Silver Wolves Read online

  Always Her Wolf

  A Shifters United Novella

  by

  Mary Winter

  Copyright Notice

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This book was previously released from a publisher. It has been reformatted and edited, but is mostly unchanged from the original version.

  Always Her Wolf

  Copyright ©2018 Mary Winter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Cover Art ©2018 by Unscramblet Author Solutions

  Book formatting by My Author Home (http://myauthorhome.com)

  This Version Electornically Published May 2019

  Original Electronic Publication Date: November 2018

  Original Print Publication Date: December 2018

  Published by Charmed Chicken Media

  This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

  Chapter One

  Travis stepped off the boat and crossed the dock, exhausted to the bone. After taking his alpha out on the water all day to relax, all he wanted was to go home, fry up a hamburger, shower, strip, and fall into bed. He had an early morning tour booked and would need to be back at the marina before dawn. He stopped at the locked door to the shop, and it took a moment for him to register the woman standing there. Damn, he must be tired. No, not woman—wolf.

  He breathed deeply and the musk and orange scent of her punched him in the gut. He drew the scent into his lungs, his cock hardening in response. Stacia. His eyes met hers, and even behind wide sunglasses, he remembered their deep blue hue. Her lips were painted in a kissable coral, and the lines around the corners of her mouth, and no doubt the corners of her eyes too, only made her seem sexier. It’d been twenty-five years, maybe even thirty, since they’d seen each other, and he’d been barely out of high school then. His beast still recognized her. He recognized her.

  “Hello, Travis,” she said and that throaty, husky voice only tightened his cock even more.

  “Stacia. This is…a surprise.” He fumbled with his keys and unlocked the door. “It’s been a long time.”

  “I know. And I’m sorry. My pack recently joined the Shifters United treaty and well, I heard Carmen was alpha now.”

  “The old man passed away a few years ago.” He pushed the door open and turned on the light. “Would you like to come in? I could get us something to drink. Was just doing to check messages before heading home. I’ve been on the water all day.”

  “I planned on checking in with Carmen just to let her know I’m here. As a courtesy.”

  To see if she held the same concerns that her father had about Stacia’s continued presence. He doubted it, not with Carmen finding her mate. If the old man knew, he would be spinning in his grave. He’d always hoped that she’d end up with someone else. With him, Travis mused, but Carmen had never seen him that way and eventually he’d met Lydia, and there was a fuckton of water under that bridge. He drew a deep breath and steeled himself against another hit of Stacia’s natural essence.

  “That’s good, though she has a mate now, and probably would be happy to catch up with you. It’s been a long time.” He felt like a broken record. “Let me check these.” He picked up the handset and hit the message button. Only one left a message and it was his repair guy about a boat part. He’d call him back tomorrow. He glanced at the computer. Any of the emails could be handled tomorrow. “Thanks,” he said when he shut down his computer. “What can I do for you?”

  “I thought maybe we could get dinner? Catch up.”

  That was forward. He liked that. “My place okay? I was about to head home.”

  She grinned and the sexy tilt of her lips made him wonder what they’d look like wrapped around his cock. It’d been a long time. Maybe she was just passing through or decided to visit. “Sounds great. Why don’t I follow you? I don’t suppose you live in the same place?”

  He shook his head. After his parents passed he sold the house. “Nah, but not far away. That sounds good. You ready?” He grabbed his car keys and made sure his cell was in his pocket.

  “Yeah.”

  It was an odd meeting he thought as he walked to his car. No hug. No kiss in recognition. No ring on her finger or the smell of another wolf on her. So why hadn’t he staked his claim since he hadn’t been allowed to so long ago? Because he was a gentleman and she hadn’t offered. Why now? The question burned in his mind, though her response about the treaty, the crazy idea his alpha had about bringing peace to all the shifters, and damn if she wasn’t achieving it, certainly made sense. He pulled onto the highway, noticing Stacia had a luxury SUV, one that had cost more than one of his boats. He gave a low whistle. Whatever she’d done with her life, she’d apparently done it well.

  He turned off and drove through the wooded subdivision where he and a lot of other shifters lived. It backed up to some woods and a park. He pulled into his driveway and tried to imagine his home through her eyes. A small ranch house, no second story, no kids toys in the front yard unlike his neighbors. Each lot was an acre, so the small house appeared oddly placed, as if it might have been the first of more construction. It had been. He’d bought this house, a small model, and the adjacent lot so he had two acres and plenty of space. He activated the garage door and entered. By the time he got out of his SUV, she’d parked and stood. He invited her inside, watching her glance around at his sparse garage, most everything was back at the shop, then unlocked the door and led her inside.

  “Make yourself comfortable. I was going to cook up some hamburgers. I hope that sounds good to you. I’m starving.” He hung his keys on the hook by the door and bent over to unlace his boots. When he stood, he realized she’d been looking at his ass.

  “I’m hungry too,” she purred and he suspected it wasn’t for food.

