What the Wolf Wants
Howls Romance (Wolf Mated)
Amber Ella Monroe
Breaking the Wolf's Rules: Howls Romance (Wolf Mated)
Copyright © August 2018 by Amber Ella Monroe
Template Design by Howls Romance
Cover Design by RAN Designs
ISBN-13: 978-1726297608
ISBN-10: 1726297608
http://ambriellekirk.com
http://amberellabooks.com
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, places, incidents, and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or person, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Contents
Newsletter
Other Paranormal Romance Titles
What the Wolf Wants: a Howls Romance
1. Claire
2. Claire
3. Lucas
4. Lucas
5. Claire
6. Claire
7. Claire
8. Lucas
9. Claire
10. Claire
11. Lucas
12. Claire
13. Claire
14. Claire
15. Claire
16. Lucas
17. Lucas
18. Lucas
19. Claire
20. Claire
Message from Amber Ella Monroe
Preview: Breaking the Wolf’s Rules
Breaking the Wolf's Rules: a Howls Romance
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Newsletter
About the Author
SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER
If you enjoy romance with an edgier side, subscribe to Amber Ella’s newsletter HERE, and be one of the first to be notified of new releases, current contests, giveaways, and book-related news.
For paranormal romance novels, visit Amber Ella Monroe on the web at http://amberellabooks.com
* * *
For contemporary romance novels, visit Ambrielle Kirk on the web at http://booksbyambrielle.com
Other Paranormal Romance Titles
CAEDMON WOLVES
Wolf’s Haven
Wolf’s Promise
Wolf’s Touch
Wolf’s Desire
Wolf’s Strength
Wolf’s Honor
Wolf’s Temptation
Wolf’s Kingdom (COBRA Coalition)
Mate & Kingdom (COBRA Coalition)
* * *
DRESDAN COVEN
Prelude
Donor
Requiem
The Dresdan Coven Trilogy
* * *
WOLF IN EXILE
Captured
Unchained
Ascend
Reclaimed
Bound
Wolf in Exile: The Complete Edition
* * *
ASPEN VALLEY WOLF PACK
Shifter Untamed
Wolf Unbound
Outlaw Unleashed
Omega Unmasked
Rebel Unveiled
Mountain Wolf
Rogue Wolf
Bad Wolf
* * *
SHIFTERS OF TIMBER ROCK
Jayce
Treyton
Draven
* * *
WOLF MATED
Breaking the Wolf's Rules
* * *
If you enjoy romance with an edgier side, subscribe to Amber Ella’s newsletter, http://smarturl.it/amberellas-list, and be one of the first to be notified of new releases, current contests, giveaways, and book-related news.
* * *
For paranormal romance novels, visit Amber Ella Monroe on the web at http://amberellabooks.com
* * *
For contemporary romance novels, visit Ambrielle Kirk on the web at http://booksbyambrielle.com
What the Wolf Wants: a Howls Romance
(Wolf Mated 1)
I didn’t expect to find my mate while seeking solitude in the mountains.
* * *
When she comes rolling down the hill with a feisty attitude in tow, I’m not prepared for the abrupt change she brings to my life.
* * *
She’s not as innocent as she claims to be, and pretty soon, I realize that she’s giving me a run for my money. And she knows I’ve got lots of it.
* * *
When I tell her what I really want from her, I expect her to run for the hills. She doesn’t. So now she’s mine.
* * *
Too bad she’s keeping a secret from me. Her secrets aren’t the only thing I want to reveal. I wasn’t looking for a mate when I left the city for peace, but I sure have found her.
1
Claire
“You won’t believe what happened?” I shriek into the phone.
“Oh, God, what now?” My friend Peyton sighs into the phone.
The Uber driver sneaks a peek at me in the rearview mirror. He’s probably more than a little unnerved with me panicking in the back seat of his car, but things are bad.
“The cabin I’m supposed to be staying at was burnt to the ground yesterday.”
“What!”
“Yeah.” I press my palm to my head and rub. “I roll up in my cab, ready to unload my suitcase, and all these cops are swarming around what’s left. A blackened frame.”
“Well, did they say what happened?”
“Just speculations. The townies. Hikers. A brush fire.” I shake my head. “The owner is thousands of miles away on a freaking cruise. I can’t even get in touch with him.”
