by Jane Jamison
Wolf Packs of Fate 3
Call of the Pack
As a prosecuting attorney, Emeline Newsom failed to put a criminal behind bars. Disillusioned, she’s ready to put her failure behind her and start a new life in the small Georgia town of Fate.
Werewolf brothers Tyler and Derek Mitchell and their vampire cousin Evan Grange are ready to commit to one woman—as long as that woman is Emeline. They’re taking it easy, winning her over one step at a time, but she keeps pulling away just as they think they’ve convinced her to be theirs.
When Emeline’s future is threatened, the men come running. They’ll do whatever they can to keep her safe, but can they save her from a danger none of them knew existed?
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves, Western/Cowboys
Length: 41,726 words
CALL OF THE PACK
Wolf Packs of Fate 3
Jane Jamison
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
CALL OF THE PACK
Copyright © 2016 by Jane Jamison
E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-030-2
First E-book Publication: February 2016
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
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www.SirenPublishing.com
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DEDICATION
Thank you to my readers for buying my books. You’ve made my dreams come true.
Thank you to Siren Publishing, its publisher, editors, cover artists, and staff for helping to make my books possible. Your support and hard work is appreciated.
Jane Jamison
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
About the Author
CALL OF THE PACK
Wolf Packs of Fate 3
JANE JAMISON
Copyright © 2016
Chapter One
Emeline Newsom loved having lunch with her friends, and she especially liked it when they met in the back room of The General Store of Fate, Georgia. After living in a large city, she found the downhome easiness and laidback attitude of the small town appealing.
She’d gotten lucky. After a chance encounter with a friend from her past, she’d learned about Fate. Three days later, she’d arrived in town, searching for a job and a place to stay. Lady Luck once again smiled down on her when she’d gone into Gobbel Market and run into the owner’s wife, Shirley Gobbel. Within fifteen minutes of talking, Emeline was all set with a new job and a new home.
She couldn’t have hoped for more. After leaving her home and her practice with her life in turmoil, she was thrilled and relieved to have found a town that had quickly accepted her. Even better, she felt safe in Fate.
Granted, the job wasn’t like anything she’d ever done before, but since Shirley and eighty-eight-year-old Miss Charlotte Ostenbeck had insisted that she didn’t need any medical training, she’d agreed and had accepted the position as Miss Charlotte’s companion. She had her own tiny cottage in Miss Charlotte’s backyard so that she could be at the octogenarian’s beck and call twenty-four hours a day, six days a week.
Best of all, she’d found three good friends within the first few days of living in Fate. They’d bumped into each other first in The General Store and then in the market. It seemed the small grocery-slash-convenience store was a charmed place for her. As they talked about what produce looked good and which didn’t, the conversation had led them to talking about their new lives. Finding out that they were all newcomers to the town had solidified their quickly burgeoning friendships.
She’d never had more than one girlfriend at a time, and even then, she hadn’t felt very close. Her career had gotten in the way, leaving her with no time to devote to friendships. Having three friends now was more than she’d ever hoped of having.
Finding love was even harder than finding good friends, but after what she’d been through, her love life was the last thing she was worried about. For now, her new friends and her job were what mattered.
A cozy warmth filled her as she thought about her friends. Raven Reynolds was outspoken and worked as a clerk in The General Store. Emeline had the feeling that Raven was a lot tougher than she let on. She had no reason to believe so, but she had the impression that Raven had gone through hard times and come out swinging. Raven was beautiful by anyone’s standards with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and trim body, but it was her feisty spirit Emeline liked.
Then there was Heather Dill. She was the creative one of the group and a resident artist. Emeline wished she had a talent like her friend’s. As such, Heather was own boss, selling her artwork online and providing enough income to make a decent living. Heather was the oppos
ite of Raven with her bouncy brown hair, big brown eyes, and curvaceous body. She was shy at times, but Emeline had seen hints of a stubborn, strong nature. Like Raven, Heather didn’t talk much about her past, but Emeline didn’t mind. If they had, then she might have felt compelled to tell them about her past.
