Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Matter
Note
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Epilogue
Sneak Peek
Join my Review Crew
Other Books by Alicia Montgomery
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Matter
Note
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Epilogue
Sneak Peek
Join my Review Crew
Other Books by Alicia Montgomery
Witch’s Mate
Book 4 of the True Mates Series
A Billionaire Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance
By
Alicia Montgomery
Copyright © 2017 Alicia Montgomery
All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Author. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and not be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is coincidental.
For L, who called dibs on Liam and J, who says he stays.
Don’t forget to turn the page all the way to the end - you can get a BONUS chapter of my book, as well as a FREE copy of my contemporary billionaire domination romance novelette The Billionaire Heirs.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for buying or borrowing this book! Indie authors like me rely on you guys a lot to read our work and spread the word.
If you love the True Mates Series and want indie romance authors like me to keep writing and offering our books on Kindle Unlimited, please do flip the pages all the way to the end so we can get full credit for our books.
Also, if you’re reading in Page Flip mode, please turn it off to ensure we get paid for all the pages in our books. There has been some anecdotal evidence that in this mode, the software is unable to count the pages properly. Once you’re done, feel free to leave a rating or exit the book - don’t flip back to the first page or else we might not get full credit .
Thank you and happy reading!
All the best,
Alicia Montgomery
Prologue
About six weeks ago…
Lara Chatraine tapped her foot impatiently in front of the private elevators at the Fenrir Corporation headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. The numbers ticked down much too slowly for her taste. The maintenance department at Fenrir had sent out a memo that morning saying they were doing some upgrades and the elevators may experience some slowdowns and even disruptions.
The delay was annoying and really put a crimp in her day. Though really, it was more that she was spoiled, since she never had to wait for the public elevators like everyone else. Since she joined Fenrir a few months ago, she had her own security badge and her palm print was already programmed into the system. These sets of elevators were for VIPs on the executive penthouse floor, their guests, and for those who worked on the 33rd floor (like her), which meant they were pretty much at her beck and call.
It was, of course, much different from the first time they had barged into Fenrir weeks ago, when she, her mother, and another witch from their coven had stormed through the doors, forcing their way inside. They were desperate to meet the CEO of Fenrir, Grant Anderson. Aside from being the head of a large multinational corporation, he was also the leader and Alpha of the New York Lycans, one of the largest and most powerful werewolf shifter clans in the world. Lycan and witch societies lived and thrived in secret, with humans blissfully unaware of their existence. The two factions were at odds with each other, though they had a tenuous truce. However, a group of former witches and warlocks, called mages, was trying to stir up trouble between the two. The mages kidnapped her cousin Cady and blamed a series of attacks against the New York Lycans on her.
Lara’s mother, Vivianne, found out about the kidnapping and decided that they needed the Lycans’ help to rescue Cady and prevent the mages from destroying them all. When Grant’s gatekeepers and security team had rebuffed their requests for a meeting, they took matters into their own hands, sneaking in and knocking out anyone who stood in their way. Lara herself had used her powers to control wind currents to literally blow his doors open. They eventually convinced the Lycans to let them help find Cady.
Though they rescued Cady, the mages and their leader, Stefan, escaped. The New York Lycans and witches decided to work together, to try and stop the mages. Lara was now assisting the Lycans in trying to understand mage magic and find a way to stop them. Mages, after all, were former witches who turned to blood magic to expand their limited powers.
She sighed and crossed her arms. Her hours at Fenrir were flexible, and today she had taken the morning off since she and her boss/best friend, Dr. Jade Cross, worked late the night before. Now she was going for a lunch date with her cousin, Cady Vrost, all the way at the top floor in the executive offices.
The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled with that sensation that told her someone was watching her. Whipping her head behind her, she saw a familiar figure.
“Ms. Chatraine.” Liam Henney, Lycan Alpha to the San Francisco clan, nodded at her.
“Alpha,” she acknowledged, then turned back to looking at the elevator doors.
Liam stepped up be
side her. “Are the elevators running slow today?”
“Yeah,” she confirmed. “Maintenance or something.”
“Oh.”
She stared up at the numbers again, which now seemed to be stuck just a couple of floors above them. From the corner of her eye, she regarded the Lycan beside her. She had only met Liam Henney once before, when they made their dramatic entrance into Grant’s office. Liam was helping the New York Lycans figure out who kidnapped Cady and eventually helped them attack the mage stronghold. She remembered him clearly, with his electric blue eyes, his handsome, pensive face, broad shoulders, and tall, lean body she’d love to climb like a…
Whoa.
