Her Wolf In Shining Armor: A Howls Romance

by Tonya Brooks

  "What do you mean?" Lawrence asked warily.

  "For starters, we figure out how to salvage our relationship, because I'm not willing to lose one of my best friends," she confessed. Even though his betrayal had hurt like hell, they had been too close for too long to just cast their friendship aside like it didn't matter. Because it did.

  He looked thunderstruck. "Are you serious?"

  "Damn right I am," Shana assured him and couldn't even begin to imagine the absolute hell he had to be going through at the thought of permanently separating from his mate. She hadn't been away from Dane for a whole day and she missed him so bad it hurt. "So, can we put all this behind us and go back to just being friends?"

  "If that's what you want," he agreed and looked genuinely relieved.

  "It is," she confirmed. "Now the hard part will be explaining to everyone why we're not getting married."

  "We could still get married," he suggested hesitantly.

  "No," she refused bluntly and held up a hand to silence his protest. "It's not because of what you did… well, actually it is. I refuse to marry a man who'd cheat on me for any reason, but the main reason is that I'm in love with someone else."

  "You're what?" Lawrence barked as he shot to his feet and glared daggers at her. "Were you cheating on me?"

  "Did you seriously just ask me that?" She snapped and gave him the evil eye. "No, I did not cheat on you, Lawrence. I met my mate this weekend."

  "Your mate?" He repeated in surprise and sat back down.

  "Yes, and he's wonderful," Shana insisted happily. "You're going to love him."

  "That's great," he said glumly and offered her a half-hearted smile. "Really great. I'm sure you'll be very happy together."

  "Me, too," she agreed and leaned in to give him a compassionate hug. "So, I guess we need to announce that the wedding is officially off."

  "Could we, um, hold off on that?" He asked hopefully as he returned the embrace.

  Shana leaned back and fixed him with a stern expression. "Lawrence, we are not getting married."

  "I know that, but the closer it gets to the wedding date, the more desperate my mate is becoming. Hence his showing up at my place the other morning and seducing me while I was trying to get ready for work, " he confessed. "He's never done anything like that before and I'm hoping…"

  "That the possibility of losing you will prompt him to go public," she deduced. He shrugged his shoulders and looked so dejected that she didn't have the heart to say no. "All right. No announcement yet, but you have to cancel all the arrangements."

  "Deal," Lawrence readily agreed.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Friday Evening

  Shana missed him.

  She missed Dane so much that it was a physical ache. She missed the way he caressed her cheek so tenderly, the feel of his big body next to hers in bed. She missed his smile, the sound of his laughter, the way his eyes glowed with emotion when he looked at her. She missed everything about him.

  She drove past the hotel every day on her way to and from work, hoping to catch a glimpse of him entering or exiting the building. Once she'd even parked the car and debated going inside. She'd sat there so long that she had to drive away before a meter maid gave her a ticket. Every day since she'd wished that she hadn't.

  Because she'd been miserable without him.

  Although Dane had never been far from her thoughts, the time apart had accomplished what she'd hoped. She now knew without a doubt that she was hopelessly in love with the wolf shifter and she wanted to be his mate. She didn't care what his last name was or what his pack thought about her. It didn't matter that she was human and couldn't fight or hunt or shift.

  The only thing that mattered was loving him.

  Unfortunately, when she had arranged to meet him tonight, Shana had completely forgotten that she had a prior engagement that could not be canceled. Cindy was having her first gallery showing that evening and there was no way in hell that she was going to miss it and disappoint her best friend.

  Of West African-Caribbean descent, Cindy created genre paintings and landscapes reminiscent of her St Kitts and Nevis heritage. Rich, vibrant color filled scenes depicting everyday life, stunning vistas of ocean and sky, cloud-shrouded mountains and beautiful beaches. She was a gifted artist and tonight's showing was the chance of a lifetime.

