by Tonya Brooks
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
EPILOGUE
HER WOLF IN SHINING ARMOR
A Howls Romance
TONYA BROOKS
First Edition Copyright © 2017 by Tonya Brooks
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author and publisher except for the use of brief quotations used in a book review.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
A huge thank you to Cindy De Suza for letting NoName have your name
and for helping her to be a badass character!
Thank you to Tonya's Tribal Council for always being there for me no matter what I need. Y'all are the absolute best of the best and I couldn't do it without you!
To the members of Tonya's Tribe for all of your love and support.
To my dearest friend and 'forking' partner, Abbie Zanders.
And my wonderful husband, Billy. Thank you for your encouragement, your unwavering patience with my writing obsession, and most of all, for loving me.
You are always my inspiration.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
EPILOGUE
AVAILABLE BOOKS BY TONYA BROOKS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
Friday Morning
Dane Lassiter walked out of his attorney's office and headed toward the elevator on auto-pilot. He knew that he should feel something, but right now all he felt was… numb. Like nothing really mattered anymore. And why should it? After all, he'd just signed the papers that would effectively end his marriage.
Divorced.
He was divorced.
Because his wife had met her fated mate and there was no way in hell he could stand in the way of that. So he had agreed to let her go. They had both known they weren't mates when they married, but the chances of finding the one person that was the other half of their soul had been slim and worth the risk at the time.
Or so he'd thought.
Now, he wasn't so sure. Because his marriage had become just another failure on his part. One more scar for his tattered soul to bear. And it confirmed what he'd always known. He just wasn't loveable. In spite of the fact that he had lavished her with affection as well as anything and everything her heart desired, Giselle had not loved him.
Then again, she would have left him even if she had.
The mate bond was just too strong to fight.
So she'd left a billionaire for a man who could barely afford the rent on his apartment. A man so far down in the pack hierarchy that Dane hadn't even known his name. The omega wolf shifter had trembled in fear when he had challenged him for the right to claim his mate. The show of courage had been foolhardy at best.
As the pack Beta, Dane could have easily ripped him to shreds.
But he hadn't because he knew that mates belonged together. Letting Giselle go had been the right thing to do. His brother had called him a chivalrous prick but he was happily married to his fated mate. Reece had made the mistake of letting Jolie get away once but nothing short of death would ever separate them again.
After witnessing the unbreakable bond his brother and sister-in-law shared, there was no way in hell that Dane could keep Giselle from finding the same happiness. Even if it was with another man. Because in the end, his wife hadn't loved him enough to stay. And he hadn't loved her enough to fight to keep her.
They were simply never meant to be more than friends.
So he'd given Giselle her freedom and a million dollar settlement that his lawyer had insisted she was not entitled to. Yeah, well. He hadn't wanted her to suffer because her mate couldn't afford to keep her in the style she'd become accustomed to as his wife. And because he really was the chivalrous prick that his brother accused him of being.
Dane exited the building, slid the ring from his finger and tossed it into the nearest trash can. As he walked away, the golden wedding band glinted brightly in the sunlight where it lay nestled between a coffee cup and a half-eaten bagel. At least his marriage had ended as amicably as it had begun. Even if he did feel completely defeated.
Because he envied the happiness that Giselle had found.
The happiness that he'd probably never experience.
Because no one had ever loved him.
Unless he found his fated mate, no one ever would.
On that depressing note, he entered a nearby hotel and headed straight for the lounge. His wolf shifter metabolism made getting drunk damn difficult, but he was going to give it his best shot. The place was almost empty at ten a.m. so he took a seat at the bar. The bartender's eyebrows rose in surprise when he placed his order.
Dane flashed his black credit card and the man hustled to get the two hundred dollars a dram scotch. He tossed it back like it was water and nodded for a refill. "Keep 'em coming," he informed the now solicitous bartender and drained the second glass. He had a case of the same scotch at home, but his penthouse was the last place he wanted to be.
It was too quiet. Too empty.
As desolate as his unmated soul.
***
Shana Nichols sucked the last of her long island iced tea through the straw until it made a slurping sound. She swished the ice around, slurped again and placed the empty glass back on the bar. It hit with a thunk that got the bartender's attention. "Hit me again," she requested and twirled her finger around in a repetitive motion.
"You sure?" The man asked with a slight frown as he eyed her carefully.
She assumed he was trying to determine her level of inebriation and snorted inelegantly in response. It wasn't nearly high enough yet. There wasn't enough alcohol in the world to erase the morning she'd had, but she planned to give it a try anyway. "Don't stop till I pass out. Or puke," she added as an afterthought. "Maybe not even then."
The bartender offered her a knowing smile. "That bad, huh?"
