Coveted

by Shawntelle Madison

  When the episode ended, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to head into town and release the nervous energy at The Bends. After he’d heard about the battle, Bill was more than grateful to have me back. He’d grumbled into the phone, “About time you guys took out the trash. If it isn’t werewolves, it’s those damn leprechauns trying to hold a goblin back.” I didn’t ask him to elaborate—the last thing I wanted to hear was one of Bill’s tales about the extortion activities of leprechaun gangs.

  I didn’t have any of my usual work clothes at my parents’ house, but a few of my mother’s things would work. The entire process of dressing in different clothes should have sent shock waves through my body. And indeed, when I stood in front of the mirror in my mother’s clothes, it was hard not to cry. It wasn’t as if I saw my mother in my own reflection in the mirror—no, I take after my chestnut-haired father. What I saw instead was a broken woman who’d only wanted to be a part of a family.

  A relationship wouldn’t hurt either.

  As I prepared to leave the house, Aggie limped to my side. “I could ride with you there and pick you up later if you like.”

  “Sure, that sounds good. Just like we did a few weeks ago.”

  She patted my arm. “I think this will be good for you. A few hours anally cataloging old junk should have you patched together in no time.”

  “Is that all you think I do at work?”

  She opened the door. “Oh, you mean besides running the register and cussing out customers? Yeah, pretty much.”

  The rest of the ride was silent. Aggie let me out and headed off into the sunset. I gazed at The Bends. The streets weren’t that busy.

  A few people trickled through the store. Not much to stress over. The cashiers waved in my direction.

  “Good to see you up and about, Nat. Bill said you had an accident in the family,” one of the older cashiers said. The sixty-year-old woman, a human, often filled in when someone couldn’t make it.

  “Thanks, Ida. I just needed a few days to sort things out.”

  I turned to look for Bill, but he was nowhere in sight. I ventured a look out the window, only to see Thorn standing on the curb across the street. He nodded my way before he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away.

  You may not see me, but I’ll always be around.

  When I turned from the window, for the first time in a long time, I was at peace. With the way things are right now, we can’t be more than friends. And honestly, part of me still doesn’t want to be just friends. But I have to make peace with that and live in the gray area that remains. I couldn’t help but smile.

  That smile didn’t last long when I saw the madness in the back office. Piles and piles of boxes, and I had no idea where they’d come from or what was inside. Just another day cataloguing the backlog of merchandise and picking up the boxes Bill had cast aside. I set about my work with a sigh.

  This was where I belonged. Aggie was right. The Bends was the perfect place for a hoarding werewolf.

  * * *

  Therapy day came not long after. As I prepared to head into the city, I still suffered from a few aches and pains. But while I drove into New York, I went over all the good things I knew I had. The contractors had completed the work on my property, and I’d be back in my own home soon. My uncle had even found another tenant for the apartment I’d be abandoning.

  And as the holiday season approached, I found myself less tempted to buy things. Key word less. As a matter of fact, I’d been working with Aggie on plans to create a lawn showcase using the gaudy plastic ornaments that had survived the flood.

  “Why keep those things in boxes? They survived the flood. Why not put them out in front so everyone can see how good they look?” she’d said.

  I arrived in Manhattan at Dr. Frank’s office. The old wizard greeted me warmly outside the meeting room. “Great to see you, Nat.” When he led me in, I saw the others waiting with coffee.

  I hadn’t asked them to help me—but still they’d come to help the pack. What could I say? Other than “I brought you some muffins. Prepackaged.”

  A grinning Tyler was the first to step forward. “You look great, Nat. Oh, blueberry and strawberry.” He plucked two muffins from the basket and found a seat.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as Raj came next, along with Abby. I offered my heartfelt thanks as they helped themselves.

  “Okay, everyone. Let’s get started.” Lilith and Nick entered the room as Dr. Frank finished his introductions.

