by Jane Jamison
“Do you remember the wolf you shot?” asked Dugan.
“Yes.”
He arched his eyebrows. “That hurt like hell, by the way.”
“You’re saying that was you?” She started to laugh, but cut it off at his look. “You’re serious? You’re saying I shot you?”
“You sure did, but don’t worry. It was only a flesh wound. Besides, werewolves heal fast.”
“Do you remember the other wolves you saw outside the house?” asked Harrin.
Was he saying what she thought he was saying? He wasn’t serious, was he? Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that what they were telling her was the truth. “Those were the three of you?”
“Yeah,” added Drake. “We were watching over you and it was easier done as wolves.”
“This is insane.” But were they the crazy ones, or was she?
“Haven’t you noticed some differences in the people in Fate?”
“I never saw one turn into an animal, if that’s what you’re asking.” She was trying to make fun of what they were telling her, but it was getting harder to do so. “You’re saying the others are werewolves, too?”
“Most of them are werewolves that have split apart into three different packs. Of course, our pack, the Shadow Ridge Pack, is the best pack,” boasted Dugan.
“But there are other supernatural beings in Fate. Some of them are vampires—”
“What?” Drake was taking the joke too far.
“And there are a few werecats, along with falcon shifters and a few other kinds of shifters,” continued Harrin.
She shook her head, still trying to deny what they’d said. She would have noticed if anyone was that strange. No. The people of Fate weren’t monsters. The men she loved weren’t supernatural creatures. It couldn’t be true.
Peculiarities among people were just a part of the normal differences between each person. Everyone was a bit strange in one way or another. Big eyes. Big ears. Sharp, pointy teeth. Bright amber eyes. But those could all be explained away and she’d done just that. No, she couldn’t believe they were telling her the truth.
Not until she’d seen it with her own eyes. “Show me.”
“Right now?” asked Harrin.
“Is there a better time?” She wrapped the sheet around her even tighter. What if they were telling her the truth?
“You won’t hurt me, will you? I mean, as wolves.” Was she really saying those words? And yet, they were deadly serious. She already half-believed them.
“No. We’ll still know who you are when we’re in our wolf bodies,” answered Drake, “but you have to promise you won’t run away. You have to stay on the bed until we change back into our human forms. Is it a promise you can keep?”
She nodded, unsure if she was telling the truth or not. “Yes.”
“Okay, then.” Drake stood along with Dugan. Harrin joined them, putting them in a row. “Let’s show our mate what we are.”
Their mate? Is that what I’ll be?
The questions swirling in her mind were lost in the amazement swamping her. At first, she was sure her eyes were going bad. Their bodies seemed to shift, growths sprouting along their skin, arms and legs twisting into odd angles. She had to be seeing it things.
Then the fur came. Spreading like wildfire, it started on their faces and hands, then raced along the smooth, tanned skin she’d slicked her tongue over. She froze, unable to move even though fear stabbed into her.
But it was the sound—an awful cracking noise—that had her hitching her breath. Bones broke, hung limply for a moment, then snapped together in a different way like a jigsaw puzzle being changed from one picture to another.
Dugan was the first to drop to the floor, not as though he’d fallen, but down on his hands and knees. Drake went next as he twisted his head back and forth, his jaw pushing outward, distorting his features. By the time he was on the floor, a tail had sprung out from between his butt crack. Harrin’s growl heralded his going down on all fours.
She had to run. If she stayed, they’d attack her and tear her apart. And yet, she still couldn’t move.
Oh, dear God.
The rest of the change came swiftly, capturing their human forms and making them disappear behind fur, fangs, and claws. Before long, three very large wolves stood before her, their ears pricked forward and their tails wagging.
Her gaze met first Drake’s, then Dugan’s, and then Harrin’s. Although their eyes glowed and had lost their dark color to change to amber, she still saw the men she loved in their depths. The fear that had threatened to send her running seeped away as the wolves padded closer.
“It’s true. You’re really wolves. Werewolves.”
Drake lifted up and placed his giant paws on the bed. He whimpered, then rested his jaw on her knee just like her childhood pet, Duke, had done. Without thinking, she placed her hand on top of his head. The coarse hair of the outer layer of fur was rough against her palm, but the low moan, almost a purr, rumbling against her leg felt soft, even comforting.
Dugan scared her, making her yelp, as he bolted off the floor and onto the bed. He nuzzled the back of her neck with his soft, cold nose. She relaxed more and leaned into his large body.
Harrin’s pink tongue whipped out and slid along her other leg. The sensation tickled until he swiped his tongue off her leg and onto her outstretched hand.
