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Seducing the Schoolmarm
Copyright © 2015 by Mahalia Levey
ISBN: 978-1-61333-831-5
Cover art by Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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Black Hills Wolves Stories
Wolf’s Return
What a Wolf Wants
Black Hills Desperado
Wolf’s Song
Claiming His Mate
When Hell Freezes
Portrait of a Lone Wolf
Alpha in Disguise
A Wolf’s Promise
Reluctant Mate
Diamond Moon
Wolf on a Leash
Tempting the Wolf
Coming Soon
Naming His Mate
A Wolf Awakens
Worth Fighting For
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Promiscuous Wolf
Naming His Mate
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Also by Mahalia Levey
Price of Defiance
Satin and Steel
Burn Me if You Can
Tell Me No Lies
Trading Up
Dedication
To the readers. Thanks for being such a great inspiration.
Seducing the Schoolmarm
Black Hills Wolves
By
Mahalia Levey
Chapter One
“Home, sweet home.” Ravage Galveston grinned at his surly sister, Caress, and his younger brother by five minutes, Raze. He navigated Los Lobos land as they drove through the small town toward the house he’d bought.
“You have to be kidding me. There’s nothing here.” Caress grunted. “Why did we have to leave Colorado? I want to move back to the city. We were fine just the three of us. How can you force me to move to pack territory? Your final decision is not fair. I am an adult. I wanted to finish at Alder College.” She huffed, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder.
Ravage opened his mouth. “You—”
“Where is civilization, the mall?” the little blue-eyed darlin’ continued. “I had friends back home. I’m twenty. You should’ve let me stay there. Trust I’d be fine on my own. What the hell were all my self-sufficiency lessons for?”
“That’s enough, Caress.” He flicked his irritated gaze in her direction. Good, at least she has the decency to back down and slump her shoulders. “You’re my sister. The time has come for you to see what pack life entails. I’d rather you take classes online. For fuck’s sake, you were expelled. Since then, you’ve been out of control. Fighting in that underground women’s league. A non-sanctioned shifter’s arena at that. I don’t think you fully realize the ramifications of your actions. Trust is earned. In no way am I allowing you to attend a college where you won’t be completely safe or be able to let your Wolf run. Trouble finds you…or you find it.” Remembering the cost of getting her out of the organized crime ring angered him all over again. Yeah, his sister’s inability to curb her impulses had cost them all dearly—but he’d never tell her. It wasn’t his job to worry her but to ensure her safety, which was worth every cent he had paid and favors he owed.
Raze chuckled. “Sis, you should know living alone with humans isn’t going to happen in this lifetime, no matter how many times you argue the point. Besides, we’ve stuck together since Mom and Dad died. Do you think big brother is really going to leave you to your own devices? Maybe when you’re mated. No, not even then.”
Ravage sighed. Caress probably possessed a minimal recollection of living with pack, or adhering to pack rules, as their parents passed away when she was eight. After her shenanigans at college, he’d had no recourse but to find them a place where she could grow into her Wolf and find a mate to curb her willfulness.
“We’ve been over this, guys. You know I’ve been working on finding a good fit for us to put down roots. Finding a pack who accepts Raze as openly gay, and one that might have a way to keep you out of trouble, Caress. I’m tired of coming home from fights to find you embroiled in some mess. The latest…I thought I was going to have to kill the owner of the strip club for hiring you. You know better than to call attention to yourself. Having orders to follow from an Alpha will do you a world of good. And give me a much-needed break, a chance to breathe. You seem to have no issue finding loopholes with my rules, but, trust me, the same won’t happen here. There will be heavy consequences if you choose to ignore orders.”
“You never let me have fun. And now we’re in the middle of nowhere. I think you enjoy making my life sheer hell. I mean, what are the chances Raze will find a mate out here? In what…population zilch? I seriously doubt there are many gay guys in this primitive land.”
Ravage tightened his hands on the steering wheel to prevent snatching her hair and bringing her to heel. One…two…three…. Although he wasn’t an alpha, he was a dominant male used to taking care of his family. Being a brother-slash-father wasn’t easy. The boundaries tended to blur. Maybe he should’ve spanked her more as a child. Four…five…six…. At times, she had no respect, and he hoped moving her into a community of their kind would change her attitude, putting reality in perspective for her. Seven…eight…nine—
“Give it up, brother. Once she’s in a snit, she’s in it for the entire day. She’s goading you on purpose.” Raze peered over his shoulder. “Caress, leave well enough alone. We’re in our new hometown. You know there’s no going back. Deal. Trust me, you’ll be better off here than in another city. And quit bending the binding on my book. It’s a first edition.”
“Reading is for the birds anyway.” She rolled her eyes and slammed the hardback book closed.
“I found you a respectable job with the local teacher,” Ravage threw in. “You’ll begin as her assistant as soon as we’re settled in our new place. I’ve been assured the supplies needed to update our new home should’ve arrived already. Plus, I sent in your tuition fees for a few online courses to continue working on your degree. Luckily, you’ll be able to make the drive to Sioux City for any major exams you need to take.”
