Mated to the Mountain Wolf Read online

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  EPILOGUE

  Mated to the Mountain Wolf

  Mountain Wolf Protectors Book 3

  Emilia Hartley

  Copyright © 2016 by 9591451 CANADA INC. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Mated to the Mountain Wolf

  Alpha Wolf Protector

  Alpha Wolf Guardian

  Alpha Wolf Champion

  The Timeless Curse of Lord Dabney

  AUTHORS NOTES

  MORE OF MY BOOKS

  CHAPTER 1

  “So, you’re really going to marry a wolf? As in, furry, down on all fours, howls at the moon, wolf?” Sadie asked, holding up the turquoise bridesmaid’s dress. In the chair, Amara chuckled and rolled her eyes. Her little sister definitely had a unique way of stating things.

  Sadie studied herself in the mirror, tucking one long, dark chunk of hair behind her ear. “So, what would that make you? In regards to the pack, I mean. You’re human, right? And they’re, like, shifters or whatever. It’s not like they’re real werewolves that just bite you and turn you into one of them.”

  Amara furrowed her brow and took a sip of her champagne. “Why are you worried about werewolves?”

  “Well, that’s kind of what Nova is, isn’t it? A werewolf?”

  “No, he’s a shifter. They’re born, not bitten.”

  “But they’re still wolves, right?”

  “Well, yeah.” Amara cocked a brow. “But it’s not like they’re just running around causing havoc. Well, okay. The Valley Clan was, but that was really Kal’s fault. The Mountain Clan—Nova’s pack—has dedicated themselves to protecting their territory, which thankfully includes Strathford.”

  “And, since you’re one of Strathford’s finest now,” Sadie said, holding out her champagne flute for Amara to fill, “you have a direct in with the Police Chief and the Pack Alpha. Do you ever dress up in your uniform, and like, role play with Nova? Do you arrest him and tell him he’s a naughty boy?”

  Amara snorted into her drink. “No!” she replied, laughing. “God, Sadie, we’re in public.” But she couldn’t help thinking that maybe the uniform deal was a good idea.

  Sadie just waggled her eyebrows. “What? I would. He’s yummy. Now, are you going to try on that dress or what?”

  Still smirking to herself, Amara picked up the garment bag and hauled it into the dressing room. Hanging it up on the hook, she slowly unzipped the zipper. Amara’s wedding dress was nestled inside. It was floor-length and off-white, with a scalloped neckline and a beaded bodice. The skirt, she knew, would flow out around her hips in a full hoop of satin and chiffon, ending in a train that was three feet long.

  She couldn’t believe it. She was getting married. She never would have believed that Nova Lowery would be her soul mate, but here she was, trying on her dress for her final fitting. And she couldn’t wait to walk down that aisle.

  “Have they let you set a date yet?” Sadie called through the fitting room door.

  Amara sighed. “No, not yet.” And she wasn’t sure when they would. Every marriage of a Mountain Clan wolf must be approved by the Council, and then, per Pack Law, if either the bride or the groom was from another Clan, the couple must then complete a series of Trials. However, because the Trials were required to be public, the date for when they would begin had not yet been set.

  “How many of them are there?” Sadie wanted to know.

  “Three. But I’m not sure when they’ll start. Apparently, there is a lot of organization that has to go into setting them up, and right now, the Pack is pretty busy concentrating on Kal and getting his father to sign the treaty with Valley Clan.”

  From the other side of the door, Sadie got real quiet. “Do they…do they know what they’re going to do with Kal yet?” It was the first time Sadie had mentioned her ex-boyfriend in the month since he had led an attack against the town and been captured by Nova and his brother, Nemoy—who also happened to be the Alpha of the Mountain Clan. She’d spent the following week recuperating from her injuries in a hospital bed.

  Sure, Kal abducting her had brought her into the circle of knowledge about the Shifters in town—secrets no human was supposed to know—but it had scared the hell out of her as well. Yet, Amara had to admit that a part of her was glad that it had happened; in a way, at least. Now she didn’t have to lie to Sadie about who and what Nova really was. And next time, she would be able to tell her sister she was dating a bloodthirsty psychopath instead of just declaring him a “bad guy” and asking Sadie to trust her.

  On the other hand, it was the perfect ‘I told you so.’ Sadie always did have horrible taste in men.

  “No, honey, I don’t. As far as I know, he’s still being held at the compound. Last I heard, he was under twenty-four-hour guard.” Opening the door, Amara stepped out of the fitting room and smoothed the skirts of her dress.

