by Haley Weir
“Ok, then. I’ve never met a wolf shifter before, but…I don’t know. I’m not surprised for some reason. It was you then, wasn’t it? The white wolf?” Tate nodded. “I knew that there was something human about that wolf. When I saw you…shift…it all kind of made sense.”
Tate watched in awe as Brisa stayed totally cool. She called the police and explained the situation. He realized that the calm demeanor that kept Brisa from panicking when Frank had a gun pointed at her, or when Tate shifted, was part of what made her such a great veterinarian. Her confidence showed her patients that they could trust her to help them. It made them more understanding and cooperative. He’d felt it himself when she had tended his wounds. He had been tempted to stay with her longer than he’d needed to, just so he could feel her hands on him and the warmth of her presence embracing him.
He knew now that his need to be near her, helping, and protecting her, was a precursor to the feeling that burst through his body when she accepted him with such grace. Tate knew now, with absolute certainty, that he loved Brisa Weber. He just hoped he could convince her to give him a chance.
She looked up at him as sirens announced the arrival of the police. Tate gave her a small smile as they turned and made their way toward the lobby to meet the officers. Mike Connor arrested Frank, who regained consciousness shortly after the police arrived, while Amy Sutton took statements from Tate and Brisa. The team photographed the damage to the door and storage room. Mike returned after taking Frank to the station to help board up the door.
While the police were there, the hair on the back of Tate’s neck stood up. He could feel…something. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t go away until he saw two large wolves watching from the tree line as Tate and Brisa were about to finally leave for the night. He nodded at them, and they came forward cautiously, following him into the clinic. Once inside, they shifted, and two tall men stood naked in front of him.
Brisa walked in from the storage room, where she had been straightening up, just as they shifted. She shrieked, covering her eyes. Tate could see her cheeks flush as she protested, “Dammit, Archer, I did not want to see that!” She pulled two blankets out of the linen closet and held them out, keeping her eyes averted. The men chuckled as Archer and his half-brother, Keaton, took the blankets and covered themselves up.
“We heard your call, but the police were already here when we arrived,” Archer told Tate, sinking into a chair. “What happened?”
“A wolf hunter came in wanting supplies,” Tate said. “He held us hostage. Apparently, this isn’t the first time.” He gestured at Brisa.
Archer and Keaton looked at her, and she shrugged. “It’s the first time he’s held me hostage,” she said. “And he didn’t get anything. Tate took care of it.”
“Then all is well?” Keaton asked. Tate nodded.
Brisa sat across from the brothers. “Do Vanessa and Ellison know you’re wolf shifters?” she asked.
“She knows?” Keaton looked sharply at Tate.
“As of tonight,” Tate replied. “I had to shift to keep the hunter from killing her and taking the supplies.”
“Yes,” Archer told Brisa. “We told them we’re shifters before we married them.”
“And your kids?” she asked. “Will they be shifters? Can you even have kids with…non-shifters?”
“Yes,” Keaton said. “Many shifters end up getting married to regular people. Offspring are always shifters, unlike if we were to mate with regular wolves. The DNA is too different. The offspring is usually just regular wolves.”
Brisa nodded, deep in thought. The men exchanged anxious looks while she processed the information. Finally, she said, “you know I won’t tell anyone, right? I understand why it has to be kept quiet, especially after tonight. With people like that hunter out there, the fewer people who know about you, the better.”
Tate couldn’t hide the loving smile her words produced. “That means a lot, Brisa,” he said, wanting to take her hand. But he was afraid that she would reject him in front of the men.
The brothers nodded. Archer grinned and said, “Lock this one down ASAP, Wolf Brother,” and Keaton chuckled as Tate’s eyes went wide. “You might want to look away, Brisa,” Archer said as the men stood. They dropped their blankets on the chairs, and shifted back into wolves as Tate opened the door for them to leave. He locked it behind them and turned to face Brisa: his beautiful prey.
