Sassy Ever After: Northern Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Sugar Shack Book 1)

by Élianne Adams

  “Hush, now. You aren’t to blame for what those men did.” Maple looked at Grandma, who sat quietly watching them.

  He shifted his body a little. “Not directly, no, but it was my fault. I lost my job six months ago. Corporate downsizing. Would you believe it’s harder for a fifty-six-year-old man with a lifetime of experience to get a job than kids fresh out of school these days?”

  Maple didn’t know what to say. All that time, she’d thought he’d been irresponsible and shafted her with the bills.

  He turned his attention to Grandma. “I’m sorry for not telling you, but I didn’t want you to worry. I’ll find more work. I promise you that.”

  Grandma nodded. “Everything will be fine. Finish your story, son.”

  Uncle Peter took a fortifying breath and closed his eyes. “Thinking I’d find work quickly, I borrowed some money from someone I shouldn’t have. When it came time to pay up and I still had no job, they started making demands. They wanted our land. I told them no and that it wasn’t mine to give. I thought they’d accepted the fact that it would take a while longer to settle my debt, but then…” He opened his eyes and waved the hand that wasn’t attached to a tube down the length of his body.

  Grandma tsked and shook her head. “You’re right, you should have said something. And so should you have, young lady,” she admonished Maple right along with her uncle.

  “What did I do?” Maple asked.

  “Don’t take me for a fool. If Peter wasn’t helping financially, then it was all on you. No wonder you’re working yourself to death in that horrid place.”

  The last thing Maple wanted was for her grandmother to worry about money. “It’s not so bad. I can manage fine until uncle Peter can find another job.”

  Grandma clapped her hands together once, silencing her. Her brows drew down, and her lips firmed. “You listen to me, and you listen good, baby. This stops at once. I’m moving. Period.”

  “Grandma, no. You love it there.”

  “I do, but not nearly as much as I love it here. Did you know they have a lovely senior residence in Dexter? I applied for a first-floor apartment at the Wassookeag Villa. They’d said there was a waiting list, but then called yesterday to say I was approved and one had opened up. It’s fate.”

  Maple sat there, speechless. Grandma was moving to Dexter?

  “Aren’t you going to say something?”

  Maple’s heart beat double-time. “What? How? When did you do this?”

  “The day you called, I did a search online. Mr. Hunter has a laptop in his room and was kind enough to help me out. I have an appointment to see the place this afternoon, but if the pictures of it online are any indication, I’m going to love it. It’s a fraction of the cost of the place in New York, and my old heart yearns for home. Now, before you start making plans, I’ve already arranged for Niko to bring me to see it. You, young lady, have other things to deal with.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing. Am I wrong in thinking that you’d like to stay?”

  Maple shook her head, her heart filling with hope. She did a mental breakdown of her meager savings, liking what she came up with. “I can keep us afloat until I find work here. I might even be able to keep my job at the firm and work remotely,” she said as an afterthought. She didn’t need to be in an office to crunch numbers. The money she’d set aside for the next few months of rent at the Golden Oasis would go a lot farther in Dexter.

  “It’s settled, then. Once you’re released from the hospital, you can live at the cabin until you’re on your feet again,” Grandma told uncle Peter, who had remained quiet throughout. “We’ll figure out the rest as we go.”

  With the possibilities of her new life running rampant in her head, only one thing stood out. She needed to see Jaxon.

  ***

  “Are you listening?” Emmet growled for the third time since he’d arrived at the shop. Niko and Luca watched the exchange, wisely keeping their mouths shut. He hadn’t wanted to go home and find it empty with her scent still lingering in the air, and it was too early in the day for the stiff drink he needed.

  Fuck. His wolf paced just below the surface. He needed to get out of there, otherwise, his brother and packmates would bear the brunt of his grief. As cathartic as beating the shit out of someone sounded, they didn’t deserve that.

