A second later, she burst into her wolf form and sprinted through the trees.

  He rushed after her, trying to catch a paw or a tail, anything to keep her from leaving it like this.

  She broke through the tree line and he trailed behind just close enough to see her get tee-boned by one of his packmates. The wily bastard had gone for her throat, and she’d been so intent on escaping Grey, she took the attack full on.

  She yowled and snapped fiercely in the air in an effort to free herself, but to no avail. Blood ran, steaming and red, onto the ground as Grey shifted, leaping through the air, only one thought in his head.

  Kill.

  He’d knocked the other wolf off Maggie with a viscous swipe of his paw and was going in for a lethal bite when his packmate scrabbled wildly and sprinted away.

  He was an older wolf, and a supporter of his father. One who Grey would deal with the second he became alpha.

  He sucked in a shuddering breath, shoving his fury aside to focus on Maggie.

  She lay in a heap at his feet, motionless, and he nuzzled her gently, panic lapping at him. Vaguely aware of the last vestiges of the half-hearted battle around him, he grasped the scruff of her neck gently in his teeth and dragged her prone form toward the house. Luckily, the rest of the wolves were far too busy to bother with them as they reached the doorway.

  That was, until Willa leapt in front of the door. She shifted to her human form and pinned him with a probing stare.

  Her mouth was a hard line. “So it’s like that, then?”

  He tried to touch her mind, to let his heart explain what his mouth couldn’t right now, but she blocked him, opting to say her piece.

  “All our lives, it was you and me. Our parents were monsters. The pack was falling apart. We were coerced into becoming betrothed for politics instead of for love. Everything else sucked, but at least I had a friend in you and I knew, some day, I would be by your side to command the pack and bring honor to Big Sky Canyon. And now what, Grey? Now what do I have?”

  She didn’t wait for his answer. Instead, she turned on her heel and disappeared through the trees. The second woman desperate to escape him on this night.

  He would grieve the loss of that friendship later. But for now, nothing else could stand in the way of tending to the woman he loved.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Y ou have to go back at some point.” Chandra stood in the doorframe, a bowl of soup in her outstretched hand.

  It was the same thing all of the Pray wolves had said to him when they’d come to check up on Maggie, but he still wasn’t in the mood to listen. The battle had ended eight hours before, and still Maggie had barely moved. How the hell was he supposed to leave knowing she might need him?

  He lifted the gauze that covered her rapidly healing wound and let out a sigh of relief. It had been deep. So deep, he wasn’t sure if she would survive it. But if she was healing, why wasn’t she waking up?

  He took the bowl from Chandra with a nod of thanks, but didn’t deign to respond to her questions. Right or wrong, he was staying right here, next to Maggie’s bed until he knew she was okay.

  “They’ll be needing you,” Chandra insisted.

  She was more stubborn than the other Pray wolves who’d come through every hour on the hour with the same advice. Maybe she thought they were on a different level because they’d been pack members once. Whatever the case, he turned to her and spoke, though his voice was hoarse from all the howling and barking the night before.

  “They’re licking their wounds. They will need me, but not now. Willa has things under control.”

  “Not your father?” Chandra quirked a brow.

  “No.” Grey frowned. He hadn’t allowed himself to dwell on that part of the aftermath yet. He was determined to take things one step at a time, and the first step was making sure Maggie was safe again.

  “How did you get Willa to do anything for you? I mean, after—” she broke off and eyed him questioningly.

  “She’s a reasonable woman.”

  Apparently Chandra was determined to make him face every remnant of the battle’s wreckage.

  He was okay with the fact that the Big Sky pack had conceded defeat. Once his father bailed, none of his packmates hearts were in it, and his never had been.

  He was even okay that his father was locked away in a cell for treason back on Big Sky lands, probably foaming at the mouth with rage.

  He just hated that Willa had been hurt. Not in the battle. She was one of the few who had escaped unscathed. But when she’d learned the truth about his feelings for Maggie, and again, afterward when he’d stayed behind to care for her overnight rather than returning to the pack.

  He and Willa had been promised to one another for longer than he could remember, and she was absolutely right. They’d been each other’s support system when the world went crazy. She’d stood by him when he left for that year. She’d covered for him when he’d snuck out. And he’d repaid her by not trusting her enough to be honest.

  He stared down at Maggie’s pale face and stroked her cheek gently. Looked like he was two for two on that front.

  What a fuck-up.

  As if waking up just in time to concur with that sentiment, Maggie stirred and he stared from Chandra to the patient. “Can you give us a minute?” he asked.

  She quietly exited the room, and he listened as her footfalls grew faint and vanished.

  He’d had a lot of time to think things through while Maggie had slept and healed, and, with any luck, this would be his chance to share those thoughts with her now. And with a whole lot of luck, she might listen without mauling him again.

  His chest tightened, and she blinked once, twice, and three times until her eyes narrowed and she swallowed a yawn.

  “Hey there,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

  She glanced from him to the heavy gauze that covered her shoulder and neck, and then back at him again. “Sore. And tired.”

  “That was a nasty bite.”

  “I’ve had worse from better.” She shrugged and then winced at the movement. She might be groggy, but he could still see the outline of hurt etched across her face, and wondered when she would strike.

