Kir couldnt concentrate on the words the officiant spoke because beside him stood her.
The woman soon to be named his wife. And after that they would dance and drink, and, well, hed heard there was a honeymoon cabin erected not far from here.
Much as having sex with a woman hed only just met didnt appeal, Kir couldnt think about that, either. Something sweet, like flowers or fruit, or maybe even sugared fruit topped with flowers, tickled his nostrils. The petite woman who stood beside him, the crown of her head below his shoulders, smelled like dessert.
He did like dessert.
He didnt want to like her. Because that would mean he was cool with this stupid agreement. One that stuck him with a woman he didnt know or want.
For the rest of his life.
Werewolves could live three centuries or more. That was a hell of a long time to spend with one woman. Especially a woman he had not chosen.
MICHELE HAUF has been writing romance, action-adventure and fantasy stories for more than twenty years. France, musketeers, vampires and faeries usually populate her stories. And if Michele followed the adage write what you know, all her stories would have snow in them. Fortunately, she steps beyond her comfort zone and writes about countries and creatures she has never seen. Find her on Facebook, Twitter and at www.michelehauf.com.
Enchanted by
the Wolf
Michele Hauf
www.millsandboon.co.uk
This story is for everyone who believes in faeries.
They believe in you.
Contents
Cover
Introduction
About the Author
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Extract
Copyright
Chapter 1
Whats going on behind closed doors? Kir asked Jacques Montfort, the packs scion, and his best friend. The men stood outside the pack principals office door, and Kir had caught Jacques with an ear tilted to listen through the door.
The dark-haired wolf, who was built like an MMA fighter, shrugged back his shoulders and lifted his chin. An emissary from Faery is in there with my dad.
Kir whistled and leaned against the concrete-block wall. Etienne Montfort was principal of pack Valoir, an old and revered group of werewolves that had been a cohesive group for centuries. Kir had been born and raised within the pack.
Both men tilted their heads toward the door. With their heightened werewolf senses, they could hear much through thick walls, but something about the conversation was muted. Faery glamour? The idea of a being from Faery visiting their pack was too interesting for either one to stop eavesdropping. And neither could deny they had a tendency to get into trouble together. Theyd been raised side by side, more brothers than most siblings could claim.
You ever meet a faery? Jacques asked. His blue eyes twinkled with curiosity.
Kir shrugged. Ive seen them in the nightclubs. Theyre...colorful.
Thats for sure. And their wings are freaky. So, you ever...you know.
Kir knew Jacquess unspoken implication was that he wanted to know if hed had sex with a faery. Havent had the pleasure. If you can call dodging wings pleasurable.
I hear theyre delicate.
Smirking, Kir let that one go. Jacques was the one with the fiancée. And a raging curiosity for all things female that had gotten him in more trouble with the little woman than a man should have to deal with. But his bride-to-be was a werewolf, so Jacques won the King of the Perfect Score award in the mens minds. It wasnt often werewolves mated with their own kind, because of the rarity of the female. Even those wolves in packs often had to look elsewhere for a mate because most of the female pack members were spoken for upon birth.
Jacques was a lucky wolf.
Kir, on the other hand, had gone without a date for months. The idea of a delicate faery didnt appeal to him. A match with a fellow wolf would feed his sexual desires perfectly. Beyond his species, the only other option was mortal women. Some proved open to his aggressive needs. He could also withstand the occasional witch, but they tended to be unpredictable and sometimes just plain creepy.
Ah, hell, wasnt as if he was looking for love anyway. He didnt believe in love.
Hookups were fine for now. Besides, there was a certain danger involved when pursuing a wolf from another pack. Packs tended to protect their females fiercely.
On the other hand, life wasnt worth the ride without risk.
Twenty bucks says hes trying to negotiate the hunting grounds again, Jacques said.
Etiennes goal was to appeal to Faery so the pack could be allowed to hunt in their realm. The more the mortal realm evolved and the cities pushed out into the country, the less safe it became for a werewolf to hunt without risking discovery by humans. Their breed required vast acreage unhampered by hunters with guns and curious human eyes. Faery offered that. And, if a portal to Faery were opened right here in Paris, the trip to the hunt could be quick and easy.
Lets hope, for the sake of the pack, you won that bet, Kir said, and that hes successful.
* * *
A harpie in human guise sat across the office desk from Etienne. Arriving without notice, shed waited ten minutes in the office while hed been summoned on this bright weekday morning that had seen him lingering in bed beside his wifes warm body.
The visitor was tall, slender, wore her hair in a short black bob, with eyes equally as dark. Her skin was dark brown, smooth and utterly flawless, and yet Etienne avoided staring at her overlong. Look at one of the sidhe the wrong way or too long? A man could sprout horns.
Ill get right to the point, the harpie said. She spoke French with ease. Etienne knew that the sidhe had the ability to pick up languages foreign to them almost as if by magic.
