Beauty and Her Beast (Iron Hills Pack, #2) Read online

  Beauty & Her Beast

  Jessica Coulter Smith

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, businesses, and incidents are from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual places, people, or events is purely coincidental. Any trademarks mentioned herein are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used are specifically in a descriptive capacity. Font used in this novel is Garamond.

  Cover Artist: Tomi Warnick

  Edited by Ilse Shaffer

  FIRST EDITION

  ©2016, Jessica Coulter Smith

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  Also by...

  Prologue

  Zach snarled at the woman who approached him. It was a dark night for him, the one day of the year he dreaded most. Several buxom beauties had approached, but he’d sent them all running. Monster. Beast. He’d heard the whispers and didn’t much care. No one could understand the pain he felt every day. His brother and sister-in-law tried, but even they gave him a wide berth when he was in one of his moods.

  Between the two brothers, Weston was the one everyone fawned over, the one ladies dreamed of when they lay down at night. Zach was the nightmare parents told their children, the story of how not to live your life. As alpha of his pack, he held his position more from fear than respect.

  A braver woman than the others settled on the stool next to him and ran her finger down his bicep, a sultry smile on her lips and a world of promise in her eyes. She was attractive in a fake, made-up sort of way. Her hair was teased and styled to fall in chaotic curls past her shoulders, but the honey blonde of her hair was as fake as the rest of her, the dark roots a testament to the time she spent at the salon.

  “What do you say you buy me a drink and we can get to know each other better?” she said, licking her lips.

  “I have a better idea. You can take your hand off my arm and scurry your fake ass back over to your table of friends.” His eyes narrowed on her, and he showed a bit of fang. It was enough to make her blanch, and she nearly toppled from the stool as she ran away.

  The bartender sat another beer in front of Zach.

  “You’re going to scare off my best customers tonight. Any other night you’d have taken that woman up on her offer, hauled her into the alley, and had her suck your cock. And don’t tell me you wouldn’t.”

  Zach shrugged. He wasn’t about to tarnish Delfinia’s memory tonight of all nights. Sexual pleasure was the last thing on his mind. He sipped at the cold brew in his mug. He really wasn’t the heartless bastard everyone thought. Zach loved his brother, and he loved his sister-in-law. In some way, he loved every member of his pack, even if he didn’t always show it. What he couldn’t do was fall in love, not ever again. Losing Del had killed part of him, and it was a piece that would never heal and never be replaced.

  He tipped up his mug and drained every drop before slamming it down on the bar. Even though this was his favorite place in town to hang out at night, it just wasn’t the place to be right now. After a few days had passed, he’d come back, and he’d be in a better mood. Maybe then he’d be ready to take up the blonde’s offer and haul her into the alley like the bartender had suggested. For now, it was better for him to take his ass home and be miserable alone.

  He could snarl at everyone in a few days just as well as he could today, but maybe his wounds wouldn’t be quite so painful then. Fake it ‘til you make it. Zach had lived every day of his life that way since Del had been ripped from his arms, and he’d continue down that path until he either became so nasty that the pack rallied to take him down, or until a miracle happened and some light finally shone in his dark world.

  Anything had to be better than merely existing.

  Chapter One

  A Week Later

  Zach downed the last of his beer and wrapped an arm around the nameless woman who’d had her tongue in his ear most of the night, and her hand on his crotch. It was obvious what she wanted, but if she thought he was taking her home, she was sadly mistaken. The alley in back of the bar was just as good a place for a blow job as any. He may have gained a reputation as a ladies man around town, but his dick hadn’t been inside a woman since he was seventeen and he’d lost his mate. Countless women sucked him off, and he usually made sure they didn’t walk away wanting, but he never fucked them. And he sure as hell never took one home. A bed wasn’t required for his needs to be met.

  It had been twenty-one years since he’d lost Delfinia, and not a day went by that he didn’t think about her. He stayed occupied with the pack, but the crushing loneliness when he was home was almost too much to bear. His brother and beta, Weston, had suggested that he find a nice woman and settle down, but Zach felt like he would be betraying Del’s memory. A wolf had a mate. If he’d been destined to marry some random woman, he never would have found Del. Fate was just a cruel bitch sometimes.

  Zach led the woman out the back door and into the alley. She looked confused and her nose wrinkled from the stench of the dumpster. Quite frankly, he didn’t give a fuck what she thought of the location. All he wanted was a few minutes with his dick in her mouth and then she could go on her merry way.

  “You can’t mean to have sex out here,” she whined.

  Zach reached for his belt. “You can get on your knees out here just as well as anywhere else.”

  Her lips pinched. “You mean you aren’t even going to fuck me?”

  “I’ll make sure you get off if that’s what you’re worried about.” After all, he wasn’t a complete asshole.

  Her hand cracked across his cheek. “Jerk.”

