Westmore Wolves Series: Shapesifter Collection Bks 1-5 Read online

  “So you believe that people can form connections quickly?”

  Allyse scrunched up her face. “It depends.”

  “On what?”

  “Can I ask you something first?” She watched him intently.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ve watched this show before, and I’ve worked behind the scenes in ones like it. You don’t seem like the kind of guy who would be a part of the Hollywood set up. Why this? Why now?”

  Soren cleared his throat and wished by all that was holy the cameras would get the fuck out so he could talk to her and not sound like a stilted idiot.

  “Will you walk with me? This is much too formal, don’t you agree?”

  Allyse nodded. He braced himself for her essence to wash over him as he held out his hand to assist her from her chair.

  “Thank you.” She rose, the draped black fabric cascading down her body. He bit the inside of his cheek at the burst of arousal that sizzled through him. The wolf circled again, but this time in approval.

  He gazed over at Amanda and gave her a slashing motion with his hand. “Cameras off, please.”

  Amanda pouted. “Are you sure? This would make some great footage.”

  Soren sighed. “Yes. I’m sure. Why don’t you record some of the pampered princesses being shown the door? That would entertain the viewers, I’m sure.”

  Amanda perked up. “It sure would.”

  Soren led Allyse toward the doorway and out into the hall. “In the footage, you mentioned working at a bookstore.”

  “I do.”

  “Would you like to see something?” Soren stopped at a door and opened it with a flourish.

  “Sure. But you haven’t answered my question…” Allyse’s voice trailed off and he watched her face glow with wonder.

  ***

  It was a library like Allyse had never seen and, for a moment, it blinded her. Two stories of books enveloped the walls. Tracks wrapped around the shelves sporting ladders to take her anywhere she wanted to climb.

  “This is yours?” She knew her voice was breathless but didn’t care.

  “I thought you might enjoy it.” Soren shut the door behind her and walked over to an antique globe placed on a cherry wood table. All the furniture was dark and smelled of freshly cleaned leather and the comforting scent of books. A couch and easy chair were located in the middle of the room with small tables flanking them on either side.

  “I do. It’s like being in heaven.”

  “Good.” His eyes were bright when he turned away, and Allyse wanted very much to know what was going through his mind.

  “Will you answer my question?”

  “Yes.” He walked toward a set of French doors and opened them out into a garden. Crickets chirped in the night air.

  A chill had descended and as she followed him outside a shiver traveled through her body.

  Roses in every shade of red were arranged in a circular garden surrounding a statue of what she could only describe as a beast. Lupine and wild, the worn figure held court surrounded by a riot of red roses. They spoke to her, their velveteen voices as sweet as the scent permeating the air.

  “Oh!” Allyse darted forward to better observe the statue. “How lovely.”

  “Thank you.” His voice had gone quiet and the jovial mood gone.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Have you ever been pushed to do something when you know you haven’t got a choice?”

  Allyse nibbled her lip. “I don’t follow.” She rubbed her arms with her hands in an effort to warm up.

  “It’s the answer to your question. You’re correct that I’m not exactly the type to go on national television looking for a bride. Roxy, my publicist, thought it the best course of action.”

  “But why a week? It’s a big decision to make, picking a wife.” Allyse turned her gaze away from the statue, and for a moment she wasn’t sure who appeared more tortured.

  That was it. He was with her and he felt bad about it—even after chasing away all the shallow media hags. Allyse blinked back the sting of tears and swallowed the disappointment swirling in her gut. How could she possibly expect anything different?

  “It’s hard to explain. But I do know that when we interacted in the kitchen there was something...”

  “What?”

  “An attraction. Did you feel it?” His dark eyes lingered on hers and she nodded, a flush creeping up over her cheeks.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “But those other girls…they were perfect.”

  Soren grimaced. “I beg to differ. In fact, since I met you, I’ve been fighting this insane urge…”

  “Urge?” Oh crap. Was he some kind of serial killer? Allyse backed away but before she could get two steps out Soren strode toward her and took her in his arms. She fell against his broad chest as his lips claimed hers in a relentless kiss. His body was hard muscle, the essence of his masculine scent leaving her breathless. She moaned and swayed deeper into his embrace. Powerful muscles rippled beneath his skin and the space between her thighs pulsed in longing.

  He wound his hands into her hair, the firm strength of him making her swoon. The woodsy scent of his skin urged her forward, the press of his erection against her belly encouragement enough to proceed. Her witch senses picked up something else. A taste of magic swirled around him and the distinct sound of a howling wolf filled her inner senses.

  “Allyse,” he whispered against her lips. “I…”

  Goddess, how she wanted him. In her bed…inside her body and in her life. But first she had to get to know him. A pretty face wasn’t worth anything if she didn’t know the man inside. Experience had taught her that the hard way and she’d be damned before she traveled down that road ever again.

  Stark reality came crashing in. They were standing in the middle of a garden, and she’d only just met him. Why would he have wanted her of all people? Did he think because she was curvier than most that she’d be willing to be taken like she was easy? Or worse—desperate? Were they filming this? Probably. A flush crept up her cheeks and she fought the desire to succumb to him.