Betsy Cramer was everyone’s idea of spunky. She was a self-declared BBW, Big Beautiful Woman, and proud of it. So proud that she was opening a clothing store that would not only offer average size clothing but also clothing for the larger woman. Her plus-size line wasn’t an afterthought like it was at a lot of boutiques, but as much a part of the regular inventory as the other sizes. Betsy was brave and ready to take on any challenge. Yet, there were times when Emeline had seen a softer side of Betsy, a side lacking in the confidence she usually displayed. To see doubt in her usually confident friend’s eyes almost broken Emeline’s heart.
Emeline glanced back at The General Store where she’d just left her friends. She’d kidded them about the men they were interested in, but she had her own infatuations. Or were they really only infatuations? God knows she felt different around the men of her fantasies. Different as in hot. Different as in all squiggly inside. Different as in wanting them to be hers and only hers. Different as in wanting to tell them to meet her in the woods to play a quick game of Catch Me If You Can. Of course she’d run. And, of course, she’d let them catch her.
Brothers Tyler and Derek Mitchell were like two pieces of an amazing, sexually charged puzzle. They looked so much alike that sometimes it was difficult to tell who was who from a distance. Their brown hair, with Derek’s being a little longer, sparkled with flecks of chestnut whenever the sunlight caught it just right. Their brown eyes weren’t simply brown. Not only did they hold a wickedness that gave them that bad-boy aura Emeline had always been a sucker for, but whenever they looked at her, the chocolate seemed to melt into molten lava.
Then there was their cousin, Evan Grange. Lord have mercy, but he was smokin’. As much as the Mitchell brothers acted like bad boys, Evan was an even darker entity. He had a dark, brooding way that unnerved some people but one she’d always found intriguing. Unlike his cousins, who she saw around town, she rarely saw him out except at night. Or on a really cloudy day. Or standing in the shade. She could remember only a few times when she’d seen him darting across the street in broad daylight.
Strange how I never thought about that before.
His cool manner made him even hotter. With his black hair and eyes, he looked like a pirate straight out of one of her favorite movies. The way his gaze settled on her, she would’ve sworn he was hunting for buried treasure.
He can plunder my treasure any time he wants.
Like his cousins, he stood over six feet, had broad I-can-handle-the-weight-of-the-world shoulders, a chest that flowed down to a hard six-pack of muscles, and a lean waist. She tried hard not to look below the waist and failed most of the time. Long legs, usually decked out in faded jeans and finished off with worn boots, made her feel small at five foot six inches.
But they were friends, plain and simple.
Hells bells. How did I let that happen?
Yet she knew the answer. She’d come to Fate to get away. Not to hide out. Not really. Still that’s exactly what she’d done.
She’d run into them several times, and they’d been cordial, talking in idle chitchat, never about anything important and definitely not about her past. They’d even shared a beer or two at The Wolf’s Den, but nothing more than a sweet peck on the cheek had happened.
Those pecks had left her breathless and craving more.
Damn it.
Picking up her pace, she crossed the street and waved at Stacy Flagg, owner of Stacy’s Hair Boutique and Gift Shop and the town’s biggest gossip. If she did anything more than wave, Stacy would drag her into her shop and do her dead-level best to find out what she and her friends had talked about over lunch. Keeping her head down, she hurried even faster.
“Emeline. Woo-hoo, Emeline! Watch out!”
Emeline whirled around, did a second wave, and walked backward a little ways, determined not to get sucked in. “Sorry. No time to talk. I need to get back to Miss Charlotte. Ooh!”
As soon as she hit the hard wall behind her, she realized it wasn’t a brick wall at all. Not with all that delicious heat radiating off it. Not with the fragrance of sweat, leather, and horse assaulting her nose.
“Better slow down, Emeline, before you hurt yourself.”
Oh shit. Emeline froze, her gaze locking to Stacy’s.
The stylist dropped her hand but not her smirk. “I was trying to warn you to watch out.” Laughing, Stacy waved yet again then hurried back inside her salon.
“She’s right. You really should look where you’re going.”
She pivoted around. Her gaze traveled upward, moving slowly over the solid chest. Then came the hollow of his throat that soon became the center of his wide shoulders. Up her gaze went, over the just-enough Adam’s apple and on to the chiseled chin. The air whooshed out of her as she took in the dark stubble along his cut jawline. She had the feeling that, even after shaving, he’d still look like he had stubble there. As though he was too much of a man to ever be rid of it.
