Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology

by Michelle Diener

  What if she resented me for what happened with Joan?

  She turned to face me and laughed. “Sounds silly, I know, but I swear that same wolf was here in the yard tonight. It growled at me until I hurried back inside the house.” She looked at the sketch.

  My heart thumped so hard it made me want to vomit. I slid my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together. “It’s not silly.”

  “Over the years, I often wondered what happened to him. I left so suddenly. Did he sit in the yard waiting for me to come back? Did Joan shoo him away or scare him with her shotgun.”

  I returned every afternoon in wolf form and waited for her. For goddamn years. Joan sat on the back porch in an unspoken truce. Then one day, she told me the girl wasn’t coming back. So, neither did I.

  My chest squeezed tighter. Joan wasn’t like the others. I hoped Mia wasn’t either.

  Now was my opportunity, the most perfect segue to tell her about me. If I shut this down and didn’t answer, I may not get another. I needed to go for it. To man up and tell her.

  I stared at our joined hands, amazed at how naturally they fit together while I considered my words. I didn’t want to come across too eager and blurt it all out at once. Where was the manual for this? Liam told Ivy when they were kids. Kids accepted anything, without judgement or bias. Adults? Not so much.

  I lifted my gaze to hers. “The wolves in the woods behind your house have been there for generations.”

  She frowned. “But it can’t be the same one. I didn’t think they lived that long.”

  “Once they reach adulthood, they age slower.”

  Shifters, not ordinary wolves.

  Her eyes narrowed. “But slow enough to still be here fifteen years later?”

  I nodded, ’cause words were a little hard right now.

  “I’ve only ever seen one here.” She peered through the kitchen, in the direction of the forest. “I wonder if he ever found his mate.”

  “He did.”

  My breath stalled. I didn’t mean to say that aloud.

  “How do you know?”

  Another tremor quaked in my gut, harder this time. My wolf was an impatient bastard. He wanted to show Mia too, I knew that. Showing her was the only way to prove it beyond a doubt.

  I hoped she didn’t freak out when she discovered the wolf she befriended all those years ago, the one that shouldered her pain every day, was the same man she’d gotten to know over the past fortnight. The man who loved her from the moment he first saw her in that window fifteen years ago and pined for her every day after she left.

  I squeezed her hand. Now or never. “I want to show you something, but I need you to keep an open mind.”

  “Okaaay.”

  Still holding her hand, I led her out to the back porch and flipped on the light. Shifting inside the house never ended well, wolves had a tendency to break shit. Plus, if Mia freaked out, I didn’t want her to feel like she had no safe place to retreat.

  At the top of the stairs, I let her hand slip from mine as I descended onto the lawn. She held back.

  I swallowed, trying to clear the big lump parked in my throat. “Close your eyes. Picture your wolf.”

  Your wolf. That sounded so goddamn good.

  She gasped, eyes darting to the far end of the yard. “Is he here? Do you see him?”

  My pulse wouldn’t let up. “Close your eyes.”

  She didn’t.

  I really didn’t want to shift while she watched. Not everyone took that well. Though, Liam did that with Ivy. But again, kids. This was different. If Mia left town again, I sensed she’d never come back. I’d never mate. I’d become the lone wolf I always feared.

  Shifting in front of her was a huge gamble. If she wasn’t like Joan…

  I lowered my voice. “It’s okay. Close your eyes.”

  Her gaze drifted between me and the forest before her eyes slid closed.

  I didn’t waste any time. The last thing I wanted was for her to open her eyes mid-shift and freak out. If this went well, we had years for her to watch me shift. First, I needed this gamble to pay off.

  I stripped off my shirt and dropped it on the grass.

  Mia peeked open one eye.

  “No cheating.”

  “If you’re planning to get naked, you can do that inside the house you know.” Her lips thinned. “I get the feeling it’s not safe out here.”

  Striding up the steps, I halted one step below her, so we were both eye level. Leaning in, I brushed my knuckles along her smooth jaw. “You’re safe with me.”

