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Make Her Howl

A Grayslake Paranormal Romance

by Flora Dare

www.floradare.com || Join Flora’s mailing list! || Facebook

DESCRIPTION

When you’ve loved and lost a fated mate, can you dare to hope for a second chance?

After her human mate was tragically killed years ago, wolf shifter Magda fled Grayslake and all it meant. She only returned to protect her adopted daughter and she’s determined to stay out of local shifter politics.

Marc has spent years protecting Grayslake’s shifters after a tragedy of his own. When Magda walks into his life, his inner wolf awakens. He never thought it possible, but she’s living proof that miracles happen. She’s his mate.

Now he just has to convince her that everyone gets a second chance at love.

Table of Contents

Make Her Howl

About the Author

Other Books by Flora Dare

Legal Bits

Make Her Howl

Chapter One

A low growl filled the air and the combatants faced off—shoulders squared and jaws clenched—neither willing to back down.

"Over my dead body," Magda's voice ripped through the air with a snarl and a bared fang. "If you try and drag Lira off, it will be over my dead body. Literally." Her hands flexed and she could almost feel her opponent’s blood flowing over her fingers. Lira was her daughter—adopted or not—and Magda wasn’t about to let her daughter’s mate drag her off without so much as a by your leave.

"Momma, I think that might be excessive." Lira's hand softly stroked Magda's shoulder. "I kind of promised I would get married right away."

"Jake should have known better than to even ask for that promise!" Magda didn't bother to hide her indignation. Or her rapidly descending fangs as she flashed them at Jake. "Just because he’s your mate, that doesn’t mean he should force you to deny your family and his clan!"

"The Itan is desperately avoiding dealing with this." A soft voice interrupted and a smiling brunette peered around the door. "He sent me to see who survived."

"Mia!" Relief filled Jake's voice. "Magda won't let us get married!"

Magda snapped back, "No, I don't want you to run her through a fast courthouse thing like you’re ashamed of her."

"Momma, he's simply eager. So am I." Lira's voice was soft, trying to soothe her outraged mother.

Magda faced her daughter. She couldn't stop herself from taking Lira's hand. "It's only… You've always talked about having a big wedding. With a beautiful dress and surrounded by your people. Not a quick judge and a lonely courthouse." She squeezed her daughter’s hand. "I don't want you to start your new life being steamrolled. I don’t want you to someday resent it."

A sharp hiss came from Jake—even if he was a werebear. "I wasn't trying to make her do anything she didn't want."

Magda didn't even look at the man and simply raised a disdainful eyebrow. "Uh-huh. So she showed you her scrapbook? The one she's built over the years. The one that’s filled with pictures and cutouts from other weddings and events?"

Lira dropped her gaze, suddenly very interested in the carpet. She muttered, "It's all happening quickly, Momma."

The Itana, Mia, stepped into the room, her attention focused on Jake. "Well, Jake?"

"I don't want to wait a moment longer than needed." Jake couldn't look away from his mate, Lira. "But I don't want to start my married life with my mother-in-law trying to kill me with her mind." He glanced down at the half shifted hands of his soon to be mother-in-law. "Or her hands."

Mia settled into a chair in the middle of the room, between her and Jake. "I have an offer from the Itan that might make this work for all of you.” Magda doubted it, but she listened as Mia continued. “We have a really lovely gazebo at the den that would make a gorgeous spot for the ceremony."

Jake narrowed his eyes at the Itana. "How did you even know we were having this fight?"

Mia snorted. "Really? The whole town knows. Dogs, cats, werebear cubs… Everyone can hear you. Also, Memaw Grace called. Said if she had to clean up anymore blood there would be hell to pay and she'd have all the boys—I’m assuming she meant Ty, Van, Keen and Isaac—scrubbing her floors. And that if she had to come interrupt this fight, there would most certainly be blood."

Jake sighed and then groaned. "Fine, we can do a ceremony." He pointed a finger at Magda. "But we do it tonight!"

Lira smacked his hand so hard the sound reverberated through the room. "Be nice to my Momma."

Magda wailed and threw her hands in the air with frustration. "It’ll take at least a month to plan anything!"

Jake's brow furrowed. "Fine, tomorrow. I can give you til tomorrow."

But Magda smelled the blood on the water and she knew she had him on the run. Jake had given in on something. Now she had to see how far she could push. "Tomorrow! You might as well wish for a castle in the clouds." She pressed her advantage a little more. "Finding a dress will take a week!"

Jake's voice rose again. " I'm not waiting a month to put a ring on Lira's finger."

Mia leapt into the fray, rising to her feet again. "If you and Lira focus on the dress,” The Itana focused on Magda. “The rest of the clan is looking forward to helping with the reception. How does having the ceremony a week from Saturday work? Is that enough time to find a dress?"

She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, weighing Mia's words. "We can do that.” She nodded slowly. “I assume Lira gets approval of plans?"

Mia grinned. "Of course! I have like, a pile of binders for literally everything."

"A pile?"

"Do you think that Jake is the first impatient bear needing to get married right this second this clan has had?" Mia laughed at Jake's suddenly shamefaced expression. "I don't think we've ever had a month to plan anything, not since I've been here."

Lira giggled with the other woman. "Well, it would be nice to not have to do everything myself. I had my fill of planning when I was engaged to Ethan." She held Jake's hand and stared up at him with adoring eyes.

Magda remembered that feeling. Remembered her own mate and—and it didn’t matter. Not since then.

Lira continued. "I would like a bit of ceremony,” Lira’s tone turned coaxing. “in front of the clan and my mother."

Magda was happy she wasn’t the only one who fell for her daughter’s pout.

The mulish look melted from Jake's face. "Anything for you. I can wait a week and a bit." Lira beamed up at him and he pulled her in for a kiss. One that deepened by the second.

Mia cleared her throat before the couple forgot they weren't alone. "Well, that's settled. Jake, how involved do you want to be in decisions?"

He barely lifted his mouth from Lira’s. "I trust Lira's choices. I never really thought about what would be involved in a wedding, to be honest. Maybe having an open bar for the reception."

Mia nodded. "We can work with that." She pointed at Lira and Magda. "You ladies come with me, we'll run through the checklist. I think we can have all the major decisions wrapped by dinner. I'll be the wedding planner, because I can knock all the lunk-headed bears into shape." The woman grinned. “I’m the Itana. They can’t say no.”

Jake headed for the door, backing away slowly. "I'll clear out of your way." He smiled at his mate, "Meet you for dinner?"

Mia stopped him in his tracks. “Lira will be eating with the clan tonight. You've hidden her away and everyone wants to meet her. So, big meal. The Itan rather insists. After dinner, I'll give you the list of what you'll need to handle."

"Hey, I didn't want all this ceremony stuff.” Jake whined and Magda fought not to grin at the pouting werebear. “I thought I merely had to show up in a suit." Three sets of eyes skewered him through and through, Magda’s narrowed the most. She no longer found him funny. "Except obviously I will help, because I love Lira and this will make her happy." And then he turned and ran.

Smart bear.

Chapter Two

"Jake, you are an idiot." Van frowned at the poof of lace in his hands. "At the very least, if you'd been involved, you could have put a stop to all the frippery part of it."

Jake laughed at the clan Enforcer, the male sitting across from him and counting Jordan almonds before putting them in the middle of the fabric circle. "I tried to get out of it. I had no idea what they were going to whip up. I thought, 'How much could they possible plan with only a week?'"

Ty, the Itan, sat down next to him. "Oh, you blithering idiot. Mia has a firm stance on teaching lessons to stubborn bears. And if I have to learn how to tie pretty little bows, I expect every single bear here to do it and do it well." He held up a beautifully done wedding favor. "Because if Mia thinks we tried not to do it well? She's not going to do it for us. She'll make my life misery. And if my life is misery?" He let his bears fill in the blank.

Van sighed and redid his sloppy bow. "It's not only Mia that will come down like a ton of bricks. I'd prefer if my mate was speaking to me. And it's not like they aren't working their asses off."

Jake said, "Still, I'm sorry. I literally had no idea what kind of shit they could come up with in such a short time." He shook the almonds at the other men. "Who actually likes to eat these stupid candied almonds?"

A cheerful laugh filled the room as a man entered. "Hey bears! We heard there was a wedding commotion. Bates sent me and this keg as a peace offering."

Ty waved the man in. "Doc! Hope your surgical experience extends to decent stitching. We're going to start the fiddly bits of the centerpieces."

"Everything goes better with a cold beer." He quickly set up the keg and tapped it. Then brought a frothy cup over to Jake before sitting down. "Oh, Jordan almonds. I love these things."

Jake groaned. "Well, I guess we found the one person glad to see them. I don't think Lira cared much, but Memaw and Gran had definite feelings about it." He extended his hand to the stranger. "I'm Jake, the groom whose fault all this is."

"I'm Dr. Marc Lincoln. How is Lira doing? You know I'm the one who treated her after she was shot." He deftly tied a bow before moving on to the next favor.

"She's doing great. Pretty much healed, as far as I can tell. I can barely keep up with her. Her mother is still fussing over her a bit, but honestly, I can't really blame her." He went silent for a moment. "It was pretty scary."

"Her mother is Magda? I met her." The doc's eyes went soft. "I admit, I volunteered to be the pack's sacrificial lamb in the hopes that I'd run into her. She's a lot of lady."

Jake grinned at the man. "Well, I can definitely arrange for you to run into her." He suddenly frowned. "You do have honorable intentions though, right? Because while I'd enjoy her being distracted, she is my mother-in-law. And I'd hate to have to kill you."

Marc snorted. "I'd like to see you try. Old age and treachery win out over youth every time. That being said, I'd simply like to get to know her." He wasn't going to tell some young cub that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since he saw her in the hospital.

He'd been without a mate a very long time and he thought he'd bumble through the rest of his life alone. Until he saw her and her scent wrapped itself around him. Hell, it wrapped around his cock if he was being honest.

No, Magda wasn't going to get hurt, not by him. Although he'd do almost anything he could to keep her by his side, including making silly wedding favors.

Jake interrupted his musing. "Well, in that case, they’re going dress shopping tomorrow. I believe Maybelle's Boutique is their destination." He paused and a worried look crept over his face. "Mind you, they will be very focused. Keep it light or I'm pretty sure they'll destroy you in their dress frenzy."

"I've been around women before, you know. I'm not going to stroll in and try to disrupt their shopping. Not when a wedding dress is on the line." Two, if Marc had his way. "But I can certainly bump into them for a moment without causing a lot of chaos. Miss Maybelle is overdue for a checkup." He grinned and winked, happy he’d found an ally in the bear.

Ty joined their conversation. "The pack is invited to the wedding. Lots of dancing and an open bar. Weddings make people sentimental." He tossed a favor into the growing pile. "If you can figure out a way to keep the meddling grannies busy? I'll make sure you get locked in a cabin with Magda for a month."

Marc laughed. "No way am I messing with those ladies. Just keep them on your side, and enjoy the ride."

"You say that now.” Jake grumbled. “But wait til they realize you're interested in Magda. Before you can say 'Who really likes Jordan almonds?' they'll have you making wedding favors and sleeping very, very alone."

Van slapped Jake on the back. "They still keeping Lira far away from you?"

Jake snorted. "It's not funny. It's awful. I feel like I'm a teenager sneaking around. It's ridiculous. When I tried to talk to my Gran, she gave me the look." He tried to replicate her face, failing much to the other men's amusement. "She said it would make me enjoy the wedding night that much more. Mostly, I think they’re bored."

Ty said, "Well, a few rounds of grandchildren ought to chill them out and keep them occupied."

Jake cocked his eyebrow at the Itan. "Really? You really think anything will settle them down?"

Chapter Three

Magda flipped through the frilly dresses. She had a really good sense of what Lira liked, unlike Miss Maybelle, the shopkeeper who kept bringing out frillier and frillier concoctions. One more ruffle and she was going to whip out her claws.

Eleven dresses in and Lira's easy-going nature was clearly getting strained. After she'd come out in the last one, she whispered, "If the next one has as many ruffles as this one, I will literally scream, Momma."

Magda patted her hand and took charge. "Don't worry baby, I got this. If there is a dress in this store that will work, I will find it. If not, we'll head to Atlanta for the weekend, okay?"

Maybelle gasped in delight at Lira in front of the mirrors. "Oh yes, you look like a dream!"

"It's a touch fussy for her. We're thinking more modern. Sleek, you know?" The woman looked unhappy, but Magda took her hand and walked with her to the back of the store. "You know, kids today. I'm sure you have something that will make her so very happy."

Magda spied a rack of dresses that were exactly what Lira wanted. "These. She's going to try on these."

Maybelle looked pained but shrugged. "If you really think she'll like them. She looks like a fairy tale princess in the other ones."

The woman's wistful tone tugged at Magda's heart. She remembered when she'd dreamed of big poufy dresses that she could walk down the aisle in. Something so wide she’d barely fit between the pews.

"Remember Princess Diana's dress? That's the dress I dreamed of for the longest time." She'd been so sure she and Stuart would have that moment, one day. "But now, the style is for minimal. Really, it's about the bride feeling her best. And I know she's going to absolutely love one of these."

The shopkeeper perked up and pulled the rack to the front of the store. Lira's face lit when she saw the dresses and immediately she picked one to try. "Oh Momma, this is perfect! This is exactly what I pictured in my head."

Lira went into the dressing room as the women looked on.

Maybelle sighed, "You were right, the look on her face was everything."

The two of them chuckled and the front bell rung as someone entered the store. Magda was surprised to see the very male intruder was Lira's doctor. She flushed at the memory of their first meeting.

Desire curled through her body the moment he walked in the door and her inner wolf sat up and took notice. It had been longer than she cared to remember since simply being in the same room as a man got her hot and bothered and got her inner wolf yowling. All it had taken was the warmth of his hand in hers as he introduced himself.

He was all charm and smiles then, even if he did make her flustered. She was foolish to think that charm was solely for her, watching him with Maybelle, whose face lit up when he turned that charming smile on the other woman.

