Stonybrooke Shifters: The Complete Collection

by Leela Ash

  Still, she had always wondered what sex would be like. She’d had no idea that it could be so intense, even without all that much physical touching. Every time Greyson was near her, it was as if the air around them crackled with electricity. She was undeniably infatuated with his touch, with his body, but what about with his mind? Or his heart? She could never give herself to somebody who wasn’t worthy of the gift. It would go against everything she had ever believed.

  And frankly, she was angry at herself for being a traitor to her moral standards. She frowned down at her body, touching her stomach and sliding it down to the hot mound between her legs, wincing at the tiny sparks her own fingers sent coursing through her body. How was it that Greyson managed to make everything around her electric? Even her own hands?

  It was unbelievably frustrating. She wished she could just ignore the advances, Greyson’s aggressive bouts of lust – or was it the wolf who took charge during these encounters? She had a sneaking suspicion that it might be – and try to pretend that her body hadn’t been forcefully awakened to the sinful pleasures of the flesh. Greyson was absolutely stunning, sure, but he was an ass. Wouldn’t she regret it for the rest of her life if she gave her most precious gift to a man who would never know how to appreciate it?

  It was easy when all of this had been conjecture. Before she had actually experienced the profound longing for herself. But now, she was hooked, and there was nothing she could do to prevent herself from looking at Greyson without experiencing even the smallest twinge of longing. He had clued her in to something dangerous, and now, her body was on fire, pulsing with a deep heat she had no idea what to do with.

  “Molly?”

  A sudden knock sounded at her door, and Molly’s breath caught in her throat. It was Greyson, and his voice sounded sad and apologetic. He hadn’t said much the first couple of times he had visited her room and stolen one more piece of her innocence, but for some reason, this time, he had come back.

  “I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” Greyson said quietly from the other side of the door.

  Molly climbed out of bed, her legs shaking as she walked toward the door. She leaned her forehead against it, her body conflicted. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. But if she let him in, she could live to regret it.

  “Please forgive me,” Greyson said with a sigh. “It’s the wolf… I don’t know how to…”

  Greyson trailed off when Molly opened the door, his mouth open in surprise.

  “I have already forgiven you,” she whispered. “For everything but one thing.”

  She took Greyson’s hand and led him into the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

  “What one thing?” Greyson asked, his handsome face creased with confusion.

  Molly swallowed and sat down on the edge of the bed, gesturing for Greyson to do the same.

  “Something’s changed in me,” she whispered, looking down at her hands. Greyson’s eyes fixed on them immediately and she felt suddenly naked and embarrassed. It was clear he could smell her lust on them. She should never have let him inside.

  “What’s changed?” Greyson asked, frowning. He was trying to fight his urge to claim her. Molly could tell. It took everything he had to fight this battle with the wolf. But who knew who would come out victorious? Would she be disappointed if it was Greyson?

  “I’ll never know what it’s like again, not to have these feelings,” she whispered. Every inch of her was begging to touch him, or to be touched by him, and she closed her eyes, longing for a simpler time. What kind of person would she be to let these feelings dictate her life? She couldn’t give in to this. If she was wed to Greyson without being a virgin, wouldn’t that ruin everything? Not just her father’s deal with Jeffers, but Greyson’s ceremony as well? Nothing about these feelings seemed good.

  “I can help you,” Greyson whispered, his hand suddenly on her leg, inching up her thigh. A million tiny tendrils of longing exploded in her body. “I can get rid of them… for now.”

  “No!” Molly exclaimed, standing abruptly, trying to hide from the source of her agony. “I have to stay a virgin. At least… until the ceremonies are done.”

  Greyson grinned, a smile that made her feel inexperienced and childish.

  “Silly girl,” Greyson said, shaking his head. “There are more things to do with a body than just sex.”

  “I know,” Molly said, jutting her chin at Greyson. But the truth was that she was utterly clueless. Nothing about any of these feelings made any sense.

  She gasped suddenly as Greyson’s broad hands gripped her waist and she was abruptly weightless in the air.

  Greyson’s lithe body laid her gently on the bed, his handsome face tight with the effort of self-control.

  “I don’t have to be a selfish ass,” he said to her, his eyes growing dark with need. Molly groaned when she felt the hard ridge of his cock through his jeans, pressing against her thigh. God, she wanted him.

  All of her self-restraint was lost as Greyson reached underneath Molly’s cotton nightgown and massaged her carefully, over her panties. The feeling of his fingers through the cloth brought a deep moan to her lips, and Greyson’s breath quickened. What did it matter to him what she thought of him, Molly wondered, unless he actually wanted to take their relationship seriously? But she had had no indication of that being the case.

  The thought was driven from her head when Greyson slipped his finger down into the forbidden region of her panties, then another, and let them roam gently over the neatly-groomed pubic hair until the tip dipped gently into her middle.

  Molly was electrified with pleasure, the burning longing that had been building for so long culminating into a breathless, writhing expression of rapture. Greyson was quiet as his dark eyes took in the sight of Molly’s ecstasy, his cock hard against her thigh as he gently pushed one, then two, fingertips gently inside of her.