  I eased my mouth against hers and kissed her. Slow, gentle, and deep. A kiss I hoped told her we belonged together, that I’d waited for her. That I would wait another lifetime if it meant making her mine. Before I forgot why the hell I took off my shirt, I eased back and returned to the lawn. Mia kept her eyes closed.

  Tremors rumbled through my body and my blood heated. In case Mia opened her eyes again, I quickly stripped off the rest of my clothes and tossed them on the ground. My wolf paced back and forth, gearing up for the shift.

  This time I let it take control. Closing my eyes, I handed over the reins. Heat erupted down my spine, flaring through my blood. Quakes raged in every cell as I shifted in one swift motion.

  For a split second, through the sharp, tinted lens of my wolf, I saw Mia staring, wide-eyed before my mind blacked out.

  Chapter 10

  Mia

  I shouldn’t have peeked. I should’ve kept my eyes closed, but my pounding heart nearly made me dizzy. Noah acted so strange, and coupled with Thor’s behavior earlier, I wasn’t in the mood for surprises. My mother excelled at delivering them throughout my childhood. Never good ones.

  As I peeked, I watched him toss his clothes on the grass until he stood there naked. Completely naked. But before I had the chance to drool over all those muscles covered in ink, the air around his shoulders shifted, vibrations pulsed in the air. His head lowered as his shoulders twitched, his breathing became louder, transforming into a low rumbly growl.

  My heart soared. I knew that growl.

  Hang on. That growl didn’t come from my wolf. It came from…Noah.

  His body jolted, he keeled over at the waist and—

  In one swift movement, Noah transformed into a wolf.

  My eyes flung wide and I slapped a hand over my mouth holding back a scream. What the hell?

  Dizziness threatened to topple me as I gaped at the large black wolf on the lawn where Noah stood only a second ago. Recognition pushed through before panic took hold. Those eyes. The brindle patch on the wolf’s chest. The growl I heard.

  That wasn’t just any wolf.

  Thor.

  Gripping the banister for support, I crept down the stairs, but at the bottom, my legs gave way and I collapsed onto the step. My heart raced, nearly exploding from my chest. How did that happen? How was Noah, the guy I met in the bar last week, the same wolf I befriended fifteen years ago?

  How was this possible?

  Did my grandma know? Was this why she wanted me to stay here for the summer?

  Thor lowered his nose to the grass and whined. Just like he did earlier tonight.

  Oh, my Lord. This explained why I sensed a connection with Noah from the moment I saw him. We had met before, just not in person.

  I held out my hand and Thor padded closer, licking the inside of my palm.

  Once the adrenaline faded, a crazed giggle rose in my chest until it burst from me. I laughed so hard tears trickled down my cheeks. All this time, I thought a wolf was the only living creature who ever understood me. Turned out, that wolf was actually a freaking hot guy.

  I raked my fingers through the fur behind Thor’s ear. Once again, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.

  “I can’t believe you’re an actual person.”

  He lowered his head and leaned into my touch.

  As much as I wanted to sit here with Thor, I needed to talk about this. So many questions raced around in my head
. Some made me giddy, others caused a knot to form low in my belly. Now I knew what animal the hunter hunted.

  “Can you, you know, change back so I can talk to you?”

  The wolf whined again and angled his head for a better scratch.

  “Please?” I gave him an extra good scratch behind the ears. “I really need to talk to you. Not that I don’t enjoying petting you as a wolf.” Okay, that sounded so weird. “But as a wolf you can’t exactly answer my questions.”

  He straightened, looked at me, then moved back to put some space between us. I stood, holding the banister for support.

  Like before, the air around the wolf rippled, his head shook left and right, shoulders rolled inward. In one swift movement, beast turned into man and Noah was on all fours buck-naked.

  “Noah,” I whispered.

  He stood. My pulse raced. Not just because a gorgeous guy stood naked in my yard, but because I knew him. I’d always known him. I stared into the familiar blue eyes as all the pieces clicked into place. Why hadn’t I noticed the similarities in their eyes?