  “Does your mate know you’re here?” she asked, looking bored, her voice ice-cold now.

  And there it was. The other shoe landed with a thunk.

  “I hope so. I’m looking right at her.”

  She tried to keep her face expressionless, but he could see the color rising in her cheeks.

  “Grey—”

  “It was an old family agreement. Maggie. Before I left Montana last year, I told her I couldn’t marry her. She assumed when I came back that things would progress the way our families had planned when I became alpha. I was wrong for not telling her otherwise. But I do care about her.” Maggie stiffened and he touched her arm gently. “Because she’s a good person and an even better friend. I didn’t want to hurt her standing in the pack under my father’s rule, and hoped she’d find someone before it became an issue. Then, when I became alpha, I would free her from her obligation. We never loved one another. Hell, we never even slept together. I do need to find a way to make things right with her, but we were never going to be together, whether I met you or not. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you from the start.”

  Confusion filled her eyes now and he pressed on, hoping the fact that she didn’t stop him cold was a positive sign.

  “It’s going to be a shit storm when I get back—the Big Sky old guard believes very strongly in arranged marriages—but I’m hoping to change all that.” He took a deep breath, gearing up for what he was sure would be their biggest fight yet. “My father is under lock and key for his actions last night in battle and, according to some correspondence that was sent here early this morning, I’m to be named the new alpha. I want you to come with me.”

  * * *

  “I—” She choked on the words. Her heart thrummed in her throat, but she swallowed hard, staring at him. Now that she knew the truth and that his relationship with Willa wasn’t one of love, she could see her way to forgiveness, but her giving up her pack?

  “Grey, you know I can’t do that.”

  “You can. The Pray pack is thriving with Liam, but we need you in Big Sky. I need you.”

  She tried to keep it together, forcing herself to remain calm. Surely, this could never work…

  “This is my home.”

  He stroked her cheek and she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his knuckles as they brushed her skin.

  “Your home is with me, and mine with you. The pack needs us to lead them into the future. To teach them the right way to live. You have all that knowledge from your time here, Maggie. Bring that with you as my mate. Stand by my side and help me rule so we can become worthy allies of the Pray pack. I love you.”

  She stared up into his eyes, taking in everything he’d said. He’d spent this whole time by her bedside. He’d left the woman his pack had chosen for him because he loved her. And he’d saved her life again.

  In more ways than one.

  When she looked at him she felt at peace.

  Like she was home.

  “I love you too, but…”

  There was no way to make a rational decision with the way she felt when he touched her. She reached out to her pack with her mind, hoping for some guidance, but found only a distant buzzing. Maybe they’d gone on a hunt? Strange, the day after a battle. So now, all she had were her own thoughts, and feelings, and she closed her eyes and focused on them intently.

  What did her gut say?

  She let her lashes flutter open and met Grey’s silvery gaze. Then, she reached for him, cupped her hand around his neck, and pulled him toward her, kissing him with all of her might until his scent enveloped her.

  “You should rest,” he said, still so close to her lips. Close enough that if she reached up again, she could feel his full mouth on hers…

  “I think I’ve rested long enough,” she whispered, then pulled him down to her again, parting her lips so that she could take in his minty sweetness.

  As the kiss deepened, she pulled him toward her again, ignoring the dull ache of her nearly healed wound. Right now, all that mattered was her gratitude for him. And something else that burned low in her stomach and spread through her chest.

  “I don’t think you’re well enough,” Grey whispered against her lips, but she nipped his bottom lip.

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” She slid from the bed and pulled off her clothes with ease. Then, when she stood there naked before him, she tilted her head to the side and smiled.

  “Want me to do jumping jacks to prove I can handle it?” she teased.

  “I’ll take your word for it,” he said, tugging his pants off hastily and pulling her close.

  The current of his kiss, of his touch, was like a lightning bolt, traveling down her throat, coiling around her spine, and coursing between her thighs. She pulled in his warm bottom lip, flicking her tongue over the tender flesh there before deepening the kiss to taste him.

  Before she knew it, she was falling back, his hands guiding her onto the plush sheets as they continued to nip and tease and play. And then he was on top of her, his full weight pressed against her. His hard length pressing into her belly.

  She wanted to close her eyes, to focus on the push and pull of their bodies, but she couldn’t. His face—the way he looked down at her, eyes full of hunger and need and love—it warmed her to her toes.

  The blood rushed to her ears as he slid deep inside her, and the distant buzzing in her head grew louder. She tried to ignore it, but it was insistent. It thrummed through her with every thrust, joining the tingles of Grey’s thrusts.

  He nuzzled her neck and she breathed deep, taking in the feel of his soft hair against her neck. She let out a tiny moan, and when his lips met hers again, the buzzing finally faded into crystal silence, right before—

  I love you.

  The voice reverberated in her brain and she gasped.

  “I can hear you,” she murmured and he stared down at her in wonder.

  I love you too.

  He crushed his mouth to hers, pleasure, and need, and a thousand emotions, his and hers, blasting her at once. Only one question rang out above all the rest.

  Is that a yes?

