Wolf At the Door (Snowdonia Wolves, Book 1)

by Sofia Grey

  Jake felt sick. What had she seen in the Asshole? White-hot jealousy knifed through him and he struggled not to roar. Mine, he growled to himself. The thought of his Mate loving another man was bad enough, but this one? He’d cheated on his wife and his child. The fuckwit didn’t deserve either. If Jake ever had a child, he would love and protect it with everything he had.

  With barely contained fury still pulsing through him, Jake checked the e-mail history and found a series of long conversations between the Asshole and his wife. She pleaded with him to stop playing around, raged about his current affair, then warned that she would be made a fool of no longer, and enclosed an e-mail from her lawyer. Hang on … Jake reread the last one to make sure he’d read it properly. Yep. Angelique was divorcing the Asshole—not the other way around. The fucker. He couldn’t even tell the truth about that.

  There was no Wi-Fi signal here and no way Jake could forward the incriminating mails to his own account. He’d just take the laptop. Stuffing it back into the case, he darted to the log pile at the side of the cottage and hid it there. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do with it, but that information was too valuable to ignore.

  The cold was beginning to bite, and Jake was shivering by now; his balls had shrunk to the size of walnuts, but it would be worth it. He shifted back to wolf and waited on the doorstep.

  * * * *

  Lillian turned around and leaned on the closed door. The thought of Wolfie freezing outside tore at her. Already she thought of him as her dog. God alone knew how she could keep him.

  “I missed you, sweetheart.” Kurt moved to her and pulled her into his arms. “When you ran away … God. I was out of my mind. You didn’t answer my calls, didn’t reply to my texts. You have no idea what went through my mind. All I could think of was getting here.”

  Lillian draped her arms loosely across his shoulders. She was yet to be convinced by his remorse. “How did you find me here?”

  He eased closer and began to nuzzle the base of her throat. “That ditzy publicist you use, Corinne. She told me.” Lillian held onto her anger. She’d asked Corinne to keep it a secret from everyone.

  “You are pleased to see me, Ella?” His lips pressed a hot trail up to her chin. She had missed him. She had loved him.

  He reached her ear and nipped at the lobe. When she whimpered, he slid his hands up her back and pulled her even closer. “Ella,” he breathed. “Let me stay here with you. We can celebrate Christmas by ourselves. You are my present and I want to unwrap you piece by piece.”

  Lillian frowned. Why did that sound familiar? Kurt continued. “Christmas with you will be the first Christmas of the rest of my life. We don’t need mistletoe, we don’t need…”

  “Baubles.” Lillian interrupted. “We’ll make our own pleasures.” He fell silent and Lillian glared at him. “Lost your voice? Or should I say, lost your script?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You’re quoting from one of your movies, Kurt. I have watched them, you know.”

  Chapter 17

  Kurt laughed at Lillian’s sharp words and shifted his gaze to look at the floor for a moment. “I was just playing, hoping you’d join in. You didn’t think I was being serious, did you?” A tiny frown creased his smooth forehead and then he kissed the tip of her nose. “You mean too much to me, Angel, to mess you around.” He began to open her robe, his fingers sliding across her bare skin.

  Lillian froze. “Angel.” He paused and glanced up at her. “You called me Angel. Is that what you call Angelique?”

  He sighed and lifted his head. “I love you, Ella.” He stressed her name. “How many times do I have to tell you, before you believe me?”

  Indecision raged. She wanted to believe him. She was fed up with being alone, of being leered at, of crazy fans lusting after her image. All she’d ever wanted was someone to love her. She’d thought Kurt was that special someone, but now, after the way he’d behaved, she wasn’t sure. Even if his story was true, that he’d been trying to stay private, she couldn’t get over the simple fact that he hadn’t trusted her enough. And then he’d lied. He’d hurt her. How could she ever trust him again?

  The soulful way he watched her was familiar. She’d seen that same expression in his movies a dozen times—usually when he was trying to entice a woman into bed. She opened her mouth to speak but he clamped his lips over hers in a brutal, punishing kiss.

