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Chapter 18
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2024-10-29 19:42:56When Lily woke several hours later, she couldn’t get back to sleep. She lay in bed for what felt like hours, her mind replaying every scenario since the moment Rebel had first turned up in her bedroom and worrying over what lay before them the following night. Despite their newfound truce, she still wasn’t certain she’d made the right decision in partnering with him, though she supposed time would tell.
After more than one unsuccessful attempt to quiet her mind and return to sleep, she finally threw back the covers and ventured out of bed. The children and Murtagh had mentioned a library in the south wing of the mansion, and she intended to find it. With any luck, she’d find an entertaining read to pass the midnight hours. With tentative steps, she crept from her room and descended the staircase to the first floor.
The mansion was quiet. Wolves were nocturnal by nature, but she’d observed that much like Wolf Pack Run, Johnson Hollow bustle
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Lily spent more time searching for her wayward teacup pig than was reasonable, and unfortunately even she recognized this. The following morning, she trekked through the pasture’s green grass, heading out to the stables to find a horse to aid in her search. Tucker had taken to wandering out to the pigpens to visit his fellow piggies, and while Lily enjoyed a good walk, she wasn’t about to risk the chance of getting stranded in the middle of the pasture again.Since they’d arrived at Johnson Hollow, Tucker had taken his liberties to new bounds. At Wolf Pack Run, while he enjoyed free range over the ranchlands, he generally kept close to Lily. But since they’d arrived at Johnson Hollow, the little piglet had a newfound appreciation for exploration.Exploration.She supposed that was one word for it. Her thoughts turned to Rebel and how she’d wanted to explore with him last night. It had taken everything in her to leave him there, alon
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After finishing the ceremony, Rebel headed out to the pasture. He’d directed Murtagh and Sterling to set up the details of the meeting with his informant that evening, so he spent most of the day running the tedder, lost in thought as the sun beat down on his bare back and left a thick sheen of sweat from a hard day’s work in its wake.The sunset painted hues of orange and magenta over the blue-ridge mountain skyline as he rode in that night. He was used to working until past sundown, but considering he and Lily had a few hours of driving before they reached their destination, they needed to head out early.Rebel quartered Bee in the stables before taking the truck back to the house. Once inside, he searched for Lily. She’d need to be ready to leave in less than an hour, and Rebel had a feeling she would want to rock Tucker to sleep or feed him a bottle or something else equally as endearing as it was odd, at least to a rancher.As he passed th
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The Midnight Coyote Saloon reeked of smoke and whiskey. The sounds of guitar-laden country music thumped through the surround system, crooning a tune about a long-lost pair of lovers as Rebel and Lily stepped inside. Dim drop-hat lights cloaked the bar in shadow, leaving plenty to the imagination, and peanut shells littered the floor, crunching beneath the heels of their boots. The open space showcased an array of booths and tables all centered around an old wooden bar top. From appearance, this was little more than a hole-in-the-wall western bar, but Rebel knew better.The Midnight Coyote Saloon played host to some of the supernatural world’s most dangerous clientele. The previous incarnation of the bar, which had resided in downtown Billings, had been raided nearly a year ago by the Execution Underground, leaving the bar and its owner out of business. Rebel had personally offered the proprietor, a notorious warlock known as Boss, an interest-free loan to reopen in a l
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Lily shoved her way out of the booth. He was right. It was her fault. She’d come with the intention of helping her pack, but so far, she’d failed miserably. As Lily beat feet out of the bar, “Someday You’ll Want Me to Want You” by Patsy Cline played from the jukebox, the sounds of Patsy’s sweet voice ringing in her ears. Lily shook her head, still seething with anger. The woman had sure known how to sing those sweet hurt songs.Clutching the keys to the truck in her hand, Lily headed toward the back entrance.She had almost reached the exit when the blond barmaid drew her attention. “Hey, sugar.” The barmaid waved her bar towel to flag Lily down, calling out to her over the music.Lily paused, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t mistaken, but the woman’s attention was clearly on her. Lily hesitated. But from where Rebel and the cougar were now seated again, she was out of eyesight.S
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Two days. For two days Rebel had avoided being alone with her. Yet as he descended the mansion staircase, heading out to load the square bales into the hayloft, she cornered him.“Hold on a second,” Lily called after him.Rebel froze. Between his days on the ranch and his evenings searching for a new lead, it’d been easy to avoid her. He’d used Murtagh to update her on their progress, but he’d given the ranch hands an evening off. It was only the two of them inside the house, so he couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear her.She stood at the top of the staircase in that godforsaken nightgown, the one that reminded him of her moans as she’d pleasured herself.She was gorgeous—breathtaking, really—and Rebel wasn’t the kind of sentimental yeehaw who used words like breathtaking. But even from the bottom of the stairs, the electricity between them struck him harder than a bolt of lightning. She was ever