  “Yeah. The wolves were from the pack that attacked us a couple of years ago. There might be more threats coming. I’ll deal with it,” he said, snarling as he gave the cliff notes version of all that Emmet had said. And he would deal with it. Just not today.

  “That’s not what Niko was saying,” Emmet said, clearly exasperated.

  “I have to get out of here.” Whatever else was going on, it would wait. If not, Emmet could handle it.

  Without waiting to see what the others had to say about it, he headed out the door. He was about to pull out of the driveway when his phone pinged.

  “We need to talk. Meet me at the cabin?”

  Dread pooled in his gut, making his wolf want to howl. What was there to be said? She hadn’t spoken a word after her shower. She hadn’t needed to. Her eyes and nose had been red and puffy, and she wouldn’t meet his gaze. He’d tried opening a conversation with her on the way to the hospital, but she’d kept staring out the window, answering his questions with short, clipped answers until he’d given up.

  “On my way.” He didn’t know how he’d survive the coming conversation or the months and years to come, but he’d deal with those, too.

  The past few days replayed themselves in his mind on the drive out to the lake. The sweet smiles that made his heart race each time she sent one his way, the soft touches that lit a fire to every part of him, the easy banter they’d shared… Everything about her—about them—was perfect. She just had to realize it, and he wouldn’t stop until she did.

  He pulled himself out of the pit he’d wallowed in since he’d left the hospital. With more confidence than he maybe should have, he parked behind her little blue car and strode to her door. One thing was for damned sure, he wasn’t giving up on them without a fight.

  The front door burst open before he reached it, and Maple stood there, blocking the way. The smile on her face stole his breath. He hadn’t been expecting it, and it slammed through him, reigniting the hope he’d held earlier that morning. Maybe he’d read her wrong.

  The second he was within reach, she flung herself at him, and her lips were on his. He tried deepening the kiss, but she pulled back. In an instant, her hands were on his shirt, tugging it up as she backed into the cottage, bringing him along with her.

  “I thought we needed to talk?” he asked as he whipped the shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the side, not caring where it landed. If she wanted him naked, he’d strip on the spot. To hell with talking. He’d convince her to stay afterward.

  Twenty-Four

  Maple had planned on having a good talk with Jaxon when he arrived at the cabin. He’d told her he loved her, but they hadn’t spoken about the future. She could guess at what being fated mates meant, but she needed to hear it from him to be sure. One look at his determined features and his purposeful stride, however, had wiped the thought out of her mind. His deep moan when their lips met sealed the deal.

  When she pulled back, his hungry gaze roved over her. He followed her lead and took his shirt off, baring his chest to her, and it was all she could do not to wrap herself around him in that instant. They both still wore way too many clothes, though, and she wanted him naked.

  “Jeans,” she said in a not so subtle hint as she tugged her own shirt off and sent it flying to the floor to land with his.

  He brought his hands to the snap, flipping it open and lowering the zipper as he advanced toward her. “I thought we needed to talk?” he asked again, then lowered his jeans and stepped out of them. His cock jutted out before him in a mouth-watering invitation.

  “We do. After.” She sounded like a loon, speaking in one and two word sentences,
but her brain couldn’t formulate more.

  Somehow, between the kitchen and the door to her bedroom, her pants and undies came off. Whether it was his doing or hers, she had no idea. She didn’t care. He devoured her mouth with a kiss that took her breath and ignited every cell in her body with a need so deep she ached. He kept advancing, urging her back until her legs met with the edge of the bed. He scooped her up, bringing her down in the center of the mattress.

  Maple welcomed his weight as she wrapped her legs around him. She didn’t want slow and sweet. She needed him inside her, fast and hard. “Now. Please, Jaxon,” she begged as she tipped her hips up, meeting him.

  He kissed her again, his tongue delving into her mouth as he positioned himself at her entrance. Then, with a drawn-out groan, he thrust into her, sinking balls deep with one powerful stroke. For a moment, Jaxon stayed there, stealing all reason with his lips on hers and his cock filling her. When he finally pulled back, he released her lips and locked his gaze with hers. “I love you, Maple,” he said before slamming all the way in again.