  Zach rubbed the spot as she disappeared back into the building. It seemed he wasn’t going to get his cock sucked after all. He’d thought she was a sure thing, but it seemed even barflies had standards. The thought of going home depressed him, but he sure as fuck didn’t want to stand around in this alley much longer. The rotten food in the dumpster was enough to make his stomach pitch.

  He turned to go in and paused. His keen hearing picked up a shuffling noise and the hairs on his nape bristled. The beast inside him began pacing and yipped. Whatever was out there had roused his wolf. He just hoped like fuck it wasn’t vermin. The wolf might enjoy chasing rats, but Zach did not. He moved around the side of the dumpster looking for the source of the noise. He couldn’t remember the last time his inner beast had seemed so excited about something, and it piqued his curiosity.

  The alley was dimly lit, but his vision was excellent. There was a stack of boxes beside the dumpster, but nothing seemed amiss. He was about to chastise his wolf for going nuts over nothing when the largest box moved. Bracing himself for flying rats, or worse, Zach peeled back the flap of the box and froze.

  Large, elfin eyes stared up at him in terror. Her platinum hair was plastered to her head and looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks. Grime marred her face, but a butterfly-shaped birthmark stood out in a bright red on her pale cheek. A han
dprint was fading on the other. She trembled, and he realized he was staring. The beast inside nudged him again, wanting him to take action. Zach held out a hand and waited to see what she would do. It was hard to guess her age, but he’d guess anywhere from barely legal to thirty. Until she was cleaned up, it was anyone’s guess.

  The woman hesitantly reached for his hand, and he helped her out of the box. Something clattered to the bottom and he realized it was a small flashlight and a paperback book. He didn’t understand why she was hiding in a box behind the bar just to read a book, but he knew there had to be a story there, and it probably started with the fading bruise on her cheek. Whether it was a story that he wanted to hear was another matter. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he’d even pulled her from the box. What did it matter if she was hiding there? What was she to him? Just another nameless woman who was only good for one thing.

  The tattered clothes led him to believe she lived on the streets, and for some reason, it made his gut churn at the thought. His beast whined and wanted him to say something, to do something. The wolf seemed taken with the woman, and Zach didn’t understand why. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but think someone so beautiful didn’t deserve a fate like that. No one did, but just thinking about the angelic creature in front of him, having to scrounge in dumpsters for food, was enough to make his wolf howl in outrage. The beast rubbed along the edges of his mind. Take her home. Want her. Need her.

  Obviously, the wolf had gone mad. He’d never taken a woman home, so why should he take this one with him?

  Want. Need. Must take.

  “I won’t hurt you,” he assured her. He had to admit his beast had him curious about the woman. “What’s your name?”

  “M-Maggie,” she stuttered.

  “Why are you hiding back here, Maggie?”

  She looked away from him, and her shoulders slumped. Zach lifted her chin until she was looking him in the eyes again. His gaze bore into hers, and he marveled at the unusual color of her eyes, almost a lilac. The light brushed over her face, and he took in more details—the delicate arch of her brows, her slender nose, the cleft in her upper lip. She was delicate, and her baggy clothes couldn’t hide her slender curves and small stature. Whatever had happened to her, his wolf was urging him to fix it. The beast was so insistent that it was damn near giving him a headache.

  Want. Need. Take.

  “Why are you hiding?” he asked again.

  “N-not h-h-hiding,” she stammered. “L-live here.”

  Live here? His wolf didn’t like that answer. “You mean you live in that box?”

  She nodded.

  Well fuck.

  Take home. She needs us. We need her.

  Want. Need. Take.

  Her eyes still held a hint of fear, even though she’d relaxed a little. He wondered when the last time was that someone had helped her, or if anyone had ever helped her. For some reason, it angered him to think that she’d been alone and hungry. The feelings left him confused and irritated with himself. He should have gone back into the bar or gone home, not stayed to ask her questions. She didn’t matter. None of them mattered.

  She was tiny compared to him, and even in his anger, he couldn’t believe that strangers would pass her by without lending a hand. Humans could be so damn cruel. And they called him a bastard.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, mentally slapping himself as the words poured out.

  Yes. Feed her. Take her home. The wolf gave an excited yip.

  She hesitated, but nodded as her stomach growled.

  “Let’s get you something to eat, okay? I promise I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to help. Do you know who I am?”

  “N-no.”

  “My name is Zach Drake. I’m the alpha of the local pack, and I swear on my life, you will be perfectly safe with me. Will you come with me? I can take you to the diner, if you want?”

  She shook her head, and her cheeks flushed. “P-people will st-stare.”

  He wondered if her stuttering was from nerves or something more. Either way, she had a soft voice, and he could listen to her talk all night. Yes. Keep her all night.

  If she didn’t want to eat at the diner, then where? He wasn’t going to leave her in this alley. It still killed him to know that his brother’s mate had lived on the streets for a while as a teen. Their sleepy town seemed so nice and safe, but there was an ugliness under the surface, if you looked hard enough.

  Take her home. Take her home.

