Published: June 10, 2014

Paranormal Romance/Suspense

Werewolf Wars #3

Indie Author Bethany Shaw

Bad things happen in threes. For Nora Jamison, this couldn’t be truer. Her grandmother just passed away, her best friend is in trouble, and she just hit a man with her car. It cannot possibly get any worse. Wrong! Nora quickly finds herself thrust into a world she never knew existed. Werewolves are real, and they are after her and the mysterious stranger she hit. Running for her life, she ends up on a ranch in Texas. Stuck in a new, unfamiliar world, she gets to know the man that helped rescue her. Daniel McKinley is different than anyone Nora has ever met. Despite his rough exterior, Nora can tell there is more to him than meets the eye. However, Nora has a tiny secret of her own. She can only hope that when Daniel learns it he will still look at her the same way.

                  Daniel McKinley has always been a loner. His father trained him to be an alpha through brute force—not through people skills. Now that Daniel’s older brother is alpha instead, he has become even more of an outcast. Despite their differences, the wolf in him craves the acceptance of his brother—his alpha. While trying to prove himself, he is involved in an accident that draws a human into the line of fire. Unwilling to see an innocent hurt by the enemy wolves after him and his pack, he vows to protect her. Nora is kind, caring, and strong. His past is dark and he fears if she learns too much it will scare her away. Although, he tries to keep his distance, there is something about her that draws him in. Can he keep Nora safe and earn his brother’s trust in the process?

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Chapter One

Nora covered her mouth as she yawned. Her eyes focused on the road as she reached down, lifting her coke to her lips. Nora took a long swig before returning it to the cup holder.

The blue-green illumination of the dashboard clock read 12:03 AM. It was late, and she’d been driving for hours, but she would not stop until she reached her destination.

With a trembling hand, she picked up her cell phone and listened to her best friend’s voicemails again. She’d been stuck at work when April had called earlier, and had only just gotten the frantic message when she’d gotten off.

3:56pm

Hey, Nora, it’s April. I just wanted to let you know that I made it home okay. I know this is going to sound weird, but I need you to stay away from the apartment for a few days. I will wire you some money for a hotel. It’d be even better if you found one far away from home. I promise I will try to explain everything soon, but I can’t right now. Just please trust me when I tell you not to go home. I hope you get this soon. Call me when you do. I’ll, uh; I’ll talk to you later, okay? Be safe.

4:15 pm

Hey, it’s me again. Um, listen, my families in trouble, Nora. I think you could be too. I’m going to text you my address. I need you to head down here as soon as you can. Please call me as soon as possible.

The phone clicked, and Nora smashed her finger over the buttons, setting the phone back on top of her purse. Her hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel. Her eyes stared out the window into the pitch-black night. She’d received that ominous message around five hours ago, shortly after she’d left work. She still hadn’t been able to reach her best friend. Every call went straight to voicemail. Terrified, she’d hopped in her car and started the long drive to Louisiana.

Stifling another yawn, Nora glanced over at her GPS. If it were correct, she should reach April’s home within the next fifteen minutes. Once there, she could check on her friend, and find out what the hell was going on.

 Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blur of yellow making a beeline for the street. She slammed on the breaks, causing the tires to squeal. A man dashed into the road, and she screamed as a loud crunch echoed through the car.

The man’s body rolled up onto her hood, colliding with the windshield. The glass cracked, and tiny spider webs erupted across the window. His body tumbled backwards.

Nora held the steering wheel as a vice, watching in horror as he hit the pavement with an unforgiving thump. He rolled and attempted to stand, but quickly fell back to the blacktop. She held her breath, waiting for him to get up, but he didn’t. Her heart dropped and she took a shaky breath in.

Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!

Pulse thrumming in her ears, she pushed her door open, unbuckled her seatbelt, and climbed out. Her eyes stayed transfixed on the deathly still person. Nausea churned in her stomach, and she gagged seeing the awkward angle of his arm. Her knees wobbled as she forced her feet forward.

“Please be okay. Please don’t be dead,” she mumbled as she approached him.

Blood oozed into his brown hair, streaking the cocoa strands with red. His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths. The man coughed, groaning as he rolled. He placed a quivering hand on the road as he attempted to sit up again.

“Thank god you’re not dead! Are you okay? I’m not sure you should be moving,” Nora babbled as she held her hands out, unsure if she should touch him or not.

He twisted, his emerald green eyes connecting with hers. Red dribbled out of his nose, pooling on his lips. His intense gaze gave her pause and she felt her breath catch as she got lost in his beautiful irises.

