by Louisa Bacio
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Winter Solstice Ménage
Copyright 2015 by Louisa Bacio
ISBN: 978-1-61333-920-6
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
Claiming the She-Wolf
Dear Reader,
Welcome to Los Lobos, and the Black Hills Wolves Pack. You’re in for quite the story! When writing my first book in this shared world series, “Claiming the She-Wolf,” I knew the hero’s sister Sugar would get her story, and she’d be bringing some trouble.
Who better to tame the wild woman than two established Pack members, Derek and Tyler Baker? Magic happens under the Winter Solstice moon, and this she-wolf learns that being with the twins means double the pleasure!
Thanks so much for embarking on this journey.
Happy Holidays,
Louisa Bacio
[email protected]
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
Raven’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
Winter Solstice Run
Wolf’s Holiday
Winter Magic
Winter Secrets
Winter Solstice Ménage
Wolf in Winter Clothing
Also by Louisa Bacio
Claiming the She-Wolf
A Date with Death
A Dance with Death
A Duel with Death
The Thief and His Master
The Big One
Winter Solstice Ménage
Sugar isn’t as sweet as her big brother, Yas, believes. After he leaves the big city to venture to a small pack in the hills he’s heard about from their mom, she decides to let loose in all the best ways. Except when all hell breaks loose and she’s faced with some tough decisions, she runs…to her family.
After growing up in Los Lobos, twins Derek and Tyler Baker lived through all the hardships under the former Alpha leader. While one twin is happy playing the dating field, the other wants something more special. They both find what they’re looking for when newcomer Sugar comes for a visit.
Where Sugar goes, trouble follows. It’ll take more than one member of this pack to tame the new shifter she-wolf. But will the Winter Solstice Ménage be enough to convince her to settle down?
Dedication
Thank you to Rebecca Royce and Heather Long for your vision for the Black Hills Wolves, and all my fellow members of the Black Hills Wolves Pack.
Kate & Valerie – Much love for keeping the publishing family going!
Winter Solstice Ménage
Black Hills Wolves
Winter Solstice Run
By
Louisa Bacio
Prologue
What her big brother didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him. That’s exactly what Sugar thought as she picked up the phone and asked to come “visit” the Black Hills of South Dakota. In her heart, she knew he couldn’t say no.
As she wrapped her long, blonde hair up into a twist, she bit her lower lip and contemplated what to tell Yas that would engage his sympathy but not put him on edge. Nothing worse than an overprotective brother. He’d put her on a short leash. Instead, she needed a little bit of free time to do some roaming.
Two packed bags stood next to the motel room door. She’d spent the past few days in hiding, and making sure no one followed her. She didn’t expect pursuit, but at the same time, she didn’t want to risk exposure.
At the end of the semester, she finished out her classes with two Cs, a B, and one abnormal A in animal husbandry. Animals? Really? After pouring so much time into her art projects and listings on Etsy? Who knew she’d have a magic touch with the four-legged variety? Well, unless they were male and shifters.
***
“My little sister? She’s as sweet as her name. Sure, she gets into a bit of trouble every now and then, but it’s all in good-natured fun.”
Yas gazed up at his mate Tala with his great big blue eyes, and she did everything possible not to scoff at him. Sure, Sugar was a complete sweetheart and never would think about getting out of line and causing trouble. Right indeed. Tala had a big brother of her own, and she knew perfectly well what it was like to try to live up to their standards. According to how Yas talked about his sister, trouble seemed to follow Sugar wherever she went. Of course, it was never her fault. At the moment, it was break time. Tala had never gone to college, but she knew that much. The winter holidays were still a couple weeks away. About now Sugar probably wrapped up her finals. But why did she want to come to Los Lobos instead of being with their mom?
She didn’t plan on diming out her mate’s sis anytime soon, but she also wasn’t going to let her run around wild. The young didn’t realize the lasting impression bad manners left on the pack.
Sugar may think she’s passing through, but Tala and Yas planned to stay in Black Hills for the long term.
After clearing it with Ryker and Drew, Yas arranged for her to hitch a ride in from the nearest big town, Rapid City, with one of the residents. As isolated as it was, Los Lobos offered a few alternatives to hiking in, and Yas wanted to ensure his li’l sis made it safely.
Chapter One
You bitch. Answer me back. I told you if you ran, I’d find you.
