Mating the Red Wolf: (Book 10, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) (15 page)

Jonathan flicked his eyes to Marie, who didn’t flinch.  The elderly she-wolf sniffed.  “I stand by that; she was entirely the wrong sort of girl for you.”

Judy smiled bitterly.  “Oh, but she didn’t stop there.  When Ingrid refused to leave you, she lost her job.  The bank suddenly foreclosed on her parent’s mortgage; her father lost his job.  Ingrid’s parents could barely afford to feed their younger children.  So Ingrid gave in.  Old Granny here made things right and agreed to stop harassing her family if she promised to stay away from you.  The evil bitch offered her some money again, but Ingrid refused.    She hasn’t been the same since.”

Jonathan scrubbed a hand over his face.  “You can’t just kill my grandmother…” 
Although, admittedly, he didn’t say it with too much conviction.

Judy looked at him pleadingly.  “But don’t you see?  If I get rid of her, you can be together, you, Ingrid and the baby.”

Jonathan tensed.  “Baby?”

“Another condition of your grandmother’s deal,” spat Judy, “ she didn’t want you to know.”

“How could you do this to me?” roared Jonathan.

Marie jutted her chin at her grandson.  “I stand by what I did.”

“You see?  You see what she is?” demanded Judy.  “She’s a monster!  If we get rid of her, the three of you can be a family.”

Jonathan took a small step toward the trembling she-wolf.  “Does Ingrid know you’re here?”

Judy shook her head like a naughty child and giggled.  “I wanted it to be a surprise for the baby’s first birthday.  I wanted to give Ingrid the family she deserves.” 

“We can still be a family,” Jonathan told her gently, “you don’t have to hurt my grandmother.”

Jonathan held out his hand, slowly moving to take the knife.  Ed glanced back to see Kim had pulled Jamie behind her. 

Judy flicked her eyes around the room uncertainly while Jonathan made soothing noises.  She suddenly snapped, and reaching out she grabbed Olivia, pulling her back against her and pushing the knife perilously close to her neck.

Will roared.  “Get off my mate!”

He clawed at his clothes as he shifted to his red wolf.  He snarled and lunged Judy.  She held out the knife, and it tore through his shoulder as his fangs pressed into the furious she-wolf.

“Will!” screamed Olivia.

Ed grabbed Olivia, dragging her out of the way as Will struggled.  The pain of his injury pulled at his shoulder as Judy stumbled and scratched at him with her claws.  Judy was able to throw him off; she roared as she shimmered into her own wolf.

Their brother, Harold swiftly shifted and pounced on her.  She tried to scramble away, but Harold was too strong.  He clamped his jaws on her neck and held her firmly down, until, at last, her struggles petered out, and she started whimpering.

Olivia wriggled out of Ed’s grasp.  She flung herself at Will, kissing him fervently and telling him she loved him.

Ed looked between the various looks of shock, anger, and relief that adorned his numerous family members.  He turned his back on them and strode over to his mate.

She was still staring at his family in stunned shock.  He scooped up Jamie and took hold of Kim's hand.

They were his family now, and he was damned if he was going to let anyone take them away from him.

Chapter Sixteen

16
th
March

The she-wolf bounded through the woods, happily weaving in and out of the trees.  She spotted a red streak to her left and yapped, pushing herself to go even faster.

It was a mild night, and she reveled in the slight breeze ruffling her fur.  She heard a slight growl and leaped in the air as the red wolf careened into a tree.

She was slightly worried until he stood up and started shaking out his limbs.  She pranced around in a circle, wagging her tail at him, and he started barking, which slowly morphed into laughter as he shifted. 

Ed knelt on the ground, chuckling at his mate.  “Show-off”

She stopped and shimmered until the six-foot redhead sat before him. 

“I just like seeing you run into a tree, it never gets old.”

Slowly, seductively, she crawled over to him.  He held still as she licked his neck and inhaled deeply.

