The Beast Daddy’s Mate: Single Dad Shifter Romance (Silverbay Wolves Book 3), page 1
The Beast Daddy’s Mate
Single Dad Shifter Romance
Silverbay Wolves Book 3
Sansa Moon
Copyright © 2023 by Sansa Moon.
All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of the book only. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form, including recording, without prior written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1 - Marcia
Chapter 2 - Blake
Chapter 3 - Marcia
Chapter 4 - Blake
Chapter 5 - Marcia
Chapter 6 - Blake
Chapter 7 - Marcia
Chapter 8 - Blake
Chapter 9 - Marcia
Chapter 10 - Blake
Chapter 11 - Marcia
Chapter 12 - Blake
Epilogue - Marcia
About the Author
Books by Sansa Moon
Chapter 1 - Marcia
The heel on Marcia’s left shoe was bothering her as she hurried across the street. She’d snagged it in a pothole a few hours earlier and, since she’d been heading out straight from work, she hadn’t gotten the chance to go home and change into something more comfortable. And less broken as the heel felt as though it was going to fall off at any minute.
It seemed a typical ending to twenty-four hours that had, all-and-all, been pretty awful. As a car passed and she narrowly avoided getting sprayed head to toe with puddle water, she heaved a soft sigh, conceding that it had, indeed, been one of those days.
Her class of seven-year-olds had been particularly rambunctious, questioning every word out of her mouth. Typically, she encouraged it, but because she’d had a restless night’s sleep, she’d felt her patience begin to wear thin by midday. Not that she’d let it show. She’d just ended up distracting herself by drinking too much coffee, which had been entirely counterproductive as it only brought her restlessness up a notch or two; she’d agreed to a date that evening and she knew she shouldn’t have.
It had rained for most of the afternoon, which had gone so perfectly with her gloomy mood that it had been difficult not to take it as a sign. It hadn’t let up once school finished. She’d forgotten her umbrella and the stash that usually sat in the corner of the teacher’s lounge had been glaringly empty. Another sign.
She’d stepped in that pothole leaving the school; her askew heel making her shoes uncomfortable—a third sign. Yet, she’d refused to give up and cancel. She’d not been on a date for over a year and to say that there were slim pickings in the small town of Brandon, Colorado, was an understatement.
She’d arrived at the restaurant looking like a half-drenched stray. Her date had taken his sweet time showing up, so her hair had managed to dry into an unruly frizz. She’d downed two glasses of wine and had been about to order in a big bowl of cheesy pasta when he walked through the door.
His name was Luca.
The name suited him. He had a blindingly white smile and perfectly arranged, thick locks of raven black hair that seemed to deepen the blue of his eyes. He had large hands that were a little too warm for her liking, his kiss was a little too wet even on her cheek and that smile was a little too broad.
And yet, she had stubbornly told herself to be agreeable, if not charming.
Not that she really trusted that she knew how to be charming, but if there had ever been a time for it then that time was now. Charm Luca and, perhaps more importantly, allow Luca to charm her.
Because she had to stop fantasizing about Blake Novak.
The local handyman. The way he was at everyone’s beck and call contrasted nicely with how he was the town’s all-around upstanding recluse and lived a few miles outside of town in a mountain cottage that rarely saw any visitors. He also happened to be the father of the adorable and clever Diana whom Marcia had taught at Brandon Elementary School for the better part of three years. And because it had been for the better part of three whole years, she had gotten to know Blake well enough to grow curious to learn more.
It had been fine at first. He had been no more than another parent.
But lately…
For the past few months.
Six. For the past six months. Or maybe eight. It could be closer to a year, if she was honest. She had felt this… need to learn more. But every single time she had built up her courage to suggest a coffee, something had happened to stop her. They’d been interrupted, or he’d been in a rush, or she’d been distracted by another kid just as he arrived to pick up Diana. A handful of lost opportunities that had begun to grate. Then again, when something didn’t happen it probably wasn’t meant to be anyway.
And so—Luca.
He had spent most of the dinner checking his phone, excusing the behavior with how he was expecting an important call from new investors. She could barely grasp exactly what it was he did—something to do with music equipment. By the time the dessert was placed in front of her, she was so done that she wolfed it down, paid the check without questioning it, and left with a ‘thank you for a lovely evening’. Her smile had been so plastered on it was cracking at the edges.
Luca had smiled, nodded, eyes leaving hers to glance down at his phone.
What an absolute dickhead.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped an hour into the disaster of a date, so her trench coat had dried. Her shoe was another story, though. She headed down the sidewalk but paused her step to put a hand against the brick wall of the nearest building, taking the shoe off to inspect it.
“Fuck,” she muttered.
The heel was coming off big time.
“You in trouble there, little lady?”
She looked over her shoulder at the man who had stopped a few feet away. He didn’t look familiar. Brandon was a small town, and she was a teacher who socialized with most of everyone with a knack for remembering faces. It was unusual that she didn’t have at least some inkling of who she was speaking to. It was also very unusual to be addressed as ‘little lady’ by someone who looked to be no more than a decade older than her.
