Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Four
Book 1: The Missing Queen
Book 2: The Ripple Effect
Book 3: The Lost Tiro
Book 4: The Long Journey
Book 1: Cole
Book 2: Alexander
Book 3: Peter
Book 4: Nicholas
Book 5: Spencer
A Wolf’s Heart (Wolf Mountain Peak Book 1) Preview
Chapter 1
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
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A Wolf’s Touch
Wolf Mountain Peak | Book 3
Sarah J. Stone
Contents
A Wolf’s Touch
Extras
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A Wolf’s Touch
Chapter One
““‘The world of humans: a world consisting only of peril, mischief and treachery.’”
Raul and Dean’s ordeals with Monica and Kate had shaped Ray’s belief. They had found their mates, but, in his eyes, they had merely found a way to gamble with their lives, and eventually cut them short. In his heart, Ray agreed with his grandfather, Roman, the one responsible for keeping human women away from his pack from for generations: Shifters should not mate with humans. Of course, he would not share his view on the matter with his brothers. Raul was perfectly happy with Monica, and Dean was hours away from mating with Kate. Complaining to them about their choices would be pointless.
Still, the abolishment of the rule did have an upside, one that Ray had been enjoying ever since his older brother became Alpha. It meant that he could frequent other places outside of Paxton, and, although bars in the neighboring town of Shandaken were scarce, the option of visiting them was most welcome. The idea of socializing with men was not so appealing; they were just as treacherous as women, but none of them could pose a threat to his well-being. No man could break his heart. Nevertheless, there were women in those bars, and some of them very beautiful indeed. Ray was tall and handsome; a new face like his attracted a lot of attention. He still had his needs, but he had to reject their advances. Protecting himself from heartache was vital. One-night stands sounded like the safest choice; yet, they would not remain secret for long in such a small town. A revelation like that could make him the epicenter of gossip. Sooner or later, Ray would have to answer questions that he had been dreading, like “why do you treat women like that”, or “why are you so emotionally unavailable.” Much to his dismay, he would be forced to leave Shandaken, never to return.
On the eve of Dean and Kate’s mating ceremony, all the noise and fuss from the feverish preparations, rendered it impossible for him to stay anywhere near his cabin. There were people running around in the front yard, getting in and out of Dean’s home, or talking on their phones. Ray’s only escape was another trip to “Northern Oak”, his most favorite bar in Shandaken. The owner, Lucas Carpenter was a nice all-around guy, the music was not too loud, and it was not as popular as other bars in the area.
As soon as he entered the bar though, a sting of disappointment rose from his chest. Every table around him was full, and there was a terrible amount of chattering in the air. There were only two available seats at the counter. Had he gone there just a few minutes later, he wouldn’t have found an empty spot. Ray hopped onto a stool, as the elderly manager strolled towards him.
“Evening, Lucas.” He winked at him. “Busy night.”
“You can say that again.” The elderly manager nodded. “The usual?”
“It’s too hot for anything else,” Ray claimed, leaning his elbows on the counter, as a hesitant smile formed on his face.
“Oh, boy,” Lucas sighed, setting a bottle of beer down in front of Ray. “Have I mentioned that trends piss me off?”
“Trends?” Ray squinted at him.
“City girls and mountain men,” Lucas explained, throwing a quick glance to his left. “It’s been going on for a while now. Chicks from New York drive all the way up here, thinking they’ll find their prince charming in Shandaken. That redhead’s been here all afternoon, flirting with all kinds of losers. Jonas Finn is her last victim.”
Curious to discover the woman’s identity, Ray whirled his head around. However, she was no stranger to him. She was in fact Julia Stinson, Kate and Monica’s friend, giggling, as she leaned toward Jonas. He had noticed her absence from their property, but he had failed to ask Dean or Kate why she was not in Paxton. He could still recall her rant about mountain men, on Raul’s mating ceremony. She believed them to be her kind of bad boys, simply because they were not so much into their looks. Their beards and their tattoo-covered arms attested to that, or so she thought. Ray smiled to himself, wondering how to phrase his response. Before he could speak though, a short blonde barged through the glass door, with her gaze locked on the table to her left, a fierce look in her eyes.
“You son of a bitch!” She cried, her chest heaving, as she cast an angry glare down at Jonas. “You’re flirting with her?” At that, she raised her right arm and slapped him across the face. Julia dropped her head in her hands, as the blonde stormed out of the bar.
“Honey, wait!” Jonas shouted, jumping from his seat.
“That’s Lily, his wife.” Lucas informed him, as several bystanders burst into loud, roaring laughter. “Feisty, ain’t she?”
“Yeah,” Ray snorted in amusement, picking his bottle up from the counter. “Excuse me.”