  Before they got that far, he needed fuel. He washed his hands, then grabbed a package of hamburger from the fridge. He expertly made patties and dropped them on his stove top grill, then chopped up salad ingredients and whisked up a vinaigrette.

  “You cook?” She dipped her finger into the dressing and brought it to her mouth. She had to know she was killing him, because she popped the finger between those luscious lips and sucked it clean. “That’s delicious.”

  If he kissed her right now, he’d taste the dressing. He turned back to the burgers before he could act on the impulse.

  “How can I help?”

  “I’ve got it. Thanks.” It’d been a long time since he’d cooked, and there was some macho satisfaction in cooking for his woman, providing for her. He pulled two plates down, grabbed the package of sesame seed buns from the top of the fridge, and set it on the table along with salad bowls and silverware, returning to the stove just in time to flip the burgers. Stacia grabbed the bowl of salad and curette of dressing and carried them both to the table and sat down.

  “Aren’t you curious as to why I’m here?”

  He put the spatula down. “I am. I also figured you’d tell me when you’re ready. A lot has happened in the time you’ve been gone.” He closed his eyes against the too-real pain of loss from Lydia and reminded himself that was far in the past. When he ope
ned his eyes, he realized Stacia was giving him a curious look. He turned off the grill, flipped the burgers onto buns, added a slice of tomato and lettuce, then carried the plates to the table. “Mustard? Mayo?”

  “This is good. Thanks.” She took a bite and made a tiny moan of satisfaction. “This food is amazing. And it was probably foolish of me to show up here after all our time apart. I had to see you. With Carmen’s father gone…”

  “You thought there might be a chance.” He leaned over and brushed a crumb from the corner of her mouth. “Do you know how many times I lay in bed thinking about seeing you again? Wondering what would happen if you ever came back into this area? Wondering where you went and what you were doing?”

  “Probably as many as I did. You’ve got a charter company. You always did love the water.”

  “It’s an escape,” he said simply. “On the ocean it’s just me and my clients, or sometimes just me. Boats provide a way to run that four paws just can’t.”

  “What are you running from, Travis?”

  Need growled low in his stomach. “The fact that even as I married, I never stopped wanting you. You’re my mate, Stacia. You really think I could forget you?” As if his words released a tight leash he’d placed on himself, he moved toward her and captured her lips in a hard kiss. He tasted the meal he’d cooked on her lips, the heady flavor reminding him that he’d fed his mate. He’d cared for her. The primal instinct to take care of all his mate’s needs roared through him. Cupping her face, he tilted her head for better access. Travis swept his tongue along the seam of her lips, and growled a little in his throat as she opened for him.

  His mate wanted him. Some things never changed and there were some things time only made sweeter. The first brush of her tongue against his sent electric shocks down his spine. He skimmed his fingers over her side, stopping when her hand closed around his arm. He pulled back and struggled to get his breathing under control.

  “Food’s getting cold. We’ll have time for this later.” Her eyes, heavy-lidded with lust, told him she still wanted him, as did the hint of her arousal perfuming the air. Damn his extra sensitive wolfen nose. He’d always been one of the better trackers of the pack, and this time, the trail led right to his aroused mate.

  He grunted something incoherent and returned to his seat. The sexy grin on her face only made his cock pound and he had to turn away to focus on his food. He gulped down his burger, and a second one, in just a few bites, then ate his salad more leisurely. He sipped the iced tea he’d poured. “What brings you back here?” he asked once he’d sated his physical hunger. “You never said.”

  “I got a new job at a firm in Bellingham.”

  Well that didn’t explain a lot, except that she was pretty close. The Lime Kiln pack had the islands and all the coastline north of Bellingham in their territory. “Can I ask what you do?” Small talk never was his strong suit. He tried with his clients, though on the water it was easier. He could point out wildlife, reference points, even the occasional whale. Most people were too caught up in the beauty that they never really talked about themselves. Besides, other than for the duration of his trips, he really didn’t care. With Stacia, he cared. A lot.

  “I’m an engineer. I work primarily on government projects. Roads. Sewer lines. Bridges. Some buildings. I check plans over and make sure they’re up to code and able to do what they’re meant to do.”

  She’d always had a keen mind, and he wasn’t surprised that she’d put it to good use. “Sounds interesting.”

  She shrugged and took a bite of her sandwich. For someone who was worried about food getting cold, she sure wasn’t eating very quickly. She finished the last few bites. “Mostly boring as hell. But it pays well and has steady hours.”

  He nodded, not sure what to say to that. He’d always expected she’d follow her dreams. Go big or go…home. Except there hadn’t been a home for her, not until Carmen’s father passed away.

  “I prefer the ocean to the mountains,” she said by way of an answer to an unspoken question.

  He busied himself by picking up the plates and carrying the rest of the salad to the kitchen to be put away. Stacia was here. She wanted him. He might want to take things farther, but right now he had to accept this was as good as it was going to get. And as he glanced back to the table, he had to admit things looked really cool.

