Sassy Ever After: A Hot Piece Of Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Melanie James

  “This is the last piece. I’m afraid it’s going to hurt the worst.”

  “Just get it over with, please.”

  “Take a deep breath. Here goes.”

  Hannah watched as Callie took a deep breath, preparing for the inevitable pain she was about to inflict. She tried to be gentle, but peeling the silver from her neck without causing further damage was an impossible task.

  Making sure she had a firm grip, she closed her eyes and pulled as fast and hard as she could, hoping for the best. Callie screamed as the silver tore free from her skin.

  “I got all the silver off. Can you shift to heal your wounds?” Hannah asked.

  “I should be able to. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

  Hannah glanced up to see how the things progressed. The larger-than-life wolf didn’t appear to need any help. She totally would have lent a fang or paw if needed—it wouldn’t be a bad thing to get on his radar in a good way—but it looked like he had things well under control.

  “It’s okay. Take a deep breath. Is there anything else I can do to help?”

  “No, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.” Callie continued to take deep breaths. “I think I should be able to shift now.”

  Hannah helped Callie to stand, lending her support until she regained the strength in her legs.

  “Wish me luck.” Callie offered a weak smile.

  Taking a step back, Hannah held her breath as she waited for Callie to shift into her wolf form. The transformation took longer than any shift she’d ever witnessed. The entire process looked agonizing from start to finish.

  Hannah shuddered when she heard Callie’s bones popping into place one at a time. Excruciating pain marred the beauty of the woman’s face. Watching a wolf try to force a shift after a major injury was not a pretty picture, and Hannah had to give Callie credit for not screaming or howling like a fucking banshee. She had no idea how Callie kept it together.

  With the shift finally complete, Callie sat back on her haunches and looked up at her. Hannah could tell by the look in Callie’s eyes that she was more than grateful for the help Hannah had already given. No further exchange of words was needed between the women, but Hannah offered her assistance once more anyway.

  “Why don’t you go ahead and take off? Maybe you should find some protein. Your wolf is going to need all the energy she can get.”

  Sluggishly Callie headed off into the thick of the forest, where she was most likely to find a small animal to provide the nourishment her body desperately needed.

  Hannah turned her attention back to the fight… or what had been the fight. Callie’s three captors were splayed out on the ground, doing their best impersonation of fresh roadkill. With the smell of burnt flesh gone, Hannah sucked in a deep breath.

  When the unmistakable scent of honey and cinnamon hit her once again, her wolf catapulted to the forefront. With the immediate threat and danger significantly diminished, Hannah found herself lost once more to the addictive scent.

  “He’s here,” her wolf nearly shouted in her mind.

  Hannah tried with all her might, but failed to remain in human form. The delicious aroma teased and tugged at her wolf, begging her to come forward. Her wolf gladly yielded to the call of nature, demanding to be in control. It could mean only one thing.

  After all these years, she’d found her mate.

  Excitement and a whole new level of fear coursed through her body. Glancing at the men in the field, she started the process of deduction, praying to the gods her mate wasn’t one of Callie’s aggressors. Although, as she scanned the foursome, she had to admit they all scared the ever-loving shit out of her—even the hero who had saved Callie.

  Chapter Seven

  Tanner was half tempted to end the lives of the pathetic pieces of shit lying at his feet. But that wasn’t his place. It would be up to Tristian to decide on their punishment. He had a pretty good idea of the brand of justice they would have faced at Black Paw, but he didn’t know how they did things here, in these strange lands. Either way, they would soon be a problem for someone else to deal with. He’d done his Good Samaritan deed for the week.

  Maybe I’ll get a new patch for my vest.

  The smell of fresh blood filled the air and his nose. He needed to shift out of his wolf form to help the woman chained to the tree. He also needed to get a hold of Barbara or her husband, Tristian, to let them know what had happened. The last thing he needed to deal with was creating problems for the pack at Blue Creek.

  Just as he prepared to shift back to human form, the arousing fragrance of fresh strawberries hit him like a Mack fucking truck. His wolf whined audibly.

  “She’s here. Right in front of us,” his wolf rejoiced.

  Taking in the scene around him, Tanner was shocked to see the girl who’d been chained to the branch, free and shifting into her wolf form. Beside her was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

  Strawberry blonde hair rolled down her back in thick waves. He suddenly wondered if the tantalizing aroma would float from the locks of her hair when the wind blew.

  The level of concern she showed for the freed woman spoke volumes about her character. He didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know that it hurt her to see the other woman’s injuries.

  It took sheer willpower to sit there and simply watch his mate, when he wanted nothing more than to march over there and sink his fangs into her neck.

  Adrenaline from the fight continued to pulse through his veins, but it was nothing compared to the urge to claim his mate. That single urge overshadowed everything the universe could have possibly thrown at him. And he didn’t care. Now that he had found his mate, his life would forever be about her.

  As the injured woman completed her shift, his mate spun on her heel, making direct eye contact with him. She broke away for an instant to scan the field, taking in the carnage he had left in his wake. Was that satisfaction he glimpsed on her face? Perhaps his powerful display of dominance had impressed his mate?

