Trouble with Wolves: An urban fantasy romance novel (Magic and Bone Book 1)

by Danielle Annett

  She arched closer her to me, her body eager for my touch. She moaned and my dick reacted, ready to burst. I needed to be inside of her.

  She quivered beneath my hands as they roamed over her body, trailing down to her hips. Her eyes wide and filled with a hunger I was eager to sate. I boldly cupped her pussy over the denim of her pants, feeling her heat through the thick material. She sucked in a breath and before she could say anything, I crashed my lips against hers and thrust my tongue in and out of her mouth. With each moan and whimper that travelled from her lips into my own, I lost more of myself to need.

  I unbuttoned her pants, slipping a hand into them to feel her slick pussy. She wore no panties either. I ran my finger along her slit. Christ. She was so wet.

  “You’re soaked.” I hissed into her mouth and swirled my finger over her honey-coated clit. Her body arched into mine and I smiled down at her as satisfaction thrummed through me. I slipped my finger into her, then added another. Pumping my fingers in and out of her tight channel. I curled my fingers inside of her to hit her G-spot.

  “Jesu…” she moaned. Her pussy clamped tight around my fingers. Her orgasm was close. She whimpered beneath me, her eyes shut and her legs shaking.

  “Open your eyes,” I ordered.

  She did, and I watched as her orgasm crashed through her, leaving her body trembling against mine.

  Unable to help myself, I slid my hand free and brought my fingers to my lips, tasting her.

  Her eyes dilated and lust was clearly stamped across her face.

  “You’re delicious,” I said with a wicked grin.

  She smiled. A smile so brilliant it lit up her entire face and all at once, I deflated, feeling like the worst sort of asshole for what I planned to do.

  I leaned forward, brushing my lips against hers in a gentle caress before retrieving her sweater and handing it back to her to put on.

  Her fingers trembled as she took the fabric, a question evident in her eyes. I chose to ignore it and grabbed my shirt and jacket, putting both back on and ignoring the regret piercing through me.

  Awkward silence stretched between us. “Are you okay?” she finally asked, her words hesitant.

  I forced a smile and pulled her close to me, burying my face in her hair and breathing her in. “I’m perfect. Just don’t want to take advantage.” Yeah, I was a bastard and a liar but there wasn’t anything I could do about either of those things right now.

  She snorted. “I’m a grown woman.”

  I pulled back, giving her another chaste kiss. “Trust me, I’m well aware.” Releasing her, I strode to a nearby boulder and leaned against it.

  “So, why don’t we get down to business?”

  Lindy

  The walk back to the Den was uncomfortable, to say the least. After feeling Red between my thighs, playing me expertly with his fingers, and then tasting me… I fought back a groan. I’d never been more turned on, my senses heightened and attuned to him and only him.

  My wolf had wanted him as badly as I had and that’d been unexpected. My skin itched and my body was wound tight despite having been given some measure of relief. But it wasn’t enough, and I was beginning to wonder if it ever would be. If maybe this itch I needed to scratch was specific to the new and intriguing human.

  I wanted him in a way I’d never wanted another. But I also needed him. Needed him to help me build a bridge with the humans. Sex would only get in the way of that. Already, I was distracted. My mind kept wandering back to his touch, his taste, his lips on mine and—

  A growl ripped through my throat and I shoved my need down, his words replaying through my mind as I headed back toward the Den.

  He didn’t want to take advantage. That was good. Right? I didn’t scent a lie when he’d said it but… something made me hesitate trusting him. Still. Was it simply because he was human? That had to be it. He’d given me no other reason to question him or his motives.

  But when he’d suggested we invite a small group of the town’s humans into our Den for a meeting, I’d swiftly turned it down. Our Den was our home. Our safe haven. I wanted to be optimistic but the chance of this not working out was high, and if they knew where our Den was, the chance of us being hunted down was even higher.

