Taking Their Mate [Wolf Packs of Fate 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Wolf Packs of Fate 7

  Taking Their Mate

  Krystal Riker’s dreams of making it big in show business are over. She is hoping to start a new, simpler life in Fate, Georgia.

  Werewolf Curt Walton and his werewolf cousins, Eric and Dane Hill, have their sights set on the beautiful new bartender at the Wolf’s Den bar. They are about to make their move when a man who has followed her from Hollywood shows up and claims she is his lover. Krystal denies she cares for the man, but can they believe her?

  When a small girl goes missing, everyone in Fate searches for her. Just as Kristal is ready to join the search, dismissing her men’s warnings to stay home, her so-called lover shows up with the kidnapped child. Krystal has to make a choice. Return to Hollywood with him, or watch the child die.

  Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 38,323 words

  TAKING THEIR MATE

  Wolf Packs of Fate 7

  Jane Jamison

  MENAGE EVERLASTING

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting

  TAKING THEIR MATE

  Copyright © 2016 by Jane Jamison

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-466-9

  First E-book Publication: September 2016

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

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  DEDICATION

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for buying my book. I appreciate your support.

  Jane Jamison

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  TAKING THEIR MATE

  Wolf Packs of Fate 7

  JANE JAMISON

  Copyright © 2016

  Chapter One

  Krystal felt like the third wheel on a bicycle. The way the Brannigan brothers were staring at her friend Arizona Rich was hard enough to handle. But once Stella Connor had gotten pulled onto the dance floor by one of the Lennox brothers, Krystal had wanted to let out a scream. Not that she would, of course. First of all, she wouldn’t begrudge her friends finally getting noticed by the men they’d lusted after. And secondly, she wouldn’t make a scene at the Wolf’s Den, her place of employment.

  She’d been damn lucky to get the job. After all, she hadn’t been formally trained as a bartender, but had picked up the trade from spending time behind the bar at her last job. That, and dating one of the bartenders, had taught her how to mix most drinks. Besides, at the Wolf’s Den, beer was the main choice of beverage. How hard was it to pour a beer, anyway?

  She hadn’t moved all the way from Los Angeles to the small town of Fate, Georgia, for nothing. Leaving her past life and all the shit surrounding it had been the only way she could really start fresh. After everything she’d gone through, she sure as hell wasn’t going to risk losing her job because she was sexually frustrated.

  Her story was the same old story everyone had heard a thousand times. Girl from the Midwest moves to Hollywood, hoping for fame and riches. Girl beats the path to every booking agent and audition and winds up flat broke, her dream shattered. Girl decides that slinging drinks at a strip bar is better than sleeping under a bridge. Yet she’d changed the ending. Instead of playing the back room of the Pink Pearl Gentleman’s Club, doing whatever customers wanted to keep a roof over her head, she’d scrimped and saved enough to get the hell out of the City of Angels.

  Her gaze slid to the handsome men that always drew her attention. Why don’t the men I like approach me?

  Still, maybe it was better if they didn’t. Although the possibility of them finding out what she used to do for a living was remote, she’d have to confess to them sooner or later if anything ever developed.

  Curt Walton and his cousins Dane and Eric Hill simply weren’t interested. After talking to them several times in the bar and whenever she “happened to run into them” around town, they hadn’t taken the bait. She doubted they could’ve missed her attempts to flirt with them. Just as she’d thought. They weren’t into her except as a friend. Why else would they keep their distance?

  Stop thinking about them. And definitely stop looking at them.

  But damn that was hard. They were so hot, so manly they oozed testosterone.

  Curt Walton was so good-looking he made most of the actors she’d met in Hollywood—and there were hundreds—pale in comparison. Curt had the square jaw, the thick dark hair, and the sparkling ocean-blue eyes of a movie star. Everything about him, from the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes to the long, strong legs encased in worn jeans, made her body hum. He would’ve been cast as the hero in a western, but could’ve easi
ly played a debonair millionaire or a dashing spy. As tall as he was, topping well over six feet, the directors would’ve had a difficult time finding a stunt double with his height and brawn. She figured him to be somewhere in his mid-thirties, but he had the handsome features that would only get better with age.

