by Sofia Grey
He was here.
When she heard a discreet knock on her door, she hurried to open it. Bryce ushered a man into the room—and Wolfie. The dog bounded toward her and rubbed his shoulder against her leg.
“Wolfie.” She dropped to a crouch and buried her face in his fur. “I’m so glad we found you.” Glad didn’t begin to describe the rush of emotion she felt the moment Wolfie was back with her. God, she was so attached to this dog. It just didn’t make sense.
“Ms. Hart,” Bryce murmured and with some reluctance she looked up to see a face next to Bryce that was familiar and yet different at the same time. The same long, shaggy hair as her Dream-Jake and the same identical sapphire-blue eyes, but this man was shorter with a slighter build. Ella narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. He blushed bright red, and she finally found her tongue.
“I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else. You’re Wolfie’s owner?”
“Nah,” he flashed her a grin that was achingly reminiscent of Dream-Jake. How could this be? “Wolfie does his own thing, it would take a very determined woman to tame him.”
“So there’s no problem if I want to adopt him?”
“Well that depends.” He sounded cheerful. “He’s not very well house trained and has a passion for stealing pink items of clothing, but apart from that…” His words trailed away as Wolfie growled. Lillian hid her confusion with a polite smile.
“I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” She stood up and stepped toward the stranger, her hand held out. “He’s a handsome beast, and I assure you I will take good care of him. I’m Ella Hart.”
“I, uh, know.” He blushed again. “I’m Sasha Llewellyn. You’ve already met my cousin, Jake Bledri.” What? It felt as though ice trickled down her spine.
“I’ve met your cousin?” She stumbled over the words. Her head spun and for a second she thought she would faint. What the hell was going on? A man called Sasha who looked like Dream-Jake … and claimed she’d met a man called Jake. Am I dreaming? She swallowed hard as she tried to regain her composure. Or am I going mad? Beside her, Wolfie whined. Is he really here? She reached down to fondle his ears. Yes, he is. She almost missed Sasha’s next words.
“Jake asked me to give these to you.” He passed across a black laptop case that she recognized instantly from the gaudy initials etched into the corner. Kurt’s. How had this stranger got Kurt’s laptop?
He held out his other hand and opened it to show three wooden figurines. She’d seen those in her dream. Sasha, Tammy, and Henry.
She froze, sick with fear. This was weird. Very weird.
Lillian took a step back, away from the smiling man. “There’s a note as well,” he continued and handed her a folded sheet of paper. With shaking hands, she took the figures and the letter. “By the way, Bledri is an old Welsh name for Wolf Ruler, if you didn’t know.” Sasha bent down and spoke to Wolfie in an undertone. It sounded like he said Good luck, Cuz, but that made even less sense.
Bryce ushered Sasha out of her room and she sank onto the sofa, unable to take her eyes off the wooden figures. Her heart raced, pounding so hard it hurt her ribs. Wolfie sat next to her, his head resting on her knee, and she hugged him with one trembling arm.
“What’s happening to me, Wolfie,” she whispered. “Am I going crazy?” He whined in reply and nudged at the letter. She opened it and scanned the page. A half page written in a confident black scrawl.
Dearest Lillian,
I don’t know how much you remember of your dreams with me, but I treasure every moment we spent together. Having found you, I can’t stand the thought of losing you again, and I ask you, please, to call me at the numbers below. I don’t live far away. As you saw, my house is large and empty, and my life without you is much the same.
I promise, I will explain everything if you give me a chance.
Yours always,
Jake
*
Jake watched her eyes mist over and her face turn ashen. She turned to look at him and frowned as she skimmed her fingers over his head and around his face. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at him, and he could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, as if she were putting the pieces together. “What are you, Wolfie?” Her whisper cut through him, and he took a deep breath.
This was it. To have any chance with her at all, she needed to be able to trust him. He closed his eyes and shifted.
