Wrangled Fate: Book One: Black Claw Ranch

by Lane, Cecilia

  “Fuck… Tansey,” Ethan gritted out. “Come here.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice, but couldn’t help herself teasing him more. Slow, so slow, she licked him again before crawling onto his lap.

  A lazy smile graced his lips. He dropped back onto one elbow, then another, hot and raw gaze sweeping over her body and lingering on her curves. “You taking charge, bad wolf?”

  She followed him down, planting her hands on his chest and leaning forward to lick his lips. She jerked back when he tried to chase her into a deeper kiss. “Maybe I am. I got turned by an alpha wolf and mated by an alpha bear. What more did you expect?”

  “Mouthiness. Not listening to sense. More of the same, really.” His lips twitched into a crooked smirk.

  She rocked herself against his cock and relished watching his grin disappear into a pleasured groan. So thick. So hard. Her mouth fell open as she eased down an inch, then up, teasing him.

  A growl rattled in her chest and she slapped her hands over her mouth in surprise. That was going to take some getting used to.

  Ethan pried her hands away and sipped at her lips. “Don’t hide her away.” He kissed her again. “She’s part of you now.”

  Tansey moved over him again. Easy. Steady. He filled her completely, and then some. And with the burst of pleasure came another rough noise in her throat.

  With a growl, he surged into her, hips thrusting up to meet hers. The first stroke, and pressure already squeezed her down. Another, and she was ready to spring.

  Play, that was what he allowed her. He let her have her fun, but he was the one in charge. She couldn’t get enough of it.

  A growl rumbled in his throat and he gripped the back of her neck. He pushed off the bed and met her halfway, wrapping his other arm around her to hold her tight. His lips crashed against hers, devouring her, as he moved them into a perfect rhythm.

  She couldn’t keep steady. He overwhelmed all her senses and called to the wolf inside her. His earthy scent was made to drown in. His hands, rough from hard work, dragged fire across her skin. Deep grunts mingled with her softer cries until she lost the beat.

  Ethan surged into action, rolling them over and taking control. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, tasting the salt on his skin.

  He gripped her hip and bucked hard into her, driving the pressure through the roof. So close. Him, too, if the sense of urgency was what she thought.

  She needed more.

  That other part of her had been born in fear and anguish. Ethan wrapped her in something else entirely. At her lowest moment, when she didn’t know how to manage the extra senses and thoughts running through her mind and trying to take control, he’d tied a string around her heart and dragged her back to earth. He tethered her in her moment of desperation.

  More. More.

  The instinct was strong enough to rattle a tiny growl in her throat.

  He gripped the back of her head and held her close. “Do it,” he dared. “Bite me. Mark me.”

  Yes. Yes, that was right. That was what she needed.

  She needed to bring them closer together and finish what he started.

  Tansey kissed down Ethan’s jaw and throat. A sexy snarl vibrated his chest and skittered goose bumps over her arms. Inside her, his cock twitched.

  “Do it,” he growled.

  Good, so good. Almost too good. He thrust into her harder, faster, dragging against all her nerves. Electricity built between them, higher and higher, until she could hardly breathe.

  More.

  Tansey licked a long line down his neck and dragged her lips across his shoulder. Then she pressed her teeth against his skin and bit.

  Ethan roared, not with any hint of pain. Ecstasy, pure bliss, that was in the sexiest growl she’d ever heard. There were no words to describe it, nothing he could say, other than that groan of pleasure.

  A sting of pain on her own shoulder sent her careening over the edge. Warmth flooded her with his release as he pulsed deep inside.

  He held her close, fingers tight in her hair, and slowly moved with her until the last of their aftershocks faded.

  He eased her away to look in her eyes. “That’s how it should have been done,” he said against her mouth, his voice tight with emotion. “Not forced or backed into a corner. Because we wanted it.”

  She wanted him. Forever.

  Her choice. Her heart. She wanted to live in a world where she had a place at Ethan’s side. She wanted to argue until they turned blue and make up for it until the sun rose the next day. Tough days were ahead of them, but he’d given her exactly what she needed: himself.

  Epilogue

  Tansey growled. She was supposed to be a graceful, elegant creature. Sleek, swift, silent. A deadly hunter on four legs.

  Instead, she walked like a dog with booties placed on its paws. Her limbs didn’t work. They were too long, too many, and she had no control.

  Ethan laughed.

  She snarled. Or tried to. A whine was all that came out.

  How could a man smell that good? Her animal side wanted to yip and yap and bounce around like one of those ankle biter dogs. Except every time she tried, she tumbled from one side to the other. Drunken sailors could walk a straighter line.

  “Stop treating them like they’re stilts. Those are your legs; make them work,” he said between breaths, wiping tears from his eyes.

  Tears!

  Tansey crouched down and bunched those limbs he said would so easily obey underneath her, then sprang for him.

  She fell flat on her face and Ethan laughed harder.