  Or was the look on her face something else—something he couldn’t identify? Either way, he had little doubt that as soon as he shifted to human form, he would hear her every thought and know exactly what was going on in that pretty little head of hers.

  His ears twitched when his mate spoke to the female wolf.

  “Are you strong enough to make it home on your own? Or would you like me to help you?”

  The wolf nodded once, before slowly trotting away.

  Sweet Odin. Like music to his ears, her Southern-tinged voice dripped with honey, sweeter than the most delectable gourmet chocolate he’d ever sampled.

  A strange feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

  His world tilted on its axis, and images of a future with his mate scrolled through his mind. Almost as if he was watching a movie on fast-forward, scene after scene played out before him. Seeing the life he’d always dreamed of nearly brought him to his knees.

  Any lingering doubt about whether or not this beautiful stranger was his mate was washed away with each passing image. Years’ worth of pictures told the story of what their life could be like. All he had to do was take the next step.

  With that thought in mind, he sucked in a deep breath, ready to claim his mate. Just as Tanner was about to shift to human form, his mate shifted into her wolf form.

  Mesmerized by the sight of her wolf, he allowed his beast to remain in control for a bit longer.

  Her soft white fur was unlike anything he’d ever seen. He longed to run his fingers through it. Hazel eyes flecked with spots of gold stared intently at him. He had so many questions for her and no idea where to start.

  What he wouldn’t give to be able to hear her thoughts while he was in wolf form. He had always considered his gift from the Fates a curse, but at that moment in time, he wished more than anything that it was a power he could use in both human and wolf form.

  His heart pounded as the blood in his veins scor
ched a path to his chest. He blinked once, then again, to make sure she was real and not an erotic fantasy conjured by one of the blows he had taken to the head during the fight.

  Not trusting his eyes, he drew in another deep breath to make sure the scent was genuine. He would be so fucking bummed if it was all in his imagination. But he swayed from side to side, feeling drugged and off-kilter. Yep. The scent was real.

  “Mine! Mine!” His wolf chanted methodically in his head before letting out a lone, deep howl, rejoicing and at the same time declaring himself a victor, in every way that mattered to him.

  “Yes, she’s ours. But we need to take things slow. I don’t want to scare her away.” Tanner tried to reason with his wolf, but the beast would have none of it.

  “Pffft. Slow, my ass.” His wolf jumped to his feet, intending to head straight for their mate, and sink his fangs deep in her neck.

  “I swear to Odin, if she bolts I’m going to kick your ass up around your eyeballs.”

  “Chill. I got this.” High on adrenaline and the mating instinct, his wolf surged forward.

  “Mmhmm. Famous last words.”

  “Please, like you could do any better, Romeo. Have you heard the lame one-liners running through your mind?”

  Okay, so maybe he wasn’t the best at speaking to women, but he had to try. For the love of Odin, this was his mate. Not just some little chickie he’d see once then dump.

  Tanner was skeptical about his wolf’s enthusiasm when it came to meeting their mate and how it would be received. Start with the fact that he was covered nose to tail in blood. And then there was the tiny fact that he looked like a freak in wolf form. Tanner was keenly aware of his intimidating appearance, and his sheer size had scared away more than one female over the years. His wolf might be screaming to claim her, but he knew that would be disastrous. He wanted to take it a bit slower. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away, or have to chase her hot ass up and down the mountain pass.

  His wolf may have acted with ancient wisdom on several occasions throughout the years, but this was not one of them. He had chosen this particular moment to act like a randy teenage boy controlled solely by his hormones.

  Tanner watched in horror as their mate slowly inched backwards away from them.

  “We’re losing her.”

  His wolf refused to listen to reason. He had a one track mind, and would not be dissuaded when it came to claiming what the Fates had declared to be his.

  Chapter Eight

  “Have you ever seen such a magnificent creature?” Hannah asked her wolf. The male, their mate, looked eerily similar to the one she’d conjured up in her sexiest, naughtiest dream. ‘Tall, dark, and handsome’ didn’t even begin to cover his physical description. ‘Huge, dark, and hot as hell’ would have been more like it.

  His size alone was like something out of a fairy tale. She had seen many wolves over the years, but never one anywhere near as large as the one staring her down. He was the very essence of ‘big bad wolf’ and the power emanating from him left her feeling weak at the knees.

  If it hadn’t been for the smell of honey and cinnamon wafting from his direction, she would’ve taken off like someone had lit a fire under her. The only thing that kept her ass firmly planted to the ground was the scent of her mate.

  Logical thought started to wane as his wonderful scent enveloped her senses. Her body filled with a need so strong her chest tightened, leaving her breathless. Desire strummed through every single nerve ending and left her begging for a single touch.

  Hannah’s mouth watered at the thought of her mate claiming her. Her heart skipped a beat or two, imagining the pleasure that would be involved when his fangs pierced the delicate skin of her neck. She shivered in anticipation.

  I wonder if he’s as hot in human form as he is in wolf form.

  As if he had the ability to read her mind, her mate charged at her, full steam. In a panic, she quickly pulled the rug out from under her wolf and shifted to human form, bringing the male to a screeching halt. His muzzle, inches away from her chest, sent her backpedaling once again.

