The Helheim Wolf Pack Novellas: The Complete Collection Page 8

  “That’ll be one-hundred and fifty all up.”

  She pulled out the money and handed it to him before opening up her door. He got out too, rounding to the back of the car to open up the trunk and retrieve her luggage.

  “Good luck, lady,” he said, getting back into the driver’s seat and reversing back down the drive.

  Ava turned to look at the cottage, noticing how the railings were freshly painted and in good repair. It even looked as if the door had a fresh coat of varnish and new curtains were hanging in the windows. Leaving her bags, she walked up the porch steps slowly.

  Her heart was pounding under her ribs as she reached up and knocked. There was a squeal of happiness, followed by a female voice. Casey must’ve been looking after Grace. She couldn’t wait to see that little girl again.

  The knob twisted and Ava felt the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. That smile vanished, however, when an unfamiliar female stared back at her.

  “Hi. Can I help you?” She bounced Grace on her hip as she waited for Ava to find her tongue.

  “Ah...no. Sorry. I think I got the wrong address.” She turned around, eyes downcast. She was too late, it seemed. Hunter must’ve found someone else when she up and left him. She couldn’t blame him—not really.

  “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” someone said.

  Ava’s head jerked up, her gaze settling on Hunter “I’m sorry.” They were the only words she could think to say. “I’ll go.”

  As she walked past him, he reached out and pulled her to a stop. “Where are you going?”

  Without looking at him, she mumbled, “I made a mistake.”

  “Leaving without saying goodbye to me? Yeah, you’re damn right you made a mistake.” He tugged her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. She blinked, unsure what the hell was going on.

  “I’ve missed you, Ava,” he murmured, leaning in and gently kissing her on the mouth.

  When he pulled back, she stammered, “Wh-what about her?”

  “Who?”

  She turned to look at the cottage, at the female standing on the porch with a smile on her face as she looked at them both. “Her.”

  Hunter’s eyes drifted over her head, a grin forming. “Oh, I see you’ve met my cousin, Louise. She comes over a few times a week to look after Gracey while I take care of pack business.”

  Her eyes widened. “You got help?”

  He nodded. “It took me a while to figure it out, but yeah.”

  “That’s great, Hunter. Really.”

  “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.” His eyes slid down to her suitcases. “With a lot of stuff.”

  “I don’t know,” she replied softly.

  “Yes, you do, Ava. Did you come back to me?”

  She smiled gently. “I came home.”

  Riley

  Book 2

  On Thanksgiving Eve, Riley is looking forward to shutting up his garage for the long weekend and getting a few beers with his friends to celebrate the holiday. His plans are derailed, however, when an unfamiliar female werewolf stumbles into his work, desperately needing help.

  Obligation to his alpha forces him to act, but it’s his attraction to the mysterious female that leaves him with a sense of longing he’s not felt before.

  “Riley” is a short story based on the characters in the Helheim Wolf Pack world. These novellas are best read in order.

  Riley: A Helheim Wolf Pack Novella (#2)

  Copyright © 2020 by Lauren Dawes

  First Edition, 2021

  www.authorlaurendawes.com

  The right of Lauren Dawes to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000

  E-book: 978-1-922353-19-1

  Print: 978-1-922353-20-7

  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any form (electronic, digital, optical or mechanical) or by any means (photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the author.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cover design by Sly Fox Cover Designs

  Edited by Kaylene Osborn (Swish Design & Editing)

  Proofread by Nicki Kuzn (Swish Design & Editing)

  Riley is set one year after Hunter

  It’s best that you read these novellas in order.

  Chapter One

  Outside the garage, the rain began in earnest. Riley looked up from what he was doing and wiped the grease from his fingers. He’d been working on the late-model Camry for almost a week now, trying to figure out why it was making the reported ‘strange noises,’ and so far, he’d discovered absolutely nothing. It looked as if this Japanese marvel was in tip-top shape.

  “Still haven’t figured it out?” Tom asked from across the engine bay. He leaned in to see if he could find anything.

  “Nothing. It’s like it’s a fucking brand-new car.”

  “Gotta give it to the Japanese car manufacturer. They know what they’re doing.”

  They did, and that was exactly why Riley had his own Camry parked inside at the back of the garage. They were like tanks, ran past the point of empty, and could haul three werewolves in the back seat, no sweat. Turning, he put the tube light he’d been shining around the engine bay away and looked at the clock. It was almost time to knock off, and he’d been looking forward to quitting time all day.

  The rain outside grew heavier, casting the late afternoon sky into more darkness. Given that it was Thanksgiving tomorrow, he was surprised it was rain and not snow falling. For the first time in years, he was actually looking forward to the holiday. Maybe it was because Hunter had mellowed the fuck out since meeting Ava, or maybe it was because it was the first year he wasn’t hurting from the loss of his father. Whatever the reason, Riley was happy and looking forward to the time off surrounded by his family.

