Guarded By the Wolf: Werewolf Romance

by Luna Lucas

  And with that, he walked away.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Donna was walking home from Collin’s house one night – the night that she had broken up with him. She had decided it was too much trouble, apart from the fact that it was unfair to him. She thought about what Josh had said, like she had been thinking about it since he had said it. When she heard footsteps behind her, she didn’t panic as she would have once, but her heart started to race. She took deep breaths as she continued to walk, telling herself that it was probably just someone walking by.

  “If it isn’t Donna Sawyer,” a voice drawled from behind her. Relief flooded through her as she recognized the voice.

  “Josh,” she said, turning around. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was just in the woods,” he said, which Donna understood to mean that he had been in his other form. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was just at Collin’s place.” She started walking again.

  “How did that go?” Josh asked, sounding amused.

  “I – I broke up with him,” she said, watching his reaction.

  He raised his eyebrows slightly, which was the only sign that he was surprised. “Congratulations.”

  Donna was silent.

  “And… are you okay with that decision?” Josh asked, sounding genuinely concerned now.

  Donna nodded. “It’s better for him and for me. It wasn’t fair to either to us to continue the relationship.”

  They had reached her street. “Well,” she said, “I’ll see you, then.”

  “I’ll walk you home.”

  “You don’t have to,” she protested.

  He grinned. “I can’t tell you how good it is to have the old Donna back, the one who would argue about every little thing, and for no reason. But I’m still walking you home.”

  “No,” she said stubbornly. “I can go on my own.”

  “I know you can,” Josh said. “But I still want to walk you home.”

  “Let’s reach a negotiation. How about you walk with me until about twenty feet from my place?”

  “Will you ever stop being so stubborn?”

  “I’m not stubborn.”

  “See, you disagree with everything I say, just for the sake of it.”

  “I do not.”

  Josh sighed. “All right, twenty feet from your place then. And I’ll stay there till you go inside.”

  Donna wanted to argue, but she also wanted to go home, so she agreed. When they were twenty feet away from her house, she turned towards him. “You can go now.”

  “You go inside first.”

  Donna rolled her eyes. “Bye, Josh.”

  He watched her as she walked towards her house, with his arms folded across his chest. He waited till she went inside and he heard the click of the lock. “I know you’re there,” he said softly, without looking away from the house.

  He heard a shuffling sound from his right side as the man stepped forward. He had felt their presence – the presence of vampires – around the place when he had been in his wolf state. That was the reason he had decided to wait outside Collin’s place for Donna since he knew that was where she probably was. He turned around to face the vampire whom, he saw, was as tall as him, with dark black hair that fell to his shoulders.

  “And what are you doing, talking to one of our future recruits, Josh Parker?” the man demanded. Josh wasn’t surprised that this man knew his name – the Parkers were one of the most powerful werewolf families, so it wasn’t uncommon for people to recognize him at first sight.

  “What are you doing following my friend?” he shot back, taking a step forward.

  “Your friend?” the man said, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

  “Don’t think she’s all alone just because her father isn’t around anymore. She has friends – werewolf friends – all around her who would notice if she disappeared and would be more than willing to investigate.”

  The man seemed to think about this for a while. “Well, we were not aware of that. Nevertheless, this information doesn’t change anything. She’s a perfect match for our needs –”

  “Do you get your human thugs to try to rape all your perfect matches then?”

  “That was not intentional, but it doesn’t really matter because –”

  But before he could complete his sentence, a fist collided with his jaw. That was the last thing Josh remembered doing in his human form before he transformed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Josh was pacing restlessly around his room for what seemed like ages. He heard a knock at the door and, thinking it was one of the servants, he turned around to tell off whoever had decided to interrupt him during his angst mode. However, he saw that it was Donna at the door.

  “Would you mind if I intruded for a bit?” she asked.

  “Come in,” he said.

  “How are you doing? Sam told me what happened.”

  “I’m fine. The vampires won’t bother you anymore.”

  “That’s great. You almost killed a vampire. It’s quite impressive.”

  “I did, for you.”

  “Great. Then you should kiss me now.”

  He hesitated, as though hovering on the edge of something, before giving in and kissing her.

  She pulled him closer as he bent down, his strong arms wrapping around her waist. He broke the kiss, and she almost protested until he brought his lips to her neck, trailing them across her jawline. When he reached the spot behind her ear, her knees started to become weak. He moved back to her lips.

  “You’re shivering,” he murmured against her lips.

  “Your window is open,” she pointed out. “And I have a fever.” He moved his lips back to her neck and she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.

  “You have a fever, and you’re out in this weather, dressed like that?”

  Donna shrugged.

