Wolf Tracks: Granite Lake Wolves, Book 4

by Vivian Arend

  Keil raised a brow. “So kind of you to give me permission.”

  TJ scratched his face to hide his own smile. Yup, this was going to work out fine, once he took his lumps, because Keil was right about the safety issues.

  Keil hauled a cell phone out of his pocket and slapped it into TJ’s palm. “You’ll probably need this—I found it back at base camp after you took off. Oh, and did you even try the satellite phone you took with you? The batteries on that one were nearly dead.”

  A solid smack landed on his arm as Pam hit him. “Dead? What if I’d wanted to call for the chopper?”

  “But you broke…” TJ buttoned his lip. There was no way he was even going to touch this one.

  Pam growled at him, her eyes flashing. “Next time, let me do the trip planning.”

  TJ tried to hide his smile. “Of course.”

  “Holy crap, she’s the most alpha human I’ve ever met,” one of the observer wolves piped up.

  Pam frowned. “Alpha? Isn’t that your position?” she asked Keil.

  He shook his head. “Yes and no. Alpha isn’t just about leadership, it also refers to how strong you are, mentally as well as physically. There’s more than one alpha wolf in any pack. Heck, Erik and Maggie, the pack Betas, are as strong as Robyn and I, but they’ve chosen to use their strengths in a different way. We can’t all be bad-asses, you know.”

  “So there’s no trouble with us being together?” Pam returned to TJ’s side.

  Keil shrugged. “There are a few old-timers in the pack who are whining about how the world is going to hell in a hand basket, but it’s nothing I can’t take care of.”

  Robyn clapped her hands and Keil pulled a face. “Oh yeah, and Robyn plans on having a long talk with your mate about some advice she gave that he ignored.”

  Oh shit. Okay, that was scarier than getting called on the carpet by Keil. TJ waved at Robyn tentatively and she flipped him the bird.

  Pam grinned at TJ. “You know how I said I wasn’t sure about dealing with your pack? No problem, I got it figured it. This is like hanging out at headquarters with the boys.”

  Tad stepped forward and gestured to the couch. “If you’d like to relax, I think the formal hazing is over. I do have one last question I’m curious about, and maybe someone with more experience can answer. What’s up with TJ’s strength? I’d swear he’s gotten stronger since he left.”

  “Shaun said the same thing. What the hell are you talking about? I don’t feel any different.” TJ sat next to Pam. She kicked off her shoes and curled up almost in his lap. She tucked a hand under his arm and tickled his ribs lightly. “The only thing I know is I don’t seem to be nearly as clumsy anymore. Well, relatively speaking.”

  Tad’s mate, Missy, paced the floor to sit on the second couch across from them, one of her two-month-old babies cuddled against her shoulder. “Your wolf never has been clumsy.”

  Pam leaned forward. “I think his wolf is more grown up. Matured a bit. If TJ is twenty-two, that means his wolf is…” She turned to face him and asked, “What are wolf years, seven like dogs?”

  He groaned. “You promised you wouldn’t do that anymore.”

  Pam smirked at him. “If you’re gonna play with the big dogs, you use every tool you can.”

  He opened his mouth to protest and suddenly the cell phone Keil had returned to him rang. Some joker had reprogrammed the phone tones to “Who Let the Dogs Out” and Pam cracked up.

  He stood to answer it, leaving Pam and Missy giggling together furiously.

  “Hello?”

  “You idiot. You couldn’t wait until we were done our honeymoon? Sheesh.”

  “Hi, Maggie.” TJ took a deep breath. So much for him being stronger. There was no way he could get a word in edgewise with all these women around. He listened to her scolding for a minute before he had the most brilliant idea. “Hey, Maggie. I bet you need to talk to Pam. She’s right here.”

  He held out the phone to his mate and she took it with surprise. Her surprise turned to delight and she rose to find a quieter spot to chat with her best friend.

  TJ glanced around the room. Missy rocked one baby in her arms while Tad paced with her twin sister. Robyn was holding a conversation with someone, her hands moving rapidly.

