by Kimber White
“Well, Patsy,” Grammy said. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
Pat Bonner cocked her head to the side and looked at Grammy. For an instant, she didn’t recognize her. And then she did. Pat let out a warm laugh and threw her arms around Grammy.
“Oh my God, Althea Crow? Oh my word!”
Grammy hugged her back, but kept her posture stiff. Tears played at the corners of Grammy’s eyes. Whatever history she and Pat Bonner shared, I was certain Grammy never thought she’d see her again. Clearly, Pat shared the sentiment.
“You were just a little bitty thing, last time I saw you,” Grammy said, finally softening. “Running around here trying to keep your baby brother out of trouble. Harold still around causing it?”
“Who’s there?” A booming voice caught me by surprise. An old man came out from around the porch, sliding his hand along the railing. His sightless eyes aimed just above our heads.
“Hello, Harold,” Grammy said. “It’s Althea Crow. Well, Lyle now. I used to babysit you if I recall.”
When Harold got closer, Grammy’s breath caught. So did mine. Harold had a deep scar across his face, making his eyes opaque. Claw marks. Old and healed.
“Well, Harold,” Grammy said. She went to him and traced her finger along the track of the scars. “I guess the stories I heard were true.”
“Agh,” Harold said. “You should’ve seen the other guy.” Then, he drew Grammy into an embrace. Pat put her arm around me.
“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” she said. “And you need to get settled. I can’t tell you how glad we are to have you, Jessa. I never thought I’d live to see the day when Derek Monroe finally brought home a mate. I’d almost given up hope.”
She brought me into the house. It was old, charming. Well-built with finished wood floors and arched ceilings. I looked behind me, expecting to see Derek and the rest of the pack, but he was gone. My heart skipped a beat.
“Hush now,” Pat said, leading me down the hallway to a bedroom off to the right. It was airy with bright yellow wallpaper and a double bed with eyelet sheets. Queen’s Anne’s lace in a vase by the window. “The boys have been separated for a long time. They’re going to need some time to acclimate and hunt. I expect they’ll be back around dinnertime or a little after. You’ve got to be bone tired, darling. I can draw a bath for you if you’d like.”
“A bath? Lord, I haven’t had a real bath in maybe ever.”
Pat’s warm laughter filled the room. “Then you’ll have one. We have everything you need here. Let’s just say I’m used to my Alphas bringing women home in need of rest. I’ll see to Althea and your father too.”
We heard laughter out in the yard. “Never mind,” Pat said. “Take a look.”
Harold had his arm around my father. They were headed out to the barn. Brutus and Sofie, tails held high, ran circles around them, their noses skidding across the green grass. “Well, they’ve all made fast friends.”
“Tinker Lyle,” Pat said. “Your Pa’s a little bit of a legend around here. Glad to see he’s going to be using his skills for the good of the pack now. At least, I hope. Derek said he’s handy. Harold will put him to work out in the barn in no time.”
“Good. Dad likes to stay busy.”
Grammy stood on the porch and watched them go. She had a wistful look in her eye.
“She’ll be all right,” Pat said. “It’s just been a long time since she was back this way.”
“It has.” I watched Grammy. Though she still had tears in her eyes, she almost looked happy. At peace, even.
“She’s going to get to go home,” Pat said. “We can take her into Oodena tomorrow. My son lives there with his family. I’ll introduce you to my daughter-in-law. The two of you have a few things in common. And there are a few old timers still around. Her brother Randall’s still alive. Althea can take all the time she needs. There will be a place for her. For all of you. If you want.”
“She never told me she had a brother,” I said, my voice catching. I let out a breath. Pat leaned in the doorway smiling.
A place for me. A place for all of us.
I couldn’t explain it. We’d only just arrived. But, as I breathed in the fresh, clean air, I felt it. Home. Wild Lake was home. How had I ever questioned it? Pat nodded, then pushed herself off the doorframe. She walked across the hall, and a minute later, I heard the soft rush of water as she filled a bathtub.
***
He came to me later that night. Pat laid out a huge feast for us. Fried chicken, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes. Dad and Harold Bonner seemed to be soulmates. Dad’s wheels were already spinning with how to improve on a rope system Harold had in the barn to help him get around. Grammy grew excited about visiting Oodena in the morning. She broke down when she heard about her brother. Pat wanted to take her to see him first thing. I sat at the end of Pat’s long kitchen table and watched Grammy grow more and more comfortable with her as they caught up on old times when Grammy was young.
My heart thundered in my chest, and Derek’s warm, strong hands slid over my shoulders. He leaned down and put a whisper of a kiss on my cheek.
“Let’s take a walk,” he said. He didn’t have to ask.
Hand in hand, we walked behind the house. Derek led me down the trails through the thickest part of the woods until we reached a clearing. I saw Wild Lake for the first time under a full moon hanging low and bright. Deep blue water, still as glass, stretched across the horizon to the forest on the other side.
“It’s beautiful!” I gasped. “Like it’s never been touched.”
Derek drew in a great breath, letting the pure air fill his lungs. He walked to the water’s edge and turned to me. His eyes glinted gold as he peeled his shirt off. Heat rushed through me as I did the same. I took a tentative look around. We were out in the open. Out of sight of the main house, but still exposed.
