Sizzlin’
It must be a spell because he would never act in such a way around any woman.Brianna opened her eyes, and he hurriedly zipped his pants back up and scrambled to get as far from her as soon as possible.He had to be brash or he would never find the nerve to pull away because his self-control was waning fast. There was nothing in the world he’d rather do than consume every inch of Brianna, but he needed her to be on board.‘Claim her,’ Slate insisted as Grayson ran toward the bar where he left his vehicle.‘No. Get out of my head.’ Grayson fought for control, and he won.Slate, his wolf, had never been vocal about his opinions before., although always present, he was always more in the background.Grayson had been aware of his presence since he was a pup and Slate would occasionally jump into his head during decision-making as the voice of reason, but had never forced Grayson to shift or interfere with his choices. So the situation made Grayson wonder why the wolf was so attached to Br
“Give me the phone,” Grayson’s gruff voice came closer and Bree could hear shuffling on the other line, so she expelled a sigh of relief. After their encounter last night, Bree expected him to avoid talking to her at all costs. She was hazy about the details. All she knew was that she kissed Grayson, and minutes later, he left like his ass was on fire.So much for using her charms to get what she wanted.“Sheriff Walker, how can I help you, Ms. Stone?” The mere sound of his voice made her skin tingly all over. Bree felt like he was right there, whispering in her ear that it raised the hair on her neck. In order to have a proper conversation with the Sherriff Bree had to take a deep breath to steady her nerves. “Oh, good.” She swallowed. “You already know it’s me, so I—”“There’s only one tourist in town right now calling the office every day, so I assumed it was you. How can I help you?”“Remember last night—”“It’s something you should forget.” He cut her off sternly.“No! I won’t!
That morning, Grayson reported to the Sheriff’s office as if nothing had happened. He lacked sleep, thinking about his inner wolf and why Slate kept insisting Brianna was his mate. Grayson had a lot of questions, but after telling him to butt out when he was with Brianna, Slate never resurfaced, as if he did not exist without her.Just as he walked through the door, he was bombarded with the report of another animal attack, so his entire morning had been occupied by calls, questions, and site visits, pushing Brianna to the back of his mind. Still, she was never far from it, as her image popped into his mind every time he had a minute to think. Visions of her lovely smile, captivating brown eyes, or just the conversation they had the night before jumped up when he was unaware.Grayson had been satisfied with his life. He had lived in Silvercreek all his years, and he did not want to be anywhere else.It had been his dream to follow in his father’s footsteps, and he was proud of the ex
There were beady eyes everywhere the light shone, but she knew it was just the creatures of the night coming out to forage for their meals.After a few seconds, her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could see the silhouette of the animals she had been initially afraid of.On the GPS, it said she had walked at most 15 miles into the forest, with a steady elevation of 3000 feet. Bree was surprised the workout did not make her sweat.There was no burn in her muscles, so she thought it would be better to keep hiking, but then the darkness seemed to swallow everything in its path, and she decided it was time to set up camp. There would be more hiking for the days to come, and she had to conserve energy since she had no clue when the search would end. The plan was to hit the popular camping and hiking areas while they were busy, hoping someone had seen or encountered Brandon. But she was nowhere near the campsites or her projected targets.Bree tried not to get disheartened since it w
When the image of Bran and the connection she felt disappeared, Brianna poked around the campgrounds.She could see remnants of fire pits people used for camping, but the ashes were too dry to say if they had been lit recently.It was a popular spot, so she expected to run into someone at the site, but it was empty.Surely, she thought, they wouldn’t have heard about the animal attacks unless someone from town warned them. It made her wonder if the forest service even visited the sites to check on the campers. Sooner or later, she hoped to bump into one of them to ask about Brandon.The fatigue of the first day and the headache throbbing in her head made Bree re-think about her plans for the day. Not having the energy to move forward after having a meal, she took a quick power nap to get her strength back before heading to the next campsite.It was twilight by the time she awoke and Brianna cursed herself for sleeping too long. It would be ridiculous to walk in the dark, so she opted
As the prints became obvious and more defined, Bree became more fearful.Something in the back of her mind told Bree the dream might be real. She did not want to acknowledge that stress made her sleepwalk in the forest with a wolf as a guide.So, instead of checking if her foot matched the indentations on the ground, she just looked for more clues, hoping that it would lead back to the campsite.Their family were experts at avoidance. They skirted around issues that addressed heavy topics, so it was no surprise she wanted the footprints to be a mystery. Ignorance was bliss.They got this trait from their grandma, who never answered questions they had about their heritage.The trail was taking her away from the river and she got worried. Bree looked at the path behind her, but after several minutes of hesitation, she followed the prints again, reluctantly.What was she doing in the wild, playing with a wolf? Was the wolf trying to lure her to its den, only for them to eat her later?Sh
