A Touch of Class

by Bianca D’Arc

  Tales of the Were ~ Big Wolf Pack

  A Touch of Class

  by

  Bianca D’Arc

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Copyright © 2019 Bianca D’Arc

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  New town. New job. New Pack.

  Shane is a dominant werewolf. Too dominant to stay in his old, struggling Pack. Leaving for the good of his best friend, who is trying to control a group of misfits, Shane seeks a new position in Big Wolf, Texas, as the Big Wolf Pack’s new sheriff and enforcer.

  There’s just one complication…

  Maria knows about the werewolves who populate the town. Her eccentric Aunt Lulu told her all about them before she passed away, leaving her lovely old house on the edge of town to Maria. The sexy new sheriff has got to be one of the shapeshifters she’s been trying to learn more about, but they’re very secretive and she has to tread carefully.

  A trap laid, and sprung…

  When Maria stumbles into a trap set for her by unscrupulous members of the Pack, it’s Shane who comes to her rescue. The thing is, can they keep their hands off each other long enough to figure out what’s going on and why Maria was targeted? Or will passion cloud their judgment, leaving them both vulnerable to a group of werewolves intent on killing somebody?

  DEDICATION

  Many thanks to my editor, Jess, for helping me whip this story into shape for its new incarnation. As some may realize, this book is a total re-write of an earlier story that was published a few years ago with very limited availability. I’m pleased to be able to bring it back to life and make it available to everyone, everywhere.

  This is for the fans who couldn’t get it before and were patient with me, waiting for a time when I could regain control of this story and put it out in a way they could access. Thanks for waiting and I hope you like it! Happy reading.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Excerpt from The Jaguar’s Secret Baby

  About the Author

  Other Books by Bianca D’Arc

  CHAPTER ONE

  Dr. Maria Ramirez knew that this observation would be the making of her career. If she could just get proof of werewolves living among the regular human population, her name in the academic community would make people sit up and notice her. She had finally pieced together what was going on in this crazy town. Now, she just needed that all-important proof.

  She had begun blatantly eavesdropping on her neighbors, but she tried not to let that bother her too much. If the townsfolk wanted to talk loud enough about their shifter ceremonies—as she’d heard one set of speakers call it—in public, where she could hear, then that was their problem, right?

  Maria had been aware that something was a little off in town for years, but had run into roadblocks at every turn. She had tried to figure out what it was about Big Wolf, Texas that wasn’t like your average small town, many times. It wasn’t until recently that she’d learned about the shifters. She’d hardly believed it, at first, but then, it all started to make a weird sort of sense.

  And tonight, she was finally going to get a good look at the goings-on. Even if she had to peer through a damned telescope to do it!

  Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that, though she had a backup point picked out on high ground, and a borrowed telescope mounted in the back of her vehicle, parked not too far away, if worse came to worst. For now, though, she had already selected a suitable tree and erected the tree stand she’d bought from the local hunting supply store. She had told the helpful clerk that she was an avid bird watcher and wanted to keep watch on a nest of rare raptors on her property. He seemed to have bought her story, probably chalking up her strange purchase to her supposed eccentricity.

  Ever since coming to the small town of Big Wolf, she’d been stuck with that label: eccentric. Could she help it if she drove an Army Surplus World-War-Two-era Jeep? She loved that vehicle. It had been her grandfather’s, and she was never going to give it up. It was the last connection she had with him, and she wouldn’t let that go lightly.

  Likewise, the house she’d just inherited was her last connection with nutty Aunt Lulu, her grandfather’s youngest sister. She’d died a spinster who had still been raising hell in town well into her eighties. She’d been the real eccentric in the family, but since Maria had moved into Aunt Lulu’s house, it seemed the title had transferred to her.

  It hadn’t helped that Aunt Lulu insisted on introducing Maria as her spinster grandniece every time she’d visited. Then, in the next breath, she’d tell anyone who cared to listen that her grandniece was following in her footsteps and would die an old—but happy—maid. Besides, she had important work to do at the university and didn’t have time to devote to cooking or cleaning, or picking up after a man, Aunt Lulu had usually added.

  Maria had visited often because, in spite of Aunt Lulu’s quirks, she was still a lovely old lady with a true spirit of mischief in her eyes, even at her advanced age. It was Aunt Lulu who had first told Maria all about the werewolves who lived in town and had gatherings up in the hills behind her property. Aunt Lulu had once been courted by one of the young werewolf boys, she’d claimed, but he’d died young and broken Aunt Lulu’s heart. She’d never married, and Maria had often thought it was because that poor, lost boy had been Aunt Lulu’s one true love.

  Romantic nonsense, she told herself, but still… Wouldn’t it be amazing if that kind of love really did exist? Maria had been a delusional young girl who had believed in fairy tales, but she was older and wiser now. If her Prince was out there somewhere, he sure as hell was taking a long time finding her already.

