Caress of the Wolf [The Gray Pack 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)
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The Gray Pack 5
Caress of the Wolf
In a time of transition, only the strongest will thrive…
Whitney Gray is less than thrilled that her werewolf pack is hosting another pack's Alpha battle. She figures the Diego wolves have done enough damage to the Gray wolves to last a lifetime, but when cousins Cadence and Mateo Diego step into her life she finds herself on a new and dangerous path.
Cadence and Mateo are determined to protect their birthright and secure their place as the leaders of the Diego Pack. They didn’t anticipate finding their mate, and now they are protecting her and her family from a threat that ends up being way too close for comfort.
The newly mated trio begin planning for a life or death battle, and end up on a journey from betrayal to forgiveness, but when you’re battling the past, someone’s bound to get hurt.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 65,012 words
CARESS OF THE WOLF
The Gray Pack 5
Lori King
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
CARESS OF THE WOLF
Copyright © 2014 by Lori King
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-574-3
First E-book Publication: April 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 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
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of Caress of the Wolf by Lori King from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Lori King’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. King’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
For my readers.
The Gray Pack continues because you have welcomed them into your hearts.
Live, laugh, and love like today is your only chance!
-Lori
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
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
Chapter 14
Epilogue
About the Author
CARESS OF THE WOLF
The Gray Pack 5
LORI KING
Copyright © 2014
Chapter 1
Whitney and the others tried not to watch the heart-wrenching good-bye between her adopted brothers and their wife of a day, but it was impossible not to hear their whispered words of love and faith. Ryley’s shoulder-length golden hair overlapped Shandi’s long red locks their heads were so close together. The two colors twisted around each other, symbolic of how difficult this parting was for them. Rafe stood at Shandi’s back, with his chin resting on the crown of her head, and his eyes clenched tightly shut as he clutched her to his chest. Shandi was the only thing that seemed to ground the two men as they fought through the tidal wave of emotions that came with good-bye.
“We’ll be back before you know it, angel,” Rafe murmured, as Shandi sniffled.
“I know. I’ll be okay. Promise me you’ll call me as soon as you get there.” She lifted her head, and Whitney could see the tear trails that streaked her pale white cheeks.
“Of course we will, babygirl. Don’t worry about us, okay?” Ryley lifted his head and smiled, but his smile lacked the spirit that it usually had. He looked up at Whitney, his eyes pleading for an extra hand, and she moved in to extract Shandi from their arms.
“I’ll keep an eye on her, guys. We need her help getting the new cabins ready for the Diego wolves, so she’ll stay busy. Just get there and back in one piece,” Whitney encouraged her brothers.
“Thanks, brat. Are you going to miss us?” Ryley asked, tugging at his little sister’s long hair.
She scrunched her nose up in a frown of annoyance and growled, “Like a dog misses its fleas.”
Rafe and Ryley both laughed as they each hugged Whitney. Her heart ached for them. They faced so much emotional turbulence right now, with mating so recently and then finding out that they had a biological sister they had never met and parents they’d assumed were dead. Their shoulders were broad, but she wondered just how much more they could possibly bear.
After kissing their wife good-bye one last time, they joined the rest of the Gray wolves that were leaving. Noah, Luke, Cash, Owen, and her brothers were all travelling together with KJ Whetstone to collect two people that everyone had believed dead for the last couple of decades. It seemed impossible that Tasha and Graham Whetstone could have stayed away from their two sons for so long, but the appearance of Katie Jo Whetstone out of the blue had been enough to send them searching. Whitney wasn’t sure that she believed KJ’s story yet, but she knew that Rafe and Ryley would never forgive themselves if they didn’t at least go to Quiver Creek, Wyoming to get confirmation.
She and Shandi both raised their hands to wave good-bye as the eighth traveler joined the group. Thomas Jameson was the only human currently allowed in the Gray pack den
, and soon to be the pack’s full-time doctor. He had been asked to join the group leaving in the hope that he would be able to save Tasha Whetstone’s life. KJ’s description of her injury from a silver-laced bullet certainly seemed impossibly fatal, but Whitney had recently seen some crazy things happen, so she was forcing herself to stay optimistic about the trip.
As the two matching white vans disappeared down the gravel drive, Whitney felt Shandi go limp against her. “They’re really gone.”