“Relax,” he said. “The lake is ours tonight.”
I shed my clothes and went to him. Derek stood tall and straight. The moon bathed him in heavenly light as I brought my hands up and slid them down his shoulders. He brought his arms around my waist and walked backward, leading me into the cool water. He kept me warm. We swam out until my feet couldn’t touch. I straddled Derek’s waist with my legs as he turned me. Water sluiced over my shoulders, cool and clean.
“I love you,” he whispered. “More than you’ll ever know.”
I smiled. “I’ll know. Remember? I feel what you feel. And I love you too.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For trusting me. For leaving everything to be with me.”
“Leaving everything? Derek, you’ve given me everything. Things I never knew I was missing. My father too, I think. He can do good work here. I think you need him in Wild Lake. Maybe not soon, but someday, the Kentucky packs might try to come. My father can help you be ready. And Grammy. Derek, I never knew. She belongs here. She belongs in Oodena. I want to go there with her tomorrow. I want to see the places where she grew up. I want to help her heal.”
“I want that too. And after that, I’ll take you home. North of here, over the bridge. I have a house like this. It’s quiet. Woods all around. I never knew how much I needed you to be there with me. And after that, Jessa, whatever you want. I mean it. We’ll make plans together.”
“Hmm,” I nuzzled against his chest, breathing in his musk and the night air with it. I felt his growing need pulsing against my inner thigh. With it, my own need grew stronger too. I throbbed for him everywhere. I could never get enough. I never wanted to try.
I wanted to make plans with him. He promised me anything I wanted. I could finish college. I wanted that. I could learn the business with him. I wanted that too. But, as he held me in his arms and we ventured further out into the water, my path became clear. The need burned brightly within me. The moment I gave voice to it in my head, it took my breath away.
“Derek?”
“Yes, my love?”
“I need you.”
“You have me.”
“No. I mean I need you inside me. All of you. Please. Now.”
His growl of lust vibrated through me, making my insides molten. Derek moved through the water with me again, leading me back up to shore. He spread me out in the sand. My hair fanned out beneath me as the stars shone above.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “Like some water nymph.”
He trailed his fingers down my shoulders, curved them around my neck and circled each of my nipples. I gasped as gooseflesh covered me and my nipples rose to peaks. I let my knees fall to the side, spreading myself for him there in the sand. Derek’s eyes flashed as he leaned back on his heels and looked at me.
I was his. This was forever.
“Marry me,” I whispered. “I want that too.”
Derek smiled. “That’s supposed to be my line.”
“Then say it.”
“Yes. Baby. Marry me. Make me your husband. Stay with me forever.”
“Yes,” I gasped. I ran my hands up his arms and pulled him down to me. Derek pressed his hand between my legs and worked me there. His skillful fingers slid in and out of me. He circled my tiny, sensitive bud with the pad of his thumb until I cried out in ecstasy. Blood thrummed in my ears. His wolf was there. Just below the surface, like always.
And there was magic in the stars that night.
I arched my back and pulled him to me, unable to wait another second. Derek leaned down and nipped my ear. He slid into me, filling me, stretching me. This was different and perfect and everything I needed. He went slowly at first, letting me set the pace as I clawed the sand with one hand, his back with the other. Each stroke lifted me higher toward the sky.
I flew. I came. My orgasm ripped through me in waves. I cried Derek’s name and didn’t care who could hear. Then, Derek turned me. As my sex quivered with each shudder of pleasure, Derek entered me again. My mark burned for him. He ran his tongue over the sensitive flesh at the base of my neck. He marked me again. Deeper. I cried out from the pain that blossomed into deeper ecstasy. I knew in every cell that this mark was different. His rhythm grew erratic as he crested his own orgasm. Deep and slow he went.
My mark flared hot again as Derek’s body went rigid. I angled myself down to receive him. All of him. His seed burned hot as he poured it into me. This time was different. This time was forever. This time, it would take root.
“Jessa!” he cried out. I think it surprised him. But, not me. I knew. He’d remolded me, body and soul. Completed me. Now we were something more. As we came together, a tiny new being flickered to life inside of me. Mine. Derek’s. Together.
Then, Derek curved his body around me and pulled me close. We looked up at the stars. Derek pointed out the constellations as I nuzzled against him. He kissed the back of my neck where my mark and my connection to him strengthened.
“I never knew,” he whispered.
“What, my love?”
“That it could be like this. I’ve seen other Alphas with their mates, but never understood. I didn’t start breathing until I found you, my love.”
“Neither did I.” We laced our fingers together and rested them gently over my stomach. He felt the spark of life growing there as well. His low growl sent a shiver through me. It wouldn’t be long before I’d need to sate him again. I welcomed it.
I settled back against him and looked up at the stars. Yes. The lake was ours tonight. Wild and perfect with magic all around.