  Lilith took a seat between Heidi and Abby. Nick sat in the open seat between Dr. Frank and the Muse. He nodded in my direction and snagged a muffin with a smile. His fingers brushed against mine and I welcomed the warmth.

  “Glad to see you came,” he whispered.

  Dr. Frank began with, “Well, after speaking with most of you this week, I learned that you’ve been busy.” A few eyes flashed in my direction. “I hope in between frolicking in the forest you had time to do your exercises.”

  Raj and Abby nodded while Lilith frowned and inspected her nails.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Tyler beat me to it. “I didn’t complete my exercises, but I have some new developments to report.” He grinned from ear to ear with rosy cheeks. For a brief moment, his face actually resembled that of a cheery dwarf. “I met someone new. And we’ve seen each other a few times.”

  A round of congratulations went around. I laughed with delight. Good news always lightened everyone’s mood.

  “When did this happen?” I asked.

  “Last week. After the batt—I mean, that stuff that happened, I went to my family’s healer. She saw my wounds and afterward she introduced me to her daughter.” He smiled sheepishly. Who would’ve thought he’d get a hookup from the local dwarf doctor’s office?

  “That sounds great, Tyler,” said Dr. Frank. “From our talk yesterday, I can see an improvement in your attitude. How about you share with everyone how you plan to stay on track?”

  Tyler took a monstrous bite of his muffin. Hardly your average dwarf-sized bite. “Well, I think this week will be about staying positive for once. Last week I felt alive.” His eyes met mine for a moment with a grin. “I never thought in a million years that crashing a battle would lead me to new places.”

  “Well, this is a topic we don’t have to tiptoe around anymore. I know that all of you foolishly jumped into a skirmish between werewolf packs.” Nick and Raj turned away from Dr. Frank. Everyone had done this for me, so I spoke up.

  “Don’t fuss at them about it. I—”

  Nick interrupted me. “I was the one who asked them to follow me down the rabbit hole into danger, Sir.” He wrung his hands. “But Nat was brave enough to head out there alone. Once I told Tyler what was happening, he spread the word, and everyone showed up to help.”

  “We all really wanted to help,” Heidi added. “Sometimes our friends get cast adrift in rough waters. But in the end, all they need is an anchor or two.”

  Abby nodded while I touched the seashell on my necklace. I couldn’t resist smiling at the memory of her Roman regalia. The Muse sure knew how to use a sword. “At first I didn’t think it was such as good idea, though, but sometimes,” Abby paused to look in my direction, “you have to stand up for people who believe in you. The ones who can see you for who you are.”

  Lilith filed her nails—well-manicured for once. “To be honest, I did it ’cause you hooked me up the other day.” She grinned, revealing a red line where her lipstick had smeared her teeth. “I’m getting married in a few months. My fiancé is coming in from Russia.”

  Wow, my cousin Yuri sure worked the international phone lines fast. I guess my little chitchat about settling down paid off. At first I feared for his safety, but then Aunt Vera told me that Yuri could suck the life out of any woman, so I suspected they’d be perfect for each other.

  After all the kind words, I left the meeting a half hour later in tears. I’d known these people for less than two months and yet they�
��d offered their lives to protect me and my family. They didn’t live in my town. Or live by the Code. They knew only that my home was in danger—and that they could help me by making a stand. The whole thing left me beaming with happiness as I headed to my car. Even if I didn’t have Thorn in my life, I had people who truly believed in me.

  My phone buzzed from a new message. It was from my mother. The family planned a fine feast tonight. She’d prepared braised pheasant with sauerkraut for dinner, and since Aggie had invited herself over already, my mom thought I might want to tag along. I grinned and flipped on some jazz to prepare for the drive home.

  I’d be plenty hungry in an hour or two. And, after all, a werewolf like me could never turn down a perfectly good meal with the Stravinsky pack.

  Thanks, Mom!

  All those childhood years of imaginary play and talking to myself have finally paid off.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First of all, I have to thank my partner in crime, who helped whip me into shape as we embarked on this publishing journey together. You are the best Grammar Chick ever, Sarah Bromley, and I hope to be as awesome as you someday. I also have to thank Cole Gibsen, Amanda S. Berry, Jeannie Lin, Kristi Lea, and Dawn Blankenship for reading my book and offering fabulous feedback. You ladies rock! Another round of thanks goes to the writers of Missouri Romance Writers of America (MO RWA), who taught me how to critique as well as take criticism from others.

  I also have to give my heartfelt thanks to my literary agent, Jim McCarthy. You push me to be a better writer, and I feel very grateful to have you in my corner.

  Thank you, Tricia Pasternak, my wonderful editor, who made my dream of publication come true.

  To Vera Aginsky, my Russian Studies professor when I was at ISU, you introduced me to the beautiful world of Russian culture and left an impression on me that I’ll never forget. I’d also like to thank my friend Julia Richardson, who helped me whenever I had questions.

  I have to thank Dyanne Davis, who has supported me with words of encouragement. An even bigger thanks and biker-witch high five goes to Angie Fox. I’ve leaned on her for many things and she’s not only a wonderful author, but also a wonderful friend.

  And finally, thanks to my husband, Segun. If you want to have our wedding renewal vows done Ming the Merciless style, I’m ready.

  Read on for an excerpt from

  KEPT

  by Shawntelle Madison

  Published by Ballantine Books

  I hadn’t expected a man—other than my brother—to call me the next day at five A.M. to begin my training. I recognized the number right away, and it wasn’t Alex’s; caller ID really made it hard to be surprised these days.

  I let the phone ring three times before I picked it up and blurted, “Thorn Grantham, unless you’re calling to give me a free pass to avoid the trials, there’s no reason for you to call me at this hour.”

  “Meet me at the high school track in thirty minutes.” Then the phone went dead.

  I hadn’t heard his voice in a while, so I wouldn’t have minded a “Hey, you” or perhaps a “Sorry to wake you at five in the morning.” But all I got was an order to start my training.

  If my foggy memory served me correctly, wasn’t it Alex who was supposed to have called me for a training session? And if so, why had my sneaky brother asked this particular person to help me out—the one man I wanted to avoid at all costs? Alex knew my ex-boyfriend was engaged to another woman. His blatant attempt to hook us up was just useless.

  I heard Aggie snoring in her room as I plodded into my bathroom to get ready. I was tempted to bang on her door and wake her up so she could offer moral support at the track.

  Ten minutes later, after a cold shower and half a pot of rich Colombian coffee, I hurried out of my house and drove out to the local high school track.

  While I drove, I mentally went over the three individual elements of the trials. Werewolves, like humans, had special initiation ceremonies. In order to be accepted as a productive member of the pack, a candidate had to prove she could defend herself and protect her clan mates—in essence, show herself to be of sound mind, body, and spirit.

  The first challenge I’d have to face was the ten-mile run. If I survived the second part, a grueling obstacle course, I’d then have to show I could dominate my enemies. The ten-mile run and the obstacle course were intended to wear me down down before the final hardship—a fight with one of my fellow candidates. I saw this stage as a pissing match in which the combat-ready candidates could shine and achieve a higher rank within the pack. In terms of self-confidence, I didn’t have much for the last part, as I wasn’t a fighter. But what I did have was an undying drive to join the pack—no matter how insurmountable the odds.

  When I pulled into the lot, the track was empty; it was early morning after all. Just a few lights illuminated the stands, but even in the darkness I had keen vision and could see no one was waiting for me. It was not until I left my car and entered the stadium that I found a blond-haired man in jeans and a T-shirt waiting for me on the bleachers, gazing at the woods surrounding the high school grounds.

  Despite his brusque offer to help me train for the trials, I knew that avoiding Thorn was my best course of action. For the sake of my heart, anyway. Letting go of the past was a lot easier when the past kept out of your way. Yet I still came here to see him.

  Thorn was only a few feet away when I caught his scent. A chilled breeze brought it to me: a mix of denim, leather, and mild soap. To my nose it was a perfect combination. “How did Alex convince you to do this?”

  He stared at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. “Alex said something about you needing help and how he couldn’t do it since he’s busy preparing for the baby’s arrival. So he asked me to help you and I said yes.”

  I sighed. “He never planned to help me at all.”

  “Why would you say something like that?” Thorn indicated I should follow him to the track.

  “You don’t see what he’s trying to do? Get us together here alone?”

  He shrugged. “We’re both adults. It’s not like we don’t both know what we can and can’t do.”

  Then he glanced briefly at my shoes: a pair of running shoes that had never left their shoe box until today. “Have you ever run in those things before?” he asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “I have to dress up for work every day. That means heels, not sneakers.”

  “Do you do everything in heels? Never mind, don’t answer that. My mind went to the wrong place real fast.”

  I suppressed a smile and tried not to follow his mind into the gutter. It wasn’t easy though, with the way his T-shirt clung to his body. My fingers itched to trace a line along the rock-hard abs under his shirt.

  “Are you really ready to face the trials?” He took in my appearance and I wondered if he was thinking that the battle with the Long Island werewolves had damaged me permanently in some way. It had, but not in the way he might have thought. I mean, let’s keep it real here: Who could get through a fight to the death in which you watched the man you loved get stabbed through the heart, and not walk away just a little a bit frazzled? Especially someone in my fragile condition.

  “I’m hanging in there. I’ll do just fine.” I waved my hand as if I wouldn’t bat an eye at what he had in mind today.

  He paused. Maybe he didn’t believe me. But instead of brushing me off, he began his spiel. “Let’s get you started with the endurance stage. You need to show you’re capable of a ten-mile run.”

  “Sounds easy enough. I’ve run that far many times during the full moon.”

  His hazel eyes went to slits. “In human form.”

  My mouth snapped shut. Oh. I tried to remember the last time I ran anywhere when not in wolf form. As a werewolf I had honed senses and a powerful physique, but I knew that in my human form I wasn’t in the best physical shape. I was a size six, but that was mostly due to my skinny Russian-girl genes. (Which my mother loved to remind me would disappear after
I had kids.)

  “I’ll do fine.” I left him behind and jogged down the track. Would he follow me? I turned briefly to see him sitting down on the bleachers to watch my progress.

  “You’re not coming?” I asked.

  “You have the pace of a were-sloth participating in the Olympics. You’d slow me down to the point of aggravation.”

  After a few minutes and a few laps (I wasn’t keeping count), I became winded. As I passed him I asked, “How am I doing?”

  “You need another lap to complete one mile. At the rate you’re running, I could go pick up a breakfast sandwich and still make it back before you’re done with your ten miles.”

  “A mile?” I glanced at my watch. It had taken me eight minutes to do less than a mile. I had to be in better shape than this if I was going to survive the trials. But my chest burned and my shins ached. As a werewolf, I sucked: Like all werewolves, I had natural agility and speed, but evidently, endurance wasn’t an automatically included ability.

  By the time I completed three miles, I was reduced to walking. I avoided Thorn’s eyes each time I passed him. Why stir up his animosity?

  Thirty minutes later, I plopped down on the other side of the track and lay down between the lanes. All this torture and I still had a long work day ahead of me.

  A shadow passed over my head. It was Thorn. “This’ll be a long week for you. Expect to be here at four A.M. tomorrow.”

  “Don’t athletes get a day of rest between events?”

  He snorted. “A day of rest is for people who exert themselves. See you bright and early tomorrow, Nat.” With that he walked off the track and disappeared into the woods.

  A part of me warned myself not to watch him walk away. But I couldn’t help it. Between training for the trials and wanting Thorn, the trials would be far easier for me to deal with.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Prologue

  Chapter 1