Garden of the Wolf Box Set (Werewolf / Shifter Romance)

by Mac Flynn

  "Who wants some more?" she growled.

  Nelson snatched the tub from her. "Hopefully no one," he replied.

  Susie, her hands now free, jumped onto Nelson and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was shorter than him by half a head, so she dragged him down to her height. "Don't scare me like that again! I thought I was going to be mated to a fish!"

  Nelson smiled, dropped the bin and hugged her. "So was I."

  "Focus, you two. There's a war around us," Scott reminded the pair.

  Indeed, there was the usual carnage of a tough battle. Claws and teeth were bared, and fur flew as our side tried to make doggy treats out of Blackwood's side, and vice versa. There were half-transformed and fully-transformed werewolves caught in hand-to-hand combat that pitted former friend against former friend. The meek followers were caught in-between, but most managed to skirt the violence and reach their homes. They watched the chaos with faces willed with awe and terror.

  Among the chaos I saw shreds of hope. Frank swept through the crowds and his eyes fell on Stephanie. Their gazes met, and smiles lit their faces. They ran to each other and grabbed the other in a tight hug. It was a charming scene, but the exception to the carnage.

  Blackwood himself did battle with three of our allies, and he won. He was larger, stronger, and faster than all of them, and they soon ended up in a pile of limp bodies beside him. He whipped his head to and fro, and his eyes fell on our little group. A hellish fire lit inside them, and he let out an angry growl that echoed through the sounds of war. He tore open his shirt and revealed fine shoots of hair that sprouted from his chest. His arm and leg muscles bulged out and tore open most of his pants. He tilted back his head and his hair cascaded down his furry back as his neck stretched and snapped. Blackwood flexed his hands, and long, dagger-like claws slipped out from the end of his fingers. When he finished his transformation he was a hunched, fur-covered monster. Drool dripped from his fangs, and his yellow eyes glared at us with such hatred that I leaned into Scott.

  Scott slid me behind him and Nelson did likewise to Susie. Blackwood snarled and rushed us. His speed was almost impossible to follow. He crashed through a half dozen other fights, but they didn't slow him down. His target was Scott and me. Scott pushed me away from himself a second before Blackwood flew into him. I fell to the hard dirt and watched them collide a yard in front of me.

  The pair turned into two streaks of fur and torn clothes as Scott transformed to match Blackwood. They tumbled past where I sat and moved closer to the woods. Scott had the disadvantage from the start in that he didn't want to kill his opponent while Blackwood had every intention of taking Scott's life.

  Nelson jumped forward to help, but Celeste made her appearance. She flew from the fighting crowds and collided with him. They crashed into the wall of the well and the old stones didn't hold up against their weight. The wall caved inward, and they followed the stones down into the depths of the well. Susie dove for the new opening and stretched out her hand. She snatched Nelson's arm and slammed her hand into the ground. Her claws dug deep into the hard-packed dirt, and she stopped their joined slide into the well.

  I heard a cry of pain and turned to see Scott with his back up against a thick tree trunk. Blackwood's hand was around Scott's neck and lifted him a foot off the ground. Scott grabbed Blackwood's hand, but he couldn't pry open the fingers.

  "No more of your interference, old friend," Blackwood growled. He tightened his grip on Scott's neck.

  Scott flailed and clawed, but he couldn't free himself. I felt a swell of anger rise within me. My clothes stretched and tore as fur sprouted from my body. I flexed my fingers and hardly noticed as they lengthened into sharp points. Scott gave another cry, and like my earlier run I tore off the ground and raced towards my mate and Blackwood.

  I had no plan, but I did have a hard, stubborn head. I slammed that and my pointy shoulder into Blackwood's massive, hairy body. He was better placed than I guessed because my effort only moved him a foot. Blackwood swung around and swiped at me with his free hand. I ducked and rolled as Scott took advantage of my distraction and tore himself free. He dropped to the ground and slammed a fist into Blackwood's face.

  Blackwood stumbled back, but in my direction. He caught sight of me and figured I was a better target, or at least a prospective hostage. Scott swept past our foe and snatched me from Blackwood's claws. He pulled me five yards from Blackwood, tilted back his head and let loose a strong, loud howl.

