In the days that followed, Marina heard Brianna had fallen into a deep slumber, which worried Grayson a lot. He came to work the following day after finding his mate in the forest with congratulations from everybody.The locals thought they were congratulating him on a successful search, but the wolves knew the event was something more special.It was rare for natural-born wolves to find their fated mates. It was not unheard of but rarely witnessed, so the people who helped search for Brianna in the forest felt lucky to have witnessed such a union.Marina tried to be on her best behavior, bringing Grayson flowers as a sign of acceptance. She wanted to show her maturity and hoped he would notice that she had changed.But nothing she did in the last three days had earned her anything. Grayson kept looking at the clock every hour, eager to get back home. The search for Brandon was still in effect, but nobody found him. Marina couldn’t mention anything about her encounter with the black
Marina sprayed the room with a cologne she found on the dresser to mask her scent. She did not want to give away her plan before she got to execute it.Several minutes later, she heard Grayson announce he was heading to the shower, and she almost giggled. The object of her desire had returned, and it was her turn to reap the benefits. Marina was in love with Grayson because he was loyal and kind. He also cared for every werewolf that needed attention, orphans, and strays, especially.She still remembers what he said when her parents passed. ‘Don’t worry Marina, you will never be alone. I will always care for you.’ And she held him to that promise ever since.The only reason she knew Grayson was attracted to Brianna was because he saw her naked in the forest, and Marina thought she would do the same.She pinched her face to add color to her cheeks and rolled her nipples between her thumb and forefinger to perk them up. It was time to entice Grayson to establish their bond.He had just
Several hours later, Bree awakened in Grayson’s arms, cradled against his chest. Anger filled her chest when she remembered what she witnessed.How dare he cuddle with her after being with Marina? Her claws elongated so fast it scratched Grayson’s arms.“Brianna?” He had dozed off after keeping watch the entire night. He momentarily forgot what happened.“Get away from me, you lying cheat! I will not tolerate your actions!” She squirmed, but Grayson held tight to prevent her from falling on the floor. “Stop struggling. You’re hanging over the bed. I don’t want you to fall.”Bree arranged her clothes and sneered at him with disgust when she got off the bed. “Don’t you ever touch me again, or I swear I’ll shred you to pieces.” She threatened with claws out and eyes shining.“What are you speaking of?” Grayson got off the bed, his arms stretched out for defense. “I didn’t cheat on you. I would never do that.”“If you condone having multiple partners in your relationship, that is your
Bree was lying on her makeshift bed on the hayloft that evening when she remembered a weird dream from the night before. It was a sensual dream about Grayson, as most of them were, but the images were so vivid that Bree felt like it was real.Closing her eyes, she tried to recall what happened.Bree had been sleeping in the loft when she felt warm lips kiss her neck. She moaned at the familiar feeling, then shifted her legs open as she experienced callused hands squeeze her breast.A knee wedged between her knees and she could feel the hardness manifesting from her fantasy.The dream guy nipped at her lips, giving Bree a taste of the strawberry dessert she made earlier. Their tongues dueled as he nibbled on her lower lip, making the sensation more real. “Gray...” Bree moaned his name, her eyes fluttering slowly as she realized the object of her sexual dream had materialized on top of her.The weight of his heavily muscled chest pinning her down was real, and though shock registered i
“But I hear her moaning on the other side during the early mornings.”“You and I have been sharing my bedroom the past few days and we’ve had this conversation many times. I do not understand why you keep forgetting.”“Don’t think I’m a fool, Grayson. I don’t tolerate cheaters.” She squirmed out of his embrace and, though he did not want them to be apart, he gave her space.They needed to talk, so he blocked the path to the ladder. He knew if she was set free, Bree would storm out of the barn and find somewhere else to hide.“I’m telling the truth, Bree. I would never do that to you.”“Bree, you call me Bree now?”“You told me the other night it sounded cute when I said it.”“Grayson, I’ve been avoiding you these past few days because you haven’t kicked Marina out.”“Marina has a mind of her own. The house is open to anyone, but I promise you I don’t spend any of my nights with her.”“I don’t believe you.”“Use your abilities. Your nose would tell you if I was lying.”“I smell nothing
“Grayson, I found an abandoned house during my search to find a hiding place, a cabin near the end of the property. Aiden said it hadn’t been lived in for fifteen years. I want to stay there until the owners come to take their place.”“Why? I have a house and it is natural for you to come live with me.”“I want a safe, neutral space where Bran can visit and my own sanctuary in case you tire of me.” Her chin twisted defiantly away from him.“That would never happen. But I understand. Things are going too fast and you want to sort things out, but I have a condition.”“What condition?”“I want you to promise that moving to the cabin won’t mean you’re getting rid of me.”“I just want the room to think. We’ve been together since I arrived and I can’t concentrate with all the tension floating in the air when you are around.”He smirked. “I can’t help but want you all the time. That’s what the bond does.”“You can visit me at the new place until we figure everything out.”“Can I sleep over?”
Bree woke up the next day and found Marina in the bathroom with the shower running.“Grayson, is that you? I’m ready for my back scrub.”Annoyed at the other woman’s boldness, Bree swiped the shower curtain open, ready to battle. A sly grin greeted her. “Oops, I thought you were Grayson,” Marina said dismissively as she turned around to lather the soap on her body. “I didn’t know you were still here.”Bree tried not to fall into her trap.“After the night we had, I needed to get clean. He is such a thorough lover, ain’t he? Skillful with his mouth. Just thinking about him going down on me makes me tingle all over.” Marina snickered.“Stop lying Marina. We both know nobody was in the room with you last night. Did your vibrator do the job your hand couldn’t achieve?”“Bitch!” Marina squealed and tried to lunge at Brianna, but Bree moved away just as Grayson entered the bathroom.He had been listening to the exchange, and the answer Brianna gave Marina made him smile.Grayson reached ou
“Marina! Marina!” Grayson yelled from the kitchen, knowing she was still inside the house. He could not believe she had been so stubborn the last few days, taunting Brianna when he expressed strict instructions to leave her alone.“Hey there, sheriff!” She grinned while gliding down the stairs slowly, like a carefree cat.“I told you to stop taking a shower upstairs and to stop insinuating we have a relationship when we don’t.”“Not my fault, she’s gullible,” Marina checked her nails while hiding a smirk.“I beg you, please. She’s my wife whether or not you like it, and you should treat her the way you treat me.”“Well, then…” Marina slinked closer, the smile on her face showing her intent, but before she could wrap her arms around Grayson, he stepped aside and pushed her shoulders.“Don’t even think about it. I’m serious. You are banned from my house. Disobey the alpha’s command and suffer the consequences.”Marina could not understand why Grayson was being mean to her when last nig
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