Ergan: Winter Valley Wolves #5 (6 page)

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Authors: V. Vaughn,Mating Season Collection

BOOK: Ergan: Winter Valley Wolves #5

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Chapter 13

W
ithin hours
of my becoming a werewolf and completing the true mate bond with Ergan, he announces that I will be attending his family’s Labor Day barbecue. I’ve just finished cleaning the kitchen, and I walk over to sit on the couch with him. I grab a throw pillow to hold in my lap and ask, “Wait. What if I shift by accident? Wouldn’t that be like a major fail in front of my in-laws-to-be?”

“Hmmm, and my brothers. Because when you shift back, you’ll be naked.” I glance at him in horror, and he grins back. “Kidding.”

“Seriously.” I stroke the velour fabric, imagining what my first shift might feel like.

Ergan removes the pillow from my clutches and takes my hand. “You have to focus to shift. Would you like to try it now?”

I nod as he stands. He pulls me up, and I freeze. “Wait.” He gazes at me, and I hunch up my shoulders as I ask, “Will it hurt?”

“No. I’m sure it will be strange for you, but it doesn’t hurt.”

I sigh in relief. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

He tugs me along by my hand, and we go out my front door. I glance around at the dirt driveway and woodlands that surround the area. It’s as if nothing happened, but everything has changed.

Ergan lifts his shirt over his head, and I do the same. When I’m standing naked across from the man I love, I start to giggle. “I feel ridiculous.”

My mate’s gaze scans my body. “That’s not how you look.” He winks at me.

I glance at the pile of our clothes. “I should install some hooks out here.”

“Naw.” Ergan takes my hand, and I notice it no longer sears me, although the touch still races right to my heart. “I’ve got plenty of hooks at my house.”

Is he suggesting I move in with him?
“Oh.”

He leans down and kisses me quickly. “I am.”

“What?”

“I heard what you thought.”

“Oh my god. That part’s true too?”

“Yes.”

I squeal. “That’s so cool.”

“You ready to shift?”

I nod.

Ergan says, “I’ll be able to talk to you when you’re a wolf, so if anything scares you, just tell me.”

I’m trembling with nerves. “I need to get this over with before I chicken out.”

“Okay. Focus on the wolf inside you as you walk in a circle like this.” He paces in a tight ring the way a dog does to make his bed comfortable. When he stops, he asks, “Ready?”

I copy his motions and search for the beast within me. A low rumble I’m not conscious of creating comes from my throat, and it’s almost as if a part of me feels trapped. I picture my arms and legs growing hair, and when the impact of my hands landing on the ground radiates through my arms, I realize they’re actually legs.

The world around me is so vibrant that it almost quivers with color, and I can see details on the trees that are as if I’m looking at things with a microscope. Ergan communicates with me.
“Look at your paws. You’re gorgeous.”

I glance down at the detail of my fur. I’m various shades of gray, and it is beautiful.
“Oh, Ergan. You did good.”

“C’mon.”

He takes off in a slow trot, and I follow. We wind through trees in the woods, and I get used to using four legs. My feet are quick, and I’m so amazed at my agility that I begin to hop over things. When I figure out how powerful I am, I gallop and play a game of tag with Ergan.

I’m reminded of soccer and wonder if we could do this with a ball. When we slow down, he walks us toward a house. My mate says,
“Welcome to your new home.”

I watch as Ergan repeats the same process he used to shift, and then I do the same. This time I imagine my human form, and the change happens quickly. I shake out my muscles. “That didn’t hurt at all.”

“You’re a natural,” he says.

I glance at the home before me. It’s white wood with dark-green shutters that have a wolf cutout on them, and the screen door has the same design on the push bar. “I love it.”

Ergan takes my hand. “Come see the inside.”

When we enter, he hands me a large button-down shirt, and the cotton is soft on my skin when I put it on. The scent of my mate travels to my nose, and my wolf lets out a content sigh. The layout of Ergan’s house is similar to mine, and I wander over to his sliding glass door to gaze out over the water. I ask, “Where are we in relation to where I live?”

