by Tl Reeve
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Private Wolf
Copyright 2016 by TL Reeve
ISBN: 978-1-68361-079-3
Cover art by Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
www.decadentpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
A Wolf’s Contract by TL Reeve
A Wolf’s Deception by T.L. Reeve
Dear Reader,
The Matchmaker subseries…wow. When I was first told that Miss Fern and Miss Claire would be two of the matrons, I was blown away. Kole’s story (Omega’s Heart) sent me down the wonderful road of meeting these two women. They were spunky, full of mischief and I couldn’t get enough of them. They were already setting people up, asking questions and doing what good matrons would.
Now, they’re working in a team, and oh wow. I am so proud of Private Wolf. So proud to be a part of the Matchmaker subseries of Black Hills Wolves. I hope you enjoy Brie and Shawn’s story. I will make this promise now, yes, Tinks, Ginger, Sarah and Jason will all get their stories told, I am working on them slowly but surely.
A little hint: Sarah’s will surprise you and Tinks…well…there’s a certain biker with her name tattooed all over him.
And, who is this Orion Davis? You’ll find out soon enough. *wink, wink*
Until next time, happy reading!
TL
www.authortlreeves.blogspot.com
Dedication
To my family and friends, thank you. To my Black Hills Wolves family, thank you for the opportunity to bring Shawn and Brie to life along with the opportunity to work with the matchmaker ladies. This is freaking awesome!
Black Hills Wolves Stories
Wolf’s Return
What a Wolf Wants
Black Hills Desperado
Wolf’s Song
Claiming His Mate
When Hell Freezes
Portrait of a Lone Wolf
Alpha in Disguise
A Wolf’s Promise
Reluctant Mate
Diamond Moon
Wolf on a Leash
Tempting the Wolf
Naming His Mate
A Wolf Awakens
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Infiltrating Her Pack
Omega’s Heart
Rebel’s Claw
Claiming the She-Wolf
Worth Fighting For
Dangerous
Uncaged
Promiscuous Wolf
Disquieted Souls
A Cougar Among Wolves
Long Road Home
A Mate’s Healing Touch
Another Chance
Broken Silence
A Wolf’s Contract
A Mate’s Redeeming Touch
A Cougar Among Wolves
Pleasure Me
Craving His Love
Jasmine Moon
Mating Dance
Amber’s Ace
Wedding Moon
Bringing Down Romeo
Winter Solstice Run
Wolf’s Holiday
Winter Magic
Winter Secrets
Winter Solstice Ménage
Wolf in Winter Clothing
Murder in Los Lobos
Scent of Murder
Scent of the Hunt
Scent of His Woman
Scent of Madness
Coming Soon
Secrets of the Hunt
Salvaged Souls
By TL Reeve
Saving Their Princess
The Bodyguard and the Dom
Their Secretary
Craving Cameo
All or Nothing
Omega’s Heart
Winter Magic
A Wolf’s Contract
Private Wolf
Coming Soon
A Wolf’s Deception
Bear Essentials
Oracle’s Vision (with Michele Ryan)
Private Wolf
Shawn Blu, tracker and private investigator, has come home. As a pack tracker, he’s ready to defend Los Lobos and use his contacts to find pack members and bring them back into the fold. So, when Miss Fern, his aunt, asks him to find Brienne Talbert, he’s happy to help out. What he isn’t expecting is to find his mate.
Brienne left home at sixteen, knowing she’d return to the Black Hills and Los Lobos one day. As it stands, in six months she’ll graduate with her master’s degree and there’s no way anyone will stop her now. However, when the hunky slab of wolf Shawn Blu shows up with a tempting offer—a week with her pack, no strings attached, she’s willing to reconsider her harsh stance about not going home.
When one weekend turns into a mating she hadn’t planned on, will she be able to leave it all behind and return to school, or will the call of her pack be too much to turn her back on?
Private Wolf
Black Hills Wolves
Matchmaker Series
By
TL Reeve
Prologue
“Where is Claire? I thought she’d be joining us today?” The bell over the door of Los Lobos Books and More jingled as Lonnie, Miss Fern, and Miss Kathy stepped into the shop.
The snow had finally let up, and the sun warmed the frozen ground, giving way to yellow dandelions and sprigs of dark-green grass. Water from the rapid thawing dripped from the eaves, splashing on the wildflower seedlings. Miss Fern smiled. Another winter survived and new beginnings blooming everywhere.
