The Wolf's Choice (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 4)

by Patricia Blackmoor

  The Wolf’s Choice

  The Wolf’s Peak Saga #4

  A Paranormal Romance Novel

  by

  Patricia Blackmoor

  Copyright © 2017 by Patricia Blackmoor. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to business, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely incidental.

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  * * *

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty–One

  Chapter Twenty–Two

  Chapter Twenty–Three

  Chapter Twenty–Four

  Chapter Twenty–Five

  Chapter Twenty–Six

  Chapter Twenty–Seven

  Chapter Twenty–Eight

  Epilogue

  Sneak Peek

  Prologue

  The moon shined down on the party, illuminating everything it touched. It wasn’t time for the moon to be full yet—that would be a few days from now, but it was still bright. Behind me, a fire crackled, surrounded by partiers. Things were getting a little bit loud, and I had drunk more than I should have. Luckily, Adam’s house was far enough outside of Weylyn that the party wouldn’t attract attention or scandal.

  A warm breeze blew across my shoulders. Where had I put my shawl? I’d set it down...somewhere. In the house? Maybe?

  I didn’t see it near the fire, so I started toward Adam’s stone, gothic revival home. I’d hadn’t visited his home much recently, but even in my slightly inebriated state, I could remember the layout well enough. I slipped in the side door and into the kitchen. Bottles of wine in various states of fullness were scattered around the kitchen, although most of the bottles were outside, in the hands of the party guests.

  With the weather as nice as it was for this time of the summer, very few people were in the house. As I searched through the dim lighting, I caught sight of a couple embracing in the living room. I tried not to look for too long, but I could tell the woman was Stella Darby. I had no idea who the man was that she was with, and based on their compromising position, I suspected I wasn’t going to want to stick around to find out.

  I tried to remember where in the house I had been. My brother, Harry, and I had come in the front door, greeted by Adam. We’d gone through the entry, through the parlor and living room to the dining room and kitchen, then out the back door to the courtyard. I’d had my shawl then, right?

  Ugh, I couldn’t remember. No, wait, Adam had taken it when we’d come in the door. He’d hung it in the entry hall. That was right. I started back through the dining room and paused outside the living room doorway. To get to my shawl, I’d have to pass by the intimate couple, and I really didn’t want to do that.

  I had another option. Annoyed, I went out the kitchen door and circled the large house to get to the front door, dodging wayward partiers. Everyone here had imbibed far too much, and they’d probably have headaches tomorrow. I’d have one too, more than likely. I was in full control of my faculties, and I could walk in a straight line, but my thoughts were just a bit fuzzy and I was giggly.

  I stepped in the front door and went to the coat closet, searching through for my green shawl patterned with flowers. The light was so dim, and after a few moments of searching, and several moans from the living room, I gave up.

  I’d ask Adam for it another time. It wasn’t a huge deal, as long as my mum didn’t ask about it. If she did, I’d have to say I lost it, which wasn’t exactly a lie, but I didn’t want to go too far into detail.

  I was leaving through the front door when I heard footsteps on the stairs behind me and turned to see Adam.

  “Hazel,” he said with a smile, his voice with a genuine happiness to see me that made my heart beat a little faster. “Where are you going?”

  “Oh, I thought I’d head home,” I told him.

  “But it’s my birthday!” He wasn’t stumbling drunk like some of the others outside, but he was tipsy enough to be relaxed and just a little loud.

  “Your birthday isn’t until tomorrow,” I reminded him.

  “Ah,” he said, pointing. I turned to see the clock had struck midnight minutes before. “It’s after midnight, so it is my birthday.”

  “Well, happy birthday, then.”

  “Thank you. You’re the first to wish it to me, you know.”

  “Perhaps because you were upstairs, away from the party?”

  “That might have something to do with it.”

  “It’s been a lovely party, Adam, but not really my style. I’m tired and more inebriated than I should be.”

  “You can stay here,” he offered. “Go ahead, I’ve plenty of rooms.”

  I shook my head. “I appreciate that, Adam, but my parents will be back from their trip tomorrow, and I don’t know what time. I don’t want them to come home with me gone.”

  “All right. That’s fair, I suppose. Will you at least let me walk you home?”

  “Adam, you can’t leave your party.”

  “Who says I can’t? It’s my party. Besides, I’ve been upstairs for the last five minutes and I don’t think anyone’s even noticed.”

  “Adam—”

  “Hazel, the woods are dangerous. Please, let me walk you home.”

  I sighed. “All right.” I felt bad, tearing him away from his party, but was also secretly thrilled at the idea of walking through the woods with Adam.

