Hungry for Her Wolves: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance Read online

  Her shoulders fell in relief.

  “Okay,” he said, “my turn for more questions. Your father was a lone wolf?”

  “I don’t know what he was.” She looked him over, wondering if his long-sleeved shirt covered other injuries. “Why would your brothers give you black eyes?”

  “I went a little nuts when I caught your scent.” He let out a low, dark chuckle. “They were trying to calm me. Did your mom notice anything different about your dad and his brothers?”

  “She said they were demons, that their eyes changed and they grew bigger and hairy. That’s all.” She paused, scratching the back of her head. “I don’t understand. You went nuts when you caught my scent?”

  “I’m the best tracker in my tribe. Our reservation isn’t too far from Fairbanks. I scented you from four hundred miles away.” He leaned so close, she could smell the dried blood on his lip. “Do you understand what your dad’s brothers were doing? They were trying to stop him from going lone wolf. We’re not supposed to mate with outsiders.”

  What little moisture she had left in her mouth evaporated. “Y-You mean humans?”

  “Yeah.”

  She swallowed a lump at the back of her throat. “So I was a mistake?”

  He flashed the faintest of smiles as he reached for the lock of her hair that had fallen from the confines of her tight bun, twirling it around his finger. “You’re not a mistake to me. And the Ancients clearly didn’t think you were a mistake. I know it’s no accident your name is Amara.”

  She blinked through a thin mist of emotion. “I’m not sure what you mean. My mom named me after her friend. I don’t know what I am.” She looked at her hands, fisted in her lap, willing her tears to recede. The last thing she wanted was to let this stranger see her cry.

  “Amara happens to be the name of our ancient goddess, mate to our god, Amarok, and his brothers. You’re a wolf-shifter, an Amaroki,” he said. “Like me.”

  She shared a name with an ancient goddess? How odd. But that didn’t matter as much as the fact that she was in the company of another shifter.

  “So you can shift?” Even though he’d just told her as much, saying it aloud made it more real. She was mesmerized by the smell of earth and pine that permeated his skin and in awe of the warmth he exuded.

  “My whole family can,” he answered, “and all of my tribe.”

  “Omigod, an entire tribe of shifters?” This was too much.

  He released her hair, peering at her through thick lashes. “What happened to your mom?”

  Ugh. The conversation was about to go from awkward to really awkward. “I don’t know. Last I heard, she died of cancer.”

  His jaw dropped. “You weren’t there when she died?”

  She hated having to explain her relationship with Cathi to strangers. They didn’t understand the evil that had blackened her soul.

  “The state took me from her when I was thirteen.” She hung her head as shame and sorrow washed over her. “She wasn’t exactly the best mom.”

  He cupped her chin in a firm yet gentle grip. “What did she do to you?”

  The sincerity in his gaze was enough to make her heart do a backflip. They’d only just met, but she was inexplicably drawn to him.

  “Put her cigarettes out on my legs, told me almost daily how much she hated me and I was the spawn of a demon,” she said on a rush of air, then clamped her mouth shut and desperately tried to hold back the tears. She decided to leave out the part about Cathi siding with her stepfather after he tried to rape Amara. Instinct told her Luc wouldn’t handle that revelation well.

  “I’m so sorry.” He wiped away a stray tear.

  Damn that stupid tear. She’d tried to hold it back. Why had she told a stranger about her mom anyway? She’d only ever told her first foster parents about the cigarette burns, and they’d given her back to the state.

  “It is what it is.” She pulled away, looking out the window, scowling as the agents stared at her. “It’s taught me to be independent and resourceful. Besides, I have my dogs.” She swallowed and let out a slow breath. “I don’t need parents.”

  “Where did you go after you left your mom?”

  His voice was a hoarse whisper. Had her story made him emotional, too?

  When she turned back around, she was surprised to see color fanning his tanned cheeks and neck. “I spent two years with some foster parents. That didn’t work.” She pretended their rejection hadn’t crushed her, hadn’t turned her into a bitter loner. “I stayed with a few other foster families for a while, and then my uncle suddenly decided to be charitable and take me in, but that was only because he needed a slave. I ran away from him when I was almost eighteen. I’ve been on my own ever since.”

