Claiming the She Wolf
Page 1
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Claiming the She-Wolf
Copyright © 2015 by Louisa Bacio
ISBN: 978-1-61333-879-7
Cover Art by Fiona Jayde
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
www.decadentpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
Black Hills Wolves Stories
Wolf’s Return
What a Wolf Wants
Black Hills Desperado
Wolf’s Song
Claiming His Mate
When Hell Freezes
Portrait of a Lone Wolf
Alpha in Disguise
A Wolf’s Promise
Reluctant Mate
Diamond Moon
Wolf on a Leash
Tempting the Wolf
Naming His Mate
A Wolf Awakens
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Infiltrating Her Pack
Omega’s Heart
Raven’s Claw
Claiming the She-Wolf
Coming Soon
Uncaged
Worth Fighting For
Promiscuous Wolf
Under a Mating Moon
Also by Louisa Bacio
A Date with Death
A Dance with Death
A Duel with Death
The Big One
The Thief and His Master
Dedication
To all those who like to howl at the full moon.
Claiming the She-Wolf
Black Hills Wolves
By
Louisa Bacio
Chapter One
The house shook from the thunder, and Tala’s body shuddered. She didn’t want to go through another storm in this hellhole. Mostly because she doubted it could weather another one.
“What makes you think you can run a business?” Lightning flashed, illuminating the anger on her brother’s face. The generator ran out of fuel about an hour before, and with the storm, they wouldn’t be able to refill before daylight.
“I sure the hell excel at cooking and cleaning, better than you do at keeping the generator running,” Tala said, keeping her voice even and calm. He wouldn’t goad her into a blowout. “You made sure I knew how to do that.”
He pushed off the wall and stalked forward. “It’s much different, little sister.” He put his index and middle finger under her chin and tilted it upward to have her look into his eyes. “I don’t think you have what it takes to run this place.”
She shook off his hands and retreated behind the counter, using it as a barrier between her and him. His nostrils flared, a sure sign of his anger.
“Who will look after you if I leave you here alone? Who’s going to take care of you?”
She stifled a laugh. As if he could even manage to put food on the table. Come on. He probably worried more about who’d feed him if she didn’t go with him.
Holding her ground, she stared directly into his eyes. “I’ll manage.”
Her challenge hung between them, so tangible she could pluck it from the air and eat it. But fuck it. Who said she always had to be the one to concede? Not this time. Los Lobos had been her home her entire life, and no way in hell she wanted to leave, not when the rebuilding had started. Why didn’t Shilah see things the way she did?
They came from the same blood. It had to be worth something.
“It’s not safe for you here, and it’s my duty to take care of you.”
She shook her head. It didn’t matter how much things changed, some built-in prejudices remained. As the eldest and the male, her brother thought he should be head of the household, and she needed to obey. She’d learned a long time ago how to control him.
“Listen, you’ve got a great opportunity ahead of you—college. It’s only for a little while. Go learn and then come back home. I’ll be fine. I have the support of the pack.”
He barely withheld his snort of contempt. “The pack? Right. As if you’ve been chosen as a mate. More like a maid servant than a maid-in-waiting.”
Her emotions bristled at his unkind words. At twenty-four, she wasn’t treading old-maid waters yet, but the waterfall threatened right around the bend. She’d had a few suitors, but sometimes it was difficult to take a male that she’d known for most of their lives seriously. Especially when they went through the shifting transition. Boy could they be assholes.
Shilah tucked a wayward strand of her long black hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you get some rest? I need to finish packing a few things, and we can talk in the morning.”
Their father had taken off when they were young, and she didn’t remember him. After their mother died when Tala was seventeen, Shilah acted as her guardian. She’d miss him when he left, but the separation seemed best for both of them. Some distance would do them good.
“I won’t change my mind,” she insisted. She tossed her hair, knocking the strands loose again. “A night of sleep isn’t going to bash some sense into me.”
He slumped his shoulders with a sigh. “You are one handful. I feel sorry for whatever wolf eventually wins your heart. As they say, opposites attract. Maybe you’ll find someone levelheaded with patience.”
“As if. I’m not looking for a mate anytime soon.”
***
Yas shifted the weight of his hiking pack. For the past mile, it had been rubbing on his lower back, and the repetition chafed a raw mark on his skin. Up ahead lay the outskirts of the town. As much as his mother had talked about it over the years, Los Lobos had taken on mythic proportions. He’d been young when his mother fled. The chaos of the old regime made her fear for their safety. Since the old crazy pack leader Magnum Tao had died, and his son Drew had taken over, there was talk that it was a better environment.