  He hadn’t told Tom or Sam yet, but they were getting Monday off too. Hello, extra extended long weekend.

  “Are you almost done, Sam?”

  Sam poked his ash-blond head out of the office. The guy was a fucking genius with cars, so he’d finished his job a couple of hours before. Now he was meticulously filing paperwork and double-checking invoices.

  “Almost. We need to make an order for radiator hoses, 5/8- and 13/16-inch spark plugs, and 22-inch wiper blades.”

  “Do it on Tuesday,” Riley muttered, and Sam’s brows rose.

  “I’m sorry. Did you say Tuesday?” This was Tom. He was practically yelling the question at him even though he was only a dozen feet away.

  Riley turned to the guy and grinned. “Yep. You lucky bastards are getting an extra day off.”

  “Not that I don’t appreciate that,” Sam replied. “But why?”

  Riley shrugged. “Why not? We all work hard here every day. We all need a break sometimes. Plus…” he cast an angry look at the Camry, “… Ms. Whyte isn’t back in town until the end of next week. I still have time to fix her car, and Tom shifted his last job out this morning.” He began putting away his tools, dumping them into the top of the tool chest.

  Behind him, Sam sucked in a gasp. He was out of the office and shoving Riley out of the way a second later, which, FYI, was a really fucking hard thing to do given Riley was a werewolf, and Sam was not.

  “Fuck, let me do that, Riley. You always mess up my organizational system.”

  Hooking a thumb at the guy, Riley said to Tom, “I like having our own personal Kondo working here.” He clapped Tom on the back. “And this is why I have you stick around.”

  Tom shrugged him off, flipping him the bird. “No, you have me stick around because without me, this garage would stop working altogether. Did you know it took me a whole two mon
ths to arrange and organize the office when I first started here?”

  “Did you know I have extra tampons in the top drawer? You know, just in case.” Riley winked and blew the guy a kiss. Tom uttered something about not being appreciated under his breath, but the genuine smile on his lips meant something else.

  Tom leaned against the side of the Camry. “Well, whatever the reason, I know Sally is going to be happy to have me all to herself for five days straight.” Tom and Sally were high school sweethearts, and the level of love they had for each other was sickening sometimes.

  “Maybe I should open on Monday,” Riley replied, laughing when Tom shot him the finger again.

  Riley enjoyed the camaraderie he had with Sam and Tom. Outside of the pack, he didn’t have a lot of friends, so it was nice to have them. The rain began hitting the tin roof at full force, and he walked over to the raised door to retract it, so water didn’t start to creep into their workspace, but he paused when he heard someone shout, “Wait!”

  It was only his werewolf hearing that had made it possible. If he were only rocking human DNA, he wouldn’t have heard a goddam thing over the noise of the deluge. Ducking down to look under the door, he let out a curse. There was a woman running toward the garage, soaked to the skin and shivering. Her breath was steaming out of her, the cold air and rain adding a layer of misery to her already miserable face.

  Retracting the door to its full height, he waited. The woman stopped in the rain a few feet away, her eyes going wide as she took him in. For a beat, they only stared at each other. When she edged back a step, ready to bolt, he called out, “Wait. Do you need some help?”

  She nodded slowly, her wet blonde hair slapping against her cheeks. “Yes.” She looked over her shoulder, then back to him. “My car broke down a couple of miles out of town.”

  Now it was his turn for his eyes to go wide. A couple of miles? His shop was in the center of the town, which meant she had to have walked almost six miles in the rain.

  “Come inside,” he told her, stepping to the side.

  With the jerky movement of her head, she came closer. He could smell her fear as soon as she stepped over the threshold, but he could also smell something else—she was a new werewolf and one he had never met before.

  “What’s your name?”

  She spun to face him, her nostrils flaring delicately as she caught his scent. Riley was a dominant wolf, and for most new wolves like her, that was a scary thing to face unprepared.

  “Layla Atkins,” she said meekly, dropping her gaze from his.

  “Well, Layla…” Damn, he liked the way her name sounded on his lips. “I’m Riley. This is Tom and Sam.”

  The two guys nodded their hellos.

  Riley asked, “Where’s your car?”

  “Out on route 358. It just slowed to a stop. I couldn’t start it again.”

  Riley looked over at his two employees and shrugged. It wasn’t like he could ask either of them to stay. They had families to get back to after they got their drinks. “You two go and get beers. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Are you sure, boss?” Tom asked. “We don’t mind staying.”

  He nodded. “I won’t be long.”

  Both men left, giving Layla gentle smiles as they passed her. He wondered briefly whether they could see something was wrong, or maybe it was just the look of fear and desolation on her face that sealed the deal. Now that they were gone, he could get some answers from her.

  “Where are you going, Layla?” he asked, keeping the conversation light. He wasn’t going to be pulling dominance here unless he had to.

  “I don’t know… California?”

  His brows rose. Why did she make it sound as if that were a question? “That’s a long drive, and right before Thanksgiving, too.”

