From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Tabitha Conall, a steamy werewolf romance short story in the exciting new Colliding Worlds series.
Two werewolves, a Scottish castle and the power of fate.
Highly ranked in her werewolf pack in spite of being female, American Mattie Sloane travels to Scotland with her Alpha, never suspecting the trip will turn her life upside down.
A rogue by nature, werewolf Colin MacPherson has to shape up fast when he finds his mate in Mattie.
Just one problem—they both love their countries and don’t want to move. How can they be mates an ocean apart?
This 6,000+ word short story is the first in the Colliding Worlds series. HEA included.
If you enjoy werewolf romances, check out Tabitha Conall’s other series and stand alone novels:
The Stonewall Pack Alpha Series
The Mad Wolf's Harem Series
Protecting the Pack
Find out more or sign up for her newsletter at TabithaConall.com.
Her Kilted Wolf
by
Tabitha Conall
The Colliding Worlds Series #1
In Scottish castles, the ghosts were real. Real…and plentiful. As Mattie Sloane followed her Alpha through the stone halls of the Stronghold, she kept away from the walls. Ranked sixth in the North American pack, she’d never admit to being scared of ghosts, but that didn’t mean she wanted to walk through one.
From behind her, a voice whispered, “Have you seen the girls here?” Ripped and blond, Xavier chased skirts wherever they went–and often caught them.
“Shhh.” Mattie didn’t even turn to see who he was talking to before she spoke. “They’ll hear you.” Not only did their hosts have the same werewolf hearing they did, but the seven North American wolves had nearly reached the Great Hall where their Alpha, Darius Bishop, would be greeted by the Scottish Alpha.
When she glanced at Xavier, he smiled at her, but did as she’d ordered. And well he should—she’d whupped him good on her way up the pack rankings. She was the highest ranked wolf Darius had brought with him to Scotland, and the only female. If Xavier or any of the others dared to show her any lip, she’d put them in their place, violently and decisively.
It wouldn’t be the first time.
The Great Hall doors stood open. As they turned to enter, the seven of them naturally fell into place, three soldiers on each side in neat rows, with their Alpha in the center. Darius paused a moment, letting the wolves and other creatures in the hall notice them before he started forward, his six lieutenants in step.
“Darius!” The Scottish Alpha, Lachlan MacPherson, strode toward them, his long legs eating up the distance. “Indulging in a little pomp and circumstance, I see.”
Darius clapped his hand into Lachlan’s. “I always like to make a good first impression.”
They both sounded like they were joking around, but Mattie knew better. Darius and Lachlan were friends and allies, but that wasn’t the case with many of the other attendees to the meeting. Many were ‘potential’ allies—and just as potential enemies.
Still, rumors said the vampires were preparing a campaign to send a world-walker to the ‘world’ closest to them. And if the vampires were going to launch a preemptive play like that, the werewolves needed to do the same. Thus the meeting.
Mattie didn’t know all of the history of the colliding worlds. What she knew was that the dreams of the people of Earth launched those other worlds into being—a world with vampires, a world with werewolves, a world with dragons. Each of those worlds, or dimensions, as the sciencey people called them, drifted toward Earth as though pulled there by an invisible string, until finally the world overlapped Earth and the two “collided” into the same space-time and became one.
Each time they collided with a world, new creatures and myths and nightmares joined them on Earth. For the most part, the people on Earth never knew what kind of dreams created a world or what might burst forth when they collided with it. But there were a few, rare people who could world-walk—could jump to other dimensions and come back again. They could warn Earth of what was coming, and could even forge alliances with the creatures in the other worlds before they ever collided.
To let their enemies forge alliances with the new world’s inhabitants while sitting around and doing nothing was unpardonable. The wolves and whatever allies they could gather needed to find a world-walker and launch a campaign of their own.
Mattie tuned back in to the conversation going on between Darius and Lachlan. “So I hear you’ve got peace talks coming up with the Humans Firsters,” Lachlan said. “Bold move.”
“I’m hopeful,” Darius said. “But we each have our problems. Any peace talks in your future?”
Mattie knew Darius was referring to the ongoing dispute between the British and Scottish wolves about who should rule the island. Lachlan held the Alpha position by right of birth, but the British felt they should be in charge.
“We’re not so far gone we need peace talks,” Lachlan said with a laugh.
“Good to hear,” Darius said. “We don’t want war breaking out while we’re here.”
“Nor do we.” Lachlan motioned toward the room. “Let me introduce you to some of the other attendees.”
Darius nodded to Mattie then moved away from her with Lachlan. Mattie turned to the other North American wolves. “Don’t wander far; keep an eye on Darius and on the situation. And don’t drink too much.”
Her wolves dispersed, leaving her to wander through the crowd on her own. She’d never been much of a mingler. Situations like this were uncomfortable at best. So she sipped some water and watched her Alpha.
A while later, having successfully avoided being accosted by several males of different species–women were few at the talks, and she was one of the least scary-looking ones, which was saying something—she headed out to hunt down a bathroom. The directions she’d been given sent her down a long hallway and into a large room. The bathroom sat on the other end.
