Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set

by Keira Blackwood

  “I'm sorry,” I said.

  “Sorry you kissed me? Sorry you brought me here? Do I really disgust you that much?” Like a switch flipped, tears streamed down her cheeks. Her eyes were on fire, her cheeks a heated pink.

  “You could never disgust me.” I put a hand on her bare shoulder, wanting to comfort her, wanting for her to understand, but unable to explain. I could never tell my secret.

  “Then what?” She shrugged away from my touch, eyes blazing with enough heat to burn through the wooden walls.

  “I'm afraid.”

  The tension in her stance lessened, her shoulders dropping. The anger was melting away, and only signs of sadness remained. Her pink cheeks moistened with tears that continued flowing. She looked down at her hands.

  I tilted her chin up, looking deep into her beautiful, cerulean eyes. I grasped her hands in mine, touching her but keeping a safe distance. The temptation to taste her, to show her physically exactly how I felt was overwhelming. I needed to keep space between us to keep control.

  “Afraid of what?” she asked.

  “Afraid to lose my control, afraid to hurt you by giving in,” I said.

  “I know you would never hurt me. I trust you. I love you.”

  My heart was full at those three words. A wound repaired that I hadn't even known was there. Her eyes were desperate, needy. I lifted her from the stool, one hand beneath her knees, the other behind her back. I pulled her close against my chest, loving her small size. She reached around my neck with her arms, looking deep in my eyes and waiting for my response.

  I kissed her gently on the forehead and walked toward my bedding in front of the fireplace. I looked down at the breathtaking angel in my arms. Seeing her need for me so plain on her face made her impossible to resist. I needed to please her, to give her everything.

  “I love you too. More than anything,” I confessed.

  She kissed me hard, pressing her tongue deep into my mouth. We were one, whole by each other's touch, by each other's love. I held my Hailey, tasting her, feeling the truth of her words as her full lips caressed mine. We held our embrace forever, moments or eternity, it didn't matter. We had each other. She moved a hand down my chest, pulled out the knot of my tie and unbuttoned my shirt. Sliding her hand in the top of my shirt, she stirred a growl from inside me. I set her down gently on the outstretched blanket, and walked to the fireplace.

  “You know, I'm getting mixed signals here,” she breathed.

  I put an armful of logs in the hearth and lit a fire, my back to Hailey. I stood and turned to face her. She sat leaning back on her hands, knees up exposing her curvy thighs as the skirt bunched downward. Her form-fitting bodice showcased her exquisite breasts, her body submissive to me. A barely clothed goddess, Hailey waited for me in my bed. My hard cock throbbed with anticipation.

  “Sorry.” I used the only word that expressed my feelings. As desperate for her as she was for me, I was afraid to lose control, but I was so turned on.

  I moved in close to her, sitting just behind her back. I pulled her into me, and onto my lap. Her intoxicating scent of lavender, vanilla, and simply Hailey made it hard to think. She snuggled in to my chest, tilting her neck as she leaned back. She couldn't know how great my desire was to claim her, mate her, when she showed me such submission.

  I whispered, “You should know that I will always love you, protect you, care for you. But there are things I can't share with you. You would be better off with someone else. Someone who could give you everything you deserve.”

  “I only want you.” She tilted her head to me, and our tongues entwined. My cock yearned for her, throbbed as her hips pressed against it in that skirt. I ran my fingers over her breast, an ample abundance even for my large hand. I squeezed gently, needing to feel her.

  “Mmmmm.” She wiggled into me, torturously teasing my trapped erection.

  “Let me worship you,” I growled.

  She blushed and obeyed.

  I ran my hand from her knee up the length of her thigh, gently tickling the moist, soft fabric of her panties. “You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.”

  Moans escaped her, and my inner wolf begged to bite her neck. I focused on what my Hailey needed, ignoring my base desire. I teased with my finger, tracing her shape. I slid my other hand inside her bodice, and outlined her nipple with my finger. I flicked and pinched her hard tip.

