TheTroublewithWolves Read online

  The Trouble with Wolves

  VJ & Sierra Summers

  The only woman Nigel wants is the one woman he can’t have.

  Claire has entered the Mating Run at the urging of her coven, but it’s not yet Nigel’s turn to participate. Despite the pain it causes, leaving town is the only way to ensure he keeps his hands off the sultry witch. When his brother dies months later, Nigel is summoned home. Pack law dictates he must protect Taylor’s widow—Claire.

  The only wolf Claire wants is the one who broke her heart two years earlier.

  Instead of fighting for her, Nigel let pack law run him out of town. Now the sexy shifter’s back and their sexual chemistry is as combustible as ever. But Nigel is in line to be alpha, and Claire won’t be ruled by pack law ever again—it’s already destroyed more lives than Nigel knows.

  A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  The Trouble with Wolves

  VJ & Sierra Summers

  Chapter One

  Nigel Rhodes sat down at his usual table in Claire’s Coffee House with a resigned sigh. The place had been his home for the past month and a half. One of the waitresses gave him a wave and a sly smile. He nodded back to her and opened his Time Magazine.

  The girl set a cup of coffee in front of him and he thanked her without looking up as he continued to read. He hated being here, but as one of the pack’s enforcers he was left no choice. Especially considering his father was alpha. He was at the mercy of his father’s whims.

  “Hello, right on time, I see.” Claire Andrews’ slightly husky voice broke into his thoughts.

  “Hello, Claire.” Again he didn’t bother to look up. He knew she was there; her scent was all over the small shop. Cinnamon and apples, just like his favorite muffin. He groaned inwardly when he heard the chair scrape across the floor, indicating she’d decided to sit down.

  “Aren’t you getting tired of babysitting me?”

  “You have no idea,” he muttered. When she remained expectantly silent, he elaborated. “Thomas wants you guarded. My alpha commands and I obey.” He was as sick of the question as he was of sitting on his ass day after day in her café.

  “I’m a big girl. I think I can manage to keep myself out of trouble.”

  He ignored her sarcastic tone.

  “I’m sure you’re right, luv, but you’re the one who agreed to participate in the Mating Run. All prospective mates are being guarded.” Here we go, he thought. Same argument, different day.

  “I’m a witch, Nigel.”

  He closed the magazine, finally looking up. She wrinkled her pert little nose.

  “Yes, but you’re a human witch. Dad doesn’t want any of the boys nosing around until the Solstice, and if someone decided to make a play, you don’t have the physical strength to fend him off.” He hid his smile as she crossed her arms beneath her very ample chest and huffed. That chest had played front and center in more than one fantasy when he was alone and horny. The idea of sliding his cock between her large breasts made him come so hard, it drove him nearly to his knees, relieving some of the stress that had been building in him over the past several weeks.

  “If I’d known the pack was going to insist on dogging my every step, I wouldn’t have consented to the Run.”

  He quirked his eyebrow; she was in rare form today.

  “Yes, the pun was intended.”

  “You could always get out of it. All you have to do is go and find a man to rub all over you. Trust me, no wolf looking for a mate will want the stink of another man on his female.”

  “I thought of that,” she sighed, “but then my family would be pissed. One Andrews woman in every generation is expected to be in the Run. You know that. This generation I drew the lucky short straw.”

  Exasperated with her familiar grumblings, and the lust that seemed to flare out of control every time he caught a hint of her sweet scent, Nigel lost his patience.

  “Claire, what the hell do you want me to do about it? You entered the Run of your own free will. Either commit yourself to it or break the contract, just stop whining about it.” Weeks of sexual frustration boiled over. “It’s not like I’m having any fun here, either. My childhood goal was never to be a babysitter when I grew up.”

  “You’re an ass, Nigel Rhodes.” She shoved her chair back forcefully. “No more free muffins for you.”

  He watched her stalk away, feeling like that cartoon wolf with his tongue unrolling in pure lust. Her ass, like her chest, was round and ample and he enjoyed the way it swayed when she was all in a huff. It made him hot, and relieved some of the boredom of being in the coffee shop. Of course, it also ramped up his sexual frustration to a whole new level.

  He scanned the rest of the tables and chairs. Snotty, elitist college kids crowded around, discussing politics and the rotten state of the country, not understanding they would become part of the problem as soon as they entered the working world.

  He pretended to read his magazine as he watched Claire go about her work. His jeans tightened uncomfortably when she bent over to wipe a table, giving him and every other man in the place a nice view of her plump tits. Dammit, he came in here every day and left hard as stone every evening.

  The truth was, he wanted little Miss Claire Andrews. He wanted her in the worst way, and she was untouchable. He normally wasn’t attracted to human women; they tended to be too fragile. He was a rough lover, as most wolves were. Human women, with their exaggerated concerns about looking like the latest celebrity heiress, never had enough muscle or padding to take a man of his size or predilections. No, in general, human women weren’t his cup of tea at all.

  He shivered. But she was different.

  Her delicious curves could handle Nigel; he wouldn’t have any worries about damaging her if things got a little…energetic. She could probably give him a run for his money.

