Story Excerpt

“She’s here.” Jacob kept watch, waiting for Robert’s pickup to come over the rise in the road leading to the small rental home that rested on the far corner of the Carr Ranch. He held the phone away from his ear and hit the speaker button on his cell phone.

“Was I right? Is she the one?” Jackson tried to hide his feelings, but Jacob could hear the excitement in his brother’s voice.

“You were dead-on, bro. And you sensed she was the one by just hearing her voice over the phone, too. Your ability never fails to amaze me.”

Every werewolf could sense his mate when he met her and a lucky few could sense their mate as soon as they came within a certain distance of each other. But only an alpha-alpha like Jackson could recognize his mate by the sound of her voice.

Jacob paused, listened to his inner wolf, and once again confirmed what he already knew was true. “Yeah. It’s her. I felt it the moment I saw her.”

“We were lucky Martin overheard her talking to someone outside her apartment and jumped in to tell her about Forever and our rental. Calling me on the spot so I could hear her voice was good instinct on his part. I hate to admit it, but I was starting to give up.”

The relief in his brother’s voice was unmistakable. He shifted the phone from one hand to the other. “Martin always did have a good head on his shoulders. Too bad he had to leave, but maybe that’s what fate had in store. Maybe he had to leave to be the catalyst to get her to come to us. Otherwise…”

He didn’t have to complete his sentence. All the Carr men had worried that she’d never come and they’d have to leave their home to find her.

It didn’t happen often, but when luck or fate or whatever deity the men believed in didn’t bring their future mate to Forever, then the men had to strike out on their own. If she didn’t come to them, then they had no choice except to leave the pack to search for her.

Werewolves who never found their intended mate ended up living lonely lives. On nights when the moon was full, those desperate men would spend the hours until morning howling to the moon, their hearts broken, their hopes destroyed.

“Jayden and I will be there in a few minutes.”

“No. Stay where you are. Let’s not overwhelm her right off the bat.”

Jackson’s tone dropped lower. “Says the man who got to meet our future mate first.”

“Yeah, well, I was the one who grabbed the keys when Robert called to say she might get here today. The early wolf gets to see his mate first, you know.”

“No, I don’t know.” His younger brother, Jayden, chimed in from somewhere near Jackson. “So? What’s she like? Is she hot?”

Leave it to Jayden to get down to the nitty-gritty. “I’ll fill you in on the details back at the house.”

“In other words, she’s not good-looking.” Jayden growled. “I know it won’t make a difference to us. A mate’s a mate, no matter what they’re like. But still, a man can hope.”

The less his brothers knew about the amazing appeal of their mate, the less likely they were to show up at the rental home and cut into his alone time with her. “You’re right. It doesn’t matter, so cut out the disappointment.”

“Yeah, well, anyway, just be sure you handle her right. Don’t scare her off with your ugly mug.” He could hear Jackson laughing at Jayden’s dig.

Jacob laughed, too, but his chuckle died away as Robert’s pickup crested the rise. A small car followed the pickup as the vehicles headed toward the entrance to the driveway.

“I need to go, bros. I’ve got a lady to show around the house. And trust me. I plan to give her the grand tour, including showing her around the bedroom.”

“No way, man. Don’t touch her until all of us have met her.”

“What did you say, Jackson?” Jacob made static noises. “You’re kshhh ing up. I can’t crrr you.”

“Don’t try and pull that old trick. Jacob, are you hearing me? You’d better keep your paws off her.”

“Can’t”—he made more static sounds—“crrr you. I’ll call kishhh later.”

Jacob grinned, turned off the phone, and shoved it into his back pocket. The two vehicles came down the dirt driveway and pulled to a stop in the circular drive. Robert slipped out of his truck and hurried to open Emma’s car door. She stepped out, a smile of thanks brightening her features.

Damn, but she’s beautiful. Maybe she’ll smile at me like that.

The Carr brothers had hoped their mate would be sexy, even gorgeous, but no one ever knew until they actually met. Even if she’d been less than pretty, they would’ve thought her amazing. Any prospective mate was appealing to the werewolves who would pledge to love her until the end of their days. But Emma was anything but unattractive.