“Who are you?” he coughed, struggling to his feet.

Nora blinked, snapping out of her trance. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay? I need to call the police. You need to get to the hospital,” she rambled. Heat crept over her cheeks at her own stupidity. She’d hit a man! He needed medical help. How was he even standing? Why hadn’t she brought her phone out of the car with her?

“No!” he yelled, clamping his good hand around her wrist.

Nora jumped at his outburst. Her eyes widened, and pulse kicked up a notch.

“No,” he said quieter. “I…I don’t have insurance. Please, just help me get out of here. Give me a ride to a motel or something.” He stared at her for a long moment. “What’s your name?”

Nora looked down at his fingers that still encircled her wrist. Tiny nicks marred his skin. As she continued to assess him, she saw a large gash along his cheekbone, and blood covered his yellow shirt and dark wash jeans. His left shoulder and arm were mangled, but she couldn’t tell if it was broken or dislocated.

Realizing he was still waiting for an answer to his question, she said, “Nora, Nora Jamison.”

“I’m Daniel McKinley. I think we should get out of here, Nora.” His eyes scanned the tree line to her right and she followed his gaze.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. “I can call an ambulance—”

“No. Come on,” he interrupted, hobbling forward and pulling her along with him. His fingers were warm on her wrist and a tiny tremor of heat crept through her.

Nora allowed him to lead her as he stumbled to the passenger door and jerked it open. Yelling erupted from the trees, sending cold chills down her spine. Swallowing, she surveyed the brush. Her breath caught in her throat as three men emerged from the tree line, followed by a large grey wolf. How is that even possible, she wondered, eyes transfixed on the large creature.

Nora flinched as the wolf howled and the three men bounded toward them. She took a few steps back, her feet faltering as her butt met her car. Pushing off the steel, she whirled around and sprinted to the driver’s side door. A loud crackle rippled through the air, followed by a groan. Daniel slumped to the ground as his body contorted.

Horrified, Nora watched through the open passenger door as his yellow shirt tore free from his body. Reddish-brown hair erupted onto his back. He positioned himself on his hands and knees, seconds before his back jolted upwards. Another snap sounded, followed by a howl as he sprung forward.

Nora clamped a hand over her mouth as she watched the man become a wolf. She closed her eyes, and opened them again, still not believing. Yet, the wolf remained where the man had been. He lunged at the other wolf catching him mid air, and driving him to the ground.

A sob tore through her throat and she ripped her car door open. Sliding in, she was about to pull the door shut when an arm grabbed the handle, tearing it from her grasp. Warm, calloused hands wrapped around her left forearm and hauled her out of the vehicle. Her attacker yanked her into his firm body, holding her tight.

Frantic, Nora kicked her feet, struggling against the man in every which way, hoping to break free. Another man approached and easily dodged her swinging limbs.

“Get off me,” she screamed, throwing her head back as hard as she could. It hit something hard, and the man behind her grumbled obscenities. Lurching forward, she reeled back again, ignoring the pain slicing through her skull as it connected with the man. The assailant stumbled, his grip loosening ever so slightly. Unwilling to give up, Nora lifted her foot, and slammed her heel down. The man’s arms let go, and she raced forward, using her momentum, she ran straight for the other man. Raising her hands to her face, she swung her right leg, catching him off guard as she connected her foot with his manhood. The man cupped himself, and groaned, falling to his knees.

Her triumph was short-lived as a strong grip wrapped around her torso. No! She bucked against her attacker to no avail.

“You’re going to pay for that you stupid, little bitch,” the man rasped in her ear.

You’re a fighter, Nora, Fight!

Nora thrashed in his arms, but his hold was unforgiving. The man behind her stiffened, his fingers dug into her arms. Snapping her head up, she gasped as she watched the reddish-brown wolf tear into the man she’d kicked only moments before. The man gurgled, sputtering as he coughed. Crimson poured from his mouth as his body trembled. The wolf growled and turned toward them.

“You don’t want to hurt her, do you?” the man sneered as the reddish-brown wolf approached. “You’ll have to come through her to get to me.”

Nora whimpered; cringing away from the man as his hot breath blasted against her neck.

The wolf snarled, baring his massive, white canines. Nora halted her movements, eyes transfixed on the wolf’s golden eyes. His head cocked to the side, watching her before he lunged.

Nora shrieked as she was tossed toward the car. Her hands rose up to protect her face, but it was too late. Nora’s forehead smacked against the edge of the door. Her vision clouded, then went black.