  The alternative was some our Pack meeting within the town, but I wasn’t fond of that idea, either. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t meet in the woods, but Red was adamant the humans would never go for it, which left us with no where to go until one of us gave in.

  We wanted the peace more than the humans did. So we were going to be the ones to have to take the risk. I needed to speak with my father. See if he’d be willing to meet in town. But worry gnawed at my stomach. I didn’t want him there. I didn’t trust the humans and my father wasn’t as strong as he used to be.

  The risk was too high, but what choice did we have?

  “You smell—” A delicate sniff. “Like someone who just had a whole lot of fun.”

  I whirled around, coming face to face with Amelia’s wide grin. Hand pressed to my chest, I stared at her in wide-eyed horror. “You cannot sneak up on me like that.”

  She chuckled. “I wasn’t sneaking. You were so lost in thought you didn’t even hear me when I called out your name.”

  Oh. I cursed under my breath when I realized what she’d said. My cheeks heated and … “I guess I should have taken a dip in the stream before coming back,” I muttered.

  Striding forward, she wrapped one arm around my shoulders and led me through the Den’s cavern like entrance. “Nonsense. If you’d done that how would I have known to pester you amount him. It’s not Emb—”

  “No.” I shook my head, following her lead inside as she headed toward her room.

  She clucked her tongue. “I didn’t think so. Asa?”

  I choked on a laugh. “God, no. Could you imagine?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t think he’d be your type, or that he’d be that stupid ,but there have been looks…” She trailed off.

  I made a cutting motion with my hand in a definitive “no” gesture. “There have been no looks. I love Asa, but like a brother.”

  “I know that,” she cut in. “And I never said the looks were on your part.” We stopped at her door and I opened my mouth, intending to set her straight. But the knowing look on her face had me clamping my lips back together. Asa had been paying me more attention as of late, but I assumed it was because he was playing watchdog for his brother, not because he had any genuine interest in me. Besides, challenging Embry was suicide.

  Amelia sighed, “I know. He’d be an idiot to challenge his brother’s claim, but sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.”

  I snorted. “Well, this heart does not want either one of the Atsila brothers.”

  “Glad to hear it. You’re too good for either of them. Now hurry up. You can shower here. I wouldn’t be surprised if Embry was waiting for you back in your rooms. You and I both know things wouldn’t end well if he caught your scent right now.”

  Swallowing hard, I nodded and followed her inside. “I take it you caught him there earlier?” I asked, wondering if I was about to get in trouble for not sending him back to the infirmary when he’d first shown up earlier. She shoved a pair of soft pants and a cotton tee at me and none too gently shoved me toward her bathroom.

  “Of course I knew he’d gone to you. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’s obsessed. And yes, before you cut in, I know he’s using this as another way to get close to you. I’m not blind, and hopefully you aren’t either. You’re not falling for it, right?”

  “Hard no.”

  “Good. Like I said—”

  “I’m too good for him?” I finished with a snort.

  Amelia came to a halt, her eyes boring into me. “Lindy, I loved your mother as though she were my own which is why I know she would want me to tell you this. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be loved and to love in return. Fiercely and without compromising your sense of
self. I know Embry means well. I’m sure Asa does, too. But neither of those boys know what to do with you. You’re the most dominant female in the Pack. On top of that, you’re more dominate than most of the men. You’re an anomaly. I want you to be happy. She would too. But I don’t think you’ll find that here, with any of the men we have right now.”

  My face fell. I knew she was right. I’d always known it. But then where did that leave me? I wanted to stay here, in my Pack. I wanted to be the next Alpha. I—

  She reached up and rubbed the frown lines from between my brows. “Stop worrying about tomorrow today. Get in the shower so you can tell me all about whoever it is that you went and did dirty dirty things with. I want to hear all about it.”

  “Amelia!”

  She gave me a playful shove.

  “Hey, I’m choosing to live vicariously through you, so hurry up and don’t you dare leave out any of the juicy bits.”

  I’d only been in the shower ten minutes before Amelia’s impatience got the better of her. I tried to ignore the pounding on the door in favor of the hot water pouring over my head, but I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face.