Adult Excerpt

As soon as Jacob’s lips touched Emma’s, he knew. Something was wrong with her. He could sense a darkness, a sadness that held her hostage, yet he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He also sensed that she wouldn’t reveal that secret. Not yet. Mates never kept secrets from each other. But he’d find out eventually, and he and his brothers would make it right.

Yet the only thing that mattered in the present was having her. The taste of her was beyond imagination. She was salty, spicy, and sweetness mixed together to create one incredible flavor. He whipped his tongue around hers, his dancing with hers, teasing hers to make her chase his back into his mouth. She moaned and pressed her body against his, the taste of the sound sweeping into him. He tightened his hold on her and deepened the kiss, needing to hear her sweet desire-filled yearning again.

She was perfect. The perfect size, the perfect amount of seductress and lady. After all the nights he’d lain in bed, wondering what his mate would be like, he realized now that he hadn’t come close. His expectation of what she was like was dwarfed by the reality of her.

He gripped her bottom with one hand, loving the way her cheek molded to his palm, then fondled a breast with the other hand. Sucking on her tongue, he found himself answering her whimper with a growl. She arched, pushing her breasts against him, her peaked nipples proving she was as turned on as he was. He skimmed his thumb over her nipple and she pushed harder against him.

The desire inside him roared to life, clawing, howling to get free and make her his. Fangs broke through his gums, and it took every ounce of strength he had not to change. But she wasn’t ready to see his wolf. He closed his eyes and forced the fangs to recede. Gaining control, he nibbled on her soft flesh and dug his fingers into her ass. Lifting her, he carried her to the bed and laid her on top of the quilt.

“You’re so beautiful.”

He was stunned to see a tear in the corner of her eye.

“Did I do something wrong?” Or was it something he’d said?

She clutched his shirt, holding it in a death grip, and shook her head. He smiled and, placing his thumb at the corner of her eye, wiped away the tear before it could fall.

“Whatever it is, Emma, forget about it for now. My brothers and I will make it better soon enough. Nothing can hurt you while you’re here, so don’t let anything get in the way of us.”

The sadness on her face washed away to give way to wonder. “But I don’t know you.”

He took her wrists and forced them above her head. Alarm gleamed in her eyes and, for a moment, he was afraid she’d tell him to stop. Could he if she asked him to?

“Yes, you do. You can feel it just like I can. If you didn’t, you would’ve told me to leave the first moment I touched you.”

Her nipples formed small pebbles against her shirt and her flat stomach showed between her top that had risen to bunch under breasts and the waistline of her jeans. He placed a tender kiss on her chin then traced a path down over the hollow of her neck and over the thin material of her shirt. Circling her hard nipples, he wet the shirt with his tongue and nipped at her buds. She thrust her breasts toward him, urging him to go on. Her whine of longing sent power rushing into his cock.

* * * *

Emma felt the cream leaking from her slick folds. Whenever Jacob touched her, another small orgasm ripped through her. She was more alive than she’d ever been, more alive than she’d ever thought she could be.

He pulled her to him, moving his leg between hers. She cried out and trembled, her heart beating faster. Her throat constricted even as she tried to drag in another breath. His leg bumped against her pussy, foretelling of what he could do to her, with her. She bucked, her body calling to his, her clit wanting his cock, her lips wanting his mouth.

He kissed her again, more demanding than the first time. Her pussy clenched, ready to accept him, needing to have him. She cried out in joy when he kept her two wrists in one hand then tugged her shirt higher. He yanked her bra down and she heard the rip but didn’t care. His hot gaze locked onto her exposed breasts. Growling, he sucked her tit into his mouth.

He shoved his leg harder against her crotch. She wrapped her legs around him and pushed back, thrusting against him, rubbing her aching pussy against the rise in his jeans.

Her mind warned her not to go on, that he was a stranger, but her mind had lost control of her body. Her body recognized him as her lover.

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, “I want to fuck you and make you scream.”

She moaned, wanting the same thing. “Please do it.”

He chuckled then looked into her eyes. “Please fuck you? I will. I promise. But there are other things, other people you have to meet first.”

“No.” She hated the complaint echoing in her voice but couldn’t stop. If complaining didn’t work, she would beg him instead.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you suffer.” In quick moves, he undid her jeans, pulled them to her ankles, and tugged them off her. Tearing her panties away, he bent her legs to her chest.