  Molly moaned deeply as she was carried away with her desire, lost utterly and completely under the thrall of Greyson’s touch. The man was masterful, she had to admit, and even the tiniest of strokes brought the world quaking around her.

  Greyson began to slowly push his fingers deeper and deeper inside of her, until it nearly felt like her entire body was going to explode. She opened her eyes frantically, seeking some kind of answer to the strange feeling she was experiencing.

  Greyson smiled kindly, and kissed her gently on the earlobe.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered into her ear. “Just relax and let yourself feel it.”

  His deep, masculine voice rumbling in her ear was enough to carry her away in ecstasy, and she gasped as an earth-shattering orgasm rocked her body. Greyson held her tightly as her body quaked beneath him, and she cried out in bliss, until she was left panting in Greyson’s arms.

  “That should do for a while,” Greyson said, standing up from the bed and winking down at her.

  Molly watched him leave the room, and pulled the covers up tightly around her body. What the hell had she just done?

  10.

  Greyson marched directly into his bedroom and closed the door firmly behind him. The wolf was livid. It had wanted to claim Molly right then and there. Take her virginity, and everything else about her that it wanted to take. Make her his. The timing was right, wasn’t it? At least the wolf seemed to think so. But Greyson knew better. The poor girl was terrified, not only of sex but of her own body. She had probably never even touched herself before.

  The thought brought his attention to the urgent throbbing of his cock. He had done well to hold back, he knew. It couldn’t be helped if the poor girl wasn’t ready for anything more than this. But it seemed cruel, to both of them, to leave her in such a state. Maybe this way they would both be able to get some work done without having to surrender to feelings that were most certainly not going to be productive.

  After a long, heated feud with the wolf, Greyson finally managed to fall asleep, his dreams plagued with distorted images of the nig
ht he (and the wolf, of course) had chosen to bring Molly to Stonybrooke. She had been the answer to a prayer he hadn’t known he’d uttered, and now, for better or for worse, they were going to be married.

  Greyson woke with a start, glancing at his clock in horror. It was already 9:00am. He had a meeting scheduled with his parents that day. His mother had insisted upon it so she could hear all of the details about the long list of dates she had sent him on. She had no idea that he had taken matters into his own hands. Thankfully, Baron managed to keep his mouth shut about Greyson’s affairs.

  “Wake up,” Greyson said, poking his head into Molly’s bedroom. “We have somewhere to be.”

  Molly sat up groggily and frowned out at Greyson.

  “All right.”

  He closed the door quickly, embarrassed that he could still vaguely smell the evidence of what they had done together the night before. Molly was certainly an attractive girl. Whether she was human or not, his mother would have to agree with at least that much. She was gorgeous. At least, he personally thought so. It wouldn’t matter what his parents thought.

  “Please, prepare a quick meal. Molly and I are to meet my parents in an hour, and I overslept,” Greyson said to Baron. He nodded dutifully and disappeared into the kitchen as Greyson ran upstairs to shower. He wouldn’t have time for a shave, unfortunately, and he dressed quickly in his best clothes.

  “You’re not going wearing that, are you?” Greyson exclaimed when he got downstairs, eyeing Molly’s yellow sundress with disdain. His mother would tear her apart in that.

  “What’s wrong with the way I dress?” Molly demanded, glowering at Greyson.

  “Nothing! It’s not you I’m worried about,” Greyson said, ushering Molly upstairs quickly.

  “Pick out one of these outfits,” he demanded, pushing into the guest room where several of his aunt’s old dresses were hanging in the closet. Baron had them laundered regularly, but Greyson’s parents refused to keep them in the house. They were family heirlooms, but Greyson’s mother and her sister had a rocky relationship to say the least. She was a nonconformist, and insisted on opening an animal sanctuary with her inheritance.

  “What the hell is going on?” Molly demanded, stomping her foot to get Greyson’s attention. “Where are we going?”

  “I’m taking you to meet my mother.”

  Molly’s complexion turned ashen and she looked down at her cheerful yellow sundress. “No, you’re right then,” she said, her voice a reedy gasp. “This won’t do.”

  For some reason, seeing Molly’s reaction to the news made Greyson angry. Not at Molly, but at himself for putting it into her head that his mother’s opinion of her was more important than her own comfort.

  “Actually,” Greyson said, steering her out of the room. “You look perfect. Let’s have breakfast. We can talk about how to go about meeting my parents.”

  Greyson led Molly down the stairs and into the dining room, where breakfast was already served. Baron stood regally at the table, waiting for further orders.

  “Thank you, Baron. You’re dismissed.”

  They ate in silence for a few moments until Molly finally looked up at Greyson. “Are you sure this dress is appropriate? I mean… don’t your parents have a lot of money?”

  Greyson glanced down at his suit, a classy number that he’d chosen because it gave him the confidence he lacked to face his stern, cruel father, and shook his head.

  “Money isn’t as important as they seem to think it is,” Greyson said, loosening his tie and pushing his jacket off. “We can both go casually. I have to warn you, though, they might not like the thought of me being with a human.”

  Molly nodded. “All right.”

