The Wolf's Temptation

by Anastasia Chase

  “She’s lying!” she continued to protest. “That’s not her brother! Just wait and see. They probably have a pack, stronger and larger than ours just waiting for their signal. They’re going to come and slaughter us all!”

  “You’re hysterical, Shelly,” Titan groaned. He seemed more embarrassed for her than upset. She was becoming more and more irrational the fewer people started to care about her ravings.

  The only person she truly had left on her side was Taylor. He pushed Titan away from her, snarling at them all, “Don’t look at her like she’s crazy like we weren’t here to see what Shaw and Kristin did to Victor’s pack!”

  “I did what I had to do to protect our family, just like I was ready to do it again today!” Shaw stammered. His eyes cut to Taylor who backed away immediately.

  It didn’t stop him from pressing his accusations forward, “You’ll all live to regret this decision! She doesn’t belong here!”

  “What the hell is it with you two?!” Cara shouted, “Isn’t it enough that Cairo and I share the same birthmark? That our coats grow out in the same pattern? What’s it going to take to show you that we’re siblings and no threat to you or this pack?”

  “I wouldn’t mind seeing that coat trick!” Shelly yelled charging toward Cara.

  With her arms extended out, Shelly tackled Cara away from Cairo. Screaming and pulling her hair, Shelly’s eyes beamed wildly as she began to hurl her fists into Cara’s body. While it wasn’t the most painful sparring match she’d ever been in, it was the most annoying and Cara was sick of her.

  Cairo and Titan both moved to break them up when Cara shouted out to them, “NO ONE STOP THIS! We’re going to finish this once and for all!”

  “Whatever you say cunt!” Shelly shifted instantly charging Cara without warning. Biting into her side, Cara howled in pain as she let herself change as well. Her light brown wolf was fully recovered from that bite and it pissed her off.

  Cara shook Shelly loose off her fur and attacked her, claws out and teeth gnashing. They swiped at each other and bit each other across the torso. A few rolls around and Cara had Shelly by the throat. As tempted as she was to clamp down and end her life, that kind of blood was something she didn’t want on her hands … or teeth.

  She released her from her grip, shifting back into her human panting to catch her breath and holding her side. The pain was agonizing as Titan helped Cara move away from Shelly.

  “That’s right! Replace me with your whore!” Shelly yelled.

  “Shelly that’s enough,” Kristin said in a calm tone, but it didn’t do much to soothe the woman who felt jilted.

  “No! You promised me! The two of you promised me he’d belong to me!” Shelly yelled.

  Titan turned around, “What?”

  Shaw and Kristin shared a look of shame and then hostility toward the defeated wolf. Kristin spoke as calmly as she could, “Titan, you don’t understand. It was after Danielle left. We were worried about you. Shelly was here. She was similar to her, but we didn’t know this was where you’d end up. We had no idea how you’d get over that. It was a promise we made to her years ago. We were only looking out for you.”

  “That’s a lie! Tell me that my life, my heart, my love wasn’t apart of some territorial bargaining agreement. Did you promise your first born son to the alpha of that pack you slaughtered?”

  “You were already promised to Victor and his daughter!” Shaw blurted out. “It only made sense but when he began to cross the line and threaten us! The audacity to threaten me! I’m a Finnegan, boy, I will do anything for those I love. You know that more than anyone else. And we haven’t enforced that agreement so there’s no need to get upset!”

  “Upset! No need to get upset?!” Titan shouted, “Look at her!”

  “Don’t throw your pity on me now,” Shelly hissed, “It’s only right that Cara wins. She’s great at everything right? Lover, fighter, mate… You wouldn’t have cared even if they told you. Your mind was made up the moment you laid eyes on her.”

  “That may have been true, but I certainly wouldn’t have treated you like you were the crazy one. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Can’t say anything until after you marked me. Your parents did insist that at least that part be genuine,” she huffed.