  She folded her arms, shivering a little. “It is,” she answered cautiously. “Can you help me? With my car?”

  “Sure.” He went into the office to grab the keys for the tow truck. Swinging them casually around his finger, he snagged a jacket from the back of the office chair and took it out to her. Wordlessly, and without looking at her, he held it out. When he felt the weight of the clothing disappear, he was strangely satisfied by her willingness to trust him.

  “Stay here. I’ll bring the truck to the door.”

  Shutting the main roller door, he exited through the side door and jogged to the truck. He was soaked to the skin within moments, but the fact that his body ran a little hotter than humans meant he wouldn’t be catching a cold anytime soon. Layla, on the other hand, might. She didn’t just look submissive, but weak. Whether that was because of the shit she’d gone through with her car, or something else, he didn’t know, but his senses never lied to him.

  He started the tow and maneuvered it into position near the small entryway into the garage. He turned up the heater until it was blasting hot air into the cabin, chasing away the last of the November chill. Layla climbed into the truck and shut the door, the jacket he’d given her dwarfing her petite frame.

  They drove down the main road of town in silence, except for the heater which was running at full tilt. Layla reached out and warmed her fingers.

  “What kind of car do you have?”

  His question made her jerk her head around, her green eyes widening. “Um, it’s a Jetta. I’m sorry, that’s all I know. My… boyfriend… bought it for me.”

  Inside his head, Riley’s wolf flattened his ears against his skull at the mention of a boyfriend. Which was pretty fucking strange given that Riley wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone right now.

  “It’s okay. If I can’t fix it, I know a good shop that specializes in repairs of German cars. Although, given that it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow, I doubt they’ll be open.”

  Layla said, “It’s okay. I can stay at a motel for a few days. Oh, it’s just there,” she said, pointing through the windscreen at a 1979 VW Jetta in sunshine yellow pulled up hard on the shoulder.

  Riley nodded to show he’d heard her but continued a little farther down the road so he could safely perform a U-turn. He pulled in front of the little German car, then backed up into position.

  “Stay here. I’ll get it hooked up, then we can head back to the garage.”

  Chapter Two

  Layla wrung her hands in her lap as Riley got out of the tow truck and slammed the door. Rain was still pelting against the glass, reminding her she was still a wet, shivering mess. She would dry, but it wouldn’t remove the feeling of being exposed like she felt when Riley was looking at her.

  She wasn’t sure how else to explain it, but she knew he was more dominant than her—most wolves were—but the thread of fear that usually accompanied that knowledge was strangely absent with him.

  She hadn’t always been like this either. Before she’d been turned, she’d been an emergency room nurse. Someone who commanded a team of other nurses. Someone who had a life and a backbone, but since becoming a wolf, she had to quit her job and relearn everything about hierarchy. She hated being turned. She hated not looking someone in the eye. But most of all, she hated herself for becoming the kind of female who was cowed by a male.

  She guessed Mitchell had a lot to answer for.

  Looking into the side mirror, she tried to see what Riley was doing in the darkness, but aside from a few clangs and groans, there wasn’t much to go on. She had to laugh, though. Of all the garages she could’ve walked into, it had to be the one owned by a werewolf.

  When there was a particularly loud bang and a hissed curse, she peered over her shoulder and caught sight of Riley as he worked to get her ‘boyfriend’s’ Jetta onto the bed of the truck. Ben was as far from a boyfriend as a female could get considering he was gay, but he was a good male. And she would miss him the most.

  She quickly spun back around when he jumped off the bed of the tow and popped open the door a moment later. Heat swirled out, and he pulled himself into the seat, water dripping from his darkening strawberry
-blond hair. It was slightly longer on top than it was in the back, and the weight of the water made it inch down to the base of his neck. He shook his head and slicked his hair out of the way. But when he turned those hazel eyes of his on her, she had to look away.

  “How are you doing? Warming up?” He cupped his hand over the vents and rubbed them together.

  “I’m okay,” she replied meekly, then kicked herself for falling into the default mode she’d learned so long ago.

  “It looks like you’ve stopped shivering.”

  She nodded.

  He started the truck and eased off the dirt shoulder, Ben’s Jetta rocking ever so slightly behind them.

  “How long do you think it will take?”

  He ran his fingers over the steering wheel, tapping out a beat she couldn’t recognize. “I’ll know once I take a look at it in the shop. You said you were on your way to California?”

  She nodded. “Yes.” The less she said on the matter, the better, quite frankly. She wasn’t an accomplished liar like Mitchell was.

  “And how long have you been a werewolf?”

  She blinked at him. “It’ll be four years next month.” She tried to stay still as he watched her without actually watching her.

  “Do you know who bit you?”

  She had that bastard’s face burned into her memory. “Yes.”

  “Was it sanctioned?”

  “Sanctioned? By whom?”

  “By the alpha.” He looked at her, the glow from the dashboard illuminating his face. She tried not to focus on how great his mouth looked. “Or was it against your will?”