Wolf Ridge- Complete Series

by Jayne Hawke

  “Have you made muffins before?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Seriously? Never?”

  I’d grown up making things like that. I’d assumed everyone had. Given how well he cooked, it seemed natural for him to know the simpler recipes.

  “Seriously,” he said with a soft growl.

  There was the uptight alpha I was used to.

  I’d never taught someone to bake before, and it felt very weird given it was Cole. I was game to give it a shot, though.

  I walked him through the basic process of making muffins. He was exact in his measurements. Everything needed to be perfectly precise. I was a bit of a perfectionist, but I knew the limits and could be a little looser. Cole was having none of that. He made sure the flour was sieved within an inch of its life. Every weight measurement was done twice just to be absolutely sure. I hadn’t seen him be quite that ridiculous with his usual cooking. It was a little bit adorable, especially when he started to bite his bottom lip in concentration.

  We were just mixing the batter when I thought I heard something from the living room. I turned to listen. When I turned back, I found Cole was somehow covered in flour with a deep scowl painted on his face. I turned the mixer off and realised he’d forgotten to put the cover on. There was flour everywhere. I put my hand to my mouth and laughed. He looked absurd with the white coating his face and hair.

  “Oh, you think this is funny?” he challenged.

  I grinned at him.

  “Hilarious.”

  He took some flour straight out of the open bag and dropped it on my hair. His expression screamed mischief and challenge as he did it. How could I possibly resist that?

  I returned the gesture and threw some more flour at him. The next thing I knew, we were running around the kitchen laughing and covering each other in flour and sugar, with the occasional pinch of coffee thrown in for good measure. Cole cornered me with a handful of sugary flour in his hand and a triumphant grin on his face. He got in close and slowly sprinkled it all over my head. I pulled an expression of mock horror, but in truth I was delighted to see him relaxed and playful.

  To my surprise, his expression softened, and he placed his hands on my hips while he edged in closer, his eyes never leaving my face. I glanced down at his soft pink lips and watched as they parted slightly, inviting me to kiss him. My heart stuttered in my chest as he pulled me closer, a gentle motion that gave me room to escape if I wanted to. I melted against him and wrapped my arms around his neck, a gesture that felt as natural as running through the forest.

  Running my fingers through his flour-y hair, I stretched onto my tiptoes, and we leaned into each other. His scent wrapped around me, enveloping me in a feeling of familiar peace and happiness. His lips brushed against mine, a teasing glance. He smirked at me, his eyes full of challenge and predatory intent. I dug my fingers into his hair, and he leaned in once more, pressing his lips to mine.

  The kiss was slow and intense. What began as a gentle caress turned into something far fiercer as he claimed my mouth, and with it, a part of me. His hands moved around to my ass as he pulled me snug to his body and pressed his tongue inward encouraging me to open my mouth and allow him to deepen the kiss further. The world had slipped away. There was nothing but the heat pooling between us as I nipped his lip and allowed my wolf forward to leave its mark on him. He was as much mine as I was his.

  21

  THE WAY COLE LOOKED at me as he held me when we eventually broke the kiss made my heart melt. He gently caressed my cheek and gave me a soft smile that made his eyes glow with warm affection. I’d never dreamed that the alpha felt that way. He had been so closed off, it felt like it came out of the blue. When I thought back on it, I saw all the cues. We were inseparable in our wolf forms. It was a common occurrence to curl up together on our favourite rock and remain wound together for a couple of hours just enjoying our time together.

  I leaned into his touch and enjoyed the way our bodies fit together while I was filled with warm fuzzies. This felt right. Far more right than anything I’d experienced before. My wolf side gave a contented sigh somewhere within my mind. We separated and set about cleaning up the kitchen in a comfortable silence before we made the muffins, for real this time. His fingers caressed mine, and we remained close together, wrapped up in each other without speaking unless necessary. It was the type of evening I’d dreamed about but never dared hope to have.

  The look of pride on his face when he first bit into one of the muffins he’d made made my heart glow. He closed his eyes and practically radiated happiness.

  “These are good,” he said with a grin.

  “You’re welcome,” I teased.

  He laughed.

  “I’ll admit you might have had something to do with it...”

  “Oh?”

  I stepped up to him and ran my fingertips over his hips. He offered me a bite of his muffin, which made my wolf ridiculously happy. The sharing of food was apparently a big deal to the wolf.

  He was right. The muffin was just about perfect. Maybe I’d make a baker out of him, after all.

  Cole reached out and stroked my hair.

  “Thank you for bringing me into your world,” he whispered.

  I leaned into his touch, realising just how important baking was to me. We’d taken a big step together, and it felt incredible.

  I didn’t have any pretty words to return the sentiment with. We remained close together, just enjoying the comfort of being in each other’s arms. Sometimes it was better not to say anything at all.

  22

  I HADN’T BEEN ABLE to bring up the topic of the blood witches that night. We had slipped out for a run in our wolf forms and enjoyed the new-found bond and relaxation between us. Cole remained close for the entire run. While we did play as usual, there was a gentleness there that hadn’t been present before. We gave each other tender licks and small nips with grins on our faces. I felt as though I was complete.