  “Sweetheart,” he murmured when he finally released her. “I think I’m dying of the cold and you’re the only thing that will warm me up.” Another quick kiss. “Come and thaw my frozen heart.”

  Too little, too late. She had packed her own heart in ice and it would take more than a cheesy movie star to break it free.

  *

  Jake stretched up and stared through the steam-fogged window. His Mate. Kissing the Asshole. Pain sliced through him and he dropped to the ground. He couldn’t watch them. Of all the women in the world, what random twist of fate had brought him here, to her door? He would rather have never met her. Head down, he took a step toward the woods. The wound on his leg would most likely open up on the run back to Pack territory, but he didn’t care. Another step … thoughts of Lillian sparked through him, their crazy dream-sex, the way her soul cried out to him. He swallowed. Even if he never saw her again, he would always want her. She had ruined him for other women.

  *

  Lillian took a deep breath. “No.”

  Kurt’s fingers stilled. “What do you mean … no?” He must have thought she was teasing because he gave her a boyish grin and slipped his hand beneath her robe again. Something inside Lillian snapped. She grabbed his wandering hand and tugged it free, before letting go and folding her arms.

  “No. I’m not doing this anymore, Kurt. I want you to leave.”

  An array of emotions flashed across his face and Lillian wondered if he was deciding which face to show her. The one that emerged was ugly. “I drove hundreds of fucking miles to see you and I’m not heading out in that blizzard again tonight. I left my fucking wife for you, Ella. You aren’t going to throw me out like a piece of trash.”

  “If I’d known you were still married, I would never have slept with you.”

  He laughed again, but this time it had a cruel edge. “Not getting fussy, are you? Face facts, baby. You’re a two-bit piece of ass, and I’m the best offer you’ll ever get. Stay with me and you’ll have everything you ever wanted. Let me go and you’ll kick yourself.” His hands closed around her upper arms, his fingers digging in. “How much longer have you got? Two years, maybe three, and then someone else will be top of the pile and all you’ll have left is a few CDs. You’ll be lucky to sing karaoke.”

  She was too angry to feel scared. “Thanks. For the record, I’m not your baby, your Angel, or your sweetheart. Never mind kicking myself, I’m going to be the woman kicking your ass when I tell the press my side of things.”

  Kurt’s eyes darkened. His fingers squeezed tighter and he shook her, making her bump against the door. “Don’t even think about it,” he snarled. “Who’s going to believe a slut like you?”

  Chapter 18

  Jake paused and then looked back over his shoulder. He wasn’t a young pup easily cowed at the first sign of trouble. He was Pack Alpha … and she was his Mate. The cold had obviously shriveled his balls in more ways than one if he was giving up now. His mind made up, he bounded back to the house and charged at the front door, crashing into it. It jerked under his weight, but didn’t open. What the fuck? Had they locked him out? This was Asshole’s doing, he’d put money on it.

  The back door burst open when he shoulder charged it, and he skidded on the tiled kitchen floor, his feet scrabbling for grip. The sight that met him pushed his anger to volcanic levels. The Asshole was shaking Lillian like a rag doll. He was so intent on his brutality he hadn’t noticed Jake’s entrance. Lillian had. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She looked afraid, but it was Asshole who should have been scared.

  One warning snarl
and Jake pounced. He snatched at Asshole’s right arm, burying his teeth in the sleeve of the Santa robe and dragging it back. For a few seconds it was chaos. Asshole screamed, Lillian gave a little cry, and Jake bit the Asshole’s other arm. Hard. He forced the wailing actor to the floor and stood on his back, snarling and with saliva dripping from his mouth. It wouldn’t take much for him to sink his teeth into the man’s throat and finish him completely.

  *

  Lillian couldn’t speak. She shook from head to toe. It was as though Kurt had set off a chain reaction and now her entire body quivered, but she was not afraid of Wolfie. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stepped forward and peered down at her ex.

  “For fuck’s sake, stop him, Ella. I’m bleeding—the bastard tried to rip my arm off.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. She’d been in love with this man, and this was how he treated her. Like a whore. A booty call.