  Since she couldn't wait to see Dane again, Shana planned to get dressed for the show in the suite. And she was hoping the slinky little cocktail dress that she'd brought along would entice her shifter to accompany her. Cindy had assured her that her mate wouldn't let her out of his sight since the dress did amazing things for her curvaceous figure.

  He'd go to the opening to keep the wolves at bay.

  Or rip the dress off and carry her to bed.

  Needless to say, she'd been disappointed when she arrived at the hotel and he wasn't there. Although the suite bore evidence that he had made preparations for her arrival. Her heart melted at the sight of all the little touches that Dane had provided. He'd turned the luxuriously appointed suite into a warm and cozy setting.

  Bouquets of flowers sat atop the table, bar, and credenza. A soft, fluffy throw was draped over the back of the couch. In the bedroom, she discovered flowers and scented candles on the dresser and nightstand. A single red rose lay on her pillow. A silk robe the exact shade as her eyes was draped neatly across the foot of the bed.

  In the bathroom, pillared candles surrounded the whirlpool tub. An array of expensive bath salts and gels were placed in a basket beside it. Tears slid from her eyes at the thoughtful gesture. It was so sweet and romantic and totally unexpected. Exactly the kind of thing her wolf shifter would do to please her.

  How she'd gotten lucky enough to find a man like him, she'd never know. Dane was everything she'd ever dreamed of and so much more. She couldn't wait until he arrived and she could thank him for being so damn perfect. Until he did, she'd spend the time wisely and hopefully wow him with her appearance.

  Shana opened the closet door and discovered that half of it was filled with his clothes, as were half of the drawers in the dresser. The other half had been left empty for her. Well. Almost empty. One drawer contained the most beautiful lingerie that she had ever seen. Lingerie that he'd obviously bought for her.

  She laughed in delight and returned to the bathroom to take a quick shower and fix her hair and makeup. Once she was dressed, she did a slow turn in front of the full-length mirror and was well pleased with the results. The dress was elegant and sophisticated and just provocative enough to hint at what lay beneath.

  She could barely wait to see Dane's reaction. Unfortunately, it looked like she was going to have to. Shana had promised Cindy that she'd be there early to help her stay calm until the opening began. She waited until the last possible minute before leaving him a note on the hotel stationery.

  Since she had no idea when he'd get in, she merely explained that she had a prior commitment and she'd be back as soon as possible. Although she would have rather invited him to attend, it would be her luck that he'd arrive at the showing after she left. Because Shana was planning to cut out as soon as possible.

  She had a mate to claim!

  ***

  Fate was conspiring against him.

  Dane was pissed and his wolf was damn near rabid. He'd cursed himself for a fucking fool every day since he'd let Shana out of his arms. It had been the longest, most agonizing five days of his life. He was miserable without her and his wolf had been snarling all week. The beast wanted their mate as much as he did.

  They'd both been anxiously anticipating seeing her again tonight and wouldn't you know something just had to go wrong. His brother had been called out of town on business and he'd insisted that Dane take care of his wife while he was gone. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but being apart from his mate had made him a fucking wreck.

  He didn't know how the hell Reece had managed it for four years.

  His brother hadn't been able to ta
lk Jolie out of attending the damn art show that she'd been looking forward to for weeks, which meant Dane had to escort her. Ergo, he was going to be late meeting Shana. Not a good way to prove to his mate that she was his everything. Damn his chivalrous streak to hell.

  Shana hadn't arrived when he'd left to pick Jolie up, so Dane went back to the hotel and left his sister-in-law in the car while he ran up to the suite. He was disappointed to discover that his mate had already come and gone. He read her note and almost gave in to the urge to pout because her prior engagement took precedence over spending time with him.

  Yeah, he had it bad.

  He left a note in the suite for his mate explaining that there had been a family emergency and he'd be back as soon as possible. He only hoped that she was as eager to see him as he was to see her. Any other possibility was unacceptable. He'd give her all the time she needed, but from now on he had to at least see her on a daily basis until she decided.

