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Published by The Hartwood Publishing Group, LLC,
Hartwood Publishing, Phoenix, Arizona
www.hartwoodpublishing.com
Melinda’s Wolves
Copyright © 2015 by Becca Jameson
Digital Release: August 2015
Cover Artist: Georgia Woods
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Melinda’s Wolves by Becca Jameson
Melinda Bartel has avoided men her entire life. As a medicine woman and a shifter, she has always been too sensitive to endure physical contact with random men. So it comes as a shock when not one but two enormous male shifters walk into her life intent on claiming her.
Trace Masters, a local deputy, has known for a while he would undoubtedly share his mate with another man. After all, it has been proven time and again that the Masters men are fated to share their mates. His only hope has been that he be lucky enough to claim a woman with his longtime friend Keegan.
Keegan Phillips, a building inspector, is equally pleased to find he will share Melinda with Trace. He quickly learns his feisty mate is not impressed with his current job assignment at the site of a controversial casino being built along the lake on Native American territory.
Tensions rise as Melinda’s intuition suggests the building site is in grave danger. She fights an uphill battle to convince her men of her abilities while falling deeper every day under the intensity of their mating.
The three of them find themselves fighting for their lives as danger consumes them. Can they endure the obstacles that Fate places in their paths and come out on the other side a solid trio? Only time will tell. And time is running out.
Dedication
To my devoted wolfie fans. Thanks for all your support. Your kind messages mean the world to me and inspire me every day as I continue on the second chapter in this Wolf Masters journey.
Chapter One
“Oh my God. That is gorgeous.” Keegan jumped down from the passenger side of Trace’s Ford Ranger and planted his hands on his hips as he admired Miles and Griffen’s new home. “Your brother’s mate must be grinning from ear to ear. What a beautiful house.” And the location was amazing—rolling green hills for miles around with a backdrop of the rugged mountains Keegan loved to hike in both human and wolf form.
Trace rounded the truck to stand next to his best friend. “Yeah. I haven’t been out here for a few weeks. It really turned out great.” He lifted his gaze to the Montana sky. This far to the northwest, even though it was June, there was a cool breeze in the air. “And what a wonderful day for a housewarming party.”
Keegan ambled forward, noticing the number of cars parked around the long circular drive in front of the house. “Everyone in the tri-county area must be here.” He turned toward Trace. “Think there will be any cute, available, sexy women?”
Trace shrugged. “Never know.”
The front door opened as they approached, and Griffen stepped outside. He smiled broadly. “’Bout time you two showed up.”
Keegan lifted a hand as he stepped onto the porch. “Sorry. I got tied up at work. Busy times these days.”
“I’m sure. It’s been almost a year since the earthquake, and it seems half the area is still scrambling to rebuild. As a building inspector, you should have job security for many years.”
Keegan nodded as they shook hands. “That’s for sure. There are so many projects lined up for me, I can’t see an end in sight.”
“How’s law enforcement?” Griffen asked Trace, slapping his brother on the back. “Still enjoying the new job?”
“It’s interesting. I’ll be glad when more of the town is secured and rebuilt from the earthquake. It stretches our office thin having to patrol such a large area so closely.”
“You could always go back to working full-time for Mom and Dad.” Griffen loved to harass his brother for abandoning the family business—the largest ski resort in the area. He’d become a deputy with the county sheriff’s office soon after the earthquake.
“Are they here yet?” Trace ignored his brother’s jibe.
“Who? Mom and Dad? Yep. They got here about four.”
Keegan chuckled. “Your parents are nothing if not prompt.”
“How’s Rebecca? She like the house?”
Griffen’s brow furrowed. “Yes. Loves it. I think she’s in labor though and trying to pretend otherwise.”
Trace stepped back. “Seriously? Can a woman even do that?”
“Of course,” Keegan said. “My sister Kiera faked it for half a day before she told her mate.”
“Why?” Trace asked.
Keegan shrugged. “No idea. She kept saying she wasn’t ready. She wanted the house clean or something.”
Griffen reached back for the door handle. “I’ve been watching Melinda’s actions most of the afternoon. If anyone would know what’s up with Rebecca, it would be her.”
“Who’s Melinda again?” Keegan asked.
“Miles’s sister,” Trace replied. “She’s some sort of medicine woman on the reservation.”
Keegan’s eyes grew wide. “That’s a real thing?”
Griffen laughed this time. “Believe me. She’s the real deal. All the women in that family have some sort of precognitive abilities. Miles and I know not to get overly concerned about Rebecca until Melinda shows signs of stress.”
“It’s just her and her grandmother, right?” Trace asked.
Griffen shook his head, a huge grin on his face. “Not anymore. Their mom showed up this afternoon.”
“Holy fuck.” Trace grabbed his brother’s arm. “Are you serious? Didn’t she disappear when they were like three?”