  “No.” She stepped back. “This is too fast. You want me. I want you, too, but not like this.”

  The glow in his eyes was back again.

  “I’m sorry…”

  “I’m going to my room. I’ll see you in the morning.” She fled to her room, the voice of doubt comingling with the sweet song of the roses begging her to come back.

  ***

  That night she dreamed. She was in her room and the French doors to the balcony hid a forest of myth and magic. She lay in bed tossing and turning, the night music loud in her ears. Then he was there. The doors blown open and the wild night rushing in to meet her. An elegant red nightgown flowed around her body, and she felt like a seductive red riding hood to his masterful beast. He was at the bed, his lips coaxing hers apart with a wordless plea.

  Was this real or was it imagined? His warmth felt tangible and she reveled in the smoky scent of him, like he’d spent time outdoors near a bonfire.

  “Allyse.”

  Soren’s lips found hers, sudden and full of need. “I have to feel you. Even like this.”

  Her hair was loose, and he wrapped his fingers in the long tresses, dragging her mouth to his for a long and hungry kiss. His eyes glowed, the need in them clear.

  “Yes.”

  Her witch fire scorched hot, pulsing under her skin. He made her want beyond all imagining. Her pussy spasmed and she moaned, the desire for all of her empty places to be filled nearly overwhelming. She watched him disrobe, his black sweater gone in an instant. He kicked off his boots and went to work on the zipper of his jeans.

  A whisper of cloth sliding over his hips met her ears as the denim hit the floor. He stood naked before her, his cock jutting out proud and at attention.

  She sucked in a ragged breath and slid the red silken fabric up her thighs. He climbed onto the bed, his lips exploring a path up the soft flesh of her legs. God, how
she wanted him. Her fingers slid into his hair as he pushed the nightgown up baring her mound to his gaze. His lips continued their heated path as she opened her legs and revealed all to him.

  “I long to taste you,” he whispered against her delving inside her hidden folds with the fiery heat of his tongue.

  “Unnnngh!” Allyse arched her back as he slid a thick finger inside of her. His kisses traveled upward, his lips teasing her breasts through the confines of the nightgown.

  Soren seduced her with first one finger and then two, his tempo picking up until she was a panting writhing mess.

  “Do you want me inside of you?”

  Her body liquefied at the heat of his words.

  Instead of answering, she reached for him, her hand closing over his erect cock. She tugged him forward, momentarily bereft when he removed his fingers from her.

  He parted her thighs and pushed her against the bedding. The tip of his cock pressed against her opening and she coaxed him forward. Soren entered her with one well-placed thrust and moved his hips.

  She had never felt more full in her life or more complete.

  “Don’t close your eyes. I want to watch it when you come.”

  She lost herself as he began to thrust, her body rising to meet his in a dance that was as old as time. Higher and higher she climbed until she fell apart, her body becoming a thousand stars, content to drift in his universe.

  Chapter Nine

  He watched her day in and day out. They read for hours together in the library and walked along the garden at night, never once mentioning the first time he’d brought her there. The days ran past until the end of the week was upon them and Soren was no closer to bringing down whatever walls barred him from her.

  It was too fucking polite and it was as if she endured his company, but only barely. He’d crossed a line and each time he’d brought up the matter to try and clear the air, she’d stared at him with those piercing eyes and he’d felt ashamed.

  His wolf paced beneath his skin, edgy and eager to end the farce and claim the woman that was theirs. The dreams seemed all too real and he was surprised to find her scent all over him. Hell, he could taste her and almost feel her curves as he sank inside of her. How could that be real? They were only dreams. Weren’t they? He wanted to drag her off into his room and explore those very options. But first he had to get her to listen to him and that was the one thing she didn’t want to do.

  He left her gifts outside her door and they remained untouched. His messages went unread and when they spoke at dinner he had to resist the urge to throttle her. But day after day he grew to admire her stalwart dedication to do what she said she would—to be his guest. The camera crew stayed at a distance, filming them and giving the show enough footage to satisfy the viewers.

  Roxy and Abraham had enough sense to stay out of his way and even Hailey, his sweet girl, snubbed him when he went searching for her one night after dinner.

  Fix it, Daddy. Fix.

  She gave him an evil eye and bounded down the hallway to burrow into a pile of blankets in one of the rooms. Rooms that felt hollow without Allyse’s presence. She was there, but she might as well have been on the other side of the world for all she spoke to him.

  By night he dreamed of her in his arms, but by day he woke more lonely and bereft than before. Again, the last night when he asked her to stay with him to watch the sunrise, she shook her head.

  “You still haven’t answered my question.”

  Soren ground his teeth together in frustration. He’d been close. So close. She wanted him, and in a few moments more she would have been splayed out on one of his garden benches. He wondered if her nipples were dusky brown or pale pink. He thought perhaps the latter.

  “God. Why am I thinking about this? When it’s nearly too late, and I’ll never have what I really want.”

  He stalked past the statue and, for the life of him, he swore the thing mocked him. His mother’s idea of a housewarming gift. It had never felt more true than now. He was a beast. A rutting hormonal creature desperate to find the love he needed before he sank into a form that would never care for such things again.