  It was her body type and her particular magical ability that had allowed her to join in the annual Mating Run. According to her grandfather, she was the only Andrews woman who possessed the exact combination of physical and mental strength to handle mating with a wolf.

  He knew that was a load of bullshit. While her family’s abilities were powerful and plenty, Claire lacked the more aggressive magic they believed necessary to strengthen the bloodline. So they’d offered her as the latest sacrifice to a centuries-old pact. It annoyed the hell out of him. In the pack, all wolves were valued for their own unique strengths. No alpha would willingly compel one of his wolves to fulfill an ancient pact against his or her will.

  He sighed. Of course, the alpha was more than willing to manipulate his own sons into fulfilling roles not of their choosing.

  Wolf shifters were a prolific bunch, highly sexed and highly fertile, but the vast majority of young were males. As a result, there weren’t enough female wolves to keep the breed “pure”. So several generations ago, Nigel’s ancestor, a strong and well-respected alpha, had instituted the Mating Run. Each Summer Solstice, a lottery was held to determine which males would compete for the available female wolves.

  The local Wiccan community had joined in, offering the promise of one woman each generation to participate in the Run in return for support and protection.

  This year wasn’t his year. Again. That honor went to his older brother, Taylor, and Nigel obeyed pack law, no matter how it burned like acid to imagine another wolf sinking into the fire that was Claire.

  His Claire.

  Claire tried not to stare at Nigel as she put out fresh cookies in the display case. She’d cursed herself a thousand times over for allowing the coven to pressure her into agreeing to participate in the Run. The Elders had conspired, her parents had pleaded and her sisters had pointed out
the positives. She was almost thirty, had no serious boyfriend and the wolves were a heady bunch of men.

  What she never expected was her lightning-hot attraction to her personal bodyguard—nor did she imagine she would lie in bed at night dreaming about him mounting her and staking a claim.

  She rubbed her arm discreetly along her hard nipples; they always ached whenever he was in the vicinity. She was going to have to find a way to back out of the Mating Run, because she couldn’t possibly be mate to another wolf when she was in love with the one sitting in her shop.

  Hellfire and damnation, but this was an impossible situation. Her first responsibility had to be to her family. At least that was the lecture her mother always gave her.

  Her magic didn’t strengthen the family or the coven. No, she wasn’t able to influence others like her sister Drew, call upon the weather like her sister Rio, or provide great healing like her sister Tamara. She couldn’t even manage to do the simplest levitation spell.

  She’d been blessed with the gift of food. She could conjure up the sweetest sugar, grow the best vegetables and bake like no one’s business. More, with a little flex of her will, she could imbue each of her creations with a charm to relax or calm someone. While they were always more than happy to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the coven Elders didn’t consider her talent to be of any importance, a fact they frequently took joy in reminding her.

  Claire had been reluctant when her mother approached her with the news that she’d been selected to participate in the Mating Run. When her sister Drew sympathetically pointed out that by doing the Run, Claire could finally contribute something worthwhile to the coven, she’d been so hurt and offended she’d refused to even discuss the subject.

  Finally, after months of argument, she was called before the Elders, who informed her that, because she was showing such poor judgment by refusing to participate in the Run, they felt compelled to call in her business loan on her café. It wasn’t wise, they explained, to trust someone so irrational and emotional with such a great responsibility.

  She’d been stunned speechless and had left the meeting room without a word. The horror and pain had come next. She couldn’t believe her coven, her very family, would stoop to blackmail to secure her cooperation. The threat went against everything she’d ever been taught about the responsibilities of the coven to its members.

  It wasn’t until her father had pulled her aside and explained that the Elders truly believed they were doing what was best for her, as well as the entire group, that she was able to begin putting the situation into perspective.

  The Elders didn’t believe her magical talent had any benefit for them, but they also didn’t believe it provided any protection for her. By participating in the Run, she would guarantee another generation of protection for the coven, and a safe haven for herself.

  She hated it, thought it was positively medieval, and she couldn’t think of a way out.

  The coven was utterly practical, and in the end Claire forced herself to be practical too. Thomas Rhodes, the pack’s alpha, seemed more than happy to relieve the coven of Claire’s presence, and honestly, she didn’t have much use for the coven at this point. So she’d listed all the pros, not the least of which was the fact that the wolves were all hotties, and signed the contract more or less of her own free will.

  Which led to her present quandary.

  She’d never in a million years have guessed she’d fall for her bodyguard. Of course, he hadn’t given her even a hint that he saw her as anything more than an irritation. Besides, if she backed out now, she’d alienate the wolves, bring shame to her family and endanger the generations-old agreement they had with the wolf pack.

  Stupid, archaic and unreasonable pact.

  Claire shook her head at herself. She knew better than to fight it. Some traditions couldn’t be broken, even in the twenty-first century, and this was one of those traditions. So she was left with only her fantasies of the six-foot-two wolf with shaggy brown hair, amber eyes and a killer English accent to keep her warm at night.

