Strange Lake Falls Volume 1 (Strange Lake Falls Series)

by KD Jones

  ***

  Ric didn’t know what to say. Elise was livid. She took one whiff of him and knew he’d been intimate with another female. Alpha females didn’t share well at all, and Elise had always been a bitch. He knew her silence was only temporary.

  “I cannot believe that you had sex with another female while you were supposed to be on a date with me! A lowly human female at that. How could you?”

  “I apology if I hurt your feelings, but this date with you was not my idea to begin with. It was sort of forced on me.” Ric was floored by his own behavior.

  “Did this human piece of trash force herself on you as well?”

  “Don’t talk about Mary that way!” Ric was horny and furious. Not a good combination.

  She snorted. “Mary? She sounds like a country bumpkin.”

  Ric was furious. He sped up to get back to the pack house quicker. “Obviously this was a failure. Sorry you came out this way for nothing.”

  Elise shook her perfectly styled hair. “Oh, it’s not over, not by a long shot. I have waited centuries for you. I waited until just the right time and I won’t allow anyone to thwart my plans.”

  “You can’t be serious!” He brought the car to a screeching halt right next to her convertible.

  “I am very serious.” She turned in her seat. “Look Ric, I made a mistake five hundred years ago. I admit it. I never should have let you go, but this is my second chance to get it right. You and I belong together.”

  He shook his head. “I used to think that too, but after five hundred years I came to realize that those youthful thoughts just weren’t true.”

  Elise reached for him pulling him down for a kiss. It was awkward as she forced her tongue inside his mouth. After a few seconds she released him.

  “I’m not giving up on this.” She got out of his car and went to her own.

  “You should. It’s a lost cause.” Ric knew that she hadn’t heard him as he got out of his truck and watched her drive away.

  What the hell had gotten into him tonight? He never should have touched Mary, but damn if he couldn’t still taste her on his lips. A few years ago if Elise had come back to pursue him, he might have been tempted to let her catch him, but not now. Not after having met Mary, having tasted the sweetness of the little human. No way would his wolf accept Elise now. He was fucked.

  Chapter 9

  Mary soaked in her bathtub ignoring the phone that was ringing. She knew it was Jackie calling to check on her, and she would call her back tomorrow. Right now, she was just too wound up to talk about what happened. Shit, she had no clue what had happened herself.

  As she soaped up her body, she noticed her nipples were sensitive where Ric had scraped his teeth against her. It was a little pain mixed with pleasure and it made her insides quiver. Even now thinking about what he had done to her in that bathroom had her body heating up.

  “Oh man.” She ran her fingers down her soft stomach to her mound, and tried to duplicate what he’d done to her, but her fingers weren’t thick and long like his. She’d never put much stock into self-pleasuring, but after Christopher died, she’d had weak moments of the flesh where she needed a physical release. What happened with Ric really rocked her to the core. She had never responded like that to a man before. Shit, Christopher had been her only lover.

  They had to get married, but not once had he complained about it or intentionally made her feel like she trapped him. That didn’t stop her from feeling that way from time to time; especially when she would catch him reading something in the paper about Janey and who she was marrying or divorcing. Mary knew she wasn’t Christopher’s first choice or the love of his life, but he loved her and he was dedicated to her. They had a good marriage, one that she was proud of and one that their son could look to as an example.

  When Christopher was diagnosed with cancer, they’d become even closer. Mary loved him deeply and right before he died, he told her that he wanted her to not lock herself up. He wanted her to find true love, the kind she deserved. They kind he wished he could have given her. But after the grieving, she just didn’t feel interested in any one else. Until now.

  Mary felt so guilty. In those few minutes in the bathroom with Ric, she’d felt more than she had ever felt for Christopher during their entire marriage. It felt like she betrayed her husband. She wasn’t the cheating kind and never had been, but if they hadn’t been interrupted, she would have let him fuck her senseless. The man was dangerous.

  Christopher never would have done such a thing. She was ashamed that she had so little self-control where Ric was concerned. She knew she wasn’t the only one to lose control. Where was Ric’s perfect date? Had he given any thought to her feelings? More guilt ate at her. Was she a slut now? She shook her head. She would keep her distance from the Alpha no matter what. Even as she thought that, she knew it would be difficult to do. The man got under her skin.

  “Damn you to hell Ric Nelson!”

  ***

  The next morning Ric was woken up by a pounding on his bedroom door. He groaned. Couldn’t whoever it was wait until he had a cup of coffee. The pounding didn’t let up though.

  “Alright! I’m up.” He grabbed his jeans and shrugged into them. Storming over to the door he almost ripped it off its hinges. “What?”

  Adrian stood on the other side glaring at him. “We need to talk.” He turned and walked back down the hallway towards the kitchen leaving Ric no choice but to follow.

  “So, what brings you here so early?” Ric asked as he poured coffee beans in the filter for the coffee maker.

  “It’s not that early. It’s almost nine.”

  “Wow, I must have been tired to have slept that late.”

  “Your big date tire you out last night?”