  “I’ll have it shot. It’s dangerous.” Kurt sounded angry, but when Wolfie growled again, he immediately moaned. “Please, Ella. I’ll do anything. Just get the fucking thing off me.”

  She ran her tongue around dry lips. “Anything?” Her voice was hoarse.

  “Yes.”

  “Leave and don’t ever call me or contact me again.”

  “Done”

  “And if you even think about telling anyone that Wolfie is dangerous, I’ll tell the newspapers how you came up here and attacked me.”

  He sucked in an unsteady breath and then whimpered when Jake snarled right next to his ear. “Yes! Okay. Get. It. Off. Me.”

  She moved her hand to Wolfie and sank her fingers into his thick fur. “Come here. He’s going now.”

  *

  Jake didn’t want to move away from the Asshole. He wanted to rip him into little pieces and feed him to the Pack. In the end, it was the sight of his Mate’s white, shocked face that did the trick. She wanted comfort and he needed to comfort her. He forced himself to calm down, to slow the bloodlust that coursed through his veins, and then he climbed down and moved to stand at his Mate’s feet. She sank to her knees and threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his ruff. He could feel her trembling, hear the way her heart raced, and he wanted to kill the Asshole all over again. One wrong move and all that would be left of the famous actor was a bloody mess on the floor.

  The actor moved slowly and cautiously away from Jake, speeding up when he reached the door and positively racing to get into his car.

  Jake held onto his triumph when Asshole bitched about the piss all over the door handle. He proceeded to curse long and loud, yelled a few colorful insults at Lillian, revved the engine and sped away, skidding over the snow as he went.

  She watched silently from the doorway; the only part of her that moved was her hand, curling deeper into Jake’s thick, soft pelt. He thought he could hear her teeth chattering and worried she was suffering from delayed shock. He wanted her inside, by the fire, warm and safe, but she didn’t move. The BMW disappeared from sight and Jake whined to get her attention, nudging her leg with his shoulder.

  He wished he dared shift to human form. He’d fetch her a blanket, throw more wood on the dwindling fire, and make her a mug of hot chocolate. As wolf, he had to be content with curling up beside her on the sofa and resting his head in her lap.

  She ran her fingers through his fur in an absent fashion and it was an age before she finally spoke. “They say there’s no fool like an old fool and I must be the biggest idiot ever.” Her whisper almost broke him—echoing the depth of despair he felt pouring from her. She rubbed at her eyes. “Our entire relationship was built on lies. I can’t ever do that again. If I can’t trust a man to be one hundred percent honest, I can’t trust him at all. I will always wonder what he isn’t telling me.” She buried her face in his fur. “At least you will never try to fool me, Wolfie.”

  Her words chilled him. He was being less than honest here and the longer this deception continued, the harder it would be to reveal the truth.

  Chapter 19

  After locking all the doors and windows, Lillian grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels and retired to bed. It was still early, but the temperature had dropped and since she’d forgotten to add wood to the fire, she figured it would be warmest in bed. Wolfie sprawled beside her, on top of the duvet, and kept nudging her to stroke him. Every so often, he gave her hand a lick. She could tell he knew she was upset but right now, she wanted to blot it all out.

  Sleep was a long time coming, but eventually she opened her eyes and found herself back in a dream, in Jake’s house. She stood in the doorway, looking into the lounge, staring at the roaring fire that burned in the grate. Well that figured. She felt cold, so her subconscious tried to make her feel warm. Only problem, she felt positively arctic on the inside, and no glorious blaze could reach that.

  The room was empty and she drifted over to the mantelpiece to look again at the carved wooden figures. She picked them up one at a time and examined them. For some reason, there were a lot of big dogs—wolves, if she believed Kurt.

  “Hey.” A deep and delicious voice murmured in her ear and a pair of familiar hands came to rest on her hips.

  Jake.

  Lillian allowed herself the luxury of leaning back against him but recognizing that tears were not far away, she pulled free again. Wiping at her eyes with one hand, she picked up the nearest of the dog figurines. “You’ve made lots of dogs?”