Where did that come from? Lara’s cheeked pinked. But who could blame her? Liam was sexy and ridiculously hot. He had a handsome face, with a smile that made her stomach do flip-flops, and almond-shaped eyes turned down slightly at the corners, giving him an exotic look. His wide shoulders were encased in a well-fitting, and probably expensive suit, making him look powerful and sophisticated, but it wasn’t just his attire or his looks that made him stand out. Liam Henney exuded a quiet, confident power that was understated, but it was definitely there. Just standing next to him she felt it and he could probably make her panties melt away with the right look.
Thank God, though, right now, he just looked annoyed. His brows were knitted as he stared up at the numbers, and Lara had to clench her fists to stop herself from reaching over and smoothing it with her fingers.
Oh God, what’s wrong with me? And what is that? She wrinkled her nose. A fresh, citrusy scent tickled her senses.
Mercifully, the elevator doors opened.
“After you.” Liam gestured to the elevator car.
She stepped inside. “Going to the top floor? I can get us there,” she asked as she put her palm print on the sensor. “I’m meeting Cady for lunch.”
Liam was about to take his security badge to place it on the scanner, but he stopped. “Yes…thank you.”
As the doors closed, Liam settled right beside her and they waited in awkward silence.
1…2…3…the red letters indicating the floors counted up.
A heartbeat passed, and both spoke at the same time.
“So, what are you-”
“How was your-”
20…21…22…
“Go ahead,” she said.
“No, you go,” he said.
More silence.
30…31…32…
“I was just going to ask if you had a good trip from San Francisco.”
“Ah…yeah. I mean, I actually came from Switzerland though. Lycan business.”
“Oh. Uh, nice.”
49…50…51…
Lara sighed inwardly. Was this ride ever going to end? It was also getting warmer, for some reason. Maybe they were also fixing the air conditioning. Good thing she was wearing a sundress and a light cardigan. Not exactly corporate wear, but part of the perks of her job was the casual dress code.
66…67…68…
There was more awkward silence, and Lara could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head. Annoyed, she looked up at him. “What are you staring at?” she asked impatiently.
Liam opened his mouth, but a sound chimed, indicating they had arrived at the top floor. Finally! She moved forward to leave when Liam suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking the doors.
“Alpha, what’s wrong?” she asked. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!”
Liam’s hand slammed on the close button, and then on the emergency stop. The lights dimmed and flickered inside the elevator, and he stepped towards her, forcing her to walk backward. His electric blue eyes glowed in the dim elevator, and her heart slammed into her sternum when she saw the hunger in his eyes.
Time seemed to slow down as the Alpha backed her up against the wall. She gasped as his large hands gripped her shoulders and Liam’s dark head swooped down. His lips stopped a millimeter away from hers, but the moment they connected, time sped up again and all heck broke loose.
She should have pushed him away, asked him what his problem was. Really, all it would have taken was a wave of her hand. But the electricity and burst of power that shot through her the moment their lips touched shocked her. Plus, Liam was a damned good kisser. His mouth was warm and delicious, seeking hers out insistently. His hands latched around her hips, lifting her up against the wall. He grabbed at her thighs, parting them and pushing the skirt of her sundress up. Moving between them, he wrapped her legs around his waist. She gasped into his mouth in surprise as her hips slammed against him. Liam was sporting an honest-to-goodness boner down there, and from the size of it, it was true what they said about Lycan shifters. Damn, her panties were soaked in an instant.
A soft growl emanated from his chest and a hand buried into her strawberry blonde hair. He pulled her head back, exposing her neck. Liam dragged his lips down the slender column, his teeth lightly grazing the soft flesh there. Lara whimpered, pushing her hips and grinding up against his erection.
His other hand crept up the back of her thighs, grabbing her ass and giving it a squeeze as he pushed himself closer to her. She shuddered as he found the perfect spot, the ridge of his pants-covered dick bumping up against her clit.
“Fuck!” she cried out before Liam’s mouth captured hers again. The yummy citrusy fragrance was all him. His delicious scent wrapped around her, assaulting her senses. Her hands snaked around him, grabbing his shoulders as she pushed against him, her body winding tight as she could feel her orgasm approaching.
