Cutthroat City Wolves Volume 1: BBW Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance

by Lyra Valentine

  He eyed Tiana. He couldn’t let her be caught in any of this mess. They were his parents, his challengers, his responsibility. He would protect her, even if it meant drawing the blood of his family.

  Two hooded Nephilim snaked into the room without a sound. Tiana jumped when she noticed them, and Cameron tensed. They must be the backup Frank predicted would arrive. Their blades were out and gleaming for blood.

  Each glided and came to a stop behind Veronique and Jedidiah. One leaned closer and whispered, “The Ross patriarch. We’ve been wanting to have words with you."

  Jedidiah stiffened and turned to face the one who had snuck up on him while Veronique clasped her hands to her breast and widened her eyes innocently. He sneered when he realized what was behind him. “You aren’t fit to lick my boots, half-breed."

  “Interesting how half-breed is so commonly used by the mortals when referring to their betters. As if moon worshippers are better than the descendants of angels.” Cameron suspected the Nephilim rolled his eyes, even if he couldn’t see under his hood.

  “You would think the Ross family would learn from their mistakes. Turning someone against their will is anathema. They did it to the werewolf in our custody, and had him do it to the woman on the street."

  Cameron sighed. It was all out in the open, then. He was relieved they didn’t bother denying their actions. His mother reached out to him, and he took a step back to avoid her touch. She pressed forward, and clung to his shirt. Cameron raised his hands to keep from contaminating himself with her foulness.

  “Come now, mother wolf.” The Nephilim clicked his tongue and the other stepped forward to drag Veronique back. Jedidiah moved forward in protest, and the Nephilim quickly pinned his arms behind his back.

  The silent one tapped its blade against Cameron’s mother's wrists. Flames leaped out and wrapped around the flesh. Cameron had heard of firebands before, but never seen them in person. The talker did the same to Cameron’s father.

  “We’ll be watching you, Ross. Don’t fall too close to the tree.” The talker and his companion turned, and disappeared into the shadows, taking his parents with them.

  “I don’t even know where to begin,” Cameron said and turned to Tiana.

  “Cam, I meant what I said.” Her eyes were wet at the corners, even if she put on a brave and strong face. She whirled away from him and he heard her dashing down the stairs and out of the building.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cameron parked his car on the street. Two figures were in the yard, and he guessed they were Xander and Stella, the leaders of the Inferno Wolves. His rivals, he supposed, though he had never gained a taste for competition. The incident with his parents was still fresh in his mind, and he wondered if he would ever feel a thrill for competition.

  The air was quiet after the constant hum of the city. The chirping of car alarms had turned into the chirping of birds. The whooshing of traffic was replaced by a breeze blowing through leaves. Nothing could replace the cries of his mother.

  “Is Tiana around?” he asked cautiously.

  The two had moved together in what felt like a wall against him. Xander looked to Stella, and he shrugged. “You’re Cameron, right? I don’t know if she wants to see you.” She folded her arms across her chest.

  Cameron straightened his spine. He knew he needed to be strong, but strength came in admitting one’s faults. His family owed much to the Inferno Wolves, and he wanted to have peace between the packs. “Xander, Stella, Tiana hasn’t revealed much about you. I think she didn’t want to feel like she was giving away state secrets,” he huffed a smile at that. Tiana was tough, but underneath that hard shell was something beautiful and loyal.

  He continued, almost seeing the gears turning in the eyes of his captive audience. “My family has done many bad things in the name of furthering the pack. They’ve taken a particularly nasty turn in the last year, which has led to the harming of innocent people. Stella, you included. They would likely disown me for saying this, but I apologize. I don’t want my pack to follow that path."

  Stella exchanged another look with Xander. This time, she shrugged. “She’s in the backyard,” she said simply.

  Cam made to move around their blockade, and follow the path he took with Tiana on their night run. Stella put her hand on his arm, stopping him. “You can come through the house. You don’t have to sneak around."