Friend or foe?
“No, no trouble,” she said, offering a smile in return. “I’m good.”
Would he pass the test? The way his eyes lit up at the sight of her smile told her that no, he would not.
He didn’t disappoint.
“Need some help?” he asked.
“With what?” she retorted, tugging her shoe back on demonstratively.
“Oh, I don’t know.” He lifted his shoulders in an innocent shrug, something devious entering his smile. “Getting home safe, maybe.”
“Thanks, I’m good,” she repeated, gripping her handbag a little tighter and daring to turn from him. She headed for the short alley taking her to where she’d parked her car, calculating how quickly she could hurry through it and out into the lamps of the parking lot when a sound made her turn her head.
She gave a shout as she was pushed forward. Hard.
She stumbled, bracing herself against the wall of another building with the alley to her right. She glimpsed her car in the parking lot beyond, thinking she had to run for it when her head was slammed into the wall again.
The world began to spin, but then she realized she was spinning with it. Her back was against the wall. The stranger was on her, pressed against her, alcoholic breath on her face.
“Get off me!” she exclaimed, trying to push him away. She was much too weak.
He was larger than she’d thought, sturdier. He was wearing a hoodie and jeans, looking like any parent she met every day. But his eyes had no light in them. And she realized that she was in danger.
“You smell sweet,” he said. “Like molasses on a summer’s day.”
Why had she chosen to park here? It was the cheapest parking lot, that was why. Her salary was abysmal. She stayed for the kids. She’d forced herself on this date to prove to herself she had some semblance of a life. She ignored every sign telling her to stay home with her warmest blanket over her legs and a movie on her TV.
“What do you want?” she got out; hands trapped against his chest but at least they created some form of barrier.
“What’s on offer?” he asked, the continued innuendo making her feel sick.
She thought she heard an animal growl down the alley. A big animal. But she couldn’t turn her head to see. Where was everyone?
It was a Tuesday. They were home with their blankets and movies.
“I don’t have any cash,” she tried.
The stranger smiled slowly.
“How about I give you some?” he queried.
It pushed her over the brink, making her shove as hard as she could against his chest even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to budge him. She opened her mouth to scream, and his hand clamped down over it before she had the chance to.
“Shh,” he hushed gently. “It’s better that we come to some sort of an agreement. Don’t you think.”
His free hand was slipping inside her coat, stroking across her blouse. She made a noise, tears springing to her eyes as she attempted to look pleading. It wouldn’t work. In fact, it probably was exactly what he was after. The anger began to boil hotter than her fear and she shifted her hips, taking a chance as she brought her knee up as hard as she could.
The stranger gave a shout in anger but let her go. She shoved away from him, heading down the alley.
“Hey!” he called after her. “Where are you going?”
It hadn’t been a proper hit. She’d felt that she’d missed his cock and balls but grazed them hard enough to jolt him. He was already moving in her wake, one hand covering his crotch as though there was some mild discomfort. She wished she had a pair of pliers and a rope. And super-strength.
She was already digging around in her purse for her keys, heart hammering in her chest in a way it never had before. She had trouble catching her breath, even though her fury was still outweighing her fright. If he came near her again, she would bite his fucking nose off.
“Get away!” she screamed over her shoulder.
“Jeez,” the stranger muttered, unperturbed.
Don’t say anything else, she told herself. Don’t rile him up. He’s already shown he’ll get violent. Just get in the fucking car, Marcia.
She reached the driver's side door, finally fishing her keys out of her handbag with a hand shaking from the stress. She was not going to get further assaulted by this man. She was going to get in her car and calmly drive out of the parking lot. Or run him over. Whichever seemed the most convenient.
Of course, she would never.
But the thought was tempting and steadied her long enough to get the key in the lock.
“Hey,” the stranger repeated, this time right next to her.
She had been too slow.
He was right there.
His hand at the small of her back, pressing gently.
“Sorry I came on so strong,” he said. “I’ve had a few.”
“Please,” she said. “Leave me alone.”
“You a tease? Is that it?” he asked. “I saw you noticing me at the restaurant.”
“I didn’t.”
“Oh, right, I imagined it,” he scoffed, shaking his head at her.
She swallowed, mouth running dry. His face was right in hers, his hand pressing harder against the small of her back, keeping her in place.
“Get in the car,” he said.
A soft rumble made her furrow her brows. The same hint of a growl that she’d heard earlier in the alley. A dog?
“What was that?” she said, the slow tug in her chest making her momentarily forget that the stranger was about to violate her as it told her to turn her head, to look to her right.
And so she did.
Her eyes widened as the wolf stepped out of the shadows, slowly. Enormous paws treading the ground, muscle evident even under thick fur. She had never seen such a large animal in her life. Its flank was taller than the roof of her car.
