Cat's Howl: A Macconwood Pack Novel (The Macconwood Pack Series Book 2)

by C. D. Gorri

  Cat’s Howl: A Macconwood Pack Novel

  From The Grazi Kelly Universe

  by C.D. Gorri

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright 2016 C.D. Gorri

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, places, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either part of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights are reserved. No part of this book is to be reproduced, scanned, downloaded, printed, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of any materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  To my street team, Paranormal Angels & Demons, thanks for all you do!

  And to Taisheena Rayne! Congratulations on winning my giveaway!

  Title Page

  Synopsis

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Connect

  Other Works

  Synopsis:

  Cat Maccon, was always a handful, even as a pup. It wasn’t easy growing up in an all male household, but this South Jersey Werewolf is tough as nails. She’s on a mission to prove herself. Causing no end of grief for her older brother, Rafe Maccon, Alpha of the Macconwood Pack.

  Cat joins the Maccon County Sheriff's Department determined to be taken seriously amongst her big brother's Wolf Guard. Okay, maybe one Wolf Guard in particular, Tate Nighthawk. Tall, rugged, and handsome. He’s the stuff of Cat’s dreams, but she’s been burned before.

  When she is targeted by their enemies, led by the dangerous rogue Werewolf Skoll, Rafe assigns Cat her own personal bodyguard. Knowing how his sister hates to be told what to do, Rafe gives her the one Wolf Guard he knows won’t be taken in by her wily ways. Tate Nighthawk himself.

  Tate takes his job very seriously and no amount of pouting or lamp throwing will bend him to Cat’s will. Even if she is the best damn thing he ever saw. Old memories haunt him when he is forced to spend time with the one woman who he turned his back on. But he won’t let that interfere with his assignment.

  Stuck alone in the woods together, without any way to contact the Pack, their tumultuous past catches up with them. Will this spunky she-Wolf finally find true love or is she too much for Tate to handle?

  PROLOGUE

  Maccon High Senior Prom Summer 2009

  Cat Maccon stepped out of the rented luxury town car carefully so as not to damage the hem of her long dress. The pale blue chiffon reached the floor in soft layers that danced around her low heels in the cool evening breeze. Spring in South Jersey was unpredictable, but she didn’t mind the chill.

  In fact, she hardly felt it. She couldn’t stop smiling. For the first time in her young life she was happy. Really happy. She looked down at the ground in an attempt to mask her feelings. She so wanted to be cool and mature. But inside her chest her heart was beating rapidly.

  She caught a glimpse of the low heeled strappy shoes she wore with sparkling accents and bit her lower lip. Were they classy enough? She had no need for the super high heels that were all the rage among her classmates for this year’s prom. She found these months ago, at the outlet mall before she was even thinking about prom. They were pretty and suited her. But not high and sexy like most of her classmates. But then again she wasn’t like most of her classmates.

  The girls from school were small compared to Cat. That is, they were short and petite in stature. At almost six feet tall, Cat’s height was very unusual. So was her lithe athletic build. Tall, slender, and sculpted. Definitely not the norm for teenage girls who attended Maccon City High School. But her kind were usually built that way.

  She inhaled and tried to slow the beating of her heart. He’d hear it if she didn’t calm down. And the last thing she wanted was to appear juvenile in front of him. She let go of the breath she was holding slowly.

  Then she discreetly adjusted the rhinestone studded corset top of her gown. Cat panicked for a moment as she waited for her date to walk around to her side of the car. Did she look okay? She wished she filled out the dress a little more. She counted to three and that helped calm her down a little. Her gown was very flattering. The saleslady had told her so. And besides, she felt good in it.

  The driver of the rented car winked and closed the door behind her. He stood too close for just a little too long, giving her posterior a very thorough perusal. Cat simply ignored him.

  He obviously didn’t know who she was. Or what for that matter. If he did, he would’ve kept his eyes to himself. Usually, she’d love to teach him a lesson, but not tonight.

  No. Tonight she only had eyes for the slightly older Wolf who had asked to be her prom date. She still couldn’t believe it! It felt like a dream. But he did. He really asked her!

  It was kind of last minute, but after resigning herself to going solo, she didn’t care. She jumped at the chance and said yes before he even finished his question. It was like fate had suddenly decided to be kind. After years of trailing behind him and her older brother he had finally noticed her!

  Cat was determined to make sure he never forgot her too. She’d been kept under lock and key for far too long. It was her night to shine. No rules tonight. No stern glances or angry words. She was going to enjoy herself. For once.

  Her father held her firmly under his thumb since she was a pup. The only time she had any freedom at all was when she snuck away to watch her brother and his friends hang out. And they were magnificent.

  Forever tackling each other, lifting fallen trees and boulders, racing against the wind, testing their strengths and abilities in fierce, yet friendly competition. How she loved watching them! They’d play their own version of extreme sports, mountain biking, snow boarding, even surfing.

