Between a Wolf and a Hard Place

by Terry Spear

  He joined Ellie, and they played the first duet beautifully, no mistakes at all. When everyone wanted to hear more, they played another. Because they hadn’t practiced a whole lot of different songs, they stuck to all the simple ones they knew for beginners: “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “Louie, Louie,” and several Christmas songs.

  They made a few mistakes as they continued to play, but everyone cheered them on as if they were famous pianists, and Brett loved that he and Ellie could do this together.

  Then they gave up the piano to Remer, whom they’d invited to play for a few hours today. He had his business cards on hand for any interested prospective students. Mervin played after that, while Ellie gave Meghan a break by helping to check in guests.

  “So when are you going to mate Ellie?” CJ asked Brett in private in the common room while everyone else was milling around in the lobby. “Laurel wants to know.”

  Brett laughed. “She doesn’t think I’m too bad a choice now for her sister?”

  “Not after you began to see Matilda. I still can’t believe you started to.”

  “She liked me best of all her grandnephews.”

  “Ha. You were such a suck-up. Doing odd chores for her whenever we visited her.”

  “As if all of you didn’t.” It was true. Without a mother, and with a father like theirs, Brett had cherished the hugs he got from their great-aunt.

  “So when are you asking Ellie?”

  “Soon.” Brett had waffled so many times about how he wanted to do this—at the pack’s first ball, right on the dance floor, at dinner or out, or at home over dinner. He’d even wished he could have when they were at his great-aunt’s memorial spot, but they’d been wearing their wolf coats. He’d finally decided that asking her at the dance would be the most memorable.

  “It has to be a special occasion.”

  Brett was amused that his brother was trying to guess when he was asking the big question.

  “The ball tonight?” CJ’s eyes lit up with speculation. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’ll be dashing in your Victorian suit, and she’ll be wearing a ball gown. Yep, if I could have done so with Laurel, that would have been my choice.”

  Brett had wanted to propose a mating to Ellie at the Victorian Days opening ball for that very reason. They would be all dressed up, it was the first time the ball had taken place, and he really couldn’t wait a moment longer. “Okay, yes, but I want it to be a secret.”

  “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “No telling Laurel.”

  “I won’t, but she may already suspect what’s going to happen, like I did.”

  “I don’t want any fanfare. I’ll do it with Ellie, and we’ll announce it to the pack later.”

  “A big announcement in the paper?”

  Brett smiled. “It’ll be in the paper, but after I propose and she accepts.”

  “Is there any doubt?”

  “Unless the she-wolf agrees, there’s always a chance of rejection.”

  Chapter 18

  Brett had looked so dapper in his gentleman’s Victorian ensemble when he joined her at the inn that morning that Ellie had wanted to haul him off to her house and ravish him. He’d finally had to leave the inn and put in an appearance at the paper. Even though the newspaper hadn’t been in existence that long, its office had been made to look like an old-timey one, and they even had an old printing press on display for Victorian Days. Brett had to operate it for a while for show-and-tell and hand out free samples of the paper, highlighting the articles he’d written on past Victorian Days, all the events scheduled for this year, and a page-and-a-half article on the Victorian Inn because it was their first year to be open for the celebration.

  Since it was such a big deal today, Brett wished he could have announced his mating—well, upcoming nuptials to Ellie—but he would in tomorrow’s paper.

  * * *

  Ellie was delighted when Silva dropped off finger sandwiches for everyone milling around the inn and listening to the music. People were going in and out and seeing how the other businesses were celebrating the occasion. But she was serving her special pies only at her tea shop. She had about thirty tables for guests, another ten out back in the courtyard when the weather was warmer, but today she was filled to capacity. Her business had tripled since she’d opened as the word spread about her great pies, soups, and sandwiches.

  She’d hired four of the local wolves to serve meals for the Victorian Days festivities. Two were men dressed in Victorian striped trousers, button shoes, pin-striped vests, bowler hats, white shirts, and red bow ties. They were bachelor males and getting as much of a kick out of working there as the women who were flocking to see them there. They had other jobs, so this gig was just a couple of hours for them, and the tips were high.

  Sam hadn’t liked it very much. He’d come over to interview the wolves himself to make sure they knew that Silva was off-limits—as if anyone would be dumb enough not to know that.

  * * *

  That evening, Meghan had dropped Ellie off at the building the pack used for inclement-weather gatherings—and now for the ball—because Brett was running late.

  Now Ellie watched as Brett searched the crowd, trying to catch sight of her. He was wearing a black wool frock coat, a charcoal-gray John Bull top hat, and charcoal-and-light-gray-striped trousers. His cherry-red jacquard vest with black embroidery was really elegant. A white Victorian men’s dress shirt with a high standing collar set it all off. He was also wearing one of those black silk puff ties that Ellie loved, a diamond tie tack that sparkled a little in the overhead lights, a silver pocket watch, and black leather lace-up boots. She whistled at him, and he turned to see her and laughed.

  Though she hadn’t known what he was going to wear, they were a perfect match since she was wearing a red ball gown trimmed in black lace.

  The building was decorated with fresh flowers, and a table for grazing had been set up along one wall. Then someone began playing a waltz, and both Brett and Ellie turned quickly to look at the piano. Even though the music wasn’t coming from Matilda’s baby grand, it had given them a start. Mervin was playing.

  “Can I have this dance?” Brett asked Ellie.

  She pulled out her Victorian dance card and opened it. “Well, it looks like the first dance is free.”

  He considered the book and smiled. “I imagine in years past, it was full.”

  She slipped the dance card back into her velvet purse and smiled. “You’re just lucky you chased all my other suitors away.”

  He pulled her into his arms and began to dance with her across the room. “That’s good, because I wasn’t in the mood for sharing.”

  “You are such a wolf.”

  “When it comes to you? Absolutely.”

  At first, not too many wolves were dancing, but then couples began to join them and Brett pulled Ellie tighter. She loved feeling him close like this, all dressed up as if they were from an earlier time. He began to kiss her and continued to dance with her across the wooden floor in a lovers’ embrace.

  * * *

  Brett had wanted to ask Ellie to mate with him all day, and he hated that he hadn’t been able to pick her up at the house in time to bring her to the ball. Rose had been running late with the flower delivery to his house because she’d set up the flowers at the ballroom too. And then she’d helped him to set up the flowers he had bought for Ellie the way they both thought would make the best impression.

  Now on the dance floor, Brett couldn’t hold back a minute longer. He kissed Ellie’s ear and whispered into it, “Will you agree to be my mate, Ellie MacTire?”

  As soon as she beamed up at him, he knew it was a yes, and his whole outlook brightened. He couldn’t believe how much he’d been sweating this out. He should have known she’d say yes.

  That was a yes, wasn’t it?

  CJ an
d Laurel danced near them, and Brett was certain his brother knew he’d asked, but had she accepted? All CJ did was raise his brows at Brett in silent question. Brett just smiled back, and Ellie rested her head against Brett’s chest. They danced nice and slow, and he loved the way she held him close—as if they were already mated wolves, in love, and meant only for each other.

  “Will you be my mate, Ellie?” he asked again, needing to hear her say yes, to be clear about it, to hear her say she wanted him like he wanted her.

  She smiled up at him. “My sisters told me you’d propose to me at the ball. I wasn’t sure.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “What made you finally ask?”

  “I’ve wanted to for a long time. I wasn’t sure you were ready, and I didn’t want to hear you say no because I’d asked too soon.” He let out his breath and kissed her forehead. “And I didn’t want my great-aunt to come between us.”

  “I think she’ll be pleased.”

  “That’s a yes?” Brett figured he sounded so hopeful and thrilled at the same time that it made her smile again.

  She nodded. “I couldn’t love a wolf more than I do you, Brett. In the year I’ve known you, you’ve always been eager to please and fun and, well, almost perfect.”

  “Almost?”

  “Until you suggested I date other guys, asked Stanton to exorcise our ghosts, and—”

  “I didn’t ask him to exorcise your ghosts. Just mine. And I didn’t really ask him to do so. As to dating the other guys, I…” Brett paused. “Hell, why didn’t I think of that? What were you wearing the next night after you wore the moose T-shirt? Wait, let me tell you. Tiger-striped pajamas.”

  She gaped at him. “We had dream sex.”

  “Yeah, hell yeah. That guy who had the nerve to ditch you? And all the other guys you dated? No way could any of them have been your mate.”

  She smiled. “I guess we should have discussed what I was wearing more. I thought one of my sisters mentioned something about me and my moose T-shirt, since Laurel got it for me when we lived in Minnesota and I loved the moose up there. I believed that somehow you’d heard of it, then made a lucky guess or dreamed of me wearing it.” She placed her hand on his cheek. “Will you be mine?”

  He laughed. “Yes, without hesitation and with all my heart. I’ve loved you since the first time you kicked me out of the inn when it was under construction and I was in the way.”

  She laughed. “Should we have asked your great-aunt first?” She looked up at him with such a serious expression that he just smiled down at her.

  “No. This is between you and me.” He glanced around at the pack members at the ball. “And well, the pack, since everyone seems to have stopped dancing and is watching us to see what’s going on. I’m sure they all figured I might ask you to mate with me tonight.”

  She laughed, turned beautifully red, and tightened her arms around him.

  CJ howled. Laurel joined in. Then the rest of the pack members howled.

  Wolf matings and wolf cubs were two of the most celebrated occasions in a wolf pack. Ellie just laughed and howled too. Brett’s brothers and cousins added jauntily to the chorus, but Brett howled the loudest. It was a good thing the great hall was way out in the woods on the pack leaders’ property.

  * * *

  Brett and Ellie slipped off early from the dance to make the mating a done deal. Everyone congratulated them as they left, so their departure wasn’t exactly discreet. They were eager to turn their fantasies into something real.

  Her car was parked in Brett’s driveway and Ellie was so surprised. She laughed, thrilled her sisters had done that for her.

  She realized Meghan would now be alone in the house. That might make her decide to look harder for a mate, if Peter wasn’t the one for her.

  Brett pulled into the garage and parked, then hurried to sweep Ellie out of the car, big gown and all. “Lots of petticoats?”

  “Like in the old days.”

  “Corset?”

  “Absolutely. Not a loose woman, you know.”

  He smiled. “A chemise?”

  “For modesty.”

  “Bloomers or pantaloons?”

  “Never as a wolf.”

  He grinned and rushed her into the house. She was trying to see all she could of it before he carried her into the bedroom. Most of the wolves who mated didn’t get a new house to suit the two of them. Usually, one of the partners sold off their home, and the couple moved into the other. Since Meghan lived in the house behind the inn, and they’d always keep it, Ellie figured Brett’s home would be hers too.

  Brett flipped on a light switch, but before he had, she’d smelled the roses. Not the ones from her other suitors, but dozens in vases of fresh roses all over the room, sitting on the dark oak dresser, the end tables, and a tall bookshelf. The bedroom looked like a floral wonderland.

  What if she hadn’t said yes?

  She smiled at Brett, loving him. “You are a romantic at heart.” Or was he trying to prove that he could outdo her other suitors in the romance department? He didn’t need to prove anything to her.

  She wondered if he’d bought a ton of chocolate for her. She hoped not, or she’d have to surreptitiously give it away. She’d never be able to run it all off.

  He set her down on the floor and she observed how clean everything was. The bed was neatly made, and a couple of Jake’s pictures of a river and woods hung on the walls. Was Brett a perfectionist? Or had he made a special effort to clean up before he brought her here? That might have had something to do with him not taking her to the ball tonight.

  She realized she still had a lot to learn about him. Just as he had a lot to learn about her.

  She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a slow, lingering kiss as he held her tight and kissed her back. She figured she had a lifetime to learn all there was about him, but for now, this was all she wanted. Kissing, loving, mating.

  He growled as he tried to unfasten her dress. “I think I made a mistake.”

  She reached up to unfasten his jacket. “How’s that?”

  “Way too many clothes.” Then his brows arched.

  She laughed, knowing just what he had in mind. For the first-time mating, they didn’t need to remove all their clothes.

  Then later, they could get naked and take it at a slower pace.

  Brett yanked off his jacket and unbuttoned his vest, tearing it off and tossing it on a chest at the foot of his bed.

  She couldn’t remove her gown without his help. Instead, she sat on the bed and began untying one of her laced-up boots. He was hurrying to take his shoes off, and then his trousers and socks.

  Kneeling before her, he helped her remove her other boot and slipped his hands up her stocking-covered leg until he reached her garter and unfastened it, sliding the stocking down in a gentle, sexy caress. After pulling it off, he did the same with the other stocking, his hands gliding over her skin as he slid the stocking down her leg.

  “Hmm,” she said, their hearts beating faster, their pheromones calling to each other in a primal wolf way.

  “I’ve wanted you like this from the beginning,” he murmured, his voice husky with desire. He ran his hands in a smooth caress up her legs, pushing them apart. Then he rose to yank off his boxer briefs. Still wearing his long shirt and puff tie, he moved in next to her and kissed the swell of her breasts in the low-cut gown.

  Her skin tingled and heated with the whisper of his warm breath caressing it, his warm velvety tongue licking the upper swell of a breast before he kissed her mouth. It was a slow kiss that stirred memories of every real kiss he’d given her, of every fantasized kiss he’d bestowed upon her. Even so, this was different. This was the prelude to the consummation that would make them mates for life.

  Suddenly, the frantic pace slowed and they enjoyed the moment—the kissing, touching, tasting, and b
reathing in each other’s sweet and tangy woodland scents. As wolves, all of their senses were heightened, making the experience even more real and pleasurable.

  She slipped her hand under his shirt and caressed his taut back muscles, while he nuzzled her cheek and then kissed her neck. She thought that if they were going to slow the pace, maybe he could help her out of her gown. But as soon as she tried to unbutton his shirt, he pushed up her gown, petticoats, and chemise and began to stroke her between her legs.

  She arched—his strokes insistent, her body pliable—needing his touch. She wondered if he had been going slower because he was trying to regain control over his rampant need for her. She felt instantly empowered by the notion and gave in to the ecstasy.

  His breathing was unsteady, hers just as ragged.

  The joining, the mating… How could they have doubted their connection, despite their dreams, despite their physical compatibility?

  She felt caught up in the dream, and yet it was more vibrant, more colorful. His crisp white shirt and tanned skin, his dark hair and nearly black eyes—they were real. In her dreams, she realized, she hadn’t enjoyed the smell of him or the sound of his thumping heart or his heavy breathing. She hadn’t felt the true warmth of his touch, the way his tongue stroked hers and his mouth teased and pressed against hers. Or the way his fingers stroked her until she felt the climax shudder through her. He inserted a finger inside her and smiled.

  “I love you,” he said, kissing her lips again and centering himself before easing into her and claiming her for his mate.

  “I love you right back, dream mate of mine.”

  * * *

  Brett felt he was dreaming, that he’d captured his wolf like he had every night for weeks, and yet it wasn’t a dream. He tried to hold back, to enjoy every moment, but with Ellie still dressed in her beautiful gown, looking radiant and sexy, he couldn’t prolong the inevitable any further.

  He nibbled on her ear as she ran her hands through his hair, her touch a gentle caress, and he wondered if she was seeing him in a new way like he was seeing her. He was hers, just as she was his. No longer were they courting wolves, but mated.