Westmore Wolves Series: Shapesifter Collection Bks 1-5 Page 21

  She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “How’s my girl?”

  “Mmm. Better now. How did the meeting go?”

  “About what you would expect.” Mel dropped her purse behind the counter.

  Seth appeared, lounging against the pastry case. “They’ll keep trying, you know. Those kind always do.”

  “I know.” Dante winced. “I just wish we would have known he had been involved before. All this could have been prevented.”

  “He’s gone.” Sage turned away but not before Violet could see the stricken look on her face. “I never saw him when we were taken. Just the wolves.”

  “How many more are there?”

  Sage turned back, her mouth pressed in a grim line. “I don’t know. Most of us were knocked out for long periods of time. What frightens me is that there are more out there who don’t want their past brought to light. This one set fires and tried to kill me. What will the next one do?”

  Violet started to say something, but Seth shook his head. “Let it go.”

  “Please.” Sage gave them a sad smile that brightened when she saw Carrick come through the door.

  “Honey!”

  “Hey. There’s my cinnamon scone dream girl.” Sage raced out from behind the counter with a purr on her lips and Carrick enfolded her in a huge hug.

  “Now that’s a hello.” Dante laughed, wincing as he moved wrong.

  “I quite agree.” Violet buried her face in his chest and inhaled his outdoorsy scent. “Now how’s about taking me home?”

  “There’s nothing I’d like more.” Dante gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

  She looked up to find Seth watching them both, a smile on his roguish face. “Ordinary things.”

  “Not anymore.” With a wink, he vanished and she leaned into Dante’s warmth, another crack in her heart mended. It was a beginning and she couldn’t wait for the rest of her life to begin.

  Mel reached over and handed her something magazine sized from behind the counter. “Here you go. Something to spice up your night.” She winked and gave Dante a sweet smile.

  “Mel…”

  “What?” All innocence, the demon turned to Violet. “Ask him about his hose. Mr. September.”

  “What?”

  “Oh my God.” Dante groaned. “You had to bring that up. Now?”

  “Oh. Now I really have to know.” Giggling, Violet waved it at him with a cheeky grin. “September, you say?”

  Dante tried to tug the item from her hand but Violet flipped it open, revealing page after page of scantily clad firemen.

  “Oh…Oh my.”

  “Just put it away. Please?”

  Violet’s lips twitched and she wrapped her arm around him as he led her out the door into the bright sunlight. “Oh no. You have to tell me about your…hose.”

  If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment and leave a review. Only a few lines means the world to an author.

  Turn the page for Taming The Beast, Book Four in the Westmore Wolves...

  Taming the Beast

  westmore wolves, book four

  Naughty Nights Press LLC

  http://naughtynightspress.com/

  Third Edition January 2019

  ISBN: 978-1-77357-097-6

  Copyright © 2016 Erzabet Bishop

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

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  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Taming the Beast

  Only true beauty can tame the beast...

  Allyse Montlake needs a job and quick. But what can a curvy girl with a penchant for plant magic do in the current job market? It’s just not the kind of thing that most people put on applications these days. To help her mother with medical expenses, she has to get something that pays more than her bookstore job. When she goes with her friend Cara to a job fair, she has no idea she’s just applied for a position on Extreme Bachelor—in front of the camera and not behind the scenes as she intended. When she meets the man behind the mystique, can he love her for who she is and see the beauty behind the curves?

  Soren Rochester is a werewolf and the owner of Barks, one of America’s most successful pet store chains. He also happens to be fighting a curse from one pissed off witch, and he’s running short on time to find a mate or else. When his assistant suggests a reality television show, he reluctantly agrees. Can this beast find true love amidst the glittering dresses of the contestants, or will he find her only to lose her in a field of thorns?

  Dedication

  To my husband who makes every day a fairy tale and my furry kids who make it an adventure. Many thanks to Teresa and Lawan for their editing ninja skills, and to Irksome for finding the shell of the story, and All Romance for giving it life.

  Chapter One

  “What are the plans for the new line of Barks food? Will you be launching that this fall as planned?”

  Soren Rochester stared at the figures in front of him and the numbers swirled together. Owner of America’s largest pet store chain, Barks, he normally had things running like a top. Except today. He couldn’t get the bad breakup with Shelby off his mind. He hadn’t wanted to do it so publicly but she’d ultimately left him no choice.

  Eight pairs of eyes rested on him and he had to get his thoughts together. He’d been the one to call this meeting. This close to the full moon, Soren knew he was pushing it, but the new product rollouts weren’t going to wait. Not even for him. His brand relied on him being an innovator in the industry.

  Focus.