  Knock, knock, knock.

  I turned up the heat and ignored the pounding. She could wait another five minutes before I was forced to tell her about Red. It wouldn’t kill her, though she’d claim otherwise.

  “Lindy, if you don’t come out, I’m coming in.” Embry’s voice was muffled through the closed wooden door.

  What was he doing here? Amelia wouldn’t have told—? No. I shoved the idea out of my mind. Amelia wasn’t the type to stir the pot. And she was my friend. She would never throw me under the bus.

  “Give me a minute,” I called back. Shutting off the water, I was just about to reach for a towel when the door was flung wide open.

  “Jesus.” I wrapped my hands over my naked breasts and glared at him. “Get out!”

  He stood in the open doorway, his eyes giving my wet, naked body a quick once over before returning to my face.

  “Embry, I’m serious. Get out!”

  “We have an emergency. You have two minutes. Get dressed.” His words were clipped but I didn’t miss the heat in his gaze before he turned around and closed the door behind him.

  Jumping into motion, I threw on the clothes Amelia had given me and with my hair still dripping down my back, ran out to find Embry and a worried Amelia waiting for me.

  “What happened?”

  Embry tilted his head toward the hallway. “Come on. I’ll fill you in along the way.”

  Not bothering with shoes, I followed after him, my steps quickening to keep up with his longer strides as Amelia trailed behind us.

  “We’re missing a pup.”

  I sucked in a gasp. “What do you mean, missing?” There weren’t many children in our Pack. We had eight under the age of eighteen and they were watched and protected at all times. Our children were the lifeblood of the Pack.

  “Wyatt was watching Aiyana and Koda when Koda got himself stuck in a tree.” He shook his head. “By the time Wyatt got Koda down and looked around for Aiyana, she was gone. He tracked her through the woods with Koda before her scent trail went cold and he was forced to come back and get help.”

  My chest squeezed. “How long has she been missing?”

  A tick formed in Embry’s jaw. “Almost an hour.”

  I swore. “An hour. Why am I only hearing about it now?”

  His jaw tightened as we turned the bend that would lead us to the Den’s open cavern entryway. “He thought he’d find her. He followed her trail for close to thirty minutes before he realized how far he’d gone and doubled back for help.” He ran a hand through his auburn hair, tugging at the strands.

  I stopped and placed a hand on his arm, his muscles tight beneath my touch. “We’ll find her. She’s three. She couldn’t have gone far and she’s probably hiding somewhere nearby, like kids do.”

  Worry creased his brow. “I know.” Another tug at his hair. “But the humans have been getting closer and closer.”

  I didn’t like where he was going. And for more than one reason. If Aiyana crossed paths with any of the humans of Lethbridge and they harmed her in any way… I cursed. All bets would be off. It would be an all out war and I would be leading the charge. “Don’t let your mind go there. She’s fine until we find anything to indicate otherwise.”

  A nod. “Come on. Your father’s pulled together our best trackers. They’ll be starting the search any minute now.”

  Red

  I didn’t want to do this. God, I felt like shit. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t that guy. That guy who used a woman to get what he wanted. Who manipulated her feelings into achieving an end game.

  Disgust was a lonely companion worming its way through my chest. I slammed my fist into a nearby tree and then bit back a curse as pain slammed through my knuckles. “Dammit. Fuck.” I shook out my hand, opening and closing my fist to get the blood flowing. My skin was split, my knuckles bruised. I cradled my busted hand and cursed again at my own stupidity.

  “Ahhh!” I shouted into the empty forest. What the hell was wrong with me?

  I opened and closed my fingers again. Nothing broken. There was that at least. And then I felt like shit all over again because a few broken fingers was less than I deserved for what I was going to do.

  “Fuck. What do I do?” I paced back and forth, my booted feet leaving skids in the damp ground.

