A Grey Wolves Howliday (The Grey Wolves #14) by Quinn Loftis

Zara heard Wadim’s voice in her mind and tried to focus, but her senses were on overload. Never in a million years had she known being loved could be like this. She’d never understood that a man’s touch could make her feel as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

“You are.” Wadim looked down at her. He pressed his lips to her cheek, her jaw, then her lips as their bodies moved. “There is nothing more important, save our Creator, than you.” His eyes were glowing with his wolf, and she could feel her own wolf rising to meet their mate. A moment later, Zara’s eyes widened as she sensed the bonds fall away that had held her wolf in check. But instead of feeling out of control, she was in sync with her inner beast. The mate bond was complete, and her wolf was safe, protected, and loved.

“I love you,” Wadim said. His emotions poured freely into her mind, filling her heart until it overflowed.

She stared up into the eyes of her mate, her skin tingling from his attention. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she panted from pleasure. “I love you more.”

Wadim leaned down and nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth. “Not possible,” he growled, though his voice was filled with heat, not anger. She’d agree to disagree, for now.

Her mate spent the rest of the night showing her what it meant to love selflessly. He put her needs above his own, and she felt treasured. It was much later, as she lay sated and exhausted, draped across his body, that she wondered why any mated pair ever left their beds. Her head bounced on his stomach as he laughed, having heard her thoughts.

“Don’t you think you’ll get hungry at some point?” Wadim ran his fingers through her hair.

“Food is overrated,” she whispered. Even her lips were too tired to move.

Wadim’s chest rumbled, and she felt his approval at her words. “If I had to choose between food and you,” he said, “you would win, hands down, every time.”

“We could just put a fridge right next to the bed,” Zara offered, only half joking because she never wanted to peel herself away from him.

“And what about bathroom breaks?” he asked, tugging playfully at her long locks.

“I guess it wouldn’t be very sexy if we peed in the bed.”

Wadim laughed, his deep, delicious voice filling the room. As his laughter died down and his fingers continued to run through her hair and trace her skin, Zara drifted into a peaceful slumber. The scent of her mate surrounded her, and her wolf was content for the first time since she’d even known she had an inner wolf. “Safe,” the wolf said into her mind.

“Yes,” Zara replied. “With him, we will always be safe.”





Chapter 8





“On the eighth day of Christmas my werewolf gave to me eight laughing females, seven perfect kisses, six packs of Oreos, five satisfied smiles, four hours of hotness, three growling males, two cursing pups, and a furball in a fir tree.” ~Jen



“This song sucks.” ~Drake





“I feel like I’ve been stringing popcorn for a month.” Bethany sat grumbling in a chair in the main living area. The days and weeks had passed quickly, the decorations coming together despite a few hiccups in Jen’s plans and some relationship issues that needed to be worked through. Christmas music was playing, and the huge house was filled with laughter, banter, and the occasional growl from a frustrated male wolf who was either upset that his mate was on a tall, wobbly ladder or angry at strings of lights that just randomly decided to go out—right after being hung. Bethany was pretty sure it was Peri and Elle messing with them because as soon as they took them down to hang up new ones, they suddenly worked again. She kept wondering when everyone else was going to catch on.

“Perizada!” Jen’s voice suddenly filled the air.

Apparently, Jen caught on first, Bethany thought to herself with a smile.

“But you’re the best popcorn stringer ever.” Drake picked up her feet, which had been propped on the ottoman in front of her chair, and sat down, placing them in his lap. He began rubbing them with his strong hands, and Bethany felt her eyes roll back in her head as her neck tilted back. Any time she started to complain, Drake was right there, using his hands to make her forget her irritation. Sometimes, he gave his attention to her feet. Other times, he focused on body parts even more ticklish.

“Behave, female.” He growled when her thoughts filtered through the bond.

Bethany grinned at him. “That’s not what you told me to do last night.”

“What did he tell you to do last night?” Jen came striding into the large living room where Bethany had been told to “sit, rest, string popcorn, and be merry, dammit,” after the mother-to-be had been caught climbing a ladder to place a star on top of one of the tallest trees.

“He told me to go—”

“You do realize it’s only a week until Christmas, right?” Drake quickly asked Jen. Bethany noticed the blonde she-wolf glancing around the room, her eyes taking in every decoration.

“Your evasion only makes me more curious,” Jen said absently. She walked over to the tree and moved some of the ornaments around. Apparently, there were too many red ones in a single area. When Jen stepped back and looked at the tree, Bethany saw there were clumps of the same-colored ornaments all over the tree, as if someone had purposefully organized them that way.