by Anna Lowe
Contents
title page
copyright
Desert Wolf
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
Thank you
Books in the series
coming soon
Desert Wolf
The Wolves of Twin Moon Ranch
a short story
by Anna Lowe
Desert Wolf
copyright 2015 by Anna Lowe
www.annalowebooks.com
[email protected]
cover art by Fiona Jayde Media
www.FionaJaydeMedia.com
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.
Desert Wolf
He won his mate on his home turf. Now he has to prove himself on hers…
Lana Dixon may have won her destined mate’s heart, but that was in Arizona. Now, she’s bringing her desert wolf home to meet her family — the sworn enemies of his pack. How far will they push her mate to prove himself worthy? And is their relationship ready for the test?
A short story that takes place two years after the events of Desert Moon: Book 1 in the Wolves of Twin Moon Ranch series.
CHAPTER ONE
Waking up in someone else’s bed felt strange to Lana. Waking up on the East Coast felt strange too, even though she’d only been away two years. But two years could be a lifetime. Two years could change everything.
She lay under the heavy blanket, listening to the sounds of a New England forest waking up. A chickadee called—once, twice—outside the window. Funny how her ear had come to expect the hectic flutter of a hummingbird instead of the whistle of the forest dweller.
What used to be her norm—crisp mountain mornings, the quiet swish of pine needles over a cabin roof, and the hollow feeling of waking up alone—had all become distant memories. Coming back to the Berkshires was nice, but part of her was already impatient to head home. To Arizona, where she’d found a mate who gave her more than she had ever dared wish for. Love, as vast and truthful as the desert. A new life, a renewed sense of purpose. A future. Lana sighed and snuggled closer to her mate.
A pair of soft lips brushed over hers, and she mumbled in reply. As always, her body came alive at Ty’s touch. She extended her limbs in an irrepressible stretch then folded herself around him. Two years hadn’t dimmed the passion that reared up like a force of nature every time they touched.
“Mmmm. Mate,” was all she got out before Ty surged in with another kiss. A deep, possessive kiss that promised her the day was about to start in the very best way. His hands slid upward along her rib cage, making her body sing like a bird on the first day of spring.
“Hmmm. Mate,” he mumbled back, catching her lower lip between his.
The minute they walked out of this cabin, those lips of his would be set in a hard, thin line. But for now, they were soft and full and eager to explore. She worked her hands over the sculpted planes of his chest and wound a leg over his hip as desire pooled deep inside her. Ty could get her high with just the rumble of his voice.
“Good morning, my love,” she hummed right into his lips.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed, nosing his way down her neck.
Anticipation rippled through her. This had the makings of a very good morning, indeed. Then she remembered his injuries and ran a cautious hand over his ribs. “How’s the bruising?”
“Theirs is worse than mine,” Ty growled.
Lana laughed and even her mate had to crack a wry smile. When she and Ty had arrived in her hometown the previous day, her siblings had welcomed their new brother-in-law with a game of lacrosse—and it hadn’t been pretty.
She’d been right to worry about the reception Ty would get from her home pack. At least the wooded slopes of the Berkshires had done their best to greet him, radiating that sense of promise of New England in early spring. The pack, on the other hand, was less gracious in its welcome.
Her hometown was a hamlet tucked into a remote valley far from the ski fields, the summer festivals, and the quaint B&Bs of the mainstream. Lana’s father, Nate Dixon, was alpha to three hundred shifters who called the village of Miscoe home, even though the majority of them lived and worked in more densely populated parts of the state. They congregated on the village green on full moons and special occasions—like yesterday. Because everyone, it seemed, had flocked home to check out Lana and her new mate. The desert wolf, they called him in not-too-quiet whispers.
“You good?” Lana had mumbled out of the side of her mouth when they’d first arrived and faced the wary reception.
“Fine,” Ty had grumbled back, scratching his ear.
She’d pulled his hand down and laced her fingers through his, then reached up to soothe his ear with her lips. “It’ll be fine.”
He’d given her a callused look that said Of course it’ll be fine. But she saw through the facade. Ty had proven himself a thousand times over at home, but this was his first time venturing farther east than Texas. Out here, he’d have to prove himself all over again, and to in-laws, no less. He’d been fidgety ever since they left Arizona, scratching at his ear like he hadn’t done in a long time. She wondered if it hadn’t been a mistake, dragging him here. He would be out of his element, dealing with different customs, a different landscape. Even the shifters were different here: not only wolves but beaver, elk, and wolverines. There even used to be a clan of sasquatch shifters somewhere north of pack territory. New England was a whole different world.
The first handshake between Nate Dixon and Ty Hawthorne had all the warmth and sincerity of two tree trunks forced into a huddle by hurricane-force winds. You could have heard a pin drop the moment she introduced Ty to her parents in front of their house. Not so much because of the feud between Ty’s father and Lana’s—though it seemed everyone knew that story by now, or at least some version of it—but because the first meeting of two alphas was always tense. Especially when the younger man wore the scent of the older alpha’s daughter like a provocative cologne. It didn’t help to have dozens of curious packmates around either, all of them taking stock of Ty like he was some strange new breed of stud bull. A wary silence had fallen over the males, though the sound coming from the younger females was more of a dreamy sigh.