The whispered words sounded so lonely and lost that Whitney nearly cried herself. “Yeah, but like they said, they’ll be back before you know it. Come on. Let’s go inside and get you a cup of coffee. If I know my brothers, you didn’t get much sleep last night.”
The tinkling sound of Shandi’s laughter brought a smile of relief to Whitney’s face. She already knew that Shandi was strong. After all, she had survived cervical cancer and multiple surgeries that left her unable to have children, and watching the redhead pull herself together gave Whitney an altogether new appreciation for her sister-in-law.
The two women made their way into the kitchen of the Alpha cabin with some of the other pack members. Alpha Devin Gray and his twin brother Damon led the way, along with their pregnant wife Caroline. Surveying the threesome, Whitney smiled to herself as Caroline rubbed her rounded belly while preparing a fresh pot of coffee.
The twins weren’t just Whitney’s leaders, they were her cousins as well, but even she could admit their physical appeal. With their black hair, caramel-colored skin, and green eyes, the two tall, muscular men were great eye candy. Seeing them find their happiness with their new mate had brought a peaceful sense of serenity to the pack that no one even realized was missing. Even considering the life-threatening moments that had occurred in the last few months, Whitney had to admit that the Gray werewolves had never been happier than they were now.
“Whitney, I was hoping to have your help with setting up the new cabins for the Diego wolves,” Caroline said when she spotted her.
She nodded as she led Shandi to a seat. “Sure, Caroline.”
Caroline’s gaze was instantly sympathetic when she saw Shandi, and she carried a large cup of coffee over to the newest werewolf in the pack. “I’m sorry, Shandi. I can’t imagine how hard it was to tell them good-bye this morning.”
Shandi’s wide violet eyes reflected her inner turmoil, but she managed a nod. “It was hard, but I know how much they would have hated themselves if they didn’t go. They need to know.”
“Do you think it’s really possible that Tasha and Graham are alive after all of these years?” Whitney asked as she took a seat on Shandi’s right, opposite Caroline.
Devin nodded. “I do after seeing KJ. She looks so much like Rafe and Ryley…” His words drifted off as he moved to stand behind his wife, and Whitney met his green eyed gaze. As the Alpha, it was his decision to send an envoy off to Wyoming. “I’m so sorry, Shandi.”
“Stop it, all of you. Don’t treat me like a china doll. I’m sad, and I will miss them, yes, but I am a hell of a lot tougher than you think. Besides, they aren’t going to be gone long, and we have a whole lot of stuff going on around here to keep me busy.” Shandi took a big drink of her coffee and then pushed it away. “What can I do to help you set up, Caroline?”
Devin threw his hands up defensively, but he gave her a supportive smile. He turned and shrugged at Damon as he joined the group at the table. “We’d better not take more than a couple of weeks off, or we’ll go broke outfitting the place for all of our visitors.”
Damon nodded back, resting his hand on Caroline’s shoulder. “It’s like a roadside motel around here. We’ll leave the porch light on for whoever needs a bunk.” Everyone laughed, but Devin rolled his eyes and kissed Caroline’s forehead before he exited the kitchen.
Caroline’s face was lit up with a huge grin that Whitney knew matched her own. “We have to go get linens for ten beds, curtains for twelve windows, and towels for three bathrooms. Not to mention kitchen utensils for three kitchens. Dev gave me his credit card. How do you girls feel about a shopping spree this afternoon when Tina gets off work?”
Shandi and Whitney exchanged an excited look, and Whitney nodded. “I’ll check with Tawny and see if she’s free to join us. We can grab dinner and make a girls’ night of it.”
“Heaven help us,” Damon muttered before brushing a kiss over Caroline’s lips. “Devin must have lost his mind giving you the credit card and free rein. Stay out of trouble, beautiful. I have to be at the firehouse at noon for work. See you tomorrow?”
“Did you talk to the chief about getting time off?” Caroline asked, her pretty heart-shaped face frowning. The petite woman might have hunky twins for husbands, but she was no slouch herself in the looks department. With an hourglass figure that rivaled a pin-up model, and long, rich auburn hair that hung in disgustingly beautiful natural waves, Caroline was a stunner. Whitney loved her enough to hold the envy at bay, but every now and then she wished for one moment that she could trade lives with her.
