by Eve Langlais
Minutes later they heard screams from the front room as armed policemen stormed the small office. “Freeze!” they yelled at any workers they came across as they traveled down the hallway opening doors.
“Ally Fosey?” a voice called out above the racket.
“That’s me, I’m here,” she called as she waved her arm to get the man’s attention.
“Ma’am, Bess sent me to help. Where’s your mate?”
“In there with the doctor and a few of his goons. The bangs stopped a moment ago, so it’s probably safe to go in now.”
“I hope they’re able to talk,” the man grumbled as he motioned one of the policemen to follow him.
“Keir, it’s Jeff. I’m coming in,” the man said as he slowly opened the door.
“Hey, Jeff, let me guess, your grandmother sent you? This scum cowering in the corner is the so-called doctor. Those two are his goons that attacked me. It was all self-defense, I swear.”
Ally could hear the laughter in the two men’s voices as they talked in the office. What was it with them? A little violence and they were as happy as a two-year-old on Christmas.
“I don’t know what I feel. I’m glad we stopped him from hurting other people, but part of me wants to know if there was some chance the treatment would have worked.”
“Oh, Mom. Don’t think like that. We’re not done fighting. We will win this. I’m not giving up and neither can you.”
Keir walked up in time to hear Arlene’s words. He silently pulled both women into his arms and hugged them. “Come on, ladies, let’s get out of here. They know how to find us when they need our statements. In the meantime, I’ll have Bess research more treatment options, we won’t give up.”
They took Arlene back to their house and settled her in the spare room until her apartment was ready. As the days passed she fell a little deeper into depression as her hope slowly died. Ally, Keir, Xander, Josie, Bess, and even Shawna did their best to cheer her up, but nothing seemed to work. She’d lost faith.
A week after the office had been raided, Arlene’s new doctor called to give them the results of the treatments.
“I have good news and bad news,” he said flatly over the phone to the assembled group.
“What’s the bad news?” Ally asked, fear making each word shake.
“Arlene’s tumor is still there.”
“And the good news?” Arlene asked with tears pouring down her face.
“It shrunk. For the first time, the tumor’s shrunk. We might be on to something with this treatment, but only time and more treatments will tell for sure.”
“You want her to do another round of chemo then?” Keir asked in confusion.
“Yes, but this time I want to make it six cycles and spread them out a tad bit. I think we can do some major damage and bring them into controllable perimeters if we do.”
“I can’t afford that,” Arlene whispered brokenly.
“Oh yes, you can,” Xander said at the same time Keir said, “She’ll do it.”
“What are you boys doing? I don’t have that kind of money,” Arlene protested.
“If you were in our shoes, would you pay for us to have it done if you could?” Xander asked quietly.
“Arlene, you were there for me when I needed someone. Let us help you,” Keir added softly.
“Mom, they love you as much as I do. Please do this, fight for us.”
Arlene glanced from face to face and smiled. “How can I say no to you all? Okay, Doctor, I’ll do it.”
“Good, because you need to be here to give your daughter away at her wedding after all.”
“Wedding?” Ally asked curiously. “We’re mated, do we need a wedding?”
“Damn straight we do. I want the world to know you’re mine legally. Besides, just think of the wedding night.”
EPILOGUE
Ally smoothed down her wedding dress and smiled at her mother’s reflection in the mirror. She was in remission. Just thinking of it made Ally want to cry.
“Oh no you don’t!” her mom said. “No crying. Well, not yet.”
“I can’t help it,” she said and turned to hug her mother one more time. Every time she gave her mother a hug or a kiss, it was one more she got to do. One that wasn’t promised. She kissed her mom’s cheek and held her hands in her own. “Mom, I love you.”
Her mom nodded, her eyes filling with moisture. “I know, sweetheart.”
“Good. I will never stop loving you. Now let’s go find my little mankitty and get me married.”
Josie snorted a giggle from the entrance. “Mankitty? That’s a good one. Wait until I tell Xander.”