  Xander let Stella lead the way, and he followed behind. Cameron felt like a prisoner marching to his doom. Each step brought him closer and closer to the entrance to the house and to his conflict with Tiana. The doorway was a gaping maw of anxiety.

  Cameron hesitated before stepping forward. He was entering another wolf’s den, and his inner wolf protested. He tried to hide his jitters, but his eyes still roved wildly around as he was led further into the house.

  Oh, how his parents would react seeing him enter the den of another pack. They would insist he needed an ulterior motive, to be on the lookout for ammunition to use against them. He only wanted to see Tiana. Though, he mused, he wouldn’t mind if he could steal her away. But it was out of love for her, not maliciously stealing another pack’s beta.

  He didn’t know why it surprised him to see such a normal house. He supposed as the den house to the Inferno Wolves, the place would be crawling with werewolves. He could smell them, sure, but he could only sense Xander and Stella inside. The living room to one side looked more used than the modern style of his own. The kitchen they walked through reminded him of watching television as a child, and witnessing what he imagined were loving families interacting in stark contrast to his own experiences.

  The sliding glass door stood open, and a breeze clattered the blinds together. It wasn’t enough to mask their approach.

  Tiana already had her shirt off and her pants were coming undone. A half-drunk glass was discarded on the patio table. Her eyes flashed angrily when she glanced back, and her long, red hair covered any view of her breast when she turned. The shift was already changing her shape.

  She dropped to four paws and her pants slipped the rest of the way off her furry body. She shook herself from snout to tail to settle the red coat before sprinting away.

  “I warned you she might not want to see you,” Stella said softly.

  Cameron cursed and was already undoing his belt. He ignored Xander clearing his throat and Stella’s chuckle.

  “Let him go after her. They have to work it out,” she told her mate.

  The shift took him faster than ever before, and he thanked his wolf. He growled to himself, and dashed off to hunt for his mate.

  His ears flattened in annoyance that she would run from him, but he knew that she needed to prove she wouldn’t give in easily. It made him want her more. He wanted to prove he was worthy of her affection. Her freedom was important to her, and he would always respect that. She was the most beautiful when she was streaking between tree trunks and showing how wild and free she was at heart.

  He couldn’t just ask a woman like Tiana to be his. He had to prove himself. She forced him to his limits, which he had to admit, wasn’t hard. A Cutthroat City Wolf didn’t run through the woods at night. They kept to the prim and proper behaviors of upper crust society lawyers. He only kept up because his stride was longer than hers, he imagined.

  She knew she couldn’t win in an all out race, so she did what she could to slow him down. She darted between tree trunks he could barely squeeze through. The third time she did it, he knew she was purposefully choosing to run under low branches that forced him to duck or go around.

  Still, Cameron ran on. His wolf had her scent and knew what the stakes were now. He wouldn’t let her get away again. She would be his mate.

  She led them finally into the clearing they visited on his first run in the woods. She circled to the far side. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth and her sides were heaving with her pants. He’d done it, he triumphantly yipped. He had kept up with her wild chase.

  She lunged at him, and
he met her halfway in midair. They tumbled to the ground in a pile of fur and fangs. She snapped at him wherever her teeth could reach, but he somehow managed to dodge each bite. She wasn’t being loving or gentle, she wanted to tear him apart.

  Cameron growled at her to stop fighting him. Surprisingly, she whined and licked at his face.

  It was the gesture not of an angry, hostile wolf, but that of a pack member submitting to his command.

  Their rolling had taken them under the overhang. Cameron was the first to shift back to his human form, and he held the large wolf shape of Tiana to his chest. The thick fur turned to soft skin in his arms.

  Tears moistened her eyes at the corners and she ducked her head to his chest so he wouldn’t see. He tucked his thumb under her chin and brought her face up. “Don’t cry."

  “I’m not crying!” Tiana insisted. She took a shuddering breath. “I don’t want to get attached. It only ends with you leaving. There’s no way this can work. You’re a Ross!"