  A visible knot worked down his throat as he swallowed, his eyes glossing. “The females in my tribe are cherished and protected. If we’d known about you then, we would’ve taken care of you.”

  Cherished and protected? How badly she wanted to believe him. He seemed sincere, and her instinct wasn’t raising any alarms. But she’d been fooled before. She wasn’t about to be fooled again. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “Why did you come here?”

  “I knew you were mine.”

  He said it with such cutting finality, she knew it to be true.

  Fuck! She wasn’t prepared for that. “I don’t belong to any man... or wolf.”

  He leaned into her, overpowering her with his heat and sending her libido into a tailspin by gently squeezing her knee. “You do now.”

  She released a shuddering breath, struggling to keep her lust under control as that throbbing between her legs returned with a vengeance. She needed to get away from this man. This wolf.

  “Well, it was nice talking to you.” She grabbed the handle and shoved the door open, filling her lungs with fresh air. Anything to get rid of the scent of him. “I have to get back to work.”

  “Hang on.” He latched onto her arm, pulling her back inside, then reached over her and jerked the door shut with a bang. “You can’t just leave.”

  While the virile man pressed against her, she tried to ignore her growing desire, but it was no use. Her breasts molded to his hard angles, her nipples pebbling in response. She breathed harshly as her chest tightened. “My boss is watching us.” She nodded to a shadow behind the blinds.

  “My family’s going to be here any minute.” He spoke through clenched teeth, tension in every line of his body. “My brothers have caught your scent by now. They’ll rip that doctor apart if you go back in there.”

  Panic seized her. “What?” Why would they do that? Were all wolf brothers this vicious? Shit. All this time she’d longed to meet others like her, and now she wasn’t so sure she wanted anything to do with her species.

  Luc’s eyes narrowed. “I saw the way he was looking at you.”

  She scowled. “Why is it any of their business how my boss looks at me?”

  He flashed a knowing smile. “They’re very possessive.”

  She pressed her back against the door, made uneasy by the feral look in his eyes. “So whose girlfriend am I supposed to be, yours or theirs?”

  “Yes,” he answered evenly, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

  She blinked hard, looking at him as if he’d grown a second head. “Yes what?”

  “We mate as a pack. One female, and three to four brothers, depending on the size of the pack.”

  She stared, waiting for him to break into laughter and tell her he was only joking. When he didn’t, her stomach tied itself in a knot. He couldn’t be serious. “That’s odd,” she managed to rasp, feeling like a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat. Three to four males for one female? What was one girl to do with all those mates?

  “That’s how it’s done in our species,” he said matter-of-factly, as if sharing a girl with his brothers was the most natural thing in the world. “One she-wolf bears a daughter and three to four sons.”

  “I’m not having all those kids,” she blurted. What
the hell did they think she was, their sex slave? Their queen bee?

  “You’re used to humans.” He snickered. “Once you assimilate into our culture, you’ll see it’s normal.”

  He thought this was funny? Well, she was done with the jokes. “Who said I was assimilating into your culture?”

  “You can’t stay here. You need to be with your own kind. Your mates will keep you safe.”

  She stuck a thumb in her chest. “I keep me safe, and I keep Buster, Gremlin, and Scrooge safe, too.”

  A low rumble sounded from his chest. “Who are they?”

  Gah! He sounded like Buster protecting his football. She cocked her head, smirking. “My dogs.”

  The tension lines around his mouth melted away. “Your dogs are welcome to live at the reservation with us.”

  “I’m not going to a reservation.” Her spine stiffened, and she glared at him through slitted lids. “The animals here need me.”

  He held out both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Your mates need you.”

  “I don’t think you understand how important my work is. I can diagnose any animal without examining it.” She’d built a reputation as a dog whisperer. People came from all over Alaska to let her examine their pets. She’d become somewhat of a local celebrity after detecting a slow-growing cancer in the police chief’s favorite husky last month. The people here admired her and treated her with respect.

