She had to stop looking at him. She dropped her eyes until she was studying his collarbone instead. Unfortunately, remembering the feel of his chest beneath her fingertips did little to change her current state.
“This is me only part of the time, Lilly. The rest of the time I look like I did last night. I look like I did the night I found you outside.”
The memory of that smile flashed through her mind.
“That’s reality. It’s been too hard to try and keep it from you. I can’t keep it up.”
His shoulders slumped, and Lilly reached out to him, her hand settling on his shoulder. “You don’t have to.” Her voice was soft, and tugged at the deepest part of him. The corner of her mouth lifted up into the smallest grin. “You know my secrets. And I know yours.”
She began to play with the edge of his collar. Being close to him like this was intoxicating. She felt like a moth near flame, circling his light until she was spiraling into him.
He raised a hand, placing it on top of hers and forcing her to still. “Lilly…” His voice held the barest tone of warning, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Please, Eli. I don’t want to go.” She leaned in toward him, letting her body press up against his. “I want you.”
A little growl erupted from the back of his throat and then he was pulling her close, his mouth crashing down on hers. She met him just as hungrily, her hand tangling in his hair and holding him close.
Eli had hefted her into his arms and was carrying her across the room toward the bedroom. She was a prisoner to his kisses, the warmth of his body against hers something she was relishing.
He broke the kiss long enough to deposit her on the bed. As he settled over her she said, “You mustn’t make me go.”
“I don’t want you to go. Jesus, Lilly. I never want you to go.” He caught her mouth again and in between the kisses he managed to undress the two of them.
“But there is one other thing,” she managed between the kisses.
“What is that?”
“I really think we ought to invest in a back door.”
He chuckled into her neck, and she reveled in the feel of the man — bear, she supposed — she loved against her. This, she could definitely get used to.
THE END
CLAIMED BY THE NEW ALPHA
STORY DESCRIPTION
Curvy Eva Haywood, a brainy Harvard Business School student, has come back home to the sleepy town of Beaver Creek in Yukon. Rather than follow her peers to high-flying jobs in the big city, Eva returns to her hometown to help her father run his diner, but just for the summer. After all, she’s lucky enough to have a high-powered fiancé back in the city awaiting her return.
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“If he doesn’t set your heart on fire, then leave him before you’re dying on the inside and flirting with the gardener.”
Why can’t Eva get those words out of her head?
The truth is, there’s only one man that has ever set Eva’s heart on fire. Ever since she was little, Eva has silently worshiped a local resident, Sebastian (Seb) Waverly. He and his father run a small lumber business. But sexy Sebastian is a brooding wild card, spurning most of the women who regularly throw themselves in his path. There’s no way he’d fall for a curvy girl like her. In fact, he has never muttered more than a few words to Eva.
No. No hearts afire for Eva. Her place is back in the city in a “pleasant” relationship with her “nice” fiancé.
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Unknown to all but himself, Seb is head over heels in love with Eva and always has been. But, he firmly believes she’s too good for a man like him. So, even though he’s noticed her for as long as he can remember, he only ever watches from afar. Now that she’s back, though, maybe, just maybe, he can finally gather the courage to talk to the one and only woman who renders him tongue tied and speechless when comes anywhere near her.
Everything changes, though, one crisp, clear evening when Seb is attacked by a wolf. Although he manages to kill the wolf, he suffers a bite in the struggle. When he awakens the next morning, Seb learns that those old tales, the ones he grew up with and has since scoffed, the ones of humans shifting forms to become wolves, are all true. And, now that he has killed the alpha of a shifter pack, tradition dictates he must lead the pack as its new alpha.
His first task as new alpha? Paying his respects to the slain alpha’s daughter – Eva.
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Can Eva ever forgive the only man who has ever set her heart on fire?
How can Sebastian ever be able to win the hand of the only woman his heart has ever truly belonged to?
