by Shelby Lynn
Haven’s Wolves Book Three by Shelby Lynn
Prologue
Sawyer was the perfect replacement for the Beta position in the Haven Pack. His temper did get the best of him from time to time, but it’s nothing he’d ever let get out of control on his job. Haven knew it all came from the childhood abuse that he suffered from his stepfather. Sawyer’s birth father was a Scottish Wolf, killed right after his birth, and his mother took up with Stan a couple of years later.
From a very young age, Sawyer knew he was different from many of the other wolves in his Pack. He never looked at the girls with longing in his eyes as the other male teenage wolves did. Sawyer was comfortable with himself. There wasn’t anything wrong with him. Damn it, this is how the Spirits made him.
Stan started pushing him around from the young age of twelve to shoving pornography under his pre-teen nose, as if he knew that Sawyer leaned in the other direction. When Sawyer wanted nothing to do with it, he would call him all kinds of disgusting names. This took place while his mother was away at work, so she wouldn’t find out what an ass she had hooked up. Stan would say, ‘What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her,’ as he laughed.
The bigger Sawyer got, the harder Stan got on him, going as far as to bring a prostitute to the house for him to fuck. Stan was screaming at him that he was, ‘A fag for not fucking her brains out’. Then he made Sawyer stand there while he fucked her. Like that would “fix” his problem, as he called it. All it did was disgust Sawyer as Stan had the time of his life.
After that, Stan didn’t even bother to hide the women whom he fucked all over the house while his mom was at work supporting the family. It was education for his “fag” of a son, who wanted nothing to do with the opposite sex. He even brought in a man once to prove his point. Stan seemed to enjoy himself, fucking the man's ass just as easily as any woman’s pussy he had there before.
Sawyer had a good laugh from that, but he did stay to watch this time to make sure the man wasn’t hurt. He saw just how the man loved his job. Stan was a good-looking man, like most of the wolves, he was better than average and hung in the cock department. Shit, Sawyer saw him fuck enough no matter the sex. It was no hardship on the man. He was groaning and asking for more as Stan reamed his ass in abandon. Sex was not something that the wolves hid in the bedroom behind closed doors. Stan went far overboard in his quest to change Sawyer into a “real” wolf, as he called himself.
That one time was enough to prove to Stan that Sawyer was indeed the “fag” he called him. What came next wasn’t as easy to hide from his mom. Since Stan threatened to hurt his mom if he ever told her what was going on during the times she was gone, Sawyer tended to make excuses for the bruises that were visible. The bigger he got the worse it became as Stan started including his drunken friends in the fuck fests, turning the house into a daily party place.
It all came to a head when Alpha Haven came through his town of Charlotte, Louisiana, on a rescue trip in the next town. Sawyer had just blown his top for the first time from the abuse the whole bunch of wolves was throwing at him. He was walking away from the house without a shirt, and the bruises were clearly visible when Haven saw him.
Alpha Haven pulled his truck over and started walking along the road with him, and it just all seemed to pour out of the seventeen-year-old Sawyer. Haven listened, as no one had been able to do before. Haven then told Sawyer his own story. When they both finished telling the end of their stories, Haven told Sawyer, “It’s time Sawyer, let’s go talk to your mom.” He gave him directions to the restaurant where his mom was the server and sometimes she cooked.
Haven stood in the background as his mom ran to him when she saw the bruises cover his chest and arms. She cried as if the world was ending because she was so busy making a living for them that Mary had missed what was going on right under her nose. Sawyer sat there in the booth for the next hour as he poured out every detail of what had happened to him over the years.
When both had finally stopped talking, Haven came up to the table and introduced himself to Sawyer’s mom. “My name is Haven and I’m an Alpha from the Washington area. I came upon your son today and wanted to help him.” He continued to tell them about the home he had established in the last two years. Haven told them of his plans to create a sanctuary for others like himself and those in bad situations.
It was like an answer to a prayer for Sawyer and his mom. They packed up their few belongings and moved to Washington with Haven. Mary almost immediately found her true mate and lived just a few miles away. Sawyer chose to stay with Haven and become a part of the small Pack, over the next few years, helping with many rescues and becoming the man destiny chose him to be.
Sawyer came back to the present as he drove toward the Pack house, were his Alpha was staying and helping their friend Tyler. He pulled into the driveway in no time and headed towards the front door. His friend led him inside to join in their meeting. Just as he was about to enter the room, he breathed in the most intoxicating smell, ‘his mate’.
Sawyer was still reeling from finding his mate. When he came down to the Cedarhill Pack to help his friend Tyler, he never imagined his mate would be there. It was as if his breath had ceased the first moment he looked upon the beautiful man. His scent was like the fresh rain in a pine forest, the most intoxicating scent imaginable.
He was here on a mission, so he had to push all these feelings into the background. ‘Hell, that was so much easier said than done, thought Sawyer, as he was filled in on Timmy, the little boy who he was here to track. Sawyer would do everything in his power to find his friend’s son.
