Inking the Wolf: A wolf shifter paranormal romance (Wolves of Crookshollow Book 3)

by Steffanie Holmes

  “There, now, that’s not very neighbourly. If you don’t start acting more accommodating, I might have to tell your alpha how recalcitrant you are.” He paused to give me one of his slow smiles. “Do you know what recalcitrant means? Do I need to spell it for you?”

  My fists ached from clenching them so hard. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to leap forward and smash Rolf’s face open. But he was right – his pack was an important alliance, and he knew many things about me I didn’t want my pack to know. If I did anything that jeopardised the alliance, Caleb would throw me out, and then I’d truly be alone.

  I let out a frustrated cry, spun around, and stomped away. Rolf’s laughter followed me down the hall to the dining room. I slammed the door shut behind me, rattling the frame and disturbing the crystal in the cabinet.

  Why did he have to stay here, with us? I knew why, because Rolf wanted to torture me. It wasn’t enough that he’d beat me before, he had to do it all over again, here in my home. And of course Caleb would bend over backward to agree with him, especially since Bianca and I were the only people who weren’t part of a couple. If Bianca weren’t such a commitment phobe and had told everyone we were getting married for real, then Caleb would have got Rolf a hotel, and everything would be fine.

  That’s not fair, Robbie, and you ken it. You’re just feeling like shite because he’s here. Don’t take it out on Bianca.

  My frustration lasted for the rest of the day, as I pawed through every crystal goblet, looked under every Toby jug, and checked the edges of every drawer and surface for a fake back or bottom. Nothing. The ring wasn’t anywhere in this room.

  This is ridiculous. More than 150 years have passed since the ring was lost. Bianca’s grandmother knew every corner of this house. If it had been in an obvious place, she would have found it already, and restored it to its rightful place as a Sinclair family heirloom.

  I slumped to the floor, knees pulled to my chest. My temples throbbed. There had to be something I was missing. Some clue hidden amongst all the other clues. A cleverer person would have already found it. But I wasn’t clever, and my time was running out.

  You can’t let this get to you, Robbie. Everyone is counting on you, and now you’ve got some extra motivation, as you have to figure this out before Rolf does. Check the diary again; it’s the only direct link to Silvia you have. If there’s some clue you missed, it’s in there.

  But what’s the point? I argued with myself. You can’t even read the diary. You should just bring it to Rolf, so he can find the clue and take the credit.

  No. My inner wolf raged. You’re not giving up. Go and get that book and read as hard as you damn well can.

  I pulled myself to my feet, and crept into the hallway, listening hard to the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Good, Rolf was working in there. I’d be able to sneak upstairs without him seeing me.

  I crept across the hallway, and placed my foot on the first step. The wood let out a mighty creak. I froze, heart pounding, but the bangs and shuffles in the kitchen didn’t cease. I crept up the rest of the stairs, crossed the landing and climbed up to the Rose Room. Even though she had strangers living in her house now, Bianca didn’t lock her door. I pulled it open and ducked inside.

  Bianca’s scent hit me as soon as I crossed the threshold – a wall of spice so intoxicating it disoriented me. I stood like a fool, my nose in the air, drinking in the essence of her. This close to the full moon, I had to reel in my wolf before he escaped to bask in that glorious scent.

  Once I had my wolf under control, I scanned the walls, admiring how she’d began to plaster the rose-covered wallpaper in tattoo posters and old vinyl record covers. I stared at the rumpled, unmade bed, remembering what we’d done there this morning, how Bianca’s back had arched as I entered her from behind and—

  Get a grip on yourself, Robbie. You don’t want Rolf to catch you in here. Find the scrapbook, and get out.

  I scanned all the surfaces for the leather-bound book. It wasn’t buried under the piles of makeup on the dresser. I moved to her bedside cabinet. There, hidden under a stack of tattoo magazines and a copy of some book called On The Road, was Silvia Sinclair’s scrapbook.

  I grabbed it and bolted to the door. As I passed the bed, I noticed something sitting in the middle of the sheets. I peered closer.

