by Lori King
The Gray Pack 3
Legacy of the Wolf
Built like Vikings, the Whetstone brothers are a force to be reckoned with. As Beta Wolves of the Gray Pack, Rafe and Ryley are simultaneously two of the strongest men in the pack, and firefighters for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Twenty years have passed since their parents disappeared, and they dream of finding their mate, and having a family. They want to build a legacy of their own, but fate just dumped a big old monkey wrench in their plans by the name of…Shandi Martin.
Fighting cancer for her life, she was devastated when her boyfriend left her. So why would she want to risk her heart again? Facing destiny, she realizes that she stopped living to protect her heart three years ago. But when a mysterious rogue wolf threatens their new relationship, they are forced to make a choice. Can they accept a life with just each other, or do they need a family to be happy?
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 72,899 words
LEGACY OF THE WOLF
The Gray Pack 3
Lori King
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
LEGACY OF THE WOLF
Copyright © 2013 by Lori King
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-284-5
First E-book Publication: February 2013
Cover design by Christine Kirchoff
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
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DEDICATION
For Chris W who pushed me through the end of this book, and reminded me of the excitement that a new writer has for their writing.
To Siren Publishing, for making my publishing dreams come true. There can’t possibly be a better group of people out there.
For my children who brighten every day of my life. I would be nothing without you three.
And for all of my readers who continue to encourage and motivate me. I hope to always Live, Laugh, and Love like today is my only chance.
LEGACY OF THE WOLF
The Gray Pack 3
LORI KING
Copyright © 2013
Chapter 1
“Missus Martin?” The child’s voice was wavering and sounded unusually teary.
“Yes, Clara? What do you need?” Shandi turned from her desktop computer to see the small girl in the classroom doorway. Clara was an adorable little five-year-old with beautiful russet-colored ringlet curls, which were currently full of twigs and leaves. There were bloody scratches on the little girl’s palms and knobby knees. Tears were streaming down her cheeks to drip off of her tiny pointed chin. “Oh, Clara, what happened?”
“Marcus pushed me down! I was climbing on top of the biggest tunnel, and he started telling me how I was just a silly girl, and I couldn’t be the king of the mountain. He said only boys could be the king, and I–I–I called him a noodle head!” Clara wailed like a dying animal, and her tiny body was wracked with heaving sobs.
Shandi hurried across the room to lift the child up into her arms. Glancing at the clock, she grimaced. Recess would be over in just two minutes, and the representative from the fire department would be showing up anytime. She had been planning this surprise for her kindergarten class for a few weeks now, ever since they’d done their class lesson on fire safety and stranger danger. Now she would have to have another teacher pick up the class from the playground, as well as meet the fireman, because she needed to see to Clara’s injuries.
“It’s all right now, Clara. We’ll just run down to the nurse’s office for some Band-Aids, and then you will be good as new. You know better than to call names though, sweetie. I will have to have a talk after class today with Marcus, but don’t call anyone a noodle head again, okay?” Shandi said softly, trying to soothe and distract her patient as she walked the short distance across the hallway to the other kindergarten classroom.
Seeing her pretty friend Jennifer Shea seated at her desk, Shandi sighed with relief. At least one thing went right today, she thought.
“Hey, Jen? I mean, Miss Shea? Clara had a little accident on the playground, and I need to run her to the office. Could you collect my students for me when the bell rings? And the rep from the fire department should be here shortly, if you could just ask them to wait in the hallway until I’m back that would be great.”
“Sure, Miss Martin, I hope Clara is okay.” Jennifer nodded in acquiescence to Shandi’s request, as her concerned gaze scanned over the small girl.
“She’ll be fine, I’m sure. Thanks again!” she said as she turned back toward the hallway, but she stepped out of the classroom and immediately slammed into a wall of some sort. Both she and Clara hit the floor, crying out one in discomfort and one in surprise.
“Crap! Hey, are you two all right? I’m sorry about that. I didn’t expect to have two beautiful ladies come barreling out the door right behind me, or I would have been ready.” The man who spoke was
dressed in a full fireman’s uniform, and Shandi’s heart started to race.