Sawyer thought back to those first moments of meeting his mate. He was so thankful for the blessing of finding his mate. While the mission hadn’t quite turned out as he’d have liked, his friend’s son was now safe, and they joined together and became the Phoenixes of Legends.
He was still reeling from finding out there was another species of wolves called Dream Weavers that were not only able to transform into a second animal form, but were also blessed with other exceptional abilities, and their mates became a part of that legacy as well.
Sawyer was so happy for his friends, and he was ready to get back to his mate and learn everything about his beautiful mate…
Chapter One
Johnny woke up out of another nightmare that he should know by heart now. He was running through a dark forest, the tree limbs so dense it was almost impossible to see anything in front of you. He could hear a little one crying and screaming, “Help me,” over and over. The closer he would get to the where he thought the voice was coming from, the farther the voice sounded.
Then Johnny would hear evil laughter as the child screamed louder and louder for help. In all of his dreams, he had never been able to find the child. He would run until he no longer had the strength. Always falling down in front of a small stream and leaning over to get a drink.
At first, the water would ripple with the vision of a small boy only to change to a man with flowing golden hair and amber eyes filled with such pain and loneliness, as his athletic body leaned over the water. Every time the man would look further into the water he only saw the reflection of another man over his shoulder laughing, “You really thought you could get away from me. You are mine, Johnny, you will always be mine…”
Johnny would wake up out of those dreams, realizing he was that man. He was drenched in sweat as if he truly just ran all night through the woods, running away from the man who he’d grown up beside as he watched his stepbrother turn into a brutal beast of a man. Chad had been his tormentor for as far back as he could remember. The bigger they got, the harder the punches and cruel tricks he would play to anyone he considered beneath him. (This was everyone!)
From the time, he was old enough to know what it meant for someone else to be in pain, and to understand that not everyone could heal with his or her hands, Johnny knew he was different from all the other wolves. He’d already healed many animals he’d found hurt,
from the first baby bird that had broken its wing from falling out of the nest, to a large Clydesdale that broke its leg in a gopher hole.
Johnny kept the healing a secret throughout his younger years. He’d already seen the cruelty of kids to someone even slightly different. It was bad enough living with Chad and his cruelty. Giving him another thing to ridicule him wasn’t something Johnny wanted to happen.
He was very cautious of anyone getting too close to him. Johnny had to hide such a large part of himself, and never developed friendships. He was a loner all of his teen years. During his senior year, a bear attacked his adopted mom. She would’ve died without Johnny’s help. Unfortunately, he wasn’t home alone when his adopted father rushed her into the house.
Johnny reacted instinctively to someone being hurt. He quickly took over and stopped the blood flow. He was hoping his mom’s Weir was strong enough with his help to take over her own healing. Without his help, she would’ve bled out from the extensive wounds.
Tiredly, Johnny looked at the other two people in the room for the first time. He didn’t know how any of them would react to his gift. No matter what, he wouldn’t change anything about saving his mom. His parents were the only thing sane in his crazy life.
“Oh my, Johnny, I don’t know what you did, son, but I want to thank you for saving my mate and the love of my life,” his dad said before crouching down by his mate.
“Well, well, looks like my baby brother has an important secret,” said Chad.
That night, Chad came in his room. He was more than willing to keep his secret if he’d agree to ‘keep him happy’ as he put it. From the look in Chad’s eyes, he was wanting far more than Johnny was willing to give. Chad was giving him the creeps before he finally left the room. That was the last night he saw his family.
Johnny knew he had to leave immediately. There was no way he was willing to be fucked by his stepbrother. It would kill his parents to find out the worst of their older son. Therefore, Johnny did the only thing he could at that point. He packed a bag and took what money he had stashed away.
Sneaking out in the middle of the night made Johnny feel like he was the one doing something wrong. Unfortunately, he didn’t see any other choice in the matter. He was a very smart guy, and he would figure out what to do. It wasn’t until he made it to the interstate that he truly started to breathe normally.
It was late at night so there wasn’t a lot of traffic as he walked down the highway. Johnny decided his best bet would be to get as far away as possible. He looked for the next car coming down the highway, and held out his hand, thumb up, thinking, would anyone stop for a hitchhiker?
He was surprised when the first semi did pull over for him. Johnny ran over to the window and climbed up to talk through the window of the semi. “Could I hitch a ride with you, sir?”
“Sure, kid. I’m in for a long haul, though. I’m going all the way to California to deliver this load. Can I drop you off somewhere along the way, son?”
“Actually, California sounds great, sir. I’ve always wanted to see the famous Redwood trees.”
“You aren’t a runaway I’m going to get in a heap of trouble over, are you?”
“No, sir, I’m eighteen.”
“Alright then, son, then you can ride along with me. I could use the company for the long haul. My name is Frank, so no more of that sir stuff now.”
“Thank you, Frank. My name is Johnny.”
Frank helped him so much. Without his help of getting to California, he would have never found the Blackwood Pack. All these years later, he still remembered the kindness of the man…
Thinking backing was never good for Johnny, but after everything that had happened tonight, it took dying to bring back the nightmares of hiding who he truly was. He thought,
if it weren’t for Blackwood’s kindness and his support when he needed it the most, he would never have made it to where he was today.