“It’s really true. I see you, but I still can’t believe it’s real.” She wanted to pet them and find out where they liked to be scratched. They moaned at each caress, pushing their bodies closer to hers until she was trapped between the three large animals.
Several minutes passed as she ran her hands over them. They wet her body with their licks and nuzzled against her. Although not sexual in nature, she felt as drawn to them as she was when they were in their human forms.
At last, Dugan jumped gracefully off the bed and his brothers backed off. They moved easily, gracefully, yet she could tell that the room wasn’t big enough for their liking.
“Change back. Maybe if I see you shift again, I’ll believe it.” Not that she didn’t really believe they were werewolves. She could no longer deny what she saw.
They went through the transformation again and this time she was prepared for the awful sounds of breaking bones. Once they were back in their human bodies, they stood, twisting and stretching as though making their bodies theirs once more.
“Are you all right, baby?” Drake pulled her into his arms. His brothers encircled her, much like they’d done as wolves.
“I’m amazed, but I think it’s sinking in.”
“We want you to be our mate.” Harrin kissed her bare shoulder.
“What does that mean exactly?”
“It means you’ll be our wife, but more. You’ll be our best friend, our lover, and an alpha female in our pack.”
“And children? Are those possible?”
“They are, but it’ll be easier on you if you’re turned first.”
“Are you an alpha, Drake? Whatever being an alpha means.” She had so much to learn, but she looked forward to a lifetime to do it.
“I’m one of the primary alphas. Harrin is an alpha, too, but Dugan is still an omega.”
“An omega? Why isn’t Dugan an alpha like you?”
“An omega is a lower rank in the pack. He’s an omega now, but once he proves his worth to the pack, he can be an alpha, too.”
Dugan’s eyes flashed with anger and his jaw tensed. “It’s a stupid pack rule that needs to be changed. Just because I’m more fun-loving and not as serious, and because I’m the third-born, I’m not given the alpha rank.”
“Easy, brother. You’ll get there,” comforted Harrin. “In fact, after what you’ve gone through, you’ve shown you’re ready to become an alpha. Like I’ve always said, if you want it enough, you’ll do it.”
Dugan shrugged. “Yeah. Maybe. I’ll think about it.”
“In the meantime”—Drake gave Dugan a glare to silence him, then
softened his expression as he looked at her—“you have a decision to make.”
“I already said I love you. That means I’ll be your mate. What more is there to say?” She was excited to know everything, but realized it would take time.
“It’s up to you, but you need to decide if you want us to change you into a werewolf.”
“How do you do that?” The flurry of excitement in her stomach formed a hard knot.
“We all bite you. It’s a special bite that transforms you. I’ll tell you the honest truth. It’ll hurt like hell and make you sick for a few days, but it’s the only way.” Drake’s dark eyes met hers. “You can’t be changed back, so make sure it’s what you really want.”
“Yeah. It’ll make you sick as a dog.” Dugan shrugged at his brothers’ glares. “What? I’m not trying to be funny. It’s the truth.”
She could be changed. She could become a werewolf. Although she hadn’t expected it, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be one of them. “I don’t know what I want to do. Do I have to decide right now?”
“No. You can wait and get to know more about the pack.” Drake tightened his hold on her. “But until you’re a werewolf, even though you’re with us, you won’t be considered a true female alpha.”
“I understand.” Everything had changed so fast, she wasn’t sure she could handle much more. “But I need time to think.”
“We understand.” Harrin kissed her, the breath of his low growl flowing into her mouth. “Until then, we get to know each other better.”
She giggled as Harrin scooped his arm around her waist, picked her up, and flung her onto her back on the bed as though she didn’t weigh anything at all. Scurrying toward the headboard, she didn’t make it halfway before they were already on top of her. She giggled as they surrounded her again. “Is this what you call ‘getting to know each other’?”
Drake, Dugan, and Harrin gazed down at her. Drake’s eyes glistened with bits of amber. “Damn straight it is.”
She let out another giggle as they grabbed her, their tongues and hands already finding the perfect spots to touch her. Her laughter soon turned to moans of pleasure.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Jamison has always liked “weird stuff” as her mother called it. From an early age she was fascinated with stories about werewolves, vampires, space, aliens, and whatever was hiding in her bedroom closet. To this day, she still swears she can hear growls and moans whenever the lights are out.
As an avid reader, she fell in love with romance novels. Then one day, she put her favorite things together and found her life’s true ambition—to be an erotic paranormal romance author.
Jane spends her days in her home office surrounded by the characters she loves and the furry pets she adores. Often a new character will knock on the door of her imagination and spark the idea for another book.
Her future includes traveling, learning the art of photography, and writing more books. Thanks to her loving husband, she continues to turn her dreams into realities.
For all titles by Jane Jamison, please visit
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
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