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Heat. White-hot and blinding. Lily felt it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, and she couldn’t get enough. She bucked her hips forward as Rebel drew her clit into his mouth. His tongue fanned over her, scorching her from the inside out. He’d lit a fire inside her, leaving her helpless with pleasure, and all she could do was enjoy the burn.If she’d thought kissing him had made her wild and dangerous, that was nothing compared to the feel of his mouth between her legs. She buried her hands in his hair. The shaved sides contrasted with the dark, silky locks at his crown. To bring a man like this—a dark, powerful wolf—to his knees…It made her feel alive, powerful.Free.His tongue circled and massaged her clit as his hand ran up the inside of her thigh. He eased two fingers inside her cleft, still refusing to release her from his mouth. The tip of one of his canines gently grazed her most sensitive flesh,
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Rebel tore from the hayloft like a bat out of hell, only pausing long enough to leave the truck keys sitting on the hood. Forget the bales of hay. He didn’t care if the rains soaked them to the point of ruin. If needed, he’d purchase hay come winter. At the moment, he needed to get the hell away from the loft, away from the scent of berries on her skin, the taste of her sweet sex against his tongue, andthe memories that threatened to destroy him.He’d known bringing her here would conjure up memories he’d rather keep buried, but he’d been willing to make that sacrifice. Yet he’d never expected it to be like this. He’d never anticipated being near her would hurt so much he could barely stand it. Every waking moment, he ached for her, wishing for what had once been. Even in his dreams, he couldn’t escape her. She came to him each night, the ghost of their past, and in his dreams, he didn’t need to lie, to pretend he
Wolf's Desire Chapter 26
He was wrong. Lily knew that now without a doubt. She’d sat in the hayloft for the past two hours with her sketchbook, working on her graphite rendering and listening to the gentle whooshing sounds of the evening rain. Night had long since fallen, yet she drew by the dim light of the barn lamps. The dark smith of the graphite pencils stained her fingers from where she’d smudged and shaded sections of the image. Aside from the rain, the occasional rustling of hay, or a long moo from the cows, silence was her only company. Tucker had taken up residence in one of the empty stalls below and fallen asleep.May glanced out the cracked barn doors to the truck. She’d considered heading back to the house more than once, but she wasn’t ready to face Rebel yet. The pain in his eyes haunted her, but now that she’d mulled it over, she recognized how wrong he was. She wasn’t ashamed of him. No more than he was of her, and it wasn’t her fault that t
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LILY WATCHED AROUND, STUNNED. ANTHONY WATCHED READY TO GROWL ATRose, but his face showed deep concern.“What do you mean?” Lily questioned, turning the heart-shaped locket over a few times to show how ordinary it was. As a sentimental keepsake, the locket was invaluable, but it wasn’t special in any other sense.Other than the sea breeze stirring the bougainvillea that grew along the porch, nothing moved, and no one said a word. It was Rose who finally jutted her chin toward the locket and spoke.“I suspect Moira may have wish Josua to procure it for her. May I ask what’s inside?”Lily undid the clasp to show how harmless its contents were. “It’s nothing, really. Just this.”She laughed as she said it, then froze. Why was everyone staring? “Whoa,” Harry muttered, taken aback. “Wow.” Hailey’s eyebrows flew up.“Ho-ly shit,” Jeremy said, drawing out
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LILY SMOOTHED HER HANDS OVER HER SHIRT AND CHECKED HERappearance for the third time. Her French braid watched fine, but her hands wouldn’t stop skittering nervously over her clothes. When she caught herself sniffing the air, she chuckled.“What?” anthony questioned, coming up beside her. The moment he touched her shoulder, her jumpy nerves eased.“Look at me, sniffing the air. Soon, I’ll be howling to the moon.”She hadn’t shifted yet, but she’d experienced a change the moment anthony had bitten her. That had been three days ago, and she was still tingling from the high. Of course, they had been shagging wildly at all times of day — and night — ever since.“Howling to the moon with me,” anthony said, looking pleased. The notion made her blood race. But then she wrinkled her nose andfrowned.“Yikes. We smell like sex.”“We smell like mates,&rdq
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ANTHONY WOKE SLOWLY, STILL NOT QUITE READY TO BELIEVE. A WEEKhad passed since that awful day on the rocks — the day he could have lost Lily. He could be forgiven for holding her close all night long and not wanting to let her go now that it was morning, right?“Mmm,” she sighed, snuggling near.Nola and Boris snuggled near too, and anthony sighed. But, hell. He could deal with a couple of hounds at the foot of the bed.“Heya, buddy,” he said, reaching down to pet Shelly, who didn’t even flinch. In fact, he seemed to like it.The little Jack Russell had spent the night on a pillow directly beside the couch — the plushest, biggest pillow to be found. It was huge, and the golden tassels at the corners made Shelly look like a goddamn maharajah. Ish had brought it over sometime after the fight, and Lily had spent the first forty-eight hours afterward fussing over both him and the hound.anthony watched up at t