  Dane Hill, somewhat shorter and younger than Curt, was just as striking as his cousin. He, too, had dark hair, but his eyes were a soulful brown that could steal a woman’s heart. Like his cousin and his brother, as well as most men in Fate, he was casually decked out in a cotton shirt, faded jeans, worn boots, and an ever-present cowboy hat. She loved his twang of an accent, especially when he called her sugar.

  Too bad he called all the women he met by the same sweet name. Even if that woman was pushing ninety. Still, she’d imagined that he used a softer tone with her, one that held hidden meanings.

  Then there was Eric Hill. He wore his dark hair a bit longer than his brother did, just long enough to make her want to tug at the ends. He had the same catch-her-heart-and-hold-it eyes. His square jaw was usually covered in dark stubble, giving him a devil-may-care look. His broad chest was sprinkled with dark hair peeking out from under his collar. He didn’t talk as much as his brother, but when he did, people listened.

  Each man was enough to fulfil any woman’s fantasy, but she had a bigger fantasy. After finding out that ménage relationships were commonplace in Fate, she couldn’t resist fantasizing about having all three men—either separately or, better yet, at the same time.

  She forced her mind back to the here and now just as Stella returned from dancing. Krystal admitted to herself that she was a little jealous that Stella had gotten pulled on to the dance floor by Mike Lennox. Would she ever get to dance with Dane, Eric, or Curt?

  She had to get her mind off them. “Who was that girl that pounced on Mike?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Stella with a scowl.

  “Whoever it was, he sure was happy to see her.”

  Oh hell, Arizona. What a thing to say.

  “Yeah, he was. Very happy.” Stella’s grip on her drink tightened.

  “Look, I think I’m going to head on home.” Stella downed the rest of her drink, obviously upset about Mike and the unknown woman.

  “Ah, don’t let that blonde bimbo run you off.”

  Krystal pinched Arizona in the arm. Although she’d had the same thought, she’d at least had enough tact not to say anything. And especially not the way Arizona had blurted it out. “Have a little sensitivity, damn it. And watch it on the blonde bimbo stuff.”

  Arizona rubbed her arm and gave the blonde-bombshell Stella a sympathetic look.

  Stella waved off a possible apology from Arizona. “It’s okay. I’m just really tired. Besides, I need to get up early.”

  “Why? The B & B doesn’t have any guests right now.”

  What the hell is wrong with Arizona? Doesn’t she know when to shut up?

  Not knowing what else to do, she tried to smooth things over. If she could make Stella feel any better, then she would. “Sure, sweetie, we understand.”

  “We’re supposed to be getting a guest soon and I want to make sure everything’s ready for him. Thanks for understanding. Bye.” Stella gave them a weak smile and started for the exit.

  Suddenly, Krystal changed her mind and wanted her to stick around. If Stella went home, she’d probably wind up sitting alone in her room at the Lazy Day B & B, obsessing over the woman with Mike. “Stella, please don’t go,” called Krystal. But Stella moved quickly toward the exit.

  “Damn. She’s really upset.” Arizona tore at a napkin.

  “No help from you.” Normally, she was pretty calm and easygoing. But after watching the men she craved all night long without them saying more than a quick hello, she felt surly and wanted to take it out on someone.

  “I’m sorry, okay? I’ll let her know I’m sorry, too.”

  “You’d better.” She’d gone from surly to downright angry. Why did good women lose out?

  “Maybe it’s best if I call it a night, too,” offered Arizona.

  She should’ve tried to keep Arizona there to make amends for her earlier harsh words, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do so. The only thing she wanted right then was to get her head together. Why think about men who apparently weren’t interested? Instead, she’d concentrate on making money. The sooner she got out of the rented apartment and into a home of her own, the better. She was lucky that a town the size of Fate had an apartment to rent, but it was a small place. She longed for a nice home, one where she could spread out. If it sat on a little acreage, even better.

  “I’m going to check in with the boss and see if they need an extra set of hands. I could use the money.”

  “Okay, then, I’m off.” Arizona slipped off the stool, leaving her almost full bottle of beer behind. “Talk to you soon.”

