Sassy Ever After: A Hot Piece Of Sass (Kindle Worlds Novella) (2 page)

Chapter Two

G
race Erickson picked up the phone on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Hi Grace. It’s Barbara Wolfe. How are you?”

“Barbara, what a surprise. Is everything okay?” It had been ages since Grace had heard from her dear friend.

“Everything’s fine, darling. It’s been crazy around here, but I suppose that’s par for the course. I had a couple of reasons for calling. It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to you so I wanted to see how you were holding up, but I also wanted to know if your son, Rafe, was still in the market for a mate.”

“It’s been pretty exciting around here. Much to everyone’s surprise, Rafe found his mate over the holidays. It was quite a shock for him to find her under the circumstances he did. My stomach still turns when I think of the condition she was in when she showed up at Black Paw. The poor girl—she came from a horrible pack where abuse was rampant. She’s adjusting pretty well to life at Black Paw, which is good. She and Rafe get along great—they couldn’t be happier. In fact, they are expecting! I can’t believe I’m finally going to be a grandma,” Grace gushed. She still couldn’t believe how everything had turned out, and she was over the moon at the thought of having a grandbaby to spoil.

“How wonderful! I’m so excited for you. Let me ask, how about his second in command, Lucas? Has he found his mate yet? If I remember right, he was an absolute hottie.”

“Believe it or not, Lucas is taken as well. We’ve had a rash of pairings here at Black Paw over the last few weeks.”

“Wow, what an awesome and exciting time for your pack! When I woke up this morning, I had the strangest feeling that I would find a mate at Black Paw for my niece, Hannah. Maybe you can recommend a good wolf who’s looking for a mate?”

Grace thought about her friend’s question for a few seconds, trying to decide who would be the best mate for Barbara’s niece. An idea sprang to mind, and just as suddenly as she pictured the pair together, she knew they were meant to be.

“I have just the person in mind. He’s sweet and kind, and I think he would be perfect for Hannah. He’s a bit of a wandering soul. It’s been hard for Tanner to watch his friends find their mates and start families. It’s left him feeling kind of like the odd man out.”

“Can you tell me more about him?” Barbara asked, her curiosity suddenly piqued.

“Sure. Tanner’s sort of the one-off. Not in a strange way or anything—he’s been one of Rafe’s top enforcers for years, and one of his most trusted confidants. Tanner inherited the rugged good looks in his family and he’s so thick, you’d think he was a bear-shifter instead of a wolf-shifter. He’s in his late twenties, so, still a baby, but he thinks he’s all grown up.”

“He sounds very interesting indeed. Is there anything I should know about?”

Grace twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, thinking about Tanner’s disposition. “He’s very hard-headed, but that’s probably why he’s perfect for Rafe’s go-to crew. Once you crack that hard exterior, though, he’s nothing but a snuggly teddy bear.”

Barbara liked what she heard. Tanner sounded like exactly the mate Hannah needs in her life. Now if they could just make it work. “Are his parents still alive?”

“Oh, yes. And they’re hounding him every day to find a mate and settle down. His mama wants grandbabies in the worst way, and her kids refuse to cooperate. It’s funny, now that I’m a grandma—well, I’m going to be a grandma—it’s like this biological clock not only ticks when we want babies of our own, but it also tells us we need grandbabies in our lives.”

Barbara laughed. “Honey, that is so true. I can’t imagine life any other way, but it keeps us on our toes and gives us something to look forward to. Holding your own baby is one thing, but when you get to hold your grandbaby for the first time, that’s a whole new feeling of joy and amazement.”

“I’ll make sure Tanner is present at the Scenting Ceremony. All you have to do is get Hannah to show up and we’ll see if the sparks fly.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

With their schemes in place, Barbara and Grace ended their call and went to work doing what they did best: setting things in motion.

***

Tanner Larsen wasn’t your average, everyday wolf-shifter. He had a little bit of special majik all his own, but no one knew it. It was a secret he kept well-hidden from the majority of the pack. His family knew, as did a select few of his closest friends. But the others? Nah. It was a secret he didn’t want to get out.