Damn, how I’d love to kiss him.
What kind of a man had such an amazing mouth? How could it look so soft, so inviting, and yet so masculine?
“Em?
Tyler was the only one in town who had started calling her Em. In fact, once he had, she’d insisted that everyone else call her Emeline. Not that everyone respected her wishes. Maybe if she’d told them why, that she wanted to keep Tyler’s nickname for her special, they’d listen. But to admit she had feelings for the Mitchell brothers and their cousin now that they were in the “friend zone” would be too humiliating.
“Em?” Dark eyes drove into hers.
She blinked and, as much as she didn’t want to, pushed away from his oh-so-hunky chest. “Yeah? I mean, yes. I’m sorry. I was thinking about something else and not paying attention. I’ll watch where I’m going from now on.”
“Good to know. We wouldn’t want to have to lead you around town.”
You wouldn’t? Damn. I’d sure love to be led around by you. Or Derek. Or Evan. Or, better yet, all three of you.
“Anyway, what’s going on? Anything new to report?”
Disappointment swept into her, yet she should’ve expected as much. Often enough, she was left feeling disappointed and empty after talking to them. Not because she didn’t get a thrill anytime they set eyes on her, but because talking wasn’t what she’d hoped they could share. Besides, the topics they talked about didn’t mean a damn thing. Nothing more substantial than the weather. Nothing like asking her out. Nothing like telling her to lie down and spread her legs.
“Em, I lost you again.”
If she didn’t stop mooning over them, they’d realize how she felt. “I’m here. Just preoccupied, I guess.”
“How’s Miss C doing?”
As if trying to maintain her cool around Tyler wasn’t enough, Derek was suddenly next to his brother. He put his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
She fixated on his strong hand with calluses showing that he wasn’t afraid of hard work. The men she’d known hadn’t had any calluses on their hands. Instead, they’d gotten manicures and used lotion to keep their hands as soft as hers. Softer even. Derek, Tyler, and Evan had hands a woman wanted on her body. Hands that would feel rough as they skimmed along her skin.
“Em, there you go again.”
Damn it. Pay attention. “Oh. She’s fine. Doing great.”
“Is she still having trouble remembering things?”
She liked that Derek asked about Miss Charlotte often. All three of the men did. “Yes. I’m afraid her dementia isn’t getting any better.”
“I’m sorry to hear it,” added Tyler. “She’s a good woman. Everyone loves her.” He drew in a long, slow breath, his brown eyes softening.
M
iss Charlotte not only had the respect of everyone in Fate but their love, too. From the stories people told about the old woman, she’d been one hell of a fighter in her time. One of the first women to become a real feminist. Not a man-hater, by any means, but a feminist in the true sense of the word. A woman who believed in equality between the genders in every way and was willing to stand up for her convictions.
“I hope I’m half as respected when I’m her age.” She loved Miss Charlotte, even though she’d known her only a short while.
“Back to you.” Tyler put his hand on her arm. “How are you doing?”
She closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy the rough texture of his hand on her skin then opened her eyes and did her best to smile. Did he really care about her? Or was he making small talk again? She wanted to ask him how he felt about her. Was she just a friend? If she told them she wanted so much more, would she always be just a friend? Did he ever think about her the way she thought about them?
Instead, she answered the way she knew she should. “I’m doing great. Couldn’t be better.”
“Yeah? And you like living in Fate?”
Derek had asked her that before. Did he not believe her answer, or was he searching for more information? She hated that she’d become so skeptical of people’s intentions. “I do. It’s strange since I’ve only been here a short time, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
It was the truth. Fate was perfect for her. The people were great, although they sometimes seemed a little…off. But weren’t most small town folks different than the people she was used to in the big city? They were certainly friendlier, yet they still held her at a distance. The real question was whether she could stay in Fate for the rest of her life and watch the Mitchells and Evan fall in love with other women while she yearned for them. Would she get over the pain? Or would it fester and, in the end, drive her away?
