by Reina Torres
Loving Graystoke’s Heir
Howls Romance
Reina Torres
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of this author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or deceased is entirely coincidental.
Copyright 2020 by Reina Torres
No part of this work may be used, stored, reproduced, transmitted without the express and written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations for review purposes, as permitted by law.
Cover Model Photographer – Wander Aguiar
Cover Model – Forest Harrison
Created with Vellum
Contents
Foreword
Loving Graystoke’s Heir
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
About Reina Torres
Also by Reina Torres
Foreword
Just a few words to the readers:
I believe in protecting our natural resources and wildlife, not just in and around my home in Hawaii, but all over the world. A little over a year ago, I read an article about the Black Mambas, an anti-poaching group in Africa. And that’s when I fell down the rabbit hole of research. Or, maybe I should say, fell into the gorilla nest of research. I really admire the people who are able and willing to literally stand for what they believe in.
Creating my own anti-poaching group for this story was part of the fun and I always enjoy researching naming conventions of different cultures. So much fun with researching! And if I put all of it into this book, it would go on and on.
I’m playing hard and fast with locations of places and species in this story. It’s all fantasy. I’ve done my best to interject as much as I can of the culture of the area, but much like a Hawaii resident has trouble watching Hawaii 5 0 has to distance themselves from actual geography of the island, this story is going to be much of the same for anyone actually from the area of Africa.
I hope everyone will enjoy the spirit of the story.
Mahalo, Reina
Loving Graystoke’s Heir
he knew she could find him, because the connection between them is stronger than lifelong friendship... they were soulmates
Tamsin Ellery wasn’t the person Graystoke Environmental wanted to send to Africa on a rescue mission, but she was the one willing to go. Her lifelong friend, Donal Graystoke, the largest shareholder and CEO of the corporation disappeared while working to protect wildlife from poachers and trophy hunters.
It doesn’t matter how many people tell her that she’ll never find him after so many years away. Her heart tells her he’s still alive. And she loves him too much to ever give up.
To protect the only person he loved, Donal Graystoke lost himself in Africa, believing that he was losing his mind. Instead, he discovered that what he carried within him was a gift rather than a disease. Harnessing the power of nature, shifting into the form and majesty of a gorilla, gave him a new mission in life.
Just as Donal and Tamsin reconnect, danger isn’t far behind. Could fate be so cruel to take away their future before it even begins.
Chapter One
Once the plane was over the Atlantic Ocean and lunch had been served, Tamsin Ellery caught the eye of the main crew attendant. “Edward?”
He was at her side in a few steps, crouching down beside her seat to look her in the eye. “Yes, Miss?”
She smiled at him. “I’m never going to get you to call me Tamsin, am I?”
He shook his head. “I am sorry, Miss, but there are rules. And even though I know that you wouldn’t mind, Graystoke Environmental Incorporated Crew Guidelines spell out the expectations for our behavior.”
“I am sorry for that.” She sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. “As soon as I get back to the offices, I’m going to see what I can do to change it.”
He shook his head and the set of his features changed; his forehead furrowed with concern. “No worries, Miss. You have quite a bit on your mind right now. Still no news about Mister Graystoke?”
Smiling at his genuine concern, she sighed. “Nothing new. The investigators sent a report that said there have been sightings of an American in the area, but no evidence that it’s Donal.”
Edward sighed. “You’ll forgive me for saying so, Miss, but in a world as phone happy as we are, I would think there might be some photographic proof of where Mister Graystoke has been.”
“That’s what his uncle has been saying. He’s stopped just short of saying that Donal’s... that Donal is...” She couldn’t say the words. She could hear them in her head. She had seen them in Harold’s eyes, but even he could not be so cruel to say them to her face.
Edward went silent, and it was the kind of silence that was incredibly awkward. The kind of silence that said there were so many things that needed to be said, but people knew it was better to stay quiet instead of making awkward conversation.
He put a hand on her arm and gave it a gentle pat.
“Would you like some time to yourself, Miss?”
A rush of relief cut through her. Mustering up a smile, she nodded. “Thank you, I would appreciate that.”
“If you have need of anything, Miss. All you have to do is ask.” With those kind words, he stepped into the crew cabin and closed the curtain between the two giving her solitude and quiet.
It didn’t take her long to second guess the solitude. With the lack of other noises in the cabin, her mind was left to focus on the upcoming trial. No, it wasn’t a legal trial. Not really.
Her first priority was to find Donal Graystoke.