With a shake of her head, Sugar turned off her cell. She should block Jerry’s ass, but sometimes it was better to know where he was, rather than complete silent mode. Some guys really couldn’t take no for an answer. Fortunately, he seemed more bark than bite. Using the far-out location of the Tao Pack, she�
�d lie low for a few weeks, let him blow off some steam then she’d come back. Worse came to worst, maybe she’d relocate to another city.
As she waited, she picked a corner of fuchsia nail polish off her pinkie. Damn, she’d forgotten the bottle. They probably didn’t have a salon in the hick town where Yas holed up.
A worn and weather-beaten truck pulled alongside the curb, the passenger window rolled down, and a man yelled from the driver’s seat, “Are you Sugar?”
She nodded. A tight knot of fear curled inside her chest. After being chased out by Magnum, the former Alpha, when Sugar was just a toddler, her mother swore they’d never return. Well, Yas had broken the oath six months prior. Not only did he return, he’d found his mate, Tala, and decided to stay. Sugar didn’t have any of the reservations her mom did, though she worried more about getting stuck in no-man’s-land.
The driver leaned over and popped open the passenger side door. “Throw your bags in the backseat and hop in,” he said. “I’m Jasper. Let’s get rolling.”
Loads of books in boxes filled part of the backseat. Sugar angled in her suitcases and barely had the door shut and her seat belt on when he took off. She held onto the side handle, steadying herself.
“Do you mind?” Jasper indicated the volume knob of the radio.
“Not at all.” Music would keep her from having to talk to him. She inhaled. Although she picked up on a few different wolf scents, he was human. From what her mother had said about integration within the pack, things definitely had changed.
Living away from the pack, she was more used to living with humans than her own kind. She didn’t come across shifters all that often. It was weird to think about what it was going to be like being around an entire town full.
Music blared, vibrating through the small cab, and her chauffeur tapped the wheel to the beat.
Safe. It felt good to get away. She checked out the driver without being obvious. He was good looking, a ginger with a slight build. Not her usual type. She liked them big and burly. The bigger, the better. Then again, it wasn’t all that often she came across men who didn’t seem interested in her. The lull of the car soothed Sugar, and she leaned her head against the glass and let the miles pass by.
“Miss.” At a touch on her shoulder, she jerked awake, fully alert.
“Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to startle you. We’re here.”
He pointed out the window and through the darkness, Sugar caught a glimpse of lights in a home.
“Thank you,” she said. “Sorry I wasn’t such good company.”
“No problem. I understand the feeling. Need help out with your bags?”
“I’m good.” From the backseat, she lugged out the suitcases, and gave him a wave. Before walking up the path, she untied her shirt, letting it cover her stomach and belly-button ring. She smoothed out her hair and centered on the task at hand. Charm big brother, meet his new mate, and lie low.
No way her ex would find her here. Wherever the hell here was anyway.
The house looked nice, inviting. The outside was painted cornflower blue with white railings and stairs. Sugar ran her hand along the wood. Big bro had done pretty well restoring this place. Supposedly it was a piece of work when he’d arrived. A warm glow welcomed her to the Wolf’s Lair B&B. She hadn’t even raised her hand to knock when the door yanked open.
“Sugar-Sugar!” Yas picked her up and twirled her around.
“Put me down!” She pounded on his back. “I’m not seven anymore.”
With one last twirl, he did exactly as she asked then stood back. “Well look at you. I swear, has it been years since I’ve seen you?”
“Shut up,” she said, smacking him on the arm.
From behind him, a dark beauty appeared, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. Although a smile spread across her mouth, her eyes looked wary.
“You must be my new sister, Tala,” Sugar said.
“Easy guess,” she said, giving her a warm hug. “Glad you finally made it.” An awkward moment passed between them. Right when Sugar wondered what to say, Tala broke the silence. “I’ve got dinner started. Why don’t you let Yas show you upstairs to your room and you can freshen up.”
She followed her brother through the living room, and up the stairs, noticing the loving touch of the colored throw pillows and the polished wood of the bannister. He’d found a home.
“You’re lucky,” Yas said, bringing her down the hall. “I stayed on the couch when I got here.”
“Not for long,” Sugar said.