  A small bouquet of blood-red roses sat on the duvet, wrapped with black paper and ribbon. A short note stuck out the side. I squinted at it for a few minutes, trying to read the curly red lettering. FROM YOUR ADMIRER, the note said.

  Blood boiled in my veins. Rolf. It could only be him. No one else had been in the house apart from us and the guests. The flowers had only one purpose – he was trying to take Bianca from me.

  I grabbed the flowers and note, tossed them into the rubbish bin at the end of Bianca’s dresser, hiding them beneath a bunch of used tissues. Take that, Rolf, I seethed. Two can play at this game.

  I took the diary up to the attic. Somehow, knowing that Silvia had spent much of her time up there with Hattie made it the perfect spot to try to solve the mystery.

  I flopped down on the bed and opened the book to the first page. My heart sank when I squinted at the handwriting again. Silvia wrote in a loopy, romantic cursive that made my eyes hurt just looking at it.

  I shut my eyes. Come on, Robbie. This is your job. You have to do this.

  Slowly, as though I was a scholar mulling over a particularly difficult Latin passage (I assume), I worked my way through the words. I had a children’s dictionary app on my phone alongside the useless screen reader that gave me simple definitions for all the words I didn’t understand, which were quite a few. As I figured out each sentence, I wrote it down on a pad next to me. My crooked, childish writing wouldn’t win any calligraphy awards, but at least I could read it back to myself.

  My stomach growled as I struggled through each page of the scrapbook, trying to decipher every single word to make sure I didn’t miss a thing. Something meaty and delicious wafted up the secret staircase from the kitchen below, but I wasn’t about to go downstairs and give Rolf the satisfaction of feeding me.

  Some time later, I heard footsteps on the stairs. “Bye Robbo,” Rolf called from the first floor landing. “I’m off to get naked for Bianca. I will return for dinner tonight. Good luck with that ring!”

  Go to hell, you wanker, I thought, but didn’t say.

  A few moments later, Rolf’s footsteps descended the main staircase. The front door slammed, and I was finally alone.

  I slammed the book shut, and raced down from the attic. I returned to Bianca’s room, grabbed the flowers from out of her rubbish bin, and flung them in the kitchen bin, where Rolf would be sure to see them.

  Looking around, I noticed Rolf had left several pots in the sink. He must’ve made himself something for lunch. I flung open the fridge. A large pot of chilli sat on the shelf. It smelled delicious, packed with glorious spices. I pulled it out, ladled myself off a generous bowl, and placed it in the microwave. While I waited for it to heat up, I took the rest of the chilli and dumped it into the bin on top of the flowers.

  “Honeys, I’m home!” Bianca yelled from downstairs.

  I flung the book and my pad onto my bed, hiding them under my pillow, and flew down the stairs. Rolf hadn’t come home yet, and apart from the journalist, the other guests were all out. I wanted to talk to Bianca before Rolf had a chance to get to her first.

  “How was your day?” I asked as I clattered down the stairs, my heart leaping at the sight of her.

  “My hand has cramped up so bad, I can’t feel my fingers anymore. I had wall-to-wall clients all day. First, that reporter Serenity came in to get a massive dragon on her shoulder. I just managed to get the outline done before Rolf came in for his touchup—” She stopped. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “You have your serious face on.” She stroked my cheek.

  “I have to show you something.” I grabbed her hand a
nd dragged her into the kitchen, lifting the lid of the bin to show her the crumpled flowers.

  “Roses,” she said, bending down the touch the petals. “They’re pretty.”

  “They’re for you.”

  “Then why are they in the bin, covered with chilli?”

  “I found them on your bed.” Bianca glanced up at me. “I didn’t put them there.”

  “Oh, Robbie—”

  “Rolf is trying to win you,” I said. “He knows that I’ve claimed you, but he thinks he’s got the right to swoop in and take you—”

  “Whoah, whoah, whoah!” Bianca grabbed my shoulders. “What’s all this bollocks about claiming me? I thought we cleared this all up. You and I are together, but we’re not together. This isn’t the dark ages, Robbie. I’m not anyone’s to claim.”

  “I ken.” My cheeks flared with heat. “It’s just … what it’s called in shifter society when you find your fated mate and give her the mark.”

