by Jane Jamison
Wolf Packs of Fate 8
Heart of a Wolf
Maddie Connor moves to Fate to renew her relationship with her sister, Stella. She is ready to do whatever it takes to heal their strained relationship. Come hell or high water, she is determined to make amends.
Werewolf brothers Shane, Brandon, and Braxton Lark know Maddie’s their mate as soon as she walks into the Wolf’s Den. They come on strong, and although she should run for the hills, she can’t help be drawn to the aggressive men.
Maddie never expects Stella to tell her that werewolves exist. Not only is Stella living with three werewolves, but she’s become a werewolf, too. As if that’s not enough, Stella tells Maddie that the Lark brothers are shifters and that they want Maddie as their mate. She’s stunned, yet, strangely intrigued.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves, Western/Cowboys
Length: 26,009 words
HEART OF A WOLF
Wolf Packs of Fate 8
Jane Jamison
MÉNAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
HEART OF A WOLF
Copyright © 2016 by Jane Jamison
E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-481-2
First E-book Publication: September 2016
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
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www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
Writing this book was a pleasure. It’s my hope that you’ll find it a pleasure to read.
Thank you,
Jane Jamison
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Epilogue
About the Author
HEART OF A WOLF
Wolf Packs of Fate 8
JANE JAMISON
Copyright © 2016
Chapter One
A year earlier ~
Maddie Connor wished she were anywhere other than at her sister Stella’s wedding. Not that she was jealous of her sister, but the secret she’d been keeping had to come out. It was now or forever hold her peace.
Maddie stepped into the bride’s dressing chambers. Stella was beautiful in her off-white wedding dress. Although Maddie didn’t know anything about fashion, she knew the gown had cost her sister more than she could afford. The sweetheart neckline lay gently against Stella’s chest, accentuating her breasts. The dress fit her sister’s lean body perfectly then flared out at the bottom with row after row of fabric floating to the floor, giving it the appearance of a ball gown without all the fuss of a huge skirt. Stella was still in her bare feet as she gazed into the full-length mirror.
Maddie ignored the three bridesmaids. The fourth, as Maddie knew, wouldn’t be helping her sister. Instead, the fourth bridesmaid was busy helping herself to the groom.
Yet, for her, in this small space of time, only her sister existed. “You look amazing, sis.”
Stella pivoted to her. “Really? You’re not just saying that, are you?”
“Would I lie?” Like all sisters, they’d had their ups and downs throughout the years, but they’d always come together after a fight. They were, after all, sisters through and through.
Stella arched an eyebrow. “I’m going to plead the fifth on that one. I don’t want any arguments today.”
Maddie’s heart sank. Her sister was in for more than a simple sisterly argument. She was in for out and out, full-on heartbreak. But if Maddie didn’t get moving fast, her sister would wind up married to that asshole Bruce. She swallowed and pulled her courage around her. “Sis, you need to come with me.”
Surprised, Stella tilted her head. “What for? It’s not time yet. I still have a few minutes to get dressed.” She wiggled her foot. “See? I don’t even have my shoes on yet.”
Marching to her sister like a general leading his troops in a charge, Maddie grabbed hold of Stella’s arm. “I’m sorry. Really I am, but this can’t wait.” She whipped out her finger at the other women, stopping the questions she knew would begin. “Everyone, stay put.”
“What’s going on?” Stella managed a weak smile. “Is it Bruce? Does he have a surprise for me?”
Boy, does he. She pulled her resolve together. Damn that asshole.
“You’ll see.” She tugged Stella along with her.
“Maddie, I can’t go running around the church and I can’t see Bruce, either. It’ll be bad luck if he sees me before I walk down the aisle.”
It’ll be worse luck if you don’t see him.
“Sorry, but you’ve got to trust me on this.” She tightened her grip on Stella’s arm.
“Is it really that important?”
Maddie clung to her sister, forcing her down the hallway. She hoped they’d be in time.
“It’s more important than anything.”
“Maddie, turn me loose. I don’t want to do this.” Stella’s voice had risen, no doubt catching on to Maddie’s urgency and serious demeanor. Anger mixed with fear. “Damn it. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but stop joking around.”