“Ha, ha. Seriously.” He opened a door, letting her walk in first. “This room was missing almost a complete wall and had a bird’s nest in the corner.”
The thought sent a chill down Sugar’s back, and she shivered. Nature. Although she loved animals, she preferred to keep the wild ones outside and not share a room with them.
“How was Mom about you coming here?” he asked. “Isn’t she going to miss you for the holidays?”
Sugar shrugged. Hell, she hadn’t even told her. Just said she was busy and couldn’t come home on break. She didn’t know exactly how long that break would be. “I think she’s enjoying the empty nest for a change,” she said.
At the mention of nest, once again she glanced up to the corner, the most natural location for a habitat. She wasn’t in the concrete jungle anymore.
Once her bags were unpacked, Sugar headed downstairs. A mixture of voices greeted her. There was a woman with shorts so short they made Sugar’s regular denims look like Bermudas, and a tall bulky man that while sexy, exuded an “off-limits” attitude.
“This here is Caress and her brother Raze,” Tala said, by way of introductions. “Caress is a magician with plants, and she brought me over some fertilizer to start a vegetable garden and maybe revitalize some of the dirt at your family’s old house.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Sugar said, shaking their hands. If she were on campus, she’d feel more territorial toward the other attractive woman who looked her age. Here, though, for some reason, she didn’t come off as a threat.
“Let me give you a hint that was passed along to me my first day here,” Caress said in a conspiratorial tone. “If you get bored at night, check out the water hole. It’s where the younger folk hang out to have fun.”
Definitely a good tip. Being isolated in the house of love with Yas and his new mate was going to grow old quick. From what she’d seen already, they were still at the stage where they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. She’d need an escape.
“Are you trying to corrupt our guest already?” Tala teased.
Caress held her hands up in surrender. She winked at Sugar. “I know only too well from experience. Sometimes while trying to stay out of trouble, you find it.”
Chapter Two
Towel in hand, Sugar snuck down the stairs as quietly as possible. As expected, the love-Wolves had excused themselves to bed early. The only people who turned in by nine either worked super early, were old, or planned some private extracurricular activities.
Once outside, she opened her senses and took in the solitude of being so far out in nature. Without the conflicting sensory information, everything from the stars shining above to the slight breeze took on another dimension. Growing up in the city, she never realized how much she’d been missing. She headed to the hangout spot, following the directions Tala had grudgingly given her earlier, along with the advice to “be careful.”
Despite being a little bit reserved at first, her new “sis” seemed pretty cool, especially when playing go-between with Yas. If left to him, she’d stay in twenty-four/seven.
As she drew closer, she heard a whoop, whoop, whoop of laughter and a huge splash. A rope swung, and, below, a few people swam. She wasn’t feeling quite that adventurous yet and made her way over to another watering hole. She dipped a toe in and sighed at the luxurious heat. A natural hot springs? Here?
Forget the fancy spas; she’d take this
spot any day. Before stripping down, she got as close to the hot spring as possible, and made a mental plan of attack. For the briefest of moments, she’d be butt-ass cold, but as soon as she hit the warmth…. Ahhh. She tossed her jacket and clothes on a nearby chair, uncovering a white bathing suit with pink flowers, and sank into the waters. Leaning back against the side, she closed her eyes. The contrast between the blustery winter weather and the bliss of the heat shocked the system, in the best way. Getting away from it all was unnatural. After the onslaught of harassing text messages from her ex, she’d left her phone home. Who’d be contacting her anyway? Plus, cell service here sucked. The idea was to get away from it all and let Jerry get some breathing space. Hopefully, he’d find someone else to focus on and leave her alone. He hadn’t been such a loser when she first met him, but, then again, he hadn’t been honest either. She’d been duped into thinking he was a college student. Then she learned he only saw them as an easy pickup.
“Mind if I join you?” A man’s deep voice broke through her thoughts, and she opened her eyes. Have mercy.
He towered over the spa, and she looked up, up, up—past those tapered hips and sculpted stomach to broad shoulders and a mouth that promised all sorts of wicked goodness. The cold didn’t seem to bother him much, except for those hard nipples.
“Come on in. There’s plenty of room.”
Rather than taking up residence on the other side, where someone who followed social norms might have, he sat next to her. Real close. The water level rose as he got in.
“You must be new to these parts. Haven’t seen you around. I’m Derek.”