It had been several days since Grayson heard from Brianna. In the beginning, he thought she was just avoiding him because of the uncomfortable situation they got into a few days ago. Brianna threw herself at him and gave him permission to take her to bed. But he knew she was still learning to control her urges, so he had to stop them both from making the biggest mistake of their lives. He had a feeling she was not the type of woman who had a one-night stand and creeped out of someone’s house in the morning, never to be heard from again.She appeared more classy than that and he wanted to believe that Brianna had relationships because she was in love with her partner.Turning her down had been the hardest thing he had to do, but he also wanted to be the better man and make sure that when they came together, it was because she was in control, and her actions were not dictated by her wolf.Grayson had never met anyone like Brianna before. She did not belong to a pack, so she was less su
BREE WAKE UP! Brandon’s voice screamed, jolting her from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and looked around, searching for Bran, but she was still lying on her inflatable camp mat. “Bran? Where are you?” She asked, closing her eyes, trying to pinpoint his location, but all she saw was darkness.It was just a dream, but she got up anyway. “Bree, get out! There’s no time!” A stabbing pain pierced her head, throwing her off balance while getting out of the sleeping bag. “Run Bree! Run to the west, away from the sounds.” The urgency in his voice had her unzipping the tent and scampering in the direction he instructed.Before going to bed, she oriented the opening of the tent to the west so that when the sun came out, it wouldn’t shine on her face.“Bran? Where the fuck are you, and what am I running from?” She asked, trying to collect her bearings.“Just follow my voice and you’ll be okay.”Fear gripped her heart as she ran. Waking up in a dark place with only her brother’s voice guidin
Grayson laughed. “I can manage. Don’t worry about me.” He reached over and kissed her temple. “I’m going before I embarrass myself.”Bree reached out and held his wrist. “No. I don’t want you to go.” Her eyes swirled golden, and when a slight breeze came through the open windows, he got a whiff of her arousal.Brianna took control. Pushed him to the bed and crawled on top. Ever since she said yes to pursuing their relationship, she had been feeling more empowered. That night, she felt like all her pent-up emotions were released, giving her the chance to fully harness her newfound strength.“You are not leaving until I get what I want.” She warned.He grinned. “And I accept.” His eyes shined silver as he felt the warmth of her body touch his. Everything about her felt silky and smooth, he thought, as his hands glided over her skin.Grayson kissed her with so much tenderness Bree felt as if they were caught in a dream where everything moved in slow motion.She enjoyed the way he swirle
Outside, Bree could feel the temperature cooling down as they sipped their tea. She had ditched Grayson’s coat when she came into the house, and though she felt the cool breeze on her skin, it didn’t feel cold, thanks to the hot beverage that kept her warm.They talked about her mother, and Bree appreciated Grayson for being observant. She was bothered that there was so much of her father in her that her mother had disappeared.“Did I tell you that my parents aren’t both wolves, either?”Bree’s eyebrows narrowed. “They’re not?”“No, my mother and grandmother are both human.”“Do you think you have more werewolf or human blood?”“I’ve thought about that, and I think the werewolf blood is more dominant only because it allows me to shift and have all these exceptional abilities, but I’m still human. I have the same feelings and get hurt the same way. Why do you ask?”“Because I’m scared, there is no more of my mother left in me. I think Bran has some of her skills. But I acquired nothin
Dinner at a fine dining restaurant where food was served in different entrees, in names she could not repeat, or tastes she could not describe, was not her ideal evening. But Grayson took her out on a very nice date, so Brianna said nothing to disappoint him.They had pleasant conversations during the meal, trying to identify the items on their plate. Some of the food came in fancy little spoons, in clouds of smoke, under flavored bubbles, and so little bites that she did not have enough to savor it.They were served 15 courses and by the end of the meal; she was more tipsy than full. Her tummy grumbled after Grayson paid the bill, which embarrassed her more than anything.She did not want to appear ungrateful, but she was still hungry.“What do you say about going to the diner around the corner and getting burgers and a milkshake?” Grayson asked while ushering her to their vehicle. “I’m sorry about dinner. It was a very wonderful experience, and I bet they worked hard to come up wit