They wouldn’t take too kindly to knowing he could hear their every thought, all the time. And he couldn’t blame them. Not one bit.

There was no way in the world he would ever want anyone listening in on his private thoughts or ideas. It was one thing to have an open mind to the pack when he was in wolf form, but in human form, he wanted his thoughts to be his own, with no intrusions from anyone. The fact that he was the one listening in on everyone else… well, that was too much to handle most days.

As if his life wasn’t already complicated enough, his parents badgered him daily about finding a mate, settling down, and—last but not least—producing grandbabies. It wasn’t that he was against any of it, but it was really hard, like seriously fucking
hard
, when he could hear exactly what his girlfriend thought—or anyone else, for that matter. Most days, it was a total fucking drag.

The majority of shit he heard thanks to his curse made him cringe, at the very least. There’s nothing quite like making out with a girl while she thinks about her ex, or pretends she’s kissing someone else. It was a total turnoff, and he’d had enough of it. Tanner found himself standing at a crossroad in his life. Did he keep searching for a mate or did he give up and go it alone? More and more he leaned towards going it alone. If his past experience with women showed what he had to look forward to in the future… yeah, he’d pass altogether. Been there. Done that. Already bought the expensive-ass T-shirt.

A couple of his friends joked about how great it would be to have his
gift
. They thought it would be pretty damn awesome to be able to hear exactly what your lady wanted, but in reality it was anything but.

Tanner had learned rather quickly that he really
didn’t
want to hear a girl’s raw, un-filtered thoughts all the time. It wasn’t a pretty picture and he’d soon discovered many unfortunate things he really had no desire to know about another person.

The only plus side was that it was better to learn up front that you were on a date with one of Satan’s cast-offs. It really did speed the whole dating process along. Being able to hear his date’s nasty, evil thoughts turned out to be quite a time-saver. There was no way he’d waste time on a second or third date thinking a girl was pretty awesome, only to find out later her heart was as black as charcoal.

So where did that leave Tanner?

It left him eating dinner at the diner, alone, again.

“Is there anything else I can get for you, sweetheart?” The tiny blonde waitress with way too much makeup had tried her best to catch his attention throughout the entire meal, but Tanner had other things on his mind.

“Just the check, thanks.” Tanner didn’t even bother making eye contact with the woman, hoping like fuck she would get the hint and go away.

“I get off at closing if you’d like a little company tonight.”

No such luck.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Tanner said with a nod. Any other night, he might have been tempted to take the sexy little server up on her offer, but he was fed up with the emotionless act sex had turned into. He swore that the next girl he hooked up with would be one he didn’t have to do from behind with his MP3 player on full blast to drown out the stray thoughts that crossed his partner’s mind.

The restaurant had finally cleared out, and he popped the earbuds out of his ears and reveled in the quiet. His day had sucked from the moment his feet hit the floor, clear up until about a half an hour ago. The negativity he’d heard all day had drained the life right out of him. If it wasn’t one person whining about something, it was another bitching about something else. He threw twenty bucks on the table to cover the check and tip as he left the diner to head home.

The last person he expected to bump into as he left the restaurant was Grace Erickson. Not that he minded running into his Alpha’s mother, he just didn’t have the energy to deal with anyone else tonight. He had hoped to avoid everyone he knew for the rest of the evening.

“Why, there you are, Tanner. You’re just the person I was hoping to bump into.” Grace gave Tanner a big hug, like she always did.

“Hey, Grace. What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping you would be up for a quick road-trip. I need someone I can trust to head down to Blue Creek and deliver a package to Barbara Wolfe. It’s a special item she needs for the annual Scenting Ceremony.”

Tanner listened for the real reason Grace wanted to send him on this little errand of hers, but drew a blank. The only thing he found was that she truly had something she needed to give to Barbara. Why she couldn’t send someone else to handle this task was beyond him.

Not wanting to piss off the Alpha’s mother, Tanner reluctantly agreed. “Sure. When do you need it delivered by?”

“I knew I could count on you. I need to have it in her hands by Friday at the very latest, for the start of the ceremony.”

