Wolf Next Door

C
opyright
© 2015 by Heather Long

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

W
elcome
to the Wolf Next Door, this novella was originally featured in the Under a Wolf Moon anthology released in January 2015. The best part of the Wolves of Willow Bend for me is exploring the family and pack ties.

We met Tyler in Caged Wolf, he is one of the Buckley triplets. The three brothers captured my heart, especially when they are reunited for the first time in years.

Ty is an intensely loyal brother, a good son, and a dominant member of the Willow Bend pack. Like his brother A.J. he has Alpha potential, but he had no desire to be alpha. Claire is a powerful woman in her own right, a woman who made mistakes but is willing to own them.

Unlike the full Willow Bend novels, the novellas focus on the more intimate stories, day to day struggles and reconciling stubborn will with love. Thanks for visiting Willow Bend. Every one of these stories is for you.

Many kind regards,

Heather

T
yler Buckley divides
his time between fixing cars in his father’s shop and reclamation projects with his brothers. Losing his brother and his mate in the same year could have turned him into a surly, unapproachable wolf, but he kept his sights set on the wins in his life—his brothers, A.J.’s new mate and his family. The last thing he needs or wants is for Claire Webster to return home. Her arrival detonates an old rage inside the wolf, but he’s determined to stay as far away from her as possible.

W
hen she was
five years old, the wolf next door told her he was her mate and then ordered her not to play with one of her friends. From that day forward, Claire butted heads with Ty and his constant interferences. At sixteen, she caught the eye of a visiting Hunter, a wolf who treated her like a lady and not a possession. Wanting more than to be ordered around, she followed him away from Willow Bend, determined to never look back.

E
ight years later
, she sends a request to the new Alpha of Willow Bend. She wants to come home and, when he allows her the opportunity, she’s both relieved and terrified. The first person she runs into is the last one who ever wanted to see her again. The wolf next door grew up, and Tyler Buckley’s frigid welcome leaves her out in the cold. Can she admit she made the wrong choice, and would he even listen if she could?

M
ason Clayborne
—Alpha of Willow Bend, mate of Alexis, father of Melissa, son of Andrew and Melissa Clayborne (both deceased).

Alexis Clayborne
—Mate of Mason, mother of Melissa, daughter of Ryan and Tiffany Huston (adopted by Ryan), older sister to Kyle Huston.

Ryan Huston
—Attorney for Willow Bend pack, father of Alexis (adopted) and Kyle, mate and husband to Tiffany. Counselor to Mason.

Tiffany Huston
—Wife and mate of Ryan, mother to Alexis and Kyle. Turned wolf.

Margo Montgomery
—Enforcer, southern region.

Toman Carlyle
—Former Alpha of Willow Bend (Deceased)

Felicia Carlyle
—Widow Mate to the former Alpha of Willow Bend, counselor to Mason.

Serafina Andre
—Alpha, Delta Crescent

Owen Chase
—Hunter, Willow Bend, counselor to Mason.

A.J. Buckley
—The eldest of the Buckley triplets. Willow Bend Second, First Lieutenant and counselor to Mason Clayborne, mate of Vivian

Lincoln Buckley
—Second eldest of the Buckley triplets. Linc is training with the Hunters.

Tyler Buckley
—Youngest of the Buckley triplets, Tyler works with the juvenile boys for training and anger management

Claudia Buckley
—Mother of A.J., Linc, Tyler, and Ranae. Mate to Virgil.

Virgil Buckley
—Father of A.J., Linc, Tyler, and Ranae, Mate to Claudia. Virgil works as a vehicle mechanic

Ranae Buckley
—Youngest Buckley sibling, student

Vivian Knox
—Software programmer, mate to A.J. Newly turned wolf.

Emma Halifax
—Pack Healer

Gillian Whitford
—Journeyman Healer, apprenticed to Emma

Claire Webster
—Former Willow Bend wolf, returned from Sutter Butte

H
is life was perfect
.

“Coffee or beer, boys?” Vivian asked as she strode into the kitchen. Stew simmered on the stove and bread baked in the oven. If his nose didn’t lie, she’d used their mother’s recipes. A delicate, fragile looking woman with a spine of steel, Vivian Buckley proved one-hundred percent devoted to one of Tyler’s favorite people—his brother A.J. Having A.J. home made everything right in his and Linc’s world.