  Zach was about ready to do anything to shut up the mongrel yapping in his head. No woman had ever stepped foot in his house, except his sister-in-law on a few rare occasions. But having his sanctum breached would be a small price to pay for his sanity.

  “Do you trust me to get you some fast food and take you to my home to eat? You can take a shower while you’re there, if you want to. I won’t force you to do anything. I can even get you some clean clothes,” he said, hoping to entice her. If he asked Abril for help, he knew she’d accept in an instant.

  Maggie looked around the alley, as if weighing her options. She stared at her box, the place she called home, and he wondered what she was thinking. After drawing away from him, she reached into her box and picked up her flashlight and novel, switching the light off. When she faced him, she looked determined.

  “Y-you swear you won’t hurt me? Y-you don’t want sex in exchange for the meal?” she stammered.

  It made him sick that she would even ask such a thing, and he wondered if she’d been made that offer before. Whoever had tried to trade sex for food was going to eat his fist if he ever found out their name. He might be an insensitive asshole, who was more than happy to get sucked off by random women, but even he wouldn’t ask her to whore herself out for food. How anyone could let this poor woman starve was beyond him. The urge to protect her was strong, stronger than anything he’d felt before. Or maybe it was the damn wolf in his head pushing him along. The scent of her fear and uncertainty was making his wolf go nuts. It was so pungent he barely noticed the scent of her unwashed body and hair.

  “I’m not asking you to come with me for sex. I just want to help you, Maggie. Will you let me help you?” he asked in a gentle tone, hoping to ease her fear. He’d never before seen someone so scared, and if he’d had a heart, it would be breaking for her.

  She stared at him a moment before nodding.

  Zach curled his arm around her shoulders and led her out of the alley and around the corner to where his truck was parked. A tremor raked her body, but she didn’t pull away. He helped her onto the passenger seat, buckled her in, and then went around to the driver’s side. As the engine roared to life, he noticed that Maggie was clutching her book and flashlight like they might run away. He hated that he made her nervous, but maybe she’d see she could trust him and let him help her. If he had any say in the matter, she was never coming back to that awful box. She deserved a soft place to sleep, clean clothes, and hot meals three times a day. Fuck if he knew how he’d manage it, though. He had no intention of keeping her like his wolf wanted, but he could at least make sure she was taken care of.

  Even though she didn’t want to eat at the diner, he parked out front and went in to place an order. He selected something he thought wouldn’t be too greasy on her stomach and ordered a burger for himself. The waitress, Joan, assured him she’d bring his order out to the truck when it was ready. There were some perks to being well-known in a small town. As the alpha, he received certain privileges, even if some of those were as small as having food brought to his truck.

  “You d-didn’t have to b-buy me food here,” Maggie said. “Something cheaper w-would have b-been fine.”

  “I offered to take you to the diner. Since you don’t feel comfortable going inside, I ordered it to-go, and we’ll eat at my place. I have sweet tea, bottled water, and some sodas in the fridge at home. You can have whatever you want.”

  “A-are you sure I c-can shower at y-your house?”

  It was the first ti
me she’d seemed hopeful since he’d pulled her from the box. With any luck, it wouldn’t take long for her to realize she could trust him. The last thing he’d ever do was hurt a woman. He’d used plenty of them, but he had never strike one or forced himself on someone, and he never would. There were too many willing to fall at his feet for the opportunity to get up close and personal with his cock for him to take anything not freely given.

  “If you want to shower before you eat, that’s fine. Or you can eat first. I’ll leave it up to you.” And if she showered, she would need clean clothes. “Give me a minute, and I’ll arrange for some clothes to be dropped off for you. What size do you wear?”

  “Small.”

  Zach pulled out his phone to text his sister-in-law, Abril.

  Zach: Do you have any small women’s clothes?

  Abril: I don’t think they’ll fit you.

  Zach smiled.

  Zach: They’re for a houseguest. She doesn’t have anything.

  He looked at Maggie again. If she needed new clothes, she probably needed new shoes too. And socks, and under things, and whatever else females used on a daily basis.

  “What size shoe do you wear?”

  “S-seven. B-but you d-don’t have to get me sh-shoes.”

  He arched a brow and turned back to his phone.

  Zach: And maybe some size 7 shoes. Deodorant. Toothbrush. Whatever you think she might need.

  Abril: What’s going on?

  Zach: I found a woman in the alley behind the bar. She’s homeless. I couldn’t leave her there to starve, so I’m taking her home with me.

  Sounded simple enough, but he knew Weston would have questions after Abril passed that information along. She wouldn’t keep anything from her mate, and Zach wouldn’t ask her to. He just hoped he had some time before his little brother started poking his nose into Zach’s business, enough time to figure out exactly what the heck he was going to do with Maggie.

  Abril: I don’t have anything, but Weston and I will pick up a few things and drop them off at your place. I’ll just ring the bell and leave them on the porch so we don’t upset your guest.