As she left the bathroom a little later, she came out the wrong door. She walked through half of the large room before she realized it wasn’t the way she’d come in. She had just turned to go back when a scent came to her. Silky and heady, it smelled like nothing ever had before. Her body tightened as she opened her mouth to suck in more of the scent. She knew exactly what it was.
Her mate.
***
Colin nuzzled the throat of a buxom blonde who’d come up from the village to help with all of the guests. As she’d protested many times, she should be working, but he couldn’t let her go without at least attempting to get into her pants.
His fingers fiddled with the button of her slacks. Without a word, she slapped his hand away.
“Ye’re killing me.” His words were muffled by her skin. He placed open-mouthed kisses down her throat toward her delicious breasts.
“We can do this later,” she said. “I have work.”
“It’s no matter.” He rubbed her thigh.
A faint scent drifted out of the room next to them, slipping into the little alcove he’d chosen for their tryst. The smell wrapped around him and stopped everything. There was something so familiar about it and yet he knew he’d never smelled it before.
The blonde pushed off his lap. “Find me later.”
He finally placed the scent. His mate. His mate. He pushed the blonde toward the end of the hall away from the room. “Quietly, now. Someone’s coming.”
Her eyes grew wide and she tiptoed away.
He’d go head his mate off, so she wouldn’t stumble on the blonde and realize what he’d been doing. But as soon as he stood he realized what a bad idea that was. He smelled like the blonde, and there was no excuse he coul
d come up with to cover himself. He’d have to run and shower and find his mate a little later.
As he jogged down the hall, hoping to stay out of sight, he figured he must be the first wolf to ever run away from his mate instead of toward her. Then again, his friends wouldn’t find it that strange. They never thought he’d find his mate with as much time as he spent chasing women. And now that he had, he had to admit—at least to himself—to a twinge of disappointment that his carousing days were done.
***
Mattie followed the scent out of the room and into the hallway. The scent trail seemed fresh, and yet her mate wasn’t there. Maybe he had already left before she got there?
She continued to follow the scent. When she got to the second turn, she knew she’d never find her way back without help, so she pulled out her cell phone and took video of each of the twists and turns. Hopefully, she’d find her mate at the end of this journey and he could lead her back to the Great Hall, but if not, she’d need the footage.
Darius would wonder where she’d gone, but he’d understand once she explained. Finding your mate was everything.
Who would he be? A wolf, hopefully. But if he was a wolf, why hadn’t he scented her?
Mattie jogged up some stone stairs, still following the delicious smell. With just the scent in her nose, she already felt like melting. She wanted to find her mate and drag him to the nearest bed where they could wallow in each other until their scents were so mixed no one could tell them apart.
What if he wasn’t a wolf? Other species didn’t necessarily know when they’d found their mates. Sometimes they had to be convinced, and it wasn’t always a fun experience.
The scent trail suddenly dead-ended at a tall wooden door, the fifth such door on that hall. Worse, the door was closed. What should she do? Should she knock? She shifted from one foot to the other, trying to decide what to do.
The door in front of her jerked open and a tall, half-naked male stood in front of her, a towel tied around his waist and his wet hair sticking up. “You came.” He grinned, his blue eyes lighting up.
Before she could say anything, he grabbed her around the waist and yanked her against him, covering her mouth with his.
Oh, mama.
He was a wolf, definitely a wolf. And very glad to see her.
He pulled her backward into the room. A few seconds later, she heard the door slam shut. Still kissing her, he swung her up into his arms.
Mattie put a hand between them and pulled away just far enough to say, “Wait—where are we going?”
He grinned again, his gorgeous blue eyes sparkling. “To bed, of course.” He leaned into her to kiss her again but she evaded him. From the few words he’d said, and what appeared to be a permanent apartment he was hauling her through, she could easily tell he was one of the Scottish wolves.
“Shouldn’t we talk or something first?”
He pressed his lips to her shoulder instead. “What’s there to talk about? We’re mates. We should be in bed.”
One part of her agreed wholeheartedly, but another felt like they were moving too fast. She didn’t do this. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had sex. “How about exchanging names, at least?” Her voice sounded high.
He stopped short. “Good point. I’m Colin. Colin MacPherson.”
“Mattie Sloane.”
His forehead creased. “Mattie? Like, short for Matthew?”
Oh, heavens. That was the last thing she wanted to discuss. “No, not short for Matthew. Could you put me down?”
His roguish smile came back. “What for? You feel verra good right where you are.” He squeezed her tighter and nuzzled his face against her throat. “I can’t wait to mark you.”
With his words, his mouth against her skin, and his hard body pressed against her side, she lost her reticence, awash in the desire to make him hers forever.
***
Whatever disappointment he’d felt about leaving his wild oats behind fled as soon as he saw his mate. While not the kind of woman he’d pursued–not buxom, not soft, not sensual–she was exactly the kind of woman he could see as his partner and equal. In spite of her long brown hair and warm brown eyes, she looked nearly as tough as he was, strong, tall, lean, and serious.