Brianna was nervous.How do you date someone you’ve slept with before? How does one step back and restart a relationship?Grayson instructed her to dress nice as they were going to dinner at a fancy place out of town, so she went to the only boutique in the area to find a pretty dress.She had been happily looking at the selections when disaster struck. Bree remembered her wallet was still missing and none of the credit card companies wanted to send her a replacement card in Silvercreek. They sent all the cards back to her address, but how would she pick them up when she was thousands of miles away?“Did you find what you’re looking for?” The lovely owner asked. They had met before when she was searching for Bran and she thought Violet had a very calming presence about her.“Well, I have a problem.”“I know. Your wallet is missing and you want that dress but don’t have money to pay with?”“How? Did Grayson tell you I was broke?” She leaned in to whisper.“No, I’m clairvoyant, plus I
Marina had been spying on Brianna the last few days and every time she came home, Marina noticed a shadow had been following her. At night when she lays in bed she pretends the shadow transforms into a man and makes love to her. Pathetic, right? But ever since Grayson found his mate, her fantasies about him weren’t giving her the same satisfaction. Marina sighed. When did she become such a shallow creature? Sure, she always pinned for Grayson, openly flirted when they were together, and tried to sneak in once or twice into his bedroom to give their relationship a jumpstart, so ever since Brianna came into the picture, she had become desperate. It was not something she was proud of.Marina did not want to be that person everybody despised, but jealousy and hate had taken over, and she couldn’t stop the hateful feeling she had for the other woman.Marina had been the town’s favorite before Brianna arrived, and though she must admit Brianna trumps her in her accomplishments in life, th
Grayson was in town early the next morning, checking up on everyone. He dropped by the office to see if anyone reported any injuries. The night deputy reported a very uneventful evening. This was weird because even though Silvercreek was a small town, there was always something happening to people in the area.There were always missing dogs and cats. Neighbors had disputes and the local bar always had people brawling.Next, he went to the cafe that was right beside the bakery and both women seemed cordial to each other. They were competing businesses and on regular days, they would annoy each other as soon as they opened the shop. But today, the owners were smiling and complimenting each other.“Ladies, is everything good today?”“Oh yes sheriff, we have more of those pastries I sent you yesterday. I hope you didn’t finish them yet.”“No, Patrice, but I will get two boxes of baked goods. Can you deliver one box to the station?”“Definitely, Sheriff.”“Do you want anything from the caf
Bree stretched out on the bed like a contented wolf, wondering what Grayson was up to. He wound her up earlier until she gave in and then just left her to deal with her pent-up emotions. Now that she was free to pursue her feelings, she wanted to unwrap Grayson as she would excitedly unwrap a Christmas present, tearing the packaging apart, not caring about getting it back together.Grayson had been going around, talking to people, calming them down. There was nothing else he could do but check on the pack and ensure nobody got hurt. Some houses found broken figurines or vases when the wolves began mating inside the house, but so far aside from being horny and wanting to shift. Everything in the compound looked good.Grayson used his alpha authority to calm everyone down and convince them to get back inside. He suspected the lust he felt for Brianna earlier transmitted when they were together, but that had never happened before. Did he cause them discomfort? He was the only person wh
It took Brianna a hot second to make up her mind. She could blame Grayson’s muscled body leaning against hers, or the feel of his breath as his lips hovered over her, but it was all her heart’s undoing.Why shouldn’t she fall in love with a handsome man who can cook and has a stable job? Why shouldn’t she stay in Silvercreek when Bran already gave her his blessing?It had always been her pride that kept her from Grayson.Marina could be a nuisance, but in reality, Bree did not consider her a contender because she knew Grayson belonged to her the minute their eyes met after she fainted in front of the grocery store that first day she arrived.Bree didn’t want to admit she was falling so fast because there was no such thing as fated werewolves. Well, werewolves didn’t even exist a month ago. But now everything was possible. So why not romance? Why not love?Embracing the possibilities of being with Grayson opened a new can of worms. The ball was in her court and it was her turn to dict
“She wasn’t?” He asked, intrigued.“No, my mother was a witch.” Now everything made sense to Grayson. He heard of witches brewing concoctions of every kind. So there might have been something out there that could suppress their wolf. Having this information made him wonder if Brianna’s mother stopped their wolf from coming out?“I knew wolves found their mates in humans, but this is the first I’ve heard of this. I guess everything is possible.”“Why do you sound skeptical? My parents were deeply in love with each other. Just like any other normal couple.”“Of course they were, but I didn’t know if you knew that fact.”“Grayson, if you’re going to insult my parents under their roof, then I suggest for you to leave.”“That’s not it, Bree. I wanted you to see that they are of different origins, yet they found each other. Don’t you think it’s the same for us? We were thousands of miles away from each other. There was no chance we would have met in this lifetime had your brother not gone