  I didn’t want to ruin that. It was selfish, but I hadn’t felt such happiness and contentment before, and I wanted to hold onto it for as long as I could.

  Once Adam had been taken to work, and Briar was in her room looking into mechanics’ apprenticeships, I drew myself up a little taller and turned to Cole. A furrow formed between his brow, concern flickered throughout him.

  “I took on a merc job yesterday. To hunt down a trio of Aztec blood witches,” I said.

  Cole squeezed his eyes closed for a long second. When he reopened them, they were the pure liquid gold of his wolf. My jaw tightened and I braced myself for a big fight.

  “This time they will not survive,” he growled.

  I smiled.

  “No. They won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “You should know what you’re up against, Rosalyn,” he said as he strode towards me.

  He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me close. The growl remained in his voice.

  “They are far more dangerous than any other witches you’ve dealt with. Should one of their knives draw your blood, it will steal your very life essence.”

  Well, that didn’t sound very fun.

  “I’m talking to Amy about it later. There has to be some weakness or something we can use against them,” I said, resting my hands over his heart.

  Cole’s arms tightened around my waist.

  “I will not lose you.”

  I stretched up and gently took his bottom lip between my teeth.

  “No. You won’t,” I agreed.

  There wasn’t a chance in hell that I was going to be taken out by the witches who’d hurt Cole like that. I was a guardian, and I was going to protect the brooding alpha I was beginning to call my own.

  23

  Briar had greeted Amy with narrowed eyes and a muttered curse about witches. I growled at her, and she backed off. Amy shrugged and embraced me in a tight hug.

  “So. We’re going to dedicate an hour and a half to business talk, then the rest of the nigh
t is for ogling hot guys in the movies. Agreed?” she said firmly.

  I laughed.

  “Agreed.”

  “I’m up for that,” Briar said.

  “Everyone’s welcome,” Amy said with a grin.

  Briar relaxed and went off into the yard where Cole was waiting for her. I swear I felt his glare all the way on the other side of the house. He hated to be kept waiting.

  I made a fresh pot of coffee for Amy, and she began pulling out notebooks and her laptop.

  “Did you read my email on the stone?”

  I’d completely forgotten. It had sat in my inbox unopened.

  “I er... no?”

  Amy laughed.

  “I’ll give you the quick version then. Blood stones are like they sound, they’re formed of blood and hold magic far more potently than other stones. They’re illegal because they give the user the opportunity to control and steal the magic of not only the owner of the blood in the stone, but that of their entire bloodline.”

  My jaw dropped. That sounded like a ridiculous amount of magic and power.

  “Why would the Morrigan witches have something like that?”

  “I’m not sure. They’re warrior witches, protectors. They step in when a witch breaks the laws, and their punishments are usually severe. They also rock up when a dispute or war breaks out involving witches; their goddess decides which side they fight on. You can bet it’ll be the winning side.”

  That didn’t really match up with what Amy had said about blood stones. I put it away for consideration at a later time.

  “So what do you know about these Aztec blood witches?” I asked as I poured the coffee.

  I’d picked out a particularly rich blend from Brazil. It had a chocolatey richness that I adored.

  Amy sighed.

  “Not much. It’s not very often that you get Aztec witches. There isn’t much info that I can find in the archives about them. I can tell you that blood magic is verging on illegal. Witches are allowed to use their own blood in a ritual to give it power, but they cannot sacrifice another living being. Using dead blood isn’t really talked about because necromancy is one of those dirty secrets everyone knows about.”

  The more I learned about witches, the more I was glad I was a garou. Everything seemed so much more straightforward as a garou.

  Amy inhaled the steam from the coffee deeply and leaned around me a little to watch Cole sparring with Briar in the yard.

  “Tell me about you and Cole,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

  I shrugged casually and took my seat next to her.

  “He’s, you know, Cole.”

  “Mhm, and that’s why you’re glowing.”

  I elbowed her gently.

  “I am not glowing!”

  “It’s almost a literal glow,” Amy teased.

  “Fine. We kissed. A couple of times.”

  “About time! The chemistry between you two is off the charts.”

  I looked at her with a frown. Had I been so blind?

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Don’t give me that look. You guys have been dying to get your hands on each other forever. It’s good that’s it’s finally happening. You make a cute couple.”

  I wrinkled my nose. We weren’t a couple, were we? Was that how garou worked?

  “So these Aztec witches?” I said.

  Amy shook her head.

  “They seem to be the really illegal brutal kind. Some of the legal blood witches will use their own blood to scry and, actually, I’m not sure. They’re super secretive. These Aztec ones, however, look like they do the full sacrifice deal. You know, what they did to Cole’s pack. I think, but don’t quote me on this, that their gods require a certain number of sacrifices a year. If they fulfil that, then their gods grant them power and aid them in accomplishing their goals. In the old days, that would be a bountiful harvest, kicking the enemy tribe’s ass, that type of thing. Now it’s more making millions, getting around the pesky laws that make them pay taxes, that type of thing.”