  “Let me warm you up then,” he said, trailing his lips along her collarbone now.

  She thought she might collapse from the sensations. She probably would have if he hadn’t been holding her up. “I’d like that,” she managed to say. She shivered again.

  Josh pulled away. “Before your fever gets worse…” He swept her up into his arms and walked to his bed, dropping her on it and pulling the quilt over her. “If we’re going to talk, I don’t want you to shivering the whole time.” He closed the window before returning to her side. Donna slid over, making room for him, gesturing him to get inside with her. He gave her a quizzical look before joining her under the quilt. He pulled her close as they lay back against the pillows, her head resting against his chest.

  “You were completely out of control last night, from what I heard.” She looked up at him. “It’s frightening.”

  “Does it scare you, though?” he asked.

  Donna shrugged. “Not too much. Do you attack everyone who makes you angry?”

  “Only in special cases.”

  “What’s the criteria?” she asked. He laughed. “I’m serious. I want to know what makes you completely lose your mind, like last night.”

  “I didn’t lose my mind. Look, sometimes – a lot of times – I get aggressive and violent. But there is always a valid reason behind it. You may not agree with those reasons or like them, but there is always a reason that I deem acceptable.”

  “You feel everything too much, Josh,” she whispered. “Pain, betrayal, anger, love, joy. You feel everything too much.”

  “I feel it all for you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. She rested her head against his chest again, closing her eyes. He tightened his arms around her.

  “Sam told me about what happened with Angelina. It’s frightening that you could do that to someone who was your friend.”

  “When someone betrays me for no reason, they lose all – and I mean all – claim to my compassion.”

  Feeling uneasy for some reason, Donna tried to move away, but Josh held her in place. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said firml
y. He held her until she stopped trying to move away.

  “It was a calculated risk telling you this,” he said. “But I want you to know who I am.”

  “Even if it frightens me?” she asked, resting her head against his chest again.

  “Especially if it frightens you.”

  She lifted her head to look up at him. His fingers trailed gently up and down her bare arm as they looked at each other in the dim light of the room. She reached up, closing the distance between their lips. The kiss grew heated, more passionate, more aggressive.

  “This is what I imagined kissing you would be like,” Josh said when they came up for air.

  She kissed him again. “But you had to be extra careful with me every time you kissed me. I noticed.” She kissed him again. “You don’t have to be careful anymore.”

  “I was hoping you would say that.”

  He hovered over her as he kissed her neck before gently biting down on her sensitive spot. She began to unbutton his shirt. He shifted his attention to her to her lips again, before kissing her all the way down to her waist. He ran his hand up her thigh.

  He paused to pull her shirt over her head. “Are you sure you want this, Donna?” He had to make sure.

  Donna nodded. “Absolutely.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  It was the end of Donna’s junior year, and hardly anyone could wait to be done with finals. Donna had decided that she would tell him after the stress of finals was over.

  The first night of summer holidays, Josh decided to show her a ‘special place,’ as he constantly called it. She held onto his back – in his wolf form – as he raced through the woods. She buried her face in his fur. After what seemed like ages, he began to slow down, and she lifted her head to look around. They were in a small enclosure at the edge of the forest. There was a thundering waterfall that fell into the river nearby. There were trees all around that it.

  She climbed off the wolf’s back as he transformed back into his human form.

  “This is beautiful,” she said breathlessly.

  “You’re the first person I’ve brought here.”

  He wrapped his arms around her from the back as she admired the waterfall.

  “I have to tell you something,” she said.

  “Yes, honey?” he said, tightening his arms around her.

  She was silent for so long that Josh thought she might have forgotten that she was supposed to be telling him something.

  “Josh… I’m pregnant.”

  She felt him stiffen. She ran her hands along the arms that were wrapped around her, a comforting gesture.

  “And how do you feel about that?” he asked tentatively.

  “I couldn’t be happier,” she admitted in a whisper.

  He whirled her around before pressing his lips to hers. “Then I’m happy too,” he said against her lips.

  She pulled away slightly. “So… you want the child?” she asked uncertainly.

  “I want what you want.” He tucked her hair behind her ear.

  She leaned forward, resting her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She could hear the soothing sound of the waterfall and could smell the cinnamon scent of Josh’s perfume. She closed her eyes.

  Perfect, she thought.

  THE END

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  Bonus Book 1 Description

  My Cowboy Hero

  By Eveline Hart

  A Mail Order Bride Novella

  Book Description

  “If you’re still breathing, then you can still fight.” That’s what he said to me. The words were like fire. They burned through me and lit me up.

  Mariana hated the thought of being married off to someone she didn’t know. Since he was well off, she thought she might be okay with it, but nothing prepared her for this. And now…she’s pregnant.

