Escaping Monsters: A Reverse Harem Wolf Shifter Romance (Grayhaven Book 1)

by Rita Stradling

  As Lucas busied himself in the kitchen, I set my digital camera on the counter and powered it on.

  “You’re not going to sneak a picture of me while I’m a rumpled mess, are you?” he asked over his shoulder.

  “I always give people deleting rights.” I held up my camera. “So do I have permission to snap a picture of rumpled, sleepy Lucas?”

  Lucas grinned wide and slid a coffee in front of me. “If I can take one of you in return.”

  “Deal.” I lifted my camera, and the sweetest bashful smile lit up his features. He touched his forehead, and his dimple peeked out. I managed to snap the picture just in time and held it out to him. “You have the right to delete it, but please—I beg you—let me keep it.”

  Lucas leaned in to look and he sipped his coffee. “If that impresses you, I’m going to have to get dressed up for you sometime.”

  “If you got all dressed up, we’d probably have to go somewhere nice, right?”

  Lucas set his coffee down and held out his hands for my camera. He held it up and inspected it from different angles.

  “You aim with this side and click up there.”

  He chuckled. “You really think I’m ancient, don’t you?”

  “I think you’re the sexiest…” I gritted my teeth, “Hundred-year-old…?” I trailed off as he shook his head. “Hot or cold?”

  “What would be the fun in telling you?” he asked. He lifted the camera, clearly knowing exactly how to use it. “I was just thinking that your camera has seen its day. I might be able to trade for a new one.” He clicked the photo and then laughed out loud at what he saw on the screen.

  “What the hell, Lucas? You’re not supposed to laugh when you look at people’s photos.” I leaned into him and peered at the screen. Looking at the image, I had to admit it wasn’t one of my better portraits. The lighting was soft, and my pink hair fell in gentle waves, but the expression on my face looked horrified.

  “I guess you don’t want a new camera,” Lucas handed it back.

  I set it down gently. “Yeah, it’s a bit rough. This camera has been with me for twelve years. We’ve been through some serious shit together.”

  “Twelve years… you had this while you were human?” he nodded at it.

  I bit my lip and then selected the menu and scrolled down to the bottom. As the photos of the bad years scrolled by, a heaviness pressed down on me, constricting my breathing until I passed them by. I selected my favorite photo.

  Lucas leaned in, and he glanced back up with wide eyes. “There are two of you?”

  “There were.” I touched the photo. “My twin sister Veronica was fighting some pretty serious addiction problems, for a long time. Three months after I was supposedly dragged off by wild dogs, she overdosed. Kane kept it from me for months.” I scrolled through more photos, showing images of Ronnie and me on the Santa Monica pier. An image of me kissing a statue. “We could be such nerds together. I bought this cheap, twenty-buck digital camera because it was all I could afford at the time. Now… it has everything on it… Ronnie, my wedding and honeymoon with the imposter, some of my darkest moments.” I smiled up at Lucas. “Your dimple.”

  Lucas leaned his elbows on the counter and looked over at me, giving me the full power of his attention. “And, you don’t want to back those up.”

  “Most of these can never see the light of day. I’m not ever going to look at them again. They existed, though. Those moments were real. My human life was real. Ronnie was real. You’re real. I just need that.” I turned the power off to conserve the batteries. I lifted my coffee cup and smiled at him over the steaming liquid. “Clearly, I’m a master of waking you up with lighthearted banter at four AM.”

  He shifted his coffee over, and the back of his hand pressed to mine. “I lost someone I loved to addiction too. A long time ago, I was married. My wife would be considered an alcoholic today, though back then, there was a lot of silence around it. She was drunk, and she drove the car off the road.” He paused and closed his eyes. “My son was in that car—he was fifteen years old. They both died on impact. It was… before digital cameras, and sometimes, I’m not sure if the picture in my head is what they looked like.”

  Knowing that there was nothing I could say to alleviate pain like that, I pressed my hand into Lucas’ in silent support. We stayed there for a while, sipping our coffee in silence. When our mugs were empty, Lucas stepped away to refill both of our glasses.

  “There’s no fancy restaurant in Grayhaven,” he said, and from his tone, I could tell he was ready to change the subject. “If you actually want to see me dress up, I can probably come up with something.”

  I bit my lip and leaned into the counter. “Are you asking me out on a date, doc?”

  He placed a coffee mug in my waiting hands. “I am asking you out on a date.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “And, are you doing it because you enjoy my company… or do you feel like we’re in some sort of arranged mate-age situation, so you might as well get to know me?”

  He rubbed a hand over his beard, and his gray eyes laughed at me. “Arranged mate-age?”

  I held up my hands. “I guess.”

  He tapped a finger on the counter. “Teagan, we’ve all known about your existence for going on ten years. I accepted that you were probably never going to be part of my life a long time ago. I’m enjoying this.” He leaned in and lifted his brows. “What about you? Are you enjoying this?”

  “Yes.” I let out a soft laugh. To say I was enjoying my time with the Grayhaven pack and its sexy veterinarian immensely would be an understatement. “As of right now, I plan to stay and work for the fire station for a hot minute. I want to earn some money and let my hand heal, but I’m not sold on staying here and waiting for Kane to find me. I might stay a few days, I might stay a few weeks, I’m not sure yet.”

  “How about this Saturday night, then?” he asked.

  I chuckled into my coffee. “Honestly… I don’t even know what day it is.”

  “It’s Wednesday,” Lucas said.

  “It’s a date… damn.” I shook my head. “I don’t have any dresses. I guess I’ll have to figure something out.”

  His brows lifted. “I’ll give you what you need to trade for a dress.”

  “Let’s keep that as a last resort.” I reached up and straightened his rumpled collar. “If I fail to get one on my own. How formal are we talking?”

  “What you’re wearing is great.” He glanced down at my t-shirt and ripped jeans.

  “No.” I rolled my eyes. Turning around I leaned back into the counter. “I love the idea of getting dressed up and going on a date with you, Dr. Wolf. I just need to know how to prepare.”

  “Is black tie too much?”

  “Black tie is perfect.” I traced a finger over the top of my mug. “I’m looking forward to this, and I don’t even remember the last time I had something to look forward to.”

  “Me neither,” Lucas said.

  A long, loud yawn had both Lucas and me turning around to find a shirtless Declan trudging down the stairs toward us.

  “Coffee…” he said with half-closed eyes as he reached for my mug.

  “There’s half a pot left.”

  I held my mug up, and the big guy walked straight into my back, wrapping his arms around me, and scooping my hands up with his big mitts to pull my mug to his lips.

  He made a low humming sound. “Tastes like cherries.” His nose pressed into the top of my head. “You smell like cherries too.”

  I relinquished my mug to him and rubbed my hands up his tattooed arms. “It’s all yours.”

  “It’s hard to hear in here… did you just say you’re all mine?”

  “How can this firehouse be so massive, and yet you manage to take up all of the available space in it?” I asked as the smell of pine forest and woodsmoke enveloped me. I spun in his arms to look up into muscles and more muscles. Declan’s tattoos arched over his shoulders and decorated half of his chest as w
ell. There were some pretty serious religious symbols among designs and skulls. I saw the Celtic cross and rosary beads, bloody thorns, and a golden crown.

  Declan grinned down and humor shined in his eyes. “If you feel the urge to start licking, go right on ahead.”

  “I can’t be held to anything I said that night. Anyway, Lucas and I were having a conversation…” I peered past Declan’s massive arm to see that the sexy veterinarian was gone. I had to grab Declan by the waist to peer past him, and I just caught a glimpse of Lucas disappearing into the bathroom. “Damn it, Declan.” I sighed and shook my head. I would bet money that Declan was the beta in this pack and he just used his dominance to get me to himself. “That wasn’t very nice.”

  “He’s a big boy, Cherry. Lucas is fine.” Declan ran a hand down my back. “Now the real question I want to be answered is if you’re fine after going into recovery, but you look like you’re glowing. A good night's sleep and some decent meals did you good…” He grinned over his coffee, “Unless of course, it was something else.”

  Heat flushed up my face, and it only made Declan smile wider.

  “What happened to you, Cherry, you’re turning all red.”

  I poked him in his bare chest. “You, my friend, don’t know when to stop teasing.”

  His hand covered mine, flattening my fingers to his chest. “Want to come with me today to check my traps and bring down an elk buck? You can herd him so you don’t risk your paw.”

  A thrill of excitement and longing pulsed through my chest. There was nothing so satisfying as coordinating with a pack, hunting a worthy prey.

  “Nothing would be so enjoyable, Declan, but your alpha hired me to inventory and restock your fire station, and I plan to start right away.”

  His brows lifted. “You don’t say. Well, we definitely need restocking before fire season. I’ll focus on capturing big trade items for the next few days.” Declan leaned in, and his hands went to the counter on either side of me. “So, when you say that you’re starting right away, do you mean right this moment at four AM, or do you have time for a cuddle?”

  “A cuddle?” I said through a laugh.

  “You know, where I wrap my body around yours, and we both pretend not to notice that my Union Jack boxers are getting tight.” He said it all with a wolfish grin.

  “I think I need to see these.” I reached for the front of his sweatpants, and he rocked his hips out toward me. When I undid his drawstring and pulled his pants open, sure as hell, he was wearing British flag boxers. “Do all of your underwear have flags on them?” I asked with a smile as I tied up his pants.

  “No, I have much more exciting boxers than that. You’ll just have to look in my pants every day to find out.”

  I took my coffee from his hands and took the last sip, and then I grabbed my camera and held it up for him. “Can I take a picture of you while we cuddle?”

  “Never would I deny a woman photos for her spank bank.” Declan’s hands went under my ass and he lifted me up onto him, backward piggyback style. When I laughed, Declan squeezed me to his front. “I’ve got about three hours of cuddling time, and so we definitely can’t waste another second.”

  He carried me up the stairs and lifted me onto his bunk before doing a pull-up and climbing in behind me. I rolled over and snapped a quick photo of him lying across his bed before I settled back.

  True to his word, Declan wrapped me up in his arms as I tucked up under him. His fingers webbed through mine, and he nuzzled into my hair.

  There was a scratching of claws somewhere under us, and then Declan said, “We’re about to have company.”

  A giant wolf came leaping onto the bed, just managing to narrowly miss me with his paws as he came down on the mattress and shook the bunk.

  “Chad,” I said as he stretched out next to me, rolling into my other side with his big fuzzy body.

  A moment later, the bunk jostled again, and Ace appeared at the foot of the bed. He climbed up with his eyes still closed and crawled in on Declan’s other side. Within seconds, all three of them were breathing evenly.

  Wolf piles were a huge part of pack culture, but to date, I’d never been in one. My old pack piled up on occasion, but Kane didn’t want any of his enforcers to so much as touch me. My magic was Kane’s personal drug of choice, and he didn’t want to share.

  As the four of us rested on Declan’s bunk, the magic of our wolves buzzed around us, strengthening our bond. Wolf piles always charged pack magic, but my omega energy was a supercharger, powering everyone else’s energy as well as my own. We were scenting each other, sensing each other, and forming a link that would bind us while we hunted prey.

  Instead of sleeping, I pulled out my digital camera and scrolled through the menu.

  I’d kept such a faithful record of the darkest and the brightest times, so in the times when Kane acted sweet and bearable to be around, I’d never forgotten the darkness waiting just underneath. I had refused to ever grow complacent with my captivity. My life with Kane and his enforcers had been like walking a tightrope, and these photos were my safety net.

  I pressed on the first photo from my wedding and scrolled down to the dilapidated sign that welcomed me to Grayhaven. Then, I held my breath, swallowed the metallic taste in my mouth, and pressed delete.

  That time existed. It would always carve a place in my memory, but I didn’t need my safety net anymore. No matter what happened here in Grayhaven, I was never going back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I leaned over an almost empty tank of gasoline, holding my breath. It looked like a large metal water tank perched behind the fire station. I went to my tiptoes and leaned over.

  “Please don’t fall in,” Ace said through a yawn as he held the bottom of my ladder.