First, if I might have your name? Etienne asked carefully. Faeries did not give their full names freely, but he could hardly refer to her as Mademoiselle Harpie.
You may call me Brit. And you are Etienne Montfort, principal of pack Valoir, oui?
He nodded. Hed been principal since the 1940s and had witnessed remarkable changes in the mortal realm. But hed rarely had experience with faeries until lately. Apparently, someone had taken note of his campaign to gain access to hunting grounds.
To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?
I have been sent as an emissary representing the Unseelie king, Malrick.
Etienne sat up straighter. This sounded promising.
The harpie splayed her long, graceful fingers before her over the wood desktop. You are aware there are portals to Faery here in your mortal realm?
Etienne nodded. He was aware but had no clue as to their location. Not that he hadnt, on occasion, considered searching. He did know that unless a portal was marked with faery glamour, it wasnt visible to any but the sidhe. Yet he would never attempt to breach Faery without permission. He prided himself on maintaining strong alliances with the various species.
A portal has recently been unlocked by sorcery and it opens directly onto Unseelie territory, Brit stated in a businesslike tone. This is a source of much misfortune and annoyance to my kind.
I can imagine. Are mortals entering the Faery realm?
All sorts. It is, in a word, disgusting. My king, Malrick, requires a guard posted on this side of the portal until specific magics can be conjured to close the portal. It is a difficult task summoning such powerful magic to seal a portal that we did not open, so it will take some time.
A guard? Etienne suddenly sensed the gist to this visit. Perhaps not as fortuitous as hed hoped.
On behalf of the Unseelie king, we would request pack Valoir take on the task of guarding the portal. It would not require more than one man posted outside the portal. You could assign shifts. Fighting back curious humans should cause you no more trouble than growling at them.
Indeed, it would be a simple post. And pack Valoir was large enough to provide the wolves for the job. Have you an estimate on duration?
Your mortal time moves much differently than ours. She shrugged, obviously at a loss.
Well leave it as an open standing agreement. But Etienne wasnt about to shake hands just yet. And what would my pack receive as recompense for taking on such a task?
The harpie spread her hands on the desk and smiled warmly. Her eyes glowed violet now. Etienne was ever charmed by sidhe eyes. Or was it that their charm was so powerful he could not resist? He had to remind himself not to stare.
The Unseelie would grant pack Valoir the right to hunt on our land, she offered.
In Faery? Etienne said on a gasp.
Indeed.
That was immense. To be allowed such freedom in a realm that offered what was rumored myriad hunting opportunities? Why, it was unprecedented. Pack Valoir will be allowed free rein. Only, we request you do not hunt as a pack. Only one wolf in timed intervals. A measured means to hunting.
That can be done.
Do you accept the assignment, Principal Montfort?
Etienne sat back in his chair, not bothering to hide the grin that curled his mouth. His pack would shout and howl at such fortune. And, truly, the task of guarding the portal would be minimal. It would not disrupt their lives, and he shouldnt think those who worked enforcement would have to be tasked for the job.
He nodded decisively. Yes, I agree. On behalf of pack Valoir, I accept the bargain issued by your king, Malrick.
Excellent. And know, because of the unique nature of this agreement, my king requests a specific requirement to sealing said contract and to make it binding.
Uh... Oh, oh, yes. Twining his fingers together, Etienne leaned forward. What exactly is required?
It wont tax your pack, I promise. In fact, it will only require the compliance of one pack member of your choosing.
Damned faeries were all about ceremony and pomp. And Etienne suspected that one pack member would not like what the harpie next requested. But if it would allow the entire pack to hunt freely? Sacrifices must be made for the good of the pack.
* * *
When the door had opened to let out the visitor, Jacques and Kir shuffled down the hallway. They watched her walk by, and just when they thought the coast was clear to slip around the corner and out of the back door, Etienne called out to Kir.
Damned werewolf senses. No wolf could hide from anothers sense of smell. Jacques nodded to him that hed see him later.
With the office door closed behind him, Kir waited with hands stuffed in his back pockets.
Etienne paced over to a window that overlooked the Seine in the 16th arrondissement. You drew the short stick, he said to Kir.
I wasnt aware there was a drawing, Principal Montfort, Kir said lightly. What nasty task have I been assigned today?
This weekend, actually. The leader steepled his fingers before his lips. Pale brown eyes assessed. Sunday. In the forest edging Versailles, where the pack often celebrates midsummers eve. Malrick, king of the Unseelie court
A faery?
Yes. Ive just finished speaking with a liaison he sent with a most exciting offer that will benefit the entire pack.
Youre bargaining with the sidhe now? Do you think that wise?
Of course, if it will grant us access to Faery for hunting.
Kirs jaw dropped open. So his guess had been right. Etienne had actually managed to snag hunting rights in Faery!