  Titan didn’t know what to say as he stared at his parents in disappointment. There were far too many secrets, and he was tired of it all. Titan grabbed Cara, with his arm around her waist, he whispered to her, “Would you do me the honor?”

  “Of course,” she murmured sweetly tilting her head to the side. The prick of Titan’s fangs, just under her flesh, marking her his mate for life for all to see was the final straw that made Shelly crumble. She broke down into tears and Taylor carried her away, shaking his head at all of them.

  Turning to his parents, they were just as exhausted, but still welcomed Titan and Cara’s union with open arms.

  “So I guess that means you’re not coming back to Myre Falls then?” Fang asked her.

  Cara glanced over to Titan and then back to her longtime friend shaking her head, “No. I think I’m going to settle down here for a while.”

  “Completely understandable,” he told her, “And what should I tell Paxton?”

  “Tell him that I’m happy and that while I understand why he made the decision he did, I can’t say that I’m not disappointed in him. I don’t care what happens with him and his mate, he can face the Council on his own. I had nothing to do with that and want nothing to do with it. I’m going to be okay,” she said with certainty.

  “Oh I know, Doll, I always knew you’d be okay. What about Cairo?” he asked her.

  Cairo strolled over to them after hearing his name, “I’m going to stick around and get to know the people here and make sure you truly are in capable hands. Besides, I think the young fella over there would like a rematch since I whooped his ass.”

  “Oh you wish, bro,” Chase laughed. “Anytime you wanna go man, let’s go! I’m ready for you anytime!”

  It was as if they hadn’t been trying to kill each other moments ago. But it was nice to see them kind of getting along. But she knew that even if Cairo stayed, he wouldn’t stay for long. This was the home she’d made without him. He understood that.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cairo was the talk of the pack as he wandered around the grounds greeting the members and exploring the dynamics between them. The Finnegan pack ran like a well-oiled machine. Despite how they grew to that size, it worked for them all. While he would love to find a place in that pack, he knew this was more Cara’s home than his own.

  Anna appreciated a single wolf roaming the pack as she stepped to him, “So how’s everything so far?”

  “It’s great,” he rubbed his neck. The scars from his battle with Chase were thinning out. “I don’t think I’ve been in a pack this organized or this big in a while. Our, well my, pack back in Myre Falls is definitely getting smaller. I like that there’s so much to do. I think I got a tough job cut out for me trying to find a place where I belong.”

  “Well you can stay here as long as you like while you do,” Anna winked with a smile.

  “Back off, man, I’m working on that,” Drew called out as he and Chase strolled up to them.

  “Working on what?” Anna chuckled flipping her blonde hair and batting her hazel eyes. Walking away, she told him, “You’ve got a whole lot more to work on than me.”

  “Ouch,” Chase laughed patting Drew on the shoulder.

  “Well, how about you guys come out for a sparring match then?” Drew suggested, “According to Anna, I’m not up to par.”

  “Well if you fight anything like your brother, you’re not,” Cairo laughed.

  Out in the clearing, the three didn’t set their normal rules. They simply smiled and laughed at each other before shifting and going head to head to head. The three wolves, two light brown, one mahogany, battled for bragging rights.

  Chase attacked Cairo first, but Cairo
maneuvered away from his attack, shouldering him back into a tree stump. As soon as Chase got away from him, Drew charged the newcomer. He was able to pin Cairo to the ground, but not for long as Cairo bucked and rolled forcing Drew to move away from him. Chase jumped back into the fray for another round, just to headbutt Drew by accident.

  Cairo backed away from them, letting the dust settle before he charged the two brothers. They rumbled against each other again, swiping with their claws but none of them broke skin. Drew finally got the upper hand, when Cairo pinned Chase, leaving his rib cage exposed. A clean shot to the body sent Cairo flying to the ground, but left the three of them exhausted and out of breath as they changed out of their wolves.

  “You fight like a girl, man,” Chase laughed.