  Bianca rubbed her neck where I’d bitten her. She sighed. “Let’s get this clear right now. There’s nothing going on between Rolf and I. He’s hot, okay? I’m not going to deny it. But I’m hardly going to go after him, especially not now that we’ve agreed to be exclusive and especially now that I know how much it affects you.”

  “Okay, but—”

  “No buts. So, can we drop this? I’m going to start regretting my decision if you continue to give me this lip.”

  “What about the flowers?”

  Bianca glanced down at the bin. “Flowers? I don’t see any flowers. Only a giant pile of chilli. Although, why is all this chilli in the bin? It doesn’t smell off. In fact, it smells kind of delicious.”

  “Oh, no reason.” I slammed the lid down. “Go have a shower and I’ll order some takeaways.”

  23

  Bianca

  Rolf didn’t come home for dinner. He texted me to say he was going to meet up with Caleb and Irvine for beers at Tir Na Nog. His next text read:

  I’d invite you along, but the boys don’t want Robbie there tonight. Caleb’s still pissed at him.

  Feeling infuriated on Robbie’s behalf, I snapped my phone shut and tossed it aside. When Caleb left here, he’d seemed fine and he’d reiterated his trust in Robbie. If he’d said all that, but was still holding a grudge, then he was being a dick. I tucked into my pizza, and decided I wouldn’t tell Robbie about the text. He’d cheered up so much since we made up. I watched Robbie and Hans swapping beers and chatting about something or other. Unfortunately, that left me to make conversation with the models, who picked at a limp salad and snarled at each other in German. Serenity just looked on with curiosity, and chewed on her third slice of pizza.

  After dinner, I left the guests in the drawing room playing Settlers of Catan, grabbed Robbie’s hand, and hurried him up to the Rose Room. I threw open the doors to the balcony, and led him out into the crisp night.

  “I thought we could enjoy a little time alone out here,” I said, as I poured us both a shot of absinthe. We clinked glasses, and leaned side-by-side over the edge, peering down into the darkened trees. The electric energy sizzled in the air around us, taking the edge off the cold breeze.

  “I feel like the Queen, surveying her domain,” I said.

  “What an amazing view,” Robbie said, staring out over the forest. “I never see the trees from up high. They’re usually just a wooden blur flying by.”

  I pointed up at the moon, which was waxing its way to full. “How long until the full moon?”

  “A few days.” He sighed. “I hate the idea of leaving you alone for so long.”

  “I backpacked across Europe on my own when I was fifteen. I think I can survive a few days in my mansion by myself.”

  “You need to talk to Rolf about the protocol,” Robbie said. “He might not know that he needs to go away into the forest when he changes. And he’ll need to stay far away from here, because in my wolf form I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist the urge to tear his throat out.”

  “Can’t you just … not do that?”

  “It’s not that easy. Usually, I’m able to control my mind when I shift, but on the full moon, I’m a wild beast. I operate completely on instinct. For a wolf, instinct is tied up with scent. And right now, my instincts are screaming that Rolf is my rival, and anything with his scent on it is a direct challenge to me. For example, if I smelled you wearing clothes that had Rolf’s scent on them, in my wolf form, I’d think you betrayed me, and I’d probably attack you. That’s why it’s so important we all – especially Rolf – go far away.“

  “Can’t you talk to him? I’m not exactly qualified since I don’t turn into a flesh-eating beast on the full moon.”

  “I’m not going to do it,” Robbie growled, throwing his arm around my waist and wrapping his body around mine, so my back pressed against his chest. “It’s nothing to me if he ends up a mangled wreck.”

  “Don’t say things like that. It’s not very nice.”

  “Oh yeah?” He nuzzled his mouth into my neck, his teeth scraping across my skin. “What are you going to do about it?”

  I opened my mouth to reply, but Robbie claimed my lips with his, and I forgot what we were talking about.

  The electricity in the air coiled around us. Robbie pressed his body against mine, the warmth of him drawing out my desire. I reached behind me to cup his cheek and pull his mouth to mine, but he took my hand and placed it back on the railing, knitting his fingers in mine.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear. “This is all about you tonight, my Queen.”