She loved the spring. She loved the scent of everything coming to life—rejuvenating after a long, frozen slumber. Earlier, Fern had enjoyed watching a herd of deer frolicking behind her house while small fawns took their first tentative steps out into the sunlight. Of course, Chris, her son, came bounding out of the woods toward her house in wolf form, scaring the poor little deer away. The lug. He was so much like his father, it amazed her—especially when he was hungry, and she’d have breakfast waiting.
“This is a secret meeting. I wanted to talk to all of you without Claire being privy to our conversation” Fern made her way to the front counter to place the banana bread and lemon bars near the register.
She glanced around the store and a welling of pride filled her. Since the twins bought the shop housing the bookstore, they’d come a long way. The hardwood floors were completely redone in a deep-walnut lacquer. Three quarters of the shelving units were in place and, last week, Kole had installed a tiny wood stove, along with a
couple of comfy oversized chairs and a throw rug, creating a reading nook for adults. It also gave the pack somewhere to go to forget about the tragedy over the winter.
Too much death. Too much loss. Nevertheless, it brought the pack closer together, which they needed now more than ever.
“Why? What has she done now?” Kathy took her seat at the table in the back room. They had an hour before the twins would arrive and start asking questions about their little get-togethers.
“Did she get into trouble with Joe?” Lonnie grabbed a bottle of water out of the small fridge Kole kept stocked for them. Then she held out a second in offering. “Did he spank her?”
Kathy laughed. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Fern chuckled, taking the proffered water. “Not in the least. Then again, Joe hasn’t let her out of his sights ever since the happenings of late.”
“He always tended to be a little too protective of her,” Lonnie said.
“Not like all of our mates aren’t the same way. I swear Henry wanted to keep me chained to a chair,” Fern quipped.
“You let him, too, didn’t you?” Kathy smirked with a knowing glint in her eyes.
“I prefer not to kiss and tell.” Fern lifted her chin. Seconds later she began to laugh then waved off the direction their conversation was heading.
Their sense of community was what the pack had been missing for so long. Friendship. Laughter. Love. She soaked up the comradery between the women before tapping her finger against the table, calling their meeting to order. Finally, after the murders, the Hills were returning to their version of “normal.” Members steadily returned home, and those who’d stayed close to their lands were coming out of hiding.
As mated females, they understood the value of having partners in their lives along with a nurturing, loving pack. So, the desire to share their life experiences drew them together for one goal—revitalizing the pack. Their conversations about helping the pack find its footing and bringing out the goodness within them led to a brilliant idea.
Some of the wolves found it difficult to break out of their shells, while others returned to a town they’d gladly left to escape the terrorism of living under Magnum’s reign. Breaking the ice, so to speak, became a slow, painstaking endeavor. Most maneuvered around each other, never really settling down. Others seemed to take to finding mates like ducks to water. When Fern pointed it out, the ladies agreed something needed to be done to give those wayward wolves a shove in the right direction.
So, every week, they gave each other updates about who might need help and who was finally adjusting. This week, Fern wanted to help her nephew, Shawn Blu, and Claire.
Shawn had returned only a few months prior, a little worn around the edges and cynical to boot. Surprising Fern by showing up on Christmas day, he stood on her porch, arms wide, a megawatt smile on his face, but she’d seen right through it. His light-green eyes held knowledge older than him, along with a wariness she’d noted several times with returning members.
“As I was saying, Claire needs our help, and I believe I have the perfect solution. We’ll call it two birds with one stone.” Fern cracked the seal on her bottle of water then took a sip. “My nephew came home on Christmas day, and he told Henry and me what he did in the human world for a job. I think we can utilize his skills and find his mate at the same time.”
“I’m all ears.” Lonnie sat back in her chair and kicked her legs out, taking up a relaxed position. “How do you plan on doing this, and what does Claire have to do with your nephew?”
“Shawn is a private investigator. In Chicago, he had an office. He used his skills as a tracker to help humans find missing loved ones, among other things. Claire’s niece has been missing for several years, as well as her son and daughter. I think my nephew can help Claire find Brienne.” She took another sip of her water then placed the cap on it. “I heard from a little birdie where Brienne might have gone.”
“By little birdie, do you mean Tinks?” Kathy arched her brow.
“The girl has trouble written all over her,” Lonnie snickered. “She’s always been one to put her neck on the line for the females. Fearless is her middle name.”
“Yes, she is,” Fern agreed. “Tinks gave me a general idea where she could be, but I want him to speak with her. She might open up to him a little more.”
“Really?” Lonnie leaned forward. “Claire has missed Brienne something awful since she disappeared.”
Fern gave a solemn nod. “I know.”
