The Criminal and the Wolf

by Ella Grey

  “What happened?” Beth’s voice sounded groggy.

  “You were shot.”

  “Wait a minute, what?” She shuffled around in the seat, and David snuck a look at her in the rearview mirror. The roads weren’t busy. This way never was because even if the mountain where he lived was popular for hikers, this was a terrible time of the year for it. The grounds of the Coldwater pack were mostly seen as a preppers’ compound, and the grounds were private. It made it easier for them to shift and have free range of the mountain, but they still needed to be careful, since humans had a habit of being blissfully ignorant of laws. “But if I was shot, where’s the wound?”

  “It’s gone now.”

  Beth started to laugh, but she must have seen something in Parker’s eyes, because it died away. “What do you mean it’s gone? How can a bullet hole vanish?”

  Parker looked pointedly over in his direction, and David took a deep breath. Carefully, he pulled the car to the side of the road and got out. He opened her door, and Beth got out. She was panicked. The rollercoaster of emotions hit him hard, but he did his best to keep his composure.

  “We need to talk.” He took his keys out of the ignition and pocketed them. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust Parker, but he wasn’t going to risk it. “We’ll be back in a minute.”

  The other man nodded. “Good luck.”

  David offered his hand to Beth and breathed a sigh of relief when she took it. He led her towards the trees. They walked in silence because until he got her to sit down, he was worried that she was going to faint. Eventually they found an uprooted tree, and they sat down on it. Beth pulled her dark hair over her shoulder, playing with the ends. She hadn’t looked at him. Instead she glanced down at her feet. “What’s going on, David? You’re scaring me.”

  “I nearly lost you.”

  “What do you mean? I’m right here.”

  David scooted off his seat on the tree and knelt in front of her. “There was a gun. Kelvin got off a lucky shot. He was aiming for me, but I hurt his hand. He got you instead. Damn, all I could think was that I was going to lose you. I’d just found you. It wasn’t fair.”

  He watched as Beth stripped off her hoodie and t-shirt and study the back of it. Beth went pale the moment she found the bloodstained bullet hole. She studied him with wide eyes.

  “What did you do?”

  He reached out and touched her neck, and she winced. “I did what I had to do. I understand if you can’t forgive me, but you’ve got to understand, I’d do it again. You’re my mate.”

  “You bit me…” She trailed off. With her t-shirt held to her chest she looked incredibly young.

  David nodded. “I didn’t have a choice.

  “That means, I’m like you?” She looked up at him.

  He nodded and then was slightly taken aback when she kissed him. It was unexpected, and he moaned as passion swept over him in a rush. He reluctantly broke the kiss. “What are you doing?”

  Beth’s skin was flushed. “You saved my life.”

  “You’re not angry?”

  She dropped her t-shirt to the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing his lips down to hers. A kiss more forceful than the last. David let her push him down to the soft grass. The need to claim her threaten to overwhelm him. Beth needed to take control. More than an hour ago she’d been human. Now she was something else. Beth straddled him, and he watched as she removed her bra and then got to work on his top. When there were no layers between them, the wolf inside of him howled for joy.

  “You’re beautiful,” he managed to say before she claimed his lips again.

  ****

  Beth had never wanted anyone as much as she needed David. Every part of her called out for him, begging for him to quell the noise inside of her. Dead. A few hours ago, she would have been dead. There would have been nothing, her future gone in the blink in an eye and she had never kissed him. Never touched him. Never took him as hers. A part of her wanted to go slow, to revel in it. And as she ran her hands over his hard, scarred chest, she gently pressed her lips on his. Skin on skin brought some peace. The wolf inside wanted more, and it took a lot to stop herself from going fast. She didn’t have any clue how long she could hold onto her humanity.

  He hadn’t touched her yet, and she broke the kiss and frowned down at him. “Are you okay?”

  His lips kicked up into a smile. “I’m more than fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He grabbed her shoulders and flipped her on her back. The move knocked the wind out of her, but it sparked excitement in the pit of her stomach. It could have been the wolf or herself. David was strong, and it showed her how much he kept himself under control. He didn’t need to do that anymore. Not with her. “Well, your hair was tickling my nose.”

  It was dark in the woods. David loomed over her. Her body was effectively pinned underneath him, but it wasn’t fear that spiked through her. He lowered himself and brushed a kiss across her lips. She wriggled, trying to get closer, to feel more of his body against hers. David growled, and it was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard. She moved again and gasped as he nipped her bottom lip.

  “You keep doing that and I’m going to have to put you over my knee.”

  “I’d rather you just take my jeans off.”

  He smiled as he brushed his lips against hers again. “Someone is being rather impatient.”

  “Don’t you think we’ve waited long enough?”

  “Can’t argue with that.”

  Beth watched him as he deliberately and slowly unzipped her jeans. He grabbed the loops at the waistband and worked them over her hips and down her legs. Even in the near dark he could make out the dark fabric of her underwear. He threw the jeans over his shoulder and dropped down beneath her knees.