“Everything OK in there?” a voice crackled through the speaker. “Sir? I think we accidentally triggered the emergency button.”
Lara whimpered in disappointment as Liam slid away from her. He blinked once, breathing heavily as he turned around and pressed the call button.
“Uhm, yeah…we’re…fine in here,” he managed to reply.
“Yeah, sorry about that, sir. We’ve been trying to run some upgrades in the background. I apologize for the delay, sir…you’ll be on the top floor in a sec.”
Silence filled the small elevator car. Lara managed to stand up on her own two legs without melting into a puddle. She smoothed down her dress and fixed her hair. Checking her reflection on the mirrored surface of the doors, she saw that her lipstick was definitely gone.
Liam turned back to her, his eyes wide and his face inscrutable. “I…” He rubbed the back of his head with his palm. “I’m sorry…I don’t know what happened…fuck!” He sniffed the air. “You smell like…me,” he growled and he began to stalk towards her.
Lara waved her hand and a gust of wind circled the both of them, whisking away his scent into the vent above them and making Liam stop in his tracks. “Not a problem,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t come out as a nervous squeak.
“Uh…thanks,” he replied. “Listen, I-”
A loud ding interrupted him, and the lights flickered on. As soon as the doors opened, Lara sprinted out to the floor, dashing away.
What the heck happened? She shook her head.
“Oh, hey!” a familiar female voice called. Ignoring it, she kept walking towards Cady’s office.
“Liam, sorry, er…we had an emergency,” a male voice called.
“What? Oh, yeah…no worries, Grant.”
“Lara!” Fast-paced footsteps caught up to her, and a hand grabbed her by the arm. “Hold up! Whatever you do, do not go into Cady’s office unless you have some sort of forgetting potion handy! In which case, you’re gonna have to share some with me!”
Lara whipped around to face Alynna, Grant Anderson’s sister. “Don’t what? Oh, hey Alynna,” she greeted her with a nervous laugh. “I was…uhm…just going to see Cady.” Yeah. That’s it. That’s what I was doing. I totally wasn’t making out with Liam Henney in the elevator.
“Yeah…uhm, about that.” The pretty brunette Lycan linked her arm around Lara’s. “Why don’t you step into my office first. Jeez, are you OK? You seem flushed. And wh
at happened to your lipstick?”
“I was…er…I got super hungry on the way here and scarfed down a bear claw,” Lara said quickly. “There was something wrong with the elevator. I think they shut down the air-conditioning…or something.”
“Oh yeah, they’ve been doing those upgrades. Maintenance assured me they would fix it today.”
“Is Cady OK?” Lara asked as they walked past Cady’s office.
Alynna gave her a sheepish look. “Uh, yeah, about that…this is really awkward. But, well, Grant and his lady friend decided to have a bit of afternoon delight in the office,” she explained. “Unfortunately, they must have released some super Alpha pheromones or something and the entire floor got…er…carried away.”
Lara’s eyes went wide. “So…”
“Yeah, everyone got carried away,” Alynna emphasized. “Cady’s door is still locked. And Nick’s in there with her,” she added, referring to Nick Vrost, Cady’s Lycan husband and Grant’s second-in-command.
“Oh,” Lara said thoughtfully. She guessed that the moment the elevator doors opened, Liam had been affected by whatever Lycan sex voodoo was going around. A part of her was glad that he didn’t just randomly kiss and feel up women in elevators as a habit.
Alynna opened the door to her office and led her in. “Yeah, sorry about that, but it was probably a good thing you guys didn’t arrive a second earlier. Who knows what you guys might have seen.”
Lara gave a nervous laugh. “Uh, yeah, true.”
“So, why don’t you take a seat?” Alynna motioned to the couch. “I’ll send Cady a message and tell her to come here when they’re…done.”
“Thanks, Alynna,” Lara said as she sat down. She looked around the plush office, trying not to notice that the other woman was picking up items that had fallen off the desk.
She sighed inwardly. That certainly explained Liam’s actions in the elevator. Not that she thought he would suddenly be overcome with lust for her for no reason. However, there was no mistaking the burst of power she felt when their lips touched. She had felt a similar, though weaker version of it before. It was a few months ago when Cady and Nick’s first touch marked them as True Mates.
Witch's Mate Page 1