  Shelby would come back and pervert the thing he loved the most. To her, animals were nothing. Trash. With his luck, she’d put him on a leash and drag him around until he gnawed off his own leg in boredom. He had to do something. Allyse must understand why it was important that they connect before the week was over. He had to protect his family. He would have to tell her the truth about what he was.

  To him, they extended him out of the family he never felt part of while he was growing up. Wealthy, his parents gave to everyone else but the children under their own roof. His brother hadn’t minded, but Soren had. It forced him to find other ways to garner love and consideration. After a few bad boy attempts at getting his father’s attention and failing miserably, he learned more about the family business and took matters into his own hands. Now, he was a man grown and his father had passed on. He loved Hailey and all the dogs before her. They were his world, but now he was back to needing human companionship again, and he was lost. One week was not enough. Not by a long shot. And now it was almost over.

  He’d made his final arrangements with a tearful Roxy. Allyse would be willed the estate and everything in it. He hoped the law could supersede and not give Shelby any kind of foothold. As a precaution he’d written a long letter to Roxy explaining his wishes. It would have to be enough. Abraham would help.

  “I think you are a fool, sir. You need to tell the woman how you feel. Some connections are worth more than pride.”

  She was worth it. Allyse was the kind of woman he’d always wanted to find. Caring and compassionate, he knew the minute he saw her with Hailey that there was something behind the pretty face. It was her soul. If he was lucky, she just might save him. If not, he was better off just being a beast. He had to find a way to tell her the truth.

  “But how?”

  Feeling the familiar tug of the change, he let the animal in him take over while he could still control it. He unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off, leaving it on the garden bench. The darkness of the woods called to him unbidden and with every fiber of his being he threw back his head and howled.

  ***

  She heard the cry as her hand reached the bedroom door. It was a howl. Almost like a wolf in pain. Without a thought, Allyse turned back the way she came and returned to the library. The door was open as she’d left it minutes before. Perhaps Soren was outside.

  These last few days had been torture. She felt the pull to go to him with every fiber of her being but she’d waited for him to make the first move. To assure her that her fears were stupid and that he really wanted her. A few minutes together at a dinner table and a second or two in the kitchen weren’t the stuff of long term relationships. She knew that. But still…there was something. Something discovered in the quiet moments when she watched him reading or eating his meal so close and yet so far away in the ornate dining room. Then their eyes would meet and she would feel the heat in his gaze. Like he knew her body intimately.

  A flush came over her face. Every dream she had only made her long for what she’d always imagined she could never have. But his eyes…they spoke volumes.

  Had her magic reached out to him even though she was afraid to do so in real life? Allyse nibbled on her lip. It wouldn’t be the first time her wild magic had done something completely crazy. Astral projection or sexy fuck me dreams. Why not?

  As real as they were, having him in her arms was the only answer now. She wanted him. Tonight she was ready to admit it, even if it cost her dearly. One night in his arms would have to be enough. And when she left that would be that. He would be free to continue his pursuit and she would find another position. It would kill her a little inside, but that was the price she was willing to pay.

  Her senses tingled and she felt the pull of magic in the air.

  Absently, she glanced at the set of bookshelves closest to the door
. Shifters: Life as We Know It. The Multifaceted Man, Running with the Moon. The titles continued and sense of unreality settled over her.

  Was it even possible?

  “Get real,” she mumbled. This wasn’t some remake of Beauty and the Beast where the girl kisses the guy and they lived happily ever after, was it?

  “Too much werewolf smut for you, girl. Keep dreaming.”

  But why would Soren have a collection of paranormal romance? Guys didn’t read that stuff. Did they?

  No way.

  Well…mostly never. The ones that came through her line at the store said they were buying it for their wives but she could tell by the way their eyes lingered on the glossy book covers and passionate couples that it was for them.

  She’d seen his eyes change twice and wondered at the sizzle in his touch. Could it be possible? Was he some cursed beast?

  No way. How often did the fates actually get something right? So far there hadn’t been any guardian angels helping out in her arena. Just a lot of frogs.

  A panicked thought seared through her. What if something had happened to him? She grabbed the first thing that she came across on the antique desk and then paused mid-step. It looked like a letter opener, but next to it was a hand written note addressed to her.

  Allyse,

  You have come into my life in time to be a savior to me and mine. When I am gone, all I ask is that you listen to Roxy and Abraham and take care of what mattered to me the most.

  With greater affection than you shall ever know,

  Soren

  What did it mean? She thought about the very real dreams she’d been having and the lingering sensation of his hands on her skin. Were they as real for him as for her? They’d been watching each other from a distance while she tried to navigate her confused emotions. Maybe he really did want her. Sometimes her magic knew her better than she knew herself.

  She bolted out the door into the darkness, the lights illuminating the roses having since gone out. The moon was waxing full and gave some light but not enough to see everything. Still, she couldn’t just leave him out here. What if there were wild dogs? Or a coyote. They’d attacked children. What was to stop one from surprising a man unaware and injuring him? What did his cryptic words mean? Was he ill? He didn’t look it. No. She had to find him and that was something she was more than capable of doing.