by T. S. Ryder
Myles locked his teeth around Harley's leg and yanked back. The other werewolf yelped, snarled and bit at the Alpha's side. Myles danced around him, dragging the limb with him until Harley flipped onto his back. The Alpha lunged, paws beating against the other werewolf's belly, but Harley kicked out, curling upwards so his back paws managed to hit Myles full in the throat. Myles jerked back, gasping.
The brown werewolf flipped over, springing at Myles again. Teeth closed around Myles's throat and Jackie screamed. She started forward, fists clenched, as though she could do anything, but Myles's mother caught her and held her back.
"Whoa, there!" she said. "You'll get yourself hurt and Myles won't like that one bit."
"But he's going to—"
Even as Jackie shrieked, Myles reared onto his back legs, kicking and clawing at Harley until the brown werewolf released him with a yelp. Myles dove back in, his teeth closing in around the back of Harley's neck. With a powerful shake of his shoulders, he had the other werewolf on his back again, and this time he did not release him, except to adjust his hold on the brown werewolf's throat.
Harley's eyes rolled and he gasped, lips pulled back as he kicked and bucked. Myles did not loosen his hold, dragging the other werewolf across the field. The gathered crowd parted as the Alpha dragged Harley to the road. By that time, Harley's movements were jerky, uncoordinated, and when Myles released him he melted back into his human form, a hand going to his bleeding throat. Pure hatred shone from his eyes as Myles stood over him, snarling.
Faster than Jackie could register, Myles had also shifted. Though blood trickled from various wounds on his naked body, he stood tall and strong, his eyes like fire as he glared down at Harley.
"You will be financially compensated for your lands so you can't claim they were stolen, but the title of ownership will be transferred to Tamara. And then you will leave. You are no longer welcome in this pack or on these lands. Leave now, and never come back."
Harley snarled, but he slowly stood and slunk to his car. Myles stared after him until he was gone, then he turned. He seemed unfazed by his nakedness, as did the werewolves that surged forward, congratulating him. Myles worked his way to Jackie and his mother and spoke over the noise of the crowd.
"I thank you for your support," he called. "And now I would like to rest with my family. Please return to your homes. Now."
Despite being worded as a request it most certainly wasn't, and the gathered werewolves slowly trickled away, though many couldn't seem to stop themselves from further congratulating Myles for his victory. He nodded tensely at them all and led Jackie back into the house while his mother made sure everyone left.
"Are you okay?" she asked, once they were away from the other werewolves.
Myles leaned against her, closing his eyes. "I will be soon. But I need to shower. I don't want Tamara's girls seeing me covered in blood like this."
Jackie nodded and helped him up the stairs to the bathroom attached to his room. There she turned the water on and stripped off her own clothing to stand with him in the shower. Myles sighed, his muscles relaxing, as she grabbed a washcloth and started dabbing at his wounds. The water turned pink as it ran over his body.
"I can't believe you did that. You could have at least told me you were going to fight!"
"I didn't want you to worry."
Jackie glared at him. "Because waiting until you were actually in a fight made me so much less worried."
"Sorry."
Jackie huffed.
Myles gave her a crooked grin. "Does this mean I can start the application for us to become mates?"
Jackie stared at him. "Are you for real? You want to talk about that now?"
"I have wanted to talk about it every second of every day for the past month. I want you, Jacqueline Smith. Not just as a girlfriend and mother of my child. I want you for my mate, for the rest of my life."
His arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her as close as he could. Their bodies slipped against each other, the water heating between them.
Jackie didn't know what to say.
"I haven't said it because I didn't want to scare you away. Maybe it's the adrenaline, but I need you to know right here, right now. You are mine and I want the world to know it."
Jackie's heart fluttered. The water ran down her face, tasting sweet on her lips, and she stared back at the cool, confident gray eyes. A hundred reasons why she should say no flitted through her mind. She wanted this, whatever logic said. But was it a good idea?
"I love you," he said softly. "You know that, don't you?"
And just like that, all her doubt disappeared. He did love her. He would hold her through thick and thin, and he'd fight for her, even if he had to fight against her to make sure she knew how he felt. Emotion welled in her heart and she nodded.
"I love you, too. Let's start the application."
Epilogue
Five years later, their application had finally been approved.
After a busy day of planning for the mating ceremony, Jackie kissed her five-year-old son's forehead, pulling the blankets up to his chin while Myles put away the book they had been reading. Tim smiled in his sleep, and Myles took Jackie's hand, leading her from their son's room to their own.
"Did you watch the news?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.
Today was the day that the Supreme Court was going to rule on whether the laws surrounding werewolf mating were constitutional or not. "I wanted to, but I was too nervous. Besides, I was planning for our wedding next month."
Myles grinned and pulled her closer. "We won."
"We won?"
Myles kissed her fiercely, bringing her body flush against his. Jackie slung a leg over his hip, excitement coursing between them. Even if their mating application had already been approved, this was still a major victory for werewolves across the country. After five years of long legal battles, finally, finally, it was recognized that werewolves didn't pose any danger to the humans they wanted to mate.
