by C. D. Gorri
“Claire was always a sweet kid. We, uh, we went to school together. High school. We were sweethearts. I took her to prom. I wanted to marry her. But uh, Zev, Zev had a contract, a betrothal contract and demanded she marry him or be killed as Pack law states. I wanted to fight him for her, but she begged me not to. She said she’d rather I lived, got married to someone else, then died at his hands. He was always a tough son of a bitch.”
Cat’s heart thudded in her chest. She moved closer to Tate without realizing it and he put his arm around her. The heat and solidity of him standing next to her gave her strength. She had a feeling she’d need it.
“Twenty-seven years ago when Rafe here was in grade school and I was just an officer, a bunch of kids, normals, stole his bike and kicked his butt. Your mom called the office and they sent me. When I was taking the report I guess, well, I guess something happened between us or what had been there before had never really died. At least not for me it hadn’t. My God, I loved that woman. You have to know that. I would never have shamed her, never hurt her. But I loved her so much. One thing led to another. When she told me she was pregnant with you I told her we’d run away. Leave this place and make a new life. But she wouldn’t leave her son. I couldn’t make her do that.”
Cat gasped. Her hand was over her mouth and hot tears poured down her bruised face. It all made so much sense to her. Why her father, no not her father, why Zev had hated her. Why her mother had run away. It was because she belonged to another in her heart! Poor mom just couldn’t take it anymore.
Cat could relate to that. But why, oh why didn’t she take her and Rafe away too? Cat’s emotions were moving so fast, she hardly noticed Tate’s hand on her arm in slow soothing strokes.
“Anyway, Zev, he, he visited me. Told me he knew what we had done. He promised to raise you as his own flesh and blood. He told me he wouldn’t punish Claire. He would forgive her. That son of a bitch was the meanest damn thing alive. And I am ashamed that I did not have the power to stop him. I tried, I did, but he broke me. Both my legs, both my arms. Broke them and kept me tied up in his barn so that he could re-break them when they would heal. Months felt like years in there. Little water, kibble to eat, hardly any light. I was not freed until after you were born. Then he released me and told me that if I tried to come near either of you again he would do that to you both. I had no choice. I couldn’t let him do that to you. I am sorry, I am so sorry. I just thought you needed to know.”
“But why? Why now? Why not a year ago or five years ago? Or when that son of a bitch died? How could you not tell me?!,” Cat’s voice grew louder as she went on.
“I am so sorry. For everything. I already told your brother this, a few years back, but please, don’t, don’t be angry at him for not telling you. I made him swear a blood oath to keep my secret as Pack Alpha. He had no choice.”
“Rafe?”
“I’m sorry, Cat. I couldn’t break my oath.”
“That’s okay, big brother. I understand. Gee, I guess I’m not a Maccon after all.”
“Actually your mother was the Maccon, Zev took her last name,” Lt. Larentia interrupted with a sheepish grin on his face.
“Wow. I never knew that. I wouldn’t have looked either, not after Mom left,-”
“You think your mom left? She didn’t leave. He sent her away. To be a prisoner at some other Pack. I’ve been trying to find her for years.”
“What?,” both Cat and Rafe looked at each other then at Lt. Larentia.
“You mean our mother is alive? And she’s being held somewhere?,” Rafe roared the last. He looked to Seff who was already on his feet cell phone in hand.
“We will look into this immediately. Thank you Matt, you are prime Pack and you will always be welcome here,” Rafe turned around his chest heaving with emotion. Charley moved to his side. But Cat remained still.
“Dad? Can I call you that?”
“Dammit girl, of course you can. I waited my whole life to hear you say it,” He opened his arms and Cat slowly went into them. Father and daughter reunited at last.
“Let me introduce you to Tate, he’s my-”
“Yeah, what exactly is with you two? Spill!,” Liam jumped over the couch and sat at the small table, hands on his knees waiting rather impatiently for her to explain.
“Actually, why don’t you start the story from the beginning.”
Rafe’s orders were usually followed to a t, but Cat and Tate managed to leave out the irrelevant parts.
All that mattered to Cat was that she had finally found her heart. And it was where she always knew it would be. With Tate.
EPILOGUE
“So, everything, uh, came together in the end?”
Cat winced as Liam so crudely summed up the events of the last few days. Seff smacked his brother in the back of the head while the others looked around trying not to laugh.
Rafe remained stone-faced until his wife squeezed his knee then he leaned forward to speak.
“Everyone out of the room, except for you two.”
Tate glanced at Cat. She looked worried. He narrowed his eyes. He loved Rafe. Loved his position in the Pack. Hell, he worked damn hard to make it that far. But there was no way 0in hell he was giving up Cat. Even if that meant defying his Alpha.
“Rafe, I-” Cat addressed her brother directly, but was silenced with a glare.
She heard the other Wolves in the hallway. She knew Liam had his ear pressed against the door. The damn nosy pup!