A stiff handshake, a few uncertain words, and the heavy silence in between. And that was just one of the trials Ty would have to endure. The second came right on the heels of the first.
“Let the game begin!” her brother Lachlan announced with a mischievous grin.
Lacrosse was her home pack’s sport of choice; they’d all grown up on a rough-and-tumble version of the game that suited the wolf side of their personalities. It quickly became obvious that her four brothers thought they could put the desert wolf in his place. Lana took up her position at right midfield, anxious about how the game might go. Men and sticks were a dangerous combination, and ultraterritorial alpha males could be downright lethal when they got riled up.
And they were most definitely riled up.
The first quarter hadn’t gone well for Ty, even with Lana running interference. He’d taken a stick to the ribs, an elbow to the jaw, and a knee to his kidneys. By the time their team was down zero to two, he was smoldering like a volcano and holding his stick like he wished it were a rifle loaded with silver bullets.
By the second quarter, though, Ty had gotten the ha
ng of things. His stickwork was a little sloppy, but he had an inborn talent for vicious body checks. Lana’s brother Lachlan had gone flying over the end line, and Neal had limped off the field at halftime, all but waving a white banner.
“Get back here, sissy!” Len and Lachlan called after him.
“No way, man. My mate likes me in one piece,” Neal replied.
Lana shot a sidelong glance at Ty. His lips were still pulled into a snarl, but she could read the chuckle in his mind.
I think I like this game.
Told you you would. She smiled. Just remember they’re my brothers and packmates. Try not to maim anyone.
I’ll try, he grumbled without conviction.
“Ty!” she said that part out loud.
They’re shifters. He shrugged. They’ll heal.
The game ended with Ty and Lana’s team on top, three to two, and everyone more or less in one piece. Rough as it was, the game turned out to be a good tension-breaker. Dinner at her aunt’s house went well after that, with the women keeping neutral conversation flowing while the men refrained—mostly—from staring daggers at each other. Lana’s mother Laura, though, had stared at Ty the whole time with a mixture of fear and wonder. He was the spitting image of his father—Laura’s ex-lover. She’d left him for true love and a better life on the East Coast. Knowing Ty’s father, Lana understood why her mother was so tense. Her father was too, with his stiff posture and blazing eyes. Getting her parents to accept Ty would be harder than she imagined. But what could she do?
CHAPTER TWO
It was unfair, really, because Ty was nothing like his overbearing father. He was a good mate: giving, loving, true. Tender, even, when the two of them were alone. Which wasn’t often enough on the ranch, where pack business always seemed to knock at the least opportune time. Not that Lana resented Ty’s job or her own growing role in leading the pack. But she sure had been looking forward to this trip—a chance to take a break from being an alpha pair and be just another happily mated couple.
Which is exactly what they were, this beautiful spring morning. Just Ty and her and the warm cocoon of the sheets, with duty and responsibility far, far away. Lana fingered the spot on his side where the worst bruise had been, but Ty didn’t so much as wince. He was right, of course. A good thing shifters had enhanced healing abilities.
Ty must have been thinking along the same lines. “Your brothers play hard.” His eyes sparkled. “You, too.”
“You know how it is. Give an alpha an inch, and he’ll take a mile.” She smiled, remembering all her unfounded fears about mating with as strong a character as Ty. For all the brute power in him, he treated her as an equal, a partner. Not only someone to cherish and protect, but a trusted confidant and advisor.
Right now, though, the look in his eyes said lover, mate. She pulled the blanket higher over their shoulders and ran another exploratory stroke over Ty’s torso. Those layers of muscle were always tight, but right now, all she felt was the right kind of hardness in his body.
“Like you would have been different if your sister brought home a new mate,” she said, chuckling even as the heat pooled between her legs.
“No, I would have taken him for a nice little trail ride.” Ty ran a light hand over her flank, making her purr. “Let him ride one of our best horses, like Diablo or Faust.”
Lana laughed out loud at the mention of the ranch’s fiercest broncs. No one had ever lasted more than five seconds on either of them.
Ty laughed, too, and she captured the sound in her memory like the call of a rare bird.
“Thanks for coming,” she said, growing serious again. This trip had been a long time in the making. “You did really well, dealing with everyone.” She cupped Ty’s face and rubbed her thumbs over the stubble on his chin. It felt so good, she had to lean in for a nuzzle.
Ty’s lips played along her neck. His hands skimmed over her breasts until she was arching eagerly into his callused palms. It never took much for her mate’s touch to set her on fire. She slid her leg up his thigh, pushing her hips toward his.