  I couldn’t do this to her. My chest squeezed painfully tight. There was something about her. It wasn’t just that she had a pretty face and a lithe body. It was more than that. She had a good heart. She was brave and strong and she wanted better for her people. She was honorable. Something I clearly wasn’t. Not anymore. Not if I followed through with this job.

  That was it. Decision made. I—

  A sound just ahead drew my attention. I lifted my face and scanned the tree line, catching a flash of red followed by shouting and a… growl?

  I bolted toward the sound, my feet skidding to a halt as I came upon four Hounds.They stood with their backs to me surrounding a small animal, its frightened cries almost overwhelmed by their jeers and shouting. One of the men was crouched down and held his sword in front of him as he poked at a black, fur covered animal hunched down in front of him.

  Its cries were filled with fear, and on instinct I shoved my way between the men, scooped up the small animal, and clutched it to my chest. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  Were they so depraved that they would torture a defenseless animal for sport?

  Rook turned to face me, his brown eyes narrowed, and I didn’t miss the way his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. “Leave. This is Hound business. It doesn’t concern you.”

  I took in the faces of the other three men. Niles, Nox, and Roland all faced me with varying expressions—from anger to shame. “Roland?” He was the oldest of them. He should have done something. Said something. This wasn’t okay behavior. No one should harm a defenseless animal.

  “Look at what yer holding, Red.” His eyes were downcast. He wasn’t proud of what they’d been doing, but he sure as hell didn’t sound apologetic about it either.

  Confused, I looked down at the small bundle in my arms. The amber eyes of a wolf stared back at me. Its small body shaking in my arms. I tightened my grip and shifted the small bundle beneath my jacket, zipping the front closed so I’d have use of my hands should I need them. It burrowed its nose into the worn leather beneath my arm and some of the shaking subsided.

  “A wolf pup. What of it? Do you make it a habit of harming defenseless animals? Is that the kind of men you lot are?”

  “That’s no natural wolf,” Rook seethed, his face brightening in color.

  Anger flashed through me, lightning hot. I stepped forward, invading his space. “You better hope this is a natural wolf. Do you have any idea what would happen if this was a shifter? If you harmed one of the Pack’s pups?”

 
; He sneered. “You making threats, Red?”

  Distant howls filled the air. At least seven different wolves. Dread washed over me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I forced out a bitter laugh. “It’s not me you have to worry about. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” I knew now without a shadow of a doubt that the pup I held in my arms was a shapeshifter. What I didn’t know was if any of the men in front of me would survive the night once the wolves came to retrieve what was theirs.

  Worry filled the gazes of the other men, but Rook was unperturbed. “Let’s just kill the beast and be done with it.” He lifted his sword, swinging it in a circular motion to rest at his side.

  I jerked away from him, putting distance between him and the pup as I turned to Roland. “Please tell me you’re not this stupid. You’ll bring about a war.”

  He was shaking his head, but it was Rook who answered. “We’re already at war. The wolves attacked Maxus. We owe them a debt in kind.” I could see it in his face, he would kill the wolf—pup or not—and not blink an eye about it. Fuck. What was wrong with them? “And what, you’re going to kill an innocent child as repayment? Are you that far gone that you would murder a kid in cold blood?”

  The wolf was shaking again, fear radiating from it. I looked down, met the wolf’s gaze. “I need you to shift little one. I’ll keep you safe. But, I need you to shift.” Something passed between us, and before the others could react to my words, the little wolf arched against my chest and shifted. Fur receded into flesh and limbs elongated, paws morphing into fingers and toes. The others stood by in stunned silence as minutes passed, leaving behind the naked body of a little girl tucked beneath my coat. I unzipped the jacket, giving her more room. Her head peeked out. She couldn’t be older than two or three. Raven black hair fell in soft curls to her shoulders and wide, terrified eyes peered outward to gaze upon the men.

  “Feck,” Roland said, taking several steps back.

  “She’s a child. Are you still so eager to sink your sword into her flesh?” I asked, my eyes locked on Rook’s.