It was the night of the full moon.  Jamie, along with numerous other pups, was happily being spoiled by the Alpha female, Rosalee and the Beta’s mate, Liv.  She’d come home tomorrow and tell Kim that Liv’s cookies were better than hers and that Rosalee was a lot more fun to watch Emily Wolf with –
sigh
.

After the… incident, they got off the island as quickly as possible.  Thankfully, the storm had died down somewhat, and the police were able to make it out there to take Judy into custody, and help get everyone away.

When the local cops searched Judy’s room, they found numerous vials of wolfsbane.  They dreaded to think of what she had planned for all of it.

On the plus side, they had found Kim’s engagement ring.  Or rather, the thief had returned it.  Kurt had taken it.  He was besotted with Helena, but she wanted nothing to do with him because he didn’t have any money – which is why she set him up with Olivia.  Kurt, though, was determined to win her, and went through all the family members’ rooms looking for small things to steal and sell.  He didn’t bother going through Judy or Kim’s rooms – he knew they didn’t have any money.  Kurt said he did it for love.

Again, another fool going to extreme lengths and blaming it on love. 
It was enough to make Kim sick.

Kim wasn’t happy about it, but Ed barely said two words to his family members before they left.  She was worried she was coming between him and his family, even though he reassured her that she wasn’t.  But, when they got home, Ed made swift work of packing up his things and moving to Rose.

Kim’s mom, Angela, was more than happy to welcome Ed into her house while he and Kim looked for their own home.  He still had to wrap up his outstanding cases at his law firm, but a few more weeks of commuting and he’d be as free as a… well, a wolf.  Soon enough, he could take up the job offered to him by the Alpha, Adam.

Kim smiled as she heard her pack mates howling in the distance. 
Or rather, their pack mates
.  It was official; Ed was part of her pack.  He had been welcomed with open arms by her Alpha. 
Seriously, total bromance.

There was one thing preying on her mind, however.  Well, actually two. 

First of all, she hadn’t even begun to think about how she was going to track down her deadbeat ex, never mind how she was going to wring a divorce out of him.  She shuddered at the thought that he might actually want to see Jamie and become a part of her life.  He hadn’t made any move to reach out to her in the last few years, but the fear remained.  Wade never wanted to be married or have a kid.  But, after Kim got pregnant, the two of them were pressured into a very unhappy marriage by the old Alpha, who saw females as more of a commodity than anything else. 
Thank god things had changed.

Maybe Kim was being high-handed, Wade was Jamie’s father after all, but she didn’t care.  She didn’t want Jamie to ever see him again.  The last time she’d left Jamie alone with him, she’d come home to find Wade passed out drunk and Jamie lying at the top of the stairs, screaming her little head off.  Kim dreaded to think what might have happened if she hadn’t come home at that moment.  She wanted Wade to stay out of her pup’s life forever.

The other thing preying on her mind was the issue of bonding with Ed. 
Or more like, when the heck it was going to happen. 
She’d assumed that he’d have been begging her to bond with him since the moment they moved in together.  But, alas, no, he hadn’t said one peep about it, and it was really starting to piss off her wolf.

She looked at him, and he grinned, baring his teeth in a boyish smile.  He looked so sweet, and yet she knew he wasn’t.  Not if the things they got up to were anything to go by.

“Ed?” she cooed.

“Mmmm hmmm?” 

Ed’s eyes started to drift downwards, taking in her delicious curves.  His eyes shimmered to amber, and another part of his anatomy started paying attention too.

Kim snapped her fingers and pointed to her face.  “Eyes, up here, buddy.”

Painstakingly slowly, he dragged his gaze back to hers.  “Sorry,” he lied.

She settled her hands on his biceps.  “Ed, I want to bond with you.”

Ed’s wolf snapped to attention.  His face lit up, and his eyes burned with more intensity than a thousand candles.  “You do?” he asked hoarsely.

Kim nodded and bit her lip.  “Do you?”

