Wild: A Savage Alpha Shifters Romance
Page 40
I hug her tight. “Talk later, then.”
“He’s very handsome. And he is very very smitten with you.”
“I know. It’s wild, isn’t it? Crazy stuff.”
She nods. “Crazy is right. And wonderful. And magical.” She winks.
“Drive safe. Text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
Tyson walks in and she hugs him, startling him.
“Welcome to the family,” she says.
“Welcome to mine, too,” he replies and kisses the top of her head.
Mom looks at me with a big smile and approval on her face and then she waves.
Tyson gets to me and puts his lips to my forehead. “No fever?”
“I feel better,” I tell him. “Let’s go home.”
“I’m going to order us a better bed. And better furniture.”
“The bed seems pretty good at the house in Arcana Falls,” I say.
His eyes flash with surprise.
“Let’s make that our home.”
“Are you sure?” he asks.
I nod. “I think so. It’s what you want, isn’t it?”
He lets out a big breath and then he pulls me to him.
“You being happy is what I want most. But that you’d give that to me, despite everything? I don’t deserve you.”
“And don’t you forget it,” I joke.
He looks into my eyes and the glowing heat, the love there, they knock my socks off.
“I won’t. I swear I won’t.”
I cup his jaw and kiss him.
“Let’s have a wedding,” he says. “You can wear the bride panties I saw at home.”
Is he actually asking me something instead of telling me?
I jerk in surprise. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“I already married you. I’m asking you to marry me back.”
“Yes,” I say. “I will.”
He smiles big and kisses me.
56
Tyson
Something isn’t right; I feel it in the air. I don’t know what it is, so I’m walking around the house, checking out windows, pacing. I’ve been doing it an hour.
At first I thought it was just that it’s our first night in this house together, but it’s more. I just can’t pinpoint it.
Ivy’s asleep upstairs. We picked up our clothes and our food and moved into the Arcana Falls house this afternoon.
I also fucked her twice. At her request. I wanted to let her rest because of the ordeal she’s just been through, but evidently, she’s either still in heat or can’t resist me. Either way, it was nice. It felt right being in that bedroom with her.
There’s a knock on the door and the tension in me surges. I yank it open.
Mason and Grey are standing there. And I know, immediately, that something isn’t right. I open the door wide and am asking “What happened?” as they cross the threshold.
They met with the coven tonight.
“They found the records,” Grey says. “Sure enough, Nelle Jenkins paid a bucket load of money to have her two nieces matched up with two alphas from our council.”
Mason’s eyes and my eyes meet.
It matters to neither of us that witches are the reason Ivy is mine and Amelia is his. I know we’re on the same page here.
“And?” I ask.
Grey takes in a big breath. “And they think that things went screwy because it usually follows birth order, but suggested if you were more suited to Ivy and Mason was more suited to Amelia, nature could take precedence over witchcraft. They say sometimes spells have flaws and things go awry. Or spells are perfect and nature simply intervenes. They think that’s why Mason got confused. If you’d come across Amelia first, it might’ve gone the same way.”
“Hm,” I say.
Ivy is definitely suited to me.
Mason’s eyebrows rise and I know he agrees.
“And Nelle Jenkins paid to have something interfere in the marriage of their parents. Basically, a chain of events that we’re in the midst of now for the Brennan girls. They say they can only reveal what they must, they won’t tell us any more than we need to know, so that’s all fine. It’s all good. Right?”
I shrug. “I’m good. You good, Mason?”
“More than good,” he says. “That’s not the problem.”
“What is the problem?” I ask.
“The coven,” Mason says. “And Riley. Riley caught scent there. Scent that drove him nuts. He went mental. Worse than I went when your woman’s scent hit the village.”
“What? Why?”
“He swears he smelled his mate. The two witches there, one old one, one younger one, they started asking him questions. They searched their ledgers and found his name.”
“Riley’s?”
“Yep,” Grey says. “Riley’s name. His mate… get this: she’s not dead. She’s is a witch. A witch who cast herself into the role of Riley’s mate through a spell she wrote and then she faked her own death.”
My eyes bulge.
“He’s on a tear. He’s unglued, Ty. We’re glad you’re here, glad you’re with us, because we’re gonna need you. Riley’s gonna need us. All of us.”
Epilogue
Ivy
Two Weeks Later
We swim, Ty and me, underneath the waterfall, and he catches me by the waist as we look up at the cave we’re now in. It’s beautiful. The rocks are sparkly. Green. Like his eyes.
“Oh my goodness,” I exclaim. “Beautiful isn’t a strong enough word.”
“I agree.” But he’s looking at me, not the cave we’re in.
He’s so fucking sweet.
He lifts me by my hips up onto the ledge. And then he pulls himself up beside me. I wring my hair out and then lean over and wring his out.
“Why do you squeeze water from my hair?” he asks.
“So you won’t shake like a puppy at me.”
He smiles and then kisses my nose.
“I can’t believe this is right outside our back door. This is amazing, Ty.”
He gazes into my eyes. “Tomorrow, we’ll stand on those banks on the other side of the waterfall and get married.”