Ally laughed, imagining Keir’s growl at the name. A sudden need to be with her mate filled her. She picked up the skirt to her dress and started off, everyone rushing behind her. It was Ally’s turn to get married. When she got to the outside where Keir stood not far down a path, she turned to her mom, grabbed her hand, and watched as her bridesmaids went down the aisle.
“You ready, Mom?”
Her mom smiled sweetly at her. “Are you?”
“I’ve been ready my whole life.”
Who would’ve known the one man she thought was a womanizer would end up being the most loyal, honest, and committed man she’d ever met. Time to go meet Keir for their happily-ever-after.
NO NEED FUR LOVE
Kate Baxter
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks go out to Kevin Courtney, for helping me in my research of all things Lowman, Idaho! Also, huge thanks to my amazing agent, Natanya Wheeler, and everyone at NYLA, my kick-ass editor, Monique Patterson, and Alexandra Sehulster, and the amazing cover artists, copyeditors, and marketing team at St. Martin’s Press. You guys rock!
CHAPTER 1
“Can I get a Chunder Chocolate Oatmeal Stout?”
Owen Courtney bellied up to the bar at Bridge Street Bar and Grill. It was the only place in Stanley, Idaho—or anywhere for at least sixty miles—that sold Salmon River Brewery’s finest and he wasn’t about to drink any watered-down piss tonight. He needed a break from pack life like he needed his next breath of air. And he planned on getting good and drunk before the night was over.
“Here you go.” The bartender set a glass filled with the dark brew in front of him. “Want something to eat tonight? I can grab you a menu.”
“Nah.” Food would take up valuable real estate space in his stomach that was strictly reserved for beer. “Just keep my glass full.”
The winter season was in full swing, bringing with it a fair amount of tourist traffic. Snowmobilers ready to hit the backcountry and skiers on their way to Sun Valley to hit the slopes. For a place with a population of not more than a couple hundred full-time residents, the town was pretty damn busy tonight. But since everyone was more or less on their way to somewhere else, Owen was pretty sure the town would be as empty tomorrow as it ever was. Which suited him just fine. The full moon was three nights from now, and the more isolated he was, the better.
Owen needed to run more than usual. He was antsy as fuck and desperate to stretch his legs. Anything was better than sitting around the compound all day as the pack’s alpha, Liam, and his mate, Devon, settled into their mated bliss.
It wasn’t that he begrudged Liam a little love and happiness. On the contrary, after so many centuries alone, it was pretty damned great to see the male happy. But it was also a sore reminder of everything Owen didn’t have. It wasn’t like he was looking for a female to tie himself to for eternity right this second. He sure as hell wouldn’t say no to tying himself to one for the night, however.
“How are things going out at your place?” Owen looked up at the bartender who’d swung back around with a fresh stout. “Tim Johnson said he heard some wolves howling out your way the other night. You hear anything?”
Liam had moved the pack to Stanley, Idaho, in the hopes of expanding the pack’s territory in the sparsely populated area. Nestled at the base of the Sawtooth mountain range, the area was th
e perfect place for a pack of werewolves to hang out. Unfortunately, it was also an area where the human population harbored a lot of animosity toward wolves. Owen let out a chuff of laughter as he finished off his first glass and moved on to the second. “No.” There was no use in bringing any undue attention their way. “Liam said there was some distant howling a few nights back, but any wolves he might have heard had to have been at least twenty miles away.”
“Huh.” The bartender—gods, Owen wished he could remember the guy’s name—cleared his empty glass away. “That’s good to know. But if the elk move down into the valley, the wolves won’t be far behind.”
True. But what the locals didn’t know was that whether there was a herd of elk in the area or not, no timber wolf would dare to tangle with a werewolf. They weren’t even on the same evolutionary ladder. The chances of any ordinary wolves taking up residence in the area were slim to none. That didn’t mean there wasn’t a possibility that Owen would be dodging a few bullets come the night of the full moon.