“Yeah, this will be my last shift for three weeks. With the Diego wolves coming in two days, Devin and I both need to be here.” He lifted his gaze to Shandi and Whitney. “You two take care of my babies, you hear?” With a wink to show he was teasing, he kissed his wife again and rubbed his hand over her swollen belly.
Caroline was carrying twins, and most likely the next Gray pack Alpha, so her safety was priority number one for the whole pack. The mention of the Diego wolves left a sour taste in Whitney’s mouth. It wasn’t so long ago that the Alpha of the Chicago-based pack kidnapped and attacked Caroline and her best friend Tina. His plan to rape and kill her stemmed from his unexplainable hatred of Devin Gray. To this day, Whitney still didn’t understand what Devin had done to deserve Barton’s anger, but the fact that the horrible man was now deceased alleviated her anxiety a little. Knowing that Barton’s son and nine of his strongest pack mates were on their way to the Gray pack den kept her on edge. The Gray pack was hosting their Alpha battle. It was their right as the victims of Barton’s hostility, but Whitney didn’t like it.
No one knew what Cadence Diego and his pack mates were like. They were taking a leap of faith that there would be no animosity directed at them for the former Diego leader’s death, and that didn’t sit right with her. For all they knew, Cadence was coming to rip out Devin’s throat in retaliation for his father’s death.
“I’m going to run over to Mom’s place to show her those photos I took yesterday. Shandi, do you want to ride along?” Whitney was a photographer. Normally her specialty was nature photography, but she took the shots for both Shandi’s and Caroline’s weddings over the weekend. She had stayed up late the night before editing them so that Rafe and Ryley would have a current photo of their beautiful bride to carry with them on their trek west.
“No, thanks. I think I want to go home and lay down for a couple of hours. What time is Tina supposed to get off work?”
“Three o’clock. She should be back here and ready to go by four,” Caroline answered.
“All right, I’ll meet you back here then, and thank you, girls.” Shandi rose to her feet. “Thank you for being such great friends.”
Caroline and Whitney both watched the beautiful redhead walk out the door, and when they heard the front door close, they sighed simultaneously. Whitney laughed a little. “This is going to be tough for her.”
“I think it will be tough for all of us, but especially her. She just mated with them. The mating lust is probably still raging through her body, and yet she had to let them go.” Caroline stood and arched her back. Her small hand skimmed over the graceful slope of her belly, and a spark of envy skittered through Whitney.
“What’s it like?” she asked softly.
Caroline looked at her curiously. “Being pregnant? It’s beautiful, terrible, fantastic, scary, and perfect all rolled into six months of crazy.”
They shared a laugh. Werewolf pregnancies happened signif
icantly faster than the standard human pregnancy and Caroline was only a couple of months from her delivery date. After their pack sage, Delaky, informed her that she was carrying not one but two babies, the whole pack had been borderline crazy about keeping her safe and happy.
Reaching for Whitney’s hand, Caroline pressed it to the top of her tummy. After a moment, something nudged the firm globe, and Whitney gasped. “Is that—”
“That would be Baby B. Dev says that’s got to be the boy because it’s so active. Baby A tends to be softer, and gentler in its movements. When I first found out I was pregnant, I was so scared. Excited, but scared. I mean, I had parents who loved me, but they weren’t affectionate. Not the way the people of the pack are. They never really reached out and held me, or reassured me of their concern for me. They were always so wrapped up in each other, that it was hard to remember that they loved me, too. I don’t know if I’ll end up like that with my babies.”
Whitney shook her head at her friend. “That’s not possible. You will make a fantastic mom.”
“But I love Devin and Damon so much. What if I can’t love these babies as much?” Caroline chewed her bottom lip, and her hand ran in circles of nervous energy over her belly.
“Caroline, I haven’t known you all that long. About six months or so, I think?” When Caroline nodded, Whitney continued. “In that time, I’ve seen you love Devin and Damon unconditionally, but you didn’t just take the twins on when you accepted them. You took on their whole pack, and you have been just as loving and accepting of every single member. When Tina rejected Liam, you were the one to encourage her to give him a chance. When Shandi mated Rafe and Ryley, you jumped at the chance to help ease her into her new life as a werewolf. There is no doubt in my mind that you will love those pups as much as you love your men. More maybe, because they are a result of your love for the guys.”