The weird twist in her gut couldn't be jealousy. That was patently ridiculous. The urge to scratch the other woman's eyes out was merely because she was tired and grumpy after a long day of shopping for dresses. Obviously. Besides, he wasn't even going to notice her.

Magda hadn't considered Maybelle wanting to introduce her and she was strangely pleased that the other woman drew him into the store and beckoned him over to Magda.

The shopkeeper’s voice burbled with joy. "Now, Marc, have you met Magda? Her daughter is marrying Jake."

It had to be her imagination, but… Did he look happy to see her? Or maybe it was his general charm. She'd held off better men than him. She smiled politely at him and found herself transfixed by his steel gray eyes that seemed to look into her soul.

They were shockingly like her long-dead mate, Stuart's, and it threw her off for a second while she got lost between the past and present.  Dazed by the similarity, she let him take her hand in his. He bent over it and lifted it to his mouth, sparks zinged through her body when his lips lightly brushed her knuckles in a barely there caress.

"I was Lira's doctor after her troubles.” His deep tenor slid over her skin and she felt her cheeks warming with a blush. “I was lucky enough to meet Magda, very briefly then. Of course, this is far better circumstances, than the hospital."

Maybelle’s eyes glinted in speculation and Magda suspected the moment they left the store, the phone lines would be lit up as Maybelle spilled all to Grace. Dammit, the last thing Grayslake needed was another meddling granny. But from the way Maybelle suddenly had to run to the backroom, it seemed like there was going to be another matchmaker to contend with.

He still held her hand, intent gaze on hers and a warm sense of awareness washed over her.  She was flustered and hot by the time he finished his long, penetrating look and finally released her hand. She reminded herself he was nothing but a flirt. Nothing more.

"I'm so glad Lira is doing well,” he murmured. “And that her adventures are ending up in a mating. The pack is excited for an opportunity to party." The man’s grin was way too wicked.

"The…" Magda cleared her throat, ignoring her husky tone. “The pack?”

"Oh, yes. Mia invited just about every shifter in the county. She said it's a good way to build relations, to keep positive interactions up."

An uneasy tension threaded through Magda's thoughts, past intruding on the present once more. "Sure, great idea,” she snapped. “until the young and cocky have a few too many and fights break out."

She remembered pack life, before she left. Higher ranking members lording over everyone and doing whatever they damn well pleased.

Marc shook his head. "No way the Alpha or the Itan would let that happen."

Before Magda could respond, Lira stepped out of the dressing room and spun around. "What do you think, Momma?"

She pulled her hands away from Marc and clasped them over her heart while tears welled in her eyes. Now her voice was hoarse for a different reason—love. "Oh baby, you look beautiful. Absolutely stunning."

Lira padded to Magda, pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered in her ear. "This is it. This is the dress. This is what I dreamt about, after I met Jake." She pulled back from Magda, expression suddenly wary and uncertain. "Do...do you think my mother would have liked it?"

"Oh honey,” Magda brushed her daughter’s hair out of her face like she had so many times over the years. “Deirdre would have been over the moon for you to have found your mate. She wouldn't have cared if you got married in a burlap sack." She squeezed her adoptive daughter's hands. "But she would have wept with joy over how absolutely perfect this dress is for you. Spin again for me."

Lira twirled and Magda's heart was heavy. She wished Deirdre could have been here. Her best friend had always known what to do in any situation. She held back the tears that threatened to spill, wanting to wail at the unfairness of it all, and suddenly a square of fabric was pressed into her hand.

On instinct, she grabbed it and turned to find its owner. Only to see Dr. Lincoln at her side, looking a bit misty-eyed.

Magda had expected to see Maybelle and in the moment had forgotten he was even there. She muttered, "Thanks." And pressed the cloth to her eyes.

"It's hard to hit milestones when you are missing people." A haunted expression passed over his face for a split-second and then he shook his head as he took a step back. "I'm intruding, I apologize. I was checking in on Maybelle. She won't come to see me often enough."

Magda nodded her good byes as they watched Lira flitting around in the dress. A vision of her long lost love, Stuart flashed behind her eyes. The entire reason she was alone was stupid pack politics. She wasn't going to let that happen to Lira.

Chapter Four

The faintest rays of dawn penetrated Magda's room and she bounced out of bed. Excited flutters in her stomach drove her to the window and she looked out at the soft peach streaks in the sky.

"Deidre, I wish you were here right now. I've done everything I can think of to launch Lira into the world. Now she's getting married and not to that asshat, Ethan. He's a nice boy, a bear. The Grayslake clan has changed. What we went through? It wouldn't happen now.” Memories of what happened back then tried to intrude and she pushed them away. “Now I better hit the shower before it gets too crazy."

Magda didn't often talk directly to Lira's mother and her best friend, she'd been gone for so long. Sometimes, Magda felt like she had to, just in case Deidre was listening.

She slipped through the shower and into a casual outfit. She wouldn't put on her fancy dress until right before they left for the wedding. She tried to remain quiet so she didn’t wake anyone, but she shouldn’t have bothered. When she got to the kitchen, she discovered her mother, Grace, fussing over a hot stove.

"I never could beat you downstairs. I really thought I might, this time."

Grace gestured at the table. "Grab a seat, honey. I figure we could all use a nice hearty breakfast. It's gonna be a hell of a day."

Magda settled down and poured herself a cup of coffee from the carafe on the table. "I was going to try and start breakfast for you." The steam from the cup carried the comforting scent of a hearty roast and Magda sniffed appreciatively.

"Well, I'm older now, and don't get a lot of sleep. Don't need a lot of sleep, to be honest. Plus, I was staring at the ceiling for a solid hour before I got up. Have to keep myself busy. I'm nervous!"

Magda chuckled. "Me too. I made myself stay in bed until the sky lightened up." It still surprised Magda how alike her and her mother were. She thought that after over twenty years apart, they would be polar opposites.

Regret tinged her thoughts. Grief and anger had driven her away from Grayslake for so long. Her inability to let go of either of them meant she missed out on so much of her mother's life.

A sharp sting across her knuckles brought her back to the here and now. "Don't get maudlin so early in the morning. It's bad for you." Grace slid a plate piled high with pancakes, bacon and eggs in front of Magda. "If you spend too much time regretting the past, you miss out on living in the present."

"There is no way I can finish all this, you know."

"So nibble at it then. But if you don't start the day with a hearty breakfast, you'll be a grump all the rest of the day."

"Deidre used to tell me that all the time too." Instead of grief, Magda let herself laugh at the memory.

Grace grinned, "Well, she learned it from me."

"Because you didn't used to be a morning person at all." Magda dug into her plate, enjoying the perfectly crisp bacon. It was a pleasure she rarely indulged in.

"Humph. Still not. It's just that my brain wakes up far earlier than my good manners."

The women sat in companionable silence enjoying the excellent comfort food.

The peaceful mood settled in Magda's heart, and she relished the quiet time with her mother. Even after the time she'd been here, they were still very careful around each other. The rekindled relationship was still fragile and both were very aware of how easy it would be to break again.

Her reverie was broken by the sound of a stampede down the stairs. Magda realized she'd polished off every bite of food on the plate as the two teenagers, her niece Nancy and Jake’s little sister Helen, burst into the kitchen.

Nancy's face fell when she saw them. "Memaw! You were supposed to let me do breakfast."

"There's still plenty to do, don't you worry. I couldn't stay in bed another moment." Grace walked over to the oven. "Sit down for a moment, trust me, we'll run your feet off all day. But until then, let me dote on you a little bit."

Both girls sat at the table while Grace bustled around the kitchen. They dug into the mountains of food that she brought them.

Nancy said, "Auntie Mags, did we tell you about Jake last night?"

Memaw turned around, "Girls, what did I tell you about gossip?"

Helen piped up, "If you can't say something nice, sit by me?"

"Well, yes. I suppose that's true. Still, Lira and Jake are getting married today. If you are going to ruin Lira's day, you better do it quickly."

The girls’ giggles and Nancy said, "Memaw, it's nothing like that. But Ty and the rest of the clan swung by to pick Jake up after dinner, for some bachelor party nonsense."

His sister, Helen, said, "Yeah, Jake didn't especially want to go, but Ty insisted, said it was a direct order from his Itan. So what could he do but head out."

Memaw sat across from the young girls. "Well, it's fairly common for men to have a bit of a carouse before they settle down. We took Lira out for a bit of a hen party the other night, since she wanted to make sure she was well rested today."

What an understatement. The memory of Jake's grandmother tucking singles into a well-stuffed thong would live on in Magda's memory, forever. She cleared her throat, hoping her mother would not go into detail. Especially when she learned that Gran, Grace and Maybelle were all very well-known at that particular establishment.

Nancy giggled. "Well, whatever they had planned, they better have had Jake home early. Because Mia was there with Gran and she read Ty the riot act." She did an uncanny imitation of Mia. "If he rolls up to the wedding anything less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I will mount every last one of your heads on the living room wall." And then she poked Ty right in the chest and hissed that if he woke her when they stumbled home, she would make him wish he'd never been born."

"Well, they really should have planned better. If they'd gone on Wednesday, the strip club down the way has an all you can eat buffet."

The girls both stared at Memaw and Magda had to giggle.

"Okay, you guys do the dishes while we go over the lists and make sure we haven't forgotten anything."

Chapter Five

Lira stood in front of the mirror, Magda just behind her. Their eyes met in the glass and they both smiled.

"This is it, honey. In a few minutes, we'll put your dress on and you'll step outside and walk down the aisle to your new life."

Lira said, "Is it okay if I'm kind of scared to death?"

"It's a big change. But you love him, right?"

"Forever and ever." Lira's words were soft and dreamy.

"Then it will be okay."

"But what if I lose him?"

Magda's heart contracted painfully, her own loss poking at past wounds. "You know I can't pretend that it might not happen, but, as much as it feels trite, it really is better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all. Imagine if you'd gone through life without feeling as happy as he makes you."

"That would be awful."

"Don't spend too much time worrying about catastrophes that haven't happened." Magda's hands settled on Lira's shoulders. "Live hopefully and joyfully. This moment is beautiful."

"Oh Momma, I'm so glad you are walking me down the aisle."

"Me too, baby. Me too."

There was a tapping at the door, giving them only a moment's warning before the rest of the bridal party invaded the room followed by the meddling grannies.

Mia smiled at Magda and Lira. "Okay, before she gets her dress on, we all have some things for her."

Her nose wrinkled in confusion and Lira said, "But, you've all already done so much. Planning all this in such a short period of time?"

Mia handed Lira a small box. "This is something borrowed. It's good luck to have something from a happily mated couple."

Lira opened the box and gasped. Inside was a sparkling small tiara. "Mia, it's gorgeous."

"It will go perfectly with your veil. It's got a little clippy thing to hold everything together." The hug Lira gave her squeezed the air out of her. "Hey, don't break your Itana! And you've got a few more things coming, so conserve your energy."

"Don't make me cry, okay? We just got my makeup finished." But Lira grinned at the group.

Nancy and Helen pushed forward. Helen handed her a gift bag and giggled. Nancy said, "We're something blue and we thought, what wouldn't you expect?"

Lira pulled out a piece of paper with an intricate blue design. "Wow, this is gorgeous, I'll have it framed."

Helen said, "No silly, it's a temporary tattoo. We designed it. It's a tramp stamp."

"Helen! I can't believe you!" Gran was trying to sound shocked and appalled, but the effect was ruined by the upturn of her lips she couldn't quite stop.

"Okay, there is also a blue hankie in there and we put yours and Jake's initials on the soles of your shoes in blue rhinestones." Nancy showed off the bottom of the shoes. "Still, I think the tattoo is way more fun."

Lira winked at them and said, "I was at the bachelorette party. Trust me, they really can't give you too much grief." And she looked at the three grinning older women. "One day, when you're older, ask them about their tats."

The two teenagers gasped and spun to face the older women who looked everywhere but at them. Finally, Maybelle said, "Goodness, we should hurry or we'll be late. Grace, get it together."

Grace stepped forward with another box. "This is something new. Since you got the dress from Maybelle, we thought it would go well with it."

Lira gasped when she opened the box, pulling out a delicate bracelet. "It's beautiful."

Magda stepped forward again. "It sort of goes with mine. It's something old and something I've been saving for you."

Lira's hand trembled as she took the box and Magda had to take a deep breath to steady herself as Lira opened the box. Magda said, "The lockets, they were your mom's and mine. They are charms that will fit on the bracelet. Your mother's, it has pictures of her and your father, so they can be here, with you, at least in spirit."

"Oh, Momma. These are incredible." She went to set the box down when a sparkle caught her eye. "Oh, wow, what is this?" She drew out a stunning lavaliere necklace.

Magda caught Lira's hand and said softly, "It was your mother's. She asked me to make sure you got it on your wedding day."

Lira's voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you so much for," her voice caught and she had to pause for a moment, "for everything."

Magda could only nod at her daughter. The two women simply looked at each other, holding hands and remembering Deidre.

Nancy finally broke the solemn moment by digging into the gift bag and pulling out a set of blue hankies. "Good thing we thought ahead." She handed them out to everyone. "Don't worry, Lira. You used waterproof mascara. That stuff might never come off."

Lira laughed and stood up. "Thank you, everyone. You've made me feel even more amazing today than I thought possible. I'm so happy to be in Grayslake."

Everyone piled in for a group hug and if a few tears were shed, they were blotted up by the blue hankies before any makeup could smear.

A soft knock at the door interrupted them and Lottie, appointed the wedding day coordinator, slipped into the room. "Everything is ready to go. This is your five-minute warning."

The room erupted into activity as Lira slipped into her dress.

"Hold on, we didn't give her the sixpence piece!" Maybelle dug around in her purse until she finally got her hands on the coin. "Oh, here it is. Nancy, slip it in her shoe."

Grace looked at her granddaughter and smiled. "That's the last bit of luck. Not that you'll need it, it's just a nice tradition. Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue. And a sixpence in your shoe."