“Got it. I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again—or that their pack still has an annual Scenting Ceremony.” Tanner rolled his eyes. “The whole process seems so outdated. It’s not like we’re living in the Stone Age where wolves aren’t capable of finding a suitable mate.”

“It’s a huge part of their pack tradition. And who am I to pass judgment on decent pack traditions? A lot of wolves from all over the country come to Blue Creek in hopes of finding their happily-ever-after. Maybe you should give the ceremony a once-over while you’re there. Who knows? You might just find your long-lost mate.”

“I’m not so sure there’s a mate out there for me. Besides, the whole idea of sniffing someone for a minute or two before declaring them to be your lifelong mate seems like a complete crock of shit to me. Surely there has to be more to it. At least a conversation, dinner, something—right?”

Grace shrugged her shoulders, a soft smile spreading across her face. “You never know what the Fates have in store for you, sweetie. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and stop questioning what you don’t understand. Maybe you just need a little more belief in the majik that runs through your veins.”

Grace reached into her purse and pulled out a long, ornately carved black box. She carefully adjusted the delicate red bow that was carefully tied around it. “Please make sure you personally deliver this to Barbara.”

“You can count on me.”

With that last exchange, Grace stretched up on her tippy-toes and gave him a quick peck on his cheek.

“Thanks, sweetie. Have a safe trip.”

He shook his head as she bounced away with a bit of a spring in her step.

“Maybe she’s right. Maybe we will find our mate in Blue Creek.”
His wolf, who had been unusually quiet through the conversation, chimed in.

Tanner held out absolutely no hope for finding a mate in Blue Creek… but he might stick around anyway, just to see what the hell the big deal was.

Chapter Three

E
arly the next morning Tanner found himself shaking off the recurring dream that had haunted him his entire life. Normally he could dismiss the feeling of dread with ease, but this morning he felt like he was trapped in the frozen fog of his dream.

After sucking down several cups of coffee and filling up the largest thermos he could find, he headed out on his this-is-going-to-suck-balls journey that he had no desire to make. If there was one thing he hated, it was long-ass road-trips, but who was he to deny Grace? Before he hit the road, he checked in with Rafe to make sure the Alpha knew what his mom was up to. When he got the all-clear from Rafe, he shrugged a shoulder, tossed his duffle bag into the backseat of his truck, and climbed in.

Tanner had to admit, the rolling countryside and majestic mountain views were absolutely breathtaking. If nothing else, the quiet drive provided some of the best scenery he’d seen in a long time—not to mention the down time he desperately needed. It was nice to be able to clear his head and not have the constant bombardment of other people’s thoughts bouncing around in his brain.

His quiet interludes were interrupted only by the occasional stop to stretch his legs and grab some food. When Tanner finally rolled in to Blue Creek, his first thought was to drive straight to the nearest motel and have a quick shower. Instead, he played the good messenger boy and made his way to Barbara Wolfe’s house.

Lifting his hand to knock, he was surprised when the door opened wide. A woman with striking blue eyes and short blonde hair greeted him with a warm, welcoming smile. “You must be Tanner Larsen. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Grace told me so much about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Are you Barbara?” Tanner tried to hand off the delicately-wrapped package which was the only reason for his visit. Instead of accepting the package, however, she ushered him into the house, firmly closing the door behind them.

“Oh heavens, yes, I’m Barbara. Goodness! Where are my manners?”

If anyone was used to awkward situations, it was Tanner. He tried not to blush as Barbara’s thoughts passed through his mind. Knowing he needed to come up with a quick conversation topic before she had any more fantasies about stripping him naked just to see what was under the carriage, he blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind.

“I wanted to swing by and drop this off before I checked into the motel.” He tried handing the box over once again, only to be rebuffed a second time. He began to wonder what was really in the box and just how important it really was.

“Nonsense, I’ll hear none of that motel talk. We have plenty of room, and besides you’re practically family already. You’ll spend the night here, with us.”

Just fucking peachy,
Tanner thought. His attempts at a speedy escape were being thwarted by someone who seemed to be an expert at getting her way. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Wolfe. But I wouldn’t want to impose. It’s no big deal to spend a night at the motel down the road. It looked like a pretty clean place.”