  I heard the pounding of bare feet in the woods close at hand, and in a moment a shadow flew from the trees. The shadow wore the ruins of a flowered dress, and though it was small it tackled Blackwood with such force that he crashed to the ground. The shadow snarled, growled and clawed at him. Blackwood couldn't predict the chaotic attacks. He could only squirm and thrash beneath the thing. There was nothing very life-threatening about the shadow, but Blackwood was left preoccupied.

  I squinted my eyes at the creature and frowned. "I thought you said Platt was getting help," I reminded Scott.

  Scott sheepishly grinned and shrugged. "She was still in our care when we heard about the raid. I thought she might be useful."

  "How did you know she wasn't going to try to tear off your head?" I pointed out.

  "I didn't, but it seems to have worked out rather nicely."

  Our foes were outnumbered and their best fighter was busy wrestling an old woman. The sounds of war died around us and Scott knelt near Blackwood. "Do you surrender?" he asked our foe.

  "Get her off!" Blackwood screamed.

  "Do you surrender?"

  "Yes! Just get her off!"

  Scott smiled and gave a shrill whistle. A few of Scott's people appeared from the woods. They carried a large metal cage and set it down near Blackwood. One of the werewolves produced a thick piece of steak and tossed it into the open door. Platt raised her head and sniffed the air. She abandoned her mauling of Blackwood and dove for the meat. In a second the door was closed behind her, but she happily chewed and tore apart the steak.

  Blackwood sat up. He was covered in scratches, bite marks, and what appeared to be a rough hickey on his neck. In a thrice his hands were pulled behind him and secured with a thick pair of manacles that shined as though made of silver.

  Blackwood turned to Scott and me, and snarled at us. "You think this will finish me? That I will somehow change my mind and become like you?"

  Scott smiled and shook his head. "No, but perhaps a few years in a remote Pacific island might change your mind. I'll charter a plane for you and any others who still wish to follow you."

  Speaking of followers, Nelson and Susie came up behind us. Nelson had a dripping Celeste likewise chained. The rest of Blackwood's men were rounded up and seated in a tight circle. Nobody was dead, but some combatants from both sides were in need of healing time.

  Susie sported ragged clothes and a wide, gleeful grin. "Wasn't that fun?" she asked me.

  "I think that's fun I can do without," I replied.

  Chapter 6

  Scott turned to Nelson, who was the better in regards to condition. Scott was covered in bruises, scratches and gashes, while Nelson was soaked and had a few bumps. "Mind handling our foes for a night?" he requested.

  Nelson smiled and bowed his head. "It would be my pleasure."

  "And I'll help," Susie offered.

  My face drooped. "Maybe you should come back to-"

  "That would be wonderful," Scott agreed. I turned and gave him a sharp look, but he ignored me. Susie's idea of helping usually led to chaos, and there'd been enough of that this night. "We'll leave as many attendants as we can, but Miss Platt should return to the settlement with us for her rehabilitation." A growl from the cage showed she agreed. Or that she was angry. Or maybe still hungry. I wasn't sure which.

  "And what are we to do with the uncooperative ones tomorrow?" Nelson asked him.

  Scott grinned. "I wasn't joking when I mentioned the island in the Pacific. They'll survive there just fine un
til they change their minds." He turned to me and offered me a cut and bruised arm. "Are you ready to go? I have something I want to talk to you about."

  I raised an eyebrow, but accepted his arm without questions. A small group of Garden employees gathered behind us with Platt's cage between them. We followed the creek back to the Garden. The trek took over an hour, and by the time Scott guided me to his cabin I didn't argue about the destination. I just wanted to get off my feet and collapse into sleep.

  However, Linda came out of one of the smaller cabins and intercepted us. She wrapped herself around me in a strong hug. "I'm so glad to see you!" She pulled back and glanced around us. "But where's Susie and Dan?"

  "Back at the old settlement," he told her.

  She bit her lip and her eyes flickered to the ground. "And. . .and Blackwood?"

  "Scuffed, but he'll survive, as will everyone else," Scott assured her.