Just the thought of his name brought up his image in her mind. The last time she had seen him was nearly five years before, in the GEI board room after a particularly short meeting.
Donal’s uncle, Harold Graystoke, had been the head of the board since Donal’s father died. He was quite adept at controlling not only the board, but the lives of the people around him. Donal had been trying to wrest control from his uncle because he felt that the foundation was pulling farther and farther away from its mission.
The mission to protect and defend wild animals and their natural environments had been established by Donal’s grandfather Ephraim and continued by his son, Duncan. Harold had never really been a true believer in the rights of wild animals to a life unimpeded by the will of humans.
Given Harold’s lack of belief, Donal had suspected that some of the programs his uncle had enacted weren’t designed to serve their mission and he’d left to travel to Africa and make sure that things were as they should be.
At first, Donal had sent back reports, mostly to her as she was his proxy while he was gone, but those contacts became fewer and more time past between them.
Tamsin had refused to admit to herself that they were losing Donal. That the longer he stayed in Africa, the probability that he was going to return was diminishing.
The last straw had been a motion initiated by one of Harold’s supporters. Lionel Enright had posited a motion to begin proceedings to consider Donal legally deceased.
Tamsin had fought them using Donal’s proxy, but even though Donal was the single largest shareholder and had supporters on the board, Lionel and Harold together had made arguments that seemed to resonate with a few of the swing voters in the middle.
Those that were undecided didn’t want to make a rush to judgement, but they had agreed that because they h
adn’t heard from Donal at all in nearly a year, and the dangerous conditions in the area that he had been focusing on, the likelihood was that Donal might just be lost to them for good.
When Harold had reminded them that paid investigators had been searching for him the last six months, more of the board were leaning towards Harold’s suggestion.
That was until Tamsin had spoken up, earning herself a hard look from Donal’s uncle.
“You can’t go.” He’d scoffed at the idea and a few of the men surrounding the table had joined him in challenging the idea. “A woman traveling alone in Africa? You won’t be there for a day before someone takes advantage of you, and even if you manage to comport yourself as a young intelligent woman, you’ll find yourself a victim of kidnappers or traffickers or something less seemly.”
“Less seemly?” She’d barely managed to keep her temper in check. Harold’s ability to continue to live in the past was well known. The fact that Donal had left her in charge of his interests had been tantamount to an insult. So, she thought to leverage his anger into action. “I’m sure you’ll agree that I have the closest connection to Donal in both age and education. I believe that I have the best chance of finding him. And,” she continued on before Harold could fill his lungs with air, “as Donal’s proxy I don’t need your approval. I am merely letting all of you know my intent. I am going to Africa, and I intend to find Donal and bring him back. Until I return there will be no more talk of declaring him gone. Am I understood?”
Oh, she knew how much Harold hated the sound of her voice, but the fact that she wasn’t even arguing with him, but stepping over his objections had the very effect she was hoping for.
“We are not children for you to school, Tamsin. We will be waiting for word of your success.”
And that’s why she was on the GEI jet, winging her way to Africa, because she was the last chance to find Donal. She couldn’t say how she knew that he was alive, or how she felt so sure that she could find him, but she knew she would.
She had to.
She couldn’t possibly fail.
She loved Donal. Not just as a friend, or someone she had known since they were children in school. Donal was everything she’d always wanted and everything she dreamed that she could have.
And she blamed herself for letting him go without more of a fight. Blamed herself for not going with him.
She just blamed herself for a lot of things, and to make up for it, she was going to find him no matter what it took.
Harold Graystoke stared at the screen of his phone. Normally he considered it a worthless piece of metal, a waste of time, but there were times when he needed it for business. And the message displayed on his screen made him angry.
THE JET IS GONE
He repeated the message to himself a few times, letting his anger build to rage and from that rage, blinding hate.
Tightening his meaty hand around the device, he squeezed and squeezed until he was sure he’d break the phone or a bone in his hand.
Harold jammed his finger against the screen, and it rang loudly in the solitude of his office. The answer came in moments.
“Yes, sir?”
“Explain yourself, Vogel.”
“Sir, there was nothing I could do. By the time I arrived, the ground crew told me that the jet had left almost two hours ago. There was no indication that they were planning an early lift off.”
“Tamsin.” Harold felt her name scratch over his tongue like acid burning furrows in his flesh. “This has to be her doing.”
“Would you like me to contact the pilot and have him turnaround?”
“And how will you stop her from contacting the board and telling them I went back on my promise to support her… field trip?”
There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, his voice forcibly full of hope. “Perhaps this is for the best, Mister Graystoke.”
