The Beta's Heart (Wilde Creek Book 8) Read online

  The full moon was high in the sky, casting a pale glow to the woods. She put her hand on the tree to steady herself as she took off her heels. She sank into the soft dirt around the tree.

  She could hear talking, and as she peered through the trees she could see the alpha’s home. The backyard was full of people, and she’d just missed the oathing ceremony. Of course, that had only been a cover story for why she’d come to Wilde Creek

  Before she could move from the tree and make her way into the yard, she saw a small group of people surround Mia and Lucian to congratulate them. One of the males looked right at her. Lucian spun to face her, his eyes glowing eerily red, thanks to his berserker nature. The red glow faded, and she heard him say that it was her in the woods and no one dangerous.

  Well, she could be dangerous if she wanted. But now, barefoot and in a ball gown with a hundred layers of tulle, she knew she looked the exact opposite of dangerous.

  The male who had seen her walked toward her. As he wove through the trees, she could hear a growl rumbling in his chest. Her heart pounded as she realized it was Ren, the male of her dreams and the wolf in her heart. She’d never seen him before in her life, and in the dream, he’d been in his wolf form, but she just knew it was him.

  He had broad shoulders and a muscular chest and arms that were barely contained by the tight shirt he wore. He stopped in front of her, towering over her petite frame by a foot. His eyes glowed amber and he smelled like fall.

  “You’re Kismet,” he said gruffly. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and every muscle in his body looked tense.

  “Yes. You’re Ren.”

  His head tilted slightly. “How do you know my name?”

  “I could ask you the same thing.”

  “I asked Lucian a moment ago.”

  “I had a dream about a wolf with dark gray fur and a patch of white on his chest. I asked Brynn if anyone in the pack had those markings and Acksel said it was you.”

  His brows rose. “When was this?”

  “A couple weeks ago.”

  “You’re a fae?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do your people mate-dream?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “I didn’t dream of you, but I know what you are.”

  “Fae?” she asked.

  “Mine,” he said.

  He slid one arm around her waist and hauled her close. Her skin erupted into goosebumps when he rested his hand on her cheek, his fingertips grazing her throat. “Kismet.”

  “Yes?” She was very sure her heart was going to beat out of her chest if he didn’t kiss her soon.

  “No, I mean it’s kismet that we met. Don’t you think?”

  “You’re asking if I believe in fate?”

  He nodded, his gaze searching her face and then dropping to her lips.

  “I’m a fae. I can fly and open portals anywhere in the world. I can control nature. Believing in fate isn’t a stretch for me. How about you?”

  “I’m a believer. Now.” He snarled a little. “I have to shift.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment filled her. She wasn’t sure what she thought would happen, but him needing to leave right away hadn’t crossed her mind.

  He squeezed her waist. “I don’t want to leave, but my wolf won’t shut up. I think he wants to see you himself and not just through my eyes. It’s not fair to ask you to stick around for a few hours, but I don’t want you to leave, either.”

  “I can come back.”

  He stared down at her, fangs peeking over his lips. She was disappointed that he had to shift and couldn’t stick around to talk to her, but since she didn’t have an animal in her subconscious bossing her around, she really didn’t know what it was like.

  “You could stay in the alphas’ home and wait for me. The non-shifting mates wait there.”

  “I don’t really want to hang around with strangers and wait for you to hunt or whatever you do in the woods. I can come back.”

  “Is there a way I can find you?”

  “Not unless you’ve suddenly turned into a fae.”

  “Damn.”

  “It’s fine, I promise. The longer we stand here talking, the later it will be before you can come back.”

  “Right. I need three hours in my shift before I can change back. If I try to shift too soon, it can make the change take longer.”

  She looked up at the dark night sky, wishing she could change into an animal and run around in the woods with him. He cupped her face and she dropped her gaze back to his.

  “What’s that look for?” he murmured.

  “I was wishing I was a shifter.”

  A smile curved the corner of his lips. “I was wishing I wasn’t.”

  “It’s only a few hours.” She rose onto her toes and brushed her lips against his. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Promise?” he asked, a growl rumbling in his chest.

  “Of course. Have fun.”

  “I’ll be miserable, since you won’t be with me.”

  “Can I watch you shift?”

  His eyes smoldered and a sweet and spicy scent blossomed between them. “Trying to see me naked already, sweet fairy?”

  Her cheeks heated with blush and she laughed. “If I can.”

  “I suppose you don’t have to strip to open a portal to your home?”

  He kissed her cheek and stepped back, grasping his shirt and tugging it off swiftly. She opened her mouth to answer, but was momentarily stunned into silence by Ren’s sexy abs and lickable chest.

  His hands rested on the waistband of his jeans and she was very aware that she was staring at his fingers and hoping he’d undo the fastener quickly. He opened the jeans and she lifted her gaze to his bright amber eyes.

  “Is that your wolf I see in your eyes?” she whispered, her body heating as he revealed inch after inch of sexy, tanned flesh.

  “Yeah, he’s right here with me, wanting to get close to you.”

  “Is it okay that I’m not like you?” she asked suddenly.