  And how could she forget those Friday nights when they’d howl at the moon and pick-up girls to take to the woods so they could make-out. Oh the things she learned in the darkness on those nights. They still made her blush.

  Those boys were wild and free in ways Cat had never dared to dream were possible for her. Sure, sometimes she would join them in a pick-up game of football or baseball. They’d always find her hiding spots and being a good brother, Rafe would let her play. It wasn’t as if they didn’t know she was there. Werewolves had really sensitive ears and noses.

  They would find her. Sometimes they’d let her stay, other times, mostly the ones involving girls or beer, they would drag her back home kicking and screaming. She was a stubborn child. And she hated to be home.

  Her father was a cruel taskmaster. Always judging, always criticizing, and both his fiscal business and Pack business had come before the care of either of his children.

  Their home had been neglected almost as much as their home life. It was always up to her and Rafe to see that household chores were finished. Her father was a firm believer in manual labor.

  She was the daughter of one of the most powerful Werewolves in the world. Her father was the Alpha of the Macconwood Pack. His territory included most of North America and yet he
had a minimal household staff.

  He used them mostly for grounds work. He outright refused to modernize their estate and would scold her if she suggested they upgrade the laundry room or kitchen.

  Zev Maccon felt modern appliances were not a right. They were a privilege. And she did not merit them. He could often be heard stating that his children were soft and spoiled. Chores, criticism, physical punishment, and tough love were his means to correct them of those faults.

  He did very little entertaining, choosing instead to conduct Pack matters in the woods and pine barrens. Away from the house. Most of the Pack, including the elders, were unaware of Cat’s home life.

  They did not know that at eleven she was responsible for the household laundry, cleaning, and most of the cooking as well as her schoolwork. Cat tried telling one of the Pack elders once at a rare meeting that took place in their home, but he simply replied that chores built character. Her father had not been pleased.

  Cat always defended the elder in her mind. After all, he couldn’t have known that Zev had left it to his children to do all of the household chores for him as well as themselves. He probably wouldn’t have believed that most nights she went to bed well past midnight only to wake hours before dawn.

  Since she was the only girl, Zev expected her to take on most of the housework, like the laundry, ironing, cleaning the bathrooms, windows, and floors, as well as, the cooking. When she was very small it was fun at first, like playing house. But that got old. Fast.

  Rafe helped as much as he could, but as the only male heir he had other duties. She did not envy him one bit. There were nights he came home bloody and beaten.

  She was too afraid to ask what happened. She had a rough idea though. On those nights she could smell Zev all over him. She shuddered at the memory.

  The work wasn’t the most terrible thing about Cat’s home life. No, the worst of it, was that she had no mother to teach her how to do things. When she performed a task incorrectly, her father would spare no insult reminding her of that fact.

  He was a brutal critic. It had only gotten worse once she had her first Change. Instead of experiencing the freedom she had watched Rafe and his friends enjoy, she found herself living in a prison.

  Her father watched her like a hawk. She was restricted from hanging out with local kids, especially normals. He never allowed her to join any school clubs or participate in any extracurricular activities. She was only allowed to go to prom because Rafe had insisted. She was grateful to him. For so many things.

  She remembered asking to join the Track team after a new coach had seen her run during Phys.Ed. She had been flattered and proud of herself. Until she told her father. He just smiled at her. That cruel smile of his. The one she knew far too well.

  She cringed when he ordered her outside. She realized she had made a mistake. Too late though. The force of his command made her obey though she tried to fight it. He took her out to the edge of the forest that marked their property and forced her to run. She ran the entire night.

  It was early spring of her sophomore and it was a cold and bitter like March usually was. He had her strip down to her tank top and gym shorts. Then he told her to remove her socks and shoes.

  She could still hear him snarl the word, “Run!” in her ear. Fifteen miles west then back again, over and over until the sun came up.

  Her feet were caked with blood, sharp splinters, and mud by the time she was finished. She had stepped on countless tree roots, rocks, and bits of sharp debris hidden just under the frozen soil. Afterwards he asked her if she still wanted to run track. Cat said no.

  It had been a very long four years of high school. She was ecstatic to see it end. Just two weeks left till graduation. That was her mantra.

  She was a woman now. Her Wolf was strong inside of her heart and mind. She knew exactly what she wanted. Tate. It would always be Tate.

  Eighteen years old and more than ready to take charge of her life. With the full moon just a few nights away, she could already feel its power stirring inside of her. She was restless. Hungry.

  This was a magical night. A rite of passage. Senior prom night. Nothing would ruin it for her. Especially not her father.

  Tate Nighthawk was the epitome of the old adage tall, dark and handsome. He had corded muscles that rippled around his six-foot three-inch frame. He was quieter than the other Wolves Rafe hung around with.