“We will,” I say and lean over and kiss him. “Can’t wait.”
“And then I want to swim in here in our wedding clothes and fuck you while they all have their party.”
I laugh. “That sounds like a typical Tyson thing to say.”
He smiles wide.
It’s been fun planning the wedding. It’s been a plan thrown together fast, but I know it’ll be perfect. It’ll be on the banks, like he said, and we’re having a big party in our backyard. The ladies are doing potluck and Stan, Ty’s mom’s beau, is going to officiate. He and Ty get along quite well, actually.
I bought Ty a ring. He can wear it when he knows he doesn’t have to shift. He told me he bought me one, too, and I can’t wait to see it.
“Are you scared about seeing the whole pack at once again for the first time since…”
I shake my head. “No. I’ve seen a few people. None of them made me feel weird. I mean, I can’t say I didn’t feel a little weird, but not because of them, because of me. I’m working on it.”
“I’m a lucky man,” he whispers against my temple and drops a kiss there.
No way would I deny him his pack. That he was willing to give that up to give me what I need even though he has the brawn to force me to live with him, to face them whether I want to or not, it means a lot to me. It means everything to me that he was so sorry, so sincere in his remorse. I feel like a very lucky girl.
I just wish Aunt Nelle could be here tomorrow.
But maybe she, wherever she is, will be here in spirit.
“I guess I’m not going back to work at the boutique,” I say.
I told Tamara that I was moving out. She was shocked that I’d moved in with a guy so fast. We’ve been friends since high school. But I can’t exactly tell her everything. I’ll figure out what I can tell
her later. Her boyfriend is really touchy-feely with me and it’s gonna be a while of prepping Ty before I can introduce them. She’s going to ask him to move in with her, so she’s okay about me leaving, as long as I promise to see her once a month for girls’ night out.
I feel bad that I can’t invite Dad or Leo to the wedding. Leo won’t care much. He’s twenty years old and busy with school out of town. Dad isn’t our favorite person right now with all the crap he’s put Mom through. He’s in for a rude awakening when she leaves town. She’s already sold the house. It sold after just two days on the market. She’s filed for a divorce, too.
“Why don’t you open a dance school? There are dozens of little girls in our pack who might like to be ballerinas,” Ty suggests.
My eyes light up.
Whoa.
“That’s an idea,” I say.
Wow. I never thought my dream of having a dance studio would turn into anything. My mind is racing with the possibilities.
“Lots of time to figure all that out,” he says and kisses my hand.
I haven’t seen my sister, but I have talked to her on the phone twice. Once, when she called after I found out she took off from Mason and he brought her back. He made her phone me to tell me she was okay. She was so grumpy about it. I tried to reassure her that I’m happy, that she can be happy. She burst into tears on the phone and he took the phone off her.
“Are you being good to her?” I demanded.
“I am, Ivy,” Mason said, sounding exhausted.
“I know Amelia is exhausting, Mason, and you’ve got your work cut out for you but once she falls for you, I bet you any money you’ll be the happiest guy around.”
Ty chuckled at that. “Second happiest,” he corrected. “Say bye to Mason.”
I smiled big. “Purr for her, Mason. Bye Mason!” I ended the call.
The second time, I called to check in and after we talked about all the wedding stuff, all she did was complain about Mason being bossy. It’s kind of funny because she’s the bossiest person around. I would love to be a fly on the wall. I tell her that and she complains that he ends arguments with orgasms. But the way she complains, I could swear she’s not really against it.
And she will be here for me tomorrow. As my maid of honor.
I can’t believe I’m getting “mainstream” married, as the pack calls it, before my bridezilla sister.
I don’t know what happened or how it happened (but am looking forward to the gossip), but her engagement to Rick was broken. He obviously knows she won’t be at the church tomorrow.
Yes. Tomorrow. I’m marrying Tyson on Amelia’s planned wedding day. She worked with Mom to have all the flowers, church décor (tulle, ribbons, twinkle lights), and party favors sent here. Mom made the arrangements with Joel and Jase who drove a truck filled with the stuff here yesterday. Tonight, me, Bailey, Cat, Mom, and Amelia will go through it together.
Riley is not doing so well. Apparently he’s off the rails with rage and is trying to hunt down his wayward mate. He can’t seem to catch her scent. He thinks she’s done something to disguise it. And he’s hunting her down the non-shifter way. With the help of a private eye shifter.
The pack’s minds are all blown over the whole thing.
I have no idea what’ll happen when he finds her.
***
“Your mom said you were most likely conceived here. Right here, likely,” I smooth my hand over the rock.
It’s gorgeous in here. Everything sparkles. There’s light but privacy, and the wall of trickling water in front of us just adds to the appeal of the cavernous space.
“Mm hm,” he says, his hand landing on mine. “Care to see if lightning strikes again? If we can make the next generation’s super alpha right here on this rock?”
I bite my lip.