“Yes. They have been talking on top of each other ever since she arrived. It turns out she didn’t abandon her children of her own free will. She was chased off by Randal Peaceman and the rest of the six elders in power at the time when she mated with a white man and got pregnant.”
“Peaceman? Is that the same guy who attacked Miles last year?”
Griffen nodded. “Yep. And for the same reason. The guy couldn’t stand Miles mating with me and Rebecca. Hell, Rebecca is human, and even though I’m a shifter, I’m not good enough since I’m not a Native American shifter. He was fixated on keeping the lines pure. He never changed apparently until the day he committed suicide last week. Luckily he was the last of that generation of elders. Joyce didn’t feel safe to return until he died. The elders didn’t just threaten her—but Miles and Melinda too. She’s been living only a few hours away all these years, and she has three other children with her mate.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah. It’s insane. We’re all still trying to piece it together. But she’s here now. And her mate is with her.” Griffen nodded behind him. “Let’s go inside. I’m sure you’d both rather have a drink than stand out here gabbing all night.”
•●•
Mel
inda leaned against the kitchen counter, crossed her legs, and cleared her throat. “When are you going to tell them?” she asked Rebecca.
Rebecca turned a cheery face toward her from her spot holding up the center island. “Tell who what?” She batted her eyes.
Melinda smirked. “Don’t give me that shit, girl. You might be pulling the wool over my brother’s eyes, and maybe even Griffen’s, but you aren’t fooling me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh huh.” Melinda let her gaze roam down Rebecca’s arms. They stiffened as she white-knuckled the edge of the granite counter.
The great room was huge and crowded with all of their friends and family. Miles and Griffen had busted their balls to get the house done by this day. They insisted they wanted their mate to be in their new home before the baby came. It seemed to Melinda they’d accomplished the feat in the nick of time.
“Don’t force me to be the bad guy here,” Melinda said. “If I have to tell my brother you’re in labor, he’ll have a coronary.”
Rebecca pasted on a fake grin. “I’m fine. It’s super early.” She released the counter to wave a hand in front of her. “Plenty of time. Besides, your grandmother said tomorrow,” she announced, as if the proclamation were as good as gold.
“That may be, but it’s seven o’clock. Tomorrow starts in five hours. And if you recall, I have the same abilities as Mimi. I’m clear on what she senses concerning your delivery. I’ve known you were close for days.”
Rebecca glanced around. “Shhh. Keep your voice down. I’ll tell them in plenty of time. Let’s enjoy the party.” The last words were spoken through gritted teeth.
Melinda took a deep breath, intending to read Rebecca the riot act, but instead she froze in her tracks. She held the deep inhale, blinking at Rebecca, her mouth partway open, no voice to be found.
“Oh shit.” Those words were spoken by her brother. She’d know his voice anywhere.
A hush fell over the room.
Melinda still stared at her pregnant sister-in-law as though she could avoid the inevitable for another moment if she didn’t remove her gaze from Rebecca.
Rebecca twisted around to see what all the commotion, or sudden lack of commotion, was about. “What?”
Only two people moved. Melinda saw them out of her peripheral vision. She closed her eyes and blew out the breath she held, only to inhale again. And then she dropped her chin and turned her face in the direction of the new scents.
Her mates. Not just one. Two. Both wolf shifters. Who were they? How was there someone at this party she’d never met—let alone two men—who were her destiny?
And more importantly, how had this snuck up on her without any premonition? Hardly anything got by her. She was sensitive. As a medicine woman for her tribe, she usually knew things before they happened. Not always with clarity, but rarely was she caught off guard like this.
Finally, she blinked her eyes open. She swallowed as she gripped the counter behind her with at least as much force as Rebecca. The two men stepping into her space forced her to lift her gaze.
Her heart pounded so hard, they could both surely hear it. She couldn’t breathe without inhaling more and more of their scents with every breath. All-consuming. The world around her ceased to exist as she finally tipped her head back enough to sweep her gaze up two fine male chests until she reached their faces.
Her mouth was dry, her lips falling open. She couldn’t even bring herself to lick them. Both men had furrowed brows that seemed incongruent with the slight tip of their mouths in identical grins.
The man on the left looked exactly like Griffen. He was clearly one of the other three Masters boys—dark tan skin, dark hair, dark eyes that would make any woman’s panties wet.
The one on the right was almost as tan, but he had long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and deep blue eyes that held her attention for several seconds.
Did they know each other? That question was answered when the blond grabbed the other man’s forearm and held it firmly.
“You must be Melinda Bartel,” the darker man finally said. “You look a lot like Miles.”
“Yes,” she squeaked.
“I’m Trace Masters, Griffen’s brother. And this is Keegan Phillips.” He nodded toward his friend, but didn’t take his gaze off her face.
Someone sniffled, and the next thing Melinda knew, her mother pulled her into a side embrace. She set her chin on Melinda’s shoulder and spoke into her ear. “So happy for you, baby. And so glad I could be here.”
Melinda didn’t look at her mother. To anyone who didn’t know them, they probably looked like the closest mother and daughter in the universe. No one would suspect they had just met a few hours ago.
Joyce released her daughter and slipped away, leaving Melinda once again with all her concentration on the two men in front of her.
“Maybe we should step out back for a minute?” Keegan lifted his brows in question.
Neither man touched her. They stood close, too close, but all three of them knew the sizzle between them would turn into a full bonfire if they touched. That was how it worked with wolves. When both, or in this case all three, mates were lupine, the chemistry was explosive.
Melinda squeezed her legs together and instantly regretted it. She also wished she’d chosen an outfit that covered more of her skin for the evening. But that wasn’t the case. She’d changed into the short pink sundress before the party. The skirt reached mid-thigh and was full enough that she would be exposed to anyone around if she spun too fast. The bodice was fitted, and she wasn’t wearing a bra.
She could get away with just about anything since she was five feet tall and barely weighed a hundred pounds. Nothing about her was ample, and that included her chest. Her mother and grandmother were no larger. In fact she was probably the biggest of the three.
She nodded, and Trace and Keegan turned to head toward the sliding glass doors that led to the deck.
Rebecca leaned in and kissed Melinda on the cheek. She grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “I may not be lupine, but I’m smart enough to realize what’s happening.” She winked.
Melinda had forgotten her friend stood so close to her all that time. As she stepped away to follow her future, Miles stopped her for a hug.
She watched as Griffen patted his brother Trace on the shoulder.
It was amazing she was able to get her feet to obey the command to walk, but she wove through the throng of guests and made her way out to the back deck with Trace and Keegan behind her.
The view from the deck was breathtaking. Melinda had stood there earlier in the day, taking in the mountains in the distance and the rolling hills of trees as far as she could see. Everything was so green this time of year.
“Now I see why they built the house facing the other direction,” Trace said. “Amazing.” He followed her to the railing of the deck. The fabulous postcard effect was lost on her this time, however. She could see nothing. Her mind was too busy wrapping itself around this new turn of events.
She turned at the railing and leaned against it for support, fiddling with her hands in front of her. “This is unexpected.”
“Yes,” Keegan agreed. “Not what I thought might happen this evening.”
She smiled, watching his deep blue eyes narrow on her. A long lock of his hair came loose from the ponytail and whipped across his face. It was sexy, and she shivered at the thought of running her fingers through it.
Trace stepped closer and reached to cup her chin. His eyes closed as he held her face.
She tipped her cheek into his palm, every nerve ending in her body coming alive at the contact.
“You’re so tiny,” he commented.
“You’re so big,” she teased in response.
Both men chuckled.
“It’s powerful, beyond my expectations. I mean, they said… I just didn’t expect it to be this…consuming.” Keegan reached for her hand and lifted it to his face. He inhaled
as he stroked her knuckles across his cheek.
He was right. The call to mate was intense. She’d seen her brother go through it a year ago, but nothing prepared her for this. Her nipples puckered, and she wished more than ever she’d chosen something that permitted a bra.
Trace leaned in closer, his breath hitting her ear as he whispered, “I can smell your arousal already. It’s intoxicating.”
A tight ball gripped her stomach. She needed to sit before she fell. Her knees wouldn’t hold her.
Someone wandered onto the deck from the yard. “I think Miles, Griffen, and Rebecca have a few guest rooms if y’all need one.”
She whipped her gaze to find Zachary Masters coming up the steps with a huge grin. He was the third of the Masters brothers.
“Go away, Zach,” Trace said to his younger brother without looking.
Zachary lifted both hands and scooted into the house.
Melinda glanced back at her men. “What do we do next?” She felt the flush that covered her cheeks as soon as the words came out unfiltered. “I mean…” She bit her lip and then released it. “That didn’t come out right.”
Keegan squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. I think we’re all three stunned and confused. I don’t have the answers. We get to know each other and take it one step at a time.”
“Where do you live? What do you do? Have you two known each other long?” She sucked in a breath after that rush of questions.
“Come on.” Trace nodded toward the steps Zachary had ascended. “Let’s walk.” He grabbed her free hand and tugged her off the deck and across the expanse of newly placed strips of grass behind the house. Keegan followed behind her, releasing her hand as they stepped away.
“Wait.” Melinda tugged her hand free of Trace and bent to remove her heels. She could barely walk as it was. She didn’t need the added difficulty of navigating the lawn on unsteady feet. “That’s better.” She left them where they lay and continued across the grass, putting some distance between the three of them and the house—at least enough space to not be overheard.
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