  His hair was dark as a moonless night. His eyes too. His Wolf had that same blue black coloring. She kept a list of all of his features locked inside her heart.

  Cat had memorized every inch of him. Right down to the difference between his Wolf black eyes and his dark brown ones when he was a man. They had a shimmer of gold just around the rims. She tried not to stare.

  He and Rafe had spent most of middle school and high school hanging out together. She had practically grown up watching him. Her breath left her body as he circled the car and ran a hand through his shoulder length hair.

  She loved how it spilled across his back. He was proud of his Native American heritage. She knew that from the way he carried himself and the way he was always reading books about the Lenape Tribe, the Cherokees, and the Original Keetowah Society.

  Cat followed him with her eyes as Tate looked around the crowded parking lot outside of the high school gymnasium. Werewolves did not like crowds.

  But man oh man, he looked good in his black tuxedo. And he smelled even better. She took a deep breath through her nose and the Wolf inside of her seemed to purr. His scent was a mixture of pine trees and the ocean air. It reminded her of the first snow fall of winter, but without the chill.

  He moved his head from left to right and again, making sure he didn’t miss an inch of the property. A breeze lifted his long dark locks and his scent hit her again.

  This time it reminded her of a salty, warm breeze blowing off the Atlantic Ocean on hot summer day. The kind when the sun felt as if it could melt the skin right off of you. Prrrr.

  Her senses were going into hyper drive. Cat could hardly keep steady. Tate. It was all because of Tate. How could one Wolf do this to her? She didn’t know and she wasn’t sure she liked it either. He made her feel out of control, reckless, but also alive. And that was good.

  He was hot and cold all at the same time and more than a little exciting. She wanted to reach out and touch the hair that he had just pushed back. But she knew better. He wouldn’t welcome her touch.

  Not yet anyway. But maybe, with a little luck. After all, he had asked her to prom. She was determined to make it memorable.

  Cat’s Pack. She’s Pack.

  Over and over Tate reminded himself of that fact. More than that, she was the Alpha’s daughter and his best friend’s sister.

  Tate grimaced and looked over the jam packed parking lot again. It was difficult to scent danger in a crowd. Werewolves tended to avoid them, but this was inevitable. He breathed out quickly and turned back to the one thing he was trying not to look at. Cat.

  The cool evening breeze lifted the tendrils that surrounded her face in a dance that made her look like something from out of a fairytale. She was a vision in the soft light that came from the setting sun. Innocent and pure. Beautiful.

  The rest of her honey streaked blonde hair was in some complicated twist on top of her head. She wore a sparkly clip just off to the side. It caught the light every time she moved. Tate’s mouth went dry just looking at her.

  The way her soft silvery blonde curls fell just around her face made it hard for him to breathe. The entire hairstyle looked like a crown or a halo. Angelic. Magical. Something otherworldly. Something he could never touch.

  He was nothing. Had came from nothing. A dirt poor nobody and he damn well knew it. Tate had to fight hard to make it to where he was now. And still he was nothing more than a foot soldier.

  It had taken him years to get that far. Left on Zev Maccon’s doorstep when he was ten years old. No money. No connections. For all intents and purposes Tate was esse
ntially abandoned and rejected by his natural father.

  He was alone in the world. Seeing the potential of a strong young Wolf, Zev Maccon had adopted him into his Pack. He sent him to live with a widowed fisherman whose only child had committed suicide just after his first Change.

  Young Tate couldn’t understand why it was that way with Werewolves. His own mother had proved just as fragile. His father couldn’t bare the reminder of his wife and he abandoned Tate at the first opportunity.

  He was left to wonder how people who were so strong could be so weak? How could any Werewolf decide to take his or her own life? Leaving behind their children or spouses? Was it really so bad? The separation, that is. Tate was terrified of it. For many years he was afraid of what would happen the first time he heard the full moon call to him.

  After his first Change he more than understood. The exhilaration of being one with your Wolf was quickly replaced by depression and anxiety on those days after the full moon. The waiting was sheer torture. Weeks felt like years and it was only alleviated when he was whole again. When he was complete again. When he was Wolf again.

  He almost didn’t make it once or twice, but Rafe had helped him through it. He owed Rafe. Not just for that. But also for being his friend.

  Where Zev saw another strong back and set of teeth for the Pack, Rafe made him feel like a person and more. He made him feel like he mattered. He was valuable. His friendship important.

  That was why he said yes when Rafe had asked him to take his baby sister to her senior prom. And that was why he wouldn’t lay a hand on her. No matter how damn good she smelled. Or how she looked at him with those crystal blue eyes of hers.

  “You ready to go inside?,” his voice sounded rough even to his ears and he grimaced.

  “Yeah, sure,” Cat’s answer was low.