  Kara, Keil and Robyn’s two-year-old daughter, crossed the room to Pam’s side. She tugged on Pam’s pant leg then reached her arms up. Pam leaned over and picked up the little girl who immediately wrapped herself close, her face buried in Pam’s neck. Pam resumed her phone conversation.

  Deep satisfaction filled TJ as everywhere he looked he saw family. Sharing together, laughing together. Little Jamie, Missy and Tad’s oldest child, rolled on the floor with a couple of the pack in their wolf forms.

  It wasn’t the Waltons but it was home.

  He glanced back at Pam to find her staring at him, a burning light in her eyes. She adjusted the girl in her arms and waggled her brows, tilting her head toward the child.

  Oh shit. Oh shit, yeah. Well, maybe not this minute, but…

  TJ winked at her and she grinned, blowing him a kiss.

  Keil poked him in the shoulder. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you? What’s that goofy expression for?”

  TJ took a deep breath. His head filled with the familiar scents of home, and overlaying it all was Pam. In his head, and his heart.

  Forever.

  “It’s because I’m finally in the right place, at the right time. Excuse me, I’ll be back for my lickings regarding safety, because you’re right, I screwed up. And I’ll apologize to Robyn in a minute as well. But there’s something I need to do with my mate.”

  He stepped across the room and tugged Pam into the kitchen, taking little Kara along for the ride since she refused to let go of her newfound friend. He held out his hand for the phone.

  “Mags? I gotta go. I think TJ wants me to take him for a walk.”

  TJ rubbed his forehead as she said goodbye to Maggie. A dog handler. She must have a million jokes all lined up and ready to spring on him.

  Pam handed back his cell and batted her eyes. “Well. I thought that all went marvelously.”

  He groaned. “Yeah, I can see this relationship is going to keep me on my toes. I wanted to know if you still had the mate list.”

  Pam frowned. “It’s in my pocket. Why?”

  “I never got to finish it.”

  She kissed Kara on the forehead then passed her to TJ. The little girl squirmed to be put down, returning with a laugh to the main room.

  Pam reached into her back pocket and unfolded the paper on the counter. The edges were a little more tattered and ragged than when they started less than a week ago. She cupped his face in her hands. “You proved enough for me to take a chance, and while we’ve still got stuff to figure out, I think we’re on our way.”

  TJ grabbed a pen. “I agree, but there’s something I need you to see. It’s important.”

  There where the five circles overlapped, an empty space remained. He’d deliberately made sure it was a part of every single circle and with great care he filled in one word.

  Forever.

  Pam sucked in air and threw her arms around his neck. He stumbled for a second to catch his balance as she crawled up him and kissed him madly. Oh yes, she was going to fit in fine. A room full of people on the other side of the wall and she was happily attempting to touch his tonsils.

  He clasped her under the hips and turned to carry her to one of the back guestrooms. No one would notice if they were MIA for an hour or so, would they?

  “Stop.”

  Shit. Please don’t get all human shy. “They’re all wolves. They wouldn’t care if we had sex in the room in front of them.”

  Pam snorted. “Yeah, well, I doubt I’ll ever get to that stage of comfort, but just let me get…” She leaned over and snatched the mate list off the counter. “Okay, now we can go fool around.”

  TJ laughed as he headed down the hall. “You going to keep that list?
”

  “Uh-huh. Just like you wrote. I’m planning on keeping it, and you, forever.”

  About the Author

  Vivian Arend has hiked, biked, skied and paddled her way around most of North America and parts of Europe. Throughout all the wandering in the wilderness, stories have been planted and they are bursting out in vivid colour. Paranormal, twisted fairytales, red-hot contemporaries—the genres are all over.

  Between times of living with no running water, she home schools her teenaged children and tries to keep up with her husband—the instigator of most of the wilderness adventures.

  She loves to hear from readers: vivarend@gmail.com. You can also drop by www.vivianarend.com for more information on what is coming next.