  “I’m not leaving you again. I can’t. The wolf and I won’t let you go.” How could he? She was perfect for him. She brought out the wild wolf he needed to rule the pack. He thought he gave her as much as she gave him. He would have them be equals.

  “And how do I know that won’t change? I’m sure Claude van Wolf’s cousin or whoever your mother wanted as a daughter-in-law will turn up expecting her fairytale romance."

  Cameron chuckled at her made up name. The pretension fit for Claude. Cam hoped he stayed away from the pack, but he focused on convincing his mate of his intentions. “You’re what I want. You’ve taught me more about being a wolf in the last few weeks than I’ve been willing to learn my entire life.” His hands stroked her wild red hair away from her face.

  Tiana kissed him lightly, and his cock thrust up. He tilted his head to look at her harder.

  Tiana laughed, and shifted in their embrace. “You’re insatiable."

  “You woke the beast in me. You never should have introduced me to the wonders of the flesh I’ve been missing.” Cameron planted a kiss on her collarbone.

  Tiana smiled and stroked a finger down his face. “I’ll tame that beast."

  The next howl to split the night was one of pure joy.

  Scent of Fate

  Cutthroat City Wolves #2

  Lyra Valentine

  Time flies, especially for a girl not having any fun. When Phoebe Dunlap is given a deadly diagnosis, she decides to let her hair down and enjoy her last days. During a visit to the local hotspot, she’s instantly drawn to the dark and sexy Gabriel Drago, a man who would only be interested in a girl like her in her dreams. Gabe, the marketing genius and beta to the Cutthroat City Wolves, is unable to resist to curvy, gorgeous Phoebe from the moment he catches her scent. Phoebe finds herself believing in magic when Gabe offers her a second chance at life.

  Chapter One

  Gabriel was on the prowl for a good time. He’d heard from Cameron and the other new bloods in the newly minted Cutthroat City Wolves that Clyde’s was the place to find it. Though, Cameron was hardly the one to visit it himself, Gabe mused. He needed a night to let loose, something that didn’t seem to happen with Cam and his new missus. Cameron was too serious, and the redhead scowled at anything she deemed a threat to her mate - which appeared to be just about everyone.

  Gabriel didn’t see much of an opportunity in the city’s other pack. The Inferno Wolves were more pleasant to be around - as long as the feisty Tiana wasn’t mentioned. They rightfully held her departure as the pack’s beta and ascension to the Cutthroat’s alpha as a slight. Gabe liked their style, but he didn’t see what use they would have for a marketing man of his caliber.

  Gabriel pushed his way through the doors of Clyde’s and let the bar noise wash over him. He hadn’t had much of a challenge with the Cutthroats. The messiest marketing snafu was explaining the sudden transition in ownership. Papa Ross passed everything over to Brother Ross. Brother Ross broke the laws of wolves and godlings, and Cameron took over. The city barely took notice. The Ross law firm was so entrenched in their lives that they really didn’t care who helmed the great ship, so long as their assets and asses were covered.

  Gabriel sidled up to the bar top and eyed one of the faeries. Tight shorts hugged her round bottom, and a tight cropped shirt showed off ample tits and a flat stomach. He liked a girl with more to hold on to than that, but the mixed clientele of the joint didn’t seem to mind.

  A beer slid over to him, and the bartender nodded a greeting. They’d heard of his rise in the pack ranks. What harm was a comped beer, if it meant he would pass the good word to the other members of the pack? It was a marketing ploy he could get his thirsty mouth behind.

  A crowd of young vampires shuffled to the nearest pool table, their drinks of choice no doubt spiked by some fresh donor and hidden discreetly in clouded glasses. The air cleared of their scent - fresh dirt and tinged with death - and Gabe caught sight of her. She poured a shot of golden liquid down her throat and slammed the glass down for another. She must have felt him staring because her eyes met his after a shaky hand pushed some hair behind her ear.