  “You can really do that?” He scratched the back of his head, looking like Buster when he was searching for the origin of his fart. “My father said his great-grandmother had a similar gift, but I don’t know any other females who can do it.” He patted her knee in a patronizing gesture. “It will come in handy when you’re raising our young.”

  “I’m not a breeding machine.” She jerked her leg away, ignoring his frown. Last thing she needed was him touching her and hormones muddling her brain. She was about to shove open the door again when his face fell, his body going rigid. “What is it?”

  His nostrils flared. “My brothers are here.”

  “Good.” She turned up her nose, squeezing the door handle. “Tell them I’m not interested. I’m going back to work.”

  “Do not get out of the truck.” He yanked her away from the door so hard, she cried out. “My brothers have scented you. They know you’re in heat. You don’t want to piss them off.”

  They knew she was in heat? Was the smell of her desire that powerful? How embarrassing. She shook off his hand. “Are you serious?”

  “Stay put.” He climbed out of the truck, leveling her with a hardened stare. “For your own safety.” He slammed the door, gravel crunching under his boots as he stalked over to a big silver truck that had barreled into the driveway, throwing up rocks and dust before screeching to a halt.

  Her jaw dropped when she saw three broad-shouldered men get out, their iron-eyed gazes honing in on her. Holy heck! They looked much bigger than Luc and far more lethal, especially the guy with the smooth, black hair falling to his shoulders. When he looked at her, her insides liquefied. She quickly averted her gaze, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. These were more monsters than men, and they wanted to be her mates? How was she supposed to say no to them?

  LUC CAUTIOUSLY WALKED up to his brothers. Every muscle in his body ached. He hadn’t slept in over three days, and he was pretty sure a few ribs were bruised, but all that mattered was keeping Amara safe.

  “Hey,” he said to his brothers, keeping a wary eye on Drasko, the second alpha, and therefore the most temperamental and unpredictable of their pack.

  “You found her.” His oldest brother and head alpha rushed forward, flashing a broad grin. “You weren’t fucking crazy.”

  “Back off, Hakon, okay?” He braced his legs and held out his hands, inwardly cursing when pain lanced up his left side. “She’s scared. She doesn’t understand what’s happening.”

  Drasko and Hakon frowned at his truck. Luc tossed a glance at the beautiful blonde with the wide, frightened eyes. Poor Amara must be scared shitless. His alpha brothers were a few inches taller than him, with broad shoulders that would rival professional linebackers. They made a formidable pair, the largest protectors in their tribe, even bigger than their fathers, the tribal chiefs. Behind them, their youngest brother, Rone, peered over Hakon’s shoulder with wide, eager eyes, shifting from foot to foot. He wasn’t as tall as the alphas, but like them, he was broad-chested and strong, built to help their mate haul around the children.

  “Where did she come from?” Hakon asked.

  “Her father was a loner.” Luc heaved a sigh. “She was raised by humans and abused as a child. She’s had a rough life.” In other words, he projected into their heads, go fucking easy on her.

  “When I find her father,” Drasko rumbled. “I’m ripping him apart.”

  After Luc’s thorough thrashing by his older brother, he had no doubt Drasko would keep his word. Somehow he doubted Amara would appreciate her mate shredding her father, even if it was to avenge her honor.

  “I don’t think he knew about her.” He kept his voice steady in an effort to calm his brother. “Her mom ran off after they mated.”

  “I’m still killing him.” Drasko spoke between clenched teeth, letting the deep baritone of his protector take over.

  “Calm down,” Luc urged, glancing again at the girl. Even from a distance, he could smell her fear.

  “She’s scared.” Hakon grimaced. “We need to get her back to the reservation. What’s her name?”

  “You’re not going to believe this,” Luc answered, “but it’s Amara. She said she was named after her mother’s friend.”

  His brothers simultaneously gaped at him.

  “Do you think our goddess paid her mother a visit?” Rone asked.