Grace, Magda and Lira took a moment together, holding hands in a circle. Grace said, "Let's go get you married, girl. So you can stop sneaking out of my house and pretending like you sleep there."

Chapter Six

As Magda walked her adoptive daughter down the aisle, she was consumed by memories. Of holding Lira right after she was born. Of Deirdre holding Lira's hand when she took her first step.

Of the horrible moment they realized the cancer was going to win. Of how in that moment, Deirdre looked past what their lives were at that moment, of when Lira and Magda would need a larger community again.

Of when Magda would need to let Lira go, to live her own life. There was no reluctance in her heart when she hugged Lira and handed her over to Jake. Not when Jake's eyes glowed and softened when he took Lira's hand and placed it on his arm.

Oh, she knew she would miss her terribly. She settled into her seat and watched them vow to protect and honor each other.

***

Marc couldn't look away from Magda. Shock suffused through his body. His instinct was to snatch her away from the group, to claim her as his own. He hadn't felt such a profound need for a woman since his mate died, all those years ago.

As she walked down the aisle with her daughter, he wanted them to be walking to him, for Lira to be handing her parent over to him. It shook him to his core how much he wanted her.

Chapter Seven

"So, when will you be moving to Redby and joining the pack?" The curt words cut through the easy small talk. The man was not quite glaring at Magda, but it was close.

She wasn't eighteen and scared anymore. She wasn’t the young girl who cowered and dropped her gaze. Her hackles raised and her gums ached with her wolf’s fangs threatening to break free, but her voice was pure sweet syrup when she spoke. "Why sugah, I don't think we've ever been introduced. Especially for you to take such a demanding tone with me." Her smile was more like a teeth baring threat. "I'm certain you don't mean to be so forward at my daughter's wedding."

Silence fell over the group she'd been chatting with and tension filled the air. Magda tilted her head in challenge, tipping her chin up. She wasn't about to be bothered by some young pup.

There was a subtle adjustment in stance from other members of the pack, a new stiffness that filtered through the others. Fire rose in her blood and anger fed the flames. This is why she'd stayed away from shifters for so long, the pack instinctively turning on the outsider or a lower ranked member.

Her long suppressed fury at shifters bubbled to the surface and she felt her fangs pushing out. She pulled a long breath in, trying to calm herself. She would not be the first to wolf out, but by god, she would defend herself.

Except the heavy hand of an alpha didn't come down on her shoulder. No, it slammed down on his when Bates put himself between them. "Dammit, Reid.” The Redby Alpha grumbled. “You've been working on this asshole thing. A wedding is not the time to slip up." A growl slipped out of the other wolf, but it was cut short by a hard squeeze from the Alpha. "Now apologize to the Mother of the Bride."

Reid clenched his teeth and curled his lips in a smile that mirrored Magda’s. "My apologies.” The words came from between his gritted teeth. “I did not mean to be rude. I was only wondering when you were moving."

"I'm quite content at my mother's home.” She sniffed. “The B&B is really lovely and we do have a bit of catching up to do." She had no intention of being rude, but she was never going to join the pack. Ever. "I enjoy Grayslake and I like being close to my daughter."

A woman slipped up beside her. "Magda, Mia has told me so much about you. I know there is so much happening right now, but I'd love to do lunch and have a good gossip. I'm Zoey. That lunkhead is my brother.” She raised an eyebrow at Reid. "He's working on the jerk thing." She turned to Reid, "Besides, Ty granted her Visitation as long as she wants in Grayslake. And so did Bates.” Zoey wiggled her fingers. “So go find your mate and make kissy face."

Reid crinkled his brow and frowned. "But she's a full wolf shifter, she really should be part of the Redby Pack. It's where she came from."

Magda shook her head, unwilling to be drawn back into that mess. "Not to be rude, but I have no intention of joining a pack. Any pack or clan or flock of shifters. Pack politics are nothing but trouble."

A deep laugh broke the tension. Magda almost stepped toward the source, everything inside her demanding she get closer to the male. The tall and deeply charismatic doctor she'd been carefully avoiding now stood nearby.

His gaze landed on her and stayed there while he spoke. "I've stitched up far too many hotheaded cubs and pups to deny that. Ladies, Gentlemen, I don't know if you noticed the dancing is about to start and Lira promised me Magda for the first dance."

Before she could demur and put him off, he'd whisked her away from the group. He led her onto the dance floor, his hand settled on her waist while the other clasped her hand. His heat sank through the thin fabric of her dress and his scent invaded her senses.  He was too close, too big, too much of a temptation.

They slowly drifted across the floor and he leaned in close. "You waltz beautifully."

He was perfectly proper, but Magda felt slightly scandalized by his hands on her. Her cheeks burned when she realized it was because his slightest touch set desire alight within her. She murmured, "Thank you. And thank you for interrupting. That conversation wasn't going to get any better."

"Lira really did ask me to dance with you."

"So you're only dancing with me as a favor for my daughter?" Her bubble of joy burst.

He shook his head. "No, not a bit. I took advantage of her good nature because I wanted to dance with you and didn't think you'd say yes unless it was for her."

Her eyes dropped to his chest and she said, "Oh." Magda couldn't help but smile a little. It was nice to have a handsome man want to dance with her. It had been a long time since she felt desired.

"Oh, indeed. It's what set my course over to you, but I'm glad I was able to spirit you away from Reid. He's our resident alphahole, but he's working on it. Still, when he gets an idea in his head, it's hard to smack it loose. Better to whisk you away to the dance floor."

They took a few more turns around the dance floor before Magda spoke again. "Well, I am enjoying myself."

The song ended and he escorted her away from the crowd, but didn’t release her. "Can I convince you to walk with me?"

Visions of dark paths and hot kisses danced in her vision and for one glorious moment, Magda considered slipping away with the handsome doctor and seeing if his kisses set her aflame as she imagined.

But before she could say yes, Jake's voice rang out through the crowd. "Thank you all so much for joining us. Before they roll out the buffet, we wanted to take a moment, to thank you all for being here with us. The last few years have been tumultuous ones for both the Grayslake clan and the Redby pack." He cleared his throat and smiled at Lira. "Lira asked that we take a moment of silence to remember those lost to the violence of the past, including her own father."

A solemn hush fell over the crowd and Magda went cold. Instead of being on a lawn lit by a thousand twinkling fairy lights, Magda was in the car with Stuart, Deirdre and her mate. The women were in the backseat as they drove out of town, when a heavy pickup roared next to them. Unable to push them off the road, instead it passed them and clipped their front bumper as he cut them off.

Instead of the music and laughter she heard the sickening sound of bending metal and the moans of dying men. The smell of blood clung to her as a hand touched her shoulder.

"Magda?" She was trapped between her memory and the present until her eyes snapped open with that voice. Marc's grey eyes were soft with concern. "Magda, are you okay?"

Gathering her wits, she said, "I'm sorry, I have to go." She didn't wait for a response as she turned and fled.

Chapter Eight

The rest of the reception had gone by in a blur. Magda went through all the motions until she could finally escape. She could have kissed Mia for refusing to allow her to help clean up, instead sending her home.

Now she was wrapped up in a fuzzy robe and sitting in the window seat in her bedroom, watching first the stars then the lightening sky. Magda tried to press down the memories as she'd always done, but something about Marc had triggered old, buried pain.

Her and Deirdre giggling together. Talking about the new lives they were going to lead, away from the overbearing politics of shifter life. Her own mother had been aghast at the thought of her taking a human mate. Thought she must be wrong, that is was purely lust that would burn out in due time. Being young, running away to elope seemed like the best course of action. Neither of the girls really expected to stay away from Grayslake for long. Once they were married and they'd had their babies, they'd be welcomed back. Except instead of a short exile, two long decades stretched out for Magda.

She tried to pull her mind away from the memory of the accident. But it was like a blur of snapshots overwhelming her. Sounds, the screaming. And so much blood. Then waking up in the hospital. Her secret loss, that she demanded the doctor keep to himself.

A strange hard shell wrapped around her as she lay there, healing. Stuart was gone and she was ashes inside. When anyone from the pack tried to speak to her, she turned away. Everyone said they never meant for it to go so far, for anyone to actually die.

But she'd known what they meant. She was expected to give up her mate, because the Alpha demanded it. That they'd claimed each other was of no matter to that drunken bastard. He was the Alpha. He was to be obeyed. And when he'd asked, no, when he'd told her she'd be moving into the pack's house, she stared at him with cold eyes. She understood what his leer meant, she would be away from the protection of her mother. Leaving with a man had made her an adult in his eyes. Someone to be used.

Deirdre held her hand tight and shortly after he left, had everything arranged. Magda smiled at the memory. The sister of her heart simply made things happen. After a few phone calls, they simply walked out of the hospital that night and lost themselves in the human world.

Perhaps if Magda hadn't lost her pup, she wouldn't have blocked herself completely from the shifter world. Or maybe Deirdre, having been an orphan until Grace adopted her, couldn't stand to completely cut herself off. It was something they'd never talked about. For a long time, Deirdre didn't even tell Magda she was writing Grace.

Magda watched the sky turn pink and finally got up. She headed downstairs. If she couldn't sleep, she could at least make some coffee and have some breakfast. Maybe she'd finally beaten her mom downstairs.

Except of course, Grace was fussing over the stove.

Grace said, "I was wondering when you'd finally come downstairs."

"Do you ever sleep?"

"Do you?"

It wasn't a challenge, though. Her mother's tone was soft, almost gentle. Magda slumped in the chair. It was an odd sensation, discovering she wanted to share all of this with her mother.

"Not tonight at least. I couldn't sleep."

Grace put a cup of coffee in front of Magda, then paused, unease written across her face. "Tell me to shut up, or mind my own business if I'm out of line. But, something happened tonight."

Magda nodded.

"When they talked about loss. You were thinking of Stuart."

"It made me think of him, yes."

Grace put the coffee carafe between them and sat down next to her. She said, "You haven't been with anyone since him, have you?"

"I've dated. Even had sex with other men, merely to ease my needs." Magda looked past her mother.

"But they weren't Stuart."

"They weren't my mate." Magda refused to let anyone, even her mother, diminish what Stuart was to her.

"Of course not. They never satisfied, quite right, did they?"

"No. It was pleasant enough. But there was never that fire, the connection." Magda slumped back into the chair, past being embarrassed about talking about her sex life with her mother.

Grace said, "But Marc, he makes you feel something, doesn't he? He just has to look at you."

Heat flooded Magda’s cheeks. "How did you know?"

"Child, please. You do know I have eyes? I saw how you looked at him, at the wedding. For a moment, you glowed." Grace grinned and took a sip of her coffee.

"I barely saw him."

"You danced with him, beautifully, I might add. Then, you looked at each other like no one else was there."

"But clearly, other people were there." Magda was embarrassed her mother had seen her so vulnerable.

Grace said, "Well, no one had asked me to dance yet, so I was people watching. But you shut down in that moment, you looked utterly withdrawn as you walked away, like you were pulled back into your shell, again."

Grace let the long silence grow between them, until Magda finally felt compelled to talk. "I did, Momma. I felt that wild, carefree passion and it was so good and so clean. And I hadn't felt like that since the night Stuart died. But I wasn't thinking about him, not at all. All I could think about was Marc. If Jake hadn't started speaking, and broken the moment? I never would have thought about Stuart. And the fact that I hadn't thought of him, that I'd forgotten for a moment, it triggered remembering that night. All I could see was the accident, playing over and over again in my head. The screams and the blood and the pain."

"You've been up the whole night, haven't you?"

She nodded and sipped her coffee.

Grace continued, "There's something more, isn't there?"

Magda winced away from her mother's insight but finally nodded. "It wasn't only that I hadn't thought of him. Everyone else I've been with? I was thinking of him, missing him. And I wasn't. And in that moment, I also realized, when I thought of him? It was from pictures of him. I can't pull up exactly what he looked like from memory. I pull up pictures I have of him. My memories are compromised. How could I forget him? How could I betray him like that?"

Grace wrapped her hands around Magda's. "Oh beloved, that's the cruelty of memory and the salvation of our futures. Memories fade away. So slowly we don't notice. The further away we get from them, the harder it is to see them clearly."

Magda nodded, tears flowing down her face. "But to forget him, he gave up everything for me, including his life. He knew it was dangerous, that he could be killed. That I could shift and easily kill him. But he trusted me. And I forgot."

"You didn't forget him, you still remember your love."

"What does it mean that I forgot him so completely with the touch of another man?"

"After over twenty years? That you are still here, still breathing and loving. Do you think Stuart would have wanted you to wither away? To be empty inside, filled only with longing?"

Magda laughed. "He was so kind hearted. I'm sure he'd be absolutely furious with me. How dare I not go on to have a happy fulfilled life. Except, I never met anyone who could even hold a candle to him. So why partner with someone who I didn't love, couldn't love? That would be unfair to them, merely using them."

"Except the good doctor, he gives you pause. You could love him. If you let yourself."

"Well, we're physically compatible, but that doesn't mean I could love him, that I'm capable of loving anyone that way. I don't even know him well enough to decide if I want to know who he is."

Grace said, "Well, you both live in the same small town."

"He's embroiled in pack matters and you know how I feel about that."

"No one will make you join the pack."

Magda snapped, "That's clearly not what Reid thinks."

"Well, it's not up to him." Grace snapped in return, giving her the same attitude.

"For now. He'll be Alpha again one day. I've spent too many years alone to be enslaved by a puffed up male."

"Well, Reid isn't that bad. He's good, inside. Deep."

Magda shrugged. "Says you. He'd still try to force me to his will. And I'd rather be alone than accept that."

"You are under Ty's protection." Her mother pointed at Magda. “Besides, Reid is busy in Brooksville running his own bear clan.”

Magda pursed her lips, trying to make her mother see her point. "So my freedom is at the whim of another man—a bear? I don't care for that at all."

Grace sigh. "I understand. Still, you live in Grayslake now and like it or not, pack life, clan life, it's important here."

