by Lori King
The Gray Pack 4
Dreams of the Wolf
Katie-Jo (KJ) Whetstone is on a mission to save her mother’s life and protect the Quiver Creek pack from Nicolas Kaplan, a deranged werewolf. She has already journeyed across the country from Wyoming to Missouri to find brothers that she never knew, and now she must lead them back against their own reservations. She’s shocked when her libido goes haywire over the only human traveling with them, Dr. Thomas Jameson.
Fighting to keep her distance from the mating lust, KJ and Thomas both end up needing to be rescued. Bryson Samuels is an enemy wolf that makes her body sing as loudly as Thomas does. With strangers for mates, she fights the need to bond, with her desire to be free from the pack. In the end they will all have to decide if they are willing to do anything to protect each other.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 63,177 words
DREAMS OF THE WOLF
The Gray Pack 4
Lori King
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
DREAMS OF THE WOLF
Copyright © 2013 by Lori King
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62740-306-1
First E-book Publication: August 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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DEDICATION
For Lisa and Chris, who keep me focused on the end goal, while always making me laugh. I couldn’t ask for two bigger supporters.
And for my husband—you are my dream come true.
I hope to always Live, Laugh, and Love like today is my only chance.
Always~Lori
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
About the Author
DREAMS OF THE WOLF
The Gray Pack 4
LORI KING
Copyright © 2013
Prologue
From her place on the front porch of the Alpha’s cabin, KJ watched as her brothers said their good-byes to their new wife, Shandi. In just a few brief moments they would all be gathering their stuff and loading up in the black SUVs that lined the driveway. Their destination was Quiver Creek, Wyoming, and their goal was to help bring her parents back to the Gray Pack den.
KJ’s heart ached with sadness, as Ryley and Shandi both waved at her and smiled, while Rafe glared daggers in her direction. Instead of returning their friendly gesture, she rolled her eyes and turned away. There was no point in getting to know these people. She wouldn’t be sticking around here. Once Mom and Dad were settled in with the Gray Pack, she would be free to set out on her own. There would be no one to tell her when she could come and go, no rationing of food and supplies, and no male rogues threatening her with a possible mating. Katie Jo Whetstone would finally be able to be her own person.
Walking through the Alpha’s cabin into the kitchen, she was brought up short as the sexiest man she had ever seen came sauntering in from the kitchen. His eyes were a dark muddy brown, and his equally dark brown hair was cut neatly to match his perfectly groomed mustache and goatee. Lean but muscular, KJ guessed he stood at least six foot two. The thought drifted through her brain that her head would tuck perfectly under his chin, and against his firm chest. Shaking herself hard, her eyes widened as his scent filled her nostrils, and her wolf began howling in her head.
Panic gripped her chest, and her lungs constricted. This stranger was her mate. There was no other explanation for this kind of reaction. No, she thought to herself as she jerked her gaze away from the sinfully good-looking man, I can’t have a mate yet, I have to find myself first.
The stranger chose that moment to turn his head and meet her gaze. She could feel his eyes drifting down her body, and a red flush creeping up her throat and cheeks. He brought his head back up and their eyes locked. Just that fraction of a second made her knees tremble, and her pussy clench. His pupils dilated as his body reacted to its perfect mate, and she swallowed hard when he took a step in her direction.
Without a second thought, she spun on her heel and ran for the front door. She pushed past Damon Gray who was coming in from the other side, and left a wide berth between her and her new brothers. She couldn’t handle family time right now. As she shot into the woods, she instinctively shifted into her wolf form, feeling her clothing rip away from her body, as she landed on four paws.
As always, the smell of the earth was coupled with the fragrance of the trees, and she breathed deeply trying to clear her brain. Her mate. That’s who the stranger was. It was the only reason for her wolf to go
this haywire based on his scent alone.
She ran for a few more moments, before she slowed to an easy canter, and then dropped to her belly in the middle of a clearing. After a few more blissful moments of solitude she heard the sounds of wolves behind her. Rafe, Ryley, and Shandi all burst forward in wolf form, coming to an abrupt stop in the small clearing she stood in.
Shifting into their human skin, Shandi and Ryley shared a glance before moving cautiously toward her. KJ shifted into her human form, and planted her hands on her hips giving them an angry glare.