She eyeballed his name badge. Ted. The cute college-age bartender's name was Ted. "Teddy, my boy, you have no idea," Shana confirmed. He wandered off to make her drink and she cast an idle glance to her left. The lights were dim, making the room dark and providing a measure of anonymity that she was thankful for.
The last thing she wanted was to be recognized sitting in a bar before noon on a workday drowning her sorrows. And man, did she have some sorrows to drown. Because she'd been a fool. A gullible, naive fool. She should have known something wasn't right. She really should have.
All the signs had been there in big flashing neon letters, but had she paid them any heed? Nooo. She sure as hell hadn't. Because Lawrence was a wonderful guy. Everyone loved him. They were a perfect match. Everyone said so. Her father approved of him, for what that was worth. Even her best friend thought he was awesome.
At least she wasn't the only one he had completely snowed. Not that the knowledge helped one little bit because she was the one who had been lied to and betrayed. The one who was going to have to un-invite all the guests and pay for a freaking wedding that would never take place. Because her ex-fiancé was a rat bastard.
A lying, cheating, piece of shit, rat bastard.
The bartender pla
ced the glass in front of her and she greedily sucked it down. Shana wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or because the blinders had finally been removed, but she had come to an epiphany in the last hour. Her pride was shot and she was still madder than hell, but her heart was not broken. So what did that mean?
That she didn't love him?
As improbable as it sounded, she knew it was true. She didn't love Lawrence and she never had. How the hell could she have planned to marry a man that she didn't love? She snorted inelegantly again. That one was a no-brainer. Because she was sick and tired of being alone. And lonely. She was just so damn lonely.
Yes, she had wonderful friends, but something was missing. No, someone was missing. Shana wanted what her mother never had. Someone to share her hopes and dreams with. Someone to cuddle in bed with on a rainy day. Someone who she could count on to be there for her no matter what. Someone who would never stray.
She wanted a man who loved her to distraction.
And made her burn with desire.
So when she turned thirty and the chances of finding that perfect man had seemed more and more remote, she'd settled for something less than her ideal. A man who she neither loved nor desired. She and Lawrence had been the best of friends since law school. They both loved art and music and had so many things in common.
But they hadn't been in love.
They didn't share that magical connection that her soul cried out for. The mystical link that surpassed all understanding. Yeah, she knew all about the mate bond from her shifter friends. Even though it wasn't something that humans could fully comprehend, she craved it with every fiber of her heart.
To know that there was one person created just for you. A man who would love her and only her for eternity. A man who would set the world on fire to keep her by his side. She sighed heavily. Such a melancholy sound that suited her mood perfectly. The chances of finding a man like that were improbable.
Hell, she couldn't even find a real man, much less a paragon.
The straw made that slurping sound again and she slid the empty glass toward the bartender for a refill. Ignoring his look of disapproval, she placed her forearms on the bar and looked to her right. She'd been aware of someone sitting next to her a while ago but had been too self-absorbed in her own misery to care one way or the other.
Whoa, mama. She'd been missing out on a great view.
Because this was a real man.
At least he certainly looked the part. Big, blonde and brooding. Then again, what the hell did she know? With her recent track record, Shana wasn't willing to trust her own judgment at all. And it wasn't like she could ask him, now could she? Wait. Why the hell couldn't she? Before her alcohol dazed brain thought better of it, she did just that.
***
"Are you a real man?" A slightly husky feminine voice purred from beside Dane. The sound wrapped around him warm and sultry like a silken cocoon. It was both soothing and stimulating. The sensual awareness he'd felt since he entered the room traveled down his spine leaving a tingling sensation in its path.
Was he a real man? Seriously? Was that supposed to be some kind of pickup line? If it was, she'd picked the wrong man to proposition. One; he wasn't a man. Technically. He was a wolf shifter. Two; he wasn't interested. So he didn't bother to look her way as he lowered the glass from his mouth and replied, "Depends on your definition."
What the fuck? That was not what he had intended to say.
The damn scotch was working.
She laughed lightly. The sound semi-mocking yet intriguing as hell. "If I knew that I wouldn't have to ask," that sinful voice purred. "You look like one, but looks can be deceiving."
She had him there.
Dane looked like a normal man in his human form. But when he shifted, he was a massive wolf that would probably scare the hell out of her. "What do your instincts tell you?" He heard himself ask without conscious thought.
"That you're not the kind of man who'd cheat on his fiancée," she said after a moment's pause as if she'd been considering the question carefully.
Well, that explained why she was in a bar drinking this early in the morning. And why she'd singled him out for conversation. Misery did love company after all. A rueful smile curved his lips as he lifted his glass for another sip. "You're right," he confessed. "I'm the kind who's wife leaves him for another man."
