Nightfall

by TK Lawyer

  By

  TK Lawyer

  Third Edition

  Copyright © 2021 Tamara Lawyer

  All rights reserved.

  Cover by DusktilDawn Designs

  All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved as permitted under the US. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, as the sole copyright holder. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to peoples either living or deceased is purely coincidental. Names, places, and characters are figments of the authors imagination. The author holds all rights to this work.

  Proudly published in the United States of America.

  - PROLOGUE -

  Mmm. He was good…

  He was also mysterious and dangerous, yet she was safe and protected with him. Except, of course, at times like this. Right now, she needed more than simple protection from his gleaming, golden-brown eyes, and the wonderful feeling of his hands. Oh yes, those warm, powerful, hands that could set her skin on fire. Hands that were roaming slowly, caressing every inch of her, unfastening barriers along the way.

  Tamara moaned breathlessly, while examining her current situation as he nuzzled at her neck. Somehow, Josh crumbled her resolve, in ways she hadn’t experienced before. She wasn’t used to feeling vulnerable.

  The familiar sound of her zipper opening at the front of her pants jolted Tamara back to reality, but she didn’t care–all she could think about was him. Him and those amazing hands. She wanted to get lost in him, completely.

  His fingers delved below, re-exploring familiar territory with ease and finesse, strumming her like an expert guitarist. She arched her back and sighed.

  God, he was incredible.

  Their bodies stuck together, as if separation was unthinkable. Tamara shivered, running her fingers down his muscled arms. He was strong, powerful, yet she knew he’d never harm her. That was an undeniable fact—as simple a truth as breathing air. If there was any left in the room, that is. Had their combined body heat chased out all the available oxygen?

  She’d survive, or perish, with a smile.

  Tamara re-focused her senses on the beautiful man above her.

  He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You’re not fooling me,” Josh teased. “You’re trying to play coy, but you’re forgetting one thing—I know you, Tamara. You’re not innocent.” He kissed her gently on the neck, and she could feel the heat of his breath against her skin. “You are sweet though,” Josh continued. “I’m going to enjoy devouring every one of your tasty treats.”

  A shiver of delight tumbled through her, kindling and arousing her interest, as his hands further explored the canvas of her body.

  “My soulmate,” he whispered, before marking her with a burning kiss. His beautiful eyes hid under heavy lids while his tongue planted wet, passionate caresses down her neck.

  Tamara mewed, gripping the bed sheet between her fingers and singing praises of his sexual prowess.

  “You’re mine. Mine!” her lover insisted in the heat of passion.

  His strong arms wrapped around her waist and drew her closer. He was a predator, but instead of fighting back, Tamara became his willing—very wanting—prey. Her body succumbed, arching, and calling to him like a siren, craving, and anticipating his dominance.

  She should be running from him, making a beeline out the door, but here she was, helpless, watching him and liking what he was doing, waiting for him to take her in any way he desired.

  Damn it, she was weak.

  She couldn’t help it—she wanted him.

  How had she become involved with a wolf-shifter anyway? In the beginning, he’d been, merely, a stray dog on her doorstep that snuck into her home. She took him to the vet’s office one year ago, and everything changed after that…

  - CHAPTER ONE -

  Tamara smiled at the silver-haired gentleman when he entered the exam room. Her vet’s compassion, kindness, and soothing words when he put her beagle, Zoe, to sleep were forever etched in her mind. The memory of Zoe’s last moments still brought tears to her eyes.

  The dog leaned over and placed his head in Tamara’s lap. How sweet. Did the dog sense her continued pain? She stroked his furry head and then scratched behind his ear.

  The vet smiled, while shutting the door behind himself and pushing his mahogany-colored reading glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Well, what do we have here? It looks like a stray found you.”

  She grinned. “Yeah, he’s been on my doorstep every day for weeks now. I was finally able to encourage him in the car. I’d like to know if he has a microchip.”