Hopping off his stool, he turned to face Julia, as the laughter subsided. She bent her head down towards the table, as he closed the distance between them. Her head hit the surface, as the smell of alcohol grew stronger in his nostrils. She was intoxicated; apparently, Julia had been in “Northern Oak” much longer than he had. But, there was another scent, more pungent than even the poison that was running through her veins: her own scent; almond.
“Ahem…” Ray cleared his throat, seating himself across from her. “Maids of honor should be sober during the ceremony, not recovering from hangovers.”
“Ray?” Julia spoke in a panic-ridden v
oice, peering through splayed fingers to look up at him. “Ray, is that you?”
“No, it’s my evil twin,” he retorted, bringing the beer bottle to his lips. “Flirting with married men? Really? I thought you were dating someone. Where is he?”
“Not evil,” she groaned, exposing her face as she abruptly leaned back. “Judgmental, maybe; however, in my defense, he didn’t have his wedding ring on. And Sean dumped me, a couple of weeks ago.”
“People,” Ray murmured, shaking his head in disapproval. “He keeps his marriage a secret, hoping to get laid.”
“Just my luck,” Julia sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “He was taken, too.”
“You’re naïve,” he reprimanded, leaning towards her as he intensified his stare. “Just because these morons grow beards, that doesn’t make them decent. They swear a lot, and they smell like goats.”
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” She exclaimed, bringing her gaze down to meet his. “What happened to the cool, funny guy I met at my friend’s wedding? Have you seen him, by the way? Tall: has blond hair; blue eyes?”
“I just don’t think mountain men are the solution to your problems,” Ray offered, shrugging his shoulders, his voice coming out mellow. “Men will be men.”
“I need another drink,” Julia stated, putting her hands down on the table. His gaze followed her, as she slowly rose from her seat. A knot of tension formed in his chest, as her body swayed forward. Ray had no time to react. Her drowsy eyes opened wide with horror, as her body leaned towards him. Julia dropped onto the table, flipping it over, as he thrust his arms forward. The beer bottle shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, as she knocked him off his chair. Ray fell hard on his back, banging his head against the hardwood floor, Julia landing on top of him.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink for one night,” he said, as a sigh of relief fled her lips. “We’re leaving.”
Chapter Two
Ray’s first thought was to take Julia to the hospital. She was clearly in a worse state than he initially believed, and Shandaken hospital was less than two miles away. Still, he decided to do no such thing. Doctors did tend to ask too many questions, and they would probably notify her family. There was one doctor in the area, guaranteed to be much subtler: her good friend, Monica. Ray only hoped that he could sneak Julia past Kate. Seeing her maid of honor like this would upset her too much. Therefore, he chose to drive her home.
Luckily for her, it was much quieter when they arrived. The only vehicles on the driveway were his brothers’ trucks and Kate’s car. Raul and Monica were outside, pacing across the yard, as his own truck came to an abrupt halt. Ray switched off the engine, and then stormed out of it, catching their attention.
“Hey, man,” Raul winked at him. “I thought you’d go out tonight.”
“I did,” Ray muttered, moving around his truck. “You’ll never guess who I ran into.”
“Julia,” Monica interjected. “She said she’d go out tonight. Where is she? I don’t see her car.”
“Right here,” Ray replied, swinging open the back door to his truck. “Drunk out of her freaking mind,” he added, as he reached down to grab her by her feet.
“Drunk?” Monica squealed, her brows popping up, as she half-ran off towards him.
“Yep,” Ray nodded, pulling her towards him.
“How much has she had to drink?” She posed another question, this time in a harsh squeaky whisper.
“Not a clue,” Ray responded, placing both hands under her armpits. He bent his knees, before lifting her body upwards. Flexing his muscles, he picked her up, her light body draping over his shoulder, as he turned right. He started towards his brother’s cabin, as Raul smiled down at him. “This isn’t funny,” he growled.
“I respectfully disagree,” Raul declared, as his smile broadened to a grin.
“Why were you so reckless, Jules?” Monica asked, her tone still squeaky, as Ray brushed past her. “Kate’s going to kill you if she finds out.”
“Isn’t he great?” Julia wondered as her voice weakened, her friend following right behind them. “Too bad he doesn’t have a beard.”
“Don’t listen to that nonsense, Ray,” Monica urged, as he strode through the open front door. “Get her to the couch. I’ll be right with you.”
“Beards must be your fetish or something,” Ray grumbled. “Trust me; they don’t feel as good as they look.”
“How do you know?” She inquired, with a silly smile on her face, as he eased her down on the couch. “Have you ever kissed a guy with one?” His anxiety didn’t allow him to appreciate her joke. For a moment, he believed she wasn’t kidding, and barely held on to his temper. But, when a wild cry of laughter burst through her lips, he realized he’d be a fool to get angry. He could not get mad at someone who was merely teasing him, and Julia was doing precisely that. More than that, Ray couldn’t deny that she was beautiful. Red curls adorned her face. Her skin was creamy, though somewhat pale, and her cheeks were dotted with freckles. He caught himself staring down at her, unwilling to interrupt this outburst of silliness.