  Could she do it? Would they be all right without her? Would they still be family?

  After all she’d been through in Pray, she knew they would. Always.

  The last of her doubts disappeared as she pulled back to stare into her mates quicksilver eyes.

  Yes. It’s a yes.

  FOR INFORMATION ABOUT NEW RELEASES, bonus content, and exclusive sneak-peeks, subscribe to Chloe’s mailing list.

  WANT MORE MONTANA WOLVES? Check out Willa and Drake’s story in Coercion, up for pre-order now and coming December 29th!

  WHEN WILLA STONE is cast aside by the alpha-wolf she’s been promised to since birth, she’s humiliated and angry…but also secretly relieved. Now, maybe she’ll have the chance to mate for love. If her power-crazed parents will just give her a little time, she’s sure to find the man of her dreams…

  Dragon-shifter, Drake Blackbourne, has an itch to scratch and precious few options for an outlet. When the Stone family offers up their daughter’s hand in exchange for protection and political favors, he agrees to wed her, sight unseen. Drastic times call for drastic measures and, so long as she does her part and keeps out of his way the rest of the time, surely he can manage to bed her, no matter how plain she might be.

  What he doesn’t expect is that captivating, defiant Willa will ignite a fire in him that will burn everything in its path, and turn both of their worlds upside down…

  AND CHECK out this excerpt from Naughty Godmother, book one in the Montana Fairies series, FREE right now with Kindle Unlimited!

  IT’S ONLY her first day on the new job, and already fairy Holly Tucket is in over her head as she attempts to use her powers to turn super nerd Alex Nelson into a lady-killer. Little does she know Alex isn’t who he pretends to be, and when it comes to making women melt, he doesn’t need any help.

  Security expert Alex Nichlaus has been undercover for four months and is putting the finishing touches on a smuggling case that has kept him secluded and celibate. When a sexy redhead shows up on his balcony claiming to be a fairy sent to teach him how to please a woman, he just can’t bring himself to send her away.

  EXCERPT

  “Him. He’s the one.”

  Mila arched a perfectly shaped raven brow. “Are you certain you wouldn’t like a little more time to choose? This shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

  “Nope, that’s the guy. I’m sure of it,” Holly said with an emphatic nod, despite the jiggly sensation in her belly.

  “It’s a one-shot deal you know. If he’s a dud, that’s that. Fail.”

  “I know.”

  “All right,” Mila said, her tone indicating that, while it may have been “all right”, it certainly wasn’t smart. “Sign here.”

  Mila held out the elaborate gold pen and Holly resisted the urge to wipe her sweat-soaked palms on her jeans before taking it gingerly. With a trembling hand, she scrawled out her signature and then held the pen back out to Mila, who shook her head.

  “Keep it. You might need it.”

  Oh ye of little faith.

  She was right though, better safe than sorry. “So now what?”

  “Now you get to work. You have,” Mila raised an elegant wrist to check her watch, “twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes to get it done.” She cast a dubious glance at the image of a man in a lab coat sitting on a park bench, tapping away on his laptop. “And judging by the looks of him, you’ve not a moment to spare. If you need me to intervene, you know what to do.” She picked up the contract and stood to go.

  “Wait!”

  Mila paused and cocked her head expectantly.

  “What if I can’t go through with it?” Holly whispered.

  “Then you call me and I’ll intervene.” Uncharacteristic concern clouded Mila’s ice-blue eyes. “You know, not everyone is cut out for this kind of work. You don’t have to do this.”

  “Yes I do. I have to at least try. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.”

  “All right then, give it your best shot. Always remember to look at it like a public service. You’re helping people become more comfortable with themselves. Like a therapist. Now, hop to it.”

  And with a flick of her manicured fingertips she was gone.

  “Showoff,” Holly grumbled.

  She looked down at the bowl of water on the table and into the face of her new charge. Oblivious to her voyeurism, he slid his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, unaware that his life was about to change forever.

  If she had the skills to pull it off.

  The thought kicked up the swarm of butterflies that had taken residence in her stomach since the day Mila had summoned her about the possible promotion.

  I could have said no.

  She let out a snort of disgust. As if. It would have been an unforgivable slight if Holly didn’t at least try out for the job Fairy Queen Lucienne had selected for her. If she crashed and burned and was a major disappointment to everyone involved—again—she could just go back to her old job and forget it ever happened.

  Maybe then they’d all finally just let her be. And who knew? Maybe she’d be great at it.

  With a sigh, she dipped her finger into the water and the scene reflected there shuddered and disappeared.

  The clock was ticking.

  She picked up the suitcase Mila had given her and laid it on the coffee table. Aside from the lingering scent of lilacs that accompanied her mentor everywhere, it was the only evidence of her having been there.

  Although the potential contents of the bag terrified Holly, she was grateful for both it and the scent that still permeated the air. Both were ironclad evidence she wasn’t a raving lunatic.

  On her twelfth birthday, as it was for all the fairies, she’d blossomed and was introduced to the world of magic. Even after fifteen years, every so often she still needed reassurance that she hadn’t lost her mind that day; that her whole life wasn’t just some prolonged delusion.

 

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