  Chapter Two

  Claire slammed her fist against the steering wheel and cursed her old Chevy in two different languages. The damn thing refused to start, and she was already late getting to her sister Tamara’s birthday party. She pulled out her cell phone, punching in the number to the auto club, and cursed some more when the phone went dead after the first ring. She jumped out of her car, trying for a better signal before she realized the phone needed to be charged. Her temper rose and she kicked the tire, letting out a string of swear words that would have made a trucker blush.

  “Nice language, luv.”

  Just great, Nigel the ass to the rescue.

  “I thought you left,” she mumbled as she threw the useless phone through the open window of her car.

  “I always follow you home.”

  “Great, next you’ll tell me you sleep at my doorstep too.” She watched his carefully blank face with a sense of resigned horror.

  “You’re kidding me, right? What the hell is wrong with your pack that they would force you to do something like that? Don’t you think it’s a little excessive?”

  He only shrugged his shoulders. “It is what it is.”

  Incredible. She was having serious second thoughts about joining the pack. Not if they treated their own like personal slaves.

  “Relax, luv. James takes over for me around midnight so I can get a little rest.”

  She didn’t feel any better. In fact, she felt worse. Now there were two people babysitting her.

  “I’m sorry.” Claire closed her eyes, realizing how close she was to tears. She was feeling tired, frustrated and totally hemmed in. Worst of all, he must hate her guts for disrupting his life in such a way.

  “Hey, it’s not a big deal.”

  She wasn’t buying it. She’d be more than a little annoyed if she were in his place. He’d put his entire life on hold and wasn’t getting any benefit out of it. Unless he counted the free coffee and muffins he plowed through daily.

  “This is so wrong. I’ve managed to look out for myself for more than twenty-nine years. I don’t need a keeper. And it’s beyond unfair to you or the others who don’t even get to be in the Run.”

  “Well, luv, we can’t have the soon-to-be grooms putting the moves on you too early. The whole point of the lottery is for all the participants to have a level playing field. And you know how important it is for the actual mating to take place on the Solstice. No dipping in the honey pot before it’s time.” He moved closer to her. “Now let’s have a look at the car.”

  * * * * *

  After fiddling with the engine for more than an hour, Nigel gave up. The rusted piece of shit was beyond his meager abilities to resuscitate. And even if it weren’t, she had no business driving around in the tin can on wheels. A bloody death trap.

  “You need a new car, luv,” he said, closing the hood.

  “I know, but I can’t afford a new one. I have all my money tied up in the café.”

  “We both know your parents would be more than happy to take care of it.”

  Her face froze and she put her nose in the air. “I won’t ask my parents to buy me a new vehicle.”

  “Why ever the hell not? It’s not like they don’t have the money.” He knew for a fact her family might not be wealthy, but the coven had more than enough cash to go around. It was unacceptable that they would allow her to drive such a crappy car.

  “I don’t want their money. Being born into the Andrews family comes with enough strings attached. I don’t want to rely on them for anything.”

  “I can’t understand why you won’t take their help.” He followed her as she walked back to her shop. He’d never challenged his place in the pack, and it was a constant cause of confusion to him that Claire would resist her place in her family. But he admired the hell out of the fact she didn’t run to them for money. She worked hard, routinely putting in twelve-hour days at the shop.

  “
There’s nothing to understand. I prefer to be independent.”

  Nigel laughed, a hearty laugh, and from the frown she wore she wasn’t sharing his amusement.

  “Luv, if you wanted independence, then why in the hell did you volunteer to be a wolf’s mate?” He shook his head with mock sadness. “Sweetheart, your independence will be thrown out the window the minute your male slides into you and stakes his claim.”

  Her sharp intake of breath sent an electric shock down his spine as he realized what he’d said. In all their conversations, nothing remotely resembling a sexual comment had ever passed between them.

  Then her back stiffened and she rummaged through her purse for her keys.

  “That’s different. Of course marriage requires compromise. Anyway, I’m sure my mate will be reasonable about the things that are important to me.”

  He was stunned into silence. Did she actually believe her future mate would allow her the kind of independence she seemed to cherish? He didn’t take Claire for a fool. She was a witch, for Christ’s sake. She was schooled in pack lore and law.

  “You need to break the contract,” he warned. There was no way a male would allow her the kind of freedom she wanted. It wasn’t in their nature. Their instincts were to protect and take care of their mate’s needs and desires. He had a sinking feeling it was going to be too much for her to handle. When her young came, he knew her mate would insist she quit work entirely. She would be miserable.

  “I can’t do that. I made a promise. I won’t go back on my word.” She fumbled and dropped her keys. He snatched them up, moving in on her like the predator he was. She needed to really understand what the hell she was getting into. He knew the coven was more or less forcing this decision upon her. They could be a cold group when it came to getting what they wanted. He knew she believed she didn’t have a choice, but he still felt the need to open her eyes to the reality of a pack mating.

  “You aren’t getting it, luv. No male will ever allow you the kind of freedom you now enjoy.” As he closed in on her, he could feel her body temperature rise. Her delicious apples-and-cinnamon scent flooded Nigel’s senses, sending blood to his cock in an almost painful rush. His body was having an atomic reaction to her confusion and growing anger.