“Why did you follow me?”
Ryley’s hands went up as if to hold her off, and he shook his head. “Whoa there, tiger. You looked upset.”
“So?” Maybe they were actually concerned about her.
“We just wanted to make sure you were okay, KJ,” Shandi said softly from where she had stopped a few feet away.
KJ stared at her new sister-in-law in amazement, and then movement caught her attention as Rafe shifted into his human skin.
“Come on. She’s clearly fine,” he snapped at Shandi and Ryley who both looked torn between following his orders and comforting her.
“Rafe—” Shandi started, but KJ held her hand up.
“I got upset because the cabin was too full of people. I don’t like crowds. I needed some space,” KJ said staring into her big brother’s eyes. The glacial blue orbs narrowed in on her, and he shook his head.
“Bullshit,” he said, refusing to release her gaze.
Shock rippled through her. “Excuse me?”
“I call bullshit on you. Something more than a crowded cabin happened to you, but if that’s how you want to spin it,” he said, shifting his weight onto his heels as he crossed both arms in front of his massive chest.
KJ turned her head into the soft breeze as she processed his words. She wanted desperately to come clean and tell him that she had just stumbled into her soul mate, but if anyone knew, they would push the two of them together. She just needed some time to process it before she introduced herself to the man fate wanted her to spend the rest of her life with.
Turning back to the trio, she shrugged. “What do you care?”
Ryley and Shandi both groaned as an evil grin spread over Rafe’s face. “I don’t care, but my mate does. If she wants you happy, then I’ll do my damnedest to keep her happy.”
“No one needs to worry about me. I’ve been taking care of myself for years,” KJ said, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest.
“But now you have a whole pack of family to help you,” Shandi said.
KJ barked out a laugh, “No, I don’t. I thought that maybe there was a chance I would find a family here, but that was a hopeless bit of optimism. Instead, I found doubt and anger, not to mention ridicule.”
“What?” Ryley snarled, and KJ stared at him in silent shock. “What the hell do you mean ridicule? Who’s fucking with you?”
The sting of tears in her eyes irritated KJ as she swallowed hard trying to control her reaction to his protectiveness. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I know my place around here. I need your help saving our mother’s life. If we don’t figure out what’s wrong with her soon, she will probably die.”
“We’re already leaving our brand-new wife to come save the day for your parents, what more do you want from us?” Rafe asked nastily.
KJ grimaced and spewed out the first words on her tongue. “They are your parents, too.”
“That remains to be proven.” Rafe’s tone was ice cold, and KJ shivered automatically.
“Whatever, look I’m not going to debate it with you. It’s as clear as the raised eyebrow on your face that I’m your sister, but if you need to see them to prove it, well, your wish is my command. You’ll be eating your words in a matter of days,” KJ said angrily.
“Stop it, right now. Both of you. Rafe, you and I both know she’s our blood, even if you’re too hardheaded to admit it right now. Why don’t you and Shandi go for a quick run before we leave, and I’ll go back to the cabin with KJ. She needs to meet Thomas, and I think he’s there with Tina now,” Ryley said.
KJ, Rafe, and Shandi all gaped at him, before Shandi started laughing. “Well now I’ve seen everything. Ryley Whetstone, since when did you become the serious one?”
Ryley’s trademark cheeky grin lifted his lips, and KJ found herself smiling back. The only one left frowning was Rafe.
“I’ll be there in ten, Ry,” Rafe said, before he dropped down to the ground in wolf form and padded off into the woods. Shandi shifted with a shake of her head and a heavy sigh, and followed him, leaving KJ alone with Ryley.
“Do you have to antagonize him?” Ryley asked.
“I don’t appreciate being called a liar.”
Ryley cursed under his breath. “You have to understand our side of it too. You’ve had your parents for your whole life. Our parents left us, remember? Without a good-bye, or an explanation, they just left. I told you before that it’s going to be the hardest on Rafe, can’t you just go easy on him?”
KJ felt pointedly admonished and hated the feeling. “So you think this is easy on me? I’ve grown up hearing about how perfect my two older brothers were, and seeing the sorrow in my mother’s eyes every time she talked about you guys. How, someday we were going to go back and get you, or join you or something, anything, just to be a whole family. When I finally get the chance to meet you, one of you turns out to be a douche bag.”