His lips meet mine. He lays me back and unties the side of my string bikini bottoms. His hips meet mine. Our hearts beat together against each other’s bodies, and then he unties the tie behind my neck and my halter bikini top falls as he fills me. As he knots me. Our eyes are connected, then our lips, and I know for sure that so are our hearts.
Lots of people don’t mate for life. But, I have. Lots of people are born skeptics. I’m no longer one of those. A butterfly floats above us and I smile. It’s blue and purple.
Aunt Nelle had a big gawdy but awesome necklace with a turquoise and purple butterfly that looked just like it. Just exactly like it.
My heart leaps. Wow. Aunt Nelle.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world as Tyson spills inside me and the butterfly hovers there for a moment, then flits through the wall of water.
I mouth, “Thank you, Aunt Nelle.”
The End
(For now… YES… I have plans for books for Mason and for Riley. Maybe all of them. We shall see.
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Playlist
Come to Me, Goo Goo Dolls
Forever Loving You, Tesla
Blinding Lights, The Weeknd
Break My Heart, Dua Lipa
A Million Reasons, Lady Gaga
Author notes:
Hope you enjoyed the DD Prince take on shifters. I have to say, I knew I’d eventually write a shifter romance. After all, shifters brought me back to reading back in 2011 (I think) when I bought my first iPhone, a 3GS and the first app I downloaded was iBooks. I looked for free books and a high ranking one was The Mating by Nicky Charles.
I didn’t know at first what this was. One minute they sound like people, the next minute, they’re…what? Dogs? I wasn’t sure. It took me a minute to figure out that this was a shapeshifting series but once I did, I was enthralled. I read it, then the next two in that Law of the Lycans series and this was the kindling that re-ignited my reading addiction as well as began my education on the fact that authors existed without publishing contracts. Incidentally, that series is now a lot more than 3 books and I should go back and read the rest!
The next series I got really hooked on was The Submission Series by CD Reiss (Johnathan Drazen, UNFFFFF) and then, not long later, I read Fifty Shades of Grey. As soon as I finished FSOG, I immediately re-read it.
At this time, I was a fulltime 60-80 hour a week freelance writer with a toddler and grade schooler writing for clients around my kids’ schedule. I was trading time for dollars and it was back-breaking and soul-sucking work at times. A few years later, I decided to take the plunge and see about finally writing some fiction. I figured I’d try it and see if it went anywhere. After all, that was my original dream job --- being a writer and being able to work from anywhere. I’d tried my hand at fiction many times in my teens and twenties but never got all that far.
That began The Nectar Trilogy, the idea came to me while in the tub, and my longtime readers know that I put that aside at 75% of book one and wrote and actually released The Dominator before going back and working more on The Nectar Trilogy.
Anyway, I digress… bottom line:
I knew I’d want to write a shifter story someday. I just hadn’t had stories in that genre any hit me until sometime in 2017.
When Ty and Ivy first came to me, I thought it was going to be a bit of a Tarzan and Jane type story.
It took on a life of its own.
And now we’ve got a bunch of other characters that want their stories told.
I thought Riley’s book might come second, after having met him when I wrote The Hollow Duet #2, Holden. That series is where I first met Erica Young and her sisters. And let me tell you, I didn’t know if I’d write a witch story for Erica with a werewolf to kick off a witch series or add her story to my werewolf series so it looks like that story will come as book three of my shifter series and also may be the beginning of a witch series (but we’ll see. I don’t know yet for sure.)
But, based on how things crept up with Amelia Brennan which tota
lly surprised me, you’ll have to get Mason and Amelia’s story before Riley’s because of the whole birth order thing in the Arcana Falls shifter pack.
Yep: The only reason Riley jumped the birth order line was because of a little redheaded witch. Tee hee. I can’t wait to see what sorts of sparks fly when Riley catches up with her. Ooh eee! I have a feeling some punishment knotting is in order…
When? When? When?
No idea when more shifter books will come because I have other stories and series on the go and I shall listen to my muse.
If you loved this story, I hope you’ll leave a review. Even a short one.
As always, thanks to my ARC and beta readers, my street team and my amazing street team captain, Robin, for all you do to support my efforts. And for your friendship. My street team is a freaking dream team!
Huge thanks to my beta readers, too, with an extra big shoutout to Maria Williams-Howard who AGAIN rocked my world by getting back to me about 12 hours after getting her copy to tell me she loved this story. This isn’t the first time you’ve done this and I appreciate it just as much as I did with Alessandro. Big hugs.
Lainey – your help was invaluable! Many thanks for the fresh perspective.
As always, thanks to Peggy for her eagle-eyes.
Thanks to ALL of you who read this early and put my mind at ease by telling me you loved it.
DD’s Chickadees: I love you guys! Thank you for all that you do to fuel me. Thanks, too, for tolerating my kink – teasing you relentlessly about what’s to come.
And again to my sister Kelly --- your support, your ideas, your willingness for shenanigans --- mean the world to me.
So, … yes, I have plans for more shifter books. Mason. Riley. Maybe even all of them. I kinda need to know what’ll happen with Bailey Blackwood, too. (Psst…I’ve already got some pretty good ideas)