  “Well then, let’s see what we can find out,” the man told her as he crouched down and started his examination.

  Tamara eyed the dog nervously and tilted her head to one side. The dog mimicked her movement. “How old do you think he is, Doc?”

  “About five years old, I’d guess. Though he’s awfully well-fed for a stray. I really don’t find many in such great condition.” The vet continued to examine the dog, and then stepped back for a second with a look of confusion. “Huh…”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “What’s wrong? Did you find something?”

  “My dear, you do realize this dog might be a wolf?”

  Tamara’s back straightened as she squirmed in her chair and moved closer to the door. “What? Are you serious?”

  The vet nodded. “Yes, but he doesn’t act like one. There are also no wolves around these parts so, I’m not sure.”

  A wolf?

  Her heart picked up several beats before galloping at full speed at the images bursting through her mind. Her jaw snapped shut and she stared at the animal wide-eyed. The animal whined with concern as if sensing her distress.

  “He could be a hybrid,” the vet suggested. “It’s not unheard of. Many owners have wolf hybrids, and they can be good pets. I wouldn’t worry, especially with this guy here. He seems very calm and affectionate.”

  Tamara released the stranglehold on her chair and took in a calming breath. The dog whimpered at her feet again, and then slumped down to the floor. After a few seconds, he rolled onto one side and exposed his belly.

  “See? Now that’s a good sign,” the vet encouraged. “You know, I could be wrong about him. Some dogs look very much like wolves, for instance some German Shepherds, Huskies, and Alaskan Malamutes. Whatever breed he is, he sure is a handsome creature—his fur is nearly impeccable. There are no knots or clumps, which is what we’d normally expect to find with a stray, and his teeth are in good condition. It looks as if someone kept him, took care of him, and then dumped him somewhere.” The man stepped back to gaze at the poor dog sorrowfully. “That’s really unfortunate. He doesn’t seem to be aggressive, so I don’t know why he’d be homeless.”

  They both stared at the dog in curiosity for a moment, and Tamara swallowed down a lump forming in her throat. Out of fear or morbid curiosity, she wasn’t sure which, she couldn’t stop staring at the animal. “What do you think I should do?”

  The vet turned to her and shrugged. “That’s up to you, M’dear. He’s your stray. If you want, we can hold him back for adoption. He’s in such great condition, I’m sure somebody will want him and…” A heavy tail whipped the back of the vet’s legs, interrupting him.

  The dog jumped up, leaning against Tamara’s shoulders, and whined low in her ear. His desperate, soulful, eyes pleaded with her. What would happen if she gave him up? Tamara had a strong hunch that if she left him there, she’d be making a big mistake. Despite her rational side screaming at her, the dog…wolf…whatever he wa
s…belonged to her now.

  She scratched him behind his ears. “I think, maybe, I’ll just get the routine vaccinations for him.”

  “You sure?”

  Tamara nodded.

  The vet nodded with a smile and then stepped out into the hallway. “Okay then, I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

  She rubbed the dog’s muzzle with her fingers and smiled at him. “What am I going to do with you? You’re just a big sweetie, aren’t you?” Tamara cooed. “Do you want to stay with me?”

  The dog licked her hands until she laughed and held them up over him. He gently placed his head in her lap and looked up at her, his eyebrows alternating between rising and falling. He nuzzled her thigh and whined.

  “Hmmm. You sure don’t act like a dog,” Tamara mused. “It’s like you know exactly what I’m saying. But that’s not possible…right?” She looked over the dog one more time and shook her head. “There’s no way you could be a wolf, you’re too friendly.”

  He whimpered, lifting up with a nod of his head and one of his paws sprawled across her lap.

  Tamara giggled in spite of herself. “Aw, come on now. How am I supposed to say ‘no’ to that? You are too cute.” She stroked his paw thoughtfully. “And I’ve wanted another dog for so long now. Ever since Zoe passed away, my home has felt a little empty…like something’s missing.”