My plan has gone to hell, and if I can't find a suitable replacement, I'm basically toast. I came to Clover Valley hoping to take a well-needed vacation…from everything and everyone. Many people would balk at the idea of vacationing here in the dead of winter with record-breaking snowfalls reported, but when I looked up this place last week, I saw it as an advantage. My folks would be less inclined to track me here. I had a cabin rental and everything squared away. It was just supposed to be me and nature and some time to rejuvenate. Heck, I even beat the storm here. If my plans hadn't gone south, I would be hunkered down in the rental right now toasting marshmallows or something.
“Is there someplace else you can stay?” Peyton asks.
“I’m trying. Everything in town is booked. Folks driving through the area are taking precautions and have pretty much booked every room within a thirty-mile radius. Luckily I found an Uber driver who was willing to drive me to another lodge rental company that no one really knows about. But fuck…we’ve been driving a while. This place is so far up the mountains. Almost too far.”
“Sir?” I unbuckle myself and then scoot forward on the backseat. “I saw some cabins back there.”
“Those aren’t the ones,” the Uber driver grumbles in the front seat.
“I didn’t realize this was so far,” I tell him. This guy is driving me out in the middle of nowhere, but I know I can’t be choosy now.
“We’ll get there soon. It’s just around the bend.”
Snowflakes are already falling. Most of it melts against the windows. I lean back in the back seat and start speaking the phone again, "I'll be there soon." I think I'm trying to convince myself more than I'm trying to convince Peyton.
Peyton sighs heavily into the phone. “I don’t think
this is such a good idea anymore. You need to get your ass back home now.”
“No, Peyton,” I state, sternly. “If I stay there any longer, I’m going to lose my mind. I couldn't care less about a stupid trust fund. I don’t think I want to come back.”
“What?” I hear Peyton sniffle over the phone. “I thought this was just supposed to be a vacation for a few days.”
I wasn’t straight with Peyton when I told her that I was taking a few days to rest and clear my head. She’s been my friend since elementary school. We’re like sisters. I should’ve told her that renting a cabin in Clover Valley was only the start. I was making plans to leave for good. Maybe, just maybe, I would find a permanent place here. It’s nice and quiet. Wide open spaces. I could train in peace.
I pick at a loose thread on my jeans. “There’s nothing there for me anymore.”
“What about me? I’m here. I’m your best friend. Will I see you again?”
My heart pangs as I look out into the shaded sky. The little Sedan is now driving up a steep incline. I can see the driver’s expression in the rearview mirror and he looks worried.
“What makes you think I’ll disappear off the face of the map. We’ll always be in touch.”
“I wish I could’ve come with you,” she says.
“What? And leave your boyfriend behind? I thought you said you loved him. Plus, that school would never find a preschool teacher as attentive as you.”
"You're right. Timing's off. I can always come later, you know…when things calm down. In the spring maybe. If you're there that long."
“See? This is not so bad, and by that time, I’ll know if I’m staying or going.”
“We’ll be pulling up soon, ma’am,” the driver states.
“Okay. Hey, Peyton. I’m almost there.”
“I’m gonna stay on the phone with you until you get in your cabin. I already feel guilty enough,” Peyton proclaims.
“You don’t have to, you know?”
“Yes, I have to. You remember our promise to each other. We’ve always made sure the other gets back safely. Just because you’re in another place and are threatening to leave me behind in this city, it doesn’t mean I’m flaking out on you. If anything happened to you out there and I’m the only one who could’ve done something to prevent it, I’d be sick.”
“Here we are,” the driver announces, pulling off to the side of the road.
“Um…” I start looking around. All I see are trees and something that states: Fields Lodging, One half mile. “Where are the lodges?”
“Ma’am…this is the furthest I can get you. I told you I wouldn’t be able to drive past the highway. My car can’t handle the terrain.”
“But, I can’t even see the lodges from the rode,” I fuss.
“The lodges are there, ma’am, trust me. I wouldn’t bring you out here if they weren’t. Plus, I need to get back. Snows beginning to fall and I don’t want to be stuck out on the road in my car.”
“What if they’re closed or something?” I counter.
“They’re not. Didn’t you say you talked to Jason earlier? If he says, he’s gotta cabin waiting for you he’s got one. I’ll even call him again myself.” The driver pushes some buttons on the touchscreen screen on the dash. A phone rings through the car speakers.
“Yello!” a man answers. I recognize his voice from earlier when I asked him about a vacant cabin.
“Hey, Jason, it’s Scott. I’ve got that woman here wanting to know if you’ve still got a lodge for her.”
“Yeah! I told you I did. I’m up at the office waiting. Is she still coming?”
The driver glances back at me and tosses me an I-told-you-so look.
“I’m still coming,” I mumble.
“Well, come on. This snow is about to touch down. I need to get home to my dogs,” the man replies.