  “Please. Please. Mmmm,” she moaned.

  It was my turn to obey. I slid a finger beneath the thin, wet fabric of her panties. I circled her clit, and heat radiated from her need.

  “Please. It feels so good.” Her body flushed and her head pressed back into me. She put her hand over mine, pressing me harder onto her opening. I slid the tip of my index finger into her. She dug her fingers into my leg as I moved gently in and out, her hot, wet tunnel squeezing my finger. I wanted to be inside of her, be one with her, mate her. But I suppressed my urges and focused on what she needed.

  “You're so tight.” I smiled down at her, my Hailey.

  It was too good to be true, feeling her in my arms, pleasuring her the way she deserved. She tightened around me, squeezing, gasping, releasing. I held her as the fire flickered, content to stay in this moment forever.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hailey

  I lay tired and content against the wonderful man I loved. Cole really had changed, and I loved the new him. The kind, fun, caring boy was still inside, but the man he had become was mature, experienced, and sensitive to my needs.

  “You're different than I remember,” I murmured. Way sexier.

  “You're different, too.” He ran his large hand through my hair. His hands were callused from working with wood, rough and manly, yet soft and gentle when he touched me. “When are you going to tell me about your bruises?”

  Feeling completely open, knowing he had seen me vulnerable and raw, I opened up. “There was this guy back at school.”

  He stilled a moment, chest firm with tension, but only a moment. Then he softened and continued stroking my hair, putting me totally at ease.

  “We went out a few times, but he wasn't for me.” He just listened, so I continued, “He’s a pediatric surgeon. A friend of mine from school introduced us. I thought a doctor that worked with kids must be a good person. After I met him, he seemed okay at first, but I just wasn't that into him. He was a bit old for me, and the more time I spent with him, the more apparent it was that we had nothing in common. So I didn't call him back after the third date when he wanted to make another. He started showing up at my school and my apartment, making excuses about why he happened to be there or some great trip he had planned for us. After I tried to avoid him and gently suggested I wasn't interested, he got pushier.

  “One morning I found a letter and a teddy bear at my door when I was leaving for classes. The note said that we were meant to be together, and he knew I was ‘the one.’ So I finally called him back. I figured this guy was a bit delusional, but he didn't seem like a bad guy. He answered right away, and I laid it all out. I told him it wasn't working for me, and I didn't want to see him anymore. He screamed and hung up. He grabbed me from the alley next to my building when I left. The asshole was right there the whole time. That's when he hit me. He hit me until I couldn't fight back, until I lay on the ground just waiting for it to be over. He said some crazy crap about how it was my fault.”

  Now that I was letting it all out, I kept talking, like the floodgates had opened. My heart lightened, like sharing with him made it not hurt quite so much. I didn't have to bear the weight alone. “I went to the police, gave them the letter, showed them the bruises, got a restraining order.”

  “So you weren't going to leave?”

  I didn't look at Cole for fear of crying. I needed to finish. “No, I was going to keep going to school. I thought I had it under control. Then he showed up one night. In my bed.”

  Cole gently touched my face near my eye, traced my lip, touching where my makeup hid t
he damage. I looked up into his eyes. His face was hard, distant. His eyes were dark and distant, lacking their usual beautiful golden sparkle.

  “I didn't mean to upset you,” I said. It was a lot to dump on him; maybe I should have held back.

  “You haven't done anything wrong.” He kissed my forehead with soothing, tender lips. “Thank you for telling me. Is there more?”

  “I left a lot there. I felt vulnerable after that night, and had to leave.”

  “I'm glad you're here. You’re stronger than you know, Hailey.” Running away didn't make me feel strong, but I was glad he saw it that way.