“Teacher’s assistant?” She snorted. “The town looks old, run down. Is there even a grocery store?” Sarcasm dripped from every syllable. “Oh, look. At least there’s a bar. Maybe I can waitress. I’d rather serve people.”
“The fuck you’ll work in a bar.” Ravage gritted his teeth. “You’ll work at the school because I’ve arranged the position to clean up your out-of-control, promiscuous image.”
“You are not my goddamn father.”
“Oh, shit,” Raze growled.
Ravage slammed on the brakes, bringing the truck and trailer to a jarring halt. Raze groaned as people walking down the street stopped to stare at the new arrivals. Ravage unclicked his seatbelt and twisted around, giving his petulant sister a glimpse of the Wolf riding along the edge of his skin. “Caress. Enough.” Ravage cut his gaze from hers, with the acerbic bark.
“What? I li
ke feeling good. I like it a lot. I don’t see you censoring Raze and his string of lovers. Why are you singling me out? There is nothing wrong with me having a healthy sexual appetite. You see me as a little girl. Well, that isn’t my fault. You had no right to stop me from being with Tierney, forcing me to come with you. He wanted me to stay with him, and I wanted to.”
“I’ve given you time to get used to the idea of moving away. No way I’d let you live with some punk who couldn’t keep a job.” He raked his hands through his hair. “Tierney didn’t possess a brain. He had no goals, no future. You think I’d leave you with some incompetent jackass?” He snapped the last, letting out a derisive snort.
Caress sighed. “But—”
“I’m the head of our family. You answer to me, Caress Galveston. I. Do. Not. Answer to you.” After refastening his seatbelt, he shifted the SUV into gear and checked traffic before continuing through the sparse town. Every now and then he’d flick his gaze to the rearview mirror, eyeing her to make sure she behaved.
“So unfair.” Caress chucked the book at Ravage’s head.
He turned down a winding road, pulled over again, parked, and stepped out of the vehicle.
“Girl, you still don’t know when to quit.” Raze opened his car door and unfolded himself from the vehicle.
Caress glared at Ravage then at Raze and hit the autolock.
“Really? I have the extra fob in my pocket.” Ravage unlocked the doors and yanked his sister out of the truck, holding her firm. “This is how the rest of the short drive is going to go. You are going to keep your mouth shut. No more childish outbursts. If one more thing hits me, I’m going to give into the urge to beat your ass with a belt. Remember last time? I know it’s been a while but, hell, girl, I’d give you ten lashes for today alone. Wanna make it twenty? I promise when I’m done, you won’t be able to sit without remembering for weeks.”
Caress swallowed hard, her eyes full of a healthy dose of fear. “I’m sorry I hit you.” Her submission calmed his beast.
“Raze, get in the backseat.” He pointed at his sister. “You, little girl, get in the front where I can see you. Now.”
“Is there a problem?” A male strode toward them in a tank top and a pair of running shorts, wearing earbuds.
Raze perked up and shook his head as the stranger drew closer.
“No problem,” Ravage said. “We’re heading to our new house up the road. I’m Ravage Galveston. This is my brother Raze and my sister Caress.”
“Ford Giovanni. Nice to meet you all. You’re our new neighbors. My nephew Luck and I live up the road, too. Just going for my daily run.”
“Nice to meet you, too. Sexy, young, chiseled like a god, tall drink of water.” Thrusting out her chest, Caress ran her tongue over her lips, eyeing him up and down like a new treat.
Ravage ground his teeth. “Get in the truck.” His sister obeyed, thank fuck. “You’ll have to excuse us. We need to get to our place and begin unpacking. I apologize for my sister’s behavior.”
“If you need help with anything, I’m about a mile up from you. Come grab me, and I’ll help out.” Ford glanced at Caress and turned back to Raze “I’m not in the market for impertinent young girls. I don’t envy you, neighbor.” Chuckling, he slid his earbuds back in. With a final wave, their new neighbor took off down the road.
“Raze, stop drooling. I don’t think he bats for your team,” Ravage barked.
The brothers climbed back into the truck. In silence, he drove down the narrow dirt road, tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, and glanced at his sister for a moment.
“You didn’t have to embarrass me back there,” she complained.
“Chiseled like a god? Really, where do you come up with what comes out of your trap?”
She folded her arms under her breasts.
“As far as embarrassing anyone,” Raze chimed in. “Baby girl, you did that on your own. Leave our new neighbor alone. He is the kind of Wolf who wants a woman, not a little girl pretending to be a woman.”
“Whatevs,” she responded without looking at him. “At least I know there’s something to look forward to.”
Ravage chuckled. His foolish sister wore her stubborn expression well. He clicked his tongue and pulled up the driveway to a large two-story house with a wrap-around front porch. Stepping out, he inhaled the crisp, fresh scents the Black Hills forest, his Wolf basking in the difference from the toxic city air. “We’re home.”
“Finally.” Raze jumped out of the vehicle. “I’ve had to take a piss for the last twenty minutes. Didn’t seem right to whip out my dick in town and mark the ground.” He snatched the set of keys Ravage held out to him and dashed to the house.
“Come on, sis.” Ravage threw his arms out to his sides. “Look at all this land. How can you not want to be here? How can your Wolf pout at being here? Mine is itching for the first run in our new territory. We have miles upon miles of forest behind our property.”
“I’m not talking to my Wolf, remember?” She flounced out of the truck, slamming the door with gusto. “Let me know when you get to my stuff. I’m going to go pick out the biggest bedroom for myself.”
I swear she’s gonna be the death of us. We lived in the human world too long. His beast agreed.
When the realtor contacted him, he’d received word they found a house with all the requirements he’d requested. Apparently, the previous alpha, Alpha Magnum, didn’t take care of his people or his land. The late alpha’s son and new pack Alpha, Drew, had taken on the task of reform. Ravage held respect for anyone who’d take up the challenge to transform and wanted to revitalize the community.
So much about Los Lobos reminded him of the pack his parents once ran with when he was a young teen—before everything changed, and their parents died in a freak storm.
He’d done his best, barely finishing high school. Through the grapevine, he’d heard about the SMMA, Shifter Mixed Martial Arts, and endured the taxing tests and obstacles to become one of the top fighters of the shifter species. In times of need, he’d left Raze in charge of Caress, and, while he didn’t regret it, he wasn’t happy with the outcome. Raze had pandered to her every whim. Instead of being an adult figure, his relationship with their sister was more of a best buddy, allowing her to run over him. He hated tears, and she could lay on the fake ones, rivaling any Emmy-winning actress. His brother needed to iron out his life.
His sister needed female companionship. With the absence of a mother, it had become clear Caress lacked social graces. Having a strong female in her life might make her a well-rounded young woman.
Deep down, he ached for a mate—had since his first telephone conversation with Adrie Scarlett. Never in his life had he enjoyed conversing as much as their weekly phone calls. Fantasizing about starting his own family came at a cost. His twin brother would find his own path, but Caress worried him. Having her help teach might prove the best change for her, even if she didn’t see it.
Having returned outside, Raze clapped his back, gave him a grin, and together they walked to the trailer, beginning the tenuous work of dragging their belongings inside. Caress surprised them by coming out to help, even though she’d sworn not to lift a finger. He assumed she did so to earn the biggest room. Ravage didn’t care either way. For the moment, he’d let her have the master bedroom and bath. He and his twin would share the other bathroom.
He worked in sync with his siblings for the next few hours then paused for a water break. The sweltering August sun baked his skin, causing a river of sweat to coat his face and body.
“I thought the weather would be cooler here, like Colorado, since we’re close to the mountains.”
“Brother, right now there is no snow on these hills. Only trees.” Ravage laughed and ripped off his shirt to mop the perspiration running down his body. “Wait till this winter. You’ll be wishing for heat.”
“You’re right. Fuck it’s hot.” Raze picked up the couch. “Let’s finish this.”
The sc
ent of another Wolf caught his attention, and he stopped them on their way up the porch, setting the plush sectional piece on the ground. Caress came out with more water bottles. He drained his in seconds, crushed the empty container in his hand, and headed down the driveway to meet their guest. Raze trailed after him, but his sister waited by the front door.
“Afternoon,” Ravage addressed the male climbing up the drive. “How can I help you?”
“I’m Drew Tao. We expected you days ago. Problems getting here?”
Oh, shit. Our Alpha came to check us out. “I apologize for our tardiness, Alpha. I should’ve called to say we would be late. We didn’t expect to have to chase our sister down.”
“I prefer Alpha in a public setting, but when we’re not being formal, why don’t you call me Drew?”
“Thanks, Drew. I’m Ravage, my twin Raze is behind me, and Caress is coming down the driveway now. Let me apologize for her behavior ahead of time.”
Drew grinned. “You’re all welcome here. We were glad to hear from you. As I told you, we’re still in restoration mode. Could use some help.”
“Thanks, we’re happy to do whatever you need. Raze and I hope to be part of your dominant team.”
“Come see us at Gee’s Bar when you’re settled.”
“Raze and I will stop by.”
“Again, we’re glad to have you all.” Drew nodded his good-bye and ran off into the woods.
Ravage sighed in relief then headed up the driveway. “Could’ve gone worse. Nice of him to stop by.”
“I told you to call and let them know we were held up.” Raze shook his head in irritation.
“Yeah, I didn’t think a day or two mattered, figured he’d be busy getting things in order for the rebuild. My mistake.” Ravage grabbed the edge of the couch and waited for his brother to haul the largest of the sectional in piece-by-piece.
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