Her gaze travelled slowly up from the scuffed black leather of his boots, over the heavyweight uniform pants that stretched tightly over muscular thighs, to the black suspender straps that rested on top of a navy-blue T-shirt with the Battalion 1 emblem on the chest. The thick uniform coat hung open, making his already broad shoulders look even wider, and the helmet sitting on his head couldn’t hide the blond locks of his shoulder-length hair. There was laughter as well as surprise in his blue eyes, and his full lips quirked up in a wicked little grin. That grin was like a shock of electricity that restarted her brain power, and Shandi remembered poor Clara in her arms.
“Excuse me, sir. I’m so sorry, Clara, honey, are you all right?” Shandi stood, gently reaching for her precious bundle. Clara instantly burrowed her tear-stained face into Shandi’s shoulder and hiccupped.
The fireman laughed, but then he seemed to notice the blood on Clara’s knees. Gripping her tiny leg to inspect her injuries, he looked concerned. “What’s this, sweetheart? How did you get all bruised up? And what’s the other guy look like?” he said, drawing a small smile from Clara.
“She fell on the playground playing king of the mountain. I just need to run her to the nurse’s office to get her cleaned up. I’m sorry I’m not prepared for you just yet. Do you mind waiting in the office until I finish with Clara? I wanted you to be my surprise,” Shandi said in a rush, and then she blushed hotly when she realized what she said. His smile was a foot wider, and his eyes held a hint of banked desire. “I mean my surprise for the class. My students will be very excited to meet you.”
For just a second, he looked like he was going to challenge her meaning, but thankfully he let it go. “I happen to have a lot of experience with bandaging bum knees, and I would be happy to help this little princess. Just think of me as your knight in a fireman’s helmet,” he said, and Shandi couldn’t keep herself from laughing with him and Clara.
“Are you a real fireman?” Clara asked, focused now on the big man.
“Yep, are you a real princess?” he asked without missing a beat. Shandi was amused at his teasing chatter, and relieved that he was distracting Clara from her earlier bout of tears.
She took a deep breath as she shifted with Clara, listening to their conversation. It was the wrong move as a delightfully clean masculine scent flooded her nose and shot straight through to her clit. Her panties grew a little damp, and she clenched her thighs together. To her surprise the fireman’s eyes shot away from Clara’s to meet hers, and his nostrils flared. If she didn’t know any better, she might have thought that he could sense her arousal, or read her mind.
“My daddy calls me princess,” Clara said with a nod.
“Well, if your daddy says it then I’m sure it’s true.” He winked at Shandi over Clara’s head. Heat filled her belly just from that gesture, and she felt her knees grow a little weak. Any verbal response she might have had was cut off when a second, equally hunky fireman stepped into view from around the corner.
“Two?” Shandi said breathlessly. The first fireman caught her raised eyebrows, and he chuckled. His laugh was a rumble that vibrated through her chest, and her stomach flip-flopped.
“Yes, ma’am. This is my brother Rafe Whetstone, and I’m Ryley. Obviously, we’re the volunteers from the fire department.” Ryley Whetstone was hot on his own, but paired with his brother Rafe, the two men were stealing the oxygen from Shandi’s lungs. She took in a wobbly breath and let it out in gush, trying to get a handle on her emotions and libido.
“Ms. Martin, I presume?” Rafe asked, as he came to a slow stop a couple of feet from the trio. The black pupils in his clear blue eyes seemed to dilate as his gaze traveled over her and Clara. Shandi would have sworn she could feel his eyes stroking her body, and she shivered a little. Shock was written all over his face, and she wondered what he saw in her that surprised him so much. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but it looks like it’s a bit full. I can take her for you,” he said, indicating Clara.
“Oh no, I’m all right, but I do need to hurry Clara to the nurse’s office. The bell will be ringing any minute for the end of recess. It’s nice to meet both of you. I didn’t realize when the fire chief said he would send a representative that he meant actual firemen,” Shandi said as they all walked back down the hallway toward the front of the school.
“We like to do this sort of thing. The kids always get a kick out of it, and so do we. We even brought along the smaller of the two Battalion 1 trucks. That way the kids could climb up on it and see what it feels like to be a fireman,” Ryley explained.
For some reason Shandi got the feeling that the two brothers were assessing her, like they would a wine they intended to taste. It was a ridiculous notion, considering she was more woman than most with her generous curves. She didn’t generally attract the attention of men like them.
Rafe was just as gorgeous as his brother. He had an oval face with a prominent, aristocratic nose, and just the slightest hint of dimples in both cheeks. They were equal in height at around six feet three inches tall, more than a foot taller than Shandi’s five feet two inches, and they were big. In every sense of the word. Well, at least the parts I can see, she thought deviously.