Her green eyes were narrow slits, and her arms were crossed. Now why was she pissed? Tate decided he didn’t care. He stalked over to her, pulling her out of the chair, and into his arms. She pushed at his chest, but he held her fast, patiently waiting for her to give up.
“Tate!” she said, squirming against him. “Let go!”
As her head lifted, his dropped. He captured her mouth with his. She gasped, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Finally, he was getting his first delectable taste of her. As soon as his tongue found hers, Brisa stilled, and soon, her body melted against his. Tate smiled and let his hands roam over her body, finally resting on her round ass, which he squeezed and lifted, pulling her snug against his erection. She moaned into his mouth, and he growled in response, kissing her with more urgency.
He lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her back to her office, kissing her thoroughly before setting her on the desk. He gazed at her, stroking her hair. “Beautiful Brisa,” he said with a sigh.
He tasted the skin of her neck as he reached for the hem of her shirt. He tugged it up and off, and tossed it to the side. Her firm body was clearly carved by the gods, with full, round hips, luxuriously generous breasts, and a waist he could almost span with his hands.
He slid his hands down her waist and hips, then back up to unhook her lacy pink bra. He slid it off, and took a moment to gaze at her bare breasts. They were perfect: heavy and rounded, with rosey pink nipples that pebbled under his gaze. Cautiously, Tate reached forward to cup them, squeezing and stroking them gently before focusing on the nipples. He kissed her again as he tugged and pinched them, smiling as she sighed and pressed herself into his hands.
With a groan, Tate bent his head down to take a nipple into his mouth, and sucked it firmly. Brisa moaned, burying her hands in his hair as he tugged the nipple between his teeth and then soothed it with a swirl of his tongue. He turned his attention to the other nipple as his hands unbuttoned her pants. He swiftly pushed them and her panties to the floor. She kicked her shoes off with the clothes, and Tate stood back up to take possession of her mouth.
He worshiped her silken skin with his rough hands, stroking and exploring her curves as they kissed. She pushed at his shirt, and as he tugged it off, she admired him. His muscular chest was dusted with dark hair that tapered into a thin line down his flat stomach and disappeared into his pants. With a smile, Brisa leaned back on her elbows, spreading her knees as Tate sat in her desk chair. He moved the chair in and leaned down to slide his tongue between her folds. She stroked his hair as he licked and teased her.
“You’re so sweet,” Tate moaned, drawing her in deeply. Her hips lifted as she moaned, and she moved her hands to her breasts. Tate tugged on her legs, draping them over his shoulders. Brisa’s head dropped back as Tate slid his hands under her, gripping her ass to get a better angle. Her body bent and flexed, answering his worship at the essence of her femininity.
Brisa gasped, shocked at the bliss he was giving her with his lips and tongue. No one had ever used such expertise to pleasure her. Tate continued to tease and suck, slowly exploring her. He controlled her pace, drawing out his ministrations until she begged him for release. Her eyes fluttered shut as she moaned and twitched against his mouth. He slid two fingers into her, and curled them up to hit her G-spot.
Soon, Brisa was writhing and crying out continuously as she stretched toward release. Tate gave a long, deep suck on her clit. She clutched his hair, holding him to her until, at last, he let her find what she had been reaching for. He
watched the feelings flitting over her face as he skillfully used his tongue and lips to bring her into the heavens she’d descended from. Her back arched as she came, and he replaced his fingers with his tongue to catch her sweet nectar. He kept tracing her clit until her body relaxed. He stood, unbuckled his belt, and stripped hurriedly.
He settled over her, kissing her deeply, letting her taste herself.
“I suppose if I have to be locked up, at least this makes it bearable,” she murmured against his lips.
He lifted his head in confusion. “What do you mean ‘locked up’?”
“Archer said you have to lock me up so I don’t talk. I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone, and he said to lock me up.” There was genuine hurt in Brisa’s eyes. “I don’t want to be locked up,” she said dejectedly.
Tate stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Suddenly, he was barking with uncontrolled laughter. She pushed at his shoulders angrily, trying to wiggle out from under him.