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LILY FLIPPED JUST IN TIME TO SEE ANTHONY BEING THROWN AGAINSTthe rocks. His wolf body was battered, and Vucovich bled from several deep wounds too. But the grizzly had the upper hand, and it was closing in for the kill.“No!”She grabbed a rock and rushed forward, hurling it at the grizzly. The mighty beast flipped and growled at her, ignoring anthony. So she threw another rock and another. Each successive blow drew a greater reaction from the grizzly, who winced, ducked, and roared.One little part of her mind registered that she shouldn’t be able to make such an impact. That something other than pure panic might be fueling her. But then the grizzly came straight for her, and she froze, staring death in the face.Then Shelly — dear little Shelly, limping up like a canine Napoleon who didn’t know when to quit — sank his teeth into the grizzly’s back leg. The beast twisted around to anthony him away, leaving its
Wolf's Desire Chapter 53
LILY FROZE AS ANTHONY HELD OUT HIS HANDS, SHOWING HE DIDN’Twant a fight. But his eokay glowed in a way she’d never seen before, turning the hazel into a fiery brick color. They were full of anger, but full of regret too. Why?“This is our territory, and you know it,” anthony barked at Vucovich and McGraw. Then he faced Josua. “You have no idea who you’re getting mixed up with.” He jerked a thumb toward the road. “Last chance to get out.”Josua laughed. “Or what?”“Or die.” anthony’s sound was bitter and worn. The sound of a man who’d seen enough death and destruction for one lifetime.“Oh yeah? You’re going to get rid of us all by yourself?”“No,” anthony said simply as Jeremy stepped into view near McGraw. Gone was the happy-go-lucky jokester; this Jeremy was a furious warrior, ready to do battle.anthony pointed. “H
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A HEAVY SILENCE STRETCHED BETWEEN THEM, AND LILY WAITEDimpatiently for anthony to begin. Finally, he opened his mouth, ready to start, but then—His chin jerked up and to the side, as if he’d heard a phone ring. His forehead creased with deep lines, and his whole demeanor changed.“Damn it,” he muttered.Lily blinked. “Most things okay?”His shoulders drooped for a second, and his hands balled into fists. “Okay. No. Shit. I have to go check.”He watched at her for a long, hard minute, and she could see him warring with himself. He stand, reaching for his clothes, then took her hand.“I’ll explain most things, Lily. I swear.”He kissed her. She wish to kiss him back, but her mouth met thin air as anthony pulled away.“I swear, I will,” he muttered, pulling on his pants.She’d seen him turn on soldier mode before, but never as abruptly as
Wolf's Desire Chapter 51
LILY FLIPPED SLOWLY, BARELY OPENING HER EOKAY BEFORE SHUTTINGthem again. It was morning — she could tell that much — but she was afraid the previous night had been a dream. What if she hadn’t just spent the best night of her life wrapped in a perfect man’s arms?But that weight on her leg wasn’t one of the hounds cuddled up alongside, and she wasn’t imagining the tough, wiry fingers intertwined with hers. Slowly, she opened her eokay. Then she closed them again, exhaling in relief. She really was cuddled up with anthony, and she really had spent the night in that cozy loft with him.The clock showed shortly past six. anthony was still spooned up behind her, snoozing peacefully. Was he wiped out, or would he awake all energized? She experienced a little of both, though she had the sneaking suspicion the energized part might take over again and lead them into yet another round of sex.A huge grin spread on her face as she
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ANTHONY WRAPPED HIS ARMS AROUND LILY AND HELD HER CLOSE. Really close, the way you did with a dream you didn’t want to slip away. There was so much he wish to tell her — and so much he wish to hear her say. At the same time, he relished the sweet silence. He had his mate. What more did he need?Still, he was acutely aware that sooner or later, those words would have to come. Lily was right about having waited too long to have slept together. Had he waited too long to tell her about his inner wolf, too? “Lily,” he said silently, gathering his courage to spill it all at last.She smiled the sweet, hazy smile of a person who’d never experienced so satisfied. “Okay?”God, he loved her. Should he start with that?He kissed her shoulder, then her collarbone, and finally the upper part of her breast. Partly to buy time, and partly because he finally could. All those gorgeous curves, all that smooth flesh open for him to ex
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LILY TOOK A DEEP BREATH. NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE WAS ABOUTto do, but because being lowered by anthony was like floating through a cloud. How a man that powerful managed to combine gentle with urgent, she had no clue. But boy, did it work for her.It was crazy, how badly she wish him. How much naughty there was hiding inside the nice girl she’d always been.“I want this,” she said silently in an echo of her own words.She’d had a hell of a day, and her nerves were still on edge. But anthony made the fear fade into the background, and the more she touched him, the more her world filled with joy and light. So she fumbled with his shirt until he helped her work it off, and wow — there she was, flat on her back with an acre of smooth, hard chest above her. Her hands go right on smoothing circles across his skin, unable to get enough of him. How was it possible that they hadn’t gone this far before?Not far enough, a need