  Green and piercing, he felt like she was staring into his soul. Her messy blonde waves tossed back again as she pounded another shot. Gabriel motioned to the bartender to add another to her lineup on him, and he scooted down the bar to join her.

  He almost stopped when he caught wind of her. He’d never smelled the like before, and didn’t think he would again. Rain soaked leaves were the closest he could describe, and something cold. It wasn’t cold like the old vampires. It wasn’t the warm scent of blood coursing through living bodies, either. The sickly sweet smell wasn’t natural. It was wrong. His wolf growled inside him. He needed to make her smell otherwise.

  She swallowed down the shot and saluted the bartender with the empty shot glass, then hopped off her barstool before Gabe could wade through the returned vampire crowd. He thought of pushing through them, then thought of the lecture he’d receive from Tiana on how a pack beta should behave in public. He calmly cleared his throat and allowed the group to let him pass.

  The seat stood empty when he managed to get through the group. Bouncy blonde hair turned around the corner toward the bathrooms, and he followed.

  Chapter Two

  Phoebe needed a night out. She couldn’t stand the way her mother and brother looked at her when she was at home. She needed to be among strangers who didn’t know her history.

  She’d heard things about Clyde’s. Rumors, mostly, and the overheard inappropriate jokes between her brother and his friends. Everyone was beautiful and young and healthy at Clyde’s, and all worries were checked at the door. It sounded like paradise.

  She’d made her way directly to the bar and ordered several shots. If she was going out of the world, she might as well obliterate herself beforehand. The diagnosis was grim, the doctor told her, but Phoebe had never been one to roll over and accept her fate. She’d fight tooth and nail for those last few moments of enjoyment. It was all she had left.

  The jostling group of young gals and guys cleared away from the bar and toward the pool tables. Phoebe eyed everyone. The reputed gorgeous factor of the bar was true, but she caught sight of one man who took her breath away. Olive skin drew her in, but the glowing eyes kept her looking. She pushed her mass of hair back from her face, and blinked.

  She needed to sneak away for a puff on her inhaler.

  Phoebe swallowed down another shot that appeared in her lineup. She tipped the glass toward the bartender in appreciation and wobbled off toward the bathroom. Surprisingly, no one else was in the room. Three stalls stood empty, and no one lingered to gossip at the mirror. Phoebe set her purse down and fumbled for the inhaler. Her breath wheezed until the mist entered her lungs. She closed her eyes to let the world stop spinning and the medicine to work its magic.

  When she opened her eyes again, she jumped. The man from the bar was standing just inside the door as it swung closed. She knew panic s
hould be the proper response, but she caught a glimpse of his eyes. She chalked up their glow as a trick of the light at the bar, but now she could see them more clearly. They were almost a golden honey color and shined when the light caught them a certain way.

  “What are you?” she asked at the same time he spoke.

  “What are you?” he asked the same.

  Phoebe paused to take in the insanity. A giggle bubbled out of her. "I’m Phoebe.” What, not who, that’s what he asked. She added, “I’m human."

  In a world of novels filled with vampires and shapeshifters, Phoebe wanted to believe in magic. There was nothing else left for her. Science and faith had failed her, so at the end of it all what harm was there in putting stock in magic? This man before her was certainly something. No eyes glowed the way his did. They reminded her of a wolf.

  “What are you?” she asked again.

  Chapter Three

  Gabriel knew he was in deep as soon as he entered the bathroom. The door shut behind him and locked him in with her scent. The room was almost stuffy with the wrongness of it. His wolf growled again, more demanding this time. He needed to make her smell right again. No, he shook his head. He needed to make her smell like him.

  Mates were like pregnancies, he figured. They always seemed to happen in clusters. Something in the water, his mother used to joke. The city must have a huge dose of that something, because it seemed every wolf around him was finding a mate. Whatever she was, he needed to claim her as his own. A rumbled from his wolf confirmed it.

  “What do you think I am?” he smirked at her. She was more intuitive than most of the girls that passed through Clyde’s looking for a good time.