  An ache rose between my legs, settling just above my stomach. If that’s the way he wanted it, I was all too happy to oblige.

  I gripped the railing, while Robbie put his amazing hands to work. As he kissed me, his hands trailed all over my body, lifting my old Slayer t-shirt up and tugging my bra aside so he could knead and pinch my nipples. The sharp pain against the cold wind only inflamed me further.

  Robbie nibbled on my ear, and his hardness pressed against my thigh. I rammed my ass up against him, grinding myself into him, letting him know just how badly I wanted it. He growled in my ear, a low rumble that coursed right through my body. I loved him like this, so wild, so untamed.

  I gripped the balustrade as Robbie tore at the buttons on my jeans, slipping them down over my thighs from behind me. He dropped down beneath me, crawling between my legs and sliding up so his back was against the balustrade. With one hand reaching up to grasp my nipple, he plunged his tongue inside me.

  “Oooh,” I moaned, as his tongue slid along my entire length, stroking me just the way I liked it. He found that little bud and lapped at it like a kitten, sending me wild with desire. The energy thrummed through my veins, lighting my whole body on fire.

  Instead of closing my eyes or looking down at what he was doing, I kept my gaze fixed on the tree line and the empty space right in front of me. The vertigo made it all even more exciting. A sharp breeze blew up from below, caressing my naked chest. If anyone turned down the driveway right now, they’d get quite a show.

  Robbie thrust a finger inside of me, and I didn’t even care anymore. Hell, let someone come up the driveway and see what good fucking sex is all about.

  Not good … Robbie’s tongue flicked over me, and the ache inside me spread out through my limbs … dead pure brilliant sex. The best sex I’ve had in my whole damn life.

  He thrust a second finger inside of me, and his tongue swirled faster, and the ache inside me exploded through my body. Red welts danced in front of my eyes, and I had to steady myself against the railing as my legs gave way beneath me. The orgasm tore through me, and I tossed back my head and howled for the sheer joy of it. My voice rippled through the night.

  Robbie’ gripped my legs as he continued to lap at me, softening his strokes while I recovered, before battering me with his tongue once again. His finger inside me pressed right up against my wall. This time, it only took a minute or so before I c
ame again, even more intensely than before. My vision swam, and for a moment, I lost complete sense of where I was. I lost all feeling in my legs, and it was only Robbie’s grip that kept me from toppling over the balcony.

  Before I’d even properly finished coming, Robbie stood up and caught me in his arms. “Don’t you squirm away now,” he whispered against my ear.

  “I wouldn’t dare,” I tried to simper back at him, but the words came out as a choked gasp. My whole body sizzled with energy, ready for more of what only he could give.

  He moved around behind me again. I gripped the balustrade, arching my back and thrusting my ass up into the air. Robbie leaned into me, gripping my thighs with thick fingers. With a groan of pleasure, he plunged himself deep inside of me.

  A groan escaped my lips as he slid deep. He felt so good. Robbie started to thrust into me, slow and steady at first, but as his own pleasure mounted, he pounded harder. With each stroke, I rose up to meet him, thrusting back with my hips to grind his length deeper.

  That’s it, Robbie, unleash that inner wolf. Be the beast I know you are.

  Robbie’s fingers dug into my thighs, sending a shiver of exquisite pain through me. His teeth grazed my neck, but if he bit me, I couldn’t feel it for all the pleasure flooding my veins. As he came against me with a shudder, my neck arched, and my eyes flew open, swinging through the view of the deep blue sky and the darkened tops of the trees. My breath fled my body as my own orgasm claimed me, and the blue of the sky stained my eyeballs, a vision so perfect I never wanted to forget it.

  So … this is what it’s like to fly.

  24

  Robbie

  I left Bianca tucked up in bed, snoring heavily against the pillow with Macavity pressed up against her cheek. Being out on the balcony with her, with the scent of the forest thick in the air, and her thrusting her gorgeous ass against me, had made me desperate to go out to the forest again. I’d been cooped up in the house all day with Rolf’s disgusting smell, and my body itched to run under the moonlight again.