  “You had a shawl, didn’t you?”

  “I did, but I can’t find it,” I said.

  Adam frowned. “Let’s see.” He turned to his closet and rummaged around, but came back empty–handed. “I could have sworn I hung it here.”

  “Don’t worry. You can bring it over another time.”

  “All right. Sorry about that. Let me grab you a blanket, at least. It’s getting chilly.”

  He started toward the living room, and I didn’t have a chance to stop him.

  “What the bloody hell is this?” he asked, flicking on the light. “Oh, for God’s sake, Henrick, can’t you keep it in your pants?”

  I craned my head around the corner to watch the scene in the living room.

  “Adam, turn the light off,” Stella pouted, her cosmetics smeared across her face, and her blonde hair a mess.

  “No, both of you get out of here,” Adam instructed. “For real, on my bloody sofa?”

  Henrick grumbled, but grabbed Stella’s hand and the two of them headed toward the back of the hou
se.

  “Jesus Christ,” Adam muttered as he came back with a folded blanket in his hands. “Sorry about that.”

  “I wanted to warn you, but you were too fast.”

  “‘S all right,” he said. He threw the blanket over his shoulders, then held out his arm. “You ready?”

  I took his arm, my heart hammering. I knew he could hear it, and that only made a blush spread across my face. Adam, for his part, didn’t seem to notice.

  We started toward the woods. My family’s home and the Wellington estate were separated by about a half mile of thick forest. I wasn’t concerned about walking through the trees at night, but for whatever Adam was . In a few nights, when the moon was full, I would understand. Then the forests would be full of werewolves, but now I was almost certainly safe, even outside of the village proper.

  “How does twenty–five feel?” I asked Adam as we ducked under the tree boughs and stepped onto the well–worn path between our homes. Harry and Adam had been friends for as long as I could remember, and had forged this path sometime in our childhood. It had only become clearer and more packed down since then. Even the English rains couldn’t wash it away.

  “It feels no different than twenty–four,” he admitted.

  “How disappointing. I’ll remember that when I get there,” I told him, and he laughed. Like my brother, Adam was a few years older than I was. I’d be turning twenty–three in the spring.

  The moonlight caught on Adam’s golden–blond hair, hair that had gotten a little long as of late, falling over his eyes and peeking out the back of his hats when he wore them. I didn’t mind, though I had heard my mother comment about it. Adam might have been a lord, but he didn’t care much for dressing nicely. In fact, I was almost sure that now that his parents were gone, he was relishing the freedom of allowing his hair to grow as much as he wanted.

  “It really was a lovely party,” I told him was we walked through the trees.

  “Don’t lie; you hated being there.”

  “I didn’t hate it, I just didn’t know many people.” Most of the partygoers had been men that had been in the same year as Adam and Harry, along with a few women scattered within. Most of the women knew it wouldn’t be proper to get caught there, so the ones that had attended were the ones who didn’t care.

  “You hated it.”

  “It wasn’t my style of party.”

  He paused. “So, why did you come?”

  “Well, it’s your birthday.” I was quiet for a moment. “You know, you didn’t have to invite me just because Harry is my brother and we’re neighbors.

  He smiled at me. “Would you like to see something?”

  “What is it?”

  “A surprise.”

  I laughed. “All right. Let’s see.”

  Adam pulled me off the path and through the brush.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Just wait. It’s worth it, I promise.” His arm had slipped from mine, and he now held my hand in his, his warm, rough hand grasping my small, soft one. He broke into a run, tugging me along behind him.

  “Why are we running?” I asked.

  “I’ll show you,” he said as he pushed a few branches away. “Look.”

  I stepped up behind him to look at what he was trying to show me. In front of us was a circular clearing bathed in moonlight, a long–abandoned well centered in the middle.

  “Oh, it’s beautiful,” I said as Adam pulled me through so we were standing inside. From here, I could see millions of stars all twinkling above us and hear the lake lapping along the shoreline.

  “I come here sometimes when I want a little bit of peace,” Adam said. “It’s so serene.”

  I crossed to the moss–covered well and ran my fingers along the wood. “It’s like something out of a fairy tale.”

  Of course, I lived in a world where werewolves were more than just legend, so who was I to talk about fairy tales?

  Adam followed behind me, and my heart raced as he came so close he was almost touching me.

  “I wanted you here tonight,” he said.

  “What?”

  “At the party. I invited you because I wanted you to come.”

  I turned around to look at him, unable to escape the gaze of his emerald eyes. “Oh.”

  Adam cleared his throat. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time that I love having you in my life. Hazel, I think I’m in love with you.”