For a male Wolf coming into his own season, each shift varied. Yas avoided thinking about the way his hormones flared when the full moon came out. The few days beforehand, he was about useless. It got to the point where he couldn’t be around women—she-wolf or human—or else he’d rip their clothes off and want to plow into them.
His last girlfriend didn’t appreciate the overzealous lovemaking. He never took her against her will. She was more than willing to sleep with him, and they had on numerous occasions beforehand. When that time struck, she said it seemed he was elsewhere—doing her physically but not really being there mentally. Like he was fantasizing about someone else. Truth be told, it wasn’t some celebrity actress or pop star grinding her way through
his mind. He’d been thinking about running in the wild, with the scent of the forest surrounding him and the clear open sky above. When he found a mate, they’d lay together in the grass, getting wet in the nighttime dew, soft mud cushioning their bodies. He stopped to adjust himself. Just thinking about the possibilities got him off.
Nope, the ex didn’t appreciate his mental wanderings at all. So maybe the woman in his fantasies didn’t resemble his former girlfriend. Instead of being blonde and fair-skinned like him, her darker skin shone under the moonlight, and he couldn’t figure out what was the more black—her eyes or her hair.
The caw-caw-caw of a bluebird broke through the silence. What he’d give to crash in a cool, air-conditioned restaurant and take a load off. His white ass didn’t appreciate the hot temps, and the sunscreen he’d put on made him sticky. He rounded the bend to the oasis of the small hidden town. He pushed past Gee’s Bar and the convenience store. If he stopped now, he probably wouldn’t make it to his destination until the sun went down. The Wolf he’d run into at the last watering hole filled him in on the changes in town, and directed him to a new place in town accepting boarders. He was promised better food and quieter quarters than Gee’s Bar.
Taking a slug from his canteen, he swore to return to the bar for refreshments later and continued on. Dust coated his hiking boots, and a few new rips from slips and falls marred his jeans. Hopefully, the proprietor of the bed-and-breakfast wouldn’t be so picky about renters because he’d not make a good first impression.
The road curved upward, taking a jarring left-hand turn before careening off into the forest. Although he’d been hiking through it, he stood for a moment, enjoying the tranquility and fresh air. No chain coffee shops or fast food drive-thrus in sight. People said things were not the same as they used to be. He bet none of them had even heard of Los Lobos.
A pounding drew his attention. Before he discerned where it originated, he was given another clue.
“Dammit. You son of a bitch!” A woman with hips and curves aplenty hopped about in front of a makeshift flagpole. One hand swung a hammer, and she stuck the thumb of the other one into her mouth. He recognized the feeling. Sometimes with unexpected pain—like hitting one’s thumb with a hammer—the cursing and walking in circles made him feel better. He’d actually read a study that said males who cursed and became physical tended to get over it faster than others.
“Need any help there?” he called out.
She turned toward his voice, and he sucked in a breath at her beauty. Sharp black-onyx eyes sparkled in frustration, and her red mouth stretched taught in a frown. One slash of bright blue streaked through her straight hair as black as a raven’s wing.
“Don’t need any help.” She sized him up, from his muddy boots to his torn jeans and back to his face, which he knew had to be red and splotchy. “Especially help from a stranger.”
Hefting the hammer with one hand, she held up the sign with the other. She swung at the nail, only to hit it at an angle and bend it.
“For crying out loud, can’t I catch a break?” She tossed the hammer to the ground, bull’s-eyeing two flowers that appeared to have recently been planted. Colored petals rained on the tilled dirt. “Great, just great.”
Yas set down his pack, and he sighed with relief. If this woman was the proprietor of the bed-and-breakfast, he hoped to win over her approval. His appearance wasn’t going to do it for him, and he wasn’t carrying too much money. He didn’t have a college savings account he could cash out and travel. His game plan was to work for his room and board.
With a watch on her movements, he picked up the hammer and used the claw end to remove the bent nail. “Do you have more nails?”
She eyed him and glanced at the house, as if judging how fast she could get to it if needed. “We don’t get many strangers. What brings you to these parts?”
He smiled and hoped it didn’t appear creepy or threatening. “My ma’s from Los Lobos. Came to check out my roots. I’m looking for a place to stay for a few days.”
The sign she’d been trying to hang read The Wolf’s Lair B&B.
“Humpf.” She dug into the front pocket of her coveralls and handed over a box of nails. “Hang that sign right, and I might be able to help you there.”