  She took several more minutes before she gained some control over her new limbs. The tail really gave her trouble. It helped her balance, but also kept spooking her. The black tip flashing just over her shoulder looked like something zooming right for her.

  Ethan laughed at the sudden starts and panicked twists, too.

  He stopped laughing when she finally packed her legs underneath her and jumped into him hard enough to knock him to the ground.

  “All right, all right,” he wheezed. “Get off me.”

  Tansey stomped all four paws across his chest before she stepped to the side and lolled her tongue at him.

  “Now that’s just rude. You know what happens to bad wolves, don’t you?” His smirk hinted at a delicious tease.

  She whined and crawled forward on her belly to rest her chin in his lap. Ethan stroked a hand down her neck. His fingers in her fur felt good.

  He lifted his eyes to stare into the distance as the air around him grew heavy. “My folks used to end the day in this spot. No matter how many brawls he needed to break up, or what she had going on in the house, they took the time to walk up here and just be with each other. After everything that happened, he came back here only once to spread her ashes. I started coming up whenever I needed to think.”

  Tansey huffed a sigh and turned her attention from her mate to where he looked. She didn’t need to be told the place was special. She could feel it in her bones and under her paws. The dirt thrummed with the steady heartbeat of the life Ethan breathed into his ranch.

  A light breeze kicked up and blew scents of fresh grass and renewal around them. Out from under the shade of the tree, hills rolled in all directions. Mountains climbed up to the sky to the west, dark purple against the orange and pink of sunset. If she looked behind her, she knew she’d see the shapes of the big house and the smaller homes where the others in the clan lived. No matter the trouble inside those dwellings or pushing in from outside the fences, the spot itself made everything look at peace.

  Ethan shared something big with her.

  Tansey focused on herself and her wolf. One needed to replace the other, but she didn’t exactly know how. Luckily, her wolf was in agreement and simply stepped aside.

  “This is beautiful,” she murmured as soon as her body became her own again. She didn’t lift her head from his thigh.

  Ethan grabbed a blanket from behind him and draped it
over her. “I was starting to think I’d have to order you back.”

  That was the reason he gave for taking her to the overlook. Her wolf stayed locked inside and needed his order to appear. The transition had been hard and painful, but it bridged a gap between Tansey and that other half of herself. The calm shift back was proof, even if her limbs felt like jelly.

  “I think she wanted to test you. No, that’s not quite right.” She didn’t take her eyes off the scenery and snuggled further against Ethan. His touch soothed her. “Something close to needle and tease, but also experience. I don’t know how to put it into words. She keeps flashing images of you standing over me and then jumping all around.”

  “Sounds like she wanted to find her place. Maybe she needed to know I was strong enough for you.”

  “Mmm. I think you’ve proven that many times over.”

  His phone vibrated in his pocket and he grinned down at whatever message he saw. He stroked a hand over her side, then squeezed her hip. “Put your clothes back on before I prove it again. We’re needed back at the house.”

  Tansey grumbled and obeyed. Her wolf tumbled around her head and brushed fur against her mind. She wanted to push Ethan back to the ground and see what he would do.

  Ethan flashed her a cocky, dirty smile like he knew exactly what was going on in her head, but stepped out of reach and pat his leg. “Come on, bad wolf. Do I need to lure you with dog treats?”

  “I’m going to bite you,” she declared.

  “Counting on it,” he tossed over his shoulder as he strode through the field toward home.

  Tansey muttered curses under her breath and followed.

  Calves nursed while their mothers continued to graze or dozed off where they stood. Ethan said they’d be integrated into the full herd in a matter of days, just as soon as they knew nothing was wrong. The close watch wouldn’t end there, though. The clan would keep an eye on them as they continued to grow. The Valdana pack still lurked out there, somewhere, and no one wanted to take chances with the new lives.

  Tansey slipped her hand into Ethan’s. “I’m sorry Trent beat you this year.”

  Ethan shrugged. “It’s not a real competition. It’s just luck and a big party.”

  “And prize money.”

  He dipped his chin once. “That. But I have a secret weapon for that, now.”

  Just in time for trail rides, too. They planned to ease into letting out the extra rooms upstairs. The first couples were already booked for a handful of rides with the clan, as well as other sightseeing adventures. For her part, she had menu ideas she kept tweaking and expanding. There was a delicate balance to maintain between cookout fare and fine dining.

  Instead of sneaking back into the house through the kitchen door, Ethan canted his head and led her around to the front.

  Tansey sniffed the air. Something wasn’t normal, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She thought he smelled amused. Even that much was more guess than true knowledge. Her new senses were awesome when she could decipher them, which was about twenty percent of the time.

  Maybe now that she and the wolf had more understanding, she’d learn fast.

  She stopped dead as soon as she rounded the house and stepped into the open clearing between buildings.

  A big sign proclaiming WELCOME HOME in block letters hung over the open barn doors. Someone had dragged out huge blue coolers and filled them to overflowing with ice and beer bottles. A plastic table was filled with fare from Hogshead Joint that hadn’t even been removed from the takeout cartons.