  Then there’s Liam. He’s beautiful and rugged at the same time. She feels so comfortable around him. And even better than his good looks and easy conversation is the fact that he makes her feel safe and loved. She never knew what love was until she met him.

  Liam thinks Mariana’s a bit stubborn and sassy, but that’s part of what he likes about her. He feels that the life she lives doesn’t have to be her fate. He plans to make her see that she doesn’t have to take it.

  Will Mariana get to be with the man of her dreams? Or is she doomed to this life she’s living?

  AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is not a full length novel. It is a Western Romance novella of about 25,000 words, or 220 pages in a large print book.

  MY COWBOY HERO

  By Eveline Hart

  Chapter One

  “You certainly have a beautiful daughter, Arnold.”

  From a very young age, that’s what people always said about me. The comments echoed in my head like a mantra. I was beautiful, and my brother was strong and handsome. Those words and those expectations set the stage for the rest of my life.

  I came from a wealthy family who expected me to conduct myself like a lady. I was to sit quietly, my ankles crossed, and my body strapped into a corset I could barely breathe in. When men cast lustful glances in my direction, I was expected to smile sweetly and accept it because one day, one of those men might be my husband.

  My father was one of the first men to settle California, and he built an empire on the gold he fished out of rivers and dug out of the ground. He spent his younger years working himself into the ground, and it all paid off. We had a vast fortune and neither I, nor my brother, ever knew anything other than luxury.

  Many men made their fortunes out west. It was a thriving society that easily rivaled the East in terms of culture and extravagance, and I was right in the center of it all. I spent my youth going to dances and being paraded in front of men with round bellies, lecherous desires, and heavy pockets. I was a commodity before I even understood what my lot in life was going to be.

  My long, golden hair and emerald eyes made men turn their heads. My ivory skin was closely protected by my mother who rarely let me go outside and never without a hat. She wanted to keep my skin as smooth and white as porcelain. My delicate figure was guarded just as closely. I ate very little and when I did, I took nibbling bites that never seemed to satisfy my hunger. My fingers were delicate and only good for pouring tea and stitching. Everything about me was delicate and borderline frail. My mother, who always held her head high, waist sucked in with a corset, always told me that if I wanted to be a true lady I needed to have a slight figure and robust morals.

  There was one other thing women were expected to be; stupid. No one ever said it directly, but I’d heard my mother say “books will be the downfall of women,” more than once. Even though my mother didn’t care for me to read, I did it anyway. I wanted to learn about the world. I wanted to learn more than cross stitching and the proper way to serve tea. I didn’t want to be a proper woman.

  I spent my entire life trying to avoid the trope of getting married and having as many children as possible, but I was never brave or confident enough to leave my comfortable life behind. I would watch women married to farmers and ranchers and be jealous of them, knowing I would never have their freedom. The only way I could fight my fate was to be as disinterested in marriage as possible, but that wouldn’t be enough.

  It was the day of my eighteenth birthday, and I shifted on the padded seat of t
he carriage, clutching a single suitcase that I’d filled with books. I was on my way to meet the man I had been married off too. I had not even known of the arrangement until my father sat me down at his desk and instructed me to sign the paper in front of me. It was a marriage license, and I knew I couldn’t refuse.

  That’s what brought me here, to this dreary mansion. The driver offered his hand and helped me out of the carriage, leading me to the heavy oak and brass doors. I lifted the knocker and let it fall, wincing at the metallic sound that was so loud it scared the birds out of the nearby trees.

  A tall, gangly man in a butler’s uniform opened the door and swept his hand towards a grand staircase. I watched as a grey-haired man in a velvet lounging robe waddled down the stairs. He was almost as round as he was tall and I couldn’t help the way my heart dropped into my stomach. This man, Reynold Harvey, made his way to me slowly, panting and out of breath by the time he reached me. It was clear he’d spent his time wallowing in decadence. The overwhelming smell of his cologne burned my nose and made my eyes tear up. I coughed and turned my head from him. That was the first mistake of many.

  “How dare you!” he roared.

  I flinched and looked up, gasping as his fat, sausage-like fingers tangled in my hair. He yanked me down until I hit the cold, stone floor. I yelped as pain shot through my knees, but the staff just looked away. It was almost as if they were used to seeing this sort of thing.

  “You will curtsey when you meet me!” he snarled.

  His yellowed teeth were bared, and every word that left his lips was dripping with hatred. I hadn’t been here but two minutes, and I was already considered a failure as a wife.

  “I-I’m sorry!”

  He yanked my hair again, and I screamed as hot, searing pain radiated through my entire skull. His eyes were fixed on me, his cheeks red from the effort it took to make it down the stairs.