“You’re joking, right?”  His wolf roared excitedly.  They’d been waiting for this moment since they first caught her ambrosial lavender scent back in September. 

Ed quickly stood up and tugged her to her feet.  “Okay, let’s shift and run back to the house, there’s not a moment to lose!”

He had to get her back home, in their bed and pinned beneath his body before she had a chance to change her mind.

Kim remained still, and a flicker of doubt assailed him.  “Do you… do you want to wait?”  His wolf whimpered in disappointment,
but if it was what she wanted…

She didn’t say anything and he inwardly sighed.  “I’m sorry; you’re right.  This is important; it shouldn’t be rushed.  We can book a hotel in Alexandria, and make a weekend of it…”

Kim slipped out of his grasp and nimbly ran over to a large tree.  Nonchalantly, she leaned against it.  “No, I don’t want to wait.  I want you, now.”

Ed was a little confused until he realized what she meant. 
She wanted to get down and dirty in the middle of the woods!
  “Are you… are you kidding?”

Kim shook her head.  “Uh-uh.”

Ed looked around, convinced there were prying eyes perving on his mate.  “But… but any one of our pack mates could wander up… and… and… they’d see us!” he spluttered.

“And it wouldn’t be anything they hadn’t seen before.  What do you think everyone else is doing right now?  I’ll bet all the single wolves have found someone to, ahem, satiate their need with while all the mates wolves have peeled off to be with their mates.”

“Well, I guess that’s true…”

Kim stretched her arms up over her head before casually allowing them to travel back down.  Her hands ghosted over her full breasts and Ed let out a groan.

She smirked at him as her wolf wagged her tail expectantly.  There was no way he was ever going to say no to her.

“You’re not telling me that Ed Buchanan, lady killer extraordinaire, has never had sex
al fresco
, are you?”

“Ummmm…” 

Ed swallowed, and his wolf panted as she smoothed one hand over her flat stomach before letting it glide down to her nub. 

“Oh, god…”

She circled the tender flesh before dipping her fingers into her slit.  Kim let out a lusty moan, and Ed couldn’t contain himself.

He roared and rushed over to her.  He knocked her hand away and aligned himself with her entrance.  The honey wept from her, waiting for him to take her.

Kim clutched at his shoulders, impatient for him to give her what she needed.  Her wolf was dancing about, urging her on.

He looked into her amber-fused eyes.  “I love you,” he growled gutturally.

“I love you too,” she murmured as she wriggled her hips.  “Hurry!”

Ed pressed his lips to her as he pushed inside her.  She sighed into his mouth as the divine invasion made her nerve endings tingle.

Drawing back from her mouth he howled and began thrusting inside her.  She couldn’t last long; she was far-too worked up.  All the pent-up waiting and longing from the moment they met was bubbling inside her, demanding release.

Kim clenched her inner muscles around him, smothering his manhood.  He grunted at the exquisite tightness and hooked one of her legs under his arm.  He pushed her leg up against her body, opening her even further to his excruciatingly pleasurable assault.

She thought back to all their times together, not just the lovemaking, but the dates, the flowers, the cuddling, the hugs.  He was everything she needed.  He was her wolf.  Her true mate. 
Her soul mate.

Ed drove himself inside her and exploded; he pushed his fangs into her skin, marking her as his.  Yes, she was his, now and forever.  Kim screamed as her own release thundered through her body, and she eagerly sank her fangs into his neck.

Their wolves howled in unison as they felt each other’s love and lust for one another. 
Finally, they were bonded.

Trembling they sank to the ground while lazily sealing their wounds.

“I love you,” she murmured again.  She’d never get tired of saying that.

“I know.  And I knew you loved me the moment you saw the size of my big…”

“Ed!”

He chuckled.  “I was going to say checkbook.”

She groaned.  “Jeez, I wish you had said penis.”

Ed preened.  “Why thank you.”

“Idiot.”

“Yeah, but you love it.”

He was right; she did.