  His wolf wouldn't settle for anything less.

  Neither would he.

  So like the loyal, dutiful brother he was, Dane escorted his sister-in-law to the gallery. Jolie didn't know it yet, but this was going to be the fastest showing she'd ever attended. When the limo stopped, he was standing on the curb and ready to assist her out of the car before the driver could even get his door open.

  "Dane, I don't think I've ever seen you this agitated before," Jolie commented as he gently lifted her rounded body upright. "Are you all right?"

  "I'm supposed to be meeting my mate tonight," he admitted.

  His sister-in-law stopped mid-step and stared up at him in dismay. "I'm interfering with your plans," she deduced and turned back to the car. "Forget the show. I'll take the car home and…"

  "Jolie," he said patiently and remembered why he adored this woman. "It's all right. She had a prior engagement to attend. Besides, you've been looking forward to this for weeks and since we're here, we're staying."

  "Are you sure?" She asked with a frown.

  "Positive," he assured her and slid his arm around her waist to steady her.

  "All right," she agreed. "But we're not staying long. A quick look around and we're gone."

  "Whatever makes you happy," he agreed indulgently and had no intentions of arguing with her decision.

  Once they were inside the gallery, the acrid scent of paint stung his sensitive nose, but he could almost swear that he caught his mate's scent. It had to be wishful thinking although the deeper they went inside the cavernous building, the stronger the scent became. His wolf went into a frenzy because their mate was there.

  Dane's gaze scanned the room, searching for Shana, hungry for a glimpse of her beautiful face. He was vaguely aware that Jolie was speaking to someone, but their words were not important. His entire being was focused on finding his mate in the overcrowded room. He inhaled deeply and whirled toward the scent.

  His mate was standing right in front of him and for a moment, all was right with his world. She was so beautiful it actually hurt to look at her. And the dress she was wearing made her the sexiest woman he'd ever laid eyes on. His first impulse was to peel it off of her gorgeous curves and make slow delicious love to her.

  His wolf was convinced that he needed to put his coat on their mate and cover her so no other man saw the treasure they had. Then he saw the man standing next to her, his arm around her and Dane's eyes narrowed dangerously, a deep growl rumbling in his chest. He was going to rip the bastard to shreds.

  A sharp elbow connected solidly with his side and he scowled down at his sister-in-law. She gave him a warning look that he was all too familiar with. Although it was normally his hot-tempered brother that pissed her off and drew her rather formidable wrath. She fixed him with a saccharine smile and queried, "Dane, you remember Rebecca."

  "It's so very nice to see you again," the gallery owner greeted him with a seductive purr. "May I introduce our featured artist for this showing, Cindy De Suza, her dear friend, Shana Nichols and Shana's fiancé, Lawrence Best."

  Her fiancé?!

  This was the bastard who had cheated on Shana with another man? Dane tore his gaze away from the man he was about to gut and looked at his mate. She stared past him with a bland expression as if she'd never met him before. As if he'd never made love to her until she screamed his name. As if she wasn't the other half of his soul.

  What. The. Fuck?!

  ***

  It was all that Shana could do to keep her composure. Had it not been for years spent before a jury perfecting a blank expression, she would have been a sobbing mess by now. The urge to scream was almost unbearable. She wanted to crawl into a deep, dark hole and die. Because Dane had lied to her.

  About everything.

  She had believed him when he said that she was his mate. That they were meant to be together. That he would never hurt her. But Rebecca had introduced them as Dane and Jolie Lassiter which meant that the other woman was his wife. His pregnant wife. Her heart shattered into a million pieces and it hurt so bad that she could barely breathe.

  She could not believe that he had lied to her and used her like this. An hour ago she had felt loved and cherished. Now she just felt used and dirty. Shana wanted to rant and rail at the hypocrisy. To curse him and scream that he was a lying, cheating rat bastard. But his wife did not deserve that kind of humiliation.