It wouldn’t do any good to disagree. “I’ll tell Liam to keep an eye out just in case.”
“Good idea.”
Their conversation was cut short as a party of eight walked through the front door. Owen let out a slow breath of relief as he hunkered over his glass and went back to staring at the pale foam as it began to dissipate from the top of the stout in his glass. He knew the move to Idaho would be better for their pack in the long run, but the isolation was really starting to get to him. It was blind fucking luck that Liam had managed to find his mate in the even tinier town of Lowman, fifty miles down the road. The chance that any other member of the pack would have that sort of luck was slim to none.
At least, that’s what Owen had convinced himself of.
* * *
Mia Oliver walked into the little bar and grill behind a group of skiers on their way back to the city. She hung back toward the entrance and scanned the entire fifteen hundred or so square feet of space for a viable candidate. She didn’t need anything special, just a warm body for the night. Someone to buy her a little time and keep her within the confines of her father’s ridiculous ultimatum.
Produce an heir or allow him to find her a suitable mate. Otherwise, she’d be forced to relinquish her birthright.
Seriously, what a jerk. You’d think they were still living in the dark ages or something. It’s not like there were viable males around every corner in their little isolated slice of Idaho. And besides that, why in the hell did she need to produce offspring to obtain any kind of leadership status? It’s not like procreating would make her any more her father’s daughter than she already was. Wood nymphs were notoriously stubborn, and Mia was no exception. What her father wanted was to see her good and mated. What Mia wanted was for him to get the hell off her back and let her live her life on her own terms.
Easier said than done.
“Just one for dinner tonight?”
Mia wanted to laugh at the hostess’s sympathetic tone. As though eating by herself were some great tragedy. “Yup.” Mia did nothing to hide her sarcastic tone. “Just little old me, all by my lonesome. I think I’ll eat at the bar if that’s okay.”
The hostess replied with a bright smile. “Oh sure! No problem at all. Just go ahead and have a seat.”
Mia gave her a bright smile in return as she headed for the bar. Wasn’t this the pond that most single girls fished from? At any rate, the night was bound to be marginally entertaining. It should be easy enough to snag an eligible male. Besides, she didn’t need anyone stellar. Just … passable.
Gods. Were her standards so low that she was willing to settle for any poor slob as long as he could seal the deal? At this point, yes. Because there was no way she was going to enter into a hasty relationship with a male she didn’t know in order to make her father happy. If he had it his way, he’d pair her off with someone of his choosing. No way, no how. Arranged pairings might have been the norm six or seven hundred years ago, but it was time for their band of nymphs to jump into the twenty-first century. Feminism for the win!
Well, hel-loooo there!
Mia caught sight of a nicely muscled back at the far end of the bar. Guy looked like he spent a fair amount of time in the gym or outside lifting very heavy things. His short-clipped, sandy-blond hair brushed the collar of his T-shirt. Just long enough to appear unkempt in a very orchestrated way. His wide back tapered into a finely formed torso and narrow waist. His ass was planted on the bar stool, but Mia imagined it was just as spectacular as the rest of him. His powerful arms rested on the bar. She couldn’t see his face but Mia wasn’t interested in whether or not the front of him was as attractive as the back. He was a well-made, warm body. The perfect prospect to help her take care of a little business.
From the looks of it, he was all alone, his head bent over his beer as though he might have had a bad night. Nursing a broken heart, perhaps? Maybe he needed a rebound girl. In which case, Mia was more than willing to help a guy out.
“Is this seat taken?” Mia infused her voice with power as she settled in beside her prey. A nymph with even half her power could easily entrance a human with a single word. The magical properties of her voice certainly came in handy. And even though they were required to follow a strict code of conduct in regard to the use of those powers, Mia decided it would be okay to break the rules tonight.
A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
The guy waited a beat before he acknowledged her. Weird. He should have been champing at the bit from the first sound of her voice. He turned slowly on the bar stool to face her and Mia’s breath caught in her chest. He was way better-looking than she’d anticipated. And he definitely wasn’t human.