He comes behind me and wraps an arm around my waist as he points off to the left. “You’re right around that corner.”

“It’s not that far.”

“No. It’s too far. But now that we’re bonded, I’m not going to be able to handle many nights without you by my side.” He’s still naked, and his erection presses against my back. I detect the sweet odor of my arousal, and I’m slightly horrified knowing that he’s been aware of my attraction all this time. But I push the revelation out of my head.

“I suspect I won’t be able to, either, will I?”

Ergan kisses the back of my neck. “Probably not.”

I only fastened one button on the shirt, and it’s slippery in my fingers as I release it while I turn around and face my mate. Ergan slips his hand under the fabric and around my waist to pull me against his body. I whisper, “Show me your room.”

A
large woman
squeezes me tight enough that I think my ribs crack. “Goodness, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you, Kayla.”

She releases me, and I step back. “It’s so wonderful to meet you, too, Mrs. Wakefield.”

She waves a finger at me, and I’m reminded of the day on the bus when Ergan did the same when he warned the players about kissing. She says, “You’ll be calling me Betsy.”

“Betsy.”

She grabs my hand and yanks me along as I shoot a glance at Ergan. He grins at me, and I think he’s proud to be showing me off. Our feet thump over the hardwood floor as she brings me to the back. The deck is more like a porch and wraps around either side of the house.

The aroma of ribs grilling makes my stomach growl, and Betsy turns to me. “Isn’t food so much fun now?”

I smile. “I liked it well enough before, but yeah. It tastes so amazing in this state.”

We approach a man that gives me a glimpse into what Ergan will look like when he’s older. Silver fox comes to mind, because his dad is strikingly handsome. He holds out a large hand. “Kayla, I’m Ted.”

I reach for it, and he traps me in his grip as I say, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Ergan has disappeared, but I’m comfortable with his parents.

Betsy asks, “What can I get you to drink? Wine? Beer?”

“A beer would be great, thank you.”

Ted hasn’t let go of my hand, and I return my attention to him. He says, “Betsy’s going to be a bit much to take, but you’re going to be her first daughter-in-law.” He speaks low, although I’m sure all the wolf ears can hear us. “She’ll be asking for grandchildren next spring, so watch out.”

I give him a wink. “Got it. I’ll be prepared.”

Ergan returns to me with two guys that are slight variations of him. “You trying to steal my girl, Dad?”

Ted chuckles and lets go of my hand. “She’s mighty pretty, but I’m a married man. I’ll let you have this one.”

I grin at him and imagine he had his pick of women in his day. Ergan says, “Kayla, these are my brothers.” He hits one hard in the stomach with the back of his hand. “This is the baby, Ekton.”

Ekton grunts and extends a hand to me. I shake it as my mate says, “And this is my big brother, Esher.” Esher tucks Ergan’s head under his arm and rubs his hair before he reaches out for my hand.

I watch their strange behavior and imagine what it must have been like in this house when they were all younger. Ergan steps next to me and wraps a protective arm around my shoulders as Esher says, “I heard you’re coaching girls’ varsity soccer. You’ve got a good team this year.”

“I do.”

I chat with the Wakefield boys until Betsy pulls me away to give me a tour of the house and share stories of Ergan as a child. She just retired from teaching kindergarten, and it hits me that I’ll probably work as I raise my children, too.

When dinner is ready, we all sit at a picnic table, and I gaze at ribs, burgers, and a variety of salads spread out before me. Multiple conversations are happening, and I smile as I listen. The Wakefields are a rowdy bunch. Ergan is by my side, and he places a hand on my thigh. I glance around at my new family, and my heart is so full with love it feels like it’s going to burst.

I’d always dreamed I’d marry a man that would be my partner and stand by my side. Somehow I lost my way, but now that I’ve found Ergan, I’ve found the man I’ve been searching for all my life. Because we are bonded true mates, Ergan will protect me, and I’ll protect him. As equals. I reach under the table and take his hand to squeeze it. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

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