Lady and the Wolf: A Werewolf Shifter Saga Read online

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  Copyright © 2016 by S.A. Cross

  All Rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of required fees you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of BLVNP Inc. For more information contact BLVNP Inc.The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  DISCLAIMER

  This book is a work of FICTION. It is fiction and not to be confused with reality. Neither the author nor the publisher or its associates assume any responsibility for any loss, injury, death or legal consequences resulting from acting on the contents in this book.The author’s opinions are not to be construed as the opinions of the publisher.The material in this book is for entertainment purposes ONLY. Enjoy.

  Praise for Lady and the Wolf

  This book is AMAZING! I can't wait for the rest of the series.

  This was one of the first books I read on wattpad, I read the entire book in a day because I couldn't put it down.

  This author is an amazing writer and I can actually picture what is happening when I read the words!!

  Would recommend this to anyone who loves werewolves, romance and exciting new adventures! This book is AMAZING! I can't wait for the rest of the series.

  CatherineLynn, Goodreads

  This book changed the way I viewed werewolf books. No longer can I read the cliche types where the main character is so "bad ass" and has a motorcycle and is super strong and rubs it in everyone's face. Those types are now shallow 13yr old girl cliche books, the ones where it's so cliched with the mean girls and spoilt stuck up alphas and abusive packs.

  This book is realistic, and for a werewolf book super down to earth, the heroine is not whinny boo hoo my life sucks, she stronger than she thinks, and her moments of confidence inspire me. Sure, she's not cocky and arrogant and always sure of herself but I can't imagine anyone who is. The way you write immerses me,I feel like I know her, like I've been with her, felt her grief, pain and love.

  If you're looking for a book to change the way you view certain things in life. This is the one for you.

  Danielle, Goodreads

  This book seriously made my head spinning for days. I was looking for a werewolf story that is not the usual "I'm weak and need helping Alpha" or the "I'm too badass for you Alpha" and then I found this book. The plot is very unique, very organised and has these small details that most don't care to write about but it made the story more alife. I like the myths part very much. The characters are the perfect combination there's the good, the bad, the kind EVERYTHING. The description made me live the scene in my head. I really can't wait for this book to be published and to read the second book. Best of Luck for the Author

  Yasmin Ahmed, Goodreads

  I like this book a lot! How Aria is growing bolder and stronger through all her journey! And how Van's heart melts little by little! I cannot wait it to be published, please notify us! Please so I can buy it!

  Mirna Rebeca, Goodreads

  This book is one of the few that you are guaranteed to remember . Its characters and situations are hooking and I loved every second of reading it!

  Fall, Goodreads

  Lady and the Wolf

  By: S.A. Cross

  ISBN: 978-1-68030-765-8

  © S.A.Cross 2016

  Table of contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Matt, Brett and Poppy

  “Goodbye isn’t forever, goodbye is just until we meet again.”

  There’s always a story after goodbye, and I can’t wait to tell you everything.

  This one is for you.

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  Chapter One

  “Daddy, what is this?” she asked, bright eyes wide and curious as she poked the grasshopper wi
th her pudgy finger.

  Charlie laughed as he moved towards his daughter, wondering just how the little six-year-old saw the world around her. Everything to her was an adventure, and he was proud to go along for the ride. Having two older children who saw traveling to other countries as an adventure, it was nice to relive those days where the front yard was as far as his little girl wanted to go — for now, anyway.

  With a chuckle, the graying man knelt beside his youngest child and answered, “It’s a grasshopper, sweetie. Touch it and see what happens.”

  Her little face wrinkled up in disdain. “That’s icky, Daddy!”

  Charlie smiled and pulled her into him in a big bear hug before sitting her in front of him and winked. “Watch this.”

  He went on and poked the little bug, sending it hopping away into the thick brush of trees. With a shrill, delighted scream, she threw her arms around her daddy’s neck so that if the bug glanced back at her, her daddy would be able to pick her up and fight it off.