  “They’re wolves.” He sounded amused. “That’s Sasha you’re holding.” He reached out and touched another. “This is Tammy, his sister, and this little one,” he picked up a cute looking cub, “is Henry.”

  She peered at them. Yes, they weren’t all the same. Different faces and expressions, and now she looked carefully, she could make out variations in the size and shape of their ears and muzzles. “They’re so intricate.” She managed to plaster a smile on her face before turning to look at him. “How come you give them all names? Are they based on real wolves?”

  She thought there was a hint of mischief in his eyes, but he answered her in a serious tone. “Yes, they are.”

  “So do you work in a wildlife park or something?”

  “Or something.” His lips twitched. “No, I’m a carpenter when I’m not running wild.”

  His eyes darkened and she felt a wash of heat at the thought of the wild things he could get up to. The Jack Daniels had made her head fuzzy. She could swear she saw a predatory gleam in his eyes. She guessed again. “You have wolves as pets?”

  “No.” He blew out a long breath. “I need to tell you something, and I want you just to listen, okay?”

  Oh God. Her dream lover was going to say he was married. Her unconscious mind was even more masochistic than she’d thought. Jake seemed to be waiting for something. Pushing her fears aside, she nodded.

  *

  Jake took his Mate’s hand and led her to the rug in front of the fire. “Sit down, Cariad.” She complied and he sat with her, their hands still linked. He rubbed a thumb over her fingers and cast around for the best place to start. To his alarm, she yawned—already. He didn’t want her to drift into deep sleep just yet.

  “Wolves have a long association with this part of Wales, and there’s a special group of them living right here in Snowdonia.”

  She turned slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Special, how?” She yawned again.

  “Have you heard of shifters?”

  “What, like werewolves? Like in the Twilight movies you mean?”

  His heart hammered so fiercely he couldn’t believe she didn’t hear it. “Exactly like that.” He held his breath and waited.

  There was a long pause. He could almost hear the cogs turning in her brain. “What the hell,” she muttered and then spoke normally. “You know a bunch of werewolves. Is that what you’re telling me?”

  This was too easy. He tried to stop himself from sounding excited. “It’s a Pack, not a bunch, and they don’t turn into wolves at full moon, but yeah, y
ou get the idea.”

  “Oh, right.” She sounded sleepy and he knew he’d have to work fast. “Let me guess, that dog I took in is really a wolf?” She giggled.

  “Yes.”

  Her laughter stopped. “You as well? You’re a werewolf? Oh my.”

  “A shifter,” he corrected gently. He had the distinct impression she wasn’t taking this seriously.

  “My last lover was a pig, and my current one is a dog.” She chuckled. “Go on then. Show me what you can do.”

  Jake stared at her, unable to believe his ears. She wanted to see him shift. The thought made him feel warm inside, and he took a quick breath as he let go of her hand. A second later, he stood before her in wolf form, his heart racing as though he’d run up the mountainside. This was too important to screw up and the thought he might scare her away was excruciating. Please accept me, he prayed.

  Her eyes opened wide. For a moment, neither of them moved or made a sound. “Wow,” she whispered after Jake felt he’d aged a decade. “You are beautiful.” She stretched out her hand and slid her fingers through his fur. “You really are a wolf, that’s so cool.” She gave him a sleepy smile, rubbed her eyes and yawned again, then faded out. She’d fallen into deep sleep.

  Chapter 20

  It was still dark in the bedroom but Lillian figured it must be morning. Jesus. How much Jack Daniels did she knock back last night? Her eyelids were glued together and as for her mouth … it felt as though a small, furry creature had crawled in there and died. She needed to pee, get a drink of water, and find some aspirin—and not necessarily in that order.

  She rolled over and stretched out her hand. She expected to find Wolfie lying next to her but instead there was empty space. She patted the duvet but he wasn’t there at all. Perhaps he’d woken her when he jumped off the bed? What a weird dream that had been. Jake morphing into a dog—a wolf. Her imagination was on overdrive.