“So where did Tinks say she got off to?” Kathy asked.
“Minnesota.”
“What?” Surprise lit Lonnie’s words. “How did she get so far away?”
“She could have been killed.” A small growl rumbled from Kathy.
“Now, now. We all get the circumstances of why people left and why they stayed away. Terror is an ugly beast; we’ve all experienced it at one time or another in the last ten years. Brienne did what she thought was right at the time.”
“True,” Lonnie acquiesced.
Kathy grumbled, “Do we have anything else besides a hunch?”
“No.” Fern grinned. “I want to send Shawn after her.”
“Do you think he’s her mate?”
“I believe so,” Fern said. “Before the pack went downhill, Brienne chased after Shawn like a lovesick puppy.”
“Infatuation can mimic mating in certain instances.” Kathy shrugged.
“Yes,” she replied. “But, they are…were different. I think, if what I saw all those years ago is right, she’ll willingly come home and rejoin her pack.”
“And if not?” Lonnie questioned.
“Maybe, he can at least bring Brienne home to see her aunt and uncle. I think Claire would love to have a small portion of her family back in her arms.” In fact, Fern knew her best friend would be over the moon at having her niece home.
“Then I believe we have a match—”
The bells over the front door jingled, and the scent of a familiar wolf filled the room. Ginger gave them a curious look. The little omega seemed a bit lost since her brother mated almost a year before. Her reluctance to show her true self had grown worse since the murders and bothered Fern. After seeing how her brother bloomed with the love of his mates, she’d have thought Ginger would desire the same. Instead, the girl hid even more.
“Should I even ask why you’re here earlier than normal?” Ginger’s amber eyes filled with cautious curiosity.
“Reading club, girl,” Fern held up her book. “You should join us sometime. Orion Davis is an amazing writer.”
“Yes, he is,” Miss Lonnie agreed. “Did you know humans write about us? How curious, I say.”
“Oh yes.” Fern nodded. “His descriptions are close to the truth. Makes you wonder if he comprehends something he shouldn’t.”
Ginger snorted. “I’m sure he’s got a vivid imagination, Miss Fern.” She glanced away. “I see you’ve brought more treats for our customers.”
“Banana bread and lemon bars.”
“Well, I guess we’ll settle up with you at the end of the day.” Ginger nodded at the women before making a hasty retreat.
“She needs a good kick in the rear to get her out of her head,” Kathy said.
“Another project for another day.” Fern smoothed out a crease in the tablecloth. “Shall we get to the business at hand?” The ladies nodded.
“I say he shows up wherever she is and drags her home.” Lonnie made a yanking motion with her hand. “Surprise the shit out of her.
“I believe there are a few mates around here who’d do the same.” Fern laughed.
“Your Henry, for starters,” Lonnie teased.
“It is one of the many things I love about him.” A wistful sigh passed Fern’s lips.
“I know what you’re thinking about,” Kathy added with a wink.
Fern shook her head. “Look at us, carrying on like a bunch of new mates.”
“Clucking hens, is more like it,” Ginger called out, as she passed them, headed for the storage area.
“Hush, child. Your envy is showing,” Fern admonished.
“Sorry, I thought I tucked it in today,” Ginger popped off. “My bad.”
“One day, child,” she chuckled softly. “One day.”
“Perhaps, but until then….” Ginger shrugged. “How come you don’t have your books open?”
“What?”
“You said you were talking about your book.” Ginger pointed to the paperback by Fern’s hand. “But, you don’t have it open.”
“Oh, we’re gossiping, first.” Fern waved off her question. “Then we’ll discuss whether Emma-Lou got free from the evil Conroy’s clutches. I still say you should join us.”
“Mm-hmm. I’ve seen what happens when you gossip.” Keep me out of it. I don’t want any part of your shenanigans.”
“Yes, child,” Fern grinned over the lip of her bottled water. She watched the little omega walk out. “Put her on the list.”
“Done,” Lonnie said.
“Good,” Fern inclined her head. “So we’re all agreed. Shawn is going to bring Brienne home.”
“Agreed,” they chorused.
Chapter One
Shawn Blu walked into Los Lobos Café and spotted his aunt at a table near the far wall. In front of her sat a paperback book and a mug, along with a pastry. Behind the counter, Ero took the order from a new female. Her long dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and her gray eyes glittered with—arousal? If the other wolf noticed, he appeared indifferent to it. Oh well. Bypassing his normal routine, of ordering coffee and Danish, he marched over and sat at the table where his aunt waited. Fern glanced up at him. Her warm, affectionate smile greeted him.