  She gasped and couldn’t quite help her eyes rolling back a little as sensation flooded her. “I love you, too,” she finally managed.

  Jaxon stilled, and a rumbling sound vibrated from his chest. His whole body tensed.

  Maple’s breath caught in her throat. Excitement rushed through her, making her pussy clench around him, earning her another growl. “That’s your wolf, isn’t it? It wants to claim me.”

  “Yes,” he ground out between his teeth as he took a deep breath through his nose. “It won’t, though. I won’t let it.”

  The muscles in Jaxon’s back bunched with his restraint. Once again, he was protecting her. This time, it was her free will and not her physical body, but he was doing it, just the same. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his shoulder, then nipped his skin, teasing the wolf as well as the man. “Do it,” she demanded. For better or worse, he was hers, and she wanted all of him. That included his wolf.

  His cock jerked inside her. “I can’t undo it, Maple. Be sure it’s what you want. I’ll never let you leave me again.”

  His warning had her heart racing. There was no doubt in her mind about what she wanted, and that was him. She bit him again. Harder this time.

  Jaxon groaned and drew his hips back before slamming into her. “Maple,” he pleaded.

  “I want you, Jaxon. Take me. Claim me. Make me yours forever,” she said, then bit down as hard as she could.

  In the next instant, Jaxon growled and flipped her so that she was facedown on the bed. He took her hips, lifting her onto her hands and knees before burying himself balls deep inside her. Their moans filled the room as he pulled back and drove himself home over and over.

  Her whole body shook as he fucked her, making her bounce forward with each powerful thrust only to pull her back with his hands on her hips again and again. Skin slapped against skin until she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. All she could do was feel as her body climbed higher and higher toward the apex of her climax.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted as the muscles inside her pussy throbbed faster. Her clit pulsed in heated waves.

  “I’m going to bite you now,” he said in a voice so deep her nipples pebbled and her pussy contracted.

  “Do it,” she demanded again, pulling her hair to one side, exposing the back of her neck. She was so close to coming, but she didn’t want to go without him.

  His hot breath caressed her skin. He grazed his teeth over her shoulder, nipping at her until she moaned. He slammed into her again, and her pussy contracted around his cock. She wouldn’t be able to hold back. “Please,” she begged.

  Then with his cock buried inside her, he sunk his teeth into her flesh. The momentary pain of the bite morphed into a pleasure so bright that Maple had no hope of holding on. He pulled back, then fucked her hard, never letting go of her neck as she screamed and her body clamped and released around his cock. The rhythmic motion of his hips faltered as he pounded into her. He finally withdrew his teeth as he drove as deep into her as he could go, then stilled. His howl reverberated in the room as his cock jerked inside her, filling her with his seed.

  His body still covered her back, squishing her, but she had no energy to protest and wouldn’t have wanted to even if she had. Only once their ragged breaths slowed and she was able to think did she wiggle to turn over so that she could face him. He shifted to the side, giving her the room she needed, then pulled her into his arms.

  “It looks like I’m staying in Dexter,” she finally said as she traced abstract patterns over his chest with the tip of her finger. “Well, I have to go back for my stuff and to empty my office, but I’ll be coming back. For good.”

  Jaxon kissed the top of her head, then tipped her face up to look into her eyes. “I’ll help you move. Do you want to live here at the cabin or my house? Either way, I’m part of the package.”

  As much as she loved the cabin, she had no real desire to live there full-time. Besides, if the company approved her request for remote work, she’d need the internet. Not to mention that his house would be closer to Grandma. “Your house. And of course, you’re part of the package. You, and your wolf—the most important part.”

  They lay in silence again for a few minutes. “Will it hurt? If I do eventually shift?”