“Beer,” Linc answered. Tyler stretched out his legs and set his feet on the table, one atop the other. Vivian picked out all the furniture in the house, but the tables and end pieces. Like the house itself, they’d been a project for Tyler and his brothers. A.J. wanted to give Vivian the home she’d always craved, they’d made it happen.

Watching his brother’s mate from beneath lowered lashes, Tyler grinned. Vivian didn’t give a rat’s ass about the
things
, she cared because A.J. did them. She was the perfect mate. She loved A.J., loved his family and made him whole. Since their mating, his brother had finally begun to thrive again. His strength, so unrivaled throughout their childhood, had never been in question. But the bleakness in him when he’d come home, the lost will to survive, left Tyler’s wolf anxious.

“Beer sounds good,” Tyler agreed as she delivered an icy bottle.

“Good, because you took too long to answer.” Then she tapped his nose. “Dinner will be ready in a few.”

Hints of vanilla, sugar, and chocolate coated her fingers despite their clean state. “You made cookies.” He twisted in his seat to scan the kitchen. One thing Vivian did better than any woman he’d met was bake cookies. She even trumped his mother.

“I did.” She laughed, her wolf flashing in her eyes. She met his gaze and the struggle to hold it between woman and wolf always ended with the wolf backing away.

Neither she nor her animal thought he’d hurt them, which was good. He’d cut off his own arm before he allowed a drop of harm to touch his brother’s mate. But wolves were wolves. His wolf, like Linc’s, might not be as strong as A.J.’s, but they were fierce, dominant and more than capable of handling a challenge.

A challenge she didn’t present, except to say, “I didn’t make them for you. They’re for A.J.”

“Why does he get so lucky?” Linc groused then prowled after her as she returned to the stove. Not to be left behind, Tyler follow as far as the bar separating the kitchen from the living room and leaned against it. Studying the kitchen, he considered where she would hide fresh baked cookies. In the Buckley household, if they found them they were fair game. Their mother understood their healthy appetites and had discovered some fairly ingenuous ways to hide their sweet treats.

A canister of protein sat near the fridge, the type some used to supplement their diets. It made sense. A.J. had lost a lot of muscle mass while being incarcerated for over six years. The time in prison left its mark on all of them, but none more so than A.J. and his mate. A.J.’s wolf seemed damaged when he came home, his body emaciated from lack of sunshine, running—and separation from his mate. Both were better now, but still, it could have gone horribly awry if their newly minted alpha, Mason, hadn’t ordered Vivian be brought to Willow Bend.

To think he and Linc had plotted to prevent such an eventuality out of ignorance because they’d wanted to protect the woman their brother suffered for… Had they been successful in their good intentions—he refused to think about how badly it could have gone.

His wolf bristled. A.J.s loss had carved out an important part of his soul. Triplets, they’d been together through everything until the prison sentence. Tyler and Linc had still had each other, and they’d done their best, but they couldn’t deny the missing part. Vivian froze and Linc swung around to glare at him. The first hint of fear soured his sister-in-law’s scent.

A rumbling noise escaped his throat and he clamped down on the emotion. “Vivian,” he said, swallowing the growl. “I’m not angry at you.”

Nervousness flitted across her expression, and her wolf’s golden eyes cut away so she wouldn’t meet his gaze.
Dammit.
Losing A.J. atop everything else had been nearly the last straw, but his brother was home. More importantly, he was happy.

Abandoning the beer, he swung around the island and swooped Vivian into a hug. Linc closed in on her other side, and they cradled the little woman between them. Wolves thrived on tactile contact and, while Vivian might not understand the constant need for affection especially when she was upset, her wolf did. Linc took advantage of the nearness to smack him in the back of the head. He deserved the hit, since growling around Vivian brought her wolf up short when A.J. wasn’t around.

Even though her wolf was still young, she was sweet, kind, smart, with a compassionate nature that didn’t quit. If he were ever to be blessed enough to find a mate—he cut off that thought ruthlessly and concentrated on comforting his sister. “I’m sorry,” he told her. “Your cooking brings out the territorial beast in me.”