Daniel snapped his jaws as he dove at the man. Like a coward, the human threw the girl out of the way, and spun around to flee to the woods. Daniel grunted as he jumped with his nails outstretched, tackling his enemy to the ground. His jaws clamped around the man’s neck, and with one quick twist, the bones crunched.

With a grunt, he pulled back. His body throbbed and breaths came in unsteady, labored pants. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath in and hobbled over ensuring that the three men and wolf were in fact dead. Satisfied, he sniffed at the young woman. The metallic stench of blood invaded his senses, and he whined as he inspected her. There was a long laceration just above her eyebrow. He nuzzled her, relieved to see that her chest rose and fell evenly.

Daniel took a step back and lowered himself to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he whimpered as his broken body snapped, the bones realigning as he transformed. He stood up with a grimace and stretched his stiff limbs.

Limping, he walked over to the closest man, quickly removed the man’s shoes, and tugged his jeans down. He was sure the young woman was going to have a lot of questions when she awoke, and he assumed it would go a lot better if he were wearing pants. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her anymore than she already was. He stripped the man with a broken neck down to his boxers. Then put the jeans and black tee on. Setting the socks and shoes in the car, he carefully lifted the woman into his arms and laid her across the back seat of her car.

Daniel took a moment to look over the unconscious woman. Her copper hair fell in soft waves. Light freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose. The scared amber eyes that had been alert only moments before were shut. Her breathing was even, and aside from a few red marks on her creamy skin, the only visible injury to her was the cut above her brow. She should be okay, he thought, at least he hoped she would be. Once they got someplace a little safer, he would stop and clean her up, and tend to both of their injuries.

One way or another, she was involved in all of this now. It was his duty to keep her safe.

He climbed into her Cavalier and shut the door, taking off down the road.

Nora chewed on her lower lip, taking in Daniel’s shirtless torso. Muscles rippled across his chest as he dodged a punch. He caught his opponent and threw him to the floor. The men around them cheered as the bloodied man held up his hands in submission.

“Daniel’s one of the best fighters here,” April told her.

Daniel turned so his back was to them. He slowly backed away from the fallen man. Nora gasped her eyes transfixed on his back. Long dark scars covered his sweat-covered skin.

“They’re claw marks,” April whispered. “Probably why he’s such a good fighter.”

“Any idea what the tattoo means?” Nora asked as she admired the symbol written on his left shoulder blade.

“I’m not sure.”

“It looks Chinese,” Nora wondered.

April shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to ask him,” she grinned giving her a playful nudge.

Nora snorted. “I haven’t spoken to him since the day I arrived. I’m not sure he wants anything to do with me.”

“He’s been really busy. All the guys have,” April said, earnestly. “They’ve been constructing a new building and putting up fences. From what I’ve seen, he’s not much of a talker either. You might need to approach him. He’s kind of hot.”

“April,” Nora flushed. She put her fingers to her lips hoping no one noticed the heat creeping across her cheeks.

“Well, he is. Clearly you agree.”

“Maybe a little,” Nora mumbled.

April giggled bumping her lightly on the arm. “You should try to talk to him. He’s kind of a loner, but he did risk his life to save all the people who made it out of my pack. He’s a good guy—just quiet. Kind of reminds me of someone I know.”

“I’m not quiet,” Nora huffed.

“Not now. But you used to be when we first met. And you can still be reserved sometimes.”

“Well, I am in a different state surrounded by people I don’t know who just happen to turn into wolves. You’ll forgive me for being a little reserved right now,” Nora replied, rolling her eyes. “Speaking of guys,” Nora started, nodding toward a guy with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. “Who is he? He’s staring at you.”

April followed her gaze. “That’s Jackson.”

“Your on-again-off-again?”

“Yeah.”
“He’s cute.”

“Yes, he is.”

“You two starting something up again?” Nora questioned.

“I don’t know. The romance is there, the love is there, we just can’t seem to agree on anything,” April sighed. “He’s not like Juarez; he would never stop me from doing anything. But, he’s been very vocal about me going to school. I’m kind of an outcast amongst my group. My need for normal, human life is very taboo. At least according to them.” April stood up on her tiptoes and waved at Lark and Natalia as they entered the barn. “I fit right in here.”

“Hi,” Lark smiled as she waved to them.

Natalia gave them a nod and her eyes wandered around the barn. Nora couldn’t help but notice how uneasy the other woman appeared. Nora didn’t know a lot about the werewolf world, but it seemed odd that the alpha female would be so standoffish.