  “Are you okay?” Concern etched his face, deep grooves in his forehead.

  I couldn’t stop smiling. I mean, I should be freaking out right now. The wolf I befriended as a teen and the gorgeous guy I met at a bar were one and the same. Was that so farfetched to believe? Kinda. Though it certainly explained why hanging out with Noah seemed so easy and natural as though we’d done it many times before. Because we had.

  Besides, Noah secretly being a wolf was pretty damn cool.

  I smiled up at Noah trying to reassure him. He looked a heck of a lot more freaked out than me. “That was, hands down, the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

  His shoulder slumped with a heavy exhaled. “I’ve been wanting to tell you, but it was never the right time.”

  He acted totally at home standing naked in my backyard. Maybe it was a wolf thing? Either way, having all that golden-tanned flesh within arm’s reach sent tiny shivers dancing through my middle, centering between my legs.

  It’d been a long time since I saw a man naked. Even longer, if ever, since I truly appreciated the view. My breath quickened. He either needed to dress, or I needed to step back and put some space between us.

  I swallowed. “And now’s the right time?”

  He closed the distance. His body heat coupled with his wild and earthy scent, surrounded me making my head swim.

  “I hope so. ’Cause I’ve waited fifteen years to show you the real me and I don’t wanna screw this up.”

  My breath caught somewhere in my chest. “You’ve waited this whole time to show me?”

  He drew even closer, until only a sliver of space remained between us. I became increasingly aware of his nakedness. Not in a weird way. In a way that awakened every cell in my body.

  He cupped my jaw, smoothing his thumb along my cheek. Again, the touch seemed so familiar.

  “I haven’t just waited to show you. I’ve waited for you.”

  And there went my heart, flipping upside down and inside out.

  I was right. This guy could convince me to pack up my life in Seattle and stay here in the middle of nowhere. Fifteen years ago, I wanted to run away with Thor and live in the forest forever. Less than an hour ago, I told him we’d wander the earth together, never alone.

  The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. Thor hadn’t found his wolf mate. Man and wolf had waited for me.

  I flattened my palm over Noah’s thumping heart. It beat loud and strong, like him and his beast were one.

  “I’m…your mate.” I whispered the words, still unsure I comprehended their meaning.

  Did I imagine our connection? Was the story he told true? Did wolves wait forever for their mate?

  My breath hitched. Did the lone wolf on his wrist represent him?

  “Yes.” He held my face in his strong hands, searching my eyes.

  The world vanished.

  “That summer when you first came here, I sensed you in the forest and tracked your scent all the way to Joan’s house. I found you staring out that window. I knew the second I saw you. But I had to make sure it was safe.” His lips rolled inward. “Tell me you feel the bond between us.”

  Did I? I sensed a connection with Thor, the tug that drew me to the window when I first arrived. That same connection lured me to the yard every afternoon, desperate to see the wolf. I thought back to when I arrived at the bar, where a similar, if not the same, pull drew me to Noah. A spark had zapped through my middle the moment our gazes collided. Not a love at first sight spark, but something stronger, deeper. Ancient.

  I joked that we’d known each other in a past life, but this explained it. A higher power connected the two of us as though we were destined for each other.

  “I do.”

  I guess that was the right answer. The second the words were out Noah took my mouth with his. Hot, hungry, and raw. A kiss that wasn’t just the meeting of two mouths, but two souls finding each other after a lifetime apart. Yearning, need, and desire swirled together in one tumbling mess. Noah angled my head to deepen the kiss, drawing a soft moan from my lips.

  I embraced our connection, every sensation overtaking my body until it left me aching for more. Knowing what he was, that he stepped into my life so long ago, felt like I’d finally come home. No, not come home, found home.

  Noah was my home.

  He slowed the kiss before easing back, but kept his hands around my face, lowering his forehead to mine. Glorious sensations trickled through my body as a sweet ache built between my legs.

  “I don’t want to rush this,” he whispered.