“I don’t think it’s funny,” she said. “Let me go!”
Tate held her in place, trying to get control of his laughter. “Lock it down!” he said. She looked at him, confused. “You,” he explained. She still wasn’t getting it. “Archer just meant that I shouldn’t let you get away.” Anger filled her expression again, so he added, “he wants me to marry you.” As shock registered on her face, he began laughing again. “Oh, my beautiful Brisa,” he said, kissing her. “I insist that you marry me as soon as possible!”
“Yes,” escaped her lips on her next breath. When she realized what she had said, she stuttered. “Wait—I mean—”
Tate roared with laughter, pressing kisses to her cheeks and lips against her protests. “You can’t back out now, darling.” He sobered, gazing into her eyes as he said, “Even if you’re not sure now, I’ll spend the rest of our lives convincing you that you made the right choice.”
He kissed her gently, slowly coaxing her back into arousal. When he felt her body responding to him, he pulled back and turned her over onto her stomach. Her legs dangled off the side of the desk. He grasped her ass appreciatively, pressed into her and she gave a long moan. Completely buried in her, Tate chuckled. “It’s a good thing we’re getting married,” he said, “because I don’t have a condom.” He felt her tense for a moment, so he kissed and stroked her back, letting her adjust to his intrusion. His cock was thick, almost to the point of being painful. Tate ground his pelvis against her before starting to move.
He gave long, slow thrusts that were purposely taunting, drawing out the pleasure of being inside her. Brisa began moaning and rocking back to meet him. He took her hips in his hands again and squeezed, leaning forward to bite her earlobe as he began moving faster.
“You feel so good, baby,” Tate groaned in her ear. He was nudging her cervix with every thrust, and Brisa gripped the edge of the desk, inching toward orgasm. A continuous stream of sounds escaped her lips.
Her reactions fueled his body, and their energies surged. He moved faster, thrusting harder into her. He seemed to swell inside her, and she writhed, begging for release the second time that evening. Brisa’s cries drove him forward. He centered his entire focus on the friction and the slide of her hot sheath around him. His lower back ached with his increasing need to release, and he slid a hand under her to find her clit. He rubbed vigorously, desperately wanting to make her come again. Finally, Brisa’s body tensed, and she screamed.
Tate felt her pulsing heat clench him even tighter, triggering his own undoing. He released with vigor, and poured his seed into her as his hips continued to pump involuntarily, unwilling to give up the pleasure of being buried deep inside her.
“Holy shit,” he said finally, pulling out of her, kissing her shoulder and back. “You nearly killed me there.” He pulled her up and held her in his arms, kissing her gently before sitting on the floor, pulling her into his lap. He stroked and kissed her. He was totally content, and felt the energy draining from his muscles as his breathing slowed.
Brisa snuggled into him, happy and languid. She placed lazy kisses on his chest and neck with a small smile on her face. “That was incredible,” she said after a while.
He chuckled. “Incredible, amazing, mind-blowing, and phenomenal,” he agreed, his blue eyes glowing hotly. He kissed her again, reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms. With a short laugh, he said, “did you see Archer and Keaton’s faces when you asked if Elli and Vanessa knew they were shifters?”
Brisa laughed. “Yeah. They weren’t expecting that, were they?”
“Not at all,” Tate smiled, stroking her back. His body began to stir again as it recognized the slide of her skin against him.
“What did Archer mean?” Brisa asked suddenly. “He called you Wolf Brother. It seemed… important.”
Tate smiled down at her. “It is important. By calling me that, he was officially welcoming me into the pack. He was accepting me as part of his family.”
“Don’t you already have a pack?” she asked.
“I was born into one, but I left it when I moved here. I didn’t know if there were other shifters in the area, and I hadn’t thought about trying to gain acceptance into a pack. It isn’t easy, and I was doing fine on my own.” He kissed her. “I suspect that you’re the reason they welcomed me so easily.”
“I suspect it also had to do with the fact you saved my life,” she said.