  *

  The woman was absolutely maddening. She’d been annoying him ever since she’d shown up in town. Annoying him and causing his inner wolf to howl in need.

  Son of a…

  It couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time. Shane was still establishing himself in this new place. The Alpha of the Big Wolf Pack was an older wolf. Steady and strong. He had good people under him, and Shane was still finding his place in this new Pack.

  The group wasn’t so crowded with dominant wolves that he’d have to fight every damn day to prove himself, which was a nice change from his last home. He might have eventually killed his best friend, who was the reigning Alpha, if he’d stayed. Their Pack was a bit wilder, filled with bachelors that Trey, the young Alpha, was trying to keep together in a cohesive unit. It was working—as long as Shane wasn’t around to confuse the hierarchy. His wolf was as strong as Trey’s, and it puzzled the rest of the newly formed Pack. Best for all concerned that Shane leave until Trey’s position was cemented more firmly.
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br />   He’d come to Big Wolf, Texas, at the invitation of the seasoned Alpha, Joe Villalobos. The town was well established, built around an airport and many businesses owned by the Pack. A lot of the wolves worked in aviation or were pilots, themselves. It was a sophisticated group, and there was room for a strong dominant in this well-settled group. The Alpha had welcomed him, on a provisionary basis, to take the place of the town’s sheriff, who was in the process of moving to live with his new mate’s Pack across the country.

  In this kind of setting, the sheriff needed to be a very strong wolf that could handle both the human side of things and the wolfish problems that might arise. He was both sheriff and enforcer for the Pack. It was a high position of authority, and Shane was proud to do the job. His military experience helped, and the ability to protect and guide the others felt really good to his wolf.

  He’d been in town for a couple of weeks now. Although some of the younger and more foolhardy wolves had wanted to challenge Shane in the beginning, they soon settled down, as none were able to best him. None were dominant enough to safeguard this Pack and watch over this town the way it needed to be done. The Alpha had known none of his existing personnel were suited to the job, which was why he’d invited an outsider like Shane in to do it. The few men in the Pack who were Shane’s equal either already had other positions of authority in the Pack, or didn’t want them, preferring to focus their energies on their mates and cubs.

  Shane had fought a number of dominance challenges with what was left, and won every time. Eventually, the other wolves started to accept him, if not exactly welcome him with open arms. There would likely always be a contingent of rebels who wouldn’t totally accept him as the town’s new law officer, but he had begun to earn at least some respect. Anyone his age or younger had better toe the line or they knew they’d be in trouble. Still, every weekend, a few tried testing his boundaries, and occasionally pushed him a little too far.

  From that, it was clear to Shane that he still had a ways to go settling into his new position in the Pack. Which was why he didn’t have time to get involved with the woman who might very well be his mate, even if his inner wolf wanted the eccentric professor with every fiber of his being. His human side wanted her too, but she was all wrong in so many ways. The Pack needed to get to know him right now, and he figured bringing in a mate—a human mate who knew nothing of Pack culture—would destabilize his position even more.

  But the heart wanted what the heart wanted. And the wolf wanted prissy Professor Ramirez with her red-streaked dark hair and curvy hips. Her womanly shape and luscious scent.

  Shane had even gone so far as to mention her to his friend, Trey, during one of their phone calls. They were still friends, even if Shane had been forced to leave Trey’s Pack for the sake of peace and stability. They still talked. Shane had mentioned the situation with his new Pack to Trey more than a few times.

  Trey had always been a wise source of counsel when Shane needed the opinion of someone he both respected and trusted. He was glad that hadn’t changed, even if they lived a thousand miles away from each other now. Shane didn’t make friends easily, so losing his best friend—his partner in crime since they were pups—wasn’t something he’d been happy contemplating. Thankfully, putting space between them had helped. Trey appreciated Shane’s sacrifice, and their wolves remained respectful of each other, even as their human sides remained close friends.

  The Big Wolf Pack had certain people in it that Shane would like to befriend, but it wasn’t easy. He was the new guy in town, not to mention the fuzz. It would take time for any new friendships to develop, but he hoped to be here a long time, so maybe he’d get lucky and find a new group of guys to hang out with at some point.

  Shane had carefully broached the subject of Maria Ramirez during one of his recent phone calls with Trey. His friend’s response had been unexpected. After laughing his ass off for a few minutes, he got down to the nitty-gritty kind of advice Shane needed.

  Trey had been full of all sorts of instructions on how to deal with human women—and potential mates, in particular. It all sounded very complicated to Shane, and he’d come away from that conversation resolving to just keep his distance. At least for now. When the Pack accepted him better, he might have time to figure it all out then. He hoped… Maybe.

  But the woman just kept showing up. She seemed to be everywhere. In town. Driving down the country lanes. At the diner. In the grocery store. Walking in the woods behind her Aunt Lulu’s old house. In Lulu’s old kitchen garden, pulling weeds.