  “Guess you could say that,” Ric said, but he knew that wasn’t true. He’d ended up going in wolf form to Mary’s house and lay right outside of her bedroom window while she slept. Pathetic. “So why are you here?”

  “Jackie is quite pissed off about what happened at the movie theatre last night. She didn’t give me details but she swore up and down that she was going to skin your furry ass and use the hide as a welcome mate. I waited until she was asleep and came over to question you. Being a thousand year old vampire does have its benefits, but even I will need to leave soon to take my rest. I take it that whatever you did was pretty bad. Care to enlighten me?”

  “Shit. It has to do with Mary.”

  “I figured that out. Mary was on a blind date with my second, Charles. Things seemed to be going well, and then she went to the bathroom and never returned.”

  “Why the hell would you set sweet, very human, Mary up with a blood sucker?” Ric was pissed over that.

  Adrian didn’t move or raise his voice. He didn’t have to. His power filled the room. “I am a blood sucker as well, so watch what you are saying dog.”

  “Damn it. I wasn’t talking about you. She’s making me crazy!” Ric ran a hand through his thick hair.

  “So something happened between the two of you last night—it didn’t end well—Mary took a cab home, and now my wife is sharpening the knives humming your name. That about right?”

  “I want her.” Ric admitted forlornly.

  “I assume you are referring to Mary. If you want the woman, then take her, make her your mate.”

  “I wish it was that simple. As you already know, the werewolf council is pressuring the few remaining pure blood Alphas to mate. I was on a date last night with a female that I’d once wanted to mate, but she turned me down and mated another. Now she seems determined to get me back. I know the council thought this would be a sure thing, but the moment I caught sight of Mary with another man, I lost it. I didn’t take her like my wolf demanded, but I came damn close to it. She makes me lose my self-restraint.”

  “Yeah, I know that feeling. You can’t keep away from her. It sounds to me like she might be your true mate my friend.”

  “True mate? That’s even rarer than
female werewolves.” Ric shook his head.

  “Think about it. If she is your true mate, she would stand a better chance of surviving the transition.”

  “I can’t take that risk with her life.”

  “Shouldn’t that be her decision?” Adrian asked.

  “I have to protect her, even from herself. I won’t gamble with her life. The council wants me to choose a pureblood and I’m conflicted about it.”

  “Not even the council can deny a true mating. You need to decide for yourself what you want.”

  For Ric that was easy, he wanted Mary, but did she still want him?

  Chapter 10

  “I am not wearing that.” Mary glared at Jackie, and pointed at the short, silver sheath dress that would leave her arms and shoulders bare.

  “It is the perfect dress for you. Tonight they are having a 70’s theme at the club. They put up disco balls and everything. It’s going to be a blast.”

  “I don’t feel like going.” Mary crossed her arms and pouted.

  “Tough. You’ve been sitting around for the last three days in a foul mood, ever since the incident at the movies. It’s time to get over your moping and have some fun. Look, you told me you were still determined to try to meet someone. Have you changed your mind on that?”

  Mary shook her head. “No I haven’t changed my mind, but most of the men at the nightclub are too young for me.”

  “No excuses. There are different age ranges there. Even Samantha and Connor are dropping by with some of their friends. Adrian will have some of his friends there too, like Brock.”

  “Brock is interested in someone else.” Mary mumbled but she didn’t say Samantha’s name. The glare in Jackie’s eyes made it obvious that she knew that already, but she didn’t comment on it.

  “Come for one hour. Surely you can spare one hour out of your busy schedule to have fun with your best friend.” Jackie gave her a pouting look.

  “Damn you and your puppy dog eyes. I can’t refuse you when you do that. Fine, I’ll come for one hour.”

  “And you will wear this lovely silver dress that I spent Adrian’s hard earned money on.”

  Mary growled at her. “Yes, I will wear the damn dress!”

  “Yay! This is going to be so much fun!” Jackie clapped her hands.

  Mary groaned. Yay.

  ***

  “Councilman Reynolds, I was expecting your call sooner.” Ric answered his cell as he drove his truck down the road.

  “Alpha, how are things going with finding a mate?”

  “Elise didn’t work out.” Ric told him.

  “Really? I thought for sure you and your wolf would find her acceptable considering your previous relationship with her.”

  “That ship sailed a long time ago. Neither I, nor my wolf, want anything to do with Elise. I am hoping that since I haven’t called her back she realized it was a failure and has left Strange Lake Falls.”

  Councilman Reynolds snorted. “Elise Bass Smitherson doesn’t give up easily Eric. Perhaps you haven’t given her a real chance. Your time for finding a mate is running out.”

  “It’s not going to work,” Ric insisted.

  “Well, I have one more female that I think might be just what you need.”

  “I would rather find a mate on my own.”

  “She’ll be in town very soon.” Councilman Reynolds hung up.

  “Damn it!” Ric wanted to punch something. He should have told the councilman to call off sending him any more females. He knew it wouldn’t end with just these three. The councilman would send more and more available werewolf females. This was going to get out of hand.

