Petting Them: An Anthology of Claw-ver Tails

  PETTING THEM

  AN ANTHOLOGY OF CLAW-VER TAILS

  TATE JAMES

  C.M. STUNICH

  CORALEE JUNE

  G. BAILEY

  KNOX & MIERS

  STACY JONES

  REBECCA ROYCE

  RIPLEY PROSERPINA

  KIM FAULKS

  KEL CARPENTER

  LUCY SMOKE

  JOELY-SUE BURKHART

  CECILIA RANDALL

  Contents

  Foreword

  CORALEE JUNE & STACY JONES

  SAVING MERRITT

  C.M. Stunich

  TEN CATS PARANORMAL SOCIETY: POSSESSED

  KNOX & MIERS

  HOW TO DATE A WEREWOLF… OR 3

  TATE JAMES

  FERAL MAGIC

  REBECCA ROYCE & RIPLEY PROSERPINA

  MEOW BABY

  JOELY-SUE BURKHART

  THEIR TYGRESS

  G. BAILEY

  THE MISSING WOLF

  CECILIA RANDALL

  BETHIE’S HAVEN

  KIM FAULKS

  SHIELD IN THE STORM

  LUCY SMOKE

  WILDEST DREAMS

  KEL CARPENTER

  A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BANDIT

  Foreword

  Greetings Readers! My name is C.M. Stunich, and I’m excited to be included among the talented and generous authors taking up the pages of this anthology. Thank you so much for picking up these stories and giving abandoned shelter pets a chance at life. One-hundred percent of the money earned from this anthology is going directly back to the animals: veterinary care, spay and neuter services, supplies for foster homes, transport fees, and more.

  I started my rescue Pacific North Pets with just one other person—Amanda Carroll—and with part-time help from Rhea French, Drew Stunich, and Jordan Yadley. We pull high-risk pets off the euthanasia list at a shelter called Palm Valley Animal Control in Edinburg, Texas, literally saving them from death in their final hours. Most of the animals we rescue are sick, starving, and dehydrated. There are simply not enough resources or homes for cats and dogs in southern Texas, so they are put in foster homes until they’re healthy enough to fly, and then transported to areas where high spay/neuter (de-sexing), comprehensive TNR (trap-neuter-release), and no-kill shelters have created an environment where there are more people looking for pets than there are homeless animals: a feat that can be achieved in every city in the future!

  Our rescue is still in its infancy, but we’re looking to grow, gain volunteers, and help as many animals as we can. If you’d like to help PNP save more lives, we accept donations of items ordered from our Amazon wish-list here: http://a.co/guQxJcp

  You can donate via Paypal: paypal.me/PacificNorthPets

  Volunteer/adopt by contacting me at: facebook.com/cmstunich

  Or adopt a pet by visiting our website:

  (currently under construction)

  www.pacificnorthpetsrescue.org

  Therefore, this book is dedicated to:

  the authors who selflessly donated their stories

  the readers who, by buying this antho or reading with KU, are saving lives

  my foster homes/rescue coordinators Tammy, Janis, Dena, Kathleen, Jess, and Laura

  and the millions of cats, dogs, kittens, and puppies killed in shelters simply for being homeless; we see you, and we’re coming, so don’t give up hope!

  Happy reading, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

  SAVING MERRITT

  CORALEE JUNE & STACY JONES

  Description

  My dad, a small town detective, died last month, but I stopped knowing him over a decade ago when he sent me away. So, I was surprised to learn that he left me everything—including his retired K9 dog, Remy.

  Determined to claim Remy and return to my life in Nashville, I wasn’t prepared to see them again.

  My best friends. My first loves.

  Denver, the sweet but fierce K9 officer with guilt in his eyes. Tatum, the reclusive mountain man next door, hellbent on making me keep my father’s land. And Krew, my charismatic friend, now an unlikely member of a dangerous motorcycle club.

  I assumed they forgot about me, but they haven’t. I thought I was over them, but I wasn’t.

  The innocence of childhood love turns deadly when secrets are revealed. I’ve learned more about the father I thought didn’t want me, but that knowledge? It may very well get me killed.

  Prologue

  15 YEARS AGO

  “Merritt, sweet pea, come on back here now!”

  I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, ignoring my daddy’s rough voice as he yelled. I couldn’t go back, not until I’d had a chance to say goodbye to them. My best friends, my crushes, the boys I secretly thought of as my