  His chest tensed beneath her cheek. “I’m told the first time can be painful if you resist the change, but if you embrace it, you’ll be fine.”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay. So, how do we do it? Can we try now?” Waiting would only increase her anxiety. Better to do it while her body was buzzing from the orgasm still pulsing through her.

  “You want to do it now?”

  “We don’t have to,” she said, suddenly self-conscious.

  Jaxon sat up to face her. “It’s easy. Imagine another being inside you. One that wants to run free and feel the wind in her fur. If she’s in there, she’ll let you know.”

  Maple closed her eyes and did as he asked, then gasped as something sleek and powerful blossomed inside her. When she opened her eyes, Jaxon was smiling.

  “She’s there, isn’t she?”

  Joy filled her. Her own? That of her wolf? She couldn’t be sure. Unable to put a voice to what she was feeling, she nodded.

  “Invite her forward. Remember to relax and let her do her thing. She’ll know how to shift and get you back to your human form when you’re ready to come back, so there’s nothing to be scared of. Once you’ve shifted, I’ll open the door, then join you. We can go for a run.”

  Maple swallowed hard. “Okay, here goes.”

  With her heart pounding and her body shaking, she coaxed the wolf forward. Are you ready to come out? she asked the creature lurking inside. In an instant, power filled her, and her muscles burned. Joints ached, and ligaments popped. Maple breathed through it, barely aware of Jaxon stroking gentle hands down her arms.

  “You’re almost there, love. Let her come,” he encouraged. “That’s it.”

  For a few seconds, Maple wasn’t sure she’d survive whatever was happening to her body. Every part of her felt like it was being torn apart. She couldn’t say it was painful, exactly, but it wasn’t pleasant, either. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. She opened her eyes, disappointed that she’d failed.

  “You did it,” Jaxon smiled at her and stroked a hand over her head.

  She’d done it? She looked at her arms, now sprawled sideways on the bed. Sure enough, black fur-covered paws had replaced them. She wiggled to a sitting position, ungraceful as she was in her new body, and opened her mouth, but only a small yip came out.

  Jaxon walked over to the long mirror leaning against the wall. “Come see how gorgeous you are,” he said, joy coming from every word he spoke.

  She loped off the bed, amazed at how her new body worked. Other than some white markings on her face and a patch on her chest, her fur was almost all black. Her eyes, normally an unremarkable brown, held more yellow than ambe
r. With the black surrounding them, she thought they looked rather pretty. Behind her, her tail wagged to the side, making her jump.

  Next to her, Jaxon laughed. “Come on, let’s go outside. You’ll never look at the forest the same way again.”

  Maple watched for a moment as he walked away in all his naked glory, then bounded to catch up. Just before he opened the door, she sniffed him. He smelled of him, and her, and sex. Mine, the voice of the wolf sounded inside her. Unable to resist, she gave his ass cheek a long lick.

  Jaxon laughed again, then once they were on the front lawn, he shifted. His wolf came to her then, sniffing the length of her body, rubbing his larger one against her fur, then dashed off toward the trees, silently coaxing her to explore her new environment.

  With the joy of her wolf pulsing through her, she joined her mate, reveling in the sights and sounds of the forest around her. The smells of moss and pine filled her senses. She was home.

  Élianne Adams is a self-proclaimed tropical climate Princess, so how she managed to be born and live in snowy Ontario, Canada is a complete mystery. She loves to read (and write) romances that lure you into different worlds. The kinds of stories that suck you in until the very end. Her paranormal romance books feature sexy as sin fire breathing dragons, gryphons, phoenixes, and jaguars. If those sexy Alpha shifters aren’t quite up your alley, she’s also got larger than life wolf shifters to melt your reading devices.

  A Note from the Author:

  Hello, everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading Northern Sass as much as I loved writing it! I love to hear from fans, so don’t be shy, check me out on Facebook, on Twitter, and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get all the info on my newest releases. Oh, and I have lots of fun contests and giveaways, too!

  ~ El ~

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