His gracious offer was rapidly shot down.

“It’s a darling little place, but I insist on you joining us, sweetheart. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Grace and Bjorn were always very close friends. And any friend of theirs is a friend of the ours. Besides, you’ll have to catch me up on all the goings-on at Black Paw. I rarely see Grace these days, but I heard there’ve been a few new matings recently. It’s all so exciting. So tell me, are you planning on sticking around for the annual Scenting Ceremony tomorrow?”

Tanner’s eyes widened at the bombardment of questions. He sure hoped he was cleared to discuss pack information with Barbara, because it didn’t look like there was any way he was going to be able to avoid it. “Are you certain it’s not a problem? I wouldn’t want to be any trouble.”

“I’m positive, sweetheart. Why don’t you go grab your bag? Then I’ll show you to your room and you can get cleaned up before dinner. You can catch me up on everything over a nice homemade meal. You must be so tired of fast-food from the long drive.”

The thought of a home-cooked meal made Tanner’s stomach growl. “You could say that.”

With no choice but to appease the matriarch of the Wolfe pack, Tanner headed to his truck and grabbed his duffle bag. He sent Grace a quick text, letting her know he had given the package to Barbara and would be spending the night there instead of the motel.

When Tanner got back inside, Barbara gave him a tour of the house and showed him to his room. Thankfully, he didn’t have to listen to any more improper thoughts regarding his anatomy. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was a dirty old bird with quite the creative imagination. And according to her thoughts, she was also flexible as fuck, even at her advanced age.

“Dinner will be ready in about an hour, if you’d like to relax for a little bit.”

“Thanks. That sounds like a great plan.” Tanner tried to unwind once Barbara made sure he was settled into his room, but for some reason he was on edge. His wolf needed to be released. He needed time to run, time to be wild. There was something about Blue Creek that made his wolf feel uneasy, almost feral. If he could only put his finger on the problem, he could work on calming his wolf, but until then, he needed to come up with a way to chill the fuck out.

Maybe the problem was being away from Black Paw. He hated leaving his pack for any amount of time. It left him agitated and grouchy. Black Paw was more than his home, it was his entire life. Everyone he’d ever known or loved was at Black Paw. Not that Blue Creek wasn’t a beautiful place. The wide open spaces reminded him of home, and the mountains called to him like never before.

Or was it something
more
that called him?

As the Wolfe house filled up with guests for dinner, Tanner found himself once again inundated by others’ thoughts. His head began to pound. He needed to find a way to keep the intrusions at bay. The more people who arrived for dinner, the louder the collective thoughts rang in his head. The prominent question running through everyone’s mind was, ‘Who is the stranger in the house?’ How he was going to survive the next few hours was beyond him.

Luckily, his worries were unfounded. The meal turned out to be an informal but mouth-watering affair. Everyone seemed to have questions about him or Black Paw, which he answered with relative ease. He had prepared himself for the worst possible scenario, which included an aggressive few rounds of Twenty fucking Questions. Thankfully, his preparations made the Q and A session much easier to deal with and, dare he say, it was even a fun dinner.

Tanner came to the quick realization that the Wolfes’ were a close-knit family. Several of Barbara’s kids were present, along with her mate, which made the meal lively and entertaining. They reminded him very much of his own family and the meals they shared on a regular basis. Like his own mom, Barbara was good at making sure her grown kids were still involved with the family life.

Tanner’s day turned out to be much longer than he had planned. If it were up to him, he would have gladly caught a few hours of sleep so he could turn around and head home, but over a mouthwatering cake, Barbara made him promise to stick around until the end of the Scenting Ceremony. Honestly, once he saw the triple-layer chocolate fudge cake, he would have agreed to anything, including selling his soul to the lowest bidder.

After dinner and dessert, Barbara and her mate, Tristian invited Tanner to join them in their nightly run. It was probably the highlight of his day, and definitely made his evening much brighter. After a quick shift to his wolf, he started to calm down.

But he still couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that had been bugging him since he’d set foot in Blue Creek.