Rusty with a smug look.

“What do you mean?” Sherry exploded. Grabbing Brad’s arm, she spun him around to face her. “What are you up to? I told you already. It’s over. We’re over!”

Brad leaned closer to her. His voice lowered, and his eyes stared deeply into hers. “Baby, I love you, can’t you see that?”

“You love me, and every other woman you can get your . . . hands on.” Sherry glared back at him.

“I know. I’m not perfect.” Brad looked humbled, ashamed even, as he begged her to reconsider her decision. “But I love you. I really do.”

“Sometimes love is not enough, Brad.” Sherry said.

“But it used to be all we needed.” He reached out and touched the side of her face. Encouraged when Sherry didn’t flinch or slap his hand away, he continued, “We are perfect for each other. We have plans,” he whispered.

For just a moment, Sherry’s heart wavered at the mention of their plans and the thought of the life full of love she’d always wanted. She could see in his eyes that he thought his ploy was working, but she knew it was just that—a ploy. He could never give her that love, that life.

“No,” said Sherry, her tone cold. “There isn’t room for me and all your secrets in our relationship.”

“So it’s secrets you don’t like, is it?” Brad said, his voice hardening.

“Yes,” Sherry agreed. She stepped away from him, closer to Rusty.

“At least I’m not a freak,” Brad snarled.

“Don’t be a jerk, Brad!” Sherry grew angrier by the minute.

“What if I told you your lover wasn’t natural? What if I told you he was a werewolf? Would you still prefer him over me?” Brad clicked on his phone, and the video played.

Sherry watched, fascinated, as a beautiful russet-colored wolf changed into a man, naked and unmistakably sexy in the moonlight.

Unmistakably Rusty.

Sherry’s eyes widened as her gaze went from the video to Rusty.

“What? What is that?” Sherry said, her expression confused, and then, “It was you. You’re the wolf, and the angel, and the man all wrapped up in one package, aren’t you?” Her voice came out in a strangled whisper, as if the truth was suddenly clear.

Rusty didn’t deny it, but the look he tossed at Brad was murderous.

“This isn’t how I wanted you to find out…” he started to say. His eyes begged her to let him explain, but she backed away.

Brad, triumphant, restarted the video and said, “Yep, I’d say that wolf thing is a secret. Kind of a big secret, right, Sherry?”

“This changes nothing between us, Brad. I still want you to leave me alone. I want nothing more to do with you. Especially not now. I’m not sure what I ever saw in you, but I see you clearly now.”

Rusty reached out for her, but she deftly avoided his hands, waving him away, too.

And with that, she turned to run down the sidewalk toward the garage.

“But Sherry, baby, you can’t be serious. I’m not a freak at least!” Brad shouted to her receding back, but she ignored him, focused on the garage and the hope that her car was ready so she could get out of this place.

* * *

Rusty, watching her go, wasn’t sure whether he wanted to follow her or throttle her former boyfriend. He wasn’t worried about Brad spreading rumors about him. Once he left town, the video would disappear and the memory of this place would be wiped from Brad’s memory by the town’s magical wards, but the damage to his relationship with Sherry was irreparable, and for that, he wanted to kill Brad.

Rusty, fists clenched at his sides and his face darkening with the promise of bodily harm, faced Brad, who had turned a lovely shade of white as if afraid and backed up a few steps.

Holding his hands up, Brad said, “Okay, man, don’t rip my throat out. I don’t want to be a werewolf.”

Rusty, through gritted teeth, said, “I’m not a werewolf, you idiot. But I could rip your throat out and wouldn’t regret it for an instant. If you don’t leave town right now, I might just forget my oath to not harm humans.”

Brad, realizing he’d finally crossed the line, quickly turned and ran to his car. He peeled out, and Rusty watched him speed down Main Street, barely stopping for lights as he headed out of town.

Rusty slowly walked toward Joshua’s. He had to explain. But he wasn’t exactly sure how to do it. How did you tell the woman you had just met—and rescued from a situation that you caused—that she was meant to be with you? Oh, and by the way, you were a man who could shift into a wolf?