  Cairo shoved him, “Whatever. If you mean I fight like my sister or any other female of this pack, I’ll take it as a compliment. But in all seriousness, you guys have a really rugged program out here. Any wolf who leaves here is definitely ready for whatever’s waiting out there.”

  “That sounds like you’re leaving,” Drew said with a hint of sadness in his voice. “With Cara being a sister to us, we like having another brother.”

  “Another brother who isn’t perfect like Titan, you mean?” Cairo smiled and laughed. They all did. Even with all that happened, he understood they were just defending their pack, their home. He would’ve behaved the same way, but the thing about it was… the Finnegan territory, as comfortable as they’d made him, it wasn’t his home. Both he and Fang were going to have to find their way back to Myre Falls eventually.

  Fang was the first to leave. He’d said his goodbyes and apologies for being a perceived trespasser. Cara even let a single tear drop as he hugged her goodbye. Even if it wasn’t the last time they were going to see each other, she knew it would be another long while. Hugging him tight, she tried her best, but it was futile as Fang left her with a few words of wisdom, “Love him with all of your heart, but defend your bond with all of your mind. Think before you speak and act. And when something doesn’t quite go your way, I’d better not see you back in Myre Falls. I’d kick you out.”

  “Oh no you wouldn’t,” she sniffled.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he told her. His voice was a raspy one that she knew she’d miss terribly. She said goodbye anyway and instantly began dreading the day Cairo decided he was ready to leave.

  Cara slowly made her way to Titan’s cabin. They didn’t have to hide and more importantly, everyone saw him mark her. She touched the raised flesh over her clavicle. Eventually, the skin closed and the scab faded. The marks were etched into her skin alongside some tribal ink. It was like a wedding band, but a bite instead. A thick dark ring was tattooed, with triangles as the band and inside each small triangle were the marks he’d left on her. Marks to tell their entire world that she was spoken for.

  Opening the door, Titan was laying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t even move as she came inside.

  “So what do we do now?” she asked him solemnly. She truthfully didn’t know. She’d never been around a mated pair before like the ones in the Finnegan pack. All of her examples of love were broken models that didn’t make sense to her.

  “Come,” he laughed holding his hand out to her.

  “That’s not what I’m talking about Titan. We can have plenty of sex. That I already know we’re great at,” she giggled, “I’m talking about us and this whole mated for life thing. How do we make that work? You’re so different.”

  “And you’re as stubborn as a mule but here we are,” he said still waiting for her to put her hand into his. When she did, he pulled her onto the bed next to him. “I want to show you something.”

  “I’ve seen the tattoo already.”

  “No, feel this,” he told her letting her fingers trace the tattooed tears of flesh. The skin was shaded a dark grey, but the texture was the same as the scar running down her thigh. It sent a chill down her spine. Taking a deep breath, Titan told her, “When I said that the last pack tried to take over and people got hurt, I was one of them. I didn’t just get my heart broken, when Victor made his intentions known, Danielle tried to convince me to join her and when I said no, she sliced into me like this. I couldn’t believe it. We fought and it all turned to chaos after that. Like my father said, I’ve paid for my mistakes.”

  “But you trusted me so easily,” she sighed turning onto her side.

  “Yeah, but you didn’t see that bear attack. That’s why the others don’t get it. They didn’t see you fend that thing off just to get shaken like a rag doll and left for dead. I’ll admit that I let their words get to me a bit, but if you were in my position, and Cairo was telling you one thing while I was saying another wouldn’t you lean toward Cairo more than me? Be honest!”

  “You’re right,” she couldn’t deny it and she didn’t blame him either, “I’m just glad this is over. So when do we build the extension? You know I’m going to need a massive closet, and a nursery and all of that good stuff.”

  “Extension?” he mimicked pulling her on top of him, “I love you, Cara. I know you’re joking and all but I would love nothing more than for you to be the mother of our children.”

  “And I would like nothing more than for you to be the alpha of our family,” she smiled.

