by Renee Rose
Pops had been eager to go to Montana. Levi had remained and helped us pack a moving truck to take some of our things. The house would sit vacant for a time. It didn’t need to be sold right away, and I wanted to ensure Pops was truly happy to relocate before we committed with something so substantial. He’d bought that house with Nan forty years ago. I’d expected him to want to stay, to hold onto the memories, but he’d been the first one to pack.
That had been two months ago. Since then, we’d settled into the bunkhouse together, Pops moving into one of the bedrooms on the main floor, near Johnny’s. Levi had put his foot down about sharing the top floor with anyone, and Pops had agreed. He, too, was a romantic and had wanted to give use some privacy.
As if a twenty-something shifter and a senior citizen living beneath us offered us much of that.
But we were a family. While Johnny had parents and siblings of his own, he’d taken to Pops and started calling him that right away.
Johnny wasn’t the only one who watched out for Pops. Shadow was just that, Pops’ shadow, following him everywhere. The puppies had all been weaned and adopted by different members of the pack. If there had been any decision over who’d keep the border collie, it had been changed by the dog herself. She’d adopted Pops, and they were inseparable.
To me, it was reassuring. Shadow was supposed to herd cattle and sheep but seemed to take to herding elderly humans, too.
It was Levi who took care of me, and I loved every second of it. I hadn’t filled out a spreadsheet in weeks.
“I missed you, too. Why didn’t you call?” I asked him.
He looked down at me with those blue eyes that held a hint of mischief along with the constant happiness. “I’ve got news.”
“Oh?”
“We talked about you opening up your own practice. Having it on this side of the mountains is smart.”
“We’ve talked about this. There’s not a place to have one.”
He tapped my nose. “The Markle property.”
I frowned. “The place two doors down? The guy who Willow had been watching?”
I didn’t go into detail because he’d been a drug mule, and it hit a little too close to home. No one compared me to the guy, but still, it struck a raw nerve.
“Him. His property’s been vacant since he died. His will’s out of probate, and the bank is selling the place. I want to put an offer in. Make it ours.”
My mouth fell open. “That place is huge. I’ve seen the house and stable from the road. It’s been updated, and it’s… huge. We can’t afford that.”
I loved the idea, the stable making a great vet office, especially for large animals. Levi could lease out stalls to locals who wanted a horse but didn’t want to stable one. The house was lovely, and there was room for kids. Pups. But it was impossible.
He sighed, stroked my cheek. “I know we said no secrets, but… well, I’m rich.”
“Huh?”
He sighed, hooked an arm about my shoulder. “You done in here?”
I was in the tack room, mending a broken bridle. I hadn’t done any major vet work since Colorado, only taking care of the pups and checking on the ranch horses, and I was puttering around for now, helping out on the ranch where I could.
“Sure.” I set the tool I’d forgotten I’d been even holding down on the table. Levi flicked the lightswitch off as we went by, then led me out into the early evening.
The sun was setting earlier and earlier, and the snap of fall was in the air. We’d even had a rogue storm come through the week before and dump several inches of heavy, wet snow. I didn’t mind. Not the colder winter than I was used to or the end of the glorious summer weather. No, I had Levi to keep me warm at night.
Every night. To imagine I’d even left him to sleep in my own bed that night we’d first had sex… I’d been an idiot. I’d been content ever since to be with him in his small bunk house bedroom.
His words swirled in my head. He was rich? Why did he stay in the bunkhouse? Why was he working as sheriff if he didn’t need the money? The sheriff election was less than two months away, and he’d officially put his name on the ballot. We’d decided—together—it was something he wanted to do. He was good for the community, Cooper Valley and the wolf pack.
“Doll, I can hear your mind working extra hard.”
“Well, I handled the fact that you’re part shifter pretty darn well, so you’ve got to give me a minute about this. What do you mean you’re rich?”
“My grandparents had money. Lots of it. While they might have disliked me, a lot, I was their only living heir. I guess they could have left it all to a charity or something, but they left it to me.”
We walked toward the bunk house. Pops had put a roast in the crock pot, and he and Johnny would have it all pulled together soon for dinner.
“When was this? Recently?” Had they just died, and he hadn’t told me?
“When I was twenty. They died within months of each other. I haven’t touched a dime of it. Haven’t wanted to. Didn’t need it. Still don’t. But we talked about starting a family, and you want your practice, and I’d like to run my own stable. It’s close to the pack and—”
I stopped, reached up and covered his mouth with my finger. “You don’t have to convince me. I think the idea is great.”
I knew his grandparents were nothing but bad memories for him, but perhaps using their money for something he wanted, for a way for us to make good memories, to raise a family in a way that was completely different than what Levi had gone through, might help.
“Fuck, I love you,” he growled.
I grinned, and he kissed me. Tongue was involved, and a hand was on my ass.