  Sadie took the glass she was abo
ut to drink away from her lips and stared. “Oh, my gosh, Mara. You look fantastic!”

  Heat rushed to Amara’s cheeks, and she gazed at herself in the mirror. It all seemed so surreal. She was wearing her wedding dress. She was getting married. All she had to do was pass a few supernatural tests. Fun.

  Setting her champagne flute on the table, Sadie moved to stand behind her sister. With quick fingers, she began lacing the back of the bodice, pulling the fabric tighter, and cinching it in at the waist. “Are you nervous?”

  Pursing her lips, Amara considered. “A little, I suppose. More for the Trials than anything else. Oh, hey!” She snapped her fingers together. “Did you see anybody leaving my house when you showed up this morning?”

  Sadie smirked. “Okay. Random. Um, no, I didn’t. Why do you ask?”

  Disappointment washed through her. “Oh. Well, I was hoping you might have seen whoever has been leaving me those roses.”

  “You’re still getting those?”

  “Yeah. But I’m pretty sure whoever it was showed up right before you did. There was nothing on my porch when I got back from my run, but I found them only about ten minutes before you got there.”

  “And you still have no idea who might have been leaving them for you? No one leaving you notes? Following you around? Stalking you at night?”

  Amara laughed. “No, none of those things.”

  “Anyone staring at you strangely?”

  “Well, now that you mention it, Mr. Caulman has been squinting at me a lot.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. But that’s probably just from his glaucoma.” Amara smirked at her sister’s disappointed expression. Sadie let out a sigh. “Anyway, I think this fits.” She glanced over her shoulder at the seamstress. “This is perfect, Marianne.” The old woman nodded. Amara wasn’t even convinced she understood, her hearing was so bad, but she didn’t really have the patience to keep trying. She would take that nod as confirmation. She turned back to her sister. “Get me out of this thing, will you? I have a few things to drop off at Mom’s before I go to the bar.”

  “Have you heard anything more about Zoe and Mitch yet?” Sadie asked, undoing the dress’s fastenings. “I talked to Becca the other day, and she says they’re fighting again.”

  Frowning, Amara held the bodice up to her chest and stepped back into the dressing room. “Really? Mitch hasn’t said anything. But don’t worry, I’ll ask him about it today.” Then she shut the fitting room door with a snap.

  CHAPTER 2

  When Amara entered Murphy’s Tavern, she weaved her way through the many round tables and upturned chairs, making a beeline for Mitchell. He had been her best friend for years, but lately, things seemed a little strained between them.

  To be honest, Amara couldn’t really blame him. For so long, it had been just the two of them. They had their own Sunday night ritual of Chinese food and a movie, along with their weekly, Monday morning hikes. And yet, since she had begun dating Nova, and Mitch had started seeing Zoe, they really hadn’t done any of that. She couldn’t even remember the last time they had hung out just the two of them. Maybe that’s what they needed to do to work some of the weirdness out. They needed to get back to doing things just the two of them. Well, at least sometimes.

  “Hey,” Amara said, setting her coat on the bar. Taking a box from the floor, she set it on the counter and started unloading bottles of vodka.

  Mitch looked over at her and instantly brightened. “Hey, Deputy,” he greeted her, his muscular arms straining under the weight of his own crate. “What brings you to this neck of the woods?”

  “Oh, hardy har, har. Very funny.” She rolled her eyes, but Amara couldn’t help but smile. “Last I checked, I worked here. Has that changed since I became a cop?” The look in her eyes was unmistakably a dare.

  Smirking, Mitch shook his head. “Hey, I warned you what would happen. Didn’t I tell you? Zoe took your place.” Laughing now, he came over and began setting bottles on shelves, the two of them working shoulder to shoulder.

  This is nice, Amara thought. This felt like old times. And if it was old times, she would be able to ask about his relationship, right? “So,” she started, feeling like she was about to dive into the abyss. “How are things with you and Zoe? Getting any better lately? I know you said a few weeks ago that things between the two of you were strained.” She waited a beat or two for him to answer. When he didn’t, she set the bottle down and turned to look at him. “So?”

  Silence. Then, finally, Mitch cleared his throat. “They’re good, Mara. Why do you ask? I like her a lot, but she’s, well, she’s still Zoe.”

  Amara chuckled. Zoe Hamilton was definitely a category in herself, that was for sure. Though she was beautiful, and actually fairly smart, she was known around town more for being a hot mess than anything else. She could frequently be found on a bar stool at Murphy’s, taking shots or drinking vodka tonics. It wasn’t uncommon for Amara to load her drunken friend into a cab and take her home to tuck her safely into bed. Thankfully, that was Mitch’s job now, but still; better him than her.