  Food and welcome sign aside, games of horseshoes and cornhole were set up and waiting for players. Inside one of the pens next to the barn, someone had erected a series of three barrels for what she could only assume would be their own private rodeo.

  “What did you do?”

  “The guys wanted to welcome you. Properly.” He leaned in and kissed her quickly. “Taking you out was a good excuse for them to get it set up.”

  Almost as one, the clan streamed out of the barn. They crushed her into tight hugs, and rubbed their cheeks against hers. Her wolf stirred with the motion, and inhaled each man. Earth and fur and forest were common among them, with extras that were completely individual. Jesse smelled like thick spices, while Hunter scented like fresh rain. Alex and Lorne each held tinges of worked leather, but that was where their similarities ended.

  Then there was just Ethan. Her mate. Her man. The one who fought for her and with her and would make every day a curse and a blessing.

  His lips hitched up on one side. “Welcome to the Black Claw clan.”

  The words felt like home. Seeing the ranch from Ethan’s spot, finally meeting her wolf and knowing they weren’t broken in their violent creation, then imprinting the others in her mind choked her with emotion. She’d been let down by the people who should have had her back, but the wild bears of Black Claw were waiting to accept her as one of them.

  She didn’t know what to say.

  “Hey.” Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her against him, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  Other questions were silently crowded into those words, but she had zero regrets for the choices taken from her or the ones she made after. Tansey twisted around so he could see the truth in her eyes as well as in her scent. “No doubts.”

  A low growl rumbled in his chest and his scent turned as happy as his smile. He dipped his head to lay a gentle kiss on her lips. Once, twice, then swooped in to deepen their connection.

  Tansey wrapped her arms around his neck. Each brush of his tongue melted her further into his embrace. He was her rock while she flailed about in a new world. Even after she found her footing, she planned to never let go. The matching marks on their shoulders were proof of a connection that tied them together for their entire lives.

  Hunter’s loud whistle broke them apart. “Before you two put on a show, want to go for a run?”

  Ethan cocked an eyebrow. “What do you say, wolf? Feeling too sore from earlier?”

  She rolled her shoulders. The ache of her muscles was almost pleasant. Truth be told, she wanted another chance to play in her other form. “I’m up for it.”

  “We’re in,” Ethan shouted back.

  One by one, the men stripped and pitched forward and bears took their places. Dark coats and light, with spots and patches, none looked exactly the same. Even their faces held a hint of their human sides. Alex looked surly. Hunter’s open mouth made him as goofy as the man. Lorne and Jesse watched quietly, one standing at a distance while the other appeared almost hopeful.

  Ethan stepped in front of her and hauled his shirt overhead. “Need some help?”

  She swatted his hands away. “Not if we’re doing this.”

  Within seconds, she shimmied out of her clothes and called to her wolf.

  Ethan stood nearby, concern straining his face as he closely watched her shift. The time for worry had passed, and the wolf bounced in her head without any hesitation. There wasn’t any battle for control or need for a stronger animal to order her into existence.

  Tansey stepped aside and let the wolf take her skin. Grey and black fur slid through her pores while her muscles and bones popped and snapped to make her new shape. In seconds, the woman was replaced with the wolf.

  She shook out her coat and took a cautious step forward as scents strengthened in her nose.

  Five bears waited for her.

  One held her heart.

  Tansey lifted her snout and let loose a howl to greet the future.

  * * *

  Thank you for reading Wrangled Fate! I hope you loved Ethan and Tansey!

  The Black Claw clan will return with Spurred Fate!

  Next in Series

  Spurred Fate: Black Claw Ranch Book Two

  Joss Warren packs her bags to head off to the unforgiving wilds of Montana where she’s got a job as the new chef of Black Claw Ranch. Secretly, she hopes to heal her br
oken heart. She’s heard about the good folks of Bearden, Montana. They are kind and generous, so people say. But her first run-in with a growly cowboy has her wondering if that’s just a tall tale.

  City-girl Joss has never met a man as rugged as Hunter Shaw.

  Tall, tatted, and Montana-tough, Hunter made his name riding bulls on the rodeo circuit. Nowadays, the handsome cowboy wrangles cows and tourists at the Bear Claw Ranch. Hunter is as wild and untamed as the Montana lands.

  Joss is sure his sultry gaze promises wicked pleasure. But Hunter hides a dangerous side and Joss can’t risk her fragile heart.

  Hunter, a bear shifter, understands horses and hard work. Not women. He’s had his heart broken and stomped on one too many times. But there’s something about the pesky, smart-mouthed red-head that wakens his bear. She’s wary though. The gorgeous, curvy girl is afraid.

  Of him.

  And maybe for good reason. If he were a gentleman, he’d give his skittish girl some room. And maybe he is a gentleman, but now’s not the time to find out. When traffickers stalk his pretty little mate, his animal ditches all good manners.

  His snarling bear is ready to mate, ready for cubs and family. He vows to hunt down any threat to keep his female safe…

  Spurred Fate is available on Amazon!

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