Lana did her best to turn her moan into a not-quite-as-brazen sigh but failed miserably, making her mate chuckle. The unmistakable pressure of an erection pressed against her belly, so she let her hand drift south. When she nudged his cock, it twitched in hearty agreement, sending a zing right through her veins.
“No bruising here?” she teased.
Ty gave a husky laugh. “Not where it counts, sweetheart.” Then he rolled, pinning her under his weight. His body radiated the heat of raw desire. He kneaded the soft flesh of her breasts while she closed her fingers over his pulsing shaft. Then it was Ty’s turn to hide a moan while she let out a triumphant giggle.
“That was a purr,” Ty insisted, even as he shifted his hips to give her better access.
“I thought wolves didn’t purr.”
“This one does.”
The sound hummed through his chest and into her body, triggering a flooding sensation inside. One brush, one word from him, and she’d be pleading for release. Lana fingered the velvety tip of his cock, finding the cleft, then circling the crown. For all the madness in the world, focusing on her mate—his body, his love—always made things all right.
He had a way of making her feel like a taller, more clever, more beautiful version of herself. And who knew? Maybe his was a magic touch and she really was different, because her parents, siblings, and old friends had all gaped at her yesterday. Had she changed so much in the two years she’d been away? Or were they amazed that a plain tomboy like Lana could make a mate of a man like Ty?
“Just think,” she whispered, wrapping her hand around his stiff length and inching toward the base. “No packmates here to barge in on us. No urgent phone calls...”
“No business,” he murmured, closing his eyes to the pleasure she was giving him. That power still gave her a thrill.
“No emergencies,” she finished, running her tongue along his ear.
Ty grinned and thrust slowly within her grip. “I love Massachusetts.”
Lana chuckled then took an abrupt inhale as his hand found her breast and tweaked the nipple. Her legs wanted to fall wider apart and draw him in, but she fought back the urge. No need to rush this sweet pleasure. Not when they had all morning.
Ty seemed to have the same idea because he licked thick, uneven circles around her nipples that revved or slowed in time with her hand’s motion up and down his cock. Jesus, but the man was big. Thick, long, and strong. Deliciously strong. Her core grew slick even as her mind estimated how long she might hold out. Not long at the rate she was melting.
“You, my mate,” he rumbled, “are not leaving this house until you are glowing with satisfaction for all of New England to see.” He dragged the stubble of his chin over her breast then her neck, marking her with his scent.
“I’m pretty sure most of the East Coast can tell I’m yours.” She guided his head back into place over her breast and let her whole body writhe as her nipple peaked under his lips. The man knew exactly how to drive her crazy, when to push hard and when to ease back.
When Ty sucked hard on her tight bead, everything flashed white and she went hot all over. She pushed her body into his, aligning the head of his cock with her entrance. His eyes went dark—God, the way his look promised unbridled passion—and he pushed forward, filling her inch by inch.
“Oh, Ty,” she moaned, drawing the syllables out over several counts of her racing heart. “More.”
His dark eyes could have burned a house to the ground, but to her, they were glowing embers, stoking the flames inside her until they threatened to consume her.
“Tell me,” he demanded, pulling back.
She loved that kind of bossy. “In. Ty, come back in,” she groaned, lifting her hips to force his return.
He grinned and slid deeper, making her eyes roll. In another minute, she’d be screaming his name. Good thing the guesthouse stood apart from the rest of the dwellings in the little
town.
“Like this?” he growled in her ear.
“Like that,” she breathed, lifting her legs higher around his body until the angle was just right. Higher, higher…there. Ty felt it, too, because he sucked in a breath and tipped his chin up, reveling in the moment. Her soul sang with the power she yielded over her man.
And he ain’t seen nothing yet, her inner wolf chuckled as she clamped down around his length with her inner muscles.
“Now you tell me,” she said, practically crowing at the way he threw his head back and groaned in pleasure. She smiled and took a deep breath, preparing to do it again.
But a knock sounded at the door and two squeaky voices called out. “Auntie Lana! Uncle Ty!”
Ty groaned in a totally different tone and dropped his body to hers, his cock quivering inside her. “Shit.”
Shit, shit, shit. Lana cursed and swiveled her head to peer at the clock on the bedside table. Seven a.m. Damn jet lag had fooled her into thinking she had another hour of bliss before meeting her niece and nephew for the walk she’d promised the evening before. But damn, didn’t kids need sleep, too?
“Five minutes,” she sighed loud enough for them to hear. Maybe she and Ty could speed things up and get, if not the drawn-out love-fest she was imagining, then at least a quick shag. Enough to tide her over until later.
“You promised!” came the voices, along with another insistent series of knocks.
Ty buried his face in the pillow next to Lana’s head. “I hate Massachusetts.”
She let out a long, slow breath of defeat and eased her legs down his body. No matter how much it hurt to pull away from Ty, she knew the kids wouldn’t give up until they’d gotten what they’d been promised: a walk in the woods with their most exotic aunt and uncle. Lana sighed and fluttered her lips over Ty’s ear. “Sorry, my love. Your fan club wants you.”