Embracing Carly Read online

  Table of Contents

  Embracing Carly (Shifters of Wolf Lake)

  Copyright

  Prologue

  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-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

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Escaping from her past...

  When Carly accepts a position as a housekeeper for a reclusive billionaire, she hopes to escape a violent past she longs to forget. Has she traded one danger for another?

  Since Bastien prides himself on his ability to stay focused on the needs of all shifters, why does he always disregard his own? There is no ignoring his and his wolf’s primitive reaction to Carly.

  However, there are darker forces at work—and they have their eye on Carly. When Carly is kidnapped, Bastien goes on the hunt to find his mate—and vows to destroy anyone who might get in his way. Can he find and save Carly before it is too late, and if he does, will she accept him once she discovers his secret?

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  Copyright

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Embracing Carly: Shifters of Wolf Lake 2

  Copyright © 2011 (Bastien) & 2020 Tianna Xander

  Cover art by Misty Melody Kitzul

  Except where otherwise noted, the images used for the cover image are available under CC licensing as detailed below. The image of the athletic man is © Shutterstock.com, used with permission, and is not part of CC licensing. CC licensed images used in the book cover art include the following: CC BY-SA 2.0: Chapel, Lena, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ontask/7715338842/in/album-72157631083110734/, CC BY 2.0: Full moon, Rachel Kramer, https://www.flickr.com/photos/rkramer62/14408695072/, CC BY 2.0: wolf-142173, Arantza Ansotegui, https://www.flickr.com/photos/121552653@N02/14530661499/

  All rights reserved; except for use in reviews, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or part in any form, by any means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  Published by Tianna Xander

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  www.tiannaxander.com

  Embracing Carly

  Shifters of Wolf Lake: Book 2

  (Bastien)

  Author’s Edition

  By

  Tianna Xander

  TO MY READERS: ONE day, your prince or princess will come. You just have to believe.

  To my own mate: You have been my biggest and best inspiration throughout all of my books. Every one of my heroes has a bit of you in him. I love you to the moon and back.

  Prologue

  Carly squeezed her eyes shut. Pain shot through her jaw and middle like a bolt of lightning. God, she hurt! She didn’t need to see to know she was in a hospital. The loud beeping of the machine monitoring her heart and oxygen levels over her left shoulder, coupled with the sharp odor of antiseptic, gave it away.

  A sound from her right caught her attention. Carly opened her eyes and turned her head. Robert, her husband, stood next to the bed, his manner threatening. What else was new? She would have sighed if her ribs hadn’t hurt so damned much.

  “Good. You’re awake.” Robert glanced toward the closed door. “The nurse just left to get the doctor. She noticed your heart rate changed and thought you might wake up.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. Robert might have been handsome, but Carly knew what kind of monster lurked just beneath the facade. It was always there, lying in wait just under the surface, hiding from everyone but herself.

  Looking down, she dispassionately noticed his clenched, ham-like fists, and marveled that she felt no more fear. Maybe it was the drugs, or perhaps she just didn’t give a damn anymore. Carly looked at him again. He was a big man—bigger than most, and not as nice.

  A little muscle in his jaw jumped as he dictated what he required her to say when the doctor returned. Carly almost wanted to laugh at Robert’s highhandedness. She wouldn’t do his bidding. Not anymore.

  “You insisted on helping me inspect the roof for damage after the last storm. The ladder slipped, and you fell thirty-four feet to the ground.”

  She would have laughed at the absurdity of it all, but the pain stopped her. The ass was used to her jumping and obeying his every dictate. Robert would never expect her to defy his wishes. Carly couldn’t wait to see his expression when she finally told the police the whole truth.

  Let him make good on his promise to kill her. She was past caring anymore. Dying would be a relief after her dear husband’s tender ministrations.

  Three people walked through the door, two of them in uniform, one in a cheap brown suit. Robert bumped the bed and gave her a meaningful look as the two uniformed police officers escorted him out.

  The third man approached the bed and held out his hand. She took it, grimacing with pain as he held her fingers in a loose grip. Hell, even her fingers hurt after trying to defend herself from Robert’s last attack. They might hurt, but they weren’t broken. That was something, at least.

  “Good evening, Mrs. McGowen. I’m Detective Lobianco. I’ll be handling your case.”

  Carly tried to speak, but it hurt too much. Her attempt came out as little more than a pathetic croak. Doctors had wired her jaw shut, and speaking was nearly impossible. She closed her eyes, and a few tears tracked down her cheeks. With any luck at all, Robert had broken her jaw for the last time.