  That made me smirk. “You call waiting fifteen years rushing?”

  “You know what I mean.” He kissed me again, a soft peck on my forehead. “We should talk first. There are things I need to tell you before we go any further.”

  I ran my fingers down his sides, grazing my nails along his waist, halting at his hips. His erection thickened between us, pressing against my lower belly. I figured I had two choices. I could step back, let him put his clothes on and we could go inside to talk. Or I could surrender to the intensity between us and see where it led.

  We only just met in person, but we’d known each other for what felt like a lifetime. We had plenty of time to talk later.

  I lifted my gaze to meet those glacier pools of blue. “The second I saw you in the bar, I felt like we’d met before. I sensed this connection between us.” I slid my hands around to his lower back. “I thought at first maybe we’d known each other in a past life, but that sounded too crazy. Turns out, the real reason was even more unbelievable.”

  His lips kicked up on one side, and that dimple deepened, making my legs weak.

  “I have lots of questions, but right now, I…”

  He curled a finger under my chin, lifting my gaze back to his. “You what?”

  “I feel like I was meant to come back here. I was meant to see you again.” I traced his firm, rigid abs, sliding my hands up to his chest. “I was meant to be with you.”

  Noah held my gaze for what seemed like forever, searching for something. A second, a minute, I couldn’t tell. Whatever he looked for, he must’ve found it because his hands guided my face to his and he kissed me.

  My world spun, blurring in a fierce collision of emotion. Longing, lust, and something else clenched my heart. I didn’t even flinch when he lifted me, locking my legs around his waist, and carried me up the stairs and inside the house. He paused for a moment, as though deciding which direction.

  “Couch?” I murmured between kisses.

  I had no doubt he could carry me up the stairs to my bedroom, but I was too impatient to wait.

  Still kissing me, he instead diverted to the nearby kitchen, lowering my butt onto the counter. Positioned between my legs, he trailed hot kisses down my neck as his hands slipped under my shirt. Every cell in my body sizzled, his fingers leaving a white-hot trail over my skin.

  Up went my arms
and off came my shirt. He threw it behind him somewhere. He kissed me again, harder this time. Gripping my butt, he lifted me off the counter and lowered my legs to stand. He dragged down my sweatpants and I kicked them off my feet.

  I panted like crazy, standing before him in just my underwear. In hindsight, I should’ve worn prettier ones.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, tracing a finger between my breasts.

  His thumb brushed over the fabric of my bra sending a wild burst of heat to my core. He kissed along my collarbone, dragging my bra strap down as his mouth trailed across my shoulder. In one impressive move, he unclasped and slipped off my bra, before continuing his kisses down my chest to my breasts.

  Before, when I said I couldn’t remember ever taking the time to admire a guy’s naked body, I also couldn’t remember a guy ever admiring mine like Noah did now. His molten gaze tracked along every inch of my skin, not just with lust, but with hunger, desire, and that look he’d given me earlier. Awe.

  My lower back pressed into the countertop, my breathing heavy. Noah was magnificent. Smooth golden skin, perfectly defined muscles. The tattoos along his torso came alive with every flex. My head fell back as his mouth continued exploring. He worshipped my body with kisses and soft gentle strokes, sending a wild burst of fire through my blood.

  His hands trailed down my stomach, hooking his fingers beneath the waist of my panties. Slowly, he dragged them down, planting sweet kisses along my middle.

  As he straightened, he slid his hand up the inside of my thighs, brushing the apex. The possessive look in his gaze almost undid me. I wanted him to not just touch me but devour me. Make me his forever.

  He gripped my hips and lifted me back onto the counter. With one hand on my belly, he gently coaxed me onto my back.

  His gaze dipped to my core. “I’ve waited so long to make you mine.”

  Oh, hell. If his mouth ventured anywhere near down there, I’d fall apart and never recover.

  I held my breath, the anticipation a sweet sinful torture. The moment his tongue lapped my core, I all but exploded. My lower back arched off the counter.