  Or maybe it was just that Shane’s inner wolf kept tracking her down, even without Shane’s conscious consent. Maybe he was the problem, not her. And didn’t that beat all?

  He knew he should stay away. It was just easier for all concerned. But instinct kept drawing him to her. No wonder Trey had laughed at him. Shane was a goner.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Shane ran a final perimeter check of the area, as he did almost every afternoon or evening. He didn’t necessarily expect trouble, but since he was still new to his job, he had to be careful. Big Wolf Pack lands butted up against a few homesteads on the very edge of town, including old Lulu’s place, which now housed the sassy Professor Ramirez.

  He scented her before he saw her. Luscious, lickable Maria Ramirez. Grade-A thorn in his side. The woman who could be his mate—if he had the luxury of time for such things.

  Shane had just about decided he would die a bachelor, letting the chance at a lifetime of happiness wrapped up in a sexy package pass him by. It hadn’t been an easy decision, and his inner wolf was still pissed as hell at his human half. The conflict made for an uncomfortable situation. He was in chaos within himself. Then again, his life had been more than a bit chaotic since he’d left his home and struck out looking for a new life…and a new Pack.

  He’d been raised in a wild Pack that didn’t welcome outsiders. This new Pack was very different, and he was still trying to get used to it. Some of the Big Wolf Pack members mated outside their species and brought those mates into the Pack. He’d never been around such things before. His home Pack had been too wild to bring in humans—frail, easily hurt, unused to the sometimes-harsh ways of Pack life.

  He knew things were different here, but how could he bring Maria—a human with no experience or knowledge of shifters—into the chaos of his life, right now? It wouldn’t be fair to her. She was too fragile, and he didn’t know this Pack well enough yet. If she was hurt, or rejected him…or died, he would still be a lonely, miserable man.

  At least this way, there was some small shred of nobility in his actions. If he left her alone, she would live out her normal human lifespan unencumbered by the knowledge that there were shifters in the world. The Pack need never know that his inner wolf would only be satisfied by the sexy professor. The upstarts and hooligans would leave her alone, and she would still exist in the world. That thought gave him small comfort.

  But she was here. Now. Far from the edge of her property, standing below a tree that contained, of all things, a hunter’s tree stand. What the hell?

  She smelled ripe and luscious, a delight to his senses, and he wanted to growl. A man could only be pushed so far. Shane had to keep as far away from her as possible or he just might succumb to the incredible temptation of her. Unfortunately, in this situation, he had no choice. He had to confront her. Shane moved closer.

  “You’ve been warned before, professor. You’re trespassing.”

  The low rumble of a man’s voice made Maria jump. And cream her panties. She knew who it was, of course. She’d had a run-in or two already with the hot new sheriff. He had also starred in some of her most scandalous dreams and fantasies, with his dark, flashing eyes. His face clean-shaven, his hair cut just a little long—a little unconventional. With any luck, he would never know the deep, dark secret of just how many times she’d thought about his bulging muscles and handsome physique.

  Maria whirled around to face the law man who had crept up o
n her. Damn silent werewolves. She could’ve sworn she’d covered her tracks really well this time, but still, he’d found her. And it looked like he was going to mess with her plans for the night.

  “That’s such an ugly word, don’t you think? Trespassing. So biblical. I prefer to think of myself as just visiting. After all, we are neighbors. I mean no harm. Really.” She held up her hands in mock surrender. Maybe playing coy would gain her a bit of ground in this confrontation where she knew she was clearly in the wrong.

  “You may not mean any harm, but the people who own this land deserve their privacy. I’ve asked you to back off repeatedly, and yet here you are, again, attempting some sort of spy operation.” He rolled his eyes toward the tree stand, and she shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

  “I’m not a spy. I don’t like that word either. Spying implies that I’m going to do something nefarious. I can assure you, that’s the farthest thing from my mind. All I want, as I’ve explained before, is to document something—anything—that will help broaden understanding of your culture.”

  “Small-town culture,” he repeated her oft-claimed excuse with disbelief in his tone. “I can’t imagine what’s so interesting about it. There are literally thousands of small towns just like this one. Not to mention the fact that I have no idea what you intend to observe from a tree in the middle of the woods. What exactly do you think is going to happen here tonight? Or are you setting up for some kind of long-term surveillance operation?” Shane folded his arms and leaned against the tree.

  Damn. He was so hot, it amazed her that he didn’t start forest fires wherever he went.

  “I heard there was going to be some kind of ritual nearby tonight. I know for a fact that paganism runs rampant in this town, and I’m pretty sure that goes with the noises I’ve been hearing in these woods from my house.” She knew her chin went up in defiance, but she couldn’t help herself. She decided to face him head-on. Showing fear to a wolf would only end in disaster, so she had to be strong.