Stonybrooke Shifters: The Complete Collection
Page 28
Greyson led Molly out of the sacred space, as she was disoriented and light-headed. The pure white gown she had been wearing had suddenly become imbued with a glowing silhouette of a wolf, and she stroked it, closing her eyes as her entire body tingled.
“I have one more surprise for you,” Greyson whispered into Molly’s ear as he walked her behind the brick wall of the elder’s ruins where the ceremony had been held out under the open sky.
Molly gasped in shock when Haley and Donny rushed toward her, scooping her up in their arms and holding her tightly.
“What’s going on?” Molly exclaimed, her eyes filling with hot tears. She had missed her family so much. Greyson smiled kindly at her. “I brought your family to Stonybrooke for you. I made the investment into my business. You believed in me enough that I started to believe in myself. My father disowned me, but everything is all laid out. I hired your father to help me.”
“We’re moving to Stonybrooke, honey,” Molly’s father said, suddenly appearing behind Haley. He was holding a strange relic that looked like a meteorite on a golden branch. The meteor part glowed yellow, and he embraced Molly tightly. “We’re going to start over.”
Molly laughed and cried at the same time as her family fawned over her, until finally, Greyson cleared his throat.
“There’s one more thing,” he said, looking at Molly’s father meaningfully.
“Right,” Mr. Ferguson said, standing up straight and offering the small relic to Molly. “Congratulations on your wedding.”
“My…”
Suddenly, realization dawned on Molly and she looked up at Greyson in shock. He had set up the wedding ceremony so that it fell on the same day that the Serah stone had blessed their union. The council elder Blarney was standing in front of the wall, smiling kindly out at the small crowd gathered to witness the event, and Greyson was suddenly at her side, offering her his arm.
“Are you ready?” he whispered.
Molly nodded, joy and excitement filling every inch of her body. This was everything she had ever hoped for. And now, everything she had ever dreamt of had come true. And she couldn’t think of a better way to spend the rest of her life than as Greyson’s wife.
***
After the brief, and very sacred, union ceremony, Molly’s family left to go back to their hotel and Molly rode back to Greyson’s estate, with Baron at the wheel. Baron opened the doors for them and disappeared to his own quarters, leaving Greyson and Molly alone in front of the doors.
“I can’t believe how perfect all of this has been,” Molly whispered. “I love you.”
Greyson smiled and his whole, handsome face lit up with delight. “I love you too.”
He took her hand and they walked inside. Suddenly, Greyson’s lips were against hers and they were falling into the bedroom. Greyson’s eyes flashed bright green as Molly held him close, his taught, muscular body hard under her hands as his soft mouth closed over the sensitive skin on her neck and breasts.
She cried out in delight as Greyson explored her body gently, and she could see the effort of his restraint on his face. He took her in sweetly, as if she were a rare wine that he wanted to savor. She closed her eyes as she was swept away by the enormous power of her longing, and Greyson’s lips devoured her, sending wave after wave of sensual pleasure crashing over her.
Molly gasped when she found Greyson on top of her, the hard, urgent pressing of his cock sending thrills against her as the friction of his groin slid against her middle. She had never had someone’s erection so near her sex before, and a deep blissful sensation overpowered her. She had wanted this for so long. And now, finally, she was ready.
Greyson gritted his teeth as he stripped the pure white ceremonial dress off of Molly, his hands exploring every soft inch of her body. She gasped in pleasure as his fingers left a trail of fire over her, and suddenly, she found her boldness, stripping Greyson of his clothes and taking in his powerful, muscular body on top of her.
He grinned down at her and another flash of heat overwhelmed her. As soon as he sensed she was ready, Greyson wasted no time in submerging his cock inside of her, using gentle, careful pressure as he thrust inside. The feeling of her body being pried apart by his hard muscle was strange and exciting, and although it hurt at first, she quickly forgot about it as the pleasure consumed her.
Suddenly, it was only Molly and Greyson in the world, their bodies creating a rhythmic dance that left them each hungry for more. Molly was sure that the sweet, sensual pleasure would never end, and they would be there in the bedroom for the rest of their lives.
But soon, she realized just how wrong she was. Greyson’s strong hips bucked against her, and she felt the alarming sensation of a loss of control. She closed her eyes, lost again and again as Greyson’s body took charge of her, the wolf finally able to have its way with her now. It wasn’t going to let her off so easily. It was going to make her surrender to him, to his power, or else.
Molly cried out as she was torn from the gentle sensual pleasure to one of a singularly raw nature; one of physical need that she hadn’t known was possible. Suddenly, her entire body was flushed with fire, one she was desperate to find a cure for. And the cure, it seemed, lie within Greyson. Only he could put it out for her, and it seemed to be his only goal.
He hissed in pleasure, his lithe, muscular body unleashing its full power upon her, until she was gasping, nearly driven mad with longing. Finally, Greyson howled out into the wide room, and Molly’s body began to quake beneath him, her hands trembling as she gripped his strong arms.