“Ray, please give us the room.” Monica requested, as she hurriedly approached them, with an empty bowl in her hands. “This is not going to be pretty.”
“Get out, pretty boy,” Julia chuckled, raising her left arm to point up at the door. “You don’t want to see me throw up, do you?”
“Women…” Ray hummed, turning his back on the two friends. Yes. Women: gorgeous; capable of sending him to heaven; or dooming him to the worst possible death; complicated like nothing else in this world; the only creatures he had to stay away from. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked out of Raul’s cabin, only to find his brother with the same, astute smile on his face.
“That Julia chick’s a piece of work,” the Alpha stated, as his eyes glinted with amusement. “You should hear Monica’s stories.”
“I don’t need to,” Ray replied, assuming a stiff tone, furrowing his brow at his older brother. “I saw it tonight with my own two eyes. She’s supposed to give her friend away tomorrow, and she drank herself senseless. Why the hell did she do that?”
“Hey!” Raul’s stentorian voice rumbled like thunder, his smile falling from his lips, as he closed in on his brother. “Ok, she got drunk. It’s not the end of the world. You seem pretty upset. What’s going on?”
Sadly for Ray, his emotions had given him away. Now, he had to confront his brother, and he had no idea how to phrase his rebuttal, without aggravating him any further. Still, they had to have this conversation. Raul had to know about his opinion.
“I almost lost you; and Dean.” Ray spoke, his tone calm and steady. “I’m sorry, but I think maybe grandpa was right. Humans cannot be trusted. Look what Monica did to you. Look what Kate did to Dean.”
“What; made us happy?” Raul’s voice rose up an octave. “We took a chance with them, but they’re here now. We both made the same mistake. Care to know what it is?”
“Yeah,” Ray said with a nod.
“We had…” Raul faltered, lowering his gaze as he ran his hand through his hair, “… special enemies; invisible things, out of our control. Monica’s a doctor. She thinks a little too much. She found it hard to believe in the unknown. Kate is a singer. She had a life before she met Dean. She wanted to focus on her career. Neither of us paid any attention to those details, and we almost paid the price.”
“What could you have done?” Frustration crept into Ray’s voice, as it picked up volume.
“Taken those facts into account,” Raul’s reply was sharp, as his gaze shot up to meet his brother’s. “It sounds simple, doesn’t it? I’m telling you; it wasn’t. I had to talk to Monica more about our kind: show her how we lived; take it easy with her. Dean totally forgot about Kate’s job. He thought helping her out with her mother would be enough to keep her here. Last night, he told me that he had never even considered the possibility of her wanting to keep her job. Grandpa was wrong, kid. Humans may be complex, but they’re
worth it. Now, this town is packed with submissives. Don’t tell me you want to spend the rest of your life with one of them.”
“Hell no,” Ray uttered, pursing his lips. “But what do we do about our longevity? I’m not sure I’d be willing to give up almost half my life, just to mate with a human.”
“Fuck our longevity,” Raul assumed an emphatic tone. “So what if I live less? Like I told Monica, it’s better to have a life that matters, than no life at all. You’re still young to take a mate, but, whenever you do, don’t hesitate to choose a human. Just don’t make the same mistake, and you’ll be fine.”
“Will I?” Ray asked himself, as his brother left him alone. Despite Raul’s thorough explanation and his encouragement, he was still not convinced. The Alpha’s points were valid, but they were not enough to make him reconsider. In the equation of love, no humans, equaled no heartache, and he intended to keep it that way.
Chapter Three
The glorious moonlight painted the world a sparkling shade of silver, while leaving some of the trees and the surface of Clover Lake in shades of gray, from white to black and everything in between. On that warm, early-July night, red and white petals were lining the forest floor, as Dean rolled up his sleeve to check his watch. The moment he would state his love for his Siren was finally here.
An eagle’s call ripped through the air, as Kate stepped onto the aisle, in a luxurious, white dress, holding on to Julia’s arm. Her lips curled into a blissful smile, as her gaze met Dean’s. Her friend nudged her with the elbow, forcing her to look around her, up at the chattering crowd. He gave a small laugh, staring at the awkward expression on her face. At the same time however, Dean could feel his heart thumping in his chest. The two friends stopped, just before the end of the aisle. Julia leaned sideways and planted a firm kiss on Kate’s cheek, as a large eagle flew over her, flapping his wings. She moved around her, settling her gaze on Ray, as Kate headed towards Dean.
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