  Look for these titles by Vivian Arend

  Now Available:

  Granite Lake Wolves

  Wolf Signs

  Wolf Flight

  Wolf Games

  Forces of Nature

  Tidal Wave

  Whirlpool

  Turn It On

  Stormchild

  Coming Soon:

  Falling, Freestyle

  Turn It Up

  Stormy Seduction

  True love’s path never did run smooth.

  Wolf Games

  © 2010 Vivian Arend

  Granite Lake Wolves, Book 3

  After seven years of total denial, Maggie Raynor’s body—and her inner wolf—are in full revolt. Weak and shaky, she literally falls into the very large and capable arms of the Granite Lake Beta, Erik Costanov. The last thing she wants is a mate, particularly when just looking at another wolf scares her to death. And one as big and sexy as Erik? Really bad idea, no matter what her libido says.

  Erik expected to meet Maggie in Whitehorse to escort her to the home of her sister, his pack’s Omega. Sheer chance puts him in the right place at the right time to catch her, but the realization that hits him with the force of a full body shot is no accident. She’s his mate. An even bigger shock? She wants no part of him—not until she resolves her issues.

  She’ll have to work fast, because they’re both selected to represent the pack during the premier sporting event for wolves in the north. Not only will she have to work as a team with Erik, she’ll have to face down her fear of wolves. Let the Games begin.

  Warning: Contains uber-sexy werewolves of Russian descent, reluctant mates and exotic travels through the Yukon wilderness. Includes sarcasm and hot nookie under the Midnight Sun.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Wolf Games:

  Her bright eyes examined his face closely, as if she was trying to see if this was some kind of trick to impress her. “You’re a very complicated man, Erik Costanov.”

  He shook his head. “I’m as simple as they come. I believe in the golden rule, and I try to live by it.”

  She knocked him off balance by crawling across his legs and straddling him, her butt resting on his thighs. He lay very still, afraid to scare her, but savouring the sensation of her weight on top of him.

  “What are you doing?” There, that managed to come out sounding reasonably intelligible. Damn, he spoke seven languages and right now English didn’t seem to be one of them. His tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.

  She wiggled a little closer and he bit back a groan. Her hot core now rested against his groin and his cock rose like new bread in an oven. “I want to kiss you.”

  Hallelujahs rang in his brain. Holy freaking exclamations of jubilation, rejoicing and unending glee broke out in a full chorus. But when he spoke, he delivered a measured, “Okay.”

  She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his, and the electric sensation he’d felt before when they kissed buzzed through his torso and up his spine to his brain. Before he knew it, he’d buried the fingers of one hand in her hair, moving her the way he wanted her, while the other wrapped around her body to pull their torsos together. Her sweetness filled his senses, tantalizing his taste buds with the desire for more. Eager noises rose from her as their tongues brushed.

  The night remained warm, and they both wore only shorts and T-shirts. Having a barrier between them was torture. He broke off their kiss, sat with her still straddling him, and whipped off his shirt. Her eyes bulged for a second before she reached down to caress his abdomen, the fleeting strokes tormenting him even as he savoured his mate finally, finally touching his skin again.

  “Please take off your shirt.” His voice cracked, he needed this so much. He closed his eyes against the disappointment of her saying no, then the rustle of fabric hit his ears. When he looked again, she still wore her bra, but the creamy smoothness of the rest of her skin more than made up for that small disappointment. He touched her reverently, stroking from her hips up the gentle indent of her waist until he covered the swells of her lace-covered breasts. She sucked in a gasp as he rubbed his thumbs in small circles over her nipples, the tips beading to tight points that stabbed his flesh through the fabric. “You’re beautiful.”

  He ignored the driving urge to roll her over and take her, and instead slipped his hands back around her torso so their lips met again.

  They kissed leisurely, exploring each other’s mouths and necks, tongues stroking, teeth nibbling. Erik wasn’t sure how long they sat there and frankly, he didn’t give a damn. He’d waited his whole life for her, and they were finally doing what his wolf had been howling at him to do for days. Although the beast was going to be sorely disappointed when they didn’t go all the way.