"We won," Myles whispered again, stroking Jackie's hair from her face. "We won."
"We did," Jackie whispered back, and she knew Myles wasn't just referring to the legal battles they had fought for free matings. He clutched her tighter. This was also about the two of them. In spite of the odds, they had been brought together, they had fallen in love and they had a beautiful little boy who had his mother's blonde curls and his father's steely determination.
Myles pulled her in for another kiss, a kiss that marked the start of a new world, a new life, for all of them.
*****
THE END
Claimed by the Gorilla Shifter
Description
A curvy girl in search of a fresh start PLUS her hot high school crush who is now a billionaire PLUS a dangerous stalker preparing to attack!
Hayden is a single billionaire. He’s a shark in the office, but outside of his company’s walls, he’s a gorilla. But only when he chooses to shift into one...
Keeping his secret is difficult, and he’s found it just as difficult to find someone to love him for who he is and not what he has. When he gets a call from his younger sister, asking to let her best friend and his high school crush stay with him, he’s almost too eager to help out.
Kaelyn is ready to start her new life. She’s just graduated college, has a great new job lined up and now she’ll be staying with the hot older brother of her best friend. Who also happens to be a billionaire.
But when things at her new job start to go wrong, she worries Hayden will ask her to leave rather than deal with the trouble her stalker might cause.
Will Kaelyn be able to handle the stalker on her own, and what will happen if she can’t? Will Hayden finally find real love and be able to protect not only his secrets but his heart as well?
Chapter One
Hayden Lynch sat at his large desk, staring out of the window at the city below him. The view from his office was incredible. That was why he choose this building for his compan
y’s headquarters. Who wouldn’t want an office like this, with one wall full of windows to see the world from? It made him feel like he was on top of everything, even on days when he wasn’t.
He’d just come from a particularly stressful meeting. Meetings discussing new takeovers were always stressful, full of strategy and techniques. He needed these few minutes to let his mind unwind before he went on with his next task, reviewing sales numbers from the previous month.
The intercom on his desk buzzed. His assistant’s voice came through. “Hayden? Can you take a call from your sister?”
“Absolutely, Sandy. Thank you.”
The phone rang a second later and he picked it up.
“Little sister. What can I do for you?”
“Well,” Gabrielle said, “Buy out my company so I can travel the world and not have to work another day in my life?”
He sighed. “Your company is already a division of my company. And you barely work as it is. And you travel plenty.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Right. Well, in that case, then maybe you can just do me a teensy weensy little favor.”
Hayden braced himself. Gabby’s teensy weensy favors were usually anything but. Though she may not be asking him for a new acquisition, she was definitely up to something big.
“I’m not buying you a new house,” he said.
“Oh, please. Three is enough. No, it’s really not that big of a deal at all.”
“Right. Let’s hear it then.”
“Do you remember my best friend from high school, Kaelyn?”
“Of course.” How could he forget her? She was around the house constantly. During their freshman year of high school, the only year they were all in the same school together before Hayden went off to college, Kaelyn and Gabby were inseparable. She had practically been a second sister to him. He’d even had a little crush on her.
“Oh, good. Well, she’s just graduated from some huge tech school with a computer science degree. Stanford, have you heard of it?”
He rolled his eyes. “Hmm. Don’t think so. Is it a popular school?” His company sought a lot of talent from Stanford. It was only the top school in the state. She was being ridiculous on purpose. This must be big.
“Didn’t think so. You really should get out once in a while. How is your dating life anyway?”
“Is this your big favor?”
“No. And it’s a little favor, I swear,” she said. “I just need you to let my dear friend Kaelyn use one of the many, many rooms in your huge mansion to sleep and keep her things in when she moves out of her dorm. Only until she can get her own place and get on her feet. She just got a new a job and everything.”
“So you’re asking me to let Kaelyn move in.”
“Only for a few months, I swear. You’re just so close to her new job, and I’m nowhere near her. And I know that you’re the kindest, most generous big brother a girl could ever hope for.”
“You’ve got me confused with someone else. But that’s fine. When is she coming?”
“Oh, thank you, thank you! She’ll be thrilled. She was going to stay in some cheap hotel until she could find a place. She’s moving out of the dorm next week.”
“Email the details to my assistant so I can have everything ready for her arrival.”
“I will,” she said. “Thank you so much. Really.”
“Does this mean you’ll come to visit sometime soon? Maybe bring that nephew of mine?”
“That’s a good idea. Yes, let’s plan for something soon. We all miss you.”
“Miss you, too. You really need to move back to California.”
She laughed. “You couldn’t drag me from Hawaii if my life depended on it.”
“Guess you have a point. I should be the one coming to visit you. It’s been too long.”
“Absolutely. Thanks a million, Hay. Really.”