That last part he’d have to do something about–at least in bed.
And that’s where they were headed, whether she wanted to talk or not. They could damn well talk naked if they had to.
Colin took a few more steps and rounded the partial wall that led into his bed chamber. An odd mixture of a very old castle and very recent amenities, the Stronghold–and his apartment—had stone walls with the occasional drywall partition thrown in. Around the corner, his bed sat on a thick rug that beat back the ever-present chill.
His knee on the bed, he laid Mattie down and slid over her in one motion, settling himself on top of her with a groan. He ran one hand down her taut body while he captured her lips with his own. Her small breast fit neatly in his palm; when he squeezed, she moaned deep in her throat.
That was the thing. As good as it had felt to make other women moan and groan, pleasuring his mate felt ten times better. He wiggled his hips a little and she obligingly spread her legs, allowing him to press against her more completely. “Mine.”
She pulled his head back by his hair, her eyes narrowing. “Mine.”
Och, yeah. She was his.
Colin buried his face in her throat. “How fast you think we can get your clothes off?” He laid a kiss on her neck in between each word.
“We could take it slow,” she said in a low, sultry voice.
“Not this time, we can’t.” He tugged at the waistline of her pants. They were some sort of cotton. He could rip them if he needed to, but she might get pissed if she had to walk around naked. And he had a feeling his mate could be quite formidable when pissed.
Not that he was scared. But they could save that experience for later.
So instead, he rolled off of her and pulled her to her feet. “I’ll bet we can get naked in less than thirty seconds. Ready?”
Her eyes lightened and for the first time, she almost…almost…smiled. He nearly forgot what they were doing, waiting to see if her lips would curl up any further. Had he thought she was attractive but not so much beautiful? A smile could change all that.
“Go.” She pulled her tight black top over her head and dropped it on the floor.
As he yanked off his towel and dropped it to the floor, he watched every inch of skin she revealed. Light tan, smooth, well-muscled but not bulky, she had the perfect fighter’s body. The faint tracing of scars bore that out…lines that must have been deep scratches, dots spaced evenly apart that could only be bite marks, and even a puckered strip that looked like an old knife wound. Her skin looked like his.
“You’re a fighter.” His fingers brushed the scars of bite marks on her shoulder.
“Sixth in my pack.” She put her hands on her hips, elbows wide. He knew what that was—a dominance position, making herself bigger to show her strength.
Colin couldn’t help the spurt of pride at seeing her. “That’s higher than me,” he said. “I’m tenth. And rising. For a woman, sixth is–that’s great.”
That ghost of a smile slipped across her lips again. “My parents say I’m driven. I never saw any reason a woman couldn’t rise just as high as a man. I wanted to be a leader, so I went for it.”
“And succeeded.” His fingers followed a long scratch down her chest to where it disappeared beneath her bra. “I think we’ve missed our thirty-second mark.”
“I might need a little help with the rest of it.” Her voice was so soft he almost didn’t hear it.
Was his mate shy? Maybe in bed. So different from the women he’d been with before, but he realized he liked it. “Turn,” he said, voice hoarse.
When she presented her back, he easily undid her bra. As the straps slid forward, he followed them, sliding his hands over her shoulders and down her front to cu
p her breasts. He nipped gently at her shoulder. “So good.”
Mattie moved back until her back pressed against his chest, then tipped her head to the side, tilting toward him. As soon as she was in range, he captured her lips with his, slipping his tongue into her mouth and tangling it with hers.
He could smell her arousal, and it only made him harder. His hands moved over her breasts, kneading, then gently squeezing her nipples into hard points. One hand slid down her stomach and under the band of her panties to cup her mound.
When he felt how wet she was, slippery with juices and ready for him, he couldn’t help but moan.
***
Mattie had never been into sex. Not that she didn’t enjoy it–she did. But sleeping with a man and then defeating him in a challenge a few days or months later was problematic at best. Men tended to take it badly. And she never wanted anyone to be able to claim she made it to the top by sleeping her way there–throwing her opponents off their games with sex. So she’d abstained.
That made the things that Colin was doing to her all the more exciting. No one had touched her in a long time. And no one had touched her like this ever.
She pressed her back against his chest, her breath catching as he pushed his fingers into her pussy. All her attention centered on that spot as he slid in and out of her body, and she groaned.
“Like that, mate?” His sexy Scottish accent rumbled in her ear.
“Yes. But you…” Wasn’t there something she should be doing?
“Dinna worry about me.” His teeth grazed her shoulder while his fingers continued to plunge in and out of her. “I’ll be getting mine. But we start with you.”
Was that how men usually were, or was that a mate thing? She didn’t remember any of her old boyfriends caring much about whether she enjoyed the sex.
Colin slowly pulled his finger out of her, sliding it over her clit and pausing there, just pressing down, before removing his hand completely. She didn’t mean to, but a small sound of protest came from her throat. He chuckled. “Just wait. I want to taste you.”
Her Kilted Wolf Page 1