  One of his regional managers had just asked him a question.

  Who? He searched the myriad faces and narrowed in on Robert’s pinched expression. Of course it would be him. The man was all over things as usual. If Soren were to ever abdicate his position, Robert would be one of the first he would consider running the company. An owl shifter with an eye for numbers and a razor sharp business sense, he was the only one among the group who shared Soren’s dual-natured secret.

  “Yes, Robert. We are going to launch the new line of dog food very soon. I’ll get to that in a moment.” Soren nodded to the group of regional managers seated around the conference table and moved back to his list.

  “Okay…so before we get to that, I want to remind everyone to please push the new line of squeak octopuses and assorted toys at the front of the stores. Monica, I need a memo to all store managers so they implement the announcements and animal re
scue charity associated with the upcoming events.” Soren scrutinized each person as his gaze moved around the table. All business suits and serious expressions, he hadn’t regretted signing any of them on board. Each had their strengths and had helped to shape Barks to the cornerstone source for pet products.

  “Yes, sir.” His secretary Monica nodded, the sound of a clicking keyboard filled his office. He often had meetings like this in his home but she usually made her base camp at their main campus. It made it easier to keep track of his various endeavors. He lived and breathed Barks and it only made sense for him to have the heart of his operation be here in his home. That wasn’t to say he didn’t make a trip to corporate headquarters just to keep everyone on their toes but, for the most part, he preferred being close to his private lab and his own canine companions. It also gave him the freedom to tear off into the woods if his wolf came too close to the surface. Like now.

  His animal paced, no doubt from the combined stress of the breakup and the nagging feeling that the discussion wasn’t over. Shelby wasn’t the kind to let anything interfere with her plans and why he hadn’t seen her true nature before simply horrified him.

  God…he needed to get his shit together. Forcing himself to focus on the group in front of him, he tried to sooth his wolf and get back to the task at hand.

  “I also want to announce that the new line of dog food will be rolling out to stores in little over a month, so please take the Pup Spectacular plans back to your stores and have each store reach out to their communities and see what kind of representation they can arrange for rescue organizations and volunteer groups. I will have Roxy work with all of you to set up local advertising as well as lay out our national strategy.”

  Monica rose and distributed packets of papers to the seven regionals and resumed her seat.

  “You’ll see here the diagrams accessible on the visual merchandising guides online, as well as the plans for both canned and dry foods in several varieties. There is also a prescription line of foods being worked on for release before the winter holidays.”

  The sound of papers flipping and murmurs among the managers met his ears. Positive, for the most part. His eyes sought out Robert’s and the other man gave him a nod.

  Good.

  “One more thing. I’ve implemented the human resources policy changes we discussed at last month’s meeting. Monica will have just emailed you the proposed new benefit incentive. Take the new salary bumps back to your teams and let them know we will be reworking the benefits package so part timers will once again be eligible for health insurance and vacation time. I’ll have the art department make posters for the breakrooms.”

  “When will those be implemented?” This time from Giselle from the Seattle office.

  “Next month once we get everyone signed up. Now if you will all excuse me, I have some paperwork to finish so I can forward it to all of your offices.”

  The regionals packed up their essentials and Soren rose. They filed out and he breathed a sigh of relief. An introvert at heart, he always felt drained after meetings and that was yet another reason he preferred to have them in his home. Being around too many people made his batteries run low. Compound that with his current frustrations with Shelby and all he wanted to do was bolt the door before he bit someone’s head clean off.

  Shelby.

  A growl slipped from his lips and his wolf scraped dangerously close to his skin. The witch had been playing him, but he hadn’t seen it. Nobody treated animals the way she did on his watch and after yesterday, enough was enough. It was hardly the first time he’d seen her make his animals feel unwelcome in their own home, but never had she crossed the line to violence. At least, not that he’d seen with his own eyes. Something about her set him off and he’d spoken to his Alpha about her.

  He’d gotten some feedback from the PI Carrick had sent him to check up on her and what he found hadn’t been a surprise. The Alpha werewolf had been concerned when he’d asked for a normal background check and he’d offered to provide assistance. As the owner of a security company he had more sources than Soren did and knew how to go about things in a covert manner.

  “You’re my cousin, Soren. Of course I’ll help. Let me get one of my guys on the trail. I can ask Grayson to refer someone. He’s on the west coast with his two new mates, but he has a line on some investigators that will get the job done.”

  It hadn’t taken long. The report came in yesterday afternoon and he’d arranged for her to come over for dinner so he could properly end things. Not only were her business practices questionable, there were rumors she had been dabbling in the black arts. She’d also been married four times, with each of her husband’s mysteriously dying within months of the ceremony.