“You feeling up to this?” Lark asked.

“Yeah. I do yoga and run, but April tells me this is a little more intense,” Nora shrugged.

Lark nodded. “It is. Devon and I usually work one-on-one, but with all the new people we want to make sure everyone is prepared.”

“So this is like basic training?” Nora asked.

“You could call it that,” Lark agreed. “I could also work with you on learning to shoot if you’re so inclined. The wolves aren’t too keen on it, but it could come in handy. We humans are at a disadvantage.”

“I’ve never shot a gun before.”

“I’ll teach you if you want,” Lark offered.

Before Nora could respond, Gene’s voice boomed through the crowd instantly silencing everyone.

“Good evening. Thanks for joining us tonight. I thought we’d start tonight off with a run, and then break into groups for sparring. We’ll run a two-mile stretch tonight around the perimeter of the buildings. Everyone take a minute to stretch and warm up.”

Nora lifted her ankle and tucked it up. By chance, her eyes caught Daniel’s, he gave her a small smile and started moving in her direction. Her heart kicked up a notch and she forced an even breath in. However, several feet before he reached her he pulled up short. The smile slipped from his face and he turned around and left. What in the world, Nora wondered.

“Hey, Devon,” Lark greeted, melting into the alpha.

Devon wrapped one arm around her and placed a kiss to her head.

“All right. Everyone warmed up? Let’s get going,” Gene shouted.

“Don’t push too hard, Nora. Stop if you need to,” April suggested as people started filing out of the barn.

Nora grumbled under her breath and she was about to lash out when she noticed Daniel hanging back. This could be her chance to talk to him, she realized.

“I’m fine. But I’ll probably pull up the rear just in case.”

April gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and then followed Lark, Natalia, and Devon out of the barn.

Nora turned her attention toward Daniel, who still stood against the haystacks. Most everyone had already exited the barn, but he hadn’t moved. Inhaling sharply, she walked toward him.

Daniel’s eyes focused on Nora as she approached. Her copper hair was pulled up, except for a few loose strands around her face. The black tank top and shorts she wore clung to her body accentuating every glorious curve.

“Hi,” she greeted.

“Hey.”

“You running tonight?”

“Yeah. I like to run alone though, so I usually give everyone a few minute head start.”
“Oh.”

Daniel grimaced realizing how she probably took that. “I mean,” he cleared his throat. “We could run together if you’d like.”

Her eyes lit up and a smile slid across her face. Daniel relaxed, relieved. He gestured for her to lead the way.

Once outside, they both started at a steady jog.

“Do you do a lot of running?” Daniel asked after several moments of silence.

“On the treadmill. This is a little bit different,” Nora admitted, sucking in a deep breath through her nose. “What about you? Do you do a lot of running like this?”

“I’m more used to being in my wolf form, but this is nice too.” When she didn’t say anything else, he elaborated. “It’s more intense as a wolf. You can see things, feel things; everything is so much more vivid.”

“That must be nice. I saw you fighting earlier. You’re pretty good.” She cleared her throat and sucked in another breath. Daniel peered over at her to make sure she was doing okay. A fine sheen of sweat glistened on her brow, but her breathing seemed even. Her head turned toward him. “Maybe you could, uh, teach me how to fight too.”

Daniel hesitated for a moment, causing his steps to falter. She wanted him to teach her. “I’ve never really taught anyone. I’m not sure I’d be a good teacher.”

Nora shrugged, pushing forward. “I’m sure Devon or Gene could teach me then,” she replied after a long moment.

Daniel gritted his teeth. Great, now she thinks you don’t want to, he berated himself. “I could give it a try.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll team up with you when we break down into sparring teams.”

“I’m not really a fighter. You might have your hands full,” Nora admitted, casting a glance his way.

“We all have to learn sometime. Besides, I’ve seen you in action. You have good instincts. I’m still not sure how you did that flip thingy when that guy had you over his shoulder,” Daniel admitted. He’d never seen anything like that before.

“I took gymnastics as a kid and I’ve been doing yoga for years now.”

“I think you’ll do just fine.” He nodded toward the light of the barn. “Home stretch.”

Daniel stood up, walked to the dresser, and set up the computer. He tapped something and the red screen popped up.

“Avengers?” Daniel asked.

“Sure,” Nora said sliding back so she was lying on the pillows. She patted the spot next to her and Daniel lay down, resting one arm behind his head and pulling her close with the other.

Nora sighed relaxing her head against his chest. The movie started and she smiled as Daniel’s hand rubbed tiny circles into her back.

