Wolves of Climax 6
Cassidy Lyons is forced to face a world where fantasy and reality collide. After witnessing Patrick shift into her red wolf, she’s scared and confused. But his raw sexuality and dominant aura keep luring her back. Can she accept that her lover is one of the forest’s deadliest predators?Patrick’s not impressed that the rest of his pack refuses to come clean with Cassidy. He’s the odd man out after volunteering to reveal his wolf. It wasn’t the magical experience he’d hoped for, only acting to tear them apart. After spending a lifetime carrying a deep-seated hatred of humans, he’s ready to do anything to win his little human back.
When a threat comes to Climax, the pack must work together to protect Cassidy. But as soon as they get a chance to complete the mating bond, Garret discovers there is much more to Cassidy and her family drama than any of them could have imagined.
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~Excerpt~
Patrick always got the short end of the stick. He’d volunteered to be the one to challenge the Rockford wolves so that Cassidy didn’t have to witness the entire pack shift at once. Now she fucking hated him.
She’d developed a close relationship with the other members of his pack, but he kept holding back. He could lose her…or himself. Garret hadn’t officially marked her, which was part of the reason they were in this situation in the first place. If his alpha really expected to claim the human girl, he should have transitioned her into their world long ago.
Now Patrick was the monster. She still sidled up to Evan, so he obviously hadn’t manned up to the truth. Patrick was stuck explaining everything, and he’d never been good with words. Cassidy was naked, smelled sweet, and his territorial nature was off the charts. The more she pulled away from him, the more his wolf demanded he stake his claim.
“I know you remember me,” he said. “My wolf remembers you.” He ran the backs of his fingers along her jawline, savoring the soft femininity of her skin.
She cringed every time he touched her.
“I’ll never hurt you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
He tilted her chin up so she’d have to meet his gaze. Patrick knew his eyes would have a slightly inhuman glow, even in his human form.
“I remember,” she whispered.
“Do you remember running your hands through my wolf’s fur? Were you afraid then?”
She shook her head, still looking in his eyes.
“He likes you. A lot. He claws within me all the time, demanding I keep you close, keep you safe.”
“He?”
Patrick smiled. “My wolf. He lives inside me, only allowed to be free when I shift forms. And know that he’d never harm you, not a hair.”
When a tear slipped from her eye, he felt a sense of deep-seated relief. She didn’t hate him. She was just distraught.
“I don’t know what to think.”
“You have to allow yourself to accept things you were taught are fiction. That’s not easy to do.”
“Does everyone know?”
All her lovers were shape-shifters. He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering how to break the news to her, and if it would be too much for her naïve mind to handle. “It’s a carefully guarded secret. Only my closest friends know the truth.”
“I should have known this was too good to be true,” she said.
“What was?”
“That five amazing men would actually fall in love with a nobody like me. I’ve never had a place I belonged…until I came to Climax. Now I don’t know anything.”
He took her hand and held it to his heart. “Do you feel that? I’m a flesh-and-blood man.”
Patrick and emotional declarations did not go hand in hand. He lived in the moment, kept his inner demons in check, and played his role in the pack. Emotion led to weakness, and he wouldn’t leave himself so vulnerable ever again. Although he never expected to find a mate, he’d follow the lead of the alpha. If Garret marked her for the pack, he’d accept it. But were his feelings for Cassidy just sparked by the possessive nature of his wolf, or were they more complex? Could he actually love the little human, trust her with his heart? He’d vowed never to put confidence in a human being again, and since their females were the only potential mates for a shifter, Patrick never expected to find love.
Already Cassidy had proved fickle, turning away from him as he’d expected she would when discovering his secret. The day by the river was engraved in his memory, one of the happiest in his life. To have Cassidy look upon his wolf with adoration and acceptance was more powerful than an illicit drug. Apparently her affection didn’t extend to shape-shifters. But he could never be just a man or just a wolf. He was torn between two worlds, forced to find balance when society didn’t even know his kind existed.
“Do you still feel the same about me?”
“I feel the same as I always have,” he said simply. “You’re the one I worry about.”
Maybe he’d just let Garret handle her. Once she received the love bite, it would act as a bonding agent, connecting them on an intimate level. Any fears or misgivings she had for their wolfen heritage would subside.
“Sometimes I just want to close my eyes and never wake up. I’m tired, Patrick. My life has been a roller-coaster ride since I moved to Climax.”
“The ride is half the fun.” He wrapped one arm around the small of her back, pulling her flush to his body. This time she didn’t fight.
“But what does it all mean? What happens to us now?”
He kissed her forehead, trying to think of ways to reassure her. “Nothing has to change. The only difference is you’ll know I’m capable of defending you—under any circumstances.”
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