Chapter 1
Eva gave the already gleaming counter-top another wipe. Today had been slower than most, despite the warm weather, and she once again questioned her decision to spend the summer cocooned quietly away within the sleepy town of Beaver Creek. She had exchanged a highly-prized internship at one of the best trading firms in the city for a summer replacing coffee filters and folding napkins in her father’s diner, where she had worked every summer for as long as she could remember.
“That’s a big sigh, what’s up?” Her co-worker, Leslie-Anne, a perky blonde who had the accolade of being voted ‘Miss Beaver Creek’ three years running in the local beauty pageant, interrupted her thoughts.
“I’m good, it’s just felt a bit slow today, that’s all.” She replied.
“Every day’s slow round here – you know that. Missing big-shot city living?” Leslie-Anne winked at her, and Eva smiled back. Eva knew it took a lot for Leslie to make light of her career and study opportunities. She would have killed to get out of this town, and could never understand why Eva came back every summer.
“You got a man out there?” Leslie-Anne asked.
“Well. Yeah, kind of. He’s sweet…” Eva faltered, and Leslie-Anne burst out laughing.
“Oh, honey, if that’s all you can say about the man then forget it. If he doesn’t set your heart on fire, then leave him before you’re dying on the inside and flirting with the gardener.”
Eva managed a weak smile in return. She knew Jimmy was a good catch, he had graduated top of his class and was already set up with a position at a hedge-fund company in Manhattan. He was a good man too, kind and generous – which was something of a rarity in that world. Strange then, when she was about to embark on an exciting new chapter in her life, she still couldn’t ignore the deep, almost primal, call to the empty wilderness of Beaver Creek. Whilst people like Leslie-Anne hated the place, Eva felt like the Creek ran through her veins; the unique scent of birch trees, rich earth and sunshine was more alluring to her than any perfume.
Leslie-Anne suddenly became a flurry of activity, applying another layer of bubble-gum coloured gloss to her pouting lips, and fluffing up her hair in the reflection of the chrome fridge. Eva heard the sound of a beaten-up truck pull into the forecourt and rumble to a stop. She felt a flutter of anticipation as she hastily smoothed down her apron and re-tucked her shirt. Leslie-Anne swept past her to the hostess stand. Picking up a set of menus she quickly adjusted her uniform on her cute, slender, petite frame. That’s why I’ll never have a hope in hell, thought Eva. As if on cue, Sebastian Waverly walked through the door.
In that moment, the day’s sun gave its last glare as it fell behind Yukon’s White Mountain range, bathing the diner in hazy red light. Sebastian’s figure seemed to dwarf everything else in the cosy diner, making the place feel at once too small, but also irrelevant, as Eva felt her world fall away. He was tall and permanently sun-kissed from his lumbering job, his tightly muscled frame was evident through a well-worn shirt and sawdust-coated denim jeans that clung to his hips. Shadowed by the setting sun, his face appeared darker than usual: his eyes almost black. They were complemented by equally dark stubble that covered an arrogantly set jawline. His hair was the only soft aspect of his appearance, worn slightly long, so that it curled gently at the nape of his neck. Looking past
Leslie-Anne, he turned his gaze toward Eva, his lazy stare jolting her out of her trance. Mortified to be caught looking she blushed fiercely and cast her eyes downward, keeping them trained on the linoleum floor as Leslie-Anne escorted Sebastian and his father, who Eva had barely noticed, to a booth in her section.
“You boys ready to order?” Leslie-Anne leaned forward toward Sebastian, enveloping him in her cloying perfume.
“We’ll have burger and fries – same as always, honey.” Sebastian’s father replied, handing her back the menus.
“Sure I can’t get you anything else, Seb?” Leslie-Anne’s question was loaded as she looked longingly toward Sebastian, but all she got in return was a tight smile.
“We’re all good, thanks.” He turned his attention back to his father. Leslie-Anne seemed like an okay sort of girl, but she didn’t really do anything for him. He’d been with women like her in the past, and it was fun for a while, mainly in bed, but they weren’t much for stimulating conversation.
“What’s wrong with you kid? She’s a nice-looking girl.” Sebastian’s dad prompted as Leslie sashayed away from the table.
“Dad – dating advice, really?”