“Explain,” he cleared his throat, “quickly.” Harold didn’t suffer fools well.
“I don’t see how you can lose, sir. She’ll go to the jungle, or whatever they have there. She’ll spend a week or two shopping in the cities once she realizes how hot and disgusting it is, and then she’ll come crawling back.
“We’ll welcome her home and hand her a tissue to dry her tears, and then at the next board meeting one of your supporters will call for a vote to remove Donal from the board. The corporate lawyers can begin the paperwork to have him declared dead. And the world will simply move on.
“Trying to bring her home would only create issues. Miss Ellery is loyal to your nephew and can be loudly so. This way she will have no reason to complain. How can she say that she didn’t put in every effort to find him? And once she, herself, has announced that he’s impossible to find, who is going to argue with her?”
Harold mulled over the thought, and then let it go. There were other things to worry about. He had to contact his business managers in South Africa. While Tamsin was there, they would have to be very, very careful to continue their operations depending upon where Tamsin was searching.
“That busybody is going to end up costing me a fortune before this is over.”
He picked up the phone and paused with his finger over the buttons as a sly smile crawled over his lips.
“At least, it will finally be over.”
At home, before she’d go to bed, Tamsin would run herself into the ground. Most nights taking a long, exhausting run around the property. She’d follow the fence line and progress all the way to the riverfront for a mile before heading back through the woods. It was there that she lost the rest of her worrisome thoughts.
She forced her body past the limits of her endurance, running until she could barely make her way up the stairs and fall into a deep sleep after her shower.
Unfortunately, such a luxury wasn’t available on a plane.
Within the confines of the luxurious cabin she felt herself struggling to relax. She felt caged.
The numbers on the reports she’d started to read blurred together and an ache formed in her chest. She stood and the papers cascaded to the floor, spreading out into a jumbled mess.
Part of her head urged her to pick them up and put them all back together, but there was a deeper need that drove her onward. Far more pressing than her need for order was her need for understanding.
She had a question that demanded an answer, and without the mind and body numbing effects of running, she was falling prey to the worry in her soul.
What had she done to make him leave her behind?
It was, she had reasoned before, the question of an innocent. She had a different way of looking at the world after Donal left. She had forced herself to realize that what she felt for him had obviously been unanswered in his own heart.
Still, before the moment she woke in her empty bed, she thought their bond unbreakable. That the connection between them had been more than childhood friends.
Turning the lock on the bedroom door, Tamsin discarded her jacket and slacks, draping them over a chair, before tumbling onto the freshly made bed.
As her eyes drifted closed, she realized her mistake. Thinking of him, being on her way to find him after all these years, had been like a magic spell, summoning him into her thoughts.
“Come with me…”
Maybe she hadn’t heard him correctly through the sounds of her own aching heartbeat. The thought of losing him for the year he’d planned to be away had turned her insides upside down.
“I need you…”
That, she’d heard.
The answer had been a resounding yes, and when his lips descended on hers, she knew it was real. Not a dream.
Not a figment of her imagination.
His kiss… kisses… had made her feel excited and scared at the same time. There was a need in the way he held her that she’d never felt before, and soon they were doing more than kissing.
She’d always stopped herself from imagining what it would be like to lose her innocence to Donal. She
wanted it, but she’d never allowed her thoughts to go there, afraid that whatever she might see in her head would scare her, warn her away from his touch.
His hands worked their way down from her cheeks, along her shoulders, down her arms, and before she could understand what was happening, he’d wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him.
Questions, so many questions, appeared in her thoughts, but every time their lips moved apart one of them would close the gap until she was talking to him against his lips.
It didn’t matter what she was saying, it wasn’t as though she was thinking.
She was feeling.
His hands worked their way under her blouse, and with his thumbs tracing up the front of her belly, he slipped his tongue into her mouth.
The sudden sensation had stunned her, opening her mouth further until his tongue had full reign to explore as his hands found her breasts and cupped them, stirring her nipples into hard peaks against his palms.
Tamsin remembered the way her very thoughts had stuttered inside her head when her voice hadn’t been available. Her hands falling to his shoulders to hold him in place.
She’d never had such a feeling before. Never taken the chance to touch her own body in such a way because good girls didn’t do such things.
But the way that Donal touched her, the way that he cradled her breasts and swept his fingers over their peaks made her feel so good… so loved… that she couldn’t deny him.
Couldn’t deny herself.
And before she realized what was happening and the lengths to which they’d gone, she found herself laid back on her bed with Donal bare beside her, face to face.