The burst of laughter dispelled the notes of fear from her scent, and she smacked his chest before wiggling out of their grasp. “The cookies are not for you. Dinner will be ready soon; I made plenty.”

He grinned, but gave her a pathetic look. “How much could one cookie hurt?”

“Plenty,” A.J. called a moment before his footstep echoed on the porch.

Vivian gave a little bounce, then charged toward the door. A.J. scooped her up as soon as he’d stepped inside. The kiss they shared had Linc grinning and Tyler shook his head. A quiet, inescapable joy filled him. A.J. looked better. Healthier. Happy.

All was as right with his world as it could get. Newly mated couples could be aggravating with the amount of time they spent kissing and being affectionate, but no sooner had Vivian greeted A.J. than she said, “Dinner is almost ready, and I protected the cookies.”

“Thank you, darling.” He carried her toward the kitchen and eyed his brothers. Affection warred with irritation as he shook his head. “You two need to find someone to make your own cookies.”

“Impossible,” Linc retorted. “Vivian’s are the best. Even Mom says so.”

If their mother said so, then it was true. A.J. chuckled and sat Vivian on the counter. “I’ll get my own beer. My brothers take too much advantage.” The not so gentle chastisement resonated with Tyler. Yes, he and Linc spent a lot of time at A.J.’s, where Vivian looked after them. They didn’t expect her to wait on them, though. Then again, they didn’t stop her either.

“Nah.” She ran her fingers down A.J.’s cheek. “They’re fun to have around.”

“Yes, but sometimes I want my mate to myself.” He winked then thumped Linc, who blocked his route to the fridge. Their light wrestling match had Vivian laughing again. The musical sound teased Tyler’s wolf and he wasn’t alone. Something about the way she laughed, the full-bodied, open joy in it, captivated them all. Possessiveness filled A.J.’s expression, and he leaned against the counter next to his mate.

“So, why are you late?” Tyler asked. He and Linc had gotten there a half hour before, and they rarely beat their brother home after a day of work.

“Owen and Gillian are back.” A.J. answered, his gaze on Vivian as she slid down and headed over to the crock-pot. The scent of rich meat, heavy gravy and potatoes filled the air.

“Nice,” Linc grinned. “Did Mason pound Owen again?” The hunter had made waves by nearly challenging their alpha over the healer, even more when he and the healer mated while on a mercy mission to Hudson River. Before returning home, they’d taken a month to themselves.

“Nah.” A.J. looked pleased. “He left that to me.” While real animosity didn’t exist between A.J. and Owen, the two butted heads on more than one occasion. “But we decided to wait because Gillian’s practically glowing.”

“Did he get her pregnant already?” Interest kindled in Tyler. He loved kids and spent hours volunteering at the school. When A.J. and Vivian finally gave them pups, he would be an excellent uncle.
The closest I’ll ever get to being a father…

“Not that he said and not that I scented, but she’s happy. They pitched a plan to Mason for Gillian to work with the hunters, running their routes with them, and visiting all the outliers.”

“That’s a great idea,” Vivian said before Tyler or Linc could comment. “Your mother told me there are too many pack members who let life tug them away. Fewer come to the annual parties each year and packmates need pack bonds.”

They absolutely did. None of them brought up how A.J. managed to survive cut off from his pack for six years. Old anger bubbled to the surface—Tyler hated leaving him there, hated it with every breath in his body.

Linc’s hand came down on his shoulder and squeezed. Dammit, he’d started growling again. A.J. gave him a level look. “It’s done. Let it go.”

“I’ll do it for a cookie,” Tyler half-growled, trying to interject some levity into his rapidly descending bad mood.

“Don’t make me beat you up. Vivian doesn’t like me bloody before dinner. And leave my mate’s cookies alone.” The dismissive challenge did what Tyler’s own joke failed to do. Where A.J. led, he would gladly follow.

“All right, dinner will be ready soon.” Vivian announced. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

They all perked at her announcement, but A.J. tugged her to close in a one-armed embrace. “Where are you going?”

“Your mother asked me to check on Ranae if she had a date. I’m a little less threatening than you three are.”