  Her eyes were focused on the dog, but she didn’t actually see him—she was lost in thought. Tamara continued stroking his paw for several long seconds while running through ‘what-if’ scenarios in her head.

  “It’s like it was meant to be, like we were supposed to find each other.”

  The dog pushed off her and barked. She wailed, jumping up high in her seat and turning as the back door sprang open. The vet entered the room, his hands overflowing with syringes.

  He turned to her, wide-eyed. “Are you okay? I heard a scream.”

  Tamara’s cheeks flushed. “Yes, sorry, Doc.” She removed her hand from her chest and placed it in her lap. “He just barked suddenly, and it scared the crap out of me.”

  The vet nodded in understanding. “He does have a strong bark, but that’s good. It’ll keep all the riff-raff away.”

  Tamara attempted a shy smile while she backed up into her seat. She could’ve sworn the dog winked at her.

  - CHAPTER TWO -

  Tamara exited the vet’s office with a sigh. When she and her new companion finally made it to her car, the dog rubbed his head against her right leg and whined in submission.

  She grinned at him. “Putting on the charm, are we?”

  Tamara opened the car door and pointed to the backseat. The dog leaped in, obeying her unspoken command, and settled down onto the cushion. He groaned and slumped down, his head landing between his paws. She chuckled at his comical demeanor and shook her head indulgently.

  Adding one more item to the growing list of pet supplies looming in her mind, she sighed, turned on the GPS and mapped the way to the nearest pet store.

  Now, if only he’d behave…

  ***

  “We’re here,” she muttered, after pulling into the parking space and shifting the car into park. One glance into the rearview mirror and she nearly jumped out of her seat. The contents of her purse lay strewn across the back seat and haphazardly spilled over the floor.

  “Oh my God, what are you doing?” she demanded angrily.

  The dog lunged forward. He placed his paws onto the middle console and leaned his face dangerously close to hers. The beginning of sharp, white teeth followed a long, pointed muzzle, ending in what looked like a sheepish grin. His warm breath tickled the edge of her nose.

  Suddenly, his jaw opened, and a shiny object fell onto her lap. Tamara blinked in surprise as she recognized the promise ring her last boyfriend gave her. Funny. She forgot she had kept it. The relationship ended over a year ago, and she should’ve pawned it, sold it, or tossed it straight into the ocean, but now the dog found it.

  Like a dash of ice-cold water splashed across her warm face, a flashback of her ex-fiancé, entered her mind. He broke up with her by phone, attacking her, accusing her of never loving him, and never knowing who he was. His cruel words stayed with her for years, even when she dated other men. She recalled the nightmares, begging him to come back, the lingering pain in her heart that he was done with her.

  Her ex-fiancé was her first love. The strangled pain enveloped her heart, threatening to squeeze it and suck the air out of her lungs as well. He was wrong—brutally so. A part of her ceased living when he left her.

  She held the sparkly solid object between two fingers and turned it in her hand, watching the three single diamonds shine brightly in the sunlight. As she did so, words began flowing through her mind as if someone was speaking to her—though no one was in sight except the dog.

  Her eyes widened as she stared into the amber-gold irises beside her, studying the animal with interest.

  I smelled a man’s scent. The voice informed her. Why do you still have the ring? You should have gotten rid of it.

  Where in the world were these thoughts coming from? Tamara knew they weren’t hers because the voice was distinctly male. It was almost like the dog was talking to her, but nooo…that would be nuts, wouldn’t it? She must have been overly tired…

  The dog snorted and huffed, turning his head side to side, seemingly disturbed by something. He growled and snorted and then the strange voice flowed through her mind again.

  I don’t like that you still have it. Are you still in love with the man who gave it to you?

  Tamara’s jaw fell open as she looked at the dog. “Who’s talking to me?”

  Wow. Did she just question the dog? She really was ready for the funny farm, all right. This dog couldn’t be speaking to her. He didn’t even move his lips.