"I know that. There are always hierarchies, even in the human world. They'll have no reason to hassle me, I simply want a quiet life." Magda slumped back in her chair. "I want to watch Lira and Jake start a family, free from all the darkness of the past."

Grace said, "And you want to hold a fat, little baby."

"How cute are their kids going to be? Aren't you excited to be a great grandmama?"

"Perish the thought! Although I suppose I could be Super Memaw, if you wanted to be called Memaw."

Chapter Nine

Magda once more sat in her window seat, looking out over the woods that bordered the B&B. The warm afternoon glow made her restless, like she should shift and go into the woods and run until her paws wouldn't carry her any further.

In the few days since the wedding, she'd been getting more and more edgy. She didn't think she was unhappy with her choice to stay in Grayslake. But something was making her antsy and unable to focus. Puttering around the B&B was nice, but it wasn't like there was anything to do. She actually missed her old job.

There was a soft knock at the door and Nancy said, "Hey Auntie Mags, can I come in?"

She smiled. The bubbly young girl didn't leave a lot of room for angsty brooding. "Of course, dear, come in."

The teen bounced into the room and said, "Memaw said dinner was important tonight. Ty and Mia and Bates and Zoey are def gonna be here." Nancy opened the closet and rummaged around. "Helen and I are gonna watch the baby over at the clan house, so I gotta motor."

Magda's head tilted as she watched the teen riffling through her closet until she pulled a dress out. "Are you planning on asking me to borrow something?"

The teen's face screwed up in distaste. "Uh, no. Not a bit." She gasped and flapped her hands. "Not that you don't dress totally cute, but it's not what I would wear. It's just that Memaw said she wanted you to wear this dress and I figured it was easier to find it than try and describe it." Nancy thrust the dress at Magda and turned for the door. "I'm going to leave and shut up now before I ruin every future birthday ever."

A giggle escaped from Magda and she said, "Thanks for backpedaling so nicely. I appreciate it. Tell her I'll wear the dress."

Nancy smiled at her aunt and blew her a kiss. "Guests should be arriving in about 45 minutes, so slap your best face on!" She paused, slightly unsure and said, "For what it's worth, Memaw actually looked a little nervous about this. I guess this is supposed to develop into some sort of neutral meeting ground?"

Magda said, "I take it she shooed you out of the closet before you could overhear anymore?"

"Well, I mean, yeah." She shrugged her shoulders. "Totally took the book I was reading too. So mean. I was almost done! Now I'll never know if the Dragon of Preor gets his mate!"

With that, Nancy skipped out of the room and ran down the stairs.

Magda shook her head as she laughed and muttered to herself, "I don't remember ever being that young and carefree."

She looked at the dress that had been picked out for her. Interesting. Most of her clothes were on the sleek and modern end, stern suits cut for a fuller figure. This was a splurge for her, a fun and almost flouncy dress. Not what she would have chosen if it was a serious business event.

For a moment, she wondered if she should wear something else, but her mother would have no problem sending her upstairs to change, even if company had already arrived.

Magda put the dress on.

***

Marc paced nervously in the parlor. When Maybelle asked him to be her escort to dinner, he didn't expect it to be at Grace's B&B. And definitely not with all the local shifter leaders. Of course he wasn't going to say no, it would be very rude.

And Magda would be there. Maybelle was no fool, when he'd hesitated, she patted his hand and said, "Oh honey, you won't have to be bored to death by the old biddies. Magda will be there."

His heart sped up. He had to see her again. He'd been trying to casually run into her since she dashed away at the wedding. Marc had been so sure she was going to walk with him, to run wild in the woods with him, until she was suddenly gone.

Which left him standing there, wondering what he'd done wrong. One moment, he could feel her blood surging. She had to feel the mating call he did. But then, she looked like she was a million miles away, then darted away from him without saying a word or giving him a backward glance.

For a moment, he doubted himself. Maybe he was merely feeling boring old lust. Maybe Magda wasn't his mate. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he cast it aside. He knew what it felt like, he knew what he felt—what his wolf felt.

He knew Magda was his mate. He had to convince her to give him a chance. When Reid lit into her, he’d sensed the beginning of her shift from across the room. He could have kissed Lira for stopping him and giving him an excuse to whisk her away.

He would have hated the drama of fighting his former alpha.

A sharp pain erupted in his shin and he yelped.

The cane that whacked him was still in Maybelle's hand and she said, "For the love of all you hold dear, stop. You are making me dizzy. Everyone will be here shortly." She pulled the cane away from his leg. "Besides, do you want people to see you all worked up? Try, as the kids today say, to have some chill."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he spoke. "Please tell me you aren't meddling? I’m an adult. Magda is an adult. We don’t need people pushing us together. All you will do is upset her."

Maybelle’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "Who said anything about Magda."

He groaned as he realized he'd stumbled into a trap. "Maybelle, please, tell me this isn't some elaborate ruse you cooked up."

"As if! There really is a meeting tonight." Her tone turned serious. "Ty and Bates are trying to establish more frequent, casual meetings. So that when something serious happens, they have better relationships to deal with them. It's far past time to work more closely together."

"So, why am I here? I'm just a doctor."

She clucked her tongue and looked at him like he was an idiot. "You deal with the human world far more than they do."

A deep, male voice interrupted them and said, "For instance, when a shifter shows up at hospital, all the forms that have to be submitted to the state look correct. Ever since the last Hospital Administrator retired, it's been dicey."

They both turned and looked at the door. Ty, Mia and Gran stepped through into the room.

Mia gave Maybelle a big hug and looked at the doctor. "Thanks to you, Ethan's ramblings got his wild tales of a bear shifter discounted."

Marc shrugged, "Well, First Do No Harm. I know he technically should have been killed for learning about the paranormal world. But he was too high profile, that would be too much heat on us. I had to make the call."

Ty said, "You did a good job. I appreciate it. Kept the Southeast Itan off my back."

Marc stepped forward and the men shook hands.

Grace came into the room and Mia said, "And I've been dying for some of Grace's apple pie."

"Flattery will get you everywhere in this house." She glanced at the clock. "Now, where are those wolves already? Bates knows better than to be late for dinner."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. There was a flurry of activity and Marc watched as Magda carefully descended the steps. Time stood still for him and he couldn't look away from the smile on her face. The dress she was wearing made it look like she floated down the stairs.

As she turned to look into the parlor, her glowing gaze drifting around the room, Maybelle smacked him in the shin again. "Have. Some. Chill."

Chapter Ten

Magda hurried downstairs when the doorbell rang. Her mother had insisted she needed a particular serving piece that was in the back of her closet. When Magda asked why it was back there, her mother gave her a scathing look that sent her scurrying upstairs to find it.

She could stare down an angry, violent wolf, but her mother? No way.

Except she tore the closet apart and nothing. When the bell rang, she threw her hands up and hurried downstairs as Grace was letting Zoey and Bates inside.

Her vision swung to the parlor and halted on the tall handsome doctor she'd definitely been avoiding since the wedding and the talk with her mother. She froze unable to move for a moment, until the firm hand of Gran pushed her into the room.

He was rubbing his shin and glaring at Miss Maybelle, who looked like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Magda’s eyes narrowed when none of the older women would meet her gaze.

It was a set up.

And it was in front of the Itan and the Alpha. Who were either in on it, in which case, no matter how much she liked Mia and Zoey, she was going to leave them widows. Or the meddling grannies had hoodwinked the shifter leaders.

Which seemed exactly like something they would enjoy doing.

She turned to her mother, who simply smiled brightly at her. "Oh, you're finally down. I was wondering what you'd gotten up to."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really mother? You sent me up for a freaking serving piece."

"Oh, I found that in the pantry." Grace waved her hand, dismissively. "You should have come down right away."

Magda's fingers twitched with murderous intent. "Don't think I don't see right through you."

Her mother just kept smiling cheerfully at her.

It was Gran who took her arm and lead her over to the larger group and whispered in her ear, "Be gracious in defeat, dear."

She considered grabbing all three meddling grannies out of the room by their ears and giving them hell. How dare they.

But Gran was right, Magda was incapable of not being gracious. So she simply smiled at Gran and said, "Oh, I can wait until later," as she turned to the group and greeted everyone. Mia's eyes darted over the scene, she grinned and elbowed Ty.

Memaw shooed everyone into the dinner room and Magda could have killed her when she saw there were little placards for everyone. And of course she was sitting next to Marc. Her traitorous body fluttered in hot anticipation.

She settled in and smiled at him. No point in being rude to him, he looked as flummoxed as she did. She didn't want to want him.

What was it her mother had said, that she'd never given anyone a chance to get close. Would Stuart have wanted her to be lonely decade after decade? He wouldn't. And thinking about him felt like a fond memory, not a sharp pain.

She covered up her shock with a sip of water. It didn't hurt to think about him, to think about being with someone else.

The table was mostly silent as everyone filled their plates. As people ate their fill, conversation picked back up.

Marc spoke quietly to her. "I believe we were set up, but I can't find it in my heart to be upset," and he gestured at his mostly empty plate. "Your mother's cooking is really spectacular."

"I take it the hospital cafeteria doesn't hold a candle to it?" Magda decided not to delve into why they were sharing the meal.

He shuddered and shook his head. "It's only recommendation is that it's open at midnight and very little else in the area is open."

"So at least it beats starving to death?" She smiled, feeling more at ease that she had in ages.

"Only just."

They chatted quietly until Grace stood up and said, "I have coffee set up in the parlor, for anyone who wants."

As they all moved towards the hallway, Gran stopped Magda and Marc and said, "Marc, be a dear and take Magda for a walk. They have some really lovely paths." Her face grew serious, "I know it's a slight imposition, but we need to talk to the Itan and Alpha about something fairly private. You don't mind, do you."

Magda lifted an eyebrow. It wasn't that she didn't want to walk with Marc. She didn't want to be pushed. But since Gran's face was uncharacteristically serious, Magda smiled and patted Gran’s hand. "Of course not. It's a lovely night."

They both looked to Marc, who merely extended his arm to Magda and smiled. "Of course, it would be an honor and a pleasure."

She took his arm and had to suppress a shiver as the warmth of his arm penetrated his jacket. They walked out the front door and down the steps. She guided him towards a path and said, "I didn't bring a light, so straying into the woods isn't the best idea. But this path is lit and kind of winds around the house."

They walked in silence for a few moments and Marc was the first to break it. "So you know, I had nothing to do with whatever happened tonight. Maybelle asked me to escort her to dinner. In fairness, she did say you would be there, to sweeten the deal."

"I had no idea you would be here at all."

"Would you have run away if you'd known?"

Magda stopped in her tracks and turned to him while she rolled his question around in her mind. "You know what? I don't know."

His voice was even and still when he said, "Do you not like me? Because I like you very much, but every time I see you, it feels like you’re about to run away. Did I do something to offend you?"

Chagrin made her pull away from him and wrap her hands around her arms. She had to be honest with him. "No, it's not that, not at all." She turned away and stared into the darkness. "My brain short circuits when you touch me. I haven't been with...no, that's not entirely true." She took a deep gulp of air, trying to cool her frenzied mind. "You know I lost my mate?"

Marc said, "A great tragedy in Grayslake's past."

"I've dated since I lost Stuart, but I never let myself get close, to any of them. And honestly, I always looked for people who wanted something temporary like I do… did. I've spent over twenty years mourning my loss and guarding my heart." Her shoulders drooped and she pressed on. "I don't know if I never wanted to open myself up to that hurt or I didn’t want to bother when I knew they couldn’t be my mate. But I have to be honest with you. I don't really see that changing."

No matter what her mother said, the hard facts were that she already had a fated mate, and he was gone. She liked Marc, but it could only ever be casual.

"We have things in common, you and I. It's something I don't like to talk about a lot, but I lost my mate fifteen years ago." He paused and looked up at the stars, composing himself. "She was pregnant with what would have been our first baby. A very rare condition, called Amniotic Fluid Embolism. Sudden, unforeseen and unpreventable. I'm a doctor and there was nothing I could do. They were both gone."

He extended his hand, offering it to her.

"I'm not asking you to forsake your family. Or join the pack. I only want to get to know you. To take you out to dinner. To be seen squiring the prettiest woman in Grayslake on my arm. I won't ask you for anything you aren't ready to give, but I will be honest, I don't believe we only get one opportunity to love—to mate."

Magda stared at his outstretched hand, unsure if she should take it, but then a voice whispered in her ear, urging her. For one moment it almost sounded like Stuart, so she listened and reached out. Her hand shook so much she almost couldn't grab his, but he waited, patiently, not trying to rush her until she finally clasped his hand in hers.

A gasp of breath exploded out of her lungs when their skin touched. She hadn't realized she'd been holding it in until the noise rattled in her ears. She giggled at the absurdity of it all. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just..."

"It's been a long time since holding hands made your pulse race and your skin tingle?"

Her mouth went dry and Magda nodded.

He grinned then laced his fingers through hers and let their palms lightly touch. "I'm not going to hide that I like touching you."

Magda bit her lip as jolts of lust zipped through her. She expected him to pull her roughly into his arms, but he waited, watching her.

"I meant it, I'm letting you set the speed." His voice was honey sweet and pulled her in. "I'm not above trying to lure you in, of course. What I want to do is touch my lips to yours and see if they taste as good as they look." Magda took a step toward him and he kept talking, "I want to wrap my arms around your waist and pull you close to me, to mold your body against mine and feel you tremble with need and desire."

She took another step and laid her hand on his shoulder, looking up at him. She felt vulnerable, like she was taking a step forward into uncharted waters, but she tilted her chin and whispered, "Please, kiss me."

He lowered his mouth slowly, and she savored the anticipation. His lips were gentle on hers, but firm and uncompromising. Magda melted into him, barely able to hold herself up as he released her hand and let his hands slide down her back.

His mouth was intoxicating on hers and Magda lost herself completely in the moment, knowing nothing but the heat of the man in front of her. His tongue slid between her trembling lips, plundering her mouth and she could hold nothing back.

Magda clung to him and revealed in the hardness of his body pressed into her softness. His hands stayed maddeningly still, yet clutched at her.

He finally broke free, his voice strained when he spoke. "We have to stop."

"What if I don't want to?" The words slipped out before she could stop herself. She felt wild, forgotten needs demanding attention. She wanted to shift, to run into the woods, run and chase him until he caught her.

He groaned and captured her lips again, this time with a voracious urgency. His hand eased up her back and stroked her shoulder up to her neck. He twined his fingers in her hair and the kiss grew savage between them.

The sound of tearing fabric drug Magda out of her fugue. She was shocked to realize she'd shifted slightly, her nails razor sharp and his jacket was splitting beneath her fingers.

They released each other, their mutual gasping breathing punctuating the cooling night air.

Her breathing finally slowed enough that she could mutter, "I'm sorry about your jacket."

"If you promise our second kiss will be as incredible, I'll make sure I wear Kevlar-enforced clothing from here on out."

She could only laugh. "I suppose I have to say 'yes' to a date now."

"Only if you want to, but this thing between us? It's explosive. My wolf was screaming to run with you."

Her body ached for him, still. "Mine too."

Magda couldn't take her eyes off him, as he slipped out of his ruined jacket. "Magda, as much as I want to stay, I think I should go, right now. All I want to do right now is kiss you again, and I'm reasonably sure I saw someone twitching curtains in the house and I'm not sure if it would shock them or if they would simply grade us."

Some of the tension drained out of both of them as she laughed. "Knowing my mother, Gran and Miss Maybelle? Grading us. Definitely grading us."

He rubbed his forehead. "That does quell my enthusiasm." He chuckled, "But only slightly."

"You at least get to go home! She's going to grill me the moment I get inside."

"I hope I gave you something worth talking about."

He held out his hand and she took it. They sauntered back towards the house.

Marc said, "I'd like to take you out tomorrow, are you available?"

"Well, I'll have to check my calendar..." His growl made her smile, "Oh, look at that, I'm available! What were you thinking?"

"How about bowling? Best fried comfort food in Grayslake, your mother's cooking aside. Keeps us in public and on our best behavior."

They stopped in front of the house and he tilted his head, waiting for her answer.

She said, "I'd love to go out with you tomorrow. And I'd love to go bowling with you."

He dropped a lightning fast kiss on her wrist that made her wish they were alone. Marc turned and walked towards his car.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be driving Miss Maybelle home?"

"Ty and Mia will have to give her a ride. I'm leaving before I embarrass both of us."

Magda watched him drive away from the porch. She turned to go inside, her hand on the doorknob when it struck her. He'd slipped away and she was left to face all the Itan, the Alpha, her friends Mia and Zoey and worst of all?

All three meddling grannies.

Chapter Eleven

Nancy and Helen lounged on Magda's bed as she fluttered around the room. She tried not to let the teens see how flustered she was, but when she changed her outfit for the fifth time, she suspected they could tell.

"Auntie Mags, where is he taking you? Bowling?" Nancy pointed at the sexy but very impractical heels she wore. "You are going to be wearing gross rental shoes. Wear the cute sneakers, with the sexy jeggings."

Magda picked up the stretchy jeans her daughter, Lira, had insisted she buy. She remembered how they highlighted every inch of her well-rounded posterior. "Are you sure about these, they are kind of clingy."

Nancy leapt off the bed and pulled a slinky, shiny red shirt out of the closet. "Yup, I'm completely sure. And no old lady tops. Wear this and he'll eat you up with a spoon." She walked over to Magda's drawers and pulled out a lacy plunge bra and handed it to her. "And please, wear this bra. No guy wants to ogle a full-coverage thing."

Magda's face burned. She wasn't going to tell her teenage niece that she wasn't planning on letting him see her bra. "We're going bowling, I need to keep from jiggling."

Helen started giggling when Nancy said, "No, you are going on a capital D date. He'll enjoy a little jiggle."

She snatched the bra and walked into the bathroom to change, muttering to herself about being schooled by children. Even if they were right. Magda walked out of the bathroom to show them the outfit.

Helen spun her fingers and said, "Strut for us!"

Magda had to oblige, even though the outfit felt slightly ridiculous. Maybe she'd try on the palazzo pants next. She shook her head at herself. They were even less practical and not remotely casual.

The girls both wolf whistled and Nancy said, "Yup, that's it. No more changing. Not that you have time, he's gonna be here in like, 2 minutes." She pointed at the clock. "I mean, he's probably down the road, watching the clock so he arrives at the door two minutes late. So he doesn't look thirsty."

Helen said, "Let's shift and toodle down, see where he's waiting." Both girls were off like a shot before Magda could say anything. She looked at herself in the full length mirror. To her surprise, she thought she looked good. No, she looked hot. Even in the comfy, colorful Converse sneakers Nancy picked out.

The red shirt made her skin glow and Magda peered closer in the mirror. She didn’t look like she was approaching her 43rd birthday. She spun and looked at the rear view.

“Damn, I do have a nice ass.”

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her derriere musings and she headed downstairs to answer the door. With the girls haring around, they weren’t going to answer it for her. As she walked, she realized she was definitely going to have to wear the outfit now.

She pulled the door open with a smile on her face, but she wasn’t prepared to see him, not really. His eyes twinkled with his smile and they stared at each other.

He broke the moment first when he said, “You look magnificent.”

Her urge was to minimize his compliment but the way his eyes burned she could only smile at him and murmur, “Thanks.”

Magda grabbed her purse and walked out to his car, admiring it’s sleek, low slung lines. As he opened the door for her, she said, “So, mid-life crisis car?”

His head shook with laughter as he closed the door. When he got back into the car, he mock glared at her and said, “I'll have you know that Dearest Elisa was a gift several years ago." He started the car and headed towards the bowling alley.

She said, "From?"

Marc shifted uncomfortably and finally said, "Fine, from myself."

She grinned, it was fun teasing him. She guessed he didn't get much of that at the hospital. "And the occasion?"

He sighed and said, "Do I really have to tell you?" One look at the teasing moue of her lips and he groaned heavily. "It was a birthday gift. Specifically, my fortieth."

She crowed. "Totally called it! Although I mean, what's the point of working hard if you can't treat yourself."

"I feel like I get some leeway, I'd driven a beater for about ten years before that." He turned to her and said, "Besides, I'm guessing you did something nice for yourself on your fortieth birthday?"

Magda gasped and clutched her chest. "Are you saying something about my age." For a glorious moment, he thought she was serious and panic ran across his face, until she laughed. "I bought myself several completely ridiculous handbags. Absolutely gorgeous designer bags. Kate Spade sends me a birthday card every year."

They pulled up to the bowling alley and parked.

Marc turned to Magda and said, "Are you sure you want to eat here? I'm suddenly realizing I have a beautiful woman I want to impress in my fancy sports car and I'm taking her bowling. And offering her bar food."

"I'm looking forward it, actually. Low stakes. No expectations. Only that I'm going to kick your ass."

"You're on!"

Chapter Twelve

Marc was glad he hadn't bet on the outcome of their games. Magda was absolutely schooling him, but he didn't mind in the least. She approached the lane with a sexy swagger that made his blood boil. Those jeans hugged her curves like he wished he could.

Her face glowed with happiness as she hit another strike. Her cheeky grin made him want to bend her over his knee and spank that perfect globe until she squealed with need.

Magda sat down next to him and said, "Told you I was going to win."

"The only downside to your skill is when you get a strike, I don't get to watch you saunter away twice."

Her breathe caught in her throat and he could feel the flaring of desire in her. All he wanted to do was kiss her until she admitted they were mates. But if he even whispered the word, she'd be out of Grayslake so fast all of Georgia would catch fire. And he understood. The moment that he realized his first mate was really gone, something changed in him too.

They'd at least gotten to have a life together. Time together. Not like Magda and Stuart. So he wouldn't push.

Much.

But he was going to have to get her beneath him soon. He needed to know how she sounded when she came.

"You're staring at me." Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

His head dropped in a nod. He said, "Yeah, I was thinking about how your eyes glint when you're feeling a little mischievous. And that when you throw the ball? Your shirt pulls up and those jeans are pulled so tight I start to get religion."

Magda's eyes went wide and she licked her lips. Marc couldn't look away from that sweet, soft mouth and imagining all the things she could do with it. The heat between them simmered until she pushed his arm.

Her voice was low and sultry and sent tingles up his spine. "Play your frame before we get carried away and banned from the only bowling alley within twenty miles."

It took every ounce of his willpower to stand up and throw the ball down the alley.

And this time, when Magda went up, he swore she slowed her walk to a saunter and put a little extra swing in her step.

"Games over." She rested a finger on his chest. "I won." She traced a line down his belly that made his cock swell with more need than he'd ever felt. "I think I deserve a prize."

Reckless abandon took over his brain. He tilted her chin up with his finger and said, "Turn in your shoes, because I'm going to kiss you and I think you'll want some privacy."

The only thought in his head was getting his hands on her, feeling the weight of her juicy orbs in his palms and making her scream with need and release. Neither spoke as they dropped off the rental shoes and walked to the car.

Marc paused and opened the car door for Magda. She pressed her body against his as she slid into the bucket seat. Blood thundered in his ears and he wondered if anyone would notice if he bent her over the hood of the car.

Her mouth was a smug little moue as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. He closed the door firmly when her little pink tongue swept the curve of her cherry red lips. He practically ran to the driver's side, feeling more like a randy teenager than he was willing to admit.

He had only one thought, to get her to his home. He glanced over at her and realized she wasn't wearing her seatbelt. He smiled at her, now was his chance to tease her right back.

"Let me help you with that."

He let his hand graze the front of her shirt and grinned at her sharp intake of breath. By leaning his whole body across to reach the belt, their body heat mingled. He grabbed the buckle and she surprised him by pressing her mouth into his.

The moment their lips touched, the world fell away from him. All he could do was press further into her softness. Her hands lifted and clutched his shoulders and he let go of the buckle.

His hand skimmed her curves, exploring the edges of her body. They devoured each other, lost in their passion when a determined knock on the driver's window brought them crashing back to earth.

Marc leaned back and groaned while Magda tried to stifle a giggle as he rolled the window down.

Van Abrams looked into the car and shook his head. "I recognized your car, but when I saw the fogged up windows I assumed you must have left the door unlocked, and some kids were fooling around."

Magda dissolved into giggles, unable to look the clan Enforcer in the eyes. She bent over at the waist and howled with laughter into her knees.

"I kind of hate you right now, Van. After I bought you beer, this is how you repay me?"

"That was about Jake's response when I caught him and Lira, as well. Sorry, Magda."

Before Marc could answer, both his phone and Van's went off. They both groaned as they checked their texts.

Whatever lingering arousal Marc felt was quashed as he glanced up at Van. He turned to Magda and said, "I am so sorry, but there is an emergency at the hospital. I have to go there, immediately."

With a rueful twist of her lips, Magda hopped out of the car. "I can get a ride, I'm sure."

Marc pointed at Van and said, "Make sure she gets home safe." His voice went low and gravelly, he didn't like turning his mate over to the other man, not when he hadn't been able to claim her yet. "Safe. Understand?"

Van's eyebrows went up and he shot a look between the two of them before nodding. "As if Memaw Grace would let me live out the night if anything happened to her." He turned to Magda and said, "Wanna visit with Lauren and Mia? They were up to shenanigans when I left the clan house."

It wasn't exactly the way Magda intended on spending the night, but if she went home now, she'd have to tell her mother what happened.

"Sure, sounds like fun! Let's hit the grocery store on the way, so I can grab a bottle of wine."

Chapter Thirteen

Magda heard raised voice and hurried downstairs. She peeped into the parlor and groaned when she saw Reid. She'd gone from looking forward to the weekly dinner with the shifter leaders and Marc to dreading it when she found out he was coming.

And when poor Evie called and said she was sick? Magda almost manufactured an out of town emergency. She hadn't seen Reid since the wedding and from everything everyone said? He wasn't likely to let go of the idea that she needed to join the pack.

It would be a cold day in hell before that happened.

But she didn't want to make it awful for Ty and Bates. The B&B was technically in Grayslake, so all she needed was Ty's permission, which she had. But he was the Itan, she knew very well he could pull that permission at any time. He wouldn't do it for no reason, but in the end, she was here at his whim and she hated that.

And it might become problematic that she refused to join the pack. The worry gnawed at her. Lira was deliriously happy with Jake and had no problem being part of the Grayslake Clan. But Magda couldn't forget what had happened. In the end, whatever the Itan or Alpha decided was best overrode everything else.

So she hid behind the door, listening to Reid rant at Ty. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely fair, but he wasn't letting anyone else talk either.

A hand settled on the small of her back and Magda shot about a foot into the air. Fright made her gasp and she spun around. It was Marc. He pulled her into a kiss that made her forget Reid, shifter politics and even where she was.

Until a throat cleared and her mother said, "Youth." She then pushed them through the door. Everyone, except a cross-armed Reid, smiled at them.

Grace said, "Dinner will be ready shortly. The roast needs a bit longer."

Mia's stomach made a loud grumbling noise. "Sorry, the smell is so incredible."

Magda and Marc made their way over to the love seat and settled down. Ty and Bates were talking about starting an inter-mural soccer team as a way to channel some of the younger shifters natural exuberance.

In a lull in the conversation, Reid finally couldn't contain himself anymore, turned to Magda and spat out, "You need to join the pack."

Magda's back went ramrod straight and she summoned every bit of fortitude she'd ever possessed to keep staring at him and said nothing. She let the silence grow and handed the awkwardness back to Reid.

His voice was gruff, "I’m doing this wrong. Evelyn always deals with this shit.” He growled and tipped his head back, snarling his next words. “I feel you need to join the pack."

She almost cackled, remembering that Reid was trying out a new therapist to help him with his “anger issues.”  Also known as homicidal tendencies. 

Instead, she kept staring and nodded in acknowledgment when he turned his attention back to her. "I have no intention of joining the pack." She gestured at Ty. "As I said before, Ty has granted me permission to live and work in Grayslake, so I don't need to join the pack."

"But you're a wolf, you were born to this pack.” He spat the next words through gritted teeth. “I feel it's part of you."

Magda shrugged and Reid started to lose his cool.

"I feel I could make you join the pack."

She snapped back, "I'd like to see you try."

They both growled, Reid’s louder than hers, when Bates' hand came down heavily on Reid's shoulder. Ty stood next to Magda, positioned to defend her if needed, or to hold her back if she sprung at Reid. She didn’t think she could take the larger wolf, but she’d go down fighting.

It was Zoey's calm voice that calmed Magda down. "Reid, you insufferable walnut. We already talked about this. I’m not forcing Magda to join the pack."

Reid scowled at his sister, who stuck her tongue out at him. "Bates is the Alpha, it's his call, not yours."

Bates threw his head back and howled in laughter. "Seriously, Reid. Zoey made it very clear that if I tried to force Magda to join the pack--which, by the way, I have no reason to do--my bed would be ice cold and very lonely."

Reid swiveled to look at Ty who waved his hands, warding away his glare. "No way am I getting in this. Her daughter is a member of my clan and Magda's done nothing wrong, so she's welcome to live in Grayslake without interference."

Mia piped up, "I told him if he tried to pressure her, he could sleep in the woods. Alone."

Ty nodded. "Yup, and I like sleeping with my mate, Reid. Unless you plan on keeping me warm this winter?"

Mia said, "He's a wicked snorer, sleeps naked and likes to be the big spoon."

Zoey turned to her brother and said, "Why are you so dead set on pushing this?"

Reid muttered, "I feel she'll be happier in the pack. Wolves need their packs. And she's smart and savvy, the pack would be better for having her. And her background in hospital management is something we're dying for."

Shock mingled with contentedness in Magda. "Reid, did you just compliment me?"

He stared out the window, not looking at anyone. "Everyone likes you and you’re good at getting people to work together. You'd be an asset. You can't lead if you can't figure out what people are good at. Plus, the Doc really likes you. If you join the pack, it means you'll stay with him."

The simplistic explanation caught Magda off guard. Marc liked her enough that Reid worried about the impact of her leaving. It made her warm and comforted.

And she realized that while Ty was standing slightly in front of her, Marc hadn't left her side. But his body had shifted, his hands half paws. He wasn't interrupting her or trying to force her to de-escalate, he was simply waiting to back her up. Magda rested her hand on his knee and smiled at him.

Gran walked in at that moment and said, "Reid, your doggie bag is ready."

He turned to Magda and started to say something, but shook his head, muttering under his breath. He took the bag full of containers and said, "Thank you, Gran. Evelyn will really appreciate this. It's a miserable cold and there isn't anything much I can do."

She smiled at him. "Rest and good home cooking will do her a world of good."

He started for the door, pausing only to look back at Magda. He pointed at the couple and said, "Eventually, you'll have to make a choice. For his sake as much as yours. He is part of the pack."

Chapter Fourteen

Reid's parting words rung in Magda's ears for days. After he'd left, dinner went fine, but Marc had gotten called back to the hospital, again. They were incredibly shorthanded and finding doctors for a rural shifter hospital? Not easy.

Magda paced round and round the house, thinking. Walking and thinking. What did she want? What did he want? He claimed he was happy keeping it light and casual, if that was what she wanted.

So what the hell did she want?

When she thought of her future, what did she see? When she closed her eyes at night, right before she fell asleep, she wanted him next to her. Magda wanted his arms around her, holding her as she drifted away.

But in the cold light of day, with the weight of the past, she felt adrift. He was a family man, a pack man. He would be miserable if he had to leave the pack. And could she really be on the outside of the pack while he was on the inside? Eventually, he'd have to choose.

It was better if she chose, before it could destroy her heart.

She walked up to the porch and sat on the swing. The sky was the perfect pink and gold of a summer's early evening. Fat, fluffy clouds drifted across the sky as a light breeze cooled her.

All she needed to do was get up, change into her new outfit, grab her purse and head over to Marc's where he was cooking her dinner. They'd both danced around it, but being at his home meant that there would be no nosy grannies or clan enforcers to interrupt them.

She might not know what path they would or should take after tonight, but her body buzzed with excitement. She'd bought new matching lingerie, a sexy new dress and sky high heels. They might not be able to have a lifetime together, but they would have tonight.

She was going to do everything in her power to make it memorable.

***

Marc glared at the oven. The beef wellington was resting and it would either be perfect or he'd be ordering pizza. Magda wouldn't care, but he would. It was in his DNA to hunt and provide for his mate. She really wouldn't appreciate it if he ran down a deer and offered her the carcass, so an elaborate meal it was.

And not that he'd expect it, but in high hopes, he'd made sure his bedroom was spotless and the sheets clean. His wolf pointed out that he could bend her over the table and have her for dessert.

Which would be delightful, but he wanted to savor and appreciate her the way she deserved.

But he noted it for a future romp as he could easily picture drizzling her in chocolate sauce. His cock hardened and he shifted. He had to stop thinking about her and sex or she would walk in the door and he'd pounce on her like a puppy who just figured out how to hump a leg.

The table was set. The candles were waiting and there was a box of matches out. The salad was in the fridge. The fingerling potatoes were roasting in the oven. He had a bottle of red breathing and a bottle of white chilling, depending on what she drank. A Boston Creme pie chilled in the fridge.

The doorbell rang. He opened the door and there she was. Her hair was in soft, dark curls that tumbled around her shoulders. His mouth went dry at the deep plunge of the red dress that wrapped around her curves. When she stepped in, he got a flash of her inner thigh as the dress taunted him.

She walked past him, smiling and her subtle, musky perfume teased him. Marc closed his eyes and started reviewing medical charts in his head, otherwise, his wolf was going to take over, ruin dinner and the possibility of her ever seeing him again.

He followed her in and guided her to the dining room table. He could finally speak and said, "Would you like some wine? I have a lovely Vino Verde or a hearty Cabernet."

"I'll take the white. Sadly, reds give me a headache." Her laugh was throaty and rich. "I'm not planning on having a headache tonight."

He had to turn and walk into the kitchen. He wanted so badly to take her until she screamed his name, then claim her completely as his mate. He brought her the wine and poured for both of them.

He took a sip and let the light effervescence dance on his tongue. They made light small talk as he brought the food in, saving the beautiful beef wellington for last.

Her eyes went wide and she said, "Did you make that from scratch?"

"Absolutely. Since we did greasy fried bar food, I thought I should show you I really do know how to take care of a lady."

Her full lips curved in a gentle smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing how well you can take care of me all night long."

His wolf howled for her, but he managed to stuff it down long enough to serve them. To his relief, the meat was cooked perfectly.

***

Magda's horny bitch of a wolf didn't care about the tender filet or the perfectly crisped potatoes. No, she wanted to pounce on the doctor who was trying so hard to be a gentleman. From the moment he'd opened the door, the sexual tension between them was thick and she was practically panting for him. It would be a miracle if they made it to dessert.

No, it would be a miracle if she made it to dessert. He was holding out just fine.

The buttery sauce started to drip off her fork, and her tongue quickly lapped it up. He was transfixed on the action of her tongue, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his fork and knife. Maybe he wasn't holding out just fine after all.

She scooped up more of the creamy sauce and let her tongue dance over the tines of the fork, moaning softly and letting her eyes flutter shut. His silverware clattered to his plate.

Why was she pushing him so hard? Because she needed him, wanted him, had to have him. Magda had forgotten what it was like when two shifters came together. Everything was sharper, stronger, better.

When she finished, she opened her eyes and said, "Delicious. You've filled my mouth delightfully."

His eyes were yellowing, and she could sense his wolf close to the surface, his basest needs and desires trying to take control. His gaze locked on her lips, so she let her tongue slowly trace the edge before whispering, "I wouldn't want to miss a drop. Did I get it all?"

Raspy voiced, he said, "No."

He reached out, his finger tracing a line around the bottom edge of her lip and Magda's nipples went rock hard. She couldn't help herself and let her tongue flick against the tip of his finger. His now damp finger slowly traced its way down her neck. Her breathing became strained as he followed the line of her collarbone. When he hit the edge of her dress he followed the line to the center.

At that moment, her hands were gripping the edge of the table and the dampness between her legs grew. Her eyes went wide when he stopped. His other hand was gripping the edge of the table as hard as hers. Magda saw him struggling to fight back his need. He was doing it because he thought that's what she wanted.

But she wanted him, she needed him. Now.

Chapter Fifteen

Marc felt the wood of the table splintering beneath his hand. He had to stop touching her, to take his hands off her, but her soft skin beneath him sent lightning bursts of desire through him. He could see her nipples straining the fabric of her dress and he wanted to know what those sweet berries would taste like on his tongue.

The primordial call of her wolf's need was screaming through him. He desperately tried to control himself, to pull his hand away from where it rested on her chest, but he couldn't. Her lidded, smoky eyes dared him to keep going, but once he started? He's not stopping until she's beneath him and coming.

Magda's lips parted and she practically whispered the word, "Please."

It's all the encouragement Marc needed. His hands slid under the edge of her dress until he finally captured the hard nub of her nipple between his fingers. Her head fell back and her groan echoed down his spine. His cock swelled and begged to plunge into her already, but he intended on making his tease pay for pushing him so close to the edge.

He leaned towards her, finally releasing the edge of table with his other hand. He rested his hand on her knee as her legs widen to give him access. The silky material beneath his hands drove him upward and he gritted his teeth when he discovered the lacy edge of a stocking. He traced the line of the garter belt to her bare inner thighs and when she started to move her hands to reach for him, he growled.

"No." She froze. "Don't move. This is your punishment for teasing me." She nodded and bit her lip. She squirmed a little under his hand.

With one hand still teasing her nipples, he finally let the other find the heat between her legs. The lacy scrap of fabric hid nothing from him as he softly stroked her until her legs trembled and her knees fell open. He finally found the edge of her panties and slid his fingers between her soft, soaking petals. He gritted his teeth when she cried out and arched against his hand.

She was hot and wet and Marc wanted nothing more than to pick her up and slide her down his cock. His thumb circled her hard nub while his fingers sought out the deeper warmth of her sheath and as he plunged into the slick heat of her core Magda sucked in a shaky breath.

He let her get used to his invasion while teasing the sensitive bud at his thumb. When she writhed against him, he moved in response, delving deeper into her with each stroke. He let the tempo build as he watched her face.

Her eyes were closed as she lost herself completely to his touch. The muscles in her arms and the cords in her neck stood out as she gripped the chair arms. Her hips moved hard against his hand and her cries grew louder.

He could feel how close Magda was as he relentlessly ground against her. Her whole body grew taunt and her entire body arched, then convulsed into a chain of spasms around his fingers as she wailed out her cataclysmic release. Marc withdrew gently and sat back in his chair.

Magda slumped against the chair and her eyes fluttered open. "Wow."

"We're not done yet." He was relishing every moment of the anticipation.

"I hope you don't expect me to walk anywhere just yet." Her smile towards him was soft and dreamy. "I don't think I can move."

Marc smiled at her, filled with the satisfaction of satiating his mate. "I wouldn't dream of it." His eyes locked on hers. "I was thinking that I needed dessert." He lifted his fingers to his mouth and licked the sweet nectar.

She damped her lips with her tongue, mirroring his action, then bit her lip. Magda let out a sharp gasp when he stood and walked over to her. He eased her chair away from the table and dropped to his knees in front of her.

Marc couldn't resist, and stole a hot, sweet kiss from her mouth. When she started to move her hand, he caught it and pressed it back onto the chair arm. Her lips were trembling under his and he caught her lower lip in a gentle nibble that made her moan.

He rained kisses from the edge of her mouth down her neck. Marc paused at the junction of her clavicle. His wolf begged him to bite down and claim her, but he clamped that impulse down. She wasn't ready and he needed her intoxicating nectar on his tongue.

Marc put his hands on her waist and moved up her ribcage, finally getting to cup her bountiful orbs. He gently squeezed the plump mounds. He couldn't resist lowering his mouth to the still pebbled tips, wetting the silken fabric of her dress until her hands gripped the chair arms.

He sat back on his heels and moved his hands down her soft belly, sweeping the lush curves of her hips and thighs, down the outside of her legs to her ankles. He lifted one leg, dropping a kiss on her ankle.

"These are hot as hell." He admired the sky high stilettos and the delicate strap around her ankle as he rested it on his shoulder and slid between her legs.

The skirt of her wrap dress split open, falling to the side and leaving her open to his gaze. He grinned and said, "God, I love a wrap dress. You are so fucking sexy."

The red lace of her scant panties highlighted the neat, dark curls of her mound. He licked his lips in anticipation as he hooked her other leg around the chair.

The delicate lace shredded beneath his needy hands. He tossed the remains to the side as he buried his face in the sweet warmth between her thighs. Magda pulled in a lungful of air as his tongue swept up to the sensitive bud. Her hips lifted and he slid his hands under the rounded curve of her bottom.

He feasted on the sweet honey he'd briefly tasted before, delving deeply into her molten core. She rocked against him, driving him into frenzied motion as he tried to drive her higher, yet again.

Her ragged gasps guided him until he felt her sheath clench again, recognizing her approaching climax. He drove harder until her strong thighs clasped him tighter, then she screamed and shuddered in ecstasy. Spent, she slumped in the chair.

Marc gently unwrapped her legs from around him, then sat back and drank in the vision before him. His mate, satisfied. Again.

Chapter Sixteen

Magda could barely move as Marc stood and picked up his wine glass. He tossed back the drink and set the glass back down. He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.

Magda squealed, worried that her ample figure was too much for him, but when he easily held her to his chest, she melted against him.

He said, "I meant to have the candles lit, rose petals spread around." Marc set her gently on the bed. She sat up on her elbows, watching him as he slowly stripped off his shirt.

For a doctor, he was surprisingly well built. Magda couldn't wait to run her tongue down his chiseled abs. His pants hung low, highlighting the sharp V leading to the bulge in his pants. He loosened the button and Magda couldn't wait a moment long, reaching out for him. His skin was soft and the muscles hard under her hands. She pulled herself up and ran her tongue down the center groove of his stomach.

His moan emboldened her and she ran her hand down the front of his pants. The thick bulge throbbed in her hand and she needed to see him, to taste him. She pulled his zipper and let his pants drop to the ground. Marc's hands twined in her hair as she nibbled her way down to the edge of his boxer briefs.

Magda hooked her fingers under the edge of the waistband and tugged them down, releasing his thickness. Her eyes went wide as she got her first look at him. So thick and perfect. Her tongue flicked out grazing the tip. His hands tightened as she stroked his velvet length. She looked up at him as she wrapped her lips around his cock. His eyes were glazed with desire as he looked down on her.

She only got to enjoy him in her mouth for a few moments before he stepped back, his thumb swirling over her lips.

"If you keep doing that, I'm not going to last but a moment, and I need to feel you wrapped around me."

She couldn't keep a smug little smile off her lips as he pressed her back onto the bed. His hands made short work of her dress, loosening the ties that kept it on, until he could toss it to the side. Magda sprawled back on the bed, while he knelt between her legs, staring at the lacy bits of lingerie she still wore.

He reached behind her and unhooked her bra, flinging it over his shoulder. Then, Marc ran his hands down the outside of her legs, the silk of her stockings holding the warmth of his fingertips for a moment, until he reached her ankles. He slipped her shoes off and tossed them to the side. His gaze feasted on her lush curves, his fingers dancing gently over her body until she was shaking with need.

Magda was helpless under his spell. He was everything she'd fantasized about.

His wandering hands paused at the snaps to her garter belt and he said, "You look so exquisite, but unwrapping you is even more fun." He loosened the snaps and slowly peeled her silken stockings off. Her skin was so sensitized that she was moaning with need by the time he got them both off. The garter belt was quickly tossed to the side.

Magda writhed against him, pulling him into the cradle of her thighs. She needed to feel him. His hard length moved against her slick, wet heat until he found her waiting entrance. He moved against her, easing into her core, pausing to let her body accept his erotic invasion.

She writhed against him as he began to move in slow circles. As passion overtook them, he went from steady, measured movements to wilder, more frenzied motions. His body delved deeper into her until the he finally drove her to a shattering explosion, her body spasming around him driving him over the edge until he joined her in ecstasy.

Marc collapsed next to Magda, wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. She drifted in and out of sleep in the warm comfort of his embrace. Magda must have fallen more deeply into sleep because the ring of the phone startled her fully awake.

Her first instinct was to find her mate. He pulled her into his chest as he sleepily answered the phone.

She blinked in confusion. Mate? Her mate was long dead. Dawning fear filled her. She tried to push through the confusion, to pretend that her body hadn't felt comfort and relief when he touched her, soothed her.

If he wasn't her mate, she could have stayed. But the cold stone in her pit told the truth, he was her mate and to stay with him would destroy them both. Now, if she stayed as his mate, he would bite her, claim her and she would have to be part of the pack, to bend to the Alpha's will.

Eventually, he would have to choose between the pack and her. And he would choose the pack. Even if he didn't initially, time and again, the pack would call him and he would have to answer.

The shifter world could be cruel and capricious. At the end of the day, they were animals, inside. At her own daughter's wedding, she’d wanted to shift and kill Reid.

She clung to Marc, not really listening to the call, wanting to remember that this was the last time they would touch, that she would feel his body pressed against hers.

He flung the phone over his shoulders and pressed his lips against hers, branding her as his for all time.

The fire of desire lit inside her again, but he pulled back and chuckled. "God, I can't believe how much I want you right now." She twisted and wrapped her legs around him, pulling him tight to her body.

She needed him again, to take her, make her forget she had to leave. He stirred, thickening against the burning flame against her core.

He groaned, "I shouldn't. I have to go." But when she ground against him, his hands tightened on her hips. "I don't have time to make it good for you."

But with a tilt of her hips, she captured him and pulled him deep into her waiting core. She ground against him as hard and fast as she could, her legs locked around his waist. The words tumbled out of her, "fuck me hard and fast."

He flipped her on back and pounded into her. Passion and rage mixed in Magda's body as she accepted all he could give her and gave back as much as she could. Thrusting wildly, his body stiffened and she was swept away in a wild flood of frenzied passion, her body shuddering with wave after wave of pleasure as his molten release joined hers.

They collapsed on the bed. He lay there a long moment before throwing himself off the bed and staggering to the bathroom. She curled up, grateful to have had such an incredible night with him. She listened to the water flow in the bathroom.

She watched him step back into the bedroom with sleepy eyes. It would be so easy to drift back to sleep and pretend for a little while longer. He dropped a kiss onto her forehead before he slipped into clothes.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go to the hospital. They are short staffed and the on-call surgeon came down with food poisoning." He paused at the door and looked back at Magda. "I hate that they woke us, but my god, that...that was memorable. Make yourself at home, I'll be back as soon as I can. Keep the bed warm."

Magda flopped back as he left burying her face in his pillow, inhaling his scent. She was trying to brand everything into her memory. Tears slipped down her face and she wailed. She was going to lose love again. Finally, she dried her face and slipped out of the bed.

Chapter Seventeen

The drive back to her house was uneventful. It felt so big and scary for her, but the town was quiet. The B&B was dark as she pulled up.

Magda slipped into the house and up to her room. It didn't take long for her to pack. She stared at the bags, her heart flipping. It was shockingly similar to the night she'd left Grayslake the first time. Except this time, she regretted leaving her mother.

Magda wondered if she should wake her and say goodbye. If she left without saying anything this time, her mother would be distraught. But the decision was made for her when she heard a soft knock at the door.

She opened the door and her mother stood on the other side, her hands crushing her robe lapels. But Grace's voice was calm when she said, "Is there anything I can do to help."

Magda stared at her mother with tears in her eyes, finally falling into her mother's warm, loving embrace while she sobbed. Magda finally whispered, "I have to go, Momma. I have to leave Grayslake. Will you forgive me?"

Her mother couldn't cover up the quiver in her voice, revealing her fear and sorrow. "Oh baby, I will miss you so hard. Will you let me know where you are? Or that you're safe?"

Magda wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do, other than that she had to leave, she couldn't see Marc again. Magda wasn't strong enough to resist him if she saw him again.

"I promise. I just, I have to go. I'm sorry."

Her mother's hands were warm on Magda's cheeks. "My sweet girl, I love you. I'll be here, waiting, if you need me." She picked up one of the bags and helped her down to the car.

Magda gave her mother one last long hug and got into the car.

Grace grabbed the door frame, her voice tight, and said, "I won't tell him, them, anything. I made that mistake before, doing what I thought was right."

Magda was flat and cold. "Do you really think they'll ask?" She wasn't part of the pack and was only peripheral to the Grayslake Clan. "I'm sure in a few days, any interest will die down."

Grace's head shook side to side and gave a sad sigh. "Oh Mags, you have no idea do you? Are you sure you don't want to sleep on your decision?"

Her mouth had a wistful turn, but Magda shook her head no and whispered, "Bye, Momma," as she backed away from the house.

Tears nearly blinded her as drove down the road. She grabbed a tissue and scrubbed at her eyes, pushing down her feelings and focusing on the road. The silence of the car was overwhelming, but she let the whir of the wheels on tarmac be the music she drove to.

Long minutes passed and she realized she'd unconsciously chosen the same route out of town they'd used all those years ago. The same section of road she'd very carefully avoided since she came back. Her foot eased off the gas pedal and her heart beat faster.

As she came to the stretch of road where her mate and her youthful dreams both passed away from her, Magda's throat tightened. Before she could think too hard or long, she pulled to the shoulder and stopped the car.

A deep, shuddering moan escaped her lips and she flung the car door open. The headlights illuminated the side of the road and she walked forward. How could this ordinary, boring stretch of road bind her so tightly.

Magda realized there was a plinth in front of her that she didn't recognize. She stepped forward and realized there were words engraved on the black stone. Her fingers traced them as it took a moment for her brain to process the words. The world fell away from her as her vision tunneled in on the simple words.

It was a memorial. For Stuart and Lira’s father.

A shaft of ice drilled through her heart and her ears rang. Was this something Deidre did? Why else would it be here?

A wooden crack in the underbrush broke the mood and scared her. She shouted, "Is someone out there?"

A dark shadow broke away from the trees and Magda growled. Fur sprouted on her arms and her claws began to push out from her hands. Her lips stretched to cover her fangs and the taste of blood combined with her fear started to push her shift out of her control. Her bones were twisting, and if he was human and saw her shift, she'd have to kill him.

Besides not wanting to kill a potential innocent, it would force her to stay in Grayslake until she could report it to Ty. And she could face punishment.

A scent carried to her, it was familiar, but she was starting to lose control. She growled a warning, telling the other shifter something was wrong. She still couldn't visual identify who it was, but he stopped and his scent washed over her. Reid.

Fear and rage and the deep pain at losing Marc took hold of Magda's mind and she saw only red. He was going to force her, like they'd tried to force them years ago. Right here, where she lost Stuart, she was losing everything again.

She gave into the blind rage and released the chains on her wolf. She shifted and leap at him, screaming out her defiance. She would not go back in chains.

He twisted away from her, shouting words that the wind whipped away. She sprung back towards him. As he danced away, he got a hand on her ruff and suddenly she was human again. Her wolf was shoved rudely into the back of her mind and she landed heavily on the ground, the wind knocked out of her.

His foot was on her back and she waited for his killing blow, but he stood there for a long moment before he finally said, "You done? Didn't mean to scare you, thought you would recognize my scent."

"You'll have to kill me, you can't force me to go back."

Reid stepped back and said, "I realize I have a fairly well deserved reputation, but why the hell would you think I would kill you? Or drag you anywhere?" He seemed insulted. "I am a happily mated wolf and even if I wasn't, I would never force a woman."

The panic of the moment faded and Magda rolled over on her back. "I don't understand anything right now."

His eyes were sympathetic. "I scared you, your mind was already full of the past, and I've been bugging you about pack bullshit." He extended his hand down to her. "We've all panicked before. Sorry about forcing you human. Evelyn would not have you over for dinner if you ripped my throat out."

Magda accepted his hand up and dusted herself off. She said, "How did you find me?"

Reid shrugged and said, "Van saw you tear away from the B&B, in tears. He was on the phone with me and worried." He swung a bag from over his shoulder, and pulled out a thermos. "Then Evelyn saw you driving away from town and told me. As to this location? I guessed."

"But I didn't plan to come this way, I was distracted..." She trailed off, her voice getting small.

"Yeah, the angry lizard brain takes over sometimes. At least, mine does." He hopped up on the hood of her car and cracked open the thermos. "Evelyn thought if I caught up with you, you might like some tea."

Magda's confusion left her silent and she simply accept the hot tea from Reid. The warmth of the cup felt good against her chilled hands. She wanted Marc to show up and pull her against his chest. But that wasn't what was going to happen.

"This is where the accident happened."

Reid's bald statement made Magda flinch. "It was no accident. We were run off the road and they were killed."

"Was it intentional?" He was very matter of fact.

"Yes. No. I don't know." She sighed, she did know. "No, he was trying to get in front of us. To stop us from leaving. Reid, you don't understand, they weren't going to let us be mates and have a happily ever after. They were going to kill the humans who knew our secrets." Her long suppressed rage and fear started burbling out again. "He thought he could beat me into submission."

He leaned back and looked at the stars. "But you left again."

She stared up at the cold moon. "After the accident, the alpha came to the hospital. Said he was only sorry he hadn't gotten to do it himself." She flinched from Reid's growl. "Deidre heard, we were still together. We left that night, no one expected us to have any fight left."

"But Deirdre was pregnant."

"Reid, we were both pregnant with half shifter babies."

"There's another kid?"

"No, in the aftermath of the accident, I lost the pregnancy. My heart broke all over again. That's when I swore I would never, ever come back here."

"How'd that work out for you?"

She had to laugh at his laconic drawl. "Well, Deirdre was very, very good at getting her way."

"So, what does all of this have to do with you and the good doctor? Did he hurt you?"

"Did he hurt me?" Magda was confused by the question and by Reid being, perhaps not gentle but as gentle as she thought was possible for him. She shook her head, "No, but you don't understand. I can't stay here, not without hurting him."

"Hurting him or you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Sure, cause you're fleeing town like you robbed a bank."

"He's devoted to the pack. And it won't be right away, but eventually, he'll have to choose the pack over me. Over something important."

"So you think he'll love the pack more than his mate?"

She flinched away from the truth of his words. "In a word, yes. The alpha's word is law and must be obeyed. If he wants something bad enough, his strength overrules everything. And I can't, I won't accept that."

Silence hung between them before Reid rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Magda, I can't lie and say that doesn't happen, but the pack isn't about the Alpha being a dictator in charge of everything. Sure, one person makes the decisions, but a good Alpha will take everyone into account."

"It's still the whim of one man."

"Not really. Bates answers to Southeast Alpha and have you met your mother? Whatever she learned from the old Alpha, she has a spine of steel now. Besides, the pack is there to help everyone. We're supposed to work together, to help each other."

"Like how?"

"Magda, the Southeast Alpha no longer recognizes me as pack. I’m clan now. And the Southeast Itan took me in and forced me to take over Evelyn’s clan. Forced. You think I wanna lead a bunch of pussy, whining bears?” His expression showed disgust but she heard a thread of pride in his tone. “If I was a power hungry despot, don’t you think I would have killed my way to the top by now? I could. But I haven’t. Might be fun though.”  He murmured the last words and she wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

"No, I guess not. But, regardless, he can't be my mate."

"You stink of lies when you say that. Does he feel like your mate?"

She nodded miserably.

"And you think if he's your mate, you have to be in the pack."

Magda nodded again.

"Well, since you’re mates, you're gonna want to be part of his life."

"Exactly, and the pack is his life. And the pack will side with him against me, if something happens."

"The pack whose Alpha said he was not going to make you join.” He quirked a brow. “Seriously, has anyone in the current pack acted badly?"

"Besides you?"

"Yes, besides me," Reid said, testily. “And I’m clan now.” He said the words with disgust, but there was no missing the underlying thread of happiness.

Calm now, Magda ran through her time in Grayslake. Everyone had been kind and welcoming. Bates and Zoey had helped make sure Lira's wedding was pulled off without a hitch.

So why didn't she want to accept Marc? She stared at the memorial and stood abruptly. Magda strode over to the somber black plinth and rested her hand on Stuart's name.

"I'm afraid I'll be dishonoring him."

Reid didn’t ask which him she was talking about. "Didn't know the guy, can't say what he would of thought, but I know how I feel about Evelyn. If I kicked it? I'd hate to think she spent decades miserable and alone when she could have found happiness again."

"You would be okay with her being with another man?"

"Fuck no. I'd hate it. If I were alive, I'd fucking kill him for even looking at her. But the point is, I wouldn’t be alive. She would be and I love her more than I hate. Plus, I’d haunt them."

"I hadn't thought of it like that."

"Don't let your past destroy your future. You can thank my fifth therapist for that one. At a certain point, you have to live for you."

Magda dropped her head to her hands. Thoughts tumbled and twirled in her mind. "I have to think about it, I don't know what to do."

"I'm just an asshole trying to reform for my mate and I’d fucking kill for a cigarette right now. You probably shouldn't listen to me. But how will you feel if you run because you are scared?"

"I'm not running away."

Reid grunted. "You were driving away in a car full of suitcases for fun?"

"I guess I was running away."

"Finding your mate makes you do crazy shit, even in the best of times. Maybe you should sleep on it."

Magda nodded. "Yeah, maybe that's a better idea than whatever I was doing."

He held his hand out to her, "Gimme your keys." She hesitated and he rolled his eyes. "Or drive yourself. Except you said you've had a lot of day. I feel it will be safer if I drive."

She handed him the keys.

Chapter Eighteen

He'd gotten home as soon as he could, and Magda was gone. Just the faintest whiff of her perfume on his pillows. His wolf went from a contented puppy to a raging beast, howling that he needed to find his mate, now.

He sat on the edge of the bed, exhaustion making him dizzy. She was skittish, it had been intense, she might have needed to go home, to get some space. He stripped and crawled into bed, pulling the pillow she'd rested her head on towards him, her scent lingering and soothing him as he drifted back to sleep.

He woke abruptly to his phone's vibrations. Magda. He fumbled with the device, but the newest text was from an unknown number.

"Please come to the B&B as soon as possible."

What the hell was going on?

***

Marc stood on the porch, nervously. Something felt off, like the world was skewed a few degrees from center. He couldn't actually see anything wrong, but things felt strange. The air was slippery, like lightning was about to strike, despite the clear summer sky.

He was about to knock on the door when Nancy pulled it open, grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him inside. She put her finger to her lips and shushed him when he tried to say something. She let go of his shirt, but grabbed his hand and drug him into the kitchen.

Grace looked relieved to see him. "How did you know to come here?"

Her back pressed against the wall, Nancy shrugged at both of them. "You promised, Memaw, not me. Magda wasn't exactly quiet when she came home last night, okay?" She rolled her eyes. "I listened at the door. And I didn't text him until she came back."

Marc furrowed his brow and slowly shook his head. "Well, of course she came back from our date, she lives here. And I had to go to the hospital."

"Just sit. Lemme make sure she didn’t hear us." Nancy peeked out into the hallway. "All clear. Let me fill you in, because it seems like you have no idea what is happening.” Nancy plopped in a chair. “Magda went on date. Magda came home, in tears. Magda packed her suitcases, hugged Memaw, who, by the by, then also wept hysterically, then roared down the drive out into the night."

She paused for a sip of water, while Marc mentally ran through every horrible thing that could have happened to Magda. “Then, of all freaking things, like, an hour later, she drives back to the house. Her car? Driven by Reid. Reid, the one asshole who keeps hassling her. They shook hands, then he loped off into the woods."

Marc felt his temper slipping. She'd left. That was what that last frantic coupling had been. It was goodbye.  His hands clenched and he felt fur starting to lift his shirt. He wanted to shift and run, to catch her. Claim her with his bite. She ran. A sudden sharp slap broke his thought spiral.

He stared, shocked, at Memaw. "You hit me a spoon?"

"Goddamn right I did. You start to shift at my kitchen table again and I will put you over my knee." She set the utensil back on the table. "Magda is here. She is here, back in Grayslake because she wants to be. Because whatever sent her running, she got past that and turned around and came back. Are you going to figure it out, or let your stupid wolf rule you?"

Marc was suitably chastened. "I'm going to figure it out." Licks of jealousy still curled around his midsection, but he tamped them down. He should be grateful Reid was there to bring her home, even if he did want to rip the man's face off with his bare hands. He shook his head, trying to knock the irrational thoughts out.

Memaw rubbed her fingers between her eyes, shaking her head. "Do you think you can pull it together before you see her?"

He nodded. "Sorry, I've never had reason to be jealous, before. Not my usual experience. It's hard to shake off."

They heard movement overhead and the sound of the shower. Nancy swung into action. She grabbed Marc and pulled him to the back door. She said, "Take this, follow the directions inside. She'll catch up soon enough and will know where you need to go if you get lost."

"What? She's going to see my car and know I'm here."

But her shove into the small of his back sent him sprawling out the door and he headed the direction she indicated. He looked at his arm, dangling from it was an old fashioned picnic basket.

Chapter Nineteen

The warm water cascaded over her shoulders. Magda leaned forward, letting the water pressure pound at the knots. Sleeping had helped, but her thoughts were still a crazed jumble.

Reid's words tumbled and kept popping up. Mate. Was it even possible to have another mate? Couldn't she like the guy without it being a whole mate situation? Except merely thinking about him made her hot and bothered in a way only one other man had done: Stuart.

Don't let your past destroy your future.

Magda pulled up every moment she'd had with Stuart, every scrap of conversation she could remember. Every emotion and feeling she'd had with him.

It matched. What I feel for Marc matches what I felt for Stuart. Her legs wobbly, Magda sank to the floor of the shower. Holy crap, he's my mate?

And she’d left him without bothering to leave a note. Just a panic-stricken run that apparently half the town saw. He might never forgive me.

Her wolf whimpered, then growled. At least part of her wasn't giving up without a fight. Magda stood up and got out of the shower. Maybe he hadn't even left the hospital yet. Maybe he didn't know.

And if he did? She was going to hold him down until he gave in.

She threw clothes on and ran down the stairs, slamming directly into Nancy as she did.

"Geez, Magda, you'd think you just realized that running away from your mate was really stupid or something."

Magda winced. "So, everyone knows?"

"Auntie Mags, I think dogs know it at this point."

"Well, frick." What she wanted to do was cuss the air blue.

"You can cuss in front of me."

"Yeah, and if Memaw heard me? I need to go, you're blocking the door."

Nancy said, "You running to find Marc?"

"That obvious?"

"Again, dogs know. But since I know where he is, you should maybe not run off like a bitch in heat." Nancy immediately looked around for Memaw.

From the kitchen came a voice, "I heard that! Tell her already and get in here. I have more than enough soap for that sassy mouth."

Nancy winced and shrugged, "Oh well, I kind of had that coming. Anyways, she didn't rat you out, but I did. Y'all are loud and woke me up with all your drama. So I texted Marc a message to get over here."

"He's here?" Magda spun around, sniffing the air, trying to track him, until Nancy grabbed her arm.

"Wow, you have no chill. Just…none. I sent him off to the big rock with a picnic basket. He's probably lost, so go find him already."

Magda grabbed her niece and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Thanks, kiddo. You are shockingly like Memaw."

"What can I say, I enjoy a good meddle. Plus, if you and the doc hook up, he can introduce me and Helen to all the cuties at the hospital."

Magda stepped out of the house and sniffed the air. She shifted as she broke into a run, her wolf had a much better nose and Nancy hadn't been entirely incorrect. She was kind of a bitch in heat. The second Magda's sensitive nose caught the most recent scent trail she was off like a shot, her pace devouring the space between her and her mate.

The closer she got, the wilder she felt. She burst through a set of trees and saw him. Her head thrown back, she howled in exaltation. He was here, he wasn't running away from her. He was running toward her.

As she moved forward, she shifted back to human, their bodies colliding and falling to the ground, wrapped in each other. His lips descended onto her mouth and she eagerly rose to meet him. Her panic dissolving at his touch and her fear fading with every stroke of his tongue.  After a long hot moment, he pulled from her and stared down, looking at her face intently.

Tears slid down the side of her face and she had to force the words out, "I'm sorry I ran."

He peppered her face with kisses and said, "I love you, even if you aren't ready to love me back. I'll follow you wherever you go."

She rested her hand on his face, he was giving her an out, a way to hide. But she hadn't hidden with Stuart and she wasn't going to hide now either. "No. I mean, yes. Dammit. I never thought it could be real, again. I didn't think we got second chances. But I love you and you're my mate."

His hands tightened on her arms and his face grew fierce. "Are you sure?" His intense gaze pinned her to the ground.

"I'm sure. I didn't want it to be true. I thought...well, Reid smacked some sense into me, of all people. But when I'm not with you, I'm miserable and thinking of how to be with you."

"I probably have to give at least a month's notice, maybe more at the hospital. It will be hard to replace me, but now maybe the Southwest Itan and Alpha will have to figure stuff out instead. Not my problem. We can go anywhere in the world you want."

Her heart squeezed tight. He was willing to leave the pack for her, if that's what it took to be with her.

"Oh Marc, what if I said I wanted to be in Grayslake. To watch Lira raise her family and keep Memaw from meddling too much in everything."

His face was serious, "It will be harder for me to be apart from the pack then, but if Ty gives me permission to live in Grayslake there isn't much that Bates can do. Or would want to do. He's not inclined to force me."

"I'm glad to hear that, but, I meant..." this was almost harder than confessing her love, "I meant that I would be your mate, in the pack. Zoey has hinted that they could really use a hospital administrator. And I'm very good at that. I could stay here, with you, as your mate. Join the pack. Even Reid isn't so bad."

"For the first time in my life, I was jealous. Hearing that you came home with Reid? I was ready to take him apart."

"I ended up at the roadside memorial, for the accident. He found me there. Told me I was a goddamn idiot."

"I guess I can let him live. Since he brought you back to me."

"Marc, I love you. I don't want to run from my past anymore. I want to be with you." She tilted her head to the side and exposed her neck. "Claim me."

His lips were hot and fiery against her neck. He paused, "Are you sure, we can wait."

His groan against her skin resonated deep into her core. Her dress pooled around her waist and her fingers fumbled against his belt buckle.

"I've lived without a mate for over twenty years. I don't want to live another moment without your claim. Take me."

He was hard and thick in her hands, and this time, the frenzy inside her to feel him again, it wasn't goodbye. She wrapped her legs around his waist and as he slid home into her waiting sheath, he bit down on her neck, the hot blood forging a connection between them. Forever.

Chapter Twenty - Epilogue

Magda was curled in her mate's arms. She really didn't want to get up and face the day, but a churning stomach finally pushed her flying to the bathroom. Marc padded sleepily after her, bringing her a glass of water as she hugged the toilet and threw up.

She slumped against the sink and said, "Ugh, I really shouldn't have eaten those clams the other night. Three days in a row throwing up."

He handed her the glass and sat on the edge of tub. "Babe, I don't think you have food poisoning."

"I wonder if I'm allergic to something. I've never felt so odd before."

He rubbed his forehead and stared at his obtuse mate. "Let's go over your symptoms, shall we?" She shrugged and he started ticking them off on his fingers. "You get sick first thing in the morning. Sorry for noticing, but your boobs are definitely a little bigger. Your scent has changed."

"My boobs? That's simply hormonal, which is also my scent."

"Exactly. Hormonal. You're late for your period. By about two weeks."

"That can't be right. I'm not ready for menopause yet."

"Oh my sweet, obstinate and blind little mate. Open the cabinet."

Magda glared at him, her mind fuzzy and cranky, but she opened the cabinet. Inside, was a box of pregnancy tests. She pulled them out and looked at Marc, confused.

"Are you trying to say you think I'm pregnant? I'm 43!"

Marc said, "You are a healthy, fertile shifter. Why wouldn't you be?"

"But I'm too old, what will Lira say?" Magda slumped against the cool tile on the wall. Pregnant?

"Who do you think bought the tests?"

"What? Why? Did you tell her you thought that? She must be furious."

"Oh honey, she realized before me, the second your scent changed. She dropped them off a few days ago."

Magda looked up at her mate, and sheepishly said, "Does everyone know?"

Marc gently cupped Magda’s chin and said, "Honey, dogs know."

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Thank you for reading Make Her Howl. Did you miss Jake and Lira’s story? You can catch up with them in Secret to Bear.  To find out more about upcoming book releases join my mailing list or like me on Facebook.

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Other Titles by Flora Dare

Want some bears? Double your pleasure with Bears Repeating.

Looking to try something a little different? Try Alpha Alien or get Taken by Space Pirates.

Have some paranormal cravings? Find out Her Shifter Secret.

More than Mated Kindle World

Keep adventuring in Celia Kyle’s More than Mated Kindle World with books from some of your favorite paranormal romance authors like Mina Carter, Ally Summers, Jessie Lane, K. Collins, Renee George, Ruby Shae, and Terra Wolf.

About the Author

Flora Dare lives in Durham, NC in a cute little pink house, with her husband, Scott and their hellion of a puppy, HaliToeses. She writes love, lust and mayhem in almost every flavor, and like The Pirate Movie, she wants a happy ending, every time!

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DISCLAIMER

The characters and events portrayed in this book are a work of fiction or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.