  We sat without speaking, feeling the warmth of the fire and each other. I let out the tears I had been fighting as I lay against him. I didn't realize how drained I felt until I started to drift off to sleep in Cole's arms.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hailey

  I woke to the smell of bacon. I lay in a bundle of warm blankets alone, but content. Sleeping on the floor was much more comfortable than I'd expected. It must have been the company. I couldn't remember when I had slept so well. No bad dreams.

  The fire had gone out some time during the night, but the warmth of our bodies in the blankets was a comfort against the cool air. I looked toward the kitchen, beckoned by the delicious smell.

  A shirtless Cole stepped through the doorway. His hair was damp from a recent shower. Sweatpants hung from his hips, accentuating firm lines that led downward. My first glimpse of the sublimely chiseled man who’d explored my body and soul just the night before was picture perfect. Lean and sculpted, broad shoulders and washboard abs, a masculine touch of hair on his chest. Yum.

  “Wow.” That summed it up.

  Cole gave me a wicked smile. He lowered two plates in front of me, each topped with a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and a streusel-topped muffin. Those looked good, too. Cole's cooking was a definite treat.

  “You know if I wasn't here I would probably be eating a granola bar and some coffee,” I said. “A big cup of coffee.”

  “Good thing you're here.” He walked toward me. His tight muscles flexed with his movement. He made me oh so hungry.

  “Is it time for me to return the favor?” I licked my lips, staring at the gorgeous man that drove my desire. Last night, he hadn’t let me pleasure him in return.

  “Well unless things have changed, I think I make the better breakfast.” He leaned down and set the two plates in front of me, then sat across from me on the floor.

  I smiled back, wondering if he’d purposefully misunderstood me. “That you do. Where's your bathroom?”

  Cole led me upstairs through an empty bedroom to a bathroom with a granite countertop. The room was beautiful in creams, grays, and wood—masculine and well-crafted, like the man who owned it. The bathroom was yet another portion of the house that felt hardly lived in, but still exquisite. A hand towel lay neatly folded on the sink, soap beside it. I ran warm water and rinsed my face. I used the towel to pat it dry and looked in the mirror. I was a mess, hair disheveled, makeup smeared.

  “Can I shower?” I yelled through the door.

  A moment later, he knocked at the bathroom door. I opened it and found Cole dressed in another exceptional suit: black jacket and pants, white shirt, and purple tie. He held out a pile of linens, and I gladly accepted them. I really needed the shower, and I didn’t know if he would have extra towels since he seemed to only have what he needed. The only thing he seemed to have in abundance was food.

  “Help yourself to anything. There's toothpaste and a fresh toothbrush in the third drawer. Just promise you’ll eat your breakfast after. I'd hate for you to waste away on granola bars and coffee.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled at him and then shut the door. I looked at the pile he’d handed me. A washcloth, bath towel, a huge t-shirt, and much-too-long pants. Cole's clothes. I pulled off my panties and formfitting dress from the night before, dropping them on the floor. I walked into the large open shower. The walls and floor were the same stone as the foundation of the home. The entrance to the shower was large and only partially walled, with no door. I turned on the water and was pleasantly surprised that none escaped the shower space. Warm water ran down through my hair and over my body. There was one bottle in the shower. I opened it and smelled the toasted cinnamon scent of Cole’s body wash. There were no labels on the bottle, like he’d had it custom made. It almost smelled like Cole. It was the scent that mixed with his natural earthy essence. I used my washcloth and rubbed Cole's soap all over, savoring his smell.

  When I left the shower and dressed in Cole's clothes, I relished the fact that everything on me was his. I was covered in everything Cole. I rolled up the legs of the pants and headed out to where we had slept. Next to my breakfast was a large cup of coffee, a small pitcher of milk, and a bowl of sugar cubes. Always thinking of me.