  Chapter Two

  Stacia struggled to steel herself against the pure masculine onslaught of her mate. From his muscled arms to his dark hair starting to go gray at the temples he hit all her buttons and reminded her of youthful indiscretions. His coolness would have bothered her if his kiss hadn’t been so hot. She deserved some of his aloofness. It’d been at least twenty-five, probably more, years. His alpha had suggested she go play in some other pack, and she’d been young and naive and had believed she hadn’t had a choice.

  She’d never been one for playing what if and living in the past. She’d gone to Spokane, back her parents, and worked her way into college and into the local pack, never mind that she’d left her heart here. With her responsibilities completed in Spokane, it’d been way too easy to make the decision to come back here, especially since she’d heard Carmen’s father had passed. Besides, Carmen’s work with the alliance intrigued her.

  “Someday I’d like to hear what happened in the time we’re apart, but I’m not here to rehash old memories. I’m here to see what we can do about the future. About our future.” She reached across the table to clasp his hand.

  “What kind of a future do you want? Because I’m too old for pups and happily ever afters.” Travis replied, his voice gruff.

  Why was he doing this macho act? Other than the fact of being a male shifter. They tended to act on instinct and machismo rather than thought. “I’m too old for pups too. And I’m okay with a happy right now.” Liar! Her mental voice scolded her. She wanted it all. Travis by her side. Her mate. A pack bond. Her parents had been loners, and she still didn’t know how they’d ended up here. But then they’d seen how close she was getting to Travis, the tension it’d caused with the alpha, and had been just as much a part of their leaving as anything else. She still didn’t discount the idea that the Coulee Pack had something to do with the wonderful new job her father had gotten. She realized she’d gotten quiet and noticed Travis looking at her strangely.

  “This is tougher than I thought,” he admitted. “I’ve thought about what it would be like when you returned. I could wine and dine you…we’d get together. Yet I feel awkward as a pup into his first shift.” He chuckled.

  Stacia joined his chuckle. “You and me both. Shall we start again?” She offered her hand. “Hi, I’m Stacia. Pleased to meet you.” Maybe they ought to hold off on jumping into bed and acting on the chemistry between them.

  He grinned as he took her hand and shook it, sending frizzles of heat up her arm. His fingers caressed her palm as he pulled his hand away, and she didn’t discount the heat unfurling low in her body. “Travis. You from around here?”

  “Spent most of my life with the Coulee Dam pack. I grew up here. You?”

  “Been here my entire life. I run a boat charter. I have a tour booked early tomorrow morning, but I’d love to take you out on the water sometime.”

  This was easier, somehow side-stepping their past and all its fraught history. “Sounds great. It’s been a long drive. Thank you for dinner. I ought to be heading home.” She pushed her chair back and stood. Yeah, it was probably best that they didn’t take that kiss any further.

  Travis immediately was at her side. He skimmed his fingers down her arms and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Then he said, “I’ll walk you to your car.” She thought she sensed regret on his part.

  “That’d be nice.” She walked with him back through his too-clean garage and out to her car. She got in, started it, and backed out of his driveway. When she pulled into the street, she saw him standing there, watching her.

  The sense that she’d missed an opportu
nity, let their baggage get in the way, haunted her all the way home. Her efficiency apartment provided enough room to eat and sleep, little else. Until now she hadn’t thought about a home, a place to run. A nearby state park provided that, and she’d been careful. Maybe too careful. Maybe she’d waited too long. Travis’s response hadn’t been cold, but certainly it’d been unsure. The man she’d loved had taken what he wanted, and damn the consequences. She knew his wife had died, though not how. Even though they were mates, perhaps he’d closed himself off from the possibility for so long that he couldn’t think of anything else. She hoped not. For both of their sakes. She’d spent too many years placating her beast by telling it that she’d be with her mate someday. What if someday had come and gone and she hadn’t even known it?

  She sighed and parked in the garage, the start of a headache building behind her eyes. She made it to her apartment, suddenly finding it too small and too sterile to be a home. No pictures, few decorations, and it all looked as if she’d paid someone to decorate it in earthy tones, which she had. She checked her email, then stripped and crawled into bed. Tonight she’d lick her wounds. Tomorrow was a new day and she’d try again. Because this time, she’d seen her mate and he was hurting as badly as she. It was time to go after what she wanted, and damn the consequences.

  The next morning brought a renewed sense of determination and a plan. She’d already taken today off of work to have a three-day weekend. A quick email to her boss took him up on his offer of taking the whole next week off, too. That’d give her eight days, including today, to try and get her mate back. If she didn’t have him by then, well…she shook her head and refused to think of that option. Failure wasn’t an option.

  She knew Travis had a guest tomorrow, but she went to his website and booked a tour for Monday, including paying the deposit. Then, she packed a bag and booked a room for the week at the Silver Reef Hotel and Casino. It’d give her and Travis something to do, and the spa looked wonderful. Regardless of what happened, getting away for a week sounded like an excellent idea. She emailed Carmen and let her know she’d be in the area. If anything was going to move forward with Travis, she’d need the alpha’s approval.