“So, the two of you have matebonded? Without asking my permission, my blessing? You, Tate, you just went and had your way with my baby sister?!,” Rafe growled and put force into his words causing both Cat and Tate to bow a little.
“Rafe, I’m a grown woman!”
“Silence! I’m the Alpha here and you do not have my permission to speak!”
“Rafe with all due respect, I am your Wolf Guard, I love and trust you, but she is my mate. We are bonded, and don’t you ever talk to her like that,-” Tate struggled to stand upright. It was a fight, but he did and though he kept his eyes averted he stood tall. Ready to die for his mate.
“Ah, that is what I was looking for. My love, do you have any words?”
Charley stepped around her husband and took his large hand in hers.
“Yes, when’s the wedding?”
With that Rafe let go of his Alpha control and broke into a wide smile. He grabbed his sister in a bear hug and allowed her to swat him for making them sweat like that.
Tate allowed Charley to kiss his cheek, but when it came time to shake hands with Rafe he paused.
“So you’ve known? All this time?”
‘What that you were in love with my sister? Dude, I’m the Alpha. Of course I’ve known!”
“But I thought you didn’t approve?”
“No, that’s what you wanted to think. I just never made it known. After all, Cat deserves someone who knows his worth. Someone who would fight for her. You are that someone, Tate. Only now you know it too.”
Later that night Tate and Cat snuggled together in their new bedroom in one of the guest houses on the manor. A gift from Rafe and Charley. They chose the one closest to the pool and gym. It had three bedrooms, a full kitchen, living room, office, and two bathrooms.
Charley offered to help Cat redecorate and she accepted. Her brother’s wife had a way with colors and textures that could make any house into a home. Cat was glad she offered.
She stretched in their king sized bed and looked at her lover, her mate, and smiled. A very feline smile, for a Wolf anyway.
“What? Is something wrong?,” his sleepy voice told her their last bout of lovemaking had left him spent. She was glad of it. Proud to know she had the ability to satisfy him as much as he did her.
“No, nothing is wrong,” she traced her long fingernails across the muscles of his bronzed chest and smiled as he leaned into her touch, “I love you, Tate. I always have.”
“I love you too, Catriona,” his response was i
mmediate. He took her hand and kissed the fingertips all the while looking into her eyes. His eyes glowed with his Wolf, with his love, his loyalty to her, the true communion of their souls, and their unbreakable mate bond as he looked at her.
Cat gasped at the intensity of it all. Her heart sped up. Whatever the future held she knew they would face it together. Like they would in their new project. She was glad to have the approval of not only her boss at the Sheriff’s Department, but of her Alpha as well.
“I can’t wait to start working on the Macconwood-Nighthawk Teen Outreach Program. It’s such a great idea, Tate, together we are going to do such great things.”
“Hey, we came up with it together. And yes, we are going to do great things, Cat. Especially with you as my partner. So, tell me, how does it feel to be a Wolf Guard?”
“Amazing! But not as amazing as being your mate,” Cat grinned. She couldn’t believe it herself. Rafe had finally asked her to be part of his Guard.
“Well, how about it Cat?,” that’s all Rafe had said after everything had been said and done. She remembered narrowing her eyes and tackling her brother to the ground in a hug so tight he was almost embarrassed.
He gave her a squeeze and rolled to his feet easily before sternly commanding her to never tackle her Alpha again. She smiled as she thought about it now. Tate’s deep voice shook her from her reverie and Cat perked up.
“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you feel that way, Cat, because I, uh, was wondering, if maybe you’d like to be my wife too?,” Tate paused, wanting to gauge Cat’s reaction to his proposal.
For a moment he was worried that she might say no. After all, she was a modern woman, maybe she didn’t believe in marriage? Tate would abide by anything she said. She was his mate and traditional marriage or not that wouldn’t change.
He watched a wide array of emotions play across cat’s upturned face. Surprise, love, worry, angst, shock, fear, pleasure. And then she did something only Cat would do. She tackled him and brought her lips down hard on his, her entire body purring with affection.
“I love you, Tate Nighthawk, and I’d be damn proud to be your wife!”
“So it’s yes?”
“Of course it’s yes!”
That night Cat howled. Not because she was in danger, but because she was in love. Forever and always.
The end.
About the Author
C.D. Gorri earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Montclair State University. She lives in her home state of New Jersey with her family.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, places, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either part of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights are reserved. No part of this book is to be reproduced, scanned, downloaded, printed, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of any materials in violation of the author’s rights.
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Other Titles by C.D. Gorri
Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel Book 1
Hunter Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel Book 2
Rebel Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel Book 3
Winter Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel Book 4
Casting Magic: The Angela Tanner Files #1
Most titles are available #free on Kindle Unlimited!
And Coming Soon!
Keeping Magic: The Angela Tanner Files #2
Code Wolf: The Macconwood Pack Series #3
Charley’s Christmas Wolf:
Excerpt:
PROLOGUE
St. Lucia’s Day – December 12th
He circled the woods once more. His black coat gleamed in the silver moonlight as powerful legs carried him quickly through the frozen terrain. The battle was finished. Another few months of peace and prosperity won together with his allies. All it cost was the blood and sweat of his Pack.