“Trust me. I don’t find anything funny right now.”
By the time they’d made it to the cloakroom, Maddie was second-guessing her decision. But that was the real problem. She’d second-guessed telling her sister about her shithole of a fiancé for far too long.
Maddie turned to face Stella, hating what was about to happen. “Take a couple of deep breaths.” Like that would be enough to prepare her sister.
“What are we doing—”
Maddie couldn’t stand it a moment longer. Taking in her own steadying breath, she did what she had to do. She shoved open the door to the cloakroom.
Stella stopped talking, her eyes widening as her attention shifted to the two people in the cloakroom. A soft moan escaped her lips, tearing into Maddie’s heart.
“No,” whispered Stella.
What followed was a whirlwind of accusations, tears, and pleas that were lost on Maddie as Stella laid into Bruce and her friend Cally. In one push against a door, Maddie had destroyed her sister’s relationship with her fiancé and one of her girlfriends.
Bruce jerked up his slacks as Cally pulled her bridesmaid dress down. The musky scent of sex was thick in the air as Stella’s hand whipped out and struck Bruce’s face. Maddie stood back, horrified, yet knowing she’d had to tell, no, show her sister the truth. Stella, her chest heaving with hard-won breaths and tears streaming down her face, spun around and raced back to the bridal room.
“Get out! All of you get out!” screamed her sister at the bewildered bridesmaids.
Maddie stood quietly off to the side, unable to do anything except wait for Stella to throw her anger her way. Black mascara streaks marred her sister’s makeup and strands of her hair escaped their hold. Frantically, Stella worked to get her wedding dress off.
“Stella, let me help.” She could barely get the words out and wasn’t sure if Stella had even heard her.
“No! Just leave me alone.” The fury and pain in Stella’s face was enough to stop Maddie in her tracks.
“I’m sorry.” Maddie closed her eyes, wished she could vanish into thin air, and then opened her eyes, ready to tell her sister the whole truth behind her apology. “I should’ve told you sooner.”
“Sooner? You knew about them before today? Are you kidding me? How long, Maddie? How long have you known?”
“Baby, please, let me explain.”
Maddie whirled around, dodging out of the way as a vase of flowers flew toward Bruce standing in the doorway.
“Don’t you dare come in! I never want to see you again.” Stella’s engagement ring hit Bruce in the face. “Fuck you! You go straight to hell!”
Maddie stepped back, ready to wait as long as she had to. Not only to explain, but to be there for her sister in any way she could. Once Stella grew tired, she could explain. But was there really any explanation that would make what she’d done seem better? She’d hidden the truth for months, hoping her sister would find out about Bruce on her own.
“Come on, Stella. It’s not a big deal.” Bruce plastered on one of his shit-eating grins. “You know how it is. One last fuck before I’m all yours.”
“You lousy asshole.” Stella’s scream died to a soft, yet menacing whisper, her voice already hoarse. “How could you do this to me? You promised you’d never screw around again.”
Again? “Stella, do you want me to…” Bruce outweighed her by more than fifty pounds, but, if Maddie had to, she’d try and shove him out of the room.
“Stay out of this, Maddie,” warned Stella.
Bruce tried to get close to Stella, but she kept backing away. Snatching up a candlestick off a nearby bookshelf, she lifted it into the air, threatening him. “Get the hell away from me. I want you out of the apartment and out of my life. Do you hear me? You’re dead to me.”
“I’m dead to you?” All pretense of trying to win Stella over was gone. Bruce’s lip curled into a sneer. “You’re a fucking dead fish in bed. Cold as a witch’s tit.”
“Get out!” screamed Stella.
“Fuck you! Hell, I don’t know why I stayed as long as I did. If you hadn’t nagged at me so much, I wouldn’t have gotten you a ring. Shit, I never wanted to marry you in the first place.” Bruce stormed away, slamming the door behind him.
For several moments, neither Stella nor Maddie moved or spoke. Then, suddenly, Stella crumpled to the floor, the skirt of her wedding dress spreading out around her like a white ocean of sorrow. “You knew.”