Chapter 25
Lillian gasped. The most beautiful shower of rainbow sparkles shimmered before her for a fraction of a second, and her entire world changed. Wolfie-the-dog vanished. In his place sat Dream-Jake. A very naked Dream-Jake. His eyes were just as she remembered from her dreams and as she stared, speechless, his lips tilted at the corner with a hint of a smile.
“Don’t be afraid, Cariad.” His voice was the same too.
You did this in my dream. She clamped a hand across her mouth and held back the words that almost tumbled out. Her lungs seemed to have forgotten how to work and it took a conscious effort to draw breath. She managed a shaky whisper from behind her fingers. “Am I still asleep?”
“No, Cariad.” Laughter lines crinkled in the corners of his eyes.
“I don’t understand. You really are a … a…”
“A shifter. Yes.”
She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. That tawny skin. The chiseled cheekbones and lush lips she’d feasted on. “You’re naked,” she blurted out and felt her cheeks heating under his smile.
“Yes, that’s how it works.”
Lillian glanced back at the wooden carvings. “You really made these? I thought I dreamed them.” She must be hallucinating. “How did you do that? Get into my dreams?”
“This might be difficult to accept,” he began, and she let go with a small, slightly hysterical laugh.
“I’m sorry.” She tried to stop staring at him, but it was hard.
He held out a hand to her and slowly, she took it, watching as he linked their fingers. “Some people are more receptive than others. I saw you and wanted to know you better so I came into your dreams.” His grip tightened on her fingers. “I’d like to know more of you.” His smile warmed her. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
Her damn image again. “You mean a pop star?” She stared into his eyes, challenging him as she spoke.
He chuckled. “I had no idea until Sash told me. I don’t follow pop music.” He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug.
“I dreamed that we had sex. Did that really happen?”
“No, but I would very much like it to.” His voice was low and melodious, and he sounded utterly confident. Was he completely insane? Or was she?
“You bit me,” she remembered, and touched the back of her neck. “Does that mean I’ll turn into a wolf too?”
“No it doesn’t.” He sounded reassuring. “We are all born this way. You are perfectly safe.”
“Why were you there? In the road, I mean. I thought I’d hit you with my car.”
His brilliant eyes were mesmerizing, and she felt herself relax, just a fraction. He kissed her knuckles one at a time before speaking. “I was hurt in an illegal trap and knew I couldn’t make it home without help. I went to Lupus Cottage seeking shelter and didn’t expect to find anyone there. Meeting you was a twist of fate I never expected.” He bowed his head to her and pressed an openmouthed kiss on her hand. It made her feel weak at the knees.
“I bandaged you. I thought you needed stitches.”
“You saved me, Cariad. I couldn’t have made it home otherwise.”
Tears pressed at the backs of her eyes and she struggled to speak normally. “You saved me from Kurt. I think he wanted to hurt me.”
Jake met her gaze. His eyes darkened to a stormy gray. “I wanted to kill him for how he treated you. I stole his laptop, by the way. There are some e-mails on there that you need to see.” He drew their linked hands to his chest. “I wish I’d bitten him properly.”
They were silent for a while as Lilli
an thought over everything he’d said. His hand, warm and strong in hers, gave her confidence. “I’m still not convinced this isn’t a dream.”
“Maybe this will help?” He brushed his lips across hers. Familiar, intoxicating, and delicious, it felt exactly like in her dreams, but intensified a hundredfold. “This is real, baby.”
*
Jake felt heartened. She hadn’t run away screaming. She hadn’t fainted, although she did look dangerously pale, and she wanted to know more. He’d promised to tell her everything but even so, he had to hold some of it back. Something warned him that announcing she was his Mate might not be the best idea he’d ever had. At least not until she’d had some time to get to know him. To love him.
He could only hope she understood. “Come back with me, Cariad. Let me show you my home.”
Her brow furrowed. “Where do wolves live? In a cave or something?” He couldn’t help laughing at the suspicion in her voice.