  The idea of sacrificing people just to make more money wasn’t something I could get my head around. It was so extreme.

  Amy took a sip of her coffee.

  “They come from a different time. There are rumours they’re the longest-lived of the witches. I’m not excusing them, but their thought patterns and morals aren’t the same as ours. They don’t view life the way we do.”

  I curled my lip. That was still no excuse. If they tried to sacrifice a garou or so much as looked at Cole, I’d end them.

  24

  AMY HAD CRASHED OUT on our couch after we’d stayed up until three AM watching movies with the siblings. Cole joined us during the third movie. He pulled me close and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I almost fell asleep with my head on his chest listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat.

  When I got up the following morning, Briar was dressed smartly and was butchering some waffles. They were burnt and falling apart, but she was trying. Much like when Jake used to pull out the good maple syrup, I knew she wanted something. My gut twisted at the thought of Jake. He was off who knew where. I hoped that he was safe and well.

  I saved the waffle maker from Briar.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  She looked down at the burnt lumps of waffle on the plate near her.

  “I found a place with an opening for an apprenticeship,” she said quietly.

  “And...?”

  I was waiting for the bad news.

  “I need a ride.”

  I narrowed my eyes.

  “That’s it?”

  “Yea. I could walk, but I’d mess up my nice shoes. I want to make a good impression.”

  “Adam can drive you later. We’re picking up his car in thirty minutes,” Cole said as he walked into the kitchen.

  Briar’s face lit up.

  “Seriously?”

  “You’ll be joint owners and pay half of the cost each. It’ll come out of your paychecks,” Cole said.

  Briar let out an excited squeal and danced around the kitchen. Cole scraped out the poor waffle maker and ignored her. His fingers brushed over mine and he gave me a small private kiss while Briar’s back was to us.

  When Adam walked into the kitchen and Briar had calmed some, Cole said, “You will look after the car. It’s old, but you’ll wash it once a week and maintain it. I will cover the insurance for now, but once you’re both earning, you’ll take over payments.”

  “So it’ll be truly ours?” Briar asked.

  “Once you’ve paid me back for it, yes.”

  She hugged Adam tight.

  “Did you hear that!? We’re going to have a car of our own!”

  “I heard,” Adam said gently.

  “Can we help with breakfast?” Adam asked us.

  “No, I’ll make everyone an omelette,” Cole said.

  That was my cue to set the table and get the ingredients out for Cole. I stood near him and watched how he did it. Omelettes were something I’d never managed to get right. Cole made it look so easy though. It came together beautifully and was perfectly cooked when he served it. I’d have sworn it was magic if I thought garou could wield it.

  “It’s simple,” Cole said with a smile. “Pour the mix into a hot pan. Allow it to sit until it begins to froth around the edges. Then carefully pull that edge back, and tilt the pan so that the runny mix flows into the gap. Rinse and repeat until there’s only a thin layer on top. When you reach that point, fold it over and allow it to cook for another thirty seconds or so. Then serve.”

  We switched places and he stood with his hand on my lower back as I made the last omelette. It felt so natural and right having his body molded around mine. My wolf side would have purred if it were capable. He took my hand in his and guided me to move the spatula as he wanted. After all the stress I’d gone through over the years trying to make the dish, it really was as easy as Cole made it look.

  COLE TOOK THE SIBLINGS off to
collect the car he’d found, and that left me with the house all to myself. I put on some Kaleo and opened up the Grim to try and find some information on these blood witches. Cole hadn’t said a word about them, which made me suspicious. I wasn’t going to push the point. We all deal with emotional trauma differently.

  The snide comments about my being a useless courier had dropped off, thankfully. I still saw the occasional meme about my being turned by the rogue, but they were few and far between now. A glance over at the Loxwood pack tab showed me that Cole had made profiles for Briar and Adam and added them. My heart warmed some. That meant they were officially pack.

  I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as I thought about our little pack. That smile faded when I saw a photo in high resolution of a ritual blood sacrifice. It appeared to be a deer rather than a person, but the deer had been stretched into a painful position with its legs spread to four corners. A circle had been formed from its organs. Glistening intestines had been carefully placed in a perfect circle with the heart at the peak of the circle. I zoomed in and sketched out the symbols that had been carved into the heart. Every little thing was a potential clue.

  25

  I NEEDED A CHANGE OF scenery. As much as it felt good to be so near to the forest, there was only so much time I could spend in the same place. Thankfully, Amy invited me over to her place that afternoon. We planned on figuring out a game plan for the blood witches, but I suspected there’d be wine and movies involved too.

  The blood witches felt like the challenge that was going to make me really step up and become what I was supposed to be. They were a great danger to garou, to my people, and to Cole. I chewed on my bottom lip as I triple-checked I had everything in my backpack. My laptop and charger were in there, along with the notebook I’d sketched the symbols into. My phone was fully charged. Everything looked good to go.