"Ouch," she said sympathetically. "Seems we share a similar problem. My ex preferred another man as well."
That surprised him enough that he looked at the woman seated beside him. And what a woman she was. A petite little body, packed with curves and a mane of lustrous sable hair. How any man could choose another male over her was unfathomable. Hell, one look and his cock was already interested.
"He's a fucking fool," he said bluntly.
She laughed again. Not so mockingly this time, and the sound curled around his balls like a caress. "As was your ex," she agreed as she turned to face him.
Their eyes met and the world shifted on its axis. Dane grasped the edge of the polished bar to keep from toppling off of his stool. Eyes of the palest green widened, a gasp slipped from her parted lips. They stared at each other, completely spellbound. Neither of them able to break the connection and look away.
'Mate,' his wolf declared forcefully. 'Mine!'
Holy Mother of God.
He'd found his mate!
In a bar.
At eleven o'clock in the morning!
***
One look into his golden eyes sealed her fate. She knew in that instant that this was the man she'd been waiting her whole life for. The way his eyes glowed from within assured her that he was a paranormal. The realization was as terrifying as it was thrilling. Because now that she'd found him, Shana didn't know what to do with him.
He slid onto the seat that separated them as fluidly as the predator he surely was. The warmth of his hand enveloped hers and raw energy surged through her body like lightning strikes in a night sky. He lifted her hand to his lips in an old world gesture that she absolutely adored and placed a tender kiss to the racing pulse at her wrist.
"I'm Dane," he said in a tone so seductive that it sent tingles dancing up her spine.
"Shana," she responded in a breathless voice that didn't even sound like her own. Because, holy shit, when did she start sounding like a phone sex operator?
"Shana," he repeated her name in a low growl that had her nipples hardening and left her squirming in her seat. Jesus Christ. Who knew a growl could be so hot? His other hand lifted and he trailed the tips of his fingers down her cheek, the touch so fleeting yet electrifying her senses. "Dance with me."
The thought of refusing never crossed her mind. She wanted to be held in his arms, needed to be pressed against his body. Hell, she wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. Instead, she nodded mutely, mesmerized by the heat in his golden eyes. The look that was guaranteed to melt her right out of her panties.
Dane assisted her off of the stool, her hand still held snugly in his and led her a few feet away to a postage stamp sized dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and she felt a shudder rack his big body. And he was big. He towered over her diminutive frame and his body felt like it was solid muscle.
The man could easily crush her, yet he held her so gently. As if she were fragile. Precious. Someone to be treasured. No, it wasn't a whimsical notion. It was what she saw in his eyes and his expression, felt in his touch. This big, beautiful, potentially deadly man was handling her with the utmost care. As if she mattered to him.
As if they were meant to be.
Her heart melted at the knowledge.
***
Dane was as dazed as if he had taken a blow to the head. His senses were reeling and his body was on fire. His wolf was howling triumphantly and doing his four-legged version of a happy dance. He'd found his mate. Holy fucking shit! He'd found the one woman in the world meant for him. The other half of his soul.
His first thought was, thank God
I'm divorced.
His second thought was, Will she love me?
That was when sheer terror filled him. Because wolves mated for life. And they lived a very long time. Once a wolf found his fated mate, nothing, and no one could ever take their place. He'd never touch another woman. Never love anyone but her. His wolf would not tolerate it. Shana was his only shot at happiness.
His only chance to finally be loved.
Which meant he had to tread very carefully with her.
Because he had no idea how to make himself loveable. As a child, he had discovered that he was somehow defective because no matter what he'd done, even his mother hadn't loved him. Apparently, it was an emotion that could not be forced. He knew that the mate bond would bind Shana to him, but he wanted her love as well.
Craved it with every fiber of his being.
What he did know how to do was seduce a woman. Wolf shifters were highly sexual creatures after all and he'd never had a lack of willing bed partners before his marriage. Hell, he'd had more than a few unwanted offers after the fact. If he could ensnare Shana with passion, maybe she would come to love him in time.
He hoped.
Besides, it was his best option at keeping her with him.
So seduction it was.
Dane tunneled his fingers through her silky hair and turned her face up to his. Those pale green eyes focused on him and his heart skipped a beat. Her heart-shaped face featured a stubborn little chin, classically straight nose, and lush full lips. He wanted to see them swollen from his kiss.
"You are simply stunning, Shana," he praised in complete honesty. "The most beautiful woman I've ever seen." Which she was. Although she could have been obese and cross-eyed with buck teeth and she would have still been beautiful to him. Because she was his.
"I'm too short," she said self-consciously though her kissable lips curved into a pleased smile.