  “What are you doing?” The words died on her lips as he softly blew on the fabric that covered her. The smell of her desire was thick in the air. “David.” The sound of his name on her lips, more like a moan than anything else, was the best thing he’d ever heard.

  “I’ve got you, beautiful.” He blew against the crux between her legs again and watched as the fabric darkened. “I want to savor the taste of you.” Very carefully, he moved her panties to the side. Her near naked lips were wet, and with the utmost, maddening care, he kissed her. Damn, she tasted as good as he thought she would. Sweet and addictive.

  Suddenly Beth moved beneath him, and he felt her fingers in his hair, holding him place. He glanced up the line of her body and met her gaze. After a moment she closed her eyes. Her moans were the sweetest thing, and he caught the moment when he applied the slightest pressure to the bundle of nerves between her legs. Her eyes snapped open, and she cried out. Her taste flooded his senses. The pressure on the back of his head increased as she tugged on it. As he raised up her body and kissed her, she fumbled at his jeans, and cold air hit his butt as she managed to get them down his thighs.

  She pulled him down with her, wrapping her legs around his waist, urging him forward. David reached down between their bodies, eager to play with her again. “I want you,”

  “I want you, too.”

  “Then don’t make me wait any longer. We’ve got a lifetime to take it slow.”

  David held himself taut. He didn’t think it was possible to be as rock hard as he was. He pushed himself inside her. The feel of her was maddening. The connection snapped into place, solidifying. Beth cried out again, and David growled. “You are mine.”

  “Yes,” she replied breathlessly. “I am.”

  ****

  Beth rested her head on his chest, and droplets of sweat caught on his chest hair tickled her nose. She shivered as he ran a hand up and down the curve of her back and learned how to breathe again.

  “Parker is going to wonder where we got to.”

  “He probably heard us. Shifters have good hearing.”

  Beth laughed. “I’m not usually so loud.”

  “I’m glad you had fun.” David rolled h
er around until her back was against the grass. “Are you okay with this?”

  “It’s going to take some getting used to, but we’re together. That’s all that matters in the long run.” She sighed as David ran a hand up the side of her body. “Why do I feel that we could do all of that again?”

  “You mean the sex? Stamina is one hell of a perk.” He dipped his hand between her legs. “The night you shift for the first time, my wolf will claim that side of you as well.” She didn’t even think it was possible, but her body responded to him again. “I’ll chase you through the woods and teach you want it means to be a wolf.” He pushed a finger inside of her, and Beth started to breathe heavy as he used the pad of his thumb to tease at her clit. “Then, after we’ve run and played, you’ll be mine in every way. Would you like that?”

  Thoughts raced through her mind. Her life was completely changed, and it felt like being shot had killed a part of her, closing her eyes on her human life to open them to a brand-new world. There was a pressure deep inside of her, an intense feeling of pleasure, and she looked at David, who had a wicked grin on his face.

  “I asked you a question, beautiful, or would you prefer it if I stopped?”

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, trapping his hand. “Please don’t stop.” A cry escaped her as he pressed harder on her clit, circling his thumb. It should have been impossible for another orgasm to come from her body, but she gripped onto his shoulders tightly as another one went through her.

  David pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose as the aftershocks went through her. “Now we really have to go.”

  Beth made a sound of protest because in that moment, words failed her completely. There was nothing she could say that wouldn’t ruin it. David helped her dress, and she felt delicate and loved. She counted her blessings. There were plenty of times over the last week when she could have died or someone else could have done, like Carlos. They had been lucky, and she could safely say that wasn’t something she usually felt. Her world had been a mess for such a long time, and even meeting David hadn’t changed that. She was something more than human, and she found her soul mate. All it had taken was being blackmailed by a madman and taking part in a failed robbery.

  What did her future hold now?

  Chapter Eleven

  David didn’t know what to say. He knew that he had invited Parker along for the ride, but in this moment, he wished that he hadn’t bothered. There was an underlying tension in the air. A knowledge that he had claimed his mate and it had been everything he thought it would be and he wanted to do it again and again. He peeked in the rearview mirror and noticed that Beth was watching him. The look in her eyes was dark and full of unspoken promise.

  Parker coughed. “This isn’t awkward at all.”

  Beth burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, I’m getting use to all these feelings and impulses. Is it obvious?”

  “It’s only because you’re a new shifter. You’ll get it all under control eventually. Just enjoy it while it lasts.”

  David listened to them talk, intensely proud of how Beth was handling the situation. The whole situation had changed her, and it was amazing to see. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and leaned on the back of Parker’s chair. With her free hand she touched the back of David’s neck and flashed him a smile. A warm feeling spread out in the pit of his stomach. It had been a long time since he felt content and safe. He’d killed a man a few hours ago, and he shouldn’t have been feeling so good.

  “Do you have a mate?”

  Parker rubbed his chin, and David could taste the pain in the air.

  “Beth?” Her name came with a soft edge of warning; she couldn’t read the emotions like he could.

  His mate glanced between them. “Is that a personal question?”

  “Not everyone is blessed with a mate, or if they are, they might never meet them.”

  “It isn’t that,” Parker said from his seat, his gaze on the passing trees. “Lissa died. So yes, I had a mate, but I don’t have one anymore.”