“You’re thirty Seb, and I want grandkids. In this lifetime.” The older man glared at him. Seb knew he was only half joking – the subject had come up all too often lately.
“Yeah, yeah. I know it.” He sighed and let his eyes wander over to the far end of the diner where Eva stood at the counter pouring coffee. Her hair was tied back into a messy bun, with one golden brown tendril escaping down by the side of her face. He watched her absent-mindedly push it back and laugh at something one of the customers said. He felt a surge of heat wash over him as his blood responded to every atom in his body needing to stand up, walk over to her, and drive his hands through her hair, watching it cascade down her narrow back. He imagined pulling her lithe figure towards his chest and feeling those adorable rosebud lips forcefully pressed against his.
He felt a tight stirring in his groin, and cursed himself inwardly. His sharp exhale of breath caught his father’s attention. Before Sebastian could look away, his father followed his gaze across the room.
“Don’t even think about it, son. ”
“I’m not.”
“Yeah, well – make sure you don’t. You don’t want to get mixed up with that family. Trust me. Besides, that girl is going places – old Hayward’s been boasting about how his daughter’s engaged to some fancy Harvard grad.”
On seeing Sebastian’s jaw clench tightly, his father dropped the topic. Sebastian tried to feel happy for her. She was too good for a town like this – if you could even call it a town – and his father was right, she would go places. He just hoped the man she’d chosen would treat her right; make her laugh, take her away, wake her up in the middle of the night just to kiss the hell out of her. He would.
“Okay, he’s as sexy as a Hollywood hero, but he is one arrogant ass” Leslie-Anne came over to Eva, slamming down her notepad to emphasise the point. Leslie-Anne didn’t take rejection well.
“Yeah, he’s good-looking.” Eva turned away from her friend. She hated conversations where Sebastian was mentioned, paranoid that she wouldn’t be able to keep her emotions in check, that her body would betray her. Eva knew he was out of her league; he always seemed so cold and indifferent toward her. She didn’t know if it was better or worse that he treated Leslie-Anne the same way – a crazy part of her almost believed, in her more wistful moments, the apparent dislike was unique to her, and that it might have meant something. Yeah right. That was utterly crazy.
The last two summers she’d been in Beaver Creek she’d spent any spare time she had escaping to the edge of the forest where he was working, watching from the shadows of the trees, listening to music or reading. Just to be near him. His bare chest and biceps would ripple with muscle as he lugged impossible amounts of wood, and mid-afternoon a light film of sweat would cover his torso. In those moments Eva longed to run her hands over his body, feeling it’s emanating heat. Just recalling those treasured mental images made her feel dizzy.
Leslie-Anne went back to the kitchen to flirt with one of the chefs, and Eva was glad for the respite. The evening had fully set in now, and the few customers left seemed content to linger over their coffees. She was packing away condiments when she felt a prickling at the back of her neck, her body reacting to his presence before she could fully register it. She looked up slowly, trying to calm the leaps in her chest before facing him. Sebastian stood at the far end of the counter, waiting for her attention with a small smirk on his face.
“I’m so sorry – do you need the check?” She could feel the heat rising to her face for the second time that day, and cursed the effect he had on her.
“I do. But we’re also heading out to the White Mountain tonight, staying in a small lodge – we’ve got a rush job on that starts in the morning. Any chance we could get sandwiches or something to take?” Sebastian folded his arms defensively. He wished the other girl were here; it was almost painful talking to her. He could see a delicate blush colouring her cheeks, making her eyes brighter – endless pools of clear blue that he wanted to drown in. God help him, he needed to stay away from her. Let her fiancé enjoy the lethal combination of her innocence and gentleness combined with a body that any man would happily worship till the end of eternity.
“Yes. We can do that. That’s fine – any preference?” she could hardly believe they were having an actual conversation, he had never done more than nod in the past, or given a throw-away ‘thanks’ as he left the diner.
“Whatever. Meat is good.”
“Sure. Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” Eva wanted to bite her tongue as soon as the words came tumbling out of her mouth.