  He looked at his cell phone at the messages that Elise had left. Twenty in all. He was going to have to block her number. The female was too pushy and with no real attraction between them anymore, it just didn’t make any sense. He needed a night away to clear his head and to think only of having a good time. Just for a little while.

  Chapter 11

  Mary was in hell. It was a Disco themed, silver sparkly hell. She’d arrived forty-five minutes ago, met up with Jackie and Adrian, and slowly watched the clock holding on until her promised hour was over.

  “Come on, you have to dance at least once before you scurry away,” Jackie said as she took Mary’s arm carefully and pulled her towards the dance floor.

  “I don’t think this a song two women should dance to,” Mary said loudly. “Ring my Bell” was blaring. She cringed at the song choices. Who the hell was the DJ for this place?

  Jackie ignored her comments and pulled her onto the dance floor. After a few minutes she relaxed and began to enjoy herself. She laughed at some old time dance moves Jackie was doing. Unfortunately she mixed her decades when it came to dancing. Was that the Cabbage Patch? It had been a long time since she’d danced, and it felt good.

  Four fast paced songs and she was breathing heavy. She noticed enviously that it hadn’t affected Jackie one bit, but a vampire didn’t tire out like a human. The next song was a slow one, and Adrian suddenly appeared taking his wife into his arms. Mary was about to walk off the dance floor to find a seat, when someone tapped her shoulder from behind.

  She turned to find Ric standing there. She craned her neck to look up at him. “Ric?”

  “May I have this dance?” He asked in a husky voice.

  She should say no, but she didn’t “Yes.” Instead she just allowed him to pull her close and they swayed together to the song, Every Breath You Take.

  “Are you stalking me?” Mary asked.

  He chuckled. “No. Adrian invited me to come out and have a few beers with him.”

  Mary turned to where Adrian and Jackie were dancing. They smiled at her guiltily. “I think we’ve been set up.”

  Ric leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I’m not complaining. Mary I’m...”

  “Shh…just hold me and dance.” She pressed closer to him, wanting to have just this one moment. To hold him, and be held. Just one night to give in to her desires.

  Ric massaged her back with his large hand, molding her to him. He nuzzled her taking in her scent, and then he nibbled up her neck, over her chin, and settled on her luscious lips. He kissed her coaxing her little by little until she let him into her mouth. Once she opened up, his tongue danced with hers moving around and in and out, dominating her. He released her lips and growled with need. He pressed his hard groin against her stomach. “I need to get you alone.”

  Her eyes were heavy with desire. “Yes.”

  Mary’s head spun a little as Ric ushered her quickly off the dance floor. Every few feet he would stop and kiss her keeping her addicted to his touch, and she giggled a few times. He made her feel like a lusty teenager.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Somewhere private.” He made it to his truck before he picked her up and pressed her against the passenger door. He kissed her again grinding himself against her.

  “Mmm…” Mary couldn’t speak. He stole her words with his heated kisses. Ric consumed her and she loved every second of it.

  ***

  Ric heard the doors to the club open as laughing customers spilled out into the night. He was damn near ready to take Mary against his truck, but he forced himself to release her and open the door for her. She climbed inside on unsteady feet. Her breathing was labored and she kept her eyes on him while he walked around to the other side and got in the driver’s side.

  “Let’s go.” He cranked the truck and put it into drive.

  Mary looked around. “Where are we going?”

  “Pack house.” His voice was gruff.

  “My place is closer,” she whispered.

  “What about your son?”

  “He’s spending the night at a friend’s house tonight then he’s going to the lake for the weekend.”

  He looked at her and smiled that sexy smile. “Your place then.” He took the turn and swung his truck around.

  ***

  Ten minutes later Ric’s tru
ck was parked in front of Mary’s house, and she fumbled to get her keys out while Ric had his arms wrapped around her from behind. He nibbled her neck and she thought she was going to lose it. Finally she got the key to work and opened the door.

  She turned to look at Ric and gasped as he clutched her to him and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kisses. Lifting her in his arms he carried her into the house.

  She dropped her keys and purse on the floor, but she didn’t care, she was too desperate to have him. Pulling at his shirt, she frantically worked to get it off him. She had to feel him skin to skin. As soon as she got the material off she latched onto one of his nipples biting it gently.

  “Damn it Mary! I’m not going to make it to the bed if you keep doing that,” he groaned.

  “Who needs a bed?” She replied huskily.

  Chapter 12

  God he loved her. He really did. That realization shook him to his soul.

  “Are you okay?” She looked up at him with a concerned frown on her face.

  Ric looked down into her beautiful eyes. The feelings he was feeling scared the shit out of him, but there was no way in hell he could stop himself now. He had to have her.

  “I will be better than okay once I am inside of you.” He told her while nibbling her lips. “Where’s your bedroom?”

  Mary nodded towards the hallway to the right. “That way.”

  Ric carried her down the hallway and entered her bedroom. He didn’t look around as he headed straight to the bed, and lowered her to her feet. “Take the dress off.”