THE END
A Note from Kimber White
I hope you enjoyed Derek and Jessa’s story. I wanted to bring you a fast-paced, adrenaline rush of a novel with all the elements you know I love. I’ve truly had a blast bringing these Wild Lake shifters to life. I can’t thank you enough for taking this journey with me. I have much more planned for Wild Lake in the future. Make sure you’re signed up for my newsletter (info below) for news. The Bonner siblings (Pat and Harold) will star in their own prequel very soon.
There’s lots more to come before we go back to Wild Lake. Don’t think I plan to leave Liam, Mac, and Gunner hanging. My Mammoth Forest Wolves series tells the story of the wolf shifter resistance fighters working to bring down the Kentucky Chief Pack. Liam’s story kicks it off. You can get more information and book release dates on my series page here. I promise to bring you more heart stopping, wild love stories about fated mates and protective Alpha males. Each book in the Mammoth Forest Wolves series, like the Wild Lake Wolves are full length, cliffhanger free novels. I can’t wait for you to get started.
Wild Ridge Bears is my bear shifter series. If you love your men wild and your heroines smart and strong, don’t miss it. These bears deliver.
If you’re new to the shifters of Wild Lake, you can find out more the people of Oodena (Grammy Lyle’s hometown) in Dark Wolf. I’ve included the first chapter as a bonus at the end of this note if you’d like to check it out.
The Wild Lake companion series is called, Claimed by the Pack which kicks off with The Alpha’s Mark.
For an exclusive first look at my next new release, sign up for my newsletter today. You’ll be the first to know about my new releases and special discounts available only to subscribers. You’ll also get a FREE EBOOK right now, as a special welcome gift for joining. I promise not to spam you, share your email or engage in other general assholery. You can unsubscribe anytime you like (I’ll only cry a little). You can sign up here! http://www.kimberwhite.com/newsletter-signup
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See you on the wild side!
Kimber
KimberWhite.com
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Bonus Excerpt of Dark Wolf by Kimber White
Most people grow up listening to their parents croon “Rock-a-bye Baby” or “Twinkle Little Star” as they lay them down to sleep. For most of my childhood, I got “Half Breed” by Cher. I knew the lyrics by heart by the time I was two. I used to love the way my mother’s eyes would shine with tears of laughter when I stood in front of the fireplace and sang it for her. My father’s would too. That’s what I remember most about that time. Laughter. Dancing. Lots of food. Warmth. Love. Their deep love for each other and for me.
Then, one day on my birthday or some other holiday, I sang that song in front of my grandfather. I’ll never forget the stony look that came into his creased eyes. All color drained from his face and he murmured something to my mother in a language I didn’t understand. The one he spoke in hushed whispers to her when he was talking about me and didn’t want me to know it. Whatever he said to her made her voice quake with rage when she answered him in English.
“I’m as much my mother’s daughter as I am yours,” she said. “If you ever say that to me again, you won’t have a daughter anymore.”
He didn’t come over much after that, my grandfather. He lived high on a hill at the edge of town in a white farmhouse surrounded by dense woods. Come to think of it, he didn’t come to town much after that either. My mother and I, sometimes my father, would bring groceries to him, going up his long, winding driveway to his hidden fortress on that hill.
Mom told me once he hadn’t always been like that. Shut in. Always angry. She said he’d been the life of the town when she was a little girl. But, after my grandmother died, Grandpa stopped wanting to be in the world. The few Odawa words he muttered I did understand were all about how his curse had finally taken her. He said it was all his fault for marrying her instead of someone like himself. If he’d followed the old
ways, if he hadn’t brought her to this town, she might still be alive. His family. His curse. And he said he knew we weren’t done paying. My parents told me to ignore the ramblings of a grief-stricken, sad old man. But then, a look would pass between them as if they couldn’t ignore it.
My mother told me other stories of the man my grandpa used to be before Grandma died. Alive. Vibrant. Charming. Always with a twinkle in his eye and a pocketful of lollipops for the children he met on the street. He’d even served as our town’s mayor. Our town was Oodena, Michigan, located on the pad of your fourth finger if you hold up your right hand palm-up like a map the way we Michiganders do. Established in 1866, Oodena had a thriving population of 992 when I was eight years, eleven months, and 24 days old. It dipped to 990 the next day. I lost both my parents in a car accident on some back country road. No one would ever tell me the details. A drunk driver? A patch of black ice on a dark, wintry night? I don’t know. I wasn’t with them. In other towns, people might have said that was a blessing. In Oodena though, they said maybe my grandfather had been right all along.
So, when I was eight years, eleven months, and twenty-six days old, I was told I’d have to go live with my grandfather forever. There was no one else to take me. No family on either side except for him. One week later, right after my ninth birthday, he sent me away. That was ten years and three days ago. I spent the rest of my childhood with old college friends of my father’s down in Florida. Four different families in ten years. All of them kind. All of them decent. But, none of them family.
Six months and sixteen days ago, after I graduated from high school, I came back to Oodena. Because now, Grandpa had no one left.
I pulled my hood closed, trying to block out the blistering wind as I made my way through the center of town. Mid-January in northern Michigan isn’t for sissies. After ten years in southern Florida, I’d almost forgotten what the hell a snow belt even was. I got a stinging reminder as the wind kicked up and sprayed snow straight at my face off the rooftop of the local dry cleaner’s shop.