  I blushed furiously as I began to tremble. “That’s just the alcohol talking.”

  “No,” he insisted. “I’ve felt this way for years but have never been able to express how I feel.”

  We were quiet for several long, suffocating seconds. “How do you feel?” he finally asked.

  “I think I love you too.” My voice was hoarse, and I couldn’t stop shaking.

  Adam leaned in and kissed me, one hand sliding around my waist to pull me close. His lips were soft but firm, asking permission with passion. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, lifting myself up on my tiptoes to get as close to him as possible. As we drew together, our kiss became more heated, warmth blossoming in my stomach. I never wanted to let him go.

  We broke for a moment, both breathing heavily, foreheads resting against each other. I swallowed, trying to regain control of my faculties. Was this a dream? If so, I never wanted to wake up.

  I couldn’t even remember when I’d realized I was in love with Adam. My feelings for him had grown as natural as the flowers in spring. I had found myself longing for his presence every summer when he and my brother were home from school. Now that we were older I saw him less and less, but that only seemed to make me ache for him more.

  Without quite realizing what I was doing, I tilted my chin to meet his lips again. My hands slipped from around his neck to the collar of his shirt. Somehow, despite my quivering hands, I managed to unbutton the first few buttons and expose his solid chest.

  He broke the kiss for a moment. “Are you sure?” His voice was husky.

  I looked up from the buttons and nodded, my eyes wide. I couldn’t speak.

  Adam pulled the blanket from my shoulders and laid it down over the dew–speckled grass. He reached out and took my hand, and together we kneeled onto the ground. Gently, Adam took my face in his hands and pulled me in for a soft kiss. His fingers began to work at the buttons on the front of my dress, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was trembling as much as I was.

  My buttons were undone, but his weren’t. I reached over, his body heat comforting me as I finished off the last of the buttons. I ran my hands over the smooth muscle of his chest up to his shoulders, before gently pushing the sleeves back. He shrugged out of his shirt.

  I had seen Adam shirtless before, when he and my brother would go swimming or play outside, but it had never been in this sort of situation. The moon glinted off his chiseled muscle as if he were made of marble.

  Once again, I swallowed hard as I reached over to push my sleeves down my shoulders, exposing myself to a man for the first time. I hated how white my skin looked in the moonlight, or the freckles that splashed against my chest, but Adam didn’t seem to mind. He pulled me against him, skin against skin as our lips met with more pressure, more heat.

  Adam lowered me onto my back, our bodies never separating. His hardness pressed against me as I reached down and unbuckled his pants. Adam sat up, sliding my dress over my legs, followed by my crinoline. Goosebumps prickled my skin as I watched him shuck off his pants and saw him completely. For the first time, fear tightened in my chest. How on earth was I going to be able to fit him inside of me? He was huge.

  Adam kissed my lips, then kissed down my neck to my chest. One hand cupped my left breast while his mouth enveloped my other nipple. My back arched off the ground at the new, extraordinary sensations, and I let out a low moan.

  Embarrassed, I looked at Adam, but he had only taken my vocalization as a cue to continue. One of his hands slipped between my legs, and when he found the small pear
l in my folds, I moaned even louder. I could almost feel him smiling as he moved his mouth to my other breast, not wanting it to be left out.

  My hands clutched his shoulders. “Adam,” I panted.

  He paused. “Yes?”

  “Are you…are you ready?”

  He looked at me with wide eyes. “Are you?”

  I nodded. Carefully, he aligned himself at my entrance.

  “Just be gentle,” I begged.

  “Of course.”

  Slowly he pushed into me. A stinging pain exploded between my legs, but after a moment it faded to be replaced by a certain pleasure. I had feared he wouldn’t fit, but instead he filled me, my body stretching to accommodate.

  “All right?” Adam asked.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  He began to thrust, slowly at first, then picking up speed. In my twenty–two years on earth, I had never experienced anything like this. Tension built in my chest as he hit a spot inside of me that caused the stars to tumble from the sky and into my vision. My nails dug into his back as he continued, harder, deeper, until I couldn’t take it anymore. I plunged into ecstasy, and Adam was right behind me.

  Spent, we collapsed together, and Adam kissed me on the forehead. We slept, tangled together naked, wrapped in the blanket.

  When I woke up the next morning, I was alone.

  Chapter One

  I hadn’t seen Adam since that night. It had been over eight months.

  I woke up alone in the woods, still naked, still lying on the blanket. I sat up, blinking at the early morning sun, and looked around for Adam. His clothes were gone, but he was nowhere to be seen.