She held back words she knew would be useless. You knew, too, sis. You knew he was a cheater.
Instead, Maddie eased closer then went to her knees next to her sister. “I’m so sorry, sis.”
The recrimination, the utter hatred in Stella’s eyes bore into her. “How long have you known?”
Was there a date she could name? Since finding out, time had dragged on. What did it matter now? “Too long.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before today?”
“I tried, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to be the one to hurt you.”
Stella’s laugh was filled with scorn. “You didn’t want to hurt me? So you decided to wait until my fucking wedding day and then tell me? What am I supposed to do now? Walk down the aisle by myself and tell my friends and family that my husband-to-be just fucked one of my bridesmaids? But, hey, don’t let that keep everyone from partying down at the reception.”
“Sis, I—” The explanation, however, wouldn’t come. How could she find the right words when there were none?
“Get out.” Stella’s words weren’t shouted. Instead, the quiet intensity of them was worse.
“Sis, please, let me help. I want to be here for you.”
Gone were the tears. All that remained was cold, hard words.
“I don’t ever want to talk to you. Not now and not ever again.”
“Stella, you can’t mean that.” She’d known her sister would be angry, but she’d never dreamed she’d hate her. “I’m not the one who betrayed you.”
The accusing glare said otherwise. “Leave. Me. Alone.”
Maddie knew her sister well enough to know when further arguing was useless. Instead, she got to her feet along with her sister and started to move closer. If she could hug her sister, then maybe they could find a way to talk. Her heart sank as Stella backed up and threw out her arm, pointing at the door.
“Go. Now.”
She had no choice. Until her sister calmed down, until her sister decided to forgive her, she’d have to wait. Still, she hadn’t expected the wait to last so long.
Chapter Two
The time had finally come. Maddie had given Stella more than enough time to forgive her. But if Stella wouldn’t see her, then she’d never be able to reach her. What few phone calls and text messages they’d shared had been useless, each ending abruptly. And those had been months earlier.
Maddie stared at her phone and gazed around her studio apartment. She liked Atlanta well enough, but the city she’d once loved had grown cold since her sister had moved away. Now it was her turn.
If my sister won’t come to me, then I’ll go to her.
She punched in her sister’s number and let that small act give her hope. If Stella had really wanted to end their relationship for good, she would’ve changed her phone number. She held her breath as she listened to the phone ring.
Pick up, sis. Please, pick up.
If Stella looked at the caller ID, then she was screwed.
“Hi.”
The joy in Stella’s voice was unmistakable, bringing a small smile. “Stella, it’s me.”
“Maddie?”
Really? Like it’s been so long since we talked that she doesn’t recognize my voice? “You k
now it’s me.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you.”
Her hope died a hard death.
Shit. She still hates me.
“Stella, come on. When are you going to give me a chance to explain?” She cringed, hating how she’d sounded. The last thing she wanted was to put her sister on the defensive.
“What’s there to explain? You knew Bruce was cheating on me, and you kept it a secret. I’m your sister, but you kept quiet to keep him safe. What if I’d married him?”
Why couldn’t she forgive her own sister? Especially since he’d cheated on her before. Yet she had the answer. A sister’s betrayal was even worse than a lover’s.
“But you didn’t marry him, and that’s because of me. I’m the one who made you look inside the cloak closet.” Again, it wasn’t what or how she’d planned on phrasing it, even after practicing what she’d say for hours.
“You should’ve told me sooner.”
Stella was right, of course. She should have told her sooner. Instead of waiting for Bruce to out himself, she’d taken the easy way out and kept quiet. Just as she’d suddenly grown quiet now.
“We even talked about eloping, and you never said a damn word. I could’ve hopped on a plane to Vegas and married that asshole. Instead, you waited. What would you have done then, Maddie? Stayed quiet until after I’d had our first child?”
“I’m sorry.” She blew out a breath, the speech she’d prepared forgotten. Instead, she blurted out what came to her mind first. She’d wronged her sister, but her frustration was growing stronger. “Damn it, sis, how many times do I have to apologize? What do I have to do? Promise you my first child? Give you my heart?”