“We’re right by the road. I can’t get my car down the hill. You know what happened last time,” the driver states. “But this was the quickest way from the town. Other way would’ve taken much longer.”
“It’s a straight shot on foot. A very short walk. The trail leads right to it. Shouldn’t take but fifteen minutes.”
I bite my lip warily. “Well, okay.”
“I’d come meet you halfway, but I’m getting calls left and right. I only got three cabins left. If you want this one, you’ve gotta come claim it.”
“Yeah, I will. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
“Well, I’ll save one for ya. You’ve got my number if you run into any issues.” The man hung up.
My cell phone is in my lap, but Peyton's voice gets my attention. I almost forgot she was still on the other end waiting. I press the receiver to my ear.
“Claire, what’s wrong?” Peyton inquires.
“I have to walk the rest of the way. Driver’s car won’t make it down the valley,” I tell her, grabbing a couple bills from my bag and handing it to the driver.
“Oh, what a jerk? Is he scared?” Peyton exclaims.
“Probably. Yeah, well, it’s only less than a mile. And good thing you’ll be on the phone with me, right?”
As I get out of the car and the soles of my shoes meet the rough ground, I’m relieved that I tugged on some boots. I reach down into a small section of my bag and pull out some gloves. I came prepared. I knew exactly what I’d need out here. Sure, I was about a dozen miles away from the first cabin and a little closer to the mountains, but this wasn’t that much different from what I expected for this area.
I swing my overnight bag over my back and start the short walk through the woods. I see the trail right away. The cold air nips at the skin of my face and all kinds of branches snap under my feet as I move forward.
"Going to the bathroom," Peyton says. "I'll be on mute, so you don't hear me pee, but I'm still here."
“Okay.” I squeeze the phone and sigh.
I listen to the wind pick up and moved through the trees. The silence is almost deafening. I wonder who else or what else is out here with me. I can see smoke billowing out of a chimney from a distance, so I know there's some form of civilization nearby. I'm not scared. Just anxious to get where I'm going. I want to sleep. I want to eat. I want to forget about everything that's been bothering me.
“I’m back. You still there?”
“Yeah. Believe it or not, no bears or wolves have mauled me,” I stated.
“Claire, that is so not funny. Do you even know anything about this place?
“Of course. I researched the whole town before coming.”
“But, I bet you didn’t account for having to stay in the mountains!”
"Maybe this is better, anyway. No one will be able to find me here." I glance around me at the tall, thick trees and massive boulders around me.
“God, Claire, you’re scaring me.”
“Calm down. Nothing’s going to happen to me, okay? I’m probably the only idiot out here. And if I were a fucking wolf, I’d be in my den, not out in this weather,” I stated.
“Well, some wolves are dumb.”
“Hey! Are you calling me dumb?” I laugh. I’m glad to be able to find some amusement in the situation.
“Noooo, but not all wolves are the same.”
“Are you talking about shifters? Because I know about them. I don’t think I’ve met one before, but I know enough.”
“Let me guess?” I can just imagine Peyton rolling her eyes on the other end. “You did research on that too.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I was born curious. Anyway, there aren’t any out here. All the articles I’ve read claimed the mountains here only have natural wolves.”
“Whatever you say,” she breathes into the phone.
“So, why are we talking about shifters, again?” I scrunch up my nose. “Hey. I think I see something. The cabins, maybe.”
“Thank Goodness.”
With each passing minute, the air gets colder, like ice is floating into the air. The fresh scent of pine and ice is calming, but I nee
d to be on my way. I frown and push my way through a couple bushes, pausing to make sure I don't hear any howling wolves or any movements of larger animals.
"Oh crap," I exclaim, looking out into the empty space at piles of thick logs and downed trees. "Those weren't the cabins. A lumberjack or someone must have felled some trees. Look like cabins from a distance, but…"
“Well, that means you’re close, right?” Peyton asks.
I scratch my head. I’m at the top of a hill looking down at the boulders. I look behind me. I realize that I’ve gone off the trail.
“Oh no,” I grumble.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I walk back in the direction I think I came. “Still walking.”
I don't want to scare Peyton. The last thing I wanted to do was give her any reason to panic and call my stepmother.
“Well, keep walking, because I’m not getting off this phone with you until you’re safely inside the cabin.”
My phone buzzes against my hand through my gloves. I ignore it. It’s probably only another email or something unimportant. I’m supposed to be on vacation, not attempting to work.
What the Wolf Wants: Howls Romance (Wolf Mated Book 2) Page 1
