Wild Heart [Werewolves of Forever, Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
Werewolves of Forever, Texas 3
Wild Heart
Celia Ray left her friend with her three new lovers in Forever, Texas, but she can’t get a mysterious cowboy out of her mind. Returning to Forever, she’ll either win him or forget him. To her delight, he’s a hunk of a cowboy and his two friends are just as hot.
Aiden Carr, Trent Tarrow, and Steve Wilton need to claim a mate. But Aiden can’t get his mind off a woman he’s seen only from a distance. When she shows up, all three men know they’ve found the woman they will love forever.
After seeing the men in their werewolf forms, Celia’s ready to join the pack. But a rogue vampire wants to claim her as his own. Can her mates find her before the vampire takes the first bite? Or will they lose her before they can claim her?
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Vampires/Werewolves, Western/Cowboys
Length: 47,882 words
WILD HEART
Werewolves of Forever, Texas 3
Jane Jamison
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
WILD HEART
Copyright © 2012 by Jane Jamison
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-963-7
First E-book Publication: August 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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WILD HEART
Werewolves of Forever, Texas 3
JANE JAMISON
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
He had to stop. Had to get back to normal. Yet he knew he couldn’t. Not until he’d figured out why his gut kept pulling him back to this part of the ranch.
Aiden Carr surveyed the Texas land around him. The sight of the flat land, interspersed with groups of trees, usually made him feel better, even almost peaceful. But since that day a month earlier when he’d sensed something, he couldn’t shake the gnawing impression that he’d experienced an important event in his life.
Every day since that day, he’d ridden from his home to the outskirts of the Lonesome Range Ranch to the fence that separated his land from the Braxton Ranch. Every day he hoped to see whatever it was he was searching for. He’d even ridden down the road in front of the Braxton Ranch and stared at their home on several occasions. The owners of the ranch, who were also his friends, had finally come out and accused him of stalking their newly found mate, Sandy. They hadn’t been serious, but Aiden had taken the hint and forced himself to stop watching their house.
Aiden let out a sigh that turned into a growl and pulled his horse around. No use wasting another day waiting for who-knew-what. He and his partners, Trent Tarrow and Steve Wilton, had better things to do. A minute later, he turned his horse back to the fence.
Aiden, Trent, and Steve had grown up together and attended the same schools. From the very first, Trent and Steve had spent more time with Aiden at his family’s home on Lonesome Range Ranch than at their own homes. So it was only natural for Trent and Steve to partner with Aiden when the time came for Aiden to take over the ranch after the death of his mother in a car accident years earlier. With her gone, her three mates had separated and moved to other parts of the country.
“I figured I’d find you out here.”
Aiden didn’t bother turning his head toward Trent. Instead, he waited for his friend to pull his mount beside his. When he did, he got ready for another onslaught of questions. As annoying as the questions were, he couldn’t blame Trent for asking. Besides, the questions weren’t the most annoying part. It was the lack of answers that bugged the hell out of him.
“Aiden, we’ve got to make a decision about the Lower Half.”
The Lower Half, as Trent always referred to the forty acres farthest away from where they were, was a source of contention. Trent wanted to keep using the land for grazing horses and cattle. But Steve and Aiden wanted to rent the land to another rancher, one whose holdings weren’t nearly as large as theirs. The other rancher, a good friend and pack brother, needed the acreage to grow his herd of cattle.
“I thought we already had. Steve and I outvoted you.”
“Yeah, well, it isn’t a done deal until the papers are signed.”
If nothing else, Trent was a hardhead, but he was also a stand-up man. Aiden trusted his life to both Trent and Steve.
Aiden glanced at his friend and recognized the give-me-what-I-want look in his brown eyes. Too bad Aiden and Steve were just as bullheaded as Trent. The three of them often locked horns, but they always came out of the argument as friends.
“We need the cash flow.”
Trent rested back in his saddle while putting his hands, one over the other, on the saddle horn. “I get that. I do. I just don’t like giving up grazing rights for that long.”
Aiden chuckled. Trent knew two years wasn’t long, but that didn’t matter. “It’s happening, bro. Just get over it.”