Wow.
It had been forever since another supernatural faction had lived in the area. Her band came across the occasional shifter, but for the most part, they were pretty scattered throughout the remote rural areas. His gaze roamed over her and a golden spark lit in the depths of his blue eyes. Werewolf. And a damned impressive one at that. Mia took in his finely chiseled features. The straight line of his nose, his square jaw, and sharp cheekbones. One tawny brow arched over a bright blue eye and the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement. Arrogant. So typical. Werewolves had insufferably large egos. But they were also virile—especially in the days before the full moon. No doubt he was antsy and looking for a little action. Mia couldn’t have asked for a better setup.
His lips spread into a sardonic grin and Mia’s stomach did a pleasant backflip before settling back into place. “It’s all yours.” Hell, yeah it was. The deep rumble of his voice vibrated through her and Mia suppressed a moan. “I’m Owen.”
He held out his hand. If he knew what she was, he didn’t give any outward indication. Pretty civilized for a werewolf. Sort of disappointing. Then again, what did she expect? For him to just lay her out on the bar and go to town? Nymphs weren’t exactly modest creatures, but in a town as small as Stanley, Mia didn’t need to do anything that might draw attention to her or her band. The fact that Owen was a werewolf made hooking up with him a little more difficult as well. Dual-natured creatures like werewolves and shifters weren’t susceptible to her powers of persuasion. Which meant, if she wanted to bag this big game, she’d have to do it the old-fashioned way.
Good thing Mia wasn’t opposed to rolling up her sleeves for a little hard work.
“Mia.” It had been a while since she’d actually had to charm a male. Hopefully, she wasn’t too rusty. She hopped up onto the stool beside him and rested an elbow on the bar as she turned her body intimately toward his. “So, what brings you out tonight, Owen?”
A human would be more fitting for her purposes. But there was something about the werewolf she couldn’t resist. Mia just hoped her curiosity over the male wouldn’t wind up getting her into more trouble than he was worth.
Then again, there was only one way to find out.
CHAPTER 2
Mine.
The word resounded in Owen’s mind with such clarity that it drowned out all other sound. This close to the full moon, his wolf was nearer to the surface of his psyche, but that wasn’t what triggered the visceral reaction that took him by surprise. Holy shit. His wolf had claimed her as their mate.
“So, what brings you out tonight, Owen?”
His brain had a hard time latching on to her words. He was too preoccupied with the sudden shock of lamenting his lack of a bond only to find himself claiming a mate in the very next moment. A rush of electric heat shot through him and Owen found himself wishing he was outside in the cold winter air. His brain was entirely too full of her delicious scent for him to focus on anything else.
“Probably the same thing that brought you out tonight.” Eloquent? Nope. But it was all he could muster until his brain decided to get its ass in gear.
A slow, sensual smile spread across her full lips and Owen damn near swallowed his tongue. “I doubt that.”
Her voice was a purr that struck low in his gut, awakening his lust. Good gods, she was beautiful. An outdoor enthusiast’s wet dream, she looked as though she’d walked right out of the woods and into the bar. Fresh. Natural. Her face as dewy as a spring morning. Her pale cheeks, colored with a blush of summer, despite it being the middle of winter, only enhanced her otherworldly appearance. Her forest-green eyes ran with veins of gold that held him rapt. Long, wild locks of golden wheat–colored hair framed her face and cascaded over her shoulders and back. What was she? Owen could identify most supernatural creatures by their scent, but he’d never smelled anything like her before. Not floral or sweet. Not musky like a shifter. She smelled like the river on an early summer day. Clean. Crisp. Amazing. She wasn’t human, that much was certain. A mystery. It excited him even more.
Mia reached up and lightly traced her bottom lip with her fingertips. Owen’s cock hardened behind his fly and his stomach gathered into a tight knot as his gaze locked on her luscious mouth. Jesus. He blew out an emphatic breath. The female was one hundred percent concentrated sex appeal.