The stranger moved away from her; eyes even wider than hers. His fear was like balm on the burn of his harassment, and she took her gaze off his loathsome form to direct it at the wolf again.
Why wasn’t she afraid?
The wolf showed its teeth in a soft snarl. It had yet to take its attention off the stranger, all its focus on him. Perhaps that’s why she didn’t feel threatened. Because so far, the threat had been directed at her assailant.
Then the man turned and ran, but the wolf was on him the following second, knocking him off his feet.
Marcia’s hand flew to her mouth, and she took a step forward.
“Wait,” she said, despite how much the man deserved it.
The stranger was trembling on the ground, holding his arm. Something had snapped when he fell. It was probably broken. Remarkably the wolf listened and didn’t move, standing over the man with the snarl still in place, daring him to move.
Marcia walked up to the two of them, crouching down and searching the stranger’s pockets until she found his wallet.
“What the fuck?” the stranger asked, eyes gleaming with tears even though it was pointless for him to hope that she would feel any kind of mercy. She could tell they were out of self-pity, nothing more.
She flipped through the wallet’s sections until she found the stranger’s driver’s license. She read his name aloud, had a long, hard look at his face, and tucked his wallet back in his pocket.
“I know your name,” she said. “Your address. I’ll make your life a living hell if you ever do anything like what you did here tonight to any other woman. And then I’ll send my friend here to do things to you that you wouldn’t even be able to conjure in your darkest nightmares. Is that fucking clear?”
The not-as-much stranger—Oliver Dennison, apparently, of 37 Oak Lane—nodded, attempting to get to his feet. Once he realized it was allowed, as neither woman nor wolf made any move to stop him, he got up and ran out of the parking lot as fast as his feet would carry him.
She turned to where the wolf had been standing a second ago and realized it had moved back to her car. Only, rather than snarling, there was a sickening snapping noise, like twigs breaking, accompanied by some sort of squishing sound, as though the twigs were surrounded by thick moss. From the sight that met her, once she rounded the hood of her car, she realized the twigs had been bones and the moss had been human flesh. Crouching on the asphalt was a man.
He was naked and bloodied and very, very attractive.
He also looked completely disoriented, staring up at her with his dark brown eyes as though he’d never seen her before. His brown hair was a mess, his muscular torso not as hairy as what it had been when he was…when he was…
Even though she’d seen it with her own eyes, the word was too farfetched to use in a sentence. She focused instead on those thighs of his. She tried to keep from looking at his cock, though she caught a glimpse and, to her absolute horror, began to blush.
“Um,” she tried.
How the hell did she even start a conversation after what she’d just seen?
“Thank you…” she said, but he’d frozen as if caught in headlights at the sound of her voice and now he turned and within seconds he was gone from sight.
Blake Novak.
Was a... werewolf?
Chapter 2 - Blake
The hot water felt good as it ran down his back, sliding like a sheet of warmth over his aching muscles. There was a slight tremble there still. He remembered the untampered rage that had felt like flames licking around his heart. For years, he had managed to keep it at bay, the grief he’d suffered walling the anger off. He couldn’t afford to feel it, afraid that if he did, it would eat away all other emotion, and Diana needed him to be whole.
She needed an entire person, not just a shell.
So, for his daughter, he had pushed all need to dig deeper into what exactly had caused the accident that killed his wife and took Diana’s mother from her.
But the wolf…
A soft growl in his chest made him open his eyes. For a moment, there was panic. What if he shifted without being able to control it again. What if Diana saw? She was sensitive and observant, a deep thinker, and having her father turn into an animal before her seven-year-old eyes would most likely leave scars running deeper than the loss of a parent.
Was he a monster?
Would he hurt her?
Then the shaky ‘thank you’ from Ms. Greene… Marcia… reminded him that he hadn’t hurt her. He’d saved her. Only, the thought of the man assaulting her made the anger flare red-hot again and another growl rose, this one lowered into a warning. It wasn’t aimed at himself, it wasn’t telling him to get a grip, it was aimed at the one who had run away like the coward he was. He’d been stinking of alcohol and semi-expensive cologne. A family man out looking for some fun and his idea of fun was finding a woman alone and ‘helping’ her to her car. And into it.
Disgusting.
A noise made him switch off the water.
He paused, listening as his advanced hearing picked up the sound of footsteps outside in the gravel. He could hear them even though the gravel driveway was on the opposite side of the house. He’d only had these powers for a few hours and yet it was as though they’d always been there. He wasn’t even startled by the noise, merely registered it. Confident in the thought that whoever was making them couldn’t be a bigger threat than he was. His wolf growled in agreement like an old friend.
It made him straighten his back as he walked through the dark house to the front door. It was nearing eleven o’clock and Diana was fast asleep. He’d been out when the turn had begun, on his way home from a job fixing a fence, and he’d had to finagle his way inside to put some clothes on before he dismissed the babysitter. He’d managed it and was now wearing the same sweats he’d retrieved for himself, hair still wet and dripping water down his neck.