Johnny was looking for a place to stay the night after Frank had dropped him off in Orick, California. Blackwood had come into the town and noticed right away the lone wolf cub. He’d sat down with Johnny, and something inside Johnny broke in that moment.
All the things he’d lived through came pouring out of the young man. For the first time, Johnny felt like he could trust another with his secret. There was just something about Blackwood that got passed the wall Johnny had built around himself.
Never in all the years that had passed had he regretted opening up to his Alpha. He’d taken him in, raised him as his own son, and seen that Johnny went to medical school. Johnny took what he’d quickly learned about human doctoring and applied it to the weir world.
With his gift and learning, he was one of the best doctors around their region. The Council of Elders often called him in on problem cases. This became his life, and he’d left behind all the sadness and danger of his past, until now.
This was something Johnny knew that he would have to tell his mate…
Chapter Two
Johnny was still amazed by all that happened since he met his mate just a few hours ago. He’d gone alone, just in case his skills were needed, and he’d been kidnapped. The demon drained his life’s blood until he’d died within that demon’s arms. Then, in a miraculous move from a small little boy’s single tear, brought him back to life.
The Cedarhill Alpha’s transformation to their Dream Weaver Phoenixes included their adopted son, Timmy. It was his tear that had brought Johnny back to life tonight. He was still amazed at the transformations that overcame this family.
He was very interested in finding out the medical ramifications behind the Dream Weaver Wolves. Was their antimony the same as other Weirs? That was something Johnny was eager to find out, if they allowed him.
Hell, here he was thinking about medical staff, and his mate was sitting beside him driving the truck toward the Blackwood Pack. Well, they weren’t alone but still, they hadn’t said a word to each other. This was exactly how he handled stressful situations. He reverted back to things that came easy to him…
Excerpt fromHeld Tight
Forever In Your Arms, Book One by Shelby Lynn
Prologue
Braxton Knightly, the Prince of the Royal Vampires, while unaware of any danger, was in shock from the attack. Braxton was no lightweight. His muscular body was a remarkable sight, from his long black hair, and piercing black eyes that usually take in everything around him for any sign of danger. His cockiness just landed him in a mess of trouble.
He held his torn and blooded side. Knowing if he didn’t find a source soon, then he would likely die from the blood loss. Braxton never should have left his compound without guards, but he was so fucking tired of constantly having guards protect him every minute of the day. Being the Prince really sucked sometimes.
Now, at this particular moment, he was questioning his judgment. He was weak from the attack by the Alpha of the Demon Dogs, a vicious enemy of the Vampire race. Braxton never even saw it coming. He had snuck out to have a little privacy, away from the stress of being a Prince. The day-today grind of being an Alpha can be hard on a Vampire. He literally held the lives of his followers in his hands. He refused to fail them; so therefore, it made for long boring meetings, and lengthy phone conversations.
Just six months ago, Braxton had signed a treaty with the Demon Dogs’ Alpha. He was trying to bring about peace between their people…okay, so maybe there had always been hatred between their people, but Ramos had left him alone for the last few months with the treaty. It was stupid really, the war. The Dogs had it in their head that Braxton thought they were scum of the earth and unworthy of actually being alive. He had no clue where they got that opinion, there was no way they were smart enough put two and two together. Braxton knew he had hinted towards the fact decades ago when he bought the Alpha a squeaky toy for his coronation.
So what the fuck was going on now! He had just wanted some time out from his duties, smiling and making lifealtering decisions for peopl
e could really wear on a person. Braxton often would slip away from the guards, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
Since he had taken over for his father full-time on the leadership end of the Royal duties, there was very little time for socializing. Braxton had been a regular at the blood bars, and he was sad to say that he had not been to one in months. The feel of the music and the intoxication of the veins pulsing around him was something he missed. If he couldn’t find his mate, he had to do something. Not being able to have companionship because of how it would look if it weren’t his mate led to him becoming frustrated and ready to slip away at a moment’s notice.
Fuck, all Braxton needed was a private moment to enjoy himself. The King was away with his own eternal love, and they were off basking in the sun somewhere. Since his mother’s death, he had not begrudged his father happiness. He had no clue why the man insisted on being such an ass about him having a little fun.
It really was almost laughable the portrayals the humans gave them in movies and shit. A Vampire not being able to go out in the sun was another of those Hollywood portrayals that wasn’t true. Except for their exceptional good looks and habit of drinking blood, they fit in well with the humans.
That night he’d left out the employee entrance, just like he always did in the past when he was going out alone, catching a ride in the cab that he’d ordered just a few minutes earlier.
“Good Evening, Sir Knightly, are you going to the Riverview as usual?” This was a club in downtown New Orleans.
“Yes, Danny; just drop me off out front as always. I’ll call later for a ride home if I need one.” This was a usual thing between them. Over the last few years, Danny had become a friend of sorts. Braxton knew that he could count on his privacy with the man.
In no time, they were pulling up in front of the club. Braxton got out and handed Danny a huge tip through the window. He watched him drive away after wishing him a goodnight.