  Linda breathed out and smiled at us. "I'm glad to hear that. Even though I refused him, I still wouldn't wish for him to be hurt."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Refused who with what?"

  Linda blushed and her hands fumbled together. "I. . .I was once chosen to be Blackwood's mate."

  My eyes widened. "You and Blackwood? Together?" I couldn't imagine a more different match.

  "It was a long while ago, several years, before we knew the extant of Blackwood's madness," Scott informed me.

  "So are you still his mate?" I asked Linda.

  She shook her head. "No, the match fell apart when my brother and I moved to the lake."

  "So being someone's mate isn't permanent?" I guessed.

  Scott frowned, but nodded. "If the match isn't agreed upon by both sides then the union can't take place, no matter what the relationship between the werewolves is." He grasped my shoulders and guided me past Linda. "But if you will excuse us, we're very tired."

  Linda bowed her head. "Of course. Goodnight."

  Scott led me into his cabin and I gladly plopped myself on his comfortable couch. "Did you want something to drink?" he asked me.

  I lay on my back and set my arm over my eyes. "Some cocoa would be nice. . ." I murmured.

  He chuckled. "I was thinking of something harder."

  "Then make it with marshmallows."

  "All right, if that's what you want," he agreed. In a few moments I heard him rummage around in the kitchen.

  I dropped my arm and sighed. "Actually, I was really wanting to know what you wanted to talk to me about."

  His rummaging paused. "It's-well, it's about us." He continued his rummaging, but his voice was strained, uneasy. "I know you're unhappy on the lake. I can smell it."

  I snorted. "Am I like a scratch-n-sniff picture?"

  "For your mate, yes," he replied.

  That word again. I lay my head against the couch cushion and closed my eyes. "What does it mean to be someone's mate?" I asked him.

  "It means to love and cherish them for as long as you both live," he explained.

  "That sounds like marriage."

  "For a werewolf, it is."

  "So does it really last as long as you guys live?"

  "If both parties feel the same way about it, yes." The rummaging sounds stopped and Scott came into my view. He held a steaming mug of cocoa in one hand and a glass of honey-colored whiskey in the other. I sat up and he handed me my drink.

  "And if they don't?" I wondered.

  His lips pursed together, and for the first time I beheld a hint of fear in his eyes. "Then one is left with a very broken heart." He sat down close beside me and ran a hand through his wild, mussed hair. A sad smile graced his beautiful lips. "I suppose I haven't shown you the best of my world, have I?"

  "It doesn't get any worse, does it?"

  "No."

  "Then I've seen the worst that could happen, but what's the best?"

  Scott chuckled. "Our love-making is quite impressive."

  I rolled my eyes. "Anything else?"

  "We live to a great age." His eyes flickered to me and a sly smile slipped onto his face. "You would look stunning for quite a few decades to come."

  I glanced down at myself. "I'm not sure that's such a great thing for the world."

  Scott scooted closer and his sly smile slipped onto his face. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but your sense of humor gives me hope that perhaps you've made a pleasurable decision."

  I scooted a little away from him, but my blushing cheeks told my thoughts. "Maybe I have, and maybe I haven't. It's a big decision."

  "Your friend has already made her decision," he pointed out.

  I snorted. "You really want me to be like her?"

  His eyes caught mine and held my gaze. "I would rather you be like yourself and tell me the truth. Will you be my mate, or do you still wish to be free of me?"

  "I. . .I-" I turned away and bit my lip.

  Scott grasped my hand in his. "Please tell me," he begged.

  I closed my eyes and bowed my head. "I. . .I suppose I made up my mind when I saw you being strangled by Blackwood. All I could think about was saving you. I didn't even care what happened to me. I. . .I think-" I raised my eyes and looked into his. "I think it's when I realized I loved you."

  His eyes widened, and a joyful smile spread across his lips. He leaned forward and captured my lips in a strong yet tender kiss. I pulled away and grinned into his feral eyes. There was a hint of yellow in their depths. A rush of heat swept over me. It pooled beneath my legs and made me squirm atop the cushions.

  Scott wrapped his arms around me and gently lowered my back to the couch. "You smell like Blackwood," he growled.