“I live in a house. I took you there in your dreams, but I’d really like to show it to you for real.” He ran his knuckles down her cheek and took heart from the fact she didn’t flinch away from him. “Cariad, trust me.”
Chapter 26
Lillian had no idea how to explain her change of plans to Bryce. He’d been clearly unhappy about her leaving the relative safety of the hotel, but he loaded her bags into the car and held the door open for Jake, in wolf form, to jump onto the backseat. He programmed Jake’s address into the SatNav and they set off. It was a short drive through beautiful scenery, to a tiny village nestling in the shelter of the mountains. In daylight, the area was as breathtaking as she’d imagined, and she wondered how it must feel to live somewhere like this. To put down roots. She had apartments in New York and London and usually shuttled between the two. The contrast between towering buildings and towering mountains was immense.
Lillian felt better when she was touching Jake. She kept her hand on his head and tried to sift through her feelings and fears. From the moment Jake had shifted to human form, a very delectable shape indeed, she knew her life would never be the same. She felt connected to this man in a way she’d never known before. Every instinct urged her to take a chance. Every ounce of common sense told her to run.
Bryce glanced up at the afternoon sky. “Looks like more snow on the way. You sure you want to stay here? If it comes down heavy you might be stuck for a few days.” She glanced down at Jake and smiled at the alpha-wolfish grin he gave her.
“I think I’ll be fine.”
An hour later, Lillian sat at the bottom of the stairs and watched as Jake—now clad in jeans and a T-shirt-closed the front door. Sasha had been there to let them in, but once he and Bryce had left, they were finally alone.
“This feels beyond weird.” She gave a helpless shrug. “I read Kurt’s e-mails and I have to ask. Why didn’t you give his laptop to the press? The reporters would have paid thousands for it.”
“Because it was none of their business. You deserved to know the truth, though.”
She warmed inside at his protectiveness. What was she doing thinking about Kurt when she had Jake instead? “Thank you.” She smiled fully at him.
Jake smiled back as he prowled toward her. “Why don’t we start with the guided tour? Then have something to eat?” She nodded and let him take her hand and pull her up. With their fingers entwined, he walked her through a small, neat kitchen and into a familiar lounge. She gasped in delight at the sight of the carved figures along the mantelpiece.
“They are so beautiful.” She ran her fingertips over a grouping of cubs playing together and knew there was a question that she couldn’t avoid any longer. “Jake, I’m guessing this is something you keep very quiet about. Am I right?”
“Uh-huh. You mean from the authorities?”
“Yes.” She met his stare. His eyes darkened as he became serious. “What would they do if they knew about you?”
“They would probably cut us up and run tests on us. Treat us like freaks. Change a way of life that has existed for thousands of years. Destroy us.” He spat the last words out.
She tightened her grip on his hand. “So haven’t you taken a massive risk telling me?”
“Yes, and one of my responsibilities as Alpha is to prevent exposure of our Pack. I trust you, Cariad, to never reveal us to anyone.”
*
Jake’s wolf urged him to take Lillian in his arms and ravish her, but he managed to hold back. He showed her around his neat stone-built house, delighted at her praise for the work he’d done renovating it. When they reached the spare bedroom, she gave him an arch look.
“I can sleep in here?”
His wolf growled. Jake managed a polite smile. “Sure. If you change your mind—”
“You’re just next door,” she finished for him. “I need to take this slowly, Jake. I’m still hurting from Kurt, and well, there’s the whole wolf thing.” Her voice was soft and when she placed a hand on his arm and looked up, her eyes were sympathetic. “I’m here, but I need some time.” They locked eyes and he saw a shiver run through her. Take it easy, Jake. He blinked to clear his head and nodded. She was here. That was a start.
Chapter 27
After dinner, they settled in his lounge, in front of the roaring fire, but this time with Lillian sitting in an armchair and Jake sprawled on the floor. They both nursed glasses of brandy and stared at the flames, and Lillian wondered who would be first to mention the giant elephant in the room. It was Jake.