Good humor draining, Tyler frowned. Ranae had a date? Their baby sister had blossomed into a beautiful, vibrant young woman and boasted an impressive circle of admirers. They’d been weeding the weak ones out for months, but the little bastards kept asking her out. “Ranae has a date?” He glanced at Linc. “Did you know?”

“First I heard of it.” He scowled. “Where’s Dad?”

“At Tucker’s Point picking up one of his junkers to refurbish.” Their father loved to find classic cars and rebuild them to their prime. His father had left the garage an hour before Tyler had and he’d failed to mention a date.

Which meant he didn’t know. “Mom has PTA tonight, doesn’t she?” Their mother worked as a teacher and headed most of the local booster events. She loved to be in the thick of things.

“Yeah.” Linc and he shared a look then they set their beers down. Ranae scheduled a date while their parents were distracted and she’d managed to sneak it past them. “You head to the Wheelhouse. I’ll take the lake.”

Tyler nodded. The Wheelhouse was a steakhouse turned teen club during the week and for adults only on the weekends—the responsible way to let teens enjoy themselves without leaving Willow Bend. Run by a retired Hunter, he had no issues with knocking knuckleheads together when they got out of line.

“We’ll have to take a rain check on dinner,” he told Vivian and A.J. “You can stay, we’ll take care of Ranae.” Her date, too. It was probably the Tomlinson boy. He’d come home from college and didn’t seem to understand that when Tyler and Linc said Ranae was off limits, they meant it.

“Have fun,” A.J. told them. “Call me if I have to clean up any messes.”

Outside, Tyler split from Linc and jogged to his car. The lake was easier to reach on foot, since the Wheelhouse was on the far side of Willow Bend. Running would be fine, but he’d rather have his car if he needed to drag his sister home. Ranae knew better than having a date. Two hours and a dozen places later, Linc texted him to say Ranae was with their mother.

They’d been played. A.J.’s sweet little mate pulled a fast one on them. She hadn’t actually said Ranae was on a date, just implied it. Laughing, Tyler headed home. He still lived with their parents and sister. He didn’t need his own place, and the big rambling house they’d grown up in suited him fine.

His mother and Ranae were shopping out of town, not at a PTA meeting, according to Linc’s text. Probably another attempt to talk Ranae into going to college. Tyler had no problem with her lack of interest in higher education. If she went to some remote place for school, he or Linc would have to get an apartment there so they could keep an eye on her. The house was quiet, and he was on the front step when he heard the slam of a car door from the rear.

No one parked behind the house, and they didn’t share their little cul-de-sac with anyone. The closest house was…Tyler frowned. Circling the house, he crossed the backyard to the low fence separating their property from the Webster’s. The deceased couple had been childless—well, they
had
a child, but she’d left Willow Bend and run away to another pack years before.

The Websters passed away quietly the year before, which had taken them all by surprise. The healers said Mr. Webster likely had a heart attack in his sleep, and the swiftness of his passing took his mate with him. Losing a mate left a person halved and, while it could be survived, not everyone wanted to continue without them.

A light came on in the Webster’s house, and Tyler frowned. Who the fuck was in their place? If it had been passed to another pack member, someone would have told them. The Buckleys liked their privacy, and the only reason they hadn’t tried to acquire it for A.J. and Vivian was A.J.’s desire to build her a perfect place of their own. Some of the kids had probably thought it would make a great place to party.

Leaping the fence, he stalked around the house to disabuse the youths of their indiscretion. At the corner, a familiar scent ambushed him and every muscle in his body went rigid. His wolf’s head came up and they both studied the car waiting with the door open. An old Pinto, rusted and dilapidated the damn thing leaked fuel and coolant—he could smell both—but it wasn’t those acrid and sickly sweet scents aggravating him.

No, it was…the screen door slammed and she walked out of the house. Her head whipped to the side as she spun to face him. Her eyes held the faint glow of her wolf. Always long-legged and tall, she’d blossomed into a beautiful, curvaceous woman. Her feet were bare and her shorts revealed deeply tanned legs. A man’s shirt fit her awkwardly, and she’d tied the ends together into a makeshift tank and rolled the sleeves to reveal her equally tan arms.