A silence fell between the men as they sat on the horses and st
ared into the pasture of the neighboring ranch. The sounds of their horses chomping on the grass at their feet accompanied the men’s thoughts. Birds soared in the air, making dark dots against the blue sky and white, fluffy clouds.
If he knew nothing else, Aiden knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be. And yet, until they found their mate, there would always be a hole in their lives.
“So what’s bothering you?”
Here we go with the questions again. Aiden shifted in the saddle. Yet he had to try to explain.
“You know the feeling when you pick something up, and then the damn thing slips out of your hand and crashes to the floor? The feeling I get is like that. Like I almost had it, and then I let it slip through my fingers.”
“Yeah, I know what you’re saying. But what is the it you’re talking about?” Trent gave him a knowing look. “You’re talking about the woman you saw, aren’t you?”
Aiden shook his head, but then didn’t deny it. “Yeah. But at the time I assumed that the woman I saw was Sandy. I didn’t find out until recently that Sandy had brought two girlfriends with her.”
“Have you talked it over with the Braxton boys or Mark yet?” Will and Luke Braxton, along with their friend, Mark Colter, owned the Braxton Ranch.
“No, not yet. I’m not sure what I’d say. Hell, it took me a while to understand enough of what I was experiencing to even try to explain it to you and Steve. Besides, they’ve been tied up getting to know their mate. The only time I’ve seen them was in passing in town and when we crossed paths on a run. As you can guess, we didn’t stop to shift into our human forms and talk. Besides, you know how important they say the first month with the new mate is. I didn’t feel right about barging in on them.”
“But you do think the strange feeling has something to do with our future mate, don’t you? Of course there are other ways to explain this. Have you considered that maybe you’re just getting antsy since they found Sandy? I’d rather think that than to believe our mate was that close and we missed her.”
“I don’t know what to think. This thing’s got me mixed up inside. All I know is that I started getting this weird feeling about the same time Sandy showed up. I ignored it because my focus was on the land deal. The sensation wasn’t that strong then, but with each day that passes, the feeling that I screwed up gets stronger.”
Could Trent be right? Could he be jealous that the men of Braxton Ranch had found their mate while he, Trent, and Steve were still looking? Was it only wishful thinking on his part that he might have seen his future mate? Could it be that simple?
A knot formed in his gut. If they didn’t find their mate soon, they’d have to consider leaving Forever to search for her. Fate, destiny, or whatever deity a werewolf believed in was supposed to bring his mate to him. But sometimes, the werewolf had no choice but to leave his home and go look for her. Not all werewolves were lucky enough to find their mate, and those who didn’t faced a life of desperation and loneliness. He couldn’t stand the idea that it might happen to them because he’d messed up.
“However…”
Aiden closed his eyes and drew in a long breath. Damn, how he hated it when Trent started a sentence that way. It meant either Trent was ready to argue a point or that he intended to give his two cents when it wasn’t wanted. “Go on. Get it out of your system.”
“Naw, man. Nothing like you’re thinking. I was just wondering if maybe one of her two friends had anything to do with your obsession.”
“Don’t call it an obsession.” Although it kind of is. “But if one of them was our future mate, why weren’t you and Steve affected?”
“Maybe because we didn’t get a glimpse of her like you did.”
“I don’t know if the woman I saw from a distance was one of those girls. Like I said, at the time I assumed it was their new mate, Sandy.”
Yet he had to wonder. Why hadn’t he approached the woman that day instead of pushing the sensation away so he could center all his attention on the land deal? If he’d just gotten closer to see if she was their mate, the connection all mates shared would’ve been strong enough for him to know for sure.
Trent stared in the direction of Braxton Ranch. “I wish you’d mentioned it at the time. We could’ve gone over there before her two friends left.”
Aiden ground his teeth. Trent was right, but bringing it up didn’t help matters. He should’ve told them, but he’d been too preoccupied with the land deal. He was a one-track kind of guy, which served him well in most matters. Once he’d ridden away, the sensation had passed, but it had come back to gnaw at him later on.
“There’s nothing I can do about it now. If I don’t figure it out soon, I’ll talk to the Braxton Ranch guys and see what they think. If I have to, I’ll ask them the name of the women who visited them and track them down myself.”