Nora grunted as her warm cushiony pillow moved out from underneath her. Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted in the darkness. Daniel’s silhouette moved toward the laptop. The screen was black as white names scrolled over it. She’d missed the entire movie.

She sat up and stretched her arms up and over her head.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Daniel whispered, dragging his finger over the touchpad.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t a very good movie buddy,” Nora smiled. “Did you like it at least?”

“It was good. I heard there is a third one coming out, maybe we could go see that together,” Daniel offered.

She didn’t think the other movie was coming out for some time yet. That meant he didn’t know that, or he was planning to be with her for a long time. “I’d like that.”

Daniel shifted on his feet. “It’s late and we have an early morning,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

Did he want to stay but didn’t want to force it or was he trying to get out of staying, she wondered. He wouldn’t have spent all evening with you if he didn’t like your company, she reasoned. “Will you stay with me again tonight?” She tucked locks of hair behind her ear as she peered up at him.

“Yeah,” Daniel said. “Do you mind?” he asked. His hands rested on the hem of his shirt.

Nora licked her lips and shook her head. Her breath caught in her throat as she rose up to her knees. Feeling bold, she rolled her shirt up and let it fall to the floor. Daniel’s eyes appraised her for a moment before he lifted his shirt up revealing his taut upper body. She reached out, skimming her fingers up his chest. Daniel bent down, his lips capturing hers. Gently, he pushed her back until he hovered over her on the bed. His stubble scratched at her mouth as his tongue met hers. Nora moaned into his mouth as heat pooled between her thighs. She needed him.

His hand dipped down between them, flicking her jeans open. Nora gasped as his warm fingers slid down into her panties and he inserted one digit inside of her. Daniel kissed down her neck and shoved her bra strap out of the way, as he peppered his way to her breast and took the mound into his mouth. Nora cried out as he added another finger.

Her hands flew to his hair. She threaded her fingers through his thick locks. His free hand found her other nipple, and he rolled the tight bud between his fingers. Nora’s hips rose up greedily meeting his thrusts. His digits slipped in and out of her folds as her core ached for more.

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Review

I have read the Werewolf Wars from the beginning of the Series. The first novel, Out of the Shadows released in 2013, with the second, Into the Unknown to follow in January of 2014.   Each novel seems to get more and more intersting! The characters show growth and the situations that that the Harris Pack are in keep gettting more dangerous.  Bethany Shaw is a Talented Indie Autor! I look forward to reading more from her.  Want to know a secret? Book #3, Finding Our Way was my favorite yet in this series !!!

Ratings

5.0 Rose of Writing Rave

Werewolf Wars Book #3, Finding Our Way follows right off from the end of Book #2, Into the Unknown.  Getting the readers attention and directly into the action of the story. Chapter one introduces the reader to the Hero and Heroine of this novel. Thus where the heroine is thrown right in the middle of the war and learning that werewolves exist. Each chapter will leave the reader wondering what threat is will be around the corner next.

In reading this novel I especially liked that the characters from Books one and two weaved in and out of the storyline. The way they interacted with the main hero and herione made the story seem so real. Plus it was nice as far as learning about these characters more and just how important family is to them.

The writing flowed, the plot took twists and turns. Just wait till you read about Sarah in this book!!!

The women are shown as hard workers. They want to do their share in protecting the family and the pack. Deep inside the human females may be scared, but they show courage, bravery and strength when needed throughout the plot of the story. The ending of the novel will have you craving more from this series.

2.0 Teardrops

Both Nora and Daniel have had unhappy childhoods. When each shared that part of their lives of course this reader had to get a little emotional. You know I am just a big old emotional reader. So to hear how they were treated growing up it just made me sad. It made me want to fight for them to be a couple. Both would like to find that someone special. Yet, both have secrets that may change how they see each other.  Plus the whole war situation has everyone on edge making emotions run high for everyone in the novel. You will just have to read and see how emotional things can be…

4.0 Romance Rave

The hero and heroine have an instant attraction starting from the first time they ‘run into each other’. However the relationship builds bit by bit with Nora and Daniel. Each would like a relaltionship with the other, but secrets and trust issues cloud their hearts. Yet, as they get to know each other better they grow closer to one another.  There is constant danger lurking from the enemy Pack. This danger plays a big part in how these two feel for each other. Each wants to protect the other. Which ramps up the romance placing  this sweet couple in each others arms.  For who knows what tomorrow will bring…

***

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Out of the Shadows 

Werewolf Wars Book #1

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Happy Reading, 

Anna