  It was no secret that Zoe and Amara didn’t get along. The entire town knew they’d fallen out of sorts and become more frenemies than anything else over the years. She had no delusions about the reason either. When they were fifteen, Amara, Zoe, and their friend Becca, were walking down the street one night when they were attacked by a group of wolves. Shifters, actually, from the Valley Clan. Led by none other than the infamous Kal Vann.

  It had been Nova and Nemoy who had saved them. They had come racing down from whatever rooftop they had been keeping watch on, and fought off the shifters. Zoe had been knocked out from the start. One of the wolves was on top of her preparing to rip into her throat when Nemoy had shown up, though he’d almost been too late for Becca. She’d survived, thank God, but she now had to walk with a cane.

  Amara, on the other hand, had been chased down the street. Kal had targeted her specifically, and wasn’t about to let her go. She had a lump of scar tissue down the length of her collar bone to prove it. It was Nova that had come after them and forced Kal off her, saving her life. For years afterward, she thought the image of the boy standing over her had been a dream.

  That is, until he walked back into her life a decade later. She still couldn’t believe he had been taking care of her for almost half of her life.

  Zoe, however, hadn’t had someone looking out for her. No one except Amara, really. And for some reason, Zoe had always resented Amara’s protectiveness. She had started drinking and going after boys and, over time, the two girls had drifted apart. Becca was the only thing tying them together. Nothing had really changed since they were teenagers. The only difference was that now it was legal for Zoe to drink.

  “I saw Becca the other day,” Amara said to Mitch. “And she, uh, mentioned that things between you and Zoe were pretty difficult.” But hadn’t he just said things were going just fine? Maybe Becca was just imagining things. Zoe did tend to overreact about…well, everything.

  Mitchell shrugged. “I don’t know. Yeah, maybe, I guess. But I mean, come on, it’s Zoe. We always fight. She’s pretty intense.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Amara bit her lip. “But maybe it’s something more than that? I don’t know.” When Mitch just gaped at her, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I’m just worried, is all,” she told him. “I really just want you to be happy.”

  “I know.” He wrapped an arm briefly around her shoulders and squeezed. “And I am…for the most part. But hey, thanks for being there for me.”

  Rolling her eyes, she nudged him with her shoulder. “Of course.” An awkward silence fell between them for a moment or two. “Hey, you know what we haven’t done in a while?” she asked, hoping to break the silence. “We haven’t had our movie night. What do you say, huh? Sunday night, you and me, Chinese and an action flick?”

  A grin spread across his face. “Yeah, I think I’d really like that. It’s been a while.�
��

  “Good.” She smiled back at him. “It’ll be nice to be able to make fun of you for not knowing how to use chopsticks again.”

  With a smirk, Mitch chucked a towel in her face. “Shut up, Townsend.”

  By the time Amara got home, she was absolutely exhausted. Pulling her truck into the driveway, she cut the engine and opened the door. She all but dragged her tired body up onto her porch. Unlocking her door, she walked into her house. And froze.

  Lying on her dining room table was the long stem of a deep purple orchid, bound by a silver ribbon to folded note.

  Flowers. Somebody had come into her house and left flowers on her table. Had her secret admirer finally crossed the line into stalker?

  Forcing herself to cross the threshold, she went to the table and picked up the flower, the note dangling by the ribbon. With a shaking hand, she opened the note and read. She let out a visible sigh of relief. It was from Nova.

  They’ve finally set a date. I will pick you up tomorrow night at six. The first trial begins at sunset.

  The first trial. The pack had decided they could move forward with the first trial?

  Amara pressed a hand to her chest. It was happening. If they got through the trials, they would be allowed to get married.

  Still glowing, she changed into shorts and a tee shirt and crawled into bed, ready to settle in with a good book. She’s been reading for maybe fifteen minutes, about to nod off, when the phone rang. Groggy, she picked up the receiver and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

  Silence.

  “Hello?” Amara said again. Was there something wrong with the line? No, she could tell someone was there. “Hello? Look, I know you’re there. I can hear you breathing.” Still, no one answered. Disgusted, Amara hung up the phone, slamming the receiver down in the cradle.

  It was probably just a wrong number. Maybe a kid pulling a prank. Probably something completely harmless. And yet, she slept with her lamp on for the rest of the night.

  CHAPTER 3

  Nova pulled up to Amara’s quaint little house a little before six o’clock. He’d expected to wait for a while since he was early, so he was surprised to find her waiting for him on the front porch.