  Hakon stroked his lightly stubbled chin. “I’m not sure. Anything is possible. For now, I’m going to take it as a good sign.”

  “When’s the honeymoon?” Rone asked a little too eagerly. When Rone wasn’t cooking up something in the kitchen, he was dreaming of their mate, fantasizing about her hair and eyes, and especially her tits. The poor pup was so horny, they went through several jars of lube a week at their house, and a shitload of socks and washcloths.

  His truck door opened, and Luc spun around. “Amara!” He pointed at her, ignoring the pain the motion caused him. Panic iced his limbs when he felt tension rolling off Drasko in erratic pulses. “I said to stay in the truck.”

  She pushed a strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear, leveling him with piercing silvery-blue eyes in a beautiful act of defiance. “You’re not my boss. I need to check on my patients.” She stomped toward the rusty brown front door of the clinic that looked more like a shack waiting to be condemned.

  Too bad for her Drasko was faster, reaching the door in a few long strides and blocking her path.

  Luc’s legs felt encrusted in concrete blocks as he chased after them. Please don’t lose your cool, Drasko, he silently pleaded.

  PUTTING BOTH HANDS on her hips, Amara glared up at the solid, tall hunk of tattooed man-flesh with long, dark hair. “Would you move please?”

  Tattooed Stud spread his legs, scowling at her with eyes that shifted from gold to brown before gesturing at the window behind him. “Who is the man looking through the blinds?”

  Oh, boy. Luc wasn’t kidding when he said his brothers were possessive. “My boss.”

  “Not anymore.”

  Tattoo Stud’s command was a deep rumble, rattling her bones and the ground under her feet like the tremors of an earthquake. His eyes turned from brown to gold again, but they weren’t like a wolf’s eyes. For a moment she feared there was a different creature inside him, like maybe the demon Cathi had warned her about. She shook her head at the thought. Hadn’t Luc said they were all wolf shifters?

  She splayed a hand across her chest, rapidly losing patience with the big beast who breathed down her neck. She would not back down, no matter how much he rattled her. “I beg your pardon?”
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  He spun her around so fast, the breath whooshed from her lungs. He backed her against the door and then leaned against her, trapping her when he planted a hand on either side of her head. “Pack your things. You’re leaving with us.” It wasn’t a request. It was a command.

  “Oh? You think so?” She cocked a brow, inwardly smiling when Luc and another brother pulled him away.

  “Ease up, Drasko,” Luc growled.

  Drasko, huh? Somehow, the name fit. Her chest heaved as Drasko stared her down, and she read the meaning in his predatory gaze: You belong to me.

  The throbbing between her legs returned with a vengeance, and that slow drip in her panties turned into a steady trickle. Damn libido! Why would she get all hot and bothered by this beast? She pushed off the door when it rattled behind her.

  “Amara, is everything all right?” Dr. Tanner poked his head around the door, eyes widening when he looked at Drasko.

  “Yes.” She expelled a shaky breath, willing herself to stop trembling. “It will be.”

  “What if it wasn’t all right?” Nostrils flaring, Drasko looked ready to charge Dr. Tanner like a raging bull. “What would you do about it?”

  “Omigod!” she spat, eyeing Drasko with derision. “Are you serious?” Even if she wanted to leave her life behind, there was no way she would mate with this jerk, no matter how horny he made her.

  “Our parasite case has taken a turn for the worse.” Tanner’s hand shook as he mopped sweat off his brow, his gaze nervously flitting from one brother to the other before settling on Drasko. “I need you to tell me what’s wrong.”

  “He needs fluids,” Amara said.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be the doctor?” Drasko said on a low growl.

  Tanner nodded at Amara. “I am, but she can diagnose faster than I can.”

  Drasko looked at Amara, eyes bulging. “You can diagnose illness?”

  “Yeah. It’s no big deal.”

  “It is a big deal.” He crossed his arms, looking down his nose at the doctor. “I bet you pay her a meager wage and force her to do all the work.”