Ryley’s face was a dark shade of red, and a small muscle in his jaw ticked with tension. “Fine. We’re all struggling with our emotions, but that doesn’t mean we have to be at each other’s throats. Try to give him some space while we’re on this trip, otherwise he’s likely to rip yours out.”
With that Ryley shifted into his wolf, and cocked his head like he was waiting for her to do the same. With another pointed eye roll and a huffy sigh, she shifted and followed him back to the Alpha’s cabin.
The moment they reached the tree line they both shifted and continued on foot. Ryley greeted several people as they went into the cabin, but KJ stayed silent, heading directly toward her bag that was still sitting next to the stairs. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and was just settling the fabric over her naked breasts as the spicy scent of man hit her nose.
Her eyes drifted shut, and she inhaled deeply. For just a moment her head spun and her body swayed as she was swamped with the sensation of her mate’s nearness. Two hands settled softly on her shoulders as if to steady her, and a deep, rich voice broke through her lusty haze.
“Are you all right, little one?”
Her eyes shot open and locked onto the deep brown of his. Electricity zipped through her system, and all of the air expelled from her lungs as he inhaled sharply. His gaze darkened with desire, just as he jerked his hands away from her.
The man cleared his throat, and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Are you all right? You looked like you were going to pass out.”
KJ swallowed hard and opened her mouth to speak, but the only sound that escaped her throat was a soft, sensual growl…
Chapter 1
Earlier in the week…
“I’m tired, Tink. I’ve been working fourteen hours a day at the wound care clinic for the last four years, and I’m not sure that it’s even what I want to be doing.” Thomas spoke into the phone, as he lounged in his favorite La-Z-Boy recliner. The blue fabric was worn and frayed on the armrests, and the footrest was slightly lopsided, but it was more comfortable than anywhere else on Earth for him these days.
“Then why are you still doing it?” The simple question from his little sister made him laugh, but he couldn’t answer it.
That was the problem. Thomas Jameson didn’t know exactly why he was still fumbling through every day with no real purpose, and he honestly had no clue how to change the direction of his life. At thirty-two years old, he had made a niche for himself as a doctor, but it wasn’t the niche that he wanted to be in. He had
always assumed that he would have a wife and children by now, but instead he spent the few hours of personal time he had sitting in his comfy chair with his laptop in hand, or the TV on. It was existing but not living, and he was ready for changes.
“Well I could live off of my trust fund…Oh wait, that’s right I don’t have one. I’m not independently wealthy, Tink. I have to have a job to pay my bills. Including the fifty thousand or so that I have in student loan debt,” he said, resigned to his fate in the everyday drudgery of general wound care.
“What if I had a job opportunity for you?” Tina’s voice sounded hopeful, but Thomas was rolling his eyes. She had been pestering him to come and work for the same hospital she did for a while now. It was always the same song and dance, and he wasn’t interested. He just didn’t see himself working in a large hospital forever. He hated the bureaucratic bullshit, the coworker gossip, and the constant pissing matches between resident doctors. It just wasn’t the life he wanted.
“I’m not interested in working for St. Leonard’s, Tink,” he started to say with a sigh.
“I didn’t say anything about you working for Leo’s. I said I had a job opportunity for you. Look, you are the only human that knows about the Gray Pack, and it just so happens that the pack needs a doctor as quickly as possible.”
Now she had his attention. He put his footrest down so that he could sit up. The werewolf pack that his sister had become a part of when she met her fiancé, Liam, was a source of perpetual intrigue for him. He had only met a few of the members of the pack so far, but he liked the ones he knew, and they took care of his little sister as though she had been born into their family. He had so many questions as a doctor, about what happened physiologically when they shifted into their wolf form, and even more questions about how their society worked.
The pack leader, Devin, had been courteous and friendly, but had not been particularly forthcoming with information, so Thomas was in the dark for the most part. He had spent many nights awake in his bed running various questions through his head, and wondering if he would ever have the answers to them. Now Tina was giving him the opportunity to work amongst them, and treat them as patients. It was almost too good to be true.