  “But my mother is going to be thrilled, either way. Just try to be as calm and polite as possible. Just stay quiet if you can. It’s harder for them to embarrass you if you don’t give them a lot to go on.”

  Molly’s beautiful blue eyes looked nervous and Greyson felt like a complete idiot. Why had he let his own fear of his parents affect Molly?

  “You’re going to be perfect. You’re exactly what my mother was hoping for. A perfect match. Everything but being a shifter. But you know, times are changing. Maybe she will have enough foresight to see that. Otherwise, you’re perfect.”

  “Sure…”

  “Whether they see it or not, this is my choice, and I chose you for a reason,” Greyson said firmly. He stood and reached his hand out to Molly. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Molly’s face broke out into a nervous grin, and she laughed quietly.

  “Yes,” she said, placing her hand into his and allowing him to escort her out of the dining room. “Let’s.”

  11.

  “Is that right?”

  Molly kept her mouth clamped shut as Greyson’s mother looked her over.

  “Yes, mother. She’s a human.”

  “I never thought you would find a human to be your mate,” Greyson’s mother said, examining Molly coldly as if she were a relic in a museum. One that she was not at all impressed with.

  “Well, I never gave it much thought myself,” Greyson said. “But you can’t argue with fate.”

  Greyson’s mother nodded at this. “What do you think your father is going to think of this?” she asked in a hushed tone, as if she were concerned about his reaction but delighted by the idea of confrontation. Greyson scowled.

  “To hell with what he thinks about it. This is my future. Our… future. The future of the pack, and the future of my wife and children. That is nobody’s business but my own.”

  Molly was secretly proud of Greyson for being able to stand his ground with his mother. It seemed like it was difficult for him to do. His mother seemed surprised by it, but not entirely put off. Molly was sure that if they were speaking with his father it would be a different story.

  “Well that’s good to know, son.”

  Greyson’s face paled at the sound of a deep, gravelly voice coming in from the side door of his parents’ sitting room.

  “Hello, father.”

  “Son,” Greyson’s father said, coming into the room without even regarding Molly. “It’s good to see you taking some initiative about things. It shows a real growth in your character. It’s about time you started doing the mature thing and growing up a little bit.”

  Greyson gritted his teeth and said nothing, and Molly frowned. There was something about this man that she didn’t like at all, though she couldn’t put it into words. Maybe it was because of what Greyson had already told her about him, but she didn’t think that was it. She got a bad feeling from him.

  “Still, shacking up with a human isn’t quite what our ancestors had in mind when the Serah ceremonies were in their infancy. You know that.”

  Greyson glared at his father, but the words that had flowed so freely in defiance of his mother seemed stuck in his throat when he faced the aging man.

  “It’s hardly anybody’s place to tell me what the right thing to do with my life is,” Greyson said, most of the venom out of his voice. “Molly is the wolf’s pick, and that’s the last I can say about that. I hope that you can learn to accept her, in time, as part of the family.”

  Greyson’s father nodded dismissively before finally turning to acknowledge Molly. She almost wished that he hadn’t.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Ferguson. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Greyson frowned.

  “From who?”

  “I have my sources,” Greyson’s father said sternly. “You think I was born yesterday or something?”

  Greyson clamped his mouth shut as his father continued to speak. “I know the man you happen to have bought her from. He wanted me to assure him that the girl would come to no harm while living in Stonybrooke. It seems to me he’s somewhat smitten with her.”

  A deep, terrifying growl escaped from the back of Greyson’s throat, and the hair stood on end on Molly’s arm.

  “She’s a pretty girl, isn’t sh
e Gwenyth?”

  Greyson’s mother nodded. “Beautiful, for a human. Greyson’s certainly quite smitten at least.”

  It was unsettling being spoken about as if she weren’t even in the room, but she heeded Greyson’s advice. The less she said, the less ammunition his parents would have to fling back against her.

  “I didn’t buy her,” Greyson finally said, turning angrily toward his father. “I paid for the service that happened to bring us together.”

  “Tomato tomahto,” Greyson’s father said with a shrug. “The point is, I know the man and I know everything about this girl’s family. They’ve got quite an interesting past, I can tell you that much. Very, very interesting. Best you watch out for that one, son.”

  Greyson looked as if he were about to say something, but suddenly held himself back. “I can assure you, we are both going to be fine.”

  “Glad to hear it, son!” Mr. Bleuth slapped his son on the back and Greyson gritted his teeth. He clearly couldn’t stand his father, and Molly wished there was something she could do to make the interaction a little less difficult for him. Thankfully, it was already winding to a close.

  “I’d like you to come by tomorrow to have a look at the books,” Mr. Bleuth said. “I want to know you will be able to handle it when the time comes for all this responsibility to become yours.”

  “Fine. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Bleuth both nodded courteously at Molly.

  “It was nice to meet you, dear,” Greyson’s mother said.

  “Likewise,” Molly said with a polite bow.

  Greyson took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly as they walked away, and Molly released a long, deep breath.

  “That went well!” she said cheerfully.

  Greyson cast her a sidelong look, and Molly’s smile faltered. It was clear they were both thinking the same thing. They were eager to get the hell out of there.