“You’re right,” he agreed. “But I think a big part of it was that they could sense how desperately I want you,” he caught her mouth again, his slow, teasing kiss intentionally arousing.
When Brisa pulled back to catch her breath, she realized that they needed to clarify his role in her business before anything could progress. “Hey, if we do this, I need you to listen to me,” she said. “I love that you’re strong and want to take care of me, but you can’t just plow ahead with your plans without consulting me.”
“I’ll do my best. But I hope you know I only want to help,” Tate responded. “I’m good at what I do, and I can make your business more successful if you let me.”
“I’m happy to hear you out, but the final decision has to be mine,” she said. “I’m good at what I do, too.”
“I know you are, and you look sexy as hell when you’re doing it,” Tate dipping his head to place another kiss on her full lips. She laughed as she pulled away.
“So, if I don’t marry you, Archer and Keaton won’t let you be in their shifter club?” Brisa teased.
“I guess not, which is why I’m going to do my best to plant a cub in you as quickly as possible,” he said, turning her over so that she straddled him. She giggled. “Shifter babies are real beasts,” he told her. “You wouldn’t want to raise him on your own.” He kissed her as his hands found her hips and guided her into a slow, irresistible rhythm.
Tate watched Brisa’s face as she moved. Her beauty enraptured him. “I love you,” he said. She stilled, surprised.
“What did you say?” she asked.
Tate smiled and kissed her gently. “I love you, my beautiful, brilliant Brisa,” he said. “I can’t imagine anything better than spending my life making love to you and raising stubborn, brilliant children with you.”
Her face lit up in a radiant smile. “I love you too, Tate,” she admitted. He wrapped his arms around her in delight, and rolled her onto her back to take control of their mating. He spent the rest of the night convincing her that marrying him would be the best decision she’d ever made.
Six Months Later
Tate kissed Brisa as he passed, shifting and running to join Archer and Keaton, who were already in wolf form. She laughed as she watched the wolves wrestle in the yard and then race toward the woods behind Archer and Vanessa’s house. Instead of going to the Fourth of July Ball the weekend after Frank held them at gunpoint, they had spent the weekend eloping. They found out a few weeks later that Brisa was already pregnant.
With their two strong personalities, their
months together had been a struggle at times. But they always made the effort to come together and talk through their issues. Brisa constantly reminded herself that Tate’s overbearing approach came from a place of love and desire to help. Their explosive chemistry during make up sex helped them both get through the disagreements.
When her husband was out of sight, Brisa turned and went back to where Elli and Vanessa were sitting in the living room. Her rapidly growing belly was a smaller version of Vanessa’s, and Elli had told them the week before that she, too, had a cub on the way. The women were excited that their firstborns would be so close in age. Brisa was surprised and thrilled to have so much support from the other pack-wives.
“How is the house coming along?” Vanessa asked, sipping her lemonade and fanning herself with a book. Brisa and Tate had bought a large piece of land outside of town and were building a house. When they moved in, they would only be a short drive from Vanessa and Archer.
“The framing is done,” Brisa said with a sigh. “They’ll start on the roof and siding this week.”
“I bet it’s starting to look like a house,” Elli said. “That has to feel good.”
“It would feel a lot better if we were farther along,” Brisa laughed. “I don’t want to have a half-decorated house when I’m giving birth.”
“It’ll come together,” Vanessa reassured her. “The beginning is the slowest part. Once the roof and sides are on, the inside goes much faster. Besides, you’ll have plenty of help once you get to that point. That’s one of the benefits of having a pack.”
“How many bedrooms are you putting in?” Elli asked.
“Tate insisted on six,” Brisa said, and Vanessa choked on her lemonade.
When she was able to breathe, she asked, “how many kids are you planning on?”
“Me, or Tate?” Brisa asked, and the women laughed. “He wants as many as possible. I want two or three, but I’m not firm on that. Plus, Tate can be very convincing. We’ll just see what happens. How many do you want?”