A torrent of heat surged through her and she cried out in surprise and pleasure, climbing closer and closer to her peak as Greyson released a hot explosion of his liquid desire inside of her. She was shocked by the sensation into letting go and finally surrendering to the power of her own orgasm. Her body writhed beneath him of its own accord, and he collapsed beside her on the bed, his chest heaving with labored breaths.
She was worried that it had been too much for his injuries, but when he caught her eye, he was smiling.
“I’m going to take care of you for the rest of our lives, Molly,” Greyson promised. “And no matter what, in spite of anything, we are going to succeed together.”
“I know,” Molly whispered. When she closed her eyes, she became distinctly aware of the fact that this was something she had known all along. Fate had brought them together, and it was fate, once again, that would bless their family for many years to come.
THE END
Daddy Shifter’s Fake Fiance
Leela Ash
Copyright ©2017-2019 by Leela Ash. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
1.
“Professor Desmond?”
There was silence. Only the scribbling of the pen could be heard as the professor continued grading papers in his office, pointedly tuning out the distracting buzz around the door of his office.
“Kane!”
“What do you want, Max? I’m busy!” Kane exclaimed, his voice a low growl. If he was going to get home in time to make dinner for his daughter, who would be home after her last math course of the day, which was soon, he would have to finish soon. Time was of the essence.
“Took you long enough to acknowledge me!”
It took all Kane had to keep his wolf at bay as Max stepped into his office. He had never liked the man. Max was the kind of guy who reeked of corruption and greed, and had the face of a man who had no regard for anyone but himself.
“Tell me what you need and leave,” Kane said darkly. “I’ve got plans tonight and I need to get this done.”
“Sounds like you’re pressed for time,” Max said with a smug grin on his face. “You know, I’m teaching a seminar on time management. It’s geared toward the first-year
students but you should really attend. It’s quite insightful.”
Kane’s hackles rose. What kind of an egotistical jerk was he?
“Get to the point, Max,” Kane growled.
“I just came to inform you that there’s an emergency board meeting being called tomorrow at 5 pm sharp. Be there, you won’t want to miss it.”
Something about the look in Max’s eye sent a chill down Kane’s spine. He was up to something. That much was certain. And he had come to all but gloat about it.
“All right, Max. Thanks for the update,” Kane said with a heavy sigh. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to attend and see what this was all about. But right now, he had other matters to attend to. Matters like dinner.
“Of course,” Max said. “My goal is to keep others informed. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a professor, now, would I?”
Kane glowered down at the papers he was grading on his desk. If Max actually wanted to be a good professor, maybe he should spend more time on teaching his students instead of trying to brag and put down other people.
“Well, thanks for dropping by,” Kane said, looking meaningfully at his door. Finally, Max seemed to get the message. That or he had just been waiting for Kane to find a reason to thank him, because a shit-eating grin spread across his face.
“Just doing my duty for the council,” Max said, his eyes glittering with malice. Kane watched Max leave, warning bells going off loudly in his head. Something suspicious was going on, and it wasn’t going to be good.
***
“About time, dad!” Courtney exclaimed, bounding to the doorway and flashing a bright smile up at Kane. “Where have you been?”
Kane smiled sheepishly and pulled the pizza box from behind his back. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“All right!” Courtney cried, grabbing the pizza and running into the kitchen. “Oh, by the way, Lia’s here today. We have to study tonight for the math lab.”
Kane tensed up. Lia was Courtney’s best friend. They had met in his class on shifter history and hit it off immediately. That would have been great, except for two things. First, Lia was a human. It was often difficult for humans and shifters to maintain amicable relationships, friendship or otherwise.
The other problem was that Kane had already had Lia in a previous class the year before. During that time, hehad noticed how much she stood out from the rest of the humans who had attended Stonybrooke University. She was bright, intelligent, and, most of all, absolutely stunning. But she didn’t seem to realize it at all. She had a unique perspective that really colored any subject matter she touched. Kane had found himself looking forward to reading her papers and excited to see her walk into class. It had gottento the point where he found it somewhat unnerving. She was just a kid, right? College age, technically legal, but still. His child’s age. But his attraction to Lia was anything but childish.
Still, he had managed to call the wolf off and despite his attraction, act as a responsible adult and mentor. But the more Courtney brought the girl around, the guiltier he felt about his struggle to resist being attracted to Lia. The girl was his daughter’s age, for fuck’s sake. He couldn’t just act like that wasn’t creepy of him. Besides that, he knew that if his wife Ava were still alive, she would be sorely hurt by his interest in the girl. And so he had shoved those feelings deep into a box and locked them away, burying the key.
“Mr. Desmond, hi!”
Lia’s gentle voice brought a pang to his heart. He hadn’t wanted to let himself feel anything for anyone since Ava had died in the shifter wars, but especially not for some little girl in one of his classes. She saw him as a teacher, as an authority. It wasn’t right.