  “Aira, why are you screaming?” came an exhausted voice. A mother was truly never far away when her child screamed for help. She looked over the situation, and after staring at her husband with her cautious blue eyes, she eventually put two and two together. “Charlie, stop antagonizing her,” she warned.

  Charlie Blight smiled at his tiresome wife before looking at his daughter — who was still clinging to him — and laughed along with her. All Vivian could do was sigh as she watched her husband act like a child.

  Vivian tread carefully towards the two, trying not to wince as sticks and other things stuck to her feet. It seemed flip-flops weren’t the best option for camping out in the wilderness. With a swift flick of her hand, she tugged at her daughter and smiled, “It’s time for dinner and bed, pumpkin.”

  Aira shook her head defiantly. “No!”

  Vivian rolled her eyes and grabbed the little girl, gently pulling the screaming child towards the campfire Charlie had set up earlier. Aira tried to pull away from her mother, but the struggle was futile. Her mother always won in the end.

  “You spoil her too much, Charlie. What’s she going to do when we’re not around anymore?” Vivian snapped, her blue eyes lucid and glaring at her husband from across the fire.

  Charlie glanced at his wife of twenty years, still shoveling cooked fish into his mouth as he answered, “She’ll be thirty by the time one of us kicks the bucket. We’re not that old, Viv.”

  Vivian had always used the same rule while raising her older children — teach them how to be independent and strong-willed. Aira, although only six years old, was incredibly clingy and had no desire to be without her parents for more than five minutes. Since the day Aira was born, her parents had not had a single outing alone for fear that Aira would choke to death from screaming so loudly once she realized they were gone.

  “She hasn’t even started school yet. The principal at her school told us she can’t go back there, not after what happened to her teacher.”

  Charlie tried to stop himself from laughing, but a few stray chuckles still left his lips. “How many stitches did the woman need again?”

  “Five,” Vivian snapped, glaring at her amused husband. It wasn’t a laughing matter and was far less humorous than her husband made it out to be. “Plastic scissors should come with a warning!”

  Getting over his fit of chuckles, Charlie glanced to the side where his older son, Ian, was still working out how to pitch up the tents. His first-born daughter, Avery, was trying to get Aira into her pajamas but the child wouldn’t have any of it. It was a fairly funny sight.

  “Mom!” Avery screamed, struggling with her little sister who simply refused to wear the garments the older girl was slipping on to her. “Come deal with this demon child!”

  Vivian sighed and got up from the fold-out chair she had snuggled into earlier. With her cup of coffee still in hand, she narrowed her eyes and snapped, “Avery, you’re sixteen for heaven’s sake! Can’t you handle a six-year-old?”

  She sighed as she moved to join the scuffle and convince Aira that her clothes were fine and not too big.

  Charlie laughed. This would probably be their last family holiday before Ian went off to college. It had been a struggle to get Avery away from her friends for even a minute, let alone three days, so he was positive this was the last time his older daughter would come out with them again willingly. Aira would be a teenager before he knew it and wouldn’t need her daddy to fight off a grasshopper for her anymore.

  He would even fight off a pack of wolves for the safety of his family.

  “Dad, can you help me for a second? This pole’s giving me some problems,” Ian called as he bent over to hold the steel pole in place, grinning sheepishly. “Unless you want it collapsing later and you know how Avery and Aira love their sleep.”

  “Sure, bud.” Charlie nodded and went to help his son with the tent that was just as difficult as the three arguing girl’s not even three feet away from him.

  A howl in the distance stopped any other noise being made in the wooded terrain. Having camped in this particular spot before, Charlie was used to the beautiful sound of wild wolves calling out to their pack, but this was different. He wondered why the sound was so close to their campsite.

  They’ve moved closer, he thought, bewildered as to why they would move their pack closer to a human campsite. The scent of previous campers should have deterred them.

