The Lamb Who Cried Wolf

Mate or Meal 1

The Lamb Who Cried Wolf

Lunch or lover? That is the question that appears in werewolf Brody’s mind when he meets lamb shifter Carson. The answer is easy. Simply looking into Carson’s innocent blue eyes tells him that the lamb is his mate. If he’s going to eat Carson up, they’ll both enjoy it.

Carson has been isolated by his flock due to his inability to grow into a strong ram. When he is unexpectedly attacked by his half-brother, he does not expect being rescued by a wolf—let alone falling in love with him.

But in spite of Brody and Carson’s feelings, there are other forces at work, and people who don’t agree with Brody’s new plans and diet. If Brody can’t find a way to save their bond, Carson might become lunch, after all.

Genre:
Alternative (M/M or F/F), Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves

Length:
36,464 words

THE LAMB WHO CRIED WOLF

Mate or Meal 1

Scarlet Hyacinth

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

THE LAMB WHO CRIED WOLF

Copyright © 2011 by Scarlet Hyacinth

E-book ISBN: 1-61034-977-6

First E-book Publication: October 2011

Cover design by Jinger Heaston

All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

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The Lamb Who Cried Wolf
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For my readers.

I hope you enjoy the story of the lamb who cried wolf .

THE LAMB WHO CRIED

WOLF

Mate or Meal 1

SCARLET HYACINTH

Copyright © 2011

“And so the boy learned that nobody believes a liar, even when he is telling the truth. And in the future, he would know not to cry wolf when there wasn’t one.”

Carson smiled as all the children around him scuttled closer. “And did the villagers find the sheep?” a little girl asked anxiously.

Carson ruffled her hair. “Of course they did.” The kids didn’t have to know the real world didn’t work that way. Wolves didn’t give back lambs. “But the villagers had a lot of trouble because the boy lied.”

The children nodded in understanding. Carson ushered them to get up from the floor. “Go on now. Go to bed.”

“But…Can’t we stay up for another tale?” a boy asked.

Carson shook his head at the child. “Your parents are going to be very angry with me if you don’t get enough rest, and they won’t allow you to come visit again. We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

Sighing, the children retreated to the sleeping area. Carson hugged them all and tucked them into bed. After he made sure they all slumbered quietly, he returned to the living room. Just as he’d expected, he found his mother, Annabelle, waiting for him there.

The Lamb Who Cried Wolf

9

“You know, you shouldn’t tell the children that story,” she said.

“It gives them nightmares.”

Carson laughed. “It’s just a story, Mother.”

She sighed, and Carson knew what she was thinking. Perhaps the lambs were safe in Annabelle’s home, but their parents were forced to deal with an increasingly difficult situation. Lately, their little community had received many losses, and Ramston, the town that had once been their sanctuary, was more and more looking like a prison and a death sentence. In the circumstances, the elder rams and ewes had left to Los Angeles, intending to prepare to move there.

“Do you think Father will find a new place for us to stay?” Carson asked her.

His mother grimaced. “I don’t think we have much choice, baby boy. We can’t take many more attacks. We’ll die out.”

Carson looked toward the bedroom where the children were sleeping, his heart hurting at the thought that tomorrow, those lambs might be attacked by a rampaging wolf. His gaze then went to the window. Night had fallen, and soon, the predators would be out to hunt. Once, they’d been safe from it, but not anymore. Now, they’d been found out, and it was only a matter of time until the wolves broke through their defenses.

The younger, stronger rams were left in charge of Ramston. For Carson’s part, he should have been on guard duty like the others, but unfortunately, he seemed to be a late bloomer at best. His horns hadn’t even fully emerged, even if he’d reached his twentieth year. In fact, he didn’t look much different than he had at fifteen. As such, he’d been delegated some of the tasks that traditionally went to the ewes. To a certain extent, he didn’t mind, since he liked the lambs, but it still hurt when the young rams teased him. He knew his family was disappointed in him, and he himself would have liked to be a stronger support for the flock. Even if his mother did her best to hide it, he knew the truth. In the current circumstances, though, he would merely be in the way if he tried to help the guards.

10

Scarlet Hyacinth

Shaking himself, Carson went to his mother and hugged her. “I’m going home,” he told her. “Ray should be there in the morning, and he’ll be angry if I’m away.”

His mother frowned, visibly upset. “You shouldn’t be out in the streets after dark, baby boy. Your brother will understand if we explain—”

“No, Mother.” Carson shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m twenty. I can take care of myself.”

She didn’t look convinced, but thankfully, didn’t comment. She knew he was as stubborn as a mule—quite ironic, given that he was, for all accounts, a lamb. Besides, having him stay the night would just make the snickering voices louder.

They said their good-byes, and Carson left the safety of her home.

He waved at the guards set around all the homes holding the lambs of the flock. Predictably, they ignored him, and Carson pushed away the brief pang of hurt and headed toward his own house. He had no desire to see Ray, but his brother already teased him relentlessly. He wished he could have earned the right to get a home of his own. As it was, he was forced to share the home that once belonged to his grandparents with his brother.

The chill wind blew through his hair as he walked, and Carson pulled up his coat, wishing for the comfort of his wool. It was so much better to be in shifted form. But these days, he only changed to his second shape when he was alone or when he had no choice. His many lacks made him feel inadequate, but at least like this, he could pretend there were no differences between him and the rest of the young rams.

Shape-shifters had always lived among the humans, secretively, of course. Humans destroyed what they couldn’t understand, so all shifter races kept to themselves. Unfortunately, their lives rotated around the same conflicts that existed in the wild, and alas, Carson’s kind were the target of many predators, simply for existing.

The Lamb Who Cried Wolf

11

Carson would have thought that, since they had a second shape, they would also have different feelings, different needs. But he knew no one who thought like him. They were sheep, and their enemies wolves. The course of nature was clear, with the difference of the new methods they used to hurt each other or protect themselves from harm.

He rubbed his arms, feeling lonely and cold. Sheep naturally craved the proximity of their own kin, yet another reason why Carson liked being around the lambs. Most everyone else rejected him. He was unusual, and in their flock, unusual spelled isolated. Sometimes, that seemed almost all right. He loved the children and loved telling them stories. Seeing their cute eyes widen at his words made it all worthwhile. Growing up, he’d dreamed about the day when he’d have a family of his own, lambs he could pass on his stories to. But now, he couldn’t help but think that storytelling wouldn’t help Ramston if the wolves attacked. It wouldn’t save the lambs from their fangs and claws.

Carson was so lost in his thoughts he missed the approach of another person until he ran into a wall of solid muscle. He cursed and backed up, only to find himself colliding with another man. Much to his dismay, he realized the man in front of him was his brother.

“Look who’s out at this hour,” Ray said. “Shouldn’t you be nursing the lambs?”

“They’ve gone to bed,” Carson replied, holding his spine ramrod straight. “And what about you? Shouldn’t you be guarding the outskirts?”

He knew he’d made a horrible mistake in talking back when Ray’s sarcastic expression twisted into one of anger. “Don’t talk back to me.”

Carson backed up, but ran into yet another person. In that moment, he realized he’d somehow become surrounded by Ray’s friends. There were at least four young rams, other than Ray, all giving him disdainful looks.