  Letting out an agitated huff, he pursued her, encroaching further on her personal space with each deliberate step he took.

  “Stop right there, buddy,” Hannah demanded, lightly swatting him on the muzzle.

  The wolf drew his head back in surprise. He’d obviously never been told no before. Hannah tried not to giggle at the silly look on his fuzzy face.

  “I don’t know what you’re fixin’ to do, or how the whole mating process works where you’re from. But around here we’re civilized wolves who like to get to know one another first. Your momma should have taught you better than to drop a fang on a girl before you even ask for her name.”

  “Oh, Jesus! Did I just say that out loud?” Hannah asked her wolf.

  “Way to go! Now he’s going to eat us and clean his teeth with the remains of our bones. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “That I wanted to know more about him, before I let him bite me!”

  “Who cares? He’s our Fated Mate!” Hannah’s wolf argued.

  “I care, and you should too. Who knows where those fangs have been?”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. He may be our mate, but that doesn’t mean we have to roll over like a good little submissive girl.”

  With a deep sigh, her wolf surrendered, no longer in control, giving up the battle, though it went against her very nature. All the wolf cared about was her mate. If it were up to her, she would gladly submit and surrender all control. No questions asked, no answers needed.

  Hannah stared him down, impatiently tapping her toe as she waited for a response from the male, but he seemed to be taking his sweet time shifting into human form.

  “I do have somewhere to be tonight, so if we could move this along a little—”

  Before Hannah could finish her sentence, her mate shifted into human form.

  “Lord, have mercy!” Hannah couldn’t believe her eyes. She tried to say something… anything other than what she already had, but words escaped her. Completely.

  If she had expected the mating pull to ease up once he shifted to human form, boy was she wrong. Seeing her mate in human form brought on a fresh surge of hunger. Her skin itched with an unaccustomed tightness. Need crashed over with the force of a thousand waves, pulling her under, refusing to release her.

  When her mate’s brilliant blue eyes met and held hers for the first time, she nearly swooned. Like a real, old-fashioned, honest-to-goodness fucking swoon. It took all of her strength and what little brain power that remained to muster the breath needed to fill her lungs.

  “Why did you smack me?” he asked in a deep voice.

  Was it her imagination or did that voice belong to the fantasy mate from her dreams? She’d spent the entirety of the previous night and most of the day today fantasizing about all the naughty little things he’d done to her and whispered in her ear. One word from his mouth was all it took for the fire to race through her veins.

  “He asked you a question, genius.” Her wolf pulled her back from the erotic images swirling through her mind.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “Why did you smack me?”

  “Because you had no business sticking your nose where you did.”

  The male’s mouth fell open in surprise. “What did you expect? You’re mine!”

  “Look here, mister. The Fates may have decided to throw the two of us together to see what happens, like some sort of fucked-up daytime TV soap opera, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stand idly by while you act like a beast. A simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can go a long way.”

  Hannah bit back the urge to laugh when she saw the reaction on her mate’s face.

  Tilting his head back, he stared up at the heavens above. She watched his chest rise and fall several times before he patiently and calmly asked, “May I please bite you.”

  “No, you may not.” Han
nah cocked her head to the side.

  “But you said to say please.” His astonishment was evident on his face.

  “I did. I also said no.”

  “Why did you say no? That’s kind of how the whole mating thing works. I smell you. You smell me. I bite you. You bite me. We fuck. Fall in love. Have a few pups. Boom. Done.”

  What. The. Fuck. Did he really just say that? It was Hannah’s turn to pick her jaw up off the ground.

  “Really? Wow. You haven’t spent a lot of time around females, have you?”

  Tanner motioned impatiently with his hands. “And your point?”

  “My point is that you, Mr. Mate, need to learn some damn respect. I’m not just another piece of ass for you to hit and quit.”

  “You’re a hot piece of sass and I’ll respect you in the morning.”

  Honest to God, Hannah could have sworn she heard crickets chirp in the background when her mate delivered his pathetic attempt at a joke. She had no words. Not one. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

  “Too soon to joke about that kind of thing?”

  “Yeah, you could say that. So… are you going to tell me your name? Or do I have to start guessing?”

  “Sorry, I’m Tanner.” He stretched out his hand, politely greeting his mate.

  “Nice to meet you, Tanner. I’m Hannah.”

  Pulses of awareness surged through her body when her fingertips brushed against his hand. Surely he felt it too. Right?

  The pulses were quickly eclipsed by a jolt of lust as he raised her hand to his mouth and gently kissed each fingertip. His brilliant blue eyes glowed, a calling to her wolf. Heaven seemed to be a mere breath away when he gently sucked each fingertip into his mouth. If he kept it up, she had no doubt she’d turn into a shadow of her former self, a helpless, melting puddle of desire at his feet.

  Hannah fought off the overwhelming urge to throw Tanner on the ground and have her way with him. She’d been turned on by a few different guys over the years, but not like this. Never had she felt like she would actually combust if the man she was with didn’t touch her.