  Tears slid down her face as the police officer looked at her with obvious pity. She’d never wanted that. When had she become such a pathetic, needy creature?

  “I’m sorry, ma’am.” He held up his hand. “Don’t try to talk. How about we do it like this?” He raised a finger. “One is for yes.” A second finger joined the first. “Two is for no. Okay?”

  Carly held up one finger.

  “Good. Good.” He f
lipped open a pad of paper and pulled a pen from his pocket. “Now,” he said, taking a deep breath. “Did you really fall off your roof and fall thirty-odd feet to the ground?”

  She held up two fingers, then pointed to the Styrofoam cup on her bedside table.

  Detective Lobianco leaned over, grabbed the cup, and helped her bring the straw to her lips. The water both hurt and soothed. Her jaw and a few loose teeth ached from the cold, but the cool water instantly relieved her parched throat. The detective replaced the cup on the table when she released it, and Carly attempted to smile her thanks.

  The expression on the man’s face told her she hadn’t succeeded. Clearing his throat, the detective turned his attention to the pad of paper he held in a white-knuckled grip. “Did your husband do this to you?”

  What a question. The man didn’t waste any time, did he? He went straight to business. She could do that.

  Carly took a deep breath and tried not to wince. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh, to cry, or to scream with frustration at life’s unjust treatment of her and those like her. She couldn’t help it. No matter how tired she was, no matter how much she told herself death would be a welcome respite to the hell she lived in every day of her life, a fissure of fear shot up her spine as she raised only one finger.

  The detective nodded and stood. “Good. Some honest answers. Is this the first time he’s done something like this?”

  He watched with a solemn expression as Carly again held up two fingers, indicating a negative response.

  Lightly patting her hand, he leaned closer. “My brother-in-law is an attorney. A damned good one, too. And he owes me big time for taking his sister off his hands.” Detective Lobianco gave her a small smile. “We’ll have a restraining order slapped on your husband before he gets released on bail. Don’t you worry, darlin’. If I have anything to say about it, that bastard won’t ever touch you again.”

  She wanted to ask the detective why he cared, why he was doing this, but her voice came out nothing more than a croak again.

  Detective Lobianco stared at her with his sad eyes and somehow understood. “My sister’s husband killed her.” He looked down, closed his pad of paper, and stuck it in his pocket. “I wasn’t able to help her.” He shook his head and sighed. “I didn’t see the signs. I didn’t help her when she needed me the most, but I want to help you, if you’ll let me.”

  He looked down at the floor. “Somehow, I feel closer to Paula when I help someone in the same situation. There aren’t too many women who have your courage. Will you let me help you?” With another small smile, the detective straightened and walked to the door at her nod.

  Turning, he gave Carly a reassuring smile and winked. “Don’t change your mind now. Every woman deserves a man who will cherish her. And don’t worry about a thing.” The detective jerked his head toward the door. “He won’t touch you again if I have anything to say about it.” Leaving the door open as he left, Detective Lobianco stepped out into the hall and approached Robert. “Robert McGowen, you are under arrest for spousal abuse. You have the right to remain silent...”

  She didn’t hear the detective’s next words as Robert screamed, “You bitch! They’re arresting me. What did you tell him? I’ll kill you! Do you hear me? I’ll kill you, you bitch!”

  Carly stared through the doorway at the white wall beyond and finally smiled through her tears. Perhaps one day, Robert would make good on that promise. One thing was for sure. It wouldn’t be today.

  Chapter One

  Carly stood outside the Sinclair Estate’s massive wrought iron fence and glared up the long winding driveway. Why were the damned gates locked? It wasn’t as though Mr. Sinclair hadn’t been expecting her. She’d called him less than two hours ago to make sure someone would be there to let her in.

  “I guess I’m walking the rest of the way.” Carly made a face as she watched the taxi’s taillights disappear down the road. The driver, the jerk, refused to help her and refused to wait for her to walk up to the house and back.

  Snatching up the two large suitcases that held almost everything she owned, Carly stumbled along the narrow granite walkway and through the open walk-through gate and sighed when she saw the lengthy hike awaiting her.

  After setting her suitcases down, Carly slung the strap of her purse over her head and onto her left shoulder. Mumbling a curse, she picked up her bags again and started the trek over the sprawling, manicured landscape.

  Halfway up the drive, Carly stopped and gaped at the huge black bear blocking the mum-lined sidewalk. Her feet froze, and she dropped her suitcases for the second time. Her mind screamed run, but her trembling legs wouldn’t cooperate.