  It was the only time she found herself okay with the idea of not being with the alpha of an entire pack. It was only after seeing Shaw and Kristin in action that she realized the magnitude of what went into a working spouse and partnership. It was a partnership she and Titan would have to perfect and continue to grow before taking on a pack of their own. She was happy to do it with Titan’s family by her side.

  Titan caught her by surprise when he rolled on top of her. His mouth pushed against hers a bit before moving down to her neck and even lower. She was beautiful. Her red hair splayed on all sides as he kissed her and traveled down her body slowly. He’d let his shirt slip off and his pants were already on the floor as he explored the contours of her torso. He made sure to touch, lick, or suckle on every delectable inch of her silhouette.

  The heat from the center of her thighs felt amazing against the palm of his hand. Titan kept kissing her. His hands slid under the lace, roaming over the softest place on her body. Cara arched into his touch as he rubbed her gently at first. The more they kissed the more he stroked her with his fingertips. She contracted around his hand, locking her thighs together with an immense amount of joy and anticipation for the future.

  Titan grinned mischievously, “Don’t clam up on me now. Let me inside of you, Cara.”

  “I already have,” she grinned relaxing under his weight on top of her. Cara was in orgasmic bliss. They rolled around, thrusting and moving together as one. Neither of them cared. The passion was unbridled as they threw caution into the wind just to envelope themselves in each other’s embrace. They’d been fighting for this peace, this freedom to love each other since the day she arrived… even before they realized what they truly felt for one another.

  Even though nothing with Cara ever went to plan when it came to matters of his heart, she found someone she could trust hers with and it was about time. The dynamic between them had been unmatched and they wanted to make love forever but forever wouldn’t last that much longer as Titan kissed her gently. Over and over again, he continued to push and pull himself in and out of the depths of her petite frame. Once he was sure she was satisfied, he released himself into her.

  It wasn’t the same as when she was being held captive. It was simple and right. Laying in each other’s arms with his fingers stroking her hair, the only sounds left to be heard were the words they said to one another, “I love you, Titan Finnegan.”

  “I love you too Cara Danish, soon-to-be Finnegan,” he laughed.

  And just like that, the woman who’d spent her entire life trying to land an alpha was able to find her mate. He was a mate who ended up taming the alpha within her. Her wolf’s lover.

  The
Dragon’s Mate

  Anastasia Chase

  Chapter One

  Evette Summers was not having a good morning. It should not have come as a surprise considering the way her life had taken a turn in the last year, hell, the last three years. She had received a diagnosis she didn’t want or expect ever in her life, considering her family history was rather clean of illness beyond her father’s alcoholism. Then, she had lost her husband of nine years, which might not have seemed like a lot to some people, but it was nine years she couldn’t get back or start over on. To make matters worse, that had been her second divorce, and there was no one to blame this time but herself.

  Traffic was a nightmare, and she cursed herself for not being able to get out of bed that morning. She had just been so exhausted, which left her running late to open her shop. And she needed to be there because the supplier was coming by to take the order, and the man opening, a newbie whom she had hired over the phone out of desperation to replace two of her best employees that had left for college, had no key to get in.

  Evette found herself both on edge and depressed at the same time. She always seemed to be down lately, but her doctor had warned her of that. It was just another symptom of her disease she had to deal with.

  In theory, she had plenty of herbs and tinctures to help her through her symptoms and to slow its progression down. She healed people with her natural remedies every day. It was why her business, though it was a small shop in a big city, was pulling in such a prophet. She put her money where her mouth was. Yet, she couldn’t seem to cure herself. She would never let her ex know that, though, since it would mean he had won. Evette would keep trying until she was paralyzed or dead.

  Evette glanced down at the coffee she had sitting in the cup holder; a chai latte with an extra shot of espresso. It may not have been the best choice, and she usually was not a coffee drinker. She felt it was not the best thing to put in her body. But there was nothing better when she needed a boost, and this was one of those times.