  He frowned and stopped pushing his jeans down his thighs, his thick cock bobbing as if it beckoned her. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “It just occurred to me that I don’t know anything about wolves or packs, except that your people don’t seem to like those who are different.”

  He straightened and reached for her. She closed the distance between them, his cock trapped between their bodies. “We can talk about pack politics later, it’s not important right now. What does matter is that you’re my truemate. My wolf and I recognized you instantly. That you’re not a wolf doesn’t matter in the least to me, and I hope it doesn’t matter to you that I’m not a fairy.”

  “Not at all,” she said.

  “Good.” He kissed her once, and then a second time, a low growl making his chest vibrate. “Now let me strip and shift so I can come back to you as soon as possible.”

  “And then?” she whispered, biting her bottom lip.

  “Then…we’ll see what the night brings.”

  She had about a hundred ideas.

  Maybe a thousand of them.

  She’d never been aggressive with a male before, but with Ren, she wanted to do everything and anything.

  He stepped away and stripped completely, then he shifted. She’d never seen anything like it before. His body changed swiftly, and she was mesmerized. He’d gone from sexy human to amazing wolf faster than she thought possible. As he shook himself out with a growl, his tail snapping back and forth, she gathered her skirt and squatted down. He padded over to her, and she touched him. The fur on top of his head was soft and short, and thick and coarse on his back. She rubbed his ear between her finger and thumb and smiled as a wolfy purr reached her ears. She slid her hand down to the white patch of fur on his chest. It was exactly like her dream.

  “Have fun running or hunting or whatever you do. I’ll be back in three hours.”

  She kissed his nose and he licked her throat, making her skin goose bump
. She picked up her shoes where she’d set them down by the tree and opened a portal.

  “See you soon, Ren,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him.

  His upper lip curled, and the purring sound had morphed into an unhappy growl. It was tempting to stay, but she knew it was best if he went to do whatever he usually did during the full moons. The time would fly, she was sure.

  Forcing her feet to move even though her heart didn’t want to, she stepped through the portal. As she turned to close it, Ren leaped through behind her and she squeaked in surprise.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. Then she laughed as she realized he couldn’t answer her. “I guess you want to stay with me?”

  He nodded and nudged her with his head. She closed the portal and said, “Well, welcome to my home. How about I change into something less ballgowny and we can go for a walk?”

  With another nod, he followed her into her home. Her heart pounded in excitement and she couldn’t stop smiling. Her wolf hadn’t wanted to leave her.

  The feeling had been entirely mutual.

  Chapter 3

  Ren wasn’t normally an impulsive person, but his wolf had been railing in his head since Kismet had mentioned leaving Wilde Creek and returning later. At first, he’d mistaken his wolf’s aggravation for wanting to shift and hunt with the pack, but once he’d changed forms, he’d known his wolf wanted to be with her and not leave her alone.

  She opened a portal to her home, and he’d been stunned by the sight. It was as if she had just torn a hole into the air. He knew fairies were magical, but he’d never met one before, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. Through the hole she’d made, he could see a quaint cottage surrounded by flowering trees. It was a picturesque scene that belonged in a painting.

  When she’d stepped through, he’d had an awful feeling that he might never see her again. He had no idea how to contact her once she was through the portal, and he didn’t really understand just exactly where the portal would take her. Instead of hoping for the best once she was gone, he’d impulsively jumped through behind her.

  His wolf was supremely happy she wanted to spend time with him outside, although he would be happy to be anywhere with her, inside or out. He followed her into her home. It smelled of flowers and vanilla.

  She waved her hands and candles and oil lamps erupted to life, casting flickering, golden light in the main room.

  “My father built this house for me as a twenty-first birthday present. I wanted to move into a place with my best friend, Keyarielle, but he said everyone should have a home to call their own.”

  He followed her into the kitchen. The small table was made from a section of a tree trunk, highly polished and set with a vase of purple flowers. “In case you couldn’t tell, purple is my favorite color,” she said, touching the petals of the flowers. “My father and I have the same power over nature, but my father has a strong secondary power over fire, which I only have a little power over. With my nature power, I can control plants and trees. Fae have different powers like control over nature or earth or fire. The tree this table and chairs came from was in my backyard. It was struck by lightning during a storm a few years ago. It was too damaged for me to heal completely, so I had it made into this set so I could always have it with me.”

  They moved down a hall and she pushed open a door to a bathroom, and next to it a bedroom that appeared to be a workshop.

  “I make things with the flowers and plants I grow and sell them in your realm. I make soaps, lotions, perfumes, and medicines for healing. My brother Noah is a healer; he takes after our mother who is a wiccan. He uses the plants that I grow to help heal which is his natural power.”

  They walked across the hall and she opened another door and stepped inside. A chandelier with a dozen candles flickered to life overhead as she waved her hand in the air, and he sat on his haunches and looked at the room. A large bed sat against one wall, the frame made of woven tree branches. There was a stone fireplace on the opposing wall. The wooden mantel was draped with strings of pearls and crystals.

  “I can command fire, but only a little bit. Like I can light a candle or a small fire, but that’s about it. I’m partial to flowers so I guess it’s good that my power is over them.”