  I replied in a husky, strained voice. "Do I?"

  "Yes, but I will take care of that."

  The possessive tone in his voice caused heat to well up inside me. My breasts swelled and stretched the front of my dirty shirt. He leaned down and his warm breath brushed against my neck.

  "You should get out of those dirty clothes before you catch cold," he whispered. His hands unbuttoned my shirt and revealed the top of my shimmering, sweat-soaked breasts. He cupped one of them in his hands and planted kisses on my neck.

  I moaned and leaned back to enjoy his touch. It was so soothing, so relaxing. My hands gripped the couch cushions and I felt my fingers lengthen and dig into the material. One of his hands reached down and unbuttoned my pants. His fingers dove beneath the waistband and he touched my hot, wet folds. I jumped when he brushed against my sensitive nub and my hands grasped his shoulders. I leaned my head back and my breath quickened.

  When I spoke my voice was a hoarse, quivering shadow of itself. "How can you do this to me?

  "Because I love you, and I know you want me to love you," he whispered.

  He captured my lips in a searing, dominating kiss. One of his hands reached behind me and cut my bra straps. The flimsy cloth slipped down my stomach and my breasts were revealed to his hungry eyes. He broke our kiss and dove down to catch one of the buds in his hot, greedy mouth. He slowly suckled me, and each teasing nip of his teeth sent pleasure tingles up and down my body. I grasped his head and reveled in the feel of his warm mouth over me, making love to my breast.

  The rest of him wasn't idle. His finger stroked my sensitive, quivering nub hidden between my wet folds. My hips rocked to his rhythm and the heat inside me built to agonizing levels. I shivered and groaned. The ache inside me was nothing like I'd ever felt before. It demanded he take me again and again until my voice was hoarse with my screams of pleasure. The ache showed me visions of our sweat-soaked bodies intertwined and heaving against each other in a battle that my alpha male would win. I longed to let him win, to have him dominate me and pleasure me.

  "Please," I groaned.

  He lifted his head and his yellow, lust-filled eyes gazed down on me like a pair of burning coals. Small bits of hair sprouted from his skin and I noticed his clothes were tighter than before. His voice was a mixture of a growl and a groan that excited my body with lustful promises.

 
"Show me you want me," he demanded.

  I arched my back and slid my shirt and bra off my shoulders. The clothes were tossed aside and I was laid bared for his hungry eyes. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared, but he held himself back. He fought against the feral demands that grew inside us both. We needed each other. We desired each other. There was nothing to do but give in to our carnal pleasures, and yet he still persisted in torturing us both.

  "More," he growled.

  I grasped the waistband of my jeans and slipped them down my legs. Now I lay completely naked beneath his eager eyes, and I reveled in the attention he gave me. His hand traced a path down my side and stopped on my thick, quivering thigh. His breaths came out in sharp, strained gasps.

  "So beautiful. . ." he murmured.

  I squirmed beneath his teasing touches. "Please take me. Make me yours," I pleaded.

  "Make you my mate?" he asked me.

  I tilted my head back and grasped the couch. "Anything. Everything. This ache is-" A rush of heat welled up inside me and I shuddered beneath its power. "Oh god, just take me."

  "I will take you and make you mine forever. Do you understand that?" he persisted.

  I understood. We would be joined forever. I would lose my status as a human and become like him. We would be mated for the rest of our werewolf lives and he would take me whenever we wished. I could live with that.

  "Yes. Oh god, yes," I moaned.

  The color in his eyes deepened to almost orange, and a sly smile slipped onto his lips. "Good."

  He tore off his clothes and covered me with his hot, slick body. He thrust his thick, pulsing member deep into me, so deep I felt as though we were one body and soul. His thrusts were strong and forceful, and each penetration stroked my small nub. My body trembled and strained against the onslaught of pleasure that threatened to consume my willing self. His hips and mine pushed against each other in a dance of lust that demanded satisfaction, and we were only to glad to give it.

  My transformation only heightened my pleasure. Each tiny hair, each shifting muscle sent ripples of erotic desire through me. My feral self dominated every thought and action. There was only my mate and I, and the need to let him take me again and again.