“What – meat? I’ve faced worse dangers than cholesterol.”
“No, I meant White Mountain, at night – isn’t it dangerous this time of year? Bears, wolves, that sort of thing?”
“Not really. But thanks for the concern.” She saw him smirk again, and felt like an idiot for voicing her thoughts, of course a man like Sebastian could handle himself. She was grateful to turn away and put the order through. Finally speaking to him had sent her body haywire, and she felt an odd lump at the back of her throat – it hurt her heart a little that he was completely indifferent toward her. She hated herself for building such ridiculous delusions in her head about a man she didn’t know, who clearly had no interest in knowing her.
Back in the kitchen she asked Leslie-Anne to get their check and send the sandwiches over. She took a moment in the stock room, placing her heated palms against the cool metal of the larder and fought to control the tears she could feel trying to escape. There was a part of her that wanted to laugh at herself, getting so wound up by nothing at all, but niggling away at her was a potentially deeper truth that she didn’t want to acknowledge – the fear that the eternal draw she always felt to Beaver Creek was a lot more to do with Sebastian Waverly than was in anyway acceptable.
Chapter 2
Sebastian lit a fire while his dad loaded equipment into the basic lodge that they habitually stayed in when they came to the mountain range. It was better than camping, especially in the winter, but up here where the altitude was much higher, there was little they could do to keep out the bite of cold in the air.
Once the fire was roaring his father came and sat down beside him, busting open a couple of beers. They sat in companionable silence; Sebastian watching the flickering light cast fragments of gold in the dark. He thought about what it would be like to have Eva here with him, how her porcelain skin would look against the fire, and what her body would look like, naked under the glow of the full moon. He felt himself stir in response, and placed the cool beer on his forehead. It was time to forget her, to move on with his own life.
“Going to be a cold night.” His dad announced, opening up a flask of whisky from his inside pocket.
Sebastian nodded in response, but refused his fathers offe
r to share.
“You know, this entire forest used to belong to the Tanana people,” his father continued speaking in a low tone, “They were part of the wolf spirit clan.”
“Yeah – I know this dad, mum used to tell me the stories as a kid.” Sebastian laughed – he couldn’t believe that his dad, a man known for his taciturn nature, was trying to tell him old tales around a campfire.
“Yeah, I know but I want you to listen to me.” His father sounded firm, so Sebastian just smiled and let the man continue.
“The Tanana people believed that they were either part wolf or crow. Wolf always had to mate with crow, and visa versa, to keep their people alive. If a wolf mated with a crow their first-born male offspring would become a shape shifter, and would be sworn to protect the rest of the Tanana tribe.”
Sebastian thought back to his mother, dead almost ten years now, and how she had painted a mural of cows that flew across the wall of his bedroom. Always love a crow Seb, and never chain it down. That’s what she’d always said to him before kissing him goodnight. His dad poked at the fire causing the wood to crackle, sparking loudly in the blanket of the night’s silence.
“When the invaders came, the Tanana tribe died out – not enough wolves breeding with crows. But we’re all descendants, really. Some have more wolf in them than others.” The old man took another gulp of whisky.
“Yeah, I can see that – old Higgins looks pretty feral some of the time.” Sebastian tried to lighten the mood. His father looked so morose as he stared into the fire, as if he were lost somehow.
“Don’t joke son. The Tanana is strong in you.”
“Alright dad. Listen, you want to get inside? I’ll pack and put the fire out – get some rest.”
His father stood up slowly, and Sebastian saw him wince slightly as he straightened out his back. His father had lived a hard life; constant labour work, few luxuries or pleasures, a wife that died all too soon. If you looked closely enough, as with most of the men round here, you could see it written in the deep lines of his face. Sebastian knew that he could do a lot more with the lumber business – expand it, hire more men, get contractors across the globe to partner with. Potentially build up the town of Beaver Creek, get a thriving workforce going. But his dad didn’t have the energy anymore. Sebastian was looking forward to taking over when the time came – he wanted his dad to enjoy what was left of his life – not work until he dropped down dead.
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