  She reached behind her back and he heard the zipper being lowered. He instantly wished he was in his human form, so he could help her get undressed. But since he was stuck as a wolf for a while, he’d just take the opportunity of her stripping to peek at her the way she’d peeked at him. He’d thoroughly enjoyed stripping for her, watching her cheeks flush as he’d bared himself inch by inch.

  “I guess turnabout’s fair play, huh?” she asked as she eased the dress down her body slowly.

  He let out a wolfy chuckle.

  Underneath the beautiful gown, his mate had curves for days. She wore a strapless corset that accentuated her large breasts, the curve of her waist, and the flare of her hips. She unfastened the corset and tossed it over a chair in the corner, and then she plucked the waistband of her matching panties.

  “I almost stripped entirely, when what I meant to do was put on comfy clothes for going for a walk. Well, I suppose you don’t mind, though, right?”

  He growled in response and she smiled like a vixen, all sex and woman and dreams come true.

  She walked into the closet and returned a moment later, wearing leggings and pulling a long top over her head. He was sorry to see her cover up her sexy body, but he also looked forward to going outside with her. She pulled on tennis shoes and said, “Ready?”

  He gave her a low bark and followed her out of the room. They left the cottage and he fell into step beside her. “I own all these woods. I grew the trees myself when I first moved in. The land had been farmed before, so it was just flat and boring.”

  She stopped in front of a garden that had a short fence around it. “This is my work garden. I use the flowers and herbs in here for my creations, plus there are some favorites in there, too, like the fairy roses.”

  They left the garden and headed into the woods. While they walked, she talked about her life and her family. He soaked up all the details of her life, anxious to learn all he could. It had never occurred to him that his mate might not be a wolf, or even another type of shifter, but he didn’t mind. She was gorgeous and unique, and he knew their life together would be amazing.

  When they’d walked her land several times and he hadn’t missed how often she yawned, he gave her a nudge toward the cottage. He followed her into the bedroom and hopped up onto the bed while she used her power to light the logs in the fireplace. The crystal strands hanging from the mantel glittered with the flames and cast interesting patterns on the walls.

  She toed off her shoes and climbed up beside him, resting her head on his stomach. “Don’t let me fall asleep,” she said as she yawned. “You’ve only got an hour left in your shift and I don’t want to miss talking to you when you’re human again.”

  Those were the last words she spoke before she started to breathe deeply and evenly in sleep. He smiled to himself as he closed his eyes, lulled to sleep himself by the crackling of the fire and the sweet scent of his mate.

  * * *

  “Kismet? Are you home?” a feminine voice called as the front door creaked open.

  Ren woke up with a snarl, and realized he’d shifted back into his human form at some point during the night. Morning light streamed through the bedroom windows and Kismet blinked at him in confusion.

  She sat up. “Key? I’m not alone.”

  “Oh, oops! Sorry. I brought you scones to thank you for your good advice last night.”

  “Who is that?” Ren whispered.

  “My best friend, Keyarielle.” Her gaze dropped to his lap and she said, “I just realized you’re naked and human.”

  “I didn’t even wake up when I shifted,” he said sheepishly.

  “You weren’t supposed to let me fall asleep,” she said as she slipped from the bed.

 
“Sorry, I didn’t last much longer than you did.”

  “Is that bad luck?”

  “What?”

  “Falling asleep when you meet your truemate? Like shouldn’t we have been so attracted to each other, we couldn’t wait to go at it like bunnies?”

  He snorted. “You’re adorable. And wolves never go at anything like bunnies do.”

  “Oh, okay.” She laughed. “I was just wondering if we broke some kind of wolfy protocol.”

  “Not at all. I told you we’d see what the night brought, and it brought sleep and that’s okay.” He lowered his voice. “Not to say that I’m not entirely attracted to you and my wolf is banging around in my skull to pull you back to bed.”

  She let out a sigh. “You’re so sexy. Let me get rid of my friend. Then we’ll figure out clothes for you. Or not.” She gave him a wink and hurried from the room. He heard low voices, some feminine gasps and giggles, and then Key called to him, “Sorry about barging in, mysterious wolf shifter. I’ll meet you another time when you’re decent.”

  The front door opened and closed, and a few moments later, Kismet came into the bedroom with a twine-tied box and two steaming mugs. “Do you drink coffee? I don’t, so I don’t have any. I like herbal tea in the morning, and I grow my own herbs for it.”

  “Whatever you have is fine,” he said, accepting the mug.

  “Key makes amazing scones. Her power is over nature like mine, but she focuses on fruit-bearing plants and trees and uses them in baking.” She joined him on the bed and opened the box. She handed him a still-warm blueberry scone and took one herself.

  “What advice was she thanking you for?” he asked as he took a bite of the scone and hummed at the delicious taste.

  “She was at the ball last night. Her father is in the military with my father, and had been urging her to choose a male in the military to marry. She’s been pining after a male who is definitely not in the military, and I told her last night that she shouldn’t worry about what her dad thinks and go for it. She promised she’d talk to the male if I would go to Wilde Creek to see if I could find you.”