  The humongous bear meandered up the walk, sniffing the flowers. Occasionally, it stood on its hind legs and sniffed the air, perfectly content to wander at a slow gait—at least until it saw Carly.

  As soon as it made eye contact, the bear roared and ran toward her. Carly let out a loud, terrified scream just before the world spun, and the ground rose to meet her.

  Chapter Two

  Bastien Sinclair leaped to his feet when he heard a woman’s scream. He looked around the dimly lit barn, then outside to the empty back lawn.

  “Damn it, Bosco!”

  That scream could only have come from his new housekeeper. A loveable, eight-hundred-pound black bear that considered himself a lapdog must have greeted her somewhere out on the lawn. He glanced down at his watch and cursed. He should have left the gates open for her. If he had, he would have heard her car coming up the driveway and avoided this mess.

  Where in the hell did the time go? He glanced at the kennel he’d just repaired and painted. He needed to purchase a few new enclosures instead of continually fixing up these busted-up pieces of shit.

  Bastien threw down the wrench he held, wiped his hands on his mud-stained jeans, and ran from the barn to rescue his new employee. He picked up his pace, hoping to reach the poor woman before she fainted or had a stroke. The screams came to an abrupt halt, and Bastien feared the worst.

  Great, Bosco had just killed the new housekeeper. He’d probably scared the poor woman to death trying to say hello. That was a first. Knowing his luck, even if Bosco hadn’t killed her, she’d probably quit now. His sister was going to be pissed. Having a housekeeper resign on the first day was a record—even for him.

  His housekeepers either ran screaming from his premises after meeting Bosco or after one of the other animals in the barn caused a scare—though that sort of thing rarely happened until after they’d stuck around for a few weeks.

  Interviewing a new employee for him so soon after she’d hired this one, wouldn’t make Natalia happy at all.

  Rounding the corner at a dead run, he saw the bear snuffling the woman’s dark auburn hair as she lay still as death on the sidewalk.

  “Bosco, get your hairy butt back to your cage!”

  The bear tossed a look his way as if to say, Yeah? Make me, before he continued to sniff the woman’s hair as though she’d hidden a ham sandwich in the auburn mass.

  Bastien growled deep in his chest, and Bosco looked up again. Giving a short bellow, the bear turned and sauntered toward the back of the house.

  “Come on, lady, don’t be dead.” Kneeling between the woman and her luggage, Bastien groaned. She couldn’t have been over thirty.

  Damn. I do not need this.

  He shook his head. The poor woman hadn’t even made it through her first day of employment. She’d probably quit as soon as she woke up. Perhaps it was for the best.

  Bastien had learned a long time ago that human women and he just did not mix. Females, no matter their age, threw themselves at him willy-nilly, and he and his overactive libido couldn’t seem to resist them. He didn’t have to worry so much about older women. No matter how attracted to him they might have been, they rarely tried to get him into bed, thank goodness.

  Bastien stroked the silky hair back from her face and suppressed a groan. The woman was beautiful. Cl
osing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and tried to ignore her high cheekbones and full, pink lips. Instead, he concentrated on her pallor.

  It worried him.

  Pressing his fingers against her neck, he checked her pulse. Finding a steady beat, Bastien sighed with relief. She’d only fainted. His anxious perusal traveled over her too-pale face. When her stomach grumbled, he wondered when she’d eaten last.

  How much she’s eaten and when is none of your damned business.

  This woman was not what he’d hoped for in a new housekeeper. Bastien had already felt the first stirrings of desire. Just looking at her made him ache in places best left dormant when it involved a human female.

  Damn it!

  The last thing he needed or wanted was an affair with an outsider. Relationships with humans never worked out. His parents had proven that humans didn’t make good mates. Plus, look at what had happened to their Alpha, Jake. His mate, Eden had run off as soon as he told her what he was—what they were to each other. At least Jake’s mate had come to her senses and returned ten years later with his nearly ten-year-old daughter in tow. The two were now happily married and on their honeymoon trip to somewhere in Europe.

  Yet, Bastien knew if this woman stayed, it would be a constant battle to keep his hormones under control. He couldn’t walk around with a perpetual hard-on.

  Bastien sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he stared down at his newest housekeeper. There was nothing to do about it now. His sister had already hired the woman, and he refused to let her go because of her age.

  Not only was it morally wrong, but it was also criminal these days. Placing a hand to the woman’s cool forehead, Bastien watched as she opened the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen.

  “What-what happened?”

  She sat up, rubbed her head where she had hit it on the rough stone walkway, and looked up at him.

  “I think Bosco scared you.”