  “Do shifters only get one mate?”

  “We’re here.”

  It would have to be a conversation they’d have on a different day. The sign for the mountain, Coldwater, was painted in fine white lettering, and as they passed it, David stayed on the main path. It would still be a while before they reached the compound, but seeing home was good for him. He didn’t know why he had been reluctant to come back. Being in the surrounding forest on Coldwater brought a peace which he missed. Being on assignment in the ass end of nowhere meant all he had seen on tour was sand, to the point he could go the rest of his life without seeing any of the yellow stuff again. Harper, besides all its flaws, had a taste of home to it, and he would always remember it as the place he found her.

  But nothing compared to this.

  Beth moved in her seat and sat behind him, her chin on his shoulder. “This is it?”

  He nodded, taking one hand off the steering wheel to touch hers. “Welcome to the Coldwater Pack.”

  The End

  Other Books by Ella Grey:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/ella-grey

  If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:

  Destined by Dragonblood by Lynn Burke

  True Love’s Kiss by Rose Wulf

  Sights on Her by Laura M. Baird

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER

  GUITARS AND CUPCAKES

  Ella Grey

  Copyright © 2015

  Sample Chapter

  The last time Clayton Heaton had played the guitar in front of a crowd, he’d been twenty-one, in his last year of University. He’d since placed it on the stand in his tiny living room and went from playing it regularly to barely touching it at all. The hours at the garage were long, and he came back home tired. He’d rather crack open a beer than play an instrument. On occasion he’d pick it up, tune it in and play. He lost hours strumming at the strings. The addictive quality of the music welcomed him back like an old lover. Every time that happened he promised himself that he would spend more time practicing. A promise he quickly forgot when he jumped onto his motorcycle and went back to work.

  This week had been particularly brutal. Rude customers expected him to perform miracles on cars they drove too hard and too fast. One guy had even taken a swing at him after Clayton gave him the bill. Clayton had ducked the blow and delivered a right hook that set the man onto his arse. When he threatened to call the cops, the other mechanics had been quick to back him up. Alan, his boss, had personally escorted the guy out and told him to start searching for another garage, way out of town. Nobody would do work for him after Alan started to make a few calls.

  On Friday night Clayton slipped the guitar into its case and left it by the front door. It would be the first thing he saw as he left the house, and a reminder that he needed to do something out of his comfort zone. Hell, even if he only did it once. He lived a couple of miles out of town. The small farmhouse had originally belonged to his mum, and she left it to him in her will. He usually spent his weekends out back, rebuilding motorcycles. It was a skill learned from his dad, and one mastered since working at the garage. Despite its humble size, the farmhouse was still too big for one guy. Two of the spare bedrooms had been stripped and locked up. He hadn’t bothered to take down the pictures his mother had hung on the wall. Her touches were everywhere. The yellow kitchen countertops. The warm green paint in the hallway. Half the time he still expected her to walk through the back door, a basket filled with apples she’d collected from the orchard in her arms.

  When he opened his eyes that morning, the sun shone. The skies were a rich blue without a cloud in sight. He was been born and raised in Hollow Grove, between Edinburgh and Perth. He’d left long enough to go to University and then came back. It hadn’t been his original plan. No, he would have preferred to stay in Edinburgh since there were more opportunities to find work in the larger city bu
t when his mum got sick, Clayton moved back home. It had been sheer luck that he landed the job with Alan.

  Hollow Grove was a beautiful town filled with flower stands, busy market stalls, coffee shops, and picturesque pubs. None of it called to him. He spent a majority of his time at home, elbow deep in whatever his latest project was. Nestled in his garage was a vintage Venture classic in a state of mid repair. The only time he went out was once a month. His boss held a get-together at his house. If he didn’t go to that, Bertha, Alan’s wife, would drag him there by the ear.

  Clayton only went into town to stock up the fridge. He never bothered to linger. A week ago he’d spotted a coffee shop. Glossy black wooden planks and large windows made up the front. In bold, white lettering written on the front was the name “Lucy.” The last time he’d walked past, it had been locked up tight. Now as he peered in through the window, he noticed that people sat at the tables.

  Clayton readjusted his guitar case and pushed open the door. A wave of cool air hit him, and he shivered. Definitely the wrong time of year for air-conditioning. An elderly woman glanced up from her book as he walked past. A man, probably her husband, sat at the table with her, a newspaper in his hand. The woman returned her attention back to her book and wrote something down.

  The shop had an odd, rectangular shape. The owner had placed several small tables around the space. A counter lined the far left wall; an archway behind it led to another workspace. A random door opposite him probably led up to a stockroom or something else upstairs. The walls were white, and a checkered pattern of black and white covered the floor. The blue flowers resting in a small white vase were a nice touch, and abstract pictures on the wall added much needed flashes of color, vivid and powerful. Definitely not on the same level as the coffee shop chains, but it certainly has charm. He stopped at the counter and studied the blackboard attached to the wall before peering into the glass display. The rich smell of freshly baked goods teased his nose, and his stomach rumbled loudly.