  “Don’t worry. I’m a professional at this,” I lied, but I doubt he could tell with my nose coming out all stuffed as I plugged it. “Your gauge is off. This tank is almost empty.” The reading on the controls near the gas disbursement system had said that the tank was half full, but it was much closer to twenty percent.

  I pushed the lid to the container closed and locked it with three sets of heavy-duty padlocks.

  “Does anyone else have access to these locks?”

  There had been some serious security around the gas tank nozzle as well.

  “Magic town?” Ace said. “I wasn’t kidding when I said we have more thieves per capita than any other city on Earth, and the demons love gasoline. It’s one of the few things they’ll trade for.”

  A strum of a guitar behind me almost had me toppling off the ladder, and I gasped and grabbed on. “Holy fuck.”

  “You’re a bit jumpy,” a musical voice said, and I glanced back to see the all too handsome face of Chad Jameson. I remembered always thinking that the magazine covers airbrushed him and made the lighting just right. He couldn’t have looked that handsome in real life. But, in truth, they hadn’t done him justice. The real Chad Jameson was bolder and more magnetic than any magazine could capture.

  He carried out a chair and set it down on the driveway, settling in it with his guitar on his lap. “I thought I’d give you guys some background music since no one in Grayhaven has a CD player.”

  I nodded, deciding not to mention to him that most people outside of Grayhaven didn’t use CD players anymore either.

  “So, Teagan…,” Chad leaned forward with his hands on the strings of his guitar, “Remember the other day when I told you that I couldn’t have sex with you yet?”

  “You mean when you said that three minutes after I rejected your offer to go fuck in the firehouse? Yeah, I remember,” I said as I checked the locks on the tank.

  “Well, I wanted to explain myself. I’m willing to give this mate thing a try, but there were just a few extremely unconventional sex positions I was curious about. Turns out, I don’t even like them, so the night was a waste.” He shrugged. “I guess you could say I purged my demons, and now I’m ready to give this mate thing a try
to see if I like it.” He stuck his pick in his mouth, and his sultry gaze again melted away my clothing.

  “Wow, thanks…” I stammered as I blinked slowly at him. “I’m honored, Chad, but I’m definitely not ready for that.”

  “Maybe not yet, but I’m thinking you will be soon,” Chad said, and he started the intro for Silent Boy. Even though part of me wanted to grab Chad’s guitar and bash him upside the head with it, the familiar song hit me straight in my chest.

  Fuck, this song meant so much to me back when I felt invisible. Ronnie had always been a loud party girl with a long string of boyfriends and best friends. She’d also been careless with those friends and when she lost them, they’d walk away from me too.

  Silent Boy was about a high schooler who had too much anxiety to speak, and then his friends filtered away, abandoning him. Chad Jameson wrote it, and I’d always imagined the man himself experienced the deep and complicated emotions of the song, but clearly it wasn’t autobiographical.

  When I stepped down from the ladder, Ace gave me a look like he was doing everything in his power not to roll his eyes. “My cynical brain literally can’t handle this scene. Want to head inside?”

  I smiled at him. “After this song?”

  “Fuck…” Ace started to turn away when he froze, staring down the driveway at a familiar fluffy cat. The moment I stepped down from the ladder, the cat wound around my ankles.

  Ace crouched down. “I have never seen a cat willingly touch a werewolf?”

  “I think it’s the familiar of the witch from Cat’s 24-Hour Drugstore. He keeps finding me.”

  “This isn’t some feral cat that a witch took in. Skogkatts are Norwegian forest cats. You can tell from their glossy and coarse topcoat and their thick undercoat along with its size and the pattern of its fur. This specific animal is associated with the goddess Freyja who’s the goddess of luck, chance, and destiny. Her cats are said to be able to see the future and shape destiny. I doubt that’s anyone’s familiar,” Ace held a hand out toward the cat, which immediately made the animal hiss and sit on my feet. “There are animals that witches use to perform magic, and then there are magical animals. Magical animals only appear to people their deity favors. Did you come across any extremely imposing blonde women lately?”