Dark Fates (A Paranormal Anthology)(66)

“Hayden?”

“Yes?” he answered.

“Kiss me.”

Hayden grinned. “As my mate wishes.”

And, oh yes, she wished it. Many, many times.





Touch of Desire



An Ashwood Falls Novella



By Lia Davis





Touch of Desire



As the wolf senior enforcer, Torin Fisher’s job is to protect the pack and each of its members. That includes the beautiful submissive wolf, Cora Rivers. He’s known for a while she belongs to him, but he decided to wait for her to come to him willingly. Since her brother’s death, he’s watched her withdraw from the Pack little by little. Tired of sitting by watching her suffocate her wolf, he decides the time has come to claim her.

Cora Rivers is no stranger to pain. Just as she comes out of her mourning over her parents’ brutal murder, her brother—and best friend—suffers the same horrifying death. Grief cripples her and in attempt to learn to be independent, she inadvertently stifles her wolf by not letting her out to run on a regular basis. When Torin Fisher, begins the mating dance, her only choice is to run.

Together they have a chance to not only release her wolf, but find the connection and future they both deserve.





Chapter One


Heart pounding in rhythm with the slap of her feet against the leaf-covered forest ground, Cora Rivers couldn’t run fast enough. The scent of spoiled meat overwhelmed the earthy aromas of the forest and soured her stomach. They chased her, coming for her as they had her family, whenever she entered the woods. Fear burned her insides, fueling her muscles to move faster through the trees and underbrush.

Mutants were the vilest of creatures. Half-human, half-shifter, they were nasty, emotionless, cold-hearted killers created to by the rogue Pack Onyx’s Alpha to serve as his team of assassins so he could take down the shifter Packs hoping to control them all.

Those monsters had chased down and killed her family and ripped their throats out. First her parents when she was eighteen years old, then her brother while he stood guard at his sentry post only a few short months ago.

Fear of being alone and grief over her loss crippled her, forcing her wolf to retreat so much Cora couldn’t find the connection with her animal half. Not anymore.

The trees flew by as she raced through the thick forest. Twisting to glance behind her, she stumbled and fell. No. No! Cold dread and fear sliced her. Too late. They were too fast.

The bushes next to her split in two and a large creature— half-man, half-wolf—stepped out. His fangs jutted out from his upper and lower jaws. His chest rose and fell with each heavy, deep breath. A fierce growl erupted, and the ground beneath her shook.

She screamed.

Sitting straight up in bed, Cora’s whole body trembled even as the nightmare faded. Always the same. No matter how fast she ran, the mutants caught her. Her weakness shamed her.

And where was her wolf? Cowering in a ball, paws over her face in the deepest, darkest part of Cora’s soul. The beast retreated after her parents died.

Her wolf grew sadder with each passing day, not responding when Cora tried to call her out. Oh God, how she wished to be able to shift to hunt or play with the wolves and cats of the den. No, her wolf had no desire to play.

Her animal had fled farther and farther over the past four years. Then, when Jason died last fall, the wolf had given up on living.

Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, but she brushed them away, refusing to let fear control her any longer. Flinging the covers off, she got out of bed and met Jasmine’s concerned stare. Her roommate stood in the doorway. With a shake of her head, Cora pushed past Jas and fled their house, refusing consolation from her best friend.

For a split second, she was confused by her surroundings. Then she remembered she wasn’t in the Ashwood den, but in MoonRiver—the wolf den before the Pack had left to merge with the leopards. All because Onyx attacked Ashwood a few weeks ago, sending everyone seeking shelter in MoonRiver.

Sniffing the air, she found the faint fragrance of the poppies surrounding the burial grounds where her family lay. Fleeing to the woods like she’d done a number of times since their passing, she traveled unerringly to their plots. When she reached the gravesites, she dropped to her knees in front of her mother’s headstone between her father’s and brother’s. Cora’s vision blurred as she let out the grief weighing on her heart. Fat tears dropped from her eyes, and she began to shake.

A familiar, yet soothing, pine and spice scent danced in the breeze around her. Inhaling deeply, she blinked away the tears and glanced to the source. Keegan Andrews—Ashwood Falls former Alpha—stood nearby, leaning against a thick tree. She let out a shaky sigh and turned back to the grave markers.

“I’m not strong enough, my Alpha,”

He approached slowly, his presence calming her wolf enough that she was able to lift her head.

“I’m no longer Alpha.”

She shrugged and continued to study the ground under her knees. “You will always be my Alpha first. Blaine is second.”

His husky, deep laugh made her smile, a little. When he sat beside her, he leaned in so his shoulder pressed into hers. She sagged into him and allowed him to wrap his arm around her. “How is Addyson?”

“She is well.”