He frowned when he found Sherry in Joshua’s office, sobbing in his friend’s arms. The quiet man looked up when Rusty entered with eyes that begged for help. Strong emotions were hard for the man. He’d usually left that up to Evelyn, who’d been a strong empath as well as being a shifter.

“Sherry,” Rusty said quietly.

She looked at him and then quickly buried her face in Joshua’s chest.

“Sherry,” Rusty said again.

Finally, with a great sob that wracked her body into shivers, Sherry turned and faced him. Her eyes blazing, she spat out, “You lied to me.”

“No,” he said with calm certainty, “I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

“You were the wolf that caused me to nearly die,” she said.

“It was the storm that caused you to fall,” he defended himself. Rusty took another step closer to her. “But, yes, I was the wolf you saw in the woods.”

“You were the naked angel who saved me,” she whispered.

“Sort of. I was naked, but I’m no angel.”

Her gaze traveled up and down his body. “You were the man I made love to, or was that a lie, too?”

“No, that was not a lie.” He stood as she watched him through tear-filled eyes, like she was trying to gauge the sincerity of his words.

“Why did you make love to me?” she asked, her tone beseeching him to explain.

“Because . . . because you are the one. You are my mate. You are my world.” He paused, but pressed on. “That song . . . it was written for you.”

“You wrote that song ages ago. How could it be about me?” Sherry’s tears stopped flowing. She watched him with hungry eyes, and he knew he had to couch his words carefully or he would lose her forever.

“My kind love only once and forever. We wait lifetimes for a mate who will be our equal. And sometimes, sometimes the mate is not our kind. But that does not make the bond any less strong. You were sent to me by the moon goddess. I am yours, and you are mine. You were mine before I knew you.” He spoke simply, sensing that her tumultuous emotions would not be able to accept the harsh truth of what loving someone like him would bring to her. Both the highs and the lows.

If she could accept him, accept them, he would gladly deal with any backlash when the time came.

Sherry looked at Joshua and said in a near whisper, “This is what it was like for you and Evelyn, wasn’t it? This feeling of not being good enough, or of just not being enough, isn’t it?”

Joshua nodded. “You are a child to one such as him, an infant, but you will grow old together. This I promise you.”

Turning to Rusty, Joshua said, “If I can do anything to help you two, at any time, you only need ask.”

Then, nodding to the two of them, he slapped Rusty on the shoulder.

Rusty nodded in gratitude and then turned to Sherry. Everything rested on her decision, after all.

Sherry, eyes bright with tears, turned back to Rusty and said simply, “I love you. I loved you the second you touched me. I don’t know how I know that, but I believe you are my fate.”

Rusty, hardly daring to believe her honesty, said, “You’re sure?”

“Yes, my love.” She moved toward Rusty, holding out her hand. “I’m sure. You are mine, and I am yours. Old wounds be damned. We will face what comes next together.”

“Oh, Sherry, my darling. I cannot promise you our journey together will be easy, but I can promise you it will always be filled with love. Although our love might be . . . unique . . . it will never be normal or dull.”

Sherry laughed a deep, throaty laugh that sent shivers down his spine. “Normalcy is highly overrated. Unique is much better when it comes to pleasing the heart.”

Lowering his lips until they almost touched hers, he whispered, “Then get ready for some of the most heart-pleasing times of your life.”

He leaned slightly away, taking the time to brush a hand across her cheek, sending shivers of need racing through her.

Sherry knew, glancing up into his soft brown eyes, that nothing could hold her heart more truly than the man whose desires turned him into a beast.

She pulled Rusty’s face closer to hers, lips meeting his with all the confidence that comes from knowing, without a doubt, that you have met your equal.

* * *

We hope you enjoyed this story in the Havenwood Falls series of novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read.

Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

Forget You Not by Kristie Cook

Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda

Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson

Coming soon are books by Lila Felix, R.K. Ryals, Belinda Boring, Heather Hildenbrand, Stacey Rourke, and more.

Watch for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series launching in October 2017.

Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up to date on news and announcements at . Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at