“You must be curious, is there anything you’d like to ask me?”
She cast around for where to start. “You’re a wolf. I mean.” She paused and drew a breath and then finished in a rush. “So how does it work? You … change. Are you a man, or are you a beast?”
She couldn’t miss his wince at the word beast. “I’m both. We’ve been in existence for thousands of years. So long, that nobody knows much beyond that … we just evolved alongside humans.” He shrugged and smiled, looking too damned sexy for his own good. Lillian felt her stomach flip at the heat in his eyes. “It feels entirely natural to me. I can’t imagine being any other way.”
“When do you change?”
“We call it shifting and we do it at will. Our wolves get cranky if we don’t let them out, and there’s a social aspect too. We often run together as a pack. It’s how we maintain our bond.” He was not quite close enough to touch and already she missed the physical contact. She contemplated the strangeness of his world while sitting on the floor next to him and almost missed his next words.
“Our wolf side first emerges in puberty and as we mature we get more control. The teenage years are hard, but they are for most kids.”
He made it sound normal. Even though it was anything but. “Sasha said something about Wolf Ruler? Are you some kind of king?” She gave a little laugh at the absurdity of the question.
His reply was serious. “I’m Pack Leader. Bledri is an ancient Welsh name.”
By the gravity with which he’d replied, she figured this was important. She waved her fingers in a carry-on gesture. “Are you elected? How does that work?”
He ran one hand through his hair and paused before he spoke. “It’s hereditary. My father was Pack Leader before me and his father before him.” He tugged briefly at his hair and blew out a quick breath. “I’m responsible for all the wolves in our Pack and for ensuring that we continue to exist. I sometimes have to resolve disputes and officiate at Pack functions, but apart from that it’s largely just a title.”
He looked uncomfortable, and Lillian wondered if there was something he wasn’t telling her. Probably something secretive and wolf-y. She changed the subject. “What does it feel like?”
He looked puzzled and she hastened to explain. “One minute you’re a man and the next—”
He shrugged. “Like I said, it’s normal to me. I can’t imagine what it must be like to only have one form.”
“I guess turning into a wolf might be handy sometimes.”
/> His smile widened. “Chasing the postman, you mean?”
“And chasing away ex-boyfriends.” She hesitated. “Thank you for looking after me.”
Jake rubbed a hand across his stubbled chin. “I feel connected to you. I want to spend time with you, be a part of your life.”
*
Jake knew he’d said too much. His Mate leaned back in her chair and looked away, her jaw tightening as though clamping down on something. He kicked himself inside and forced his wolf to calm. The hound was scratching away inside him, demanding that he take her, claim her, and to hell with the consequences.
“You’re a singer. What’s that like?” He burned to know everything about her but once again, it seemed he’d said the wrong thing.
Her face shuttered and her smile looked polite rather than warm. “It’s hard work. I know everyone has this image of my life, but—”
“I don’t.”
She paused at his interruption.
“I don’t know anything. Tell me.”
She sighed and twisted her fingers together. “There’s this public image of me but in private I’m different. It’s lonely. Nice guys are afraid to approach me, and I always seem to end up with the dickheads and get my heart broken by them. The papers love that.” She examined her fingernails. “Nobody ever takes me seriously.”
She looked at him fully. “Anyway, we’re supposed to be talking about you, so go on—spill the beans.”
He shrugged. “I design and make custom furniture, and I have a workshop out the back. I bought this place as a hovel a couple of years ago and did it up myself, with the help of my Pack.”
She frowned at the word.
“Pack is family to us, even if we’re not actually related.” He sensed wariness in her and decided to lighten the mood. “My name is Jake Bledri. I’m thirty-two and I’m an Aquarius.” He smiled, to try and put her at ease. “When I’m not in my workshop or dealing with Pack matters, I’m out running in the mountains and forests or riding my motorbike.” He gestured to her with his fingers. “Your turn.”
