Wolf at Her Door: BBW Paranormal Romance (20 page)
Read Wolf at Her Door: BBW Paranormal Romance Online
Authors: Liliana Rhodes
As an adult Hannah never asked her mom about her father and especially never asked if he really was a werewolf. The truth was she was too embarrassed to ask. She didn't want to admit to believing it for so many years if it was just a joke. And even though over the past ten years, the people in Leeds Point seemed to believe in the existence of werewolves and other shape shifters, Hannah easily convinced herself it was just more of her town's eccentricities.
Hannah loved her town. She couldn't imagine living anywhere that didn't have the deep history and culture of Leeds Point. But she sometimes wondered if her mother and grandmother took advantage of that.
When her mother and grandmother decided it was better for her to stay home, than go away to college, Hannah simply obeyed. It never occurred to her to ask why they were so protective, because they always had been. Staying home cost her a social life but kept them happy. That's all she really cared about anyway, her family was everything to her. But now she was stuck trying to figure out what to do with her life.
As she approached the clearing, she slowed down to gather stones for the circle she needed to create. Thankful for the unusually bright moon, she found more stones than she usually did and was grateful for that. There were times when she only had a enough stones for a small circle and she had to stand the entire time. She preferred sitting, especially since it sometimes took Pea a long time to arrive.
Placing the stones in the center of the clearing, directly in the moon's path, Hannah waited for the moon to reach the right height. Spotting a frog from the corner of her eye, she remembered how much Pea hated them and quickly carried it to the base of a tree at the edge of the clearing.
With the moon clearly above, she completed the circle with her seated cross-legged inside. Hannah closed her eyes. Next she breathed in deeply and slowly let her breath out, letting everything on her mind go as she focused on a memory of her grandmother.
She laughed to herself remembering the winking game they played from the time she was a baby, until Pea's deathbed six years ago. Even with the monthly visits Hannah missed her grandmother more than she'd ever admit. The small house she and her mother shared wasn't the same without her around.
"I see you still haven't cut your hair."
Hannah smiled hearing Pea's voice before opening her eyes. Pea wore the same yellow housecoat she always wore since her death. It was one of her favorites during her life so it didn't surprise Hannah at all. Pea's hair was still died black and cut short with curls like Elizabeth Taylor's in the fifties. Hannah knew her grandmother would be pleased if she cut her hair that short as well, but there was no way that was happening.
Might as well get this over with,
Hannah thought. It was 3am, the witching hour as superstitious people liked to call it, but it was always a favorite time of night for Hannah and the Crane family. Unfortunately it meant she didn't have a lot of time before the sun began to rise and Pea had to go back.
"Come on, Pea," Hannah groaned. "You know how much I hate short hair. Maybe I'll cut it when I'm older."
"You're stubborn just like her."
"And she's stubborn just like you."
Pea laughed, her full figure jiggling just like Hannah remembered and she suddenly longed to be held by her and feel Pea's warmth and softness as her eyes misted.
"Don't you dare do that, young lady! Don't you dare cry. We're lucky. Most people don't get time like this after their loved one has gone to the other side."
"I know, Pea," Hannah said swallowing hard. "I just...miss you."
"I miss you too, doll. You still need to cut your hair though. Let people see that beautiful face. You have my eyes and I like to think mine glow like emeralds," Pea said as she blinked dramatically, her hands clasped by her cheek.
Laughing, Hannah's tears spilled onto her cheeks anyway. Pea had a way of feigning vanity that always made Hannah laugh. Pushing aside her sadness, she figured she should get to what she wanted to talk to Pea about before their time ran out.
"Pea," Hannah said hesitantly. "I finished college–"
"That's wonderful! I wish I could go to your graduation."
"I know, but please just let me talk. I really need you right now."
"What's wrong? You've worked so hard. I'm sure–"
"Grandmother, please!" she interrupted. "I didn't work hard. I hardly went to class. I just didn't care. Now I'm supposed to get a job and I have no idea what I want to do."
"What do you mean? You used to do so well in school," Pea's voice drifted off as if it was time for her to go. She looked up at the moon still brightly lighting the clearing, then back at Hannah with a confused expression on her face. "They wouldn't come here, they know better than to leave their territory."
Hannah looked around. "They? There's no one here. What are you talking about?"
"Hannah!" Pea said before fading briefly. "Please, stop being so damned stubborn and cut your hair." She appeared solid for a moment. "It's for your own good!"
As Pea faded, looks of concern then anger crossed her features. She glared at a point in the trees as Hannah leapt to her feet, staying within her protective circle.
"Pea! Wait!" Hannah called after her. But it was too late, she was gone.
Turning towards the area Pea stared at as she disappeared, Hannah realized it was where she placed the frog.
Geez, I know she hates frogs but they never bothered her this much before.
She broke the circle and began walking over to the tree she set the frog by, when she stopped. Something was in the woods. She could feel it.
Squinting, she tried to get a better look figuring it was just a deer, a raccoon, or even a skunk. Slowly, she took a step closer hoping to not scare whatever it was away when large yellow eyes suddenly flashed at her from within the trees.
Frightened, she gasped and stepped back. Accidentally landing onto one of the stones she collected, her ankle quickly twisted before she fell fast to the ground. Unsure what the eyes belonged to, she struggled to get up, thinking she should run. As she ignored the shooting pain in her leg, a large grey wolf slowly emerged from the forest, baring its glistening white teeth and emitting a low growl.
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About The Author
Liliana Rhodes is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author who writes Contemporary and Paranormal Romance. Blessed with an over active imagination, she is always writing and plotting her next stories. She enjoys movies, reading, photography, and listening to music. After growing up on the east coast, Liliana now lives in California with her husband, son, two dogs who are treated better than some people, and two parrots who plan to take over the world.
Copyright
The Highlander's Mate
Wolf at Her Door
Copyright © 2014 by Jaded Speck Publishing
Cover by CT Cover Designs
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Table of Contents
The Highlander's Mate, Prologue
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter One
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Two
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Three
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Four
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Five
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Six
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Seven
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Eight
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Nine
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Ten
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Eleven
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Twelve
The Highlander's Mate, Chapter Thirteen
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Three
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Four
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Five
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Seven
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Eight
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Nine
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Eleven
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Twelve
Wolf at Her Door, Chapter Thirteen