  Krystal had her drink at her lips. She lifted her hand to say good-bye as Arizona moved away.

  What would my new friends think if they knew what I’d done in LA? Would they care? Would they think less of me? Or would they understand that I’d gone after a dream and come up short?

  She blew out a breath and decided that, for now, she’d have to keep her secret. Too much rode on her settling into Fate and being accepted. So far, everyone had been nice to her. Her gaze slid to Curt.

  Some, however, haven’t been as nice as I would like them to be.

  Then again, others weren’t nice at all. Like that skuzzball Denny Shipley back in Los Angeles.

  After the first time Denny had walked into the club, he’d shown up night after night, pestering her until she’d had to ask the bouncer to throw him out. Then, when he’d started showing up at her home… No. She refused to let him back in her head, Slipping off the stool, she headed toward the bar, taking a wide path that would keep her away from Curt and the Hill brothers.

  Why tempt temptation?

  She tapped the tall, burly man standing at the end of the counter. “Hey, Clinton.”

  Clinton, his beard as shaggy and unkempt as always, pivoted toward her. The first time she’d met him, she’d been wary. Who wouldn’t be when the man had the appearance of a wild man? His hair was a mix of blacks and grays and fanned away from his head in a whirlwind of tangles. His eyes were as dark as the blackest night and a jagged scar broke through his upper lip. He was as big as any man in the bar, with arms as thick as a small tree’s trunk. After she’d gotten to know him, however, she’d realized he had the heart of a sweet kitten underneath all that leathery skin and brawn.

  “Hey, Krystal. Are you and your friends having fun?” He’d been more than generous with her, often letting her “buy” drinks for her friends without laying any money down.

  “We were, but things broke up early.” She glanced around the bar, making her point. “I don’t suppose you could use an extra hand tonight, could you? If so, I can dive right in.”

  “On your night off?” He lifted the horizontal pass-through that led behind the counter.

  “I could use the extra money.” Still, she didn’t want to push. Clinton, as well as the bar’s owners, had already been very good to her, even giving her an advance on her first paycheck. At least, they’d called it an advance, but so far, they’d refused to let her repay them.

  “Okay. Sure. If you’re okay taking my place, I’ll take off. If you’re sure you can stay until closing, that is.”

  “No problem.” She smiled and placed her hand on his arm then took it off fast. Although it was her natural instinct to touch and connect with people, she’d learned the hard way not to get touchy with men she didn’t want to know better.

  “Good deal. Thanks.” Clinton took the rag laying on his shoulder and handed it to her. “It’s all yours, girl.”

  “Have a good night.” She turned to her first customer, took his order, and then handed him a chilled bottle of beer. Slinging beer wasn’t the most intellectually stimulating job a girl could ever have, but she enjo
yed talking to people. So far, everyone in Fate had been friendly. She could definitely see planting her roots there. Taking the man’s cash, she pivoted around, placing her back to the counter, and rang up his purchase.

  “How about a whiskey on the rocks?”

  Recognizing the voice, she whirled around and dropped the change. A dollar bill floated to the floor as quarters and dimes scattered at her feet. “Oh. Hi.”

  Damn, he’s so hot.

  His eyes gleamed with mischief and his small smile was all meant for her.

  “Do you need some help?” he asked, leaning over the counter to glance at the floor.

  “Uh. Oh. No. Thanks.” She dropped down and hurriedly gathered the money. Keeping her eyes on Curt, she gave the first customer his money and barely acknowledged the tip he shoved at her. She didn’t even tell him thanks.

  “Are you all right?”

  He cares if I’m all right.

  “Um, sure. Just clumsy, I guess.”

  “Good.”

  She stared at Curt like a lovelorn high school girl. She might’ve stood there like a deer caught in headlights for an hour if he hadn’t finally broken the spell.

  “It’s really loud in here tonight. I don’t think we could hear a bomb go off.”

  “Yeah. Right?”

  Can I sound any lamer? But damn, how can I think when he’s looking at me with those incredible blue eyes?

  A fantasy of him asking her out, asking her back to his ranch for a night of pleasure whipped through her. She was lucky she hadn’t sighed.