He thought of the young Wolf who had asked for his help. She was tenacious and brave. This was the first time in a hundred years such alliances had been made. He knew he had made the right decision for his Pack. The only way to go into the future was to move forward.
Wasn’t that what his father had always said? He tasted blood on the air and tensed. Some of it he recognized. It belonged to his Wolves. But they were whole. That was all that mattered.
The black Wolf reached out with his mind and felt his Packmates’ injuries. No casualties. The bloodstained ice that covered the forest floor and the sulfuric stink of dark magic invaded his nostrils.
He snarled and quickened his pace. For a moment or two the Dark Witches had almost had them. But they had triumphed. The others were gone. Only his Pack remained. They waited for him. Their Alpha.
He slowed down as he entered the wooded enclosure. Pride vibrated in his very being. These Wolves were brave, fierce, and loyal.
As his Guard moved to flank him, Rafe Maccon threw back his head and loosed an ear piercing howl. It spoke of loss, of triumph, of the end of an era and the start of a new one. This had been his last battle as a warrior.
The time had come for him to fully assume his rightful position as Pack Alpha. His father’s death years ago should have triggered that leap in his status, but he had denied his birthright for as long as he could. He had chosen to fight with his Wolves instead. But the time had come for him to lead them.
According to the local White Witches of the Coven Realta, the prophecy had already begun. He and his Wolves needed to ready themselves for whatever came next. He signaled to his Beta and like always, he immediately understood what was needed of him.
Rafe watched him leave with a few select Wolves then he surveyed his Packmates. They stood in front of him, each one muscular and strong with varying shades of fur ranging from palest white, tawnies, reds, and browns to his own midnight black coat. One by one, they lowered themselves on their haunches, lupine heads bowed. He had earned their respect before, but tonight he had gained their undying trust. Now, he had to keep it.
CHAPTER 1
Thunder clapped overhead. A mix of hail and rain began to pour from the quickly darkening skies. The street lights flickered and the tiny overhead shelter at the bus stop gave no protection whatsoever from Mother Nature’s latest onslaught.
“Not now! Come on!,” Charley cried.
She huddled into the thick pink cardigan she wore over her one good dress. It was a wool blend which was bound to get ruined in this weather. She had instantly fallen in love with the way it alternately hugged and flowed around her curvaceous body. She especially loved the scalloped hemline.
It reminded her of classic movie stars like Hepburn and Taylor. She used to watch them all the time with her grandfather. She smiled as she looked down at the outfit. The pale ivory suited her dark eyes and hair. The weather was bound to ruin it. And on her meager salary it would be months before she could replace it.
She looked down at her matching heels and stomped her foot as puddles began to form on the uneven concrete sidewalk. Great! That’s just perfect! It just wasn’t her day, or her year for that matter.
It was almost Christmas and the nutty weather still hadn’t made up its mind what season it was. One day it was in the 90s and the next the thermometer had dropped to the low 30s. The past few months had been very unusual for the typically predictable New Jersey climate. Charley didn’t know what to make of it.
She was sure it was because of the holes in the Ozone or global warming, melting snowcaps, and the cattle crisis. Every newsfeed had
someone to blame, but not much was being done about finding a solution. She shook her head, thoughts like that were better off left to scientists and people who could actually make a difference.
Charley was just trying to make it through a date. Well, a blind date that she didn’t even want to go on. And she was already late for it because her boss at Junior’s Famous Italian Deli, the third “Junior” as it were, just had to make her clean all the slicing machines and the display cases twice that day!
Not to mention he had her mop the entire floor, flip the chairs, hose down all the rubber mats, secure the freezers and refrigerators, and lastly, Windex the tall storefront windows inside and out! Ugh. Only then did he let her leave. And the rat hadn’t even paid her.
The deli would be closed for the next six weeks. Junior and his family would be in Italy to oversee maintenance work on his family’s villa. Wasn’t that nice for him? Charley had to bite her tongue all day from telling her boss what she really thought of her forced, not to mention unpaid, vacation.
She barely had enough time to get to her apartment, shower, and change before the bus was scheduled to arrive. Dinner had better be worth it!
A black van pulled over across the street and idled. Lucky bastard! Charley sighed as she gave it a brief look. The van had tinted windows and chrome finishes. From where she stood, the engine purred.
Not the usual racket from the delivery vans she dealt with at the deli. Too nice for this neighborhood, she thought. Heat probably works too.
She tried not to stare at the driver. From what she could see, he was huge and rough looking. And boy, was he looking at her. Pervert! Yeah, have a good look, buddy! She thought as she tugged her sweater closer to her body.
She tried in vain to cover her ample assets. No doubt they were clearly revealed through her soaked dress. The bus stop provided very little protection indeed. She turned her head towards the street, as if just looking could somehow make her bus appear. No such luck.