The feeling of unease trapped in his chest dissipated. He stuck a few nails between his front teeth to hold them, and rammed in the ones holding up the signage. She handed over a second red piece of wood, Vacancy, which he hung off the bottom.
“Imagine that, a man who can use tools. I could have done it myself.”
Warning signs flagged. He’d grown up with a single mother and younger sister, Sugar. Both fought often for their independence and got angry when he was able to open a jar they couldn’t. His mom had never remarried, although she dated some. He figured she never wanted to lose control of her life. She’d run once, and that was enough.
“I don’t doubt it,” he said. “Still, I’m glad to have helped.”
From a rear pocket, she withdrew a piece of paper and unfolded it. “This here is the wanted sign I was going to put up at the convenience store. Something you can do?”
Carpenter/Construction
Work Exchanged for Room & Board
Remodel and Upgrading
Basic Handyman Duties
The gods were shining down on him. How did he walk into the situation he most fit perfectly? If she wanted someone with an accounting background, he’d be out of luck. A chef? Forget it. But construction?
“Sounds perfect.” He picked up his backpack and slung it over one shoulder. “When does it start?”
Her eyes narrowed. He could tell she was weighing her options. “Right now, follow me. I’ll show you the home, and you can let me know if you’re up for the job.”
Chapter Two
The newcomer had pissed Tala off right away, telling her how to hang the B&B’s sign. What a way to start the business. She knew all the guys who worked construction in town, and they were being kept pretty busy with rebuilding the grounds and with Drew’s assignments. She never expected to find an out-of-towner to do the job, and so quick, too.
It was kind of eerie how fast he came along, and on the same day her brother left. What were the odds?
As she opened the front door, she did her best to hide the broken hinge. Soon enough, he’d find out all the house’s faults, but she didn’t want to scare him away too fast.
“You can set your bag down in the foyer while we do the tour.” She held out her hand. “I’m Tala.”
His handshake was firm and his hand slightly rough. She imagined working construction and hiking took its toll.
“Yas Collins.” His blue eyes drew her in, and the corners crinkled up as if he found something humorous. “How big is this place?”
“Eight bedrooms, including mine. The downstairs has a large family room, kitchen with a dining area, and two rooms. The rest are upstairs.”
He stopped to run his fingers along one crack in the entranceway, and she hoped he didn’t inspect the long-term damage too closely. Kind of hard to miss.
“Follow me,” she said.
He went to take a step forward and faltered. “Let me get these boots off first. I don’t want to track mud through your house.”
Her heart jumped at the consideration. Brawn and brains? Her inner wolf growled at her sudden attraction. Domesticated did it for her, eh? That and his fair looks. The blond hair and pale skin was in such a contrast to her Native American heritage.
Leaning against the wall, he unlaced one boot and yanked it off before settling it gently to the floor. Off came the other one. Exposed beneath was a pair of bright-red socks with black polka dots. She raised an eyebrow and met his gaze.
“Gift from my little sis.”
Sweet and forgivable.
She shook off the goo-goo eyes and continued with the tour. First, they headed through the large shared room and kitchen with its bay window.
She winced, watching him take in the boarded-over panes. He glanced at her.
“Some kids broke out the window, and I haven’t had a chance to get it fixed.” She didn’t need to tell him it had been almost two years before, and they hadn’t bothered because the way things were before, odds were someone would just as fast throw more stones.
Her father had gotten into some bad business, years past, and within the pack, memories ran deep. She didn’t meet new shifters too often. A tightening in her lower belly spread, surging energy throughout her body. What would it be like to shift with him and run under the full moon?
And make love in the soft grasses. She couldn’t keep the fantasy out of her mind. It had been too long since she was with a man of worth. She’d grown tired of the local boys, who never seemed to want to grow up and take responsibility. Something in Yas’s blood called to her. But if he was “just visiting,” maybe he’d be fun to play with and not get attached.
She hated being prisoner to her animal instincts. She preferred to be in control. But there were a few times a month she let go. His eyes widened. No way he could guess what she was thinking. Unless the scent of her desire gave it away.
Inside, the house was in worse shape than he’d expected. Cracked walls, busted-out glass, and scrapes marred the floor in the kitchen. Water from the previous night’s storm seeped through the broken windows and holes in the roof. That was only the surface—what could be seen. Who knew what lay inside the walls or the plumbing? What had he gotten into?
Tala kept checking him out, and when he thought she wasn’t looking, he was doing pretty much the same. Her body language tightened up the longer the tour lasted. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be such a good idea after all. He could handle staying above the bar if they had any availability. Without even trying, Tala pushed all his buttons.