  Vivian glanced at her husband, trying to hide the obvious concern that shadowed her face. Her children weren’t fazed by the noise, having heard it many a time before, and Aira was too preoccupied with stirring up her big sister to care. Vivian, however, had chills running down her spine.

  “Charlie…” she murmured.

  “It’s okay,” Charlie responded, his face all smiles as he secured the large family tent. “They’re wild animals, but they won’t come near our site. Don’t worry, hon.”

  Vivian could only give her husband a curt smile as she glanced at the other campers situated around them. It was a popular camping ground, so, of course, they were safe. No wolves came near them in the past.

  We’re safe.

  Her eyes were clamped shut, her upper lip trembled, and her little hand clung to her mother’s as they ran. In her half sleep state, Aira could not determine what was happening, only that every other person around the campsite with her family had awoken her with shrill screams and cries.

  She wanted her daddy. Where was her daddy?

  She whimpered when she heard her big sister, Avery, cry out and a loud thud followed. Her mother, who had been dragging Aira as she ran, abruptly halted, sending Aira smashing into her back.

  Vivian let go of her youngest child’s hand as she ran to the aid of Avery. Aira could only watch as her mother roughly pulled her sister to her feet, screaming at her to keep running. A tear slipped down Aira’s little red cheek as she watched her scared mother slap her sister across the face, trying to get the poor girl to stop screaming.

  “Daddy…” she whispered. She had last seen her father fighting with those giant dogs before he yelled at her to go with her mother. Ian had also been fighting with them, and his arm had been bleeding.

  “Mommy, Ian needs a Band-Aid,” she muttered, watching as her still frightened mother was trying to help Avery as she walked.

  Her mother’s head spun around and Aira, although only a child, instantly noticed those big tears rolling from her mother’s beautiful eyes.

  Something wasn’t right.

  “Aira, come over here and walk beside me. Do not leave my side! Do you understand?” she snapped.

  All Aira could do was nod as she ran to her mother’s side. Her own blue eyes shifted to her sister who was leaning to her mother’s opposite side. Her hands, knees, and clothes were covered in mud from the rain that had hit earlier. She was also limping, and her face looked panic-stricken and strained. At that moment, Aira knew that something was horribly wrong.

  They walked for a good while, and by
this time, the rain was coming down so hard it stung Aira’s skin. Thunder and lightning weren’t far off, and when the two cracked down, Aira let out a shrill scream.

  Her mother’s breaths were coming out hard and uneven as she looked around for something. As she neared a steep, rocky hill, her mother gasped as a shimmer of hope showed itself. There in the center of the hill were rocks and a little crevice, big enough to huddle into but too high and steep for a wild animal to get to them.

  But deep down, a terrible feeling told Vivian that these weren’t normal wolves.

  Why are they here, of all places...?

  She gently sat Avery down onto the muddy ground and pulled Aira towards her, lifting the small girl up until she had a steady hand on one of the rocks.

  “Okay, baby, you need to climb to where that opening is, okay? See it?” she pointed to the opening in the rocks, only a short climb up, while she held on to her daughter’s tiny waist.

  “Mom-Mommy, you said climbing on rocks is dangerous,” Aira whined back, her eyes watering from the wind that was slapping against every part of her body. The rain that had started up again was making her shiver terribly in her mother’s grasp.

  Vivian closed her eyes for a moment, squeezing them shut as she thought of a way to coax her scared little girl to safety. “Think of it as a game, honey, and the floor is lava. Keep climbing until you get to that safe point.”

  Thinking that the floor was lava didn’t ease the situation the least. In fact, it made Aira tremble in fear and freeze against the rocks. She was so frightened and confused.

  Vivian was starting to get restless as she tried to push Aira up the steep rocky hill. Just as Aira shook her head no, as always, Vivian could hear the low, gut wrenching sounds of growls and branches crunching in the distance.

  Looking down, she noticed Avery clawing away from the breach of trees and sit on the rocks. “Mo-Mom!” she cried. “They’re coming!”