  Wriggling her left arm behind her, Tamara swiftly unlocked the door. She threw it wide open and nearly fell out of the driver’s seat, trying to escape from the car and from the strange, possibly talking dog. The dog followed after, jumping out onto the pavement, landing partly on top of her. As she screamed, it licked her cheek and circled once around her feet.

  She turned to the formidable, furry being staring straight at her through the open doorway. Her raspy breath strained to return to its steady, normal cadence.

  Recalling what the vet told her, she grabbed the large-sized collar from the passenger seat and held it out in front of him. As if understanding her intention, he lowered his head and pushed it through the semi-open loop. She clicked the collar in place…or at least she tried to. Incredibly, it didn’t fit. Adjusting it to the maximum length possible, she placed it around his neck again. This time it snapped into place.

  She took several deep breaths and willed her heartbeat to slow down but, even so, she remained fearful. He was massive in size and somewhat frightening because of it. She realized he’d done nothing to hurt her. Yet…

  Her heart skipped a beat. She stared at the dog, running through possible scenarios in her head, wondering what to do. Thoughts and images flooded her mind.

  Maybe you imagined the dog was talking to you, Tamara heard the words flow through her mind and briefly wondered at their origin.

  She didn’t think she imagined the chatty one-sided conversation, but it happened so fast and now the animal behaved as if nothing had even occurred.

  Yes, that’s it—you felt guilty over still having the ring and remembered you needed to dispose of it.

  Tamara looked around confused. Who was talking to her?

  Then, to assuage your guilt, you started imagining talking dogs instead of getting to the truth of why you still have the ring.

  Whoever was imparting these messages to her was right. The ring, though beautiful, should’ve meant nothing to her anymore yet it still held much pain and grief just by looking at it. Her heart tightened and something squeezed it further, sucking out all the breath from her lungs when she stared into the beautiful facets of the object which had
once held much promise and hope. She was supposed to start a life with her first love. She would’ve done anything for him. Yet, he dropped her like tossed out garbage into a dumpster when she gave him everything including her virginity. She thought, if nothing else, giving him her body for the first time meant something to him. It didn’t. The strike of pain to her gut, from that fact, was indescribable.

  The dog stopped walking mid-pace and sat on the ground in the middle of the sidewalk. He seemed satisfied, pleased with something, and grinned.

  “Tamara, stop it,” she admonished herself. “You’re acting crazy.”

  She glanced around at the cars in the parking lot and recalled why she was at the pet store in the first place. She couldn’t waste any more time conjuring up stories of talking dogs. She eyed the mutt and frowned. “Are you going to be good? I can’t take you into the store unless you’re well behaved.”

  The dog looked up at her and blinked. Was she making a mistake by trusting him?

  Probably a big one, she grumbled to herself internally.

  Tamara unwrapped the leash and clipped it to the dog’s collar mere seconds before he tugged and pulled her from the car.

  ***

  Tamara unpacked her purchases, a pair of amber-gold irises watching her with interest. She shuffled through the rooms in her home while the dog followed, sighing as she moved, still unsure what to do with him. Compressed fur and a muzzle hit the back of her right knee, and her leg almost buckled from the impact.

  “Aaah!!” She waved her arms in the air, trying to steady herself. Turning her attention down to the furry cause of her distress. “You, you… dog!”

  She gritted her teeth, trying not to curse, and glared at him. Her anger switched to sympathy for the animal who cowered at her feet.

  “Poor thing. It’s okay.” She rubbed his head. “It’s all right, Sweetie. But don’t do it again, okay? You nearly tripped me; I could have gotten hurt.”

  Tamara walked into the bedroom, not expecting the dog to follow, but when he did Tamara wagged her finger back and forth. “Nuh-uh-uh. You don’t enter this one room without my permission. Understand?” She shooed him out the door with a stern look. “Get back.”