“When you two lovebirds are ready, dinner’s on the table.”
We broke away at Pops’ words, and we turned to look at him. He was standing in the open doorway, Shadow by his side. The scent of roast and baked bread filled the air.
He turned and went back inside, leaving the door open. “Think he’ll want to move?”
“The place has a mother-in-law suite over the garage. He can stay here if he wants, for now, but when it’s time, he can move in there. Whatever is best for him.”
I sighed. “Fuck, I love you,” I repeated.
He pulled the cuffs from his utility belt. “How about we take these for a spin later? I’m hungry for more than roast.”
He leaned in and nipped my neck, growled.
“Hurry up! The gravy’s getting cold,” Pops shouted.
Levi lifted his head, and we laughed. We’d wanted family. We’d wanted… love.
We’d gotten it, and we were ready for it to last a lifetime.
Ready for more Wolf Ranch? Get Ruthless next!
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PACK RULE #6: KEEP HUMANS AWAY FROM PACK LAND.
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My alpha told me to get rid of her.
Make nice and find out if she’ll sell her property.
Keep her from bringing more humans close to our land.
But before I’ve even met her, I catch her scent.
The moon’s full and I have to follow it. I can’t stop myself.
I run straight into human territory, onto her property.
Find her bathing naked in the moonlight and show her my wolf.
Now all bets are off.
My alpha may want her gone, but I need her to stay.
In fact, I’ll do anything to make sure she never, ever leaves.
* * *
Read Ruthless!
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Also by Renee Rose
Vegas Underground Series
King of Diamonds
Mafia Daddy
Jack of Spades
Ace of Hearts
Joker’s Wild
His Queen of Clubs
Dead Man’s Hand
Wild Card
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More Mafia Romance
The Russian
The Don’s Daughter
Mob Mistress
The Bossman
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Contemporary
Daddy Rules Series
Fire Daddy
Hollywood Daddy
Stepbrother Daddy
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Master Me Series
Her Royal Master
Her Russian Master
Her Marine Master
Yes, Doctor
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Double Doms Series
Theirs to Punish
Theirs to Protect
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Holiday Feel-Good
Scoring with Santa
Saved
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Other Contemporary
Black Light: Valentine Roulette
Black Light: Roulette Redux
Black Light: Celebrity Roulette
Black Light: Roulette War
Punishing Portia (written as Darling Adams)
The Professor’s Girl
Safe in his Arms
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Paranormal
Wolf Ridge High Series
Alpha Bully
Alpha Knight
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Wolf Ranch Series
Rough
Wild
Feral
Savage
Fierce
Ruthless
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Bad Boy Alphas Series
Alpha’s Temptation
Alpha’s Danger
Alpha’s Prize
Alpha’s Challenge
Alpha’s Obsession
Alpha’s War
Alpha’s Mission
Alpha’s Sun
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Shifter Fight Club
Alpha’s Desire
Alpha’s Bane
Alpha’s Secret
Alpha’s Prey
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Midnight Doms
Alpha’s Blood
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Alpha Doms Series
The Alpha’s Hunger
The Alpha’s Promise
The Alpha’s Punishment
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Other Paranormal
The Winter Storm: An Ever After Chronicle
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Sci-Fi
Zandian Masters Series
His Human Slave
His Human Prisoner
Training His Human
His Human Rebel
His Human Vessel
His Mate and Master
Zandian Pet
Their Zandian Mate
His Human Possession
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Zandian Brides
Night of the Zandians
Bought by the Zandians
Mastered by the Zandians
Zandian Lights
Kept by the Zandian
Claimed by the Zandian
* * *
Other Sci-Fi
The Hand of Vengeance
Her Alien Masters
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Regency
The Darlington Incident
Humbled
The Reddington Scandal
The Westerfield Affair
Pleasing the Colonel
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Western
His Little Lapis
The Devil of Whiskey Row
The Outlaw’s Bride
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Medieval
Mercenary
Medieval Discipline
Lords and Ladies
The Knight’s Prisoner
Betrothed
Held for Ransom
The Knight’s Seduction
The Conquered Brides (5 book box set)
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Renaissance
Renaissance Discipline
About Renee Rose
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She's sold over a half million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today's Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy's Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and Spanking Romance Reviews' Best Sci-fi, Paranormal, Historical, Erotic, Ageplay and favorite couple and author. She's hit the USA Today list five times with various anthologies.
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Also By Vanessa Vale
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About Vanessa Vale
Vanessa Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of sexy romance novels, including her popular Bridgewater historical series and hot contemporary romances. With over one million books sold, Vanessa writes about unapologetic bad boys who don't just fall in love, they fall hard. Her books are available worldwide in multiple languages in e-book, print, audio and even as an online game. When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys and figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker. While she's not as skilled at social media as her kids, she loves to interact with readers.