  And she wanted to claim him?

  No. Fucking. Way.

  She’d been edgy on the drive to the restaurant, but had seemed to calm down when they walked in and seated. But the moment the female server got close, Shelby wrapped herself around him like a fucking octopus, glowering at the female like she owned him, lock stock and barrel. It was, in a word, ridiculous. Or at least it would have been if he hadn’t been so mortified.

  Never had he been so glad he’d put off sleeping with a woman in his life. His wolf despised her and damn it but he hated when the animal was right.

  He had to tell her they were through. There was no other way to do it. Everything about her lately would put an overzealous Alpha werewolf to shame. He was surprised she didn’t stand up and mark her territory on his leg for all the posturing she did. Carrick had been at the restaurant with his mate Sage and the look the Alpha had sent him was chilling.

  Either you do something to rein her in or I will.

  He was right. She was acting out in such a way that would endanger him and his brand. He would out himself when he was ready and not before. The rest of the pack had been forced into public exposure but he had a public persona to protect and a company to run. People who relied on him—both human and wolf that could be hurt by her carelessness.

  No. It had to stop.

  He’d gotten up and unceremoniously dragged her from her seat, to the car and endured the stony silence all the way home.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” She’d spat at him as he screeched to a halt in front of his home and pulled her from the car.

  “Getting this over with. Now.” God’s teeth, if she hadn’t parked her car here, he would have saved time and unceremoniously left her on her own front doorstep. As it was, the fight was a scorcher, but he didn’t regret one word of it. She’d embarrassed him in front of Carrick and his mate.

  The snap in her eyes as he booted her out the front door told him it wouldn’t be over. Not by a long shot. Her new age shop, Hexen, was located near his flagship store and no doubt they would run into each other again.

  It didn’t bother him that she was a witch. On the contrary. He’d hoped she would accept his own particular brand of peculiarity, but they never got that far. Not with a black arts wielder with questionable motives and intent. He was going to stay as far away from that as humanly possible.

  “Jesus.” He sat back and rubbed his temples in frustration. Maybe if he stood up and got some air he could get his head back in the game. He pushed back from the desk, grateful for the solitude of his home especially now that the meeting was over. Hailey, his small Cairn terrier, lay sleeping at his feet and when he moved, she groggily opened her eyes.

  “Hey, girl.” He reached down and patted her on the head, no worse for wear from the previous day’s trauma. Hailey had bounded up to meet Shelby in full view of his staff and she’d kicked her, knocking the small dog to the floor and her body had skidded a few feet.

  “Get off me, you mangy mutt!”

  The small black dog laid there whimpering and he’d gone to her immediately checking her for injuries.

  Thankfully there were none.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He’d snarled, eyeing his girlfriend like he
’d never seen her before in his life. Had he been that blinded by her good looks that he hadn’t seen what kind of soul lurked beneath the beautiful veneer? Obviously, he had, judging by what the PI had found.

  Utterly and completely fucking blind.

  “Soren,” she started, but he hadn’t let her speak.

  “Get out. We’re done.”

  He’d almost shifted right in front of her, so great was his ire. Nobody harmed his family. Whether two feet or four, they were part of his pack. His wolf raged within him and he wanted to do a hell of a lot more than haul her out and slam the door.

  Hailey thumped her tail and sat up, her movements a little stiffer than usual. She opened her mouth to yawn and her tiny pink tongue curled out, popping back into her mouth as quick as it appeared.

  “How is my precious girl tonight?” Soren reached down and gathered the petite dog into his arms.

  Hurts.

  “I know, pumpkin. Let’s get you something for that, shall we?” He tucked her against his chest. His unique gift for speaking with dogs had served him well over the years. Finding out what they wanted led to success in business and mostly in life. He’d hoped for more from Shelby, but even thinking about her now just burned a hole in his gut.

  He balanced Hailey in his arms and walked out into the hallway. A loud sound like a crash erupted and Hailey froze against him.

  She’s here.

  “Who, baby?”

  Bad woman.

  A chill slithered down his back. Why was she here? They were done. There was nothing else to be said. He bent down and set Hailey on the rug.

  “I want you to go back to the den, sweetheart. Can you do that?”

  Hailey whimpered and blinked at him with her knowing black eyes.

  Yes.

  “Good. Now go. I want you to be safe.” Soren watched her scamper back down the hall and he turned to face whatever nightmare waited for him in the kitchen. Something told him it would not be fun. His wolf paced beneath his skin, eager for a chance to rid him of the nuisance woman and find a proper mate. A woman to warm their bed and bring life to the house, not discord.