Free Wolf's Return (Black Hills Wolves Book 1) by Rebecca Royce

another day pass with this between us.”
    “So talk, Alpha. I’m listening.”
    “And I’m leaving,” Ryker called from behind him. “Gee is going to need help with the body.”
    “Right.” Gee wouldn’t need any help with the body. The Bear could lift twice the amount with one arm. But if Ryker wanted an out of having to listen to this conversation, that was perfectly fine.
    “Talk, Drew.” Her voice caressed over him like a breath of fresh air. He shuddered. This was going to be harder than he thought, even with the adrenaline of a fresh kill surging through him.
    “Hit me, B.”
    She put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me? One does not simply strike one’s Alpha.”
    “Hit me as hard as you can for as long as you can. Hit me every day. Pound on me. Kick me. Rail at me. Say terrible things to me as much as you want.” He swallowed. “Because I’m never going to go. Not ever. I’m always going to be here, and if it takes days, weeks, months, years, I will be here when you decide to forgive me. And I’ll live, waiting for that moment, Betty. I’ll wake up every morning hoping the current day is the time.”
    “Drew.” Her voice had lowered a degree. “Two things.”
    He crossed his arms. He’d take a beating over this any day of the week. “Yes?”
    “I know you won’t leave. I saw it. Just then when you were fighting. You took him down, and then you got up and looked for your hammer so you could get back to work. You really mean to do this, to make us your pack, to save us.”
    “I do. And it should be our pack. Mine and yours. You’re my mate. They’ll need you as much as they need me.”
    She nodded, but didn’t respond. He needed to keep her talking, to continue to hear her voice—he needed it like he needed oxygen. She had to say she’d try. But even if she didn’t, he’d hold fast. He had returned, and he’d prove to her he was worth it.
    “What was the second thing you wanted to say?” he prompted her, reaching out to touch her arm. When she didn’t pull away, he took that as a good sign.
    “Don’t call me Betty, Drew. It’s always been B.”
    She launched herself forward into his arms, pressing her mouth to his. He gasped before he tugged her closer. She fit like she’d always been there.
    Yes. He tasted her forgiveness in the tears flowing down her cheeks. B had begun to forgive him, and he finally felt at home.
    He would fix his pack, he’d find a way. Now that he’d returned, they would do it together.
    Always.

 
     
     
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
     
     
    As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I hope, these days, that my parents think it was worth it.
    I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend. We’ve just moved from New Jersey to Texas where I am learning to love Barbecue!
    I am in love with science fiction, fantasy and the paranormal and try to use all these elements in my writing. I've been told I'm a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you'll enjoy the action-packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books. In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.
     
    You can visit Rebecca at:
    www.rebeccaroyce.com

 
     
     
    Want more Black Hills Wolves?
    Watch for…
     
    What a Wolf Wants by Heather Long
     

     
    Chapter One
     
     
    The bite of snow curled through the winter wind. Any other time, Ryker would be in Wolf form, racing through the hills. Unlike so many in the broken pack, the moon had never bound him. Though her sway didn’t call to him as it did to the others, the lack had never prevented him from joining the hunt each month, when the moon-called shifted, and shadowing their progress.
    Few were those who