“Well, you’re not going to figure it out sitting on your ass out here. Come on, let’s head back to the ranch and grab some supper. I’ve starving.”
“You’re always hungry.” Still, he couldn’t deny that he’d wasted enough time on the wild-goose chase. He tugged on the reins and turned his horse around to follow Trent.
He was halfway back to their house when he abruptly yanked on the reins and headed back toward the Braxton Ranch. He had to stop this insanity. But it was a good bet that he wasn’t going to stop it today.
* * * *
“You made it! You’re finally here!” Sandy Hamilton-Braxton-Colter, her blonde hair flying behind her, flew out the front door of the Braxton Ranch home. She barreled toward Celia and almost knocked her friend over in her haste to reach her.
“Hey! Watch it.” But Celia couldn’t deny that she was just as happy to see Sandy. On their way back to college after enjoying a fun trip during a break, Sandy, Celia and their friend, Daniella had made a quick stop to eat in Forever. The lucky stop had given Sandy three men who wanted to love and cherish her for the rest of their lives. Celia hadn’t blamed her one bit for choosing to stay.
Sandy held her at arm’s length and took a good, long look. “You are just as beautiful as ever, Celia Ray.”
She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Well, duh. I haven’t changed much in the past month. Did you think I’d pork out?”
Sandy made a pouty face. “You should have. Didn’t you miss me at all?”
Celia hugged her again then pushed her away to grab the suitcase she’d thrown into the backseat of her battered old Honda. “Of course I missed you. But let’s face facts. With you out of the picture, Daniella focused all her attention on making my life miserable.”
Sandy made a face. “Is she still angry with me for staying here?”
Daniella Monson, daughter of wealthy Juniper Monson of the massive Monson Oil Company, had been part of their tight group of friends since the beginning of their freshmen year at the University of Texas. But when Sandy had fallen for the men of Braxton Ranch, Daniella’s jealousy had gotten the better of her, sending her on her way back to school.
“Are you kidding me, Sandy? She’s always treated you like a personal slave and made snide comments that you weren’t as skinny as her. Why would you care if she’s mad at you?
Sandy waved off the suitcase, making Celia leave it in the car, then hooked her arm in Celia’s. “I know what you’re saying, but she’s actually a good person at heart. She’s just spoiled and doesn’t know any better.”
“Wow. You are a bigger woman than I am.” Celia grinned at Sandy’s shocked expression. “In the forgiving sense of the word big, of course.”
“Come on. You know Daniella. She can be mean and treat people horribly, but she does have a good side, too. I just choose to support the good side. Maybe then that side will come out more often.”
Sandy always saw the good in everyone. “Okay, so spill. What’s it like living with three men? And why the hell did you take all their last names? I mean, I can see a hyphenated name, but using two hyphens?”
Sandy brought her into the house an
d led her to the bright, airy kitchen. Celia took a seat at the table while Sandy brought out a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses then sat in the seat opposite her.
“Having two hyphens in my last name does make things more difficult. But it was either that or just keep my last name. And I wanted to honor the guys. Besides, lots of women in this town use multiple hyphens. I’m lucky that two of my men are cousins.”
“So where are your hunks now?” Celia thanked Sandy for pouring her lemonade then took a long drink. She almost choked on the sugary taste but managed to hide it.
“Oh, they’re around doing their thing. You know. Cowboy stuff.”
Celia took in her friend’s happy face and glow. “Well, whatever they’re doing, they must be doing it right. You look terrific. The best I’ve ever seen you.”
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, too. My parents weren’t thrilled that I dropped out of college, but I love working with the vet. I’ll probably even start taking classes in the future. But for now, everything’s so perfect I’m almost afraid to believe I’m living this life.”
“You deserve every bit of happiness you have.”
“Thanks, Celia.” Sandy kept her gaze on her as she took a drink.
“But you’ve got to tell me. How is it living with three men?”
“I told you. I’m very happy.”
Celia arched an eyebrow. “No. I mean, how is it living”—she widened her eyes—“with three men?”
“Oh.” Sandy ducked her head then lifted it again with a wide grin on her face. “It’s amazing. In and out of the bedroom.”