  The poor woman sure as hell didn't need to have her husband's infidelity rubbed in her face. Oh, God. That was when Shana realized that she was the other woman. Bile rose in her throat as her stomach began to roil and she knew she had to get out of there before she threw up all over Dane's Italian leather shoes.

  She'd never been more grateful to have Lawrence by her side. She did the little toe nudge thing he normally employed when he wanted her to get him out of a situation. His reaction was all that she could have hoped for. He quickly excused them from the group and she made a beeline out the door.

  "Shay, are you all right?" Her former fiancé asked in genuine concern when she bent over double.

  "I have to go," she said in a shaken tone after she'd taken several deep breaths.

  "Go where?" He protested. "It's Cindy's big night, remember?"

  "Lawrence, please," she said more firmly as she stood upright. "Just trust me on this one."

  "At least let me drive you home," he pressed as he followed her to where her car sat by the curb. "You're as pale as a sheet."

  "I'll talk to you later, Lawrence," she assured him as she climbed inside and closed the door. She cranked the car, put it in gear and took off with a squeal of tires as she fought the tears that threatened to flow. She needed to get to the hotel and get her things before Dane got back because she never wanted to see that man again.

  If she hadn't left her purse in the suite she wouldn't bother going back at all.

  Damn Dane for doing this to her.

  Damn him to hell!

  ***

  Dane was dammed.

  He and his wolf were in a living hell.

  As quickly as possible after Shana left, he practically carried Jolie back out to the limo. When the car pulled away he hailed a cab and jumped in the back. He hoped like hell his mate was going to the hotel. If she didn't, he'd still find her. He knew her last name now. There was no fucking way that she could hide from him.

  She owed him an explanation and he was determined to get it. He didn't know what the hell she'd been doing with the other man, but there was no way that he was going to believe that they were back together. No fucking way. She wouldn't walk away from the bond they shared to marry a man she didn't love.

  He stormed into the suite and stalked straight to the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. At the sight of her tear-streaked face his wolf went berserk. Before he could say a word, his mate went on the attack. "You bastard," she hissed with all the fury and fire of a wolf shifter protecting her cubs.

  It was a magnificent sight to behold.

  "Your wife is having your child!" Shana shouted
brokenly. "How could you do this to me? To her?"

  "My sister-in-law is having my brother's child," he corrected. "Reece is out of town so I escorted Jolie because she's eight months pregnant and he's a nervous wreck about leaving her alone."

  "Sister-in-law," she repeated as if she'd never heard the words before.

  "Since we're clearing up misconceptions, maybe you can explain why another man was introduced as your fucking fiancé?" Yeah, the calmly spoken statement had been more of a snarl at the end, but his possessive streak was breaking through.

  "Rebecca doesn't know that we broke up," she responded absently. "The last time I saw her, we were still engaged."

  That pacified him somewhat, but his wolf was still incensed because another male had touched their mate and the bastard's scent was all over her. "That doesn't explain why he was with you. Why he had his arm around you," he growled.

  "He's still my friend," she fired back hotly. "Besides, you had your arm around your sister-in-law."

  "She's family and a little unsteady on her feet right now," he defended.

  She gestured toward her shoes and said indignantly, "Try walking in five-inch heels and you'll appreciate someone to steady you as well."

  "Do you know how it felt to see you with someone else," he growled as he stalked toward her, every inch a primal male intent on claiming his mate. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

  "Yes," she shot back and the raw anguish was evident in her tone. "I know exactly how it felt. It hurt so bad I wanted to die."

  "Shana," Dane rasped longingly and the next second she was in his arms and he was devouring her mouth as frantically as she was claiming his.

  All of the frustration of the past week fed the desire that flared to life between them, fanning the flames into a conflagration of hunger and need that raged out of control. Clothes were shredded in their haste, hands grasped and held possessively, nails raked over flesh, and mouths clung in sheer desperation.