Ripped muscles bunched and relaxed under their uniforms, and extremely wide shoulders tapered down to narrow hips on both men. Rafe had a sandy-blond color to his shaggy hair, where Ryley’s longer hair was more golden in coloring. The pair of them reminded her of Vikings. What I wouldn’t give for some plundering right about now, she thought to herself wickedly.
“Do you guys have a dog?” Clara asked from Shandi’s arms. Shandi had to shift the little girl to her hip, because Clara was trying to see both men at the same time.
“Nope, sorry. No dogs allowed at the firehouse,” Ryley answered her with a grin.
“That sucks.” Her disappointed response had both men chuckling.
“Clara! You know better than to speak like that. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up so that we can go back to class and hear what the fireman came to tell us today.” Shandi forced her feet to move down the hallway toward the school office with Clara in her arms.
She couldn’t stop the butterflies in her belly as the two men separated and took up a spot on either side of her. She felt very small between the two of them, and it was a little disconcerting. Wondering silently if either one of them felt the attraction, too, she had to mentally shake herself for her irrational thoughts. It was probably just her lack of male companionship that triggered an immediate physical response to the first sexually attractive males she had encountered in the years since Jett.
Clara continued to chatter at both men, but specifically at Ryley while they walked. She had to hand it to them, they handled it like pros. Neither one flinched when Clara asked them if they wore their uniforms to sleep in, and they didn’t hesitate to playfully tease the little girl about taking on a bigger boy.
By the time they reached the nurse’s office, Shandi realized that her nerves had almost completely disappeared. She brushed it off as appreciation for the easy way the men dealt with Clara, and she stepped into the office, bending to set Clara on the end of the small cot centered in the room. As she stepped backward she landed against a wall of muscle, and two hands came up to steady her, gripping her hips. The strong hands relaxed and then moved in a soft caress that caused goose bumps to break out on her skin. Clearing her throat, she fought the urge to moan.
“Sorry, let me just grab some Band-Aids and Neosporin here.” Twisting her head to see which brother was holding her, she blushed hotly when her eyes met Rafe’s. There was a definite flare of arousal in his blue eyes before he released her, so that she could step away from him.
Holy cow! She had never felt such masculine strength pressed against her body. It was a deliciously erotic sensation, and a part of her wanted to do it again and again. Instead she forced herself to walk over to the cabinet and sear
ch for supplies. The Band-Aids were on top, but she couldn’t find any Neosporin. Realizing that a new tube was probably in one of the storage boxes under the cot, she dropped to her knees next to the small frame of the bed. There was a sharp intake of breath that had her turning her head to see both men staring at her with an intensity that twisted her belly.
Shivering involuntarily, she made herself look away, and groped in the darkness under the cot for the storage tubs. She heard another male gasp of air as she bent over to stick her head under the bed, and jerked backward smacking her head on the metal frame.
“Ouch, shit!” she yelped, pulling out from under the bed, and rubbing at the sore spot on her head.
“Missus Martin! That’s a bad word!” Clara cried out, as she covered her face giggling.
“Are you all right?” Rafe asked reaching out to check her scalp with his fingers. Shandi froze, motionless, staring up at the two men. Rafe stood directly in front of her, with one arm stretched out to assess her injury. On her knees like this she was eyeball height with the large bulge behind the zipper of his uniform pants. If she wasn’t mistaken that bulge seemed to grow under her gaze. Feeling slightly clammy with the heat in her belly, she pulled her head away from Rafe’s touch.
“I’m fine, just clumsy I guess. The Neosporin should be in here. Would one of you mind grabbing a washcloth from the bathroom so that I can wash her knee first?” Silently, Rafe nodded at Ryley, who turned and went into the small bathroom off of the office. Shandi turned back to the forgotten little girl, trying hard to refocus on what she had been here to do in the first place. “Clara, I’m sorry I said a bad word. I hit my head pretty hard, but I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s okay, Missus Martin. My daddy says that word all the time,” Clara said, giving Shandi a toothy grin. Unable to keep herself from smiling back, Shandi set up her supplies next to Clara on the bed.
Ryley stepped back into the room with the washcloth, and handed it to Rafe. Shandi watched in surprise as Rafe knelt on the floor in front of Clara. Taking the little girl’s tiny leg in his hand, he began to clean the wound gently.