“Anytime. Be good.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
***
The rest of his week was busy. Anytime a new acquisition was happening, the hours grew long and stress levels rose. He’d lost all track of the days. The city below him was lit up against the dark sky. Evening was creeping to nighttime.
He yawned and glanced at his schedule for tomorrow. He really needed to find some time to workout. He hadn’t all week and was starting to feel antsy from too many hours in the office. He’d even taken to pacing when he could, just to be up and moving.
At the bottom of tomorrow, it said ‘Kaelyn arrives’. He’d completely forgotten. He tried hard not to bother his assistant after office hours. She deserved to have a life and certainly Lynch Corporation wasn’t her entire world like it was his. But this was important and it shouldn’t take too long. He decided to text rather than call so he didn’t interrupt anything.
“Sorry to bother you after hours, but I’ve just realized Kaelyn is arriving tomorrow. Is everything in place for her?”
He received an answer back within minutes. “Absolutely. A small moving van is arriving at 3 p.m. to bring her things from her dorm. There is a new key waiting for her and a list of the codes and passwords for the security systems and wifi, and your home staff has been alerted. Her room is ready and a basket will be awaiting her. I’ve left room in your evening schedule for you to spend time with her if you should desire to.”
“You are the best. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
This was exactly why he had no problem making sure Sandy was one of the highest paid employees he had. He demanded a lot of her and she was always ahead of him and on top of things. She never had a bad attitude and she never missed a thing. He wondered if she was just as efficient when it came to her husband, kids, and home life, or if he stressed her out so much that she needed time at home to do nothing. Although she always assured him the work was not too much, and she never complained.
He looked over his schedule again. Kaelyn was coming at 3 p.m. He had meetings until 4 p.m., then he’d hit the gym and be home by 6 p.m. That should be enough time for her to settle in. Maybe he’d take her out for dinner to welcome her.
He sent a text to his housekeeper, who oversaw all his personal staff. “Tomorrow evening, after Kaelyn arrives, I would like to take her out for dinner, if she’s up for it. Please be ready to have something made if she’s not.”
He got a fast response. “I will make sure we have something available, Mr. Lynch.”
Hayden stood and stretched. Though it had been a long, stressful week, it had been a good week. At times like this, he always felt grateful for his staff and all the hard work they did, both in his company and in his home. They made his life so much easier. They kept his privacy and his secrets.
Chapter Two
When he got home that night, it was dark already. This was a perfect time. He got into his car and drove until he reached the forest. When he got to his favorite spot, he parked and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He walked to the twisted tree that had his scent all over it.
Hayden kicked off his shoes first and stuck them in the bag. Then his t-shirt and shorts. He tucked the bag into the crevice in the tree and stood naked in the moonlight. He took a deep breath and fell forward onto all fours. The transition happened quickly, as it always did. He felt his bones thickening and stretching beneath his skin, hair growing on every part of his body in thick black and silver sections. His head grew narrow and his mouth became a snout. He stood tall for a moment and beat on his gorilla chest before roaring and taking off at a run.
He followed the scents through the forest, letting them lead him. He ran for several miles until he caught the scent he was looking for. He turned and ran after her.
It didn’t take long to find her and her sister. When they heard him approach, they called back in shrieks and bounded to him. There was some grunting as they greeted each other, then they took off running together. After a while, they caught up with the last member of their gorilla shifter family and ran together a few miles before coming to a stop in
a cave they’d discovered years ago.
One by one, they shifted back to human form, standing naked in the dim light of the cave.
“Hey,” Hayden said to them. “How’s everything?”
“Haven’t seen you in a while,” Katherine said.
“I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been online, though.” They had an online group where they stayed connected and discussed things in the human world. He’d posted earlier that he was coming out for a run. None of them had responded, but clearly, since they were all here, they’d gotten the message.
“Another family came through a few days ago,” Bella said.
“Five of them,” Stella added.
Hayden squinted at the twins. “Why didn’t you let me know sooner?”
“They just passed through,” Stella said.
Bella nodded. “Didn’t even stop.”
“I followed the scent for a while, but they were just passing through to head north,” Katherine said.
“Okay. What else is going on?”
The twins exchanged a look and grinned.
Katherine rolled her eyes. “Just tell him.”
“I’m getting married,” Bella said.
“Congratulations.” Hayden was happy for her, but that now meant they were all married except him. If they had been a traditional gorilla family, he’d be the alpha and they’d all belong to him. But they were more human than a gorilla and spent less time shifting than they did living in the real world. “He knows, I assume?”
Bella nodded. “He agreed to meet you.”
Hayden nodded back. This was part of the job of the alpha. He had to talk to her new fiancé and explain the family and gorilla life and make sure he was okay with it. At first, Katherine’s husband had been up in arms at the fact that she was often naked in front of him. Hayden had tried to make it clear that there was zero attraction between them as family members. Though they weren’t related through human means, they came from a long line of gorillas who stuck together and made families. These women were like sisters to him, as much as Gabrielle was. And when she’d still lived in the area, Gabby had been his second in command. Now it was Katherine.