“Good evening, Lia,” Kane said as genially as he could muster, which wasn’t very. It was strange seeing students outside of class in general, let alone in his home. But Lia’s face had been popping up more and more, challenging him to face his own demons right in her presence. It was unnervingand he’d just as soon stay at the school, even with Max around, as opposed to coming home to a surprise like this.
It was especially difficult because, at the university, he had to keep an air of professionalism at all times. It wasn’t proper for him to let his personality slip too much. Sure, all of his students knew he was the kind of guy who didn’t let any shit fly past him. He was no-nonsense, a strict grader, and an all-around hard ass, but it wasn’t like at home where he could just tear off his button-up shirt and lounge around in jeans for the rest of the night, swearing whenever he felt like it and taking calls from the many women around town who were hopelessly in love with him.
He had been hounded by their advances for ages now, ever since the year after he’d lost his wife and the town seemed to all come to the conclusion that it was time for Kane to move on. It was a conclusion he hadn’t been included in, but the women came looking for him anyway, leaving him feeling both bombarded and flattered.
“Dad, I know you just got off work, but do you think that, after dinner, you could help us study for this thing? Lia is really struggling.”
“Is that right?” Kane asked, turning a sharp eye onto Lia. She looked down at the counter without meeting his eyes, a deep blush creeping across her soft, porcelain cheeks.
“I have a hard time with numbers,” she admitted quietly, studying the paper in front of her.
Did he intimidate her or something?
“All right,” he said begrudgingly. “We’ll go over it once I’ve had a chance to unwind a bit. Sound good?”
“Thanks dad,” Courtney said cheerfully, grabbing a slice of pizza and sitting down at the kitchen island beside Lia. “We appreciate it.”
Kane said nothing, taking a slice himself and grabbing a beer from the fridge. He would help them, sure, but for now, he would like to just sit in peace in his living room for a few moments. He was late to catch the news, thanks to Max and the wait on the pizza, but it would give him some space to collect himself before facing his daughter and her beautiful friend.
2.
“Dude, why do you clam up so much around my dad?” Courtney asked, poking Lia accusingly with the eraser of her pencil.
Lia looked into her best friend’s eyes as she considered the question. They were deep grey, and serious, much like her father’s, but Courtney had a much lighter complexion, and sandy hair that fell straight over her shoulders. Kane, on the other hand, had much wilder salt and pepper hair, and a strong, defined jaw that left him looking dark and mysterious.
“I guess I have a weird thing with authority,” Lia admitted, laughing and shaking her head. “It’s really nothing. I had him last year as a teacher so it’s hard to see him as like a….”
“Person?” Courtney offered with a sly smile.
“A dad,” Lia corrected.
The truth was that Kane had given her extremely complicated feelings right from the start. He was a no-nonsense kind of a guy, who seemed like he didn’t have a soft bone in his body. But, for some reason, that made her want to find something in him, anything, really, to prove her assessment wrong.
“Well, a dad is all he’s ever been to me,” Courtney said, taking another bite of pizza before scribbling something onto her notes.
“I know,” Lia said. “He’s just so serious and strange. Difficult to get to know, I would say. Not that I would try…”
“Ah. That aloof thing he does,” Courtney said with a nod as she continued to write distractedly. “He’s been like that since my mom died. It’s like a part of him went with her.”
“Do you remember your mom?” Lia asked softly. It was a subject they rarely broached, but Lia could tell it was a significant source of grief for Courtney. It seemed a little bit inappropriate to try talking to her about it at school, but here in her home it was a little bit easier.
“A little bit. I was about three when the war got really bad and she was needed as a healer. I remember crying so hard when she left, and how when she reassured me that everything was going to be all right, I didn�
��t believe her,” Courtney said, her voice suddenly far away. “The only thing that made me feel better about her going to tend to the wounded was my dad. He took care of me. Held me whenever I was acting out, instead of punishing me, he cooked and cleaned and rocked me to sleep every night. Without him, I probably would have chased her down myself.”
“I never would have guessed,” Lia said softly, her heart melting at the idea of Kane having such a secret loving side. Of course, Courtney was his child and it probably never went any further than that, but still…
“Yeah, he’s a good dad,” Courtney said. “I’ve never wanted for anything. Except my mother…”
“So why didn’t your dad go to war with her?” Lia asked. They had been talking a little bit about the war in Professor Desmond’s class together, and from what she’d learned, it was odd for an able-bodied shifter male to be at home with a child and his wife sent to assist the wounded.
“Oh, he did. He fought for the first three years of my life, actually. He only got to come back every six months, until he got wounded. Then my mother nursed him back to health. That’s when they realized she would be helpful toward the war effort…”
Courtney trailed off. It was clear that the subject was becoming too painful for her.
“I’m sorry,” Lia said, putting her hand on Courtney’s arm. Courtney smiled weakly at her.
“There’s nothing any of us can do about it now,” Courtney said, clearing her throat and looking back down at her textbook. “We just have to live the best we can so that the sacrifices of those who died to bring us here weren’t in vain.”