  Maggie’s breathing grew more rapid and she squirmed against him, her mound rubbing his groin like a firebrand. When he finally couldn’t take it anymore, he grabbed her by the ass and adjusted her until he was happy. He ground them together again and again, and she moaned in his ear. Damn, he was going to come right like this if he didn’t watch it.

  So he lifted her and undid her belt.

  She slapped at his hands. “What are you doing?”

  “Take off your pants.”

  “Erik, we can’t—”

  He was on fire with a desperate need. “We’re not having sex but I need to touch you. Take them off, now.” She hesitated for just a second, then unzipped and dropped both her panties and her shorts, stepping out of the legs where they bunched around her ankles. She stood there, bare-naked except for her bra, with her pussy right in front of him and he had no power to resist.

  He clutched her ass and buried his face between her legs. She cried out softly but he was too busy to warn her to stay quiet. Her sweet scent drew him, and he separated the curls covering her with his tongue and licked the length of her slit. Oh Lord, she tasted good. Her flavour raced through him and drugged his senses. He pressed his tongue into her pussy as far as it would go, lapping at the cream coating her passage.

  She rocked against his mouth, opening her legs wider, her fingers clutching his head. The arm he’d wrapped around her ensured she stayed right where he could reach and delve into her body. She made the most delicious noises, and he stopped to take a deep breath and enjoy the sensation of holding her intimately.

  “More,” she demanded.

  “Yes.” He slipped a finger into her depths and suckled her clit with his mouth.

  “Yessss…” Her hiss of agreement trailed off into the contented rumble of a wolf being petted and he smiled.

  They’ve been hiding from the past. Now it’s time to fight for their future.

  Sanctuary Unbound

  © 2010 Moira Rogers

  Red Rock Pass, Book 4

  New England is ideal for vampire Adam Dubois. His cozy home in the Great North Woods reminds him of a happier time when werewolves and witches were stuff of legends, and he was a simple lumberjack.

  Hiding from past failures has worked for over eighty years, but a life debt owed to the Red Rock alpha has forced him to leave his retreat—and come face to face with a woman who challenges and tempts him on every level.

  Hiding secrets is a lonely business, and Cindy Shepherd is lonely with a capital L
. Red Rock isn’t exactly crawling with available men, but her interest in the mystery-shrouded new vampire in town seems mutual. After all, it’s only sex—there’s no danger he’ll dig deep enough to unleash the demons of her past.

  Casual flirtation turns deadly serious when Adam discovers that the vampire plaguing Red Rock is using his mistakes as a road map. When it comes to his life, he knows Cindy has his back. But in order to secure the future, they both must trust each other with more—even if it means sacrificing themselves to save everything they hold dear.

  Warning: This book contains epic werewolf battles, mystical vampire blood bonds, unexpected sex on the kitchen floor and a dangerous attraction between a secret-burdened werewolf and a vampire lumberjack.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Sanctuary Unbound:

  “You’re like a mule.” Even as she rasped out the words, she lifted her hands to frame his cheeks. “When I start calling you stubborn, you know you have a real problem.”

  “I’m old enough to be set in my ways. I earned every damn scrap of stubborn I have.” He turned his head and kissed her thumb. “All of it, honey.”

  He was fascinating, and he scared the hell out of her. “Last chance, Adam,” she whispered. “Don’t you want to go?”

  “Fuck, no.”

  Fighting the inevitable was exhausting, so Cindy let go and touched her mouth to his. She meant it to be a slow exploration, but her hands shook as she rested them on his shoulders. Arousal coursed through her, hotter and faster than anything she could have expected, and she quickly deepened the kiss.

  His fingers thrust into her hair, holding her head still as his tongue stroked over hers. She had to get closer, so she angled her leg over his and slid into his lap.

  He stared up at her from glazed, hungry eyes. “We doing this for the right reasons?”