  I sat down, realizing how hungry I was. The combination of the energy expended through the long night and the tempting aromas of Cole’s expert cooking turned me from fine to starving in a second. He seemed to have disappeared, so I sat and ate greedily, expecting him to return any minute. Everything was delicious. The coffee was fresh and flavorful, the eggs and bacon were cooked just the right amount. I finished with the delectable muffin, dropped the dishes into the sink, and went back to brush my teeth. I picked a red toothbrush from the drawer and brushed away my morning breath. Full of coffee and feeling clean, I was ready to start the day. I walked around the house, exploring the large empty rooms. When I didn't find Cole, I put on my jacket and heels and walked out onto the porch. He stood in his suit, leaning against the railing and looking off into the distance. I wished I had a camera because the wooded mountains in the backdrop framed a remarkable man dressed for a different world.

  “Hey.” I snuggled up beside him.

  “Hey,” he replied, looking down at me.

  “Whatcha thinking?” I asked.

  “I don't think you can get everything you want from me,” he answered.

  “You're all I want,” I replied.

  “What about school? What about the future?” Cole looked down at me, his brow furrowed.

  “What about the future?” I asked.

  “I may not be able to give you the kind of life that you want later, in five years or ten. Even if you think it's what you want now.” Cole's eyes were sad and distant, so different from the night before.

  “Why are you pushing me away? Everything's been going so well. Is it what I told you? You think I'm broken?” I demanded, hurt that he would do this after we had been so close.

  “No, of course not.” He pulled me to his chest and squeezed me. “It's my duty, my family. It's me.”

  “So it's the same as before? You can't tell me that life's not different. That we aren't different.” My cheeks heated as my temper rose.

  “Some things change. Some things don't,” he replied.

  “This time I won't leave. You can't push me away. I’ll wait until you’re ready to talk. I have the right to decide what I want.”

  He held me close, enveloping me in his arms. I felt so small up against him, my body giving way to his hard massive chest. He towered over me, protecting me from the world. My safe place.

  “Okay,” he said in little more than a whisper.

  “I love you,” I said.

  “I love you too,” Cole answered.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hailey

  In the chaos of my life, one thing was clear: I wanted to be with Cole. I loved him and he loved me too. I was done running. We would figure the rest out together. We had to.

  I kept busy while Cole worked. When I got home in the morning, I found a note from Olivia on the counter. She had gone out shopping and for a lunch date. Making the most of the weekend, good for her. I would have to ask all about the date when I saw her.

  I called a cab with the house phone to take me to Greenville. When you need something that Miller's doesn't carry, you have to drive an hour to Greenville t
o find civilization, and a store that sells phones.

  The cab dropped me off at the Greenville Mall, where I went straight to the cellphone place. Some of the stores that I remembered had been replaced by new shops, but the mobile phone dealer was still in the same place. The sales clerk tried to sell me a smartphone with the most expensive data package. I picked something basic with a keyboard, a more reasonable monthly fee, and without all of the other crap I didn’t want to commit to paying for without a job. It felt good to get one thing checked off of my mental to-do list. I would be able to reach Olivia or Cole whenever I wanted, and if anything happened I had a way to call for help. After the ordeal with Frank, I felt a little safer having a phone.

  With the phone taken care of, I went on the hunt for a gift for Olivia. I browsed a few department stores with overpriced everything and a lot of clothes that I didn’t think Liv would like. She was the sister with a sense of style, so I didn’t bother trying to pick clothes for her. After a bit of wandering I was lured into a small store by a mix of sweet and savory smells. Jarred candles of varying colors and sizes lined the walls with scents like vanilla cream cake and holiday spice. I found a nice candle that smelled like fruit and spring, orange and happy. I figured reminders of spring made a nice distraction from the cold winter that quickly approached.

  After paying for the candle, I walked to the food court. There was a soft pretzel place at the edge of the food area. I set up my new phone with one hand while I nibbled on a salty, buttery twist of bread with the other. With my new phone I sent Olivia and Cole a text so they would have my number. They were the only two people's phone numbers I bothered to remember other than the house phone. I sent one line to both numbers: