Scent of a Wolf's Mate Read online

  Scent of a Wolf’s Mate

  By

  Tory Richards

  Copyright 2014 Tory Richards

  All Rights Reserved.

  Published by Tory Richards at Smashwords

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Tory Richards: http://www.toryrichards.com

  Email: [email protected]

  Author’s note: All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

  Comments said about Scent of a Wolf’s Mate:

  Audi F. …This is my first experience reading the written works of Ms. Richards and I enjoyed it a great deal, I also look forward to reading more of Ms. Richards’ paranormal works. I would recommend this title if you are looking for a quick read in the PNR genre to pass the afternoon away.

  Tammy S. …OMG this story is so hot and sexy, I love a hot alpha male and Connor is that.

  Chapter 1

  Serena reluctantly let her car coast until it came to a stop on the shoulder of the road. She hit the steering wheel with helpless frustration, glancing out the window ahead of her. Taking a deep breath, she realized her options were next to none.

  I’m lost and broken down.

  The road she’d been traveling for the better part of an hour was nothing but a narrow strip of dirt, riddled with potholes and filled with brown, muddy water. Pines, maples, and birch trees towered on both sides of her, nearly blocking out the sunset. From what Serena could see, there was nothing ahead of her that indicated that there was anything other than more of the same lonely stretch of road.

  She’d listened to the man at the filling station because he lived here. Well, he’d clearly given her the wrong directions to the Savage Hills Wolf Sanctuary. Now it was growing dark at a rapid rate, and something was wrong with her car. She could do one of two things—walk or sit there until morning. Neither sounded like a good idea.

  She reached for her cell, scrolling through her contacts until she reached Taylor’s number. She could at least let her ex-roommate know what was going on. Taylor had an active imagination, and if she didn’t hear from Serena sometime that evening, she would call the local sheriff and report her missing. The last thing Serena needed was to start out on the wrong foot in her new home.

  Serena smiled as she listened to the phone ringing, frowning on the sixth ring. It wasn’t like Taylor not to pick up right away. Then she remembered that Taylor had a date with Dave, and if they were at the movies, she would have turned her phone off. On the eighth ring, it went to voicemail.

  “Taylor, it’s me. I’m okay, just calling in so you won’t worry. Call me on my cell if you need me. Bye.”

  She tossed her phone onto the seat next to her. They’d been roommates for almost five years. Serena had found it harder than she’d thought it would be, moving her things into storage and saying goodbye. She’d promised Taylor that until she made the decision to stay in Savage Hills she would keep her abreast of her actions.

  Serena sighed. It was going to be a long night. Her gaze shot up to the rearview mirror and she thought that maybe she should get something to cover up with in case the temperature dropped. One thing was certain, once it turned completely dark, she wasn’t leaving the safety of the car.

  Before opening the door, Serena took a long, thorough look at her surroundings. The sun was behind the trees, but she could still see rays shooting through the branches. Stars were beginning to shine through, and by the look of it, there was going to be a full moon. At least that was in her favor.

  She grabbed the keys out of the ignition and opened the door. The temperature had already dropped a little and the wind had picked up. She watched the tree tops swaying as she made her way to the trunk. Is it going to storm? That would be the icing on the cake. Alone and stranded on an isolated road with nothing but the moon to light the way. Serena didn’t frighten easily, but that scenario was enough to give anyone the willies. She opened the trunk and unzipped her suitcase, remembering that she’d packed a knee-length wool sweater. Digging to the bottom she finally found it.

  At about the time she pulled it free of the suitcase, a noise in the trees nearby alerted her that she wasn’t alone. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she let her imagination run wild for a moment. She slammed her trunk shut, narrowing her gaze in the direction that the noise was coming from. Maybe it had just been the wind.

  The trees rustled and a low growl told her that there was an animal close by. Serena held her breath, making her way back to her car door. As she reached for the handle, more growls followed, and then a violent thrashing held her immobile. Whatever it was, she was sure there was more than one. Her gaze followed the movement of the trees along the side of the road as something brushed against them before coming to a stop further down the road from her.

  She waited, watching as two wolves broke through the trees and stumbled out onto the road. Serena caught her breath, her eyes widening with slight surprise. The largest wolf was black, huge and muscular, with snarling fangs and glowing eyes, while the other was brown and clearly anxious. Right before her eyes she watched as the black wolf pounced on the smaller one.

  Are they going to mate? It would be the first time she’d get to see wolves mating in the wild. Mesmerized, Serena watched as the male forced the female in front and beneath him. Then, sinking his fangs into her neck, he mounted her from behind. The female whimpered and submitted timidly, while the male threw back his head, howling as if in victory. The savagery of the attack was both frightening and exciting, and, as a wildlife veterinarian, no matter how many times she witnessed a mating between wolves, she found it fascinating. She continued to watch them for several seconds.

  Suddenly the male turned his head, pinning Serena with a direct look. She held her breath, a premonition of danger alerting her senses. He unlocked his jaw from his mate, baring his teeth at her as if warning her away. That seemed like strange behavior and a moment of fear passed through her.

  Unable to drag her gaze away from the scene playing out in front of her, Serena fumbled to get her door open and slid inside, then slammed and locked the door behind her. The huge male was humping like there was no tomorrow, but his eyes remained fixed on her. Slowly, and with a bit of uneasiness, Serena sank down in her seat behind the steering wheel. They were just animals, yet the intense way that the wolf was looking at her sent chills down her spine.

  “I watch too much Syfy,” she mumbled under her breath. That, coupled with the fact that she was alone and darkness was approaching, was letting her imagination get the best of her. At least she was in the safety of the car.

  She brought the sweater over her body, clutching it beneath her chin. Suddenly the wolf let out a howl that pierced the quiet of the night. The female followed suit. Captivated, Serena watched their savage coupling stop, yet they didn’t separate.
She knew wolves remained locked together for as long as half an hour. It was the longest half hour of her life, and she was glad when it was over and the wolves ran off.

  For the first time it dawned on Serena that darkness had fallen, and it was growing cooler, too. When her phone began to ring she nearly jumped out of her skin. Damn it! She snatched it up from the seat and slid her finger across the screen to answer it.

  “Hello?” Her heart was racing wildly.

  “Hey, it’s me. I’ve been waiting for your call.”

  It was Taylor, and hearing her voice relieved Serena. “I left you a message. If you listened to them once in a while─”

  Taylor laughed. “I know, scold me later. Are you okay?”

  Serena thought about her current predicament, and, knowing that Taylor was a worrywart, decided that telling a little white lie was better than having to worry about Taylor being on the road half the night trying to get to her. “I’m good. That’s why I called. Are you out with Dave?”

  “Yeah. We just saw The Devil’s Mistress, what a cool movie! It…”

  Serena only half listened as Taylor gave her the details, along with her review. Her friend was a talker, a source of constant amusement to anyone who knew her and got caught in conversation with her. Serena let her go on, having learned a long time ago that it was better to let Taylor run out of steam than to try and interrupt her.

  It dawned on Serena that Taylor had stopped talking. “It sounds good,” she lied.

  “It was. Did you reach Savage Hills Wolf Sanctuary okay?”

  “I, um, I’m still on the road but I should be there soon. Look, it’s starting to rain,” She wasn’t fibbing. Storm clouds had gathered above, blocking out the moon and the stars. “I’ll call you again in a couple of days. Bye.”

  What more could go wrong? Serena glanced at her rapidly fogging windows, squinting to see through the glass. She moved to turn on her wipers before remembering that the car wasn’t running. Taking the sleeve of her sweater, she began to wipe at the condensation on the window so she could see outside.

  Without warning, a wolf jumped up on the hood of the car, snarling at her through the window, so close that she could see the steam of his breath. Serena sat back with a gasp. What the hell? Her eyes rounded as fear shot straight through her body. She recognized the wolf as the same male she’d seen earlier. Up close, he was even larger and more threatening.

  What’s he doing? Is he rabid? Usually wolves were shy and stayed away from humans, but this one seemed very interested in her. She was afraid to take her eyes off of him. His eyes were shining like demon eyes, and saliva dripped off his canines.

  Then something prompted Serena to lay on the horn. With relief, she saw him take off. Catching her breath, she sat back, hoping that was the extent of the excitement for the night. Come morning she would walk out of there, but where would she go? The mess she found herself in caused her to shake her head.

  A loud boom of thunder followed by a bright streak of lightning frightened the hell out of her, and Serena let out a scream. Then the unexpected happened—the wolf was suddenly back, throwing himself at the passenger side window. Screaming with fright, Serena hugged the door next to the steering wheel, staring at the wolf with stunned disbelief.

  This time when she used the horn it didn’t work. The wolf only bared his teeth more, growling savagely at her through the window. Determined to get inside the car, he threw his weight, which she guessed was considerable, against the door and window repeatedly, actually shaking the car.

  Serena didn’t know what to do as she sat there frozen while waiting for the inevitable, and then it happened. The glass cracked, before shattering onto the passenger seat. As the huge wolf prepared to jump through the window, Serena opened her door and fell to the wet ground. She screamed, kicking her door shut just as he lunged.

  For a moment, all she could do was sit there, staring up at the window, watching helplessly as the large wolf bared his fangs and looked down at her. Knowing that at any second he could either come through that window or turn around and exit the way he’d come in, Serena knew she had to act.

  As her heart raced the inane thought crossed her mind, how do you escape an angry wolf?

  Chapter 2

  The answer became clear the second the wolf began to paw and slam against the driver’s side window. Serena wasn’t going to hang around to see what he was going to do before she made up her mind. He was after her, and going by his frenzied actions, he didn’t want her to pet him. She struggled to her feet, blinking against the pounding rain. It didn’t matter which way she went, she only knew she had to run.

  She turned toward the woods and didn’t think twice about heading for them. Barely paying attention to the branches and leaves that were striking her body, she ran as fast as she could, blindly into the cold, wet darkness, aware that the wolf’s mate was somewhere out there, too, and possibly with the rest of the pack.

  Serena ran until she couldn’t run any further. Out of breath and with a painful stitch in her side, she fell to her knees. She grabbed her side, wheezing and panting, listening for any sound that indicated that the wolf was following her. For a while, all she could hear was her own heavy breathing and the fear pounding in her heart.

  The rain was coming down in sheets, pelting her body like slivers of glass. It was dark, and the forest surrounded her like a black curtain. In spite of the noise of the rain, she could hear the sounds of the wolf, or something, crashing through the woods, coming her way.

  Oh, God! She got to her feet but it was too late. He crashed through the trees and came to a halt. Serena felt sick and helpless. She knew she couldn’t outrun him, and looked around frantically for a tree that she may be able to climb. With each move she made the wolf bared his teeth in warning. The breath caught in her throat and she slowly slid her foot backwards on the slippery ground. He moved closer, snapping his jaws. Serena knew that if he lunged at her it would be all over.

  Then it happened. Serena watched as the huge beast kicked off his hind legs and left the ground in an arch, leaping through the air directly towards her. She screamed, bracing herself for impact. Then to her disbelief, another wolf broke through the trees, this one unbelievably larger and more threatening than the other. He was beautiful, his sleek coat shimmering silver. His gold eyes fastened on her before his great head turned toward the black wolf.

  What happened next seemed to move in slow motion. The silver wolf intercepted the dark wolf just as he was about to land on Serena, and they both slammed to the ground several feet away. A vicious growl exploded from the silver wolf as he jumped to his feet and made eye contact with the other wolf. Serena swore it sounded like a threat. The black wolf growled back. They circled one another in a frenzy and then lunged at the same time.

  Serena stumbled backwards, aware that this was her opportunity to get away but unable to take her eyes off the scene playing out before her. They crashed together violently, biting and clawing to get to each other’s throats. It was the craziest thing she’d ever seen. There was no way the silver wolf was trying to protect her, it was more likely that the two wolves were from different packs and that it was a coincidence, her being there.

  Serena’s gaze darted back and forth between them as she continued to move until the trees blocked them from her view. The wet leaves slapping together before her face, blocking her view, reminded her that she needed to get out of there. She swung around and began to run, hearing the savage fight of the wolves behind her. No matter how far she ran she couldn’t outrun their battle cries.

  Then a cry echoed through the woods, followed by a wolf’s victory howl. Serena stopped to catch her breath, looking around with wild eyes. She was so lost! A new fear crept over her as she began to shiver violently, soaked to the bone. The thought of running to stay warm outweighed the thought of stopping until morning.

  She was just about to pull off her sodden sweater, which seemed to be weighing her down, when she heard somethin
g. Freezing, teeth clattering, she held her breath, listening for more sounds. Please, let it be a rabbit, let it be a rabbit. When it happened again she swung around in the direction the sound was coming from. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. A rustling indicated that something was coming toward her.

  Her mind raced. Quickly, she took off her sweater. It was wet and heavy. Serena didn’t know what use it would be until the silver wolf came into view. Serena backed up, shaking her head. The wolf walked steadily toward her in a non-threatening way. Without thinking, she threw her sweater over the wolf’s head and then turned to run.

  Something, she didn’t know what, tripped her. A scream escaped from her as she hit the ground hard. She tried to push herself up, but a heavy weight held her pinned against the wet earth of leaves and mud. She screamed, realizing the wolf was upon her.

  Flipped over without warning, Serena found herself pinned to the ground by strong hands. Hands? She felt dizzy with fright. In the darkness and the pouring rain, the wolf seemed almost human. His golden eyes bore into hers. Water dripped from his hair, falling onto her face. His muscular, naked body covered hers completely.

  “You’re safe for now, little red riding hood.”

  What? Serena thought she heard the wolf speaking to her. She was fading in and out of consciousness, fear immobilizing her. She was going to die, and the big bad wolf was going to eat her. It was her last thought as she sank into unconsciousness.

  ****

  Connor stared down at Serena as she slept, satisfied that she was going to be okay now that she was dry and warm. Once he’d gotten her back to his cabin he’d stripped her and wrapped her in blankets warmed in front of the fire. Hypothermia would have been the least of her troubles had his half-brother Clive gotten to her first.