by Vivian Arend
The old man’s eyes sparkled. He turned to her mate and laid a firm hand on his shoulder. “Jared, lad. Are ye sure I can’t convince ye to move to Scotland? I’d dearly love to pass on the clan to a wolf as brilliant as ye must be, selecting a mate as charming and glorious as this lassie.”
Jared laughed as he tucked his arm further around Keri’s waist, securing her to his side. “Thank you for the compliment, but you’ll have to find some other equally brilliant wolf. We have plans in North America.”
The gentleman dipped his head, then turned with a mischievous smile to Keri. “Of course. But you can come visit me anytime you’d like, me darlin’ lass.”
Jared laughed. “My parents warned me you could just about charm the birds from the trees, but you can’t charm my mate away from me.”
“He’s welcome to try, though,” Keri teased. “I do appreciate charming scoundrels. Obviously.”
Laughter ensued, then they moved on, joining in the games of the evening, which of all things involved lawn bowling. Keri gossiped with Jared’s sisters, admired dresses and jewelry, and listened to tall tales from Sir William and other elderly guests. Jared stayed by her side the entire time, and she felt herself falling more and more in love with this generous man who did his best to keep her smiling all the time.
It was dark by the time they slipped inside their suite, the dancing lights of the city sparkling outside the penthouse window. Keri ignored everything else and went straight to her mate, wrapping herself around him and pressing her hands to his cheeks to give him a long, slow kiss.
A kiss full of gratitude, and happiness, and all of the wonderful, bubbling-up, joyful emotions that had been filling her ever since she’d truly known he was hers.
Jared rested his hands on her hips and held her close, kissing her back, then nuzzling her with affection when their lips finally parted. “Well now, I don’t know what brought that on, but I like it.”
“You’re not what I expected,” she admitted. “And that’s not your fault, it’s mine for not having a good enough grasp of reality. The money wrapped around you is like wallpaper. Shiny and pretty, but it wouldn’t look nearly so nice if it wasn’t being placed on something solid and straight in the first place.” She tipped his chin down again so she could kiss him once more. “I’m very glad my mate is such a wonderful man.”
“And I’m glad my mate is you—”
They didn’t need any words after that. They had a whole different language to speak in, for a very long time.
Epilogue
Mark Weaver had a good enough sense of humour to see the irony of the situation.
He leaned against the wall of the pack house and stared into the gathering of wolves, all of whom were making an excessive amount of noise, even by shifter standards. Which was saying a lot, considering wolves usually operated at maximum volume in the first place.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the corner of the room where the older members of the pack had stubbornly held onto a set of tables and chairs so they could ignore the music and dancing chaos around them and enjoy a game of cards. That they could focus in the middle of the ruckus said a lot about their concentration, or perhaps more about how much their hearing had deteriorated, but Mark wasn't about to judge.
They were having a good time, and that's what counted.
If only it could be said for him. The having a good time part.
He took another sweeping glance through the dancing and laughing pack as he double-checked inside for a green-eyed monster.
Ah, there it was, just as he’d expected. Tucked not too far away, gloomy and morose.
His wolf huffed at his imagination. Not gloomy. Also, not a dragon.
I wasn’t talking about you, Mark informed him. It’s an…expression.
Another huff, this one more long-suffering as his inner wolfie settled into a state of calm acceptance. Silly human. I’m the only wild beast in here.
If Mark was honest, his wolf was right—there was a hint of jealousy bubbling inside, but it wasn't a malicious, snarling, clawing beast. More like his dragon of discontent had settled on its haunches and now sat in a slouched heap, shoulders drooped in a pout, head hanging low. All the fire in its belly extinguished.
Yes, that was Mark's version of being a jealous fool. More like an I wish I had that. Why can't I have that? whine as he commiserated with his inner green beastie.
His wolf offered a reassuring pat even as it repeated the earlier comment. Silly human. We will find a mate someday, but in the meantime, we’re doing the right thing.
The kicker of it was Mark knew that. Which was why, as the guest stars of the evening marched toward him, the smile he forced to his face was nearly sincere. “Congrats again, and welcome to the pack, Keri.”
He thought about putting his arms around the dark-haired brunette now standing in front of him and giving her a quick hug, just to jerk Jared’s chain, but with them being newly mated and all, Mark might end up pulling back two bleeding stumps before he got a chance to explain he wasn't really poaching or doing anything uncool.
He held out his hand instead.
Keri smiled sweetly as she shook it. "Thanks. And you are?"
Jared wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her against his side a little proprietarily and a whole lot gloatingly. "This marvelous fellow is the source of all our blessings. The bountiful matchmaker to our mating."
Mark somehow managed to keep from rolling his eyes, impressed when Keri managed to figure out Jared’s non-information information, her eyes widening. “You’re Mark."
“The one and only."
“Well, not really the one and only,” Jared teased, “Because you know, there were two of you at the same time if we want to be technical about—" Keri shoved her elbow into his ribs, and Jared stopped, but his enormous grin remained.
Mark ignored everything else and focused on what was most important. "I hope you guys are wickedly happy together. And whenever you’re in Haines, let me know if I can ever do anything for you."
Even as he said it, serenity slipped over him like a calming balm. This was who he was. Laid-back, relaxed.
Long-suffering…
For once Jared didn't take advantage and keep pushing, which Mark really appreciated. It was bad enough he’d missed the opportunity to work on the cruise ship for a couple of weeks, there were all sorts of other things that had gone wrong during the time Jared and Keri had taken off for a bit of a wolfie honeymoon.
Keri’s expression turned inquisitive. "I do thank you for the meet and greet your absence unknowingly created, but I admit, I’m curious. Why did you not show up for work that day?"
Once again Mark found himself between a rock and a hard place. What he really wanted to do was admit the truth, which would then put him into a far better light in the eyes of a beautiful woman. Because even if she and Jared were mated, it was never a bad thing to have a woman talk about you as if you were one of the good guys.
But admitting the truth would mean throwing someone he cared about under the bus, someone innocent who deserved to be protected. That was something Mark could not, and would not, do. Which meant he had to revert to his usual.
Lock his smile in place and proceed to say nothing about his real reasons. Not really a lie, but not the truth, which meant he was going to look like an idiot. "Something came up, and I just couldn't make it. But hey, one man's disaster is another man's treasure."
Jared and Keri grinned at each other, their smiles exceedingly bright and out of line for how poor his joke had been.
She nodded, he punched Mark good-naturedly in the shoulder, then they were off to the next group for good wishes.
Mark watched them walk away. The dragon of jealousy put his head down on the ground and let out a long, steamy snort, all the fire inside dying with a final wimpy stream of half-hearted smoke and ash.
This was his life for now, and that was it. Mates and adventures would have to wait while he took care of the
most important thing he had left.
But someday adventure would come calling.
He was sure of it.
I hope you enjoyed Jared and Keri's story. The series continues with WOLF NIP, when Tessa finally finds a piece of land to manage.
If you’d like to meet some other sexy shifters, check out COPPER KING, where a billionaire bad boy bear has a wild adventure in Vegas with a very secretive young lady.
Please enjoy an excerpt from WOLF NIP, the final book in the Granite Lake Wolves Series.
Cat got your tongue?
The historic landlocked paddle-wheeler Tessa Williams spots in Haines, Alaska, strikes her as the perfect location for an Eco-tour B&B. When the owner refuses to sell, though, she’s sure a little in-person charm is all that’s needed. What she finds is a handsome wolf who greets her with a scalding hot kiss followed by the announcement that they’re mates. But she’s a cat…and cats don’t do insta-mates.
Local wolf-slash-owner of said vessel, Mark Weaver, isn’t hanging on to the landmark building out of spite. There are more reasons for holding back the sale than are easily explained on paper. The sexual attraction between them isn’t in question, just everything else. He wants her. She wants twue wuv. His wolf can’t figure out what the holdup is. Her cat thinks the entire situation, and the pack, are rather amusing.
Somewhere in here is the beginning of a beautiful relationship—if they don’t drive each other mad.
Warning: One hyper cat, one laid-back wolf. Inappropriate use of permanent markers, and a heaping side dish of cat/dog jokes. Shenanigans (read: nookie) in front of a roaring fire. Spiced liberally with sarcasm. Enjoy!
Chapter One
Tessa’s tail twitched.
Drat.
She concentrated harder, crouching lower to the ground. Muscles steady, but ready to move in an instant. One deep breath followed after another as she attempted to calm her nerves. Every instinct screamed for her to squirm, to peek around. To check if all her parts were tucked out of sight.
But then it had been proven that some of her cat instincts were a trifle on the broken side.
In her cougar form, his scent wasn’t strong enough to hit before his paw pads sounded, and by the time she heard him, there was no escape. A warm body slammed into her, and together they rolled from behind the barrier she’d chosen as a hiding spot. Before he could pin her in place, Tessa wiggled free and took off.
Fine, maybe he’d found her, but he hadn’t won yet. She used her strong cat muscles to dash away through the maze of the gymnasium area.
No matter how fast she ran, though, her pursuer remained right on her tail. Literally on her tail, and when he playfully patted her hindquarters for the third time, Tessa gave up. She leapt for the narrow ledge along the wall where she’d shifted in the first place. Changing back to human and dressing only took a moment before she rejoined her big brother on the gym floor.
Tony had also shifted and pulled on nearly identical jeans and T-shirt to hers. His relaxed grin teased her from under his mop of blond hair. “I’d say you did better that time, but I’d be lying.”
Tessa stuck out her tongue. “Someday I’ll win.”
“In your dreams. I am the king of the cats, and no one will take my crown.”
She rolled her eyes and made gagging sounds.
Tony tweaked her nose. “Face it, brat, your skills lie in areas other than cat-and-mouse games.”
And there was the opening she’d been waiting for. “Right. So in terms of my skills, did you remember I need your signature on that form at the bank?”
“Did you remember I said you were nuts?”
Tessa pulled her hair into a ponytail and resisted sticking out her tongue again. “You’ve said it so many times over the years, I figured it was code for Hey, Sis, you rock. You didn’t see the place, Tony. It’s incredible. Exactly the kind of establishment I want to manage. The setting is exquisite, and the area just screams eco-tourism, which you know as well as I do—”
“Stop. Not the eco-business thing.” Tony covered his ears and groaned in mock pain.
Tessa pounced, grabbing hold of his forearms and dragging his hands free. “Eco-eco-eco-eco…”
They laughed together, and she knew everything would be okay. She’d been trying since graduation to find a job that fit her skills. Seasickness had nixed the possibility of working for the family shifter-only cruise line, but her trip to the north had yielded one side benefit.
When she’d spotted the unique building tucked up against the trees, she’d nearly bounced into the ocean with excitement. She needed a little more cash to set her ideas in motion, and her brother had the credit rating to help her get established.
If he was willing to take the chance on her.
Tony guided them down the hallway toward the cafeteria. “I signed, sealed. Promised my firstborn kit. All those things. And yes, I’ll admit the eco-tourism part was the selling feature. I’ll back you on this one, Tessa, but please, if you need help, ask? You don’t have to go it solo.”
“I’m capable. Got the training, the experience. Heck, I graduated with higher marks than you did.”
He shrugged. “You’re a smart cookie, I’ll give you that. But, girl, this is Alaska you’re talking about. We’ve had a base in the area harbour for years with the cruise ships, but there aren’t a lot of prides around. You’re going to be the only cat in town.”
She stopped dead in her tracks. “I don’t know if I should give you a hug for being concerned or smack you across the head. Are you prejudiced, Tony? I would never have known, not with the way you’ve got friends in all the local wolf packs and—”
“That’s not what I meant.” Tony tugged her forward, and she went willingly enough, although confused how he would talk his way out of this one. “Shifters are cool, and I don’t care what kind. But the reality is we go about things differently. You know that.”
“Yeah. I shift into a cougar. My best friend Keri shifts and, hey look, a wolf! Different, right? Next bit of kindergarten information you want to share with me, big bro? ’Cause this is so educational.”
“Don’t be a pain in the ass.”
“Don’t be a pain, period. What are you trying to say?”
Tony plopped into one of the plastic cafeteria chairs, and it groaned under his muscular weight. “Fine. Wolves. Pack. Alaska is filled with wolves who could be very territorial about a cat coming into their midst. You’re good with people, Tessa, but wolves can be a tricky lot. Especially when they are the game in town.”
She fluttered her fingers. “Pshaw. I met their chief pooh-bah. He’s super nice. And Keri is mated to one of the Granite Lake pack, so I’m already a kissing cousin. There’s not going to be trouble. Really. I promise not to go on any wild rampages and stir up trouble, no matter how tempting.”
Tony raised a brow. “A town full of dogs, and you don’t feel the slightest urge to cause mischief?”
All the crazy ideas that flashed to mind could be blamed on that faulty instinct she was working on fixing. “Of course not. I’m a grown woman. This is my career, and I’m capable of suppressing a few urges.”
A crazy expression crossed his face, and Tessa slammed up a hand. Oh no, they were not going there.
“Don’t. Don’t even think about giving me advice regarding any other kinds of urges. I will not listen. I will not hear. You cease to exist…blah, blah, blah.”
Tony sighed. “You’re a cat.”
“You’re so annoying.”
“They’re wolves.”
Tessa wadded up her napkin and threw it in his face. “So, what have you got planned for the next year? Working three cruises? Going to take some time off in the fall and go exploring?”
Her brother stared at her so hard she swore she heard the gears in his brain grinding, but he was smart enough to drop the subject and switch to chatting about his future plans.
Because no matter how comfortable shifters were with sex, talking with her brother a
bout mattress mamboing was on the list of things she really didn’t want to do.
Besides, the point he’d planned on raising she’d already thought through. The place she wanted to buy was on the outskirts of Haines, and wolves were a well-established part of the northern community. Wolves, like all shifters, enjoyed their sexual escapades, but they were more territorial and possessive than the average cat, in bed and out of it.
Cats and bears and other shifters picked mates when the time was right. Wolves followed some mystical mumbo jumbo and fell in twue wuv when their animal sides sniffed the right person. Which—ick. Just ick.
Well, maybe not ick—she’d seen it work for her friend, but there was no way she wanted to settle down yet. She’d make sure any urges of the naughty sort were satisfied during playtime with humans. Or visitors to the area. Or battery-operated boyfriends—the list of possibilities was endless.
This stage of the adventure was about establishing a top-notch resort in the north. And sex, while always enjoyable, was a low priority. Tessa nodded to herself, pleased she’d gotten that straightened out.
She turned her attention back to her brother and tried not to allow her fanciful daydreams about the new resort distract her.
Wolf Nip is available now
~~**~~
Granite Lake Wolves
Wolf Signs
Wolf Flight
Wolf Games
Wolf Tracks
Wolf Line
Wolf Nip
If you want novel-length lighthearted adventures with snarky wolves, check out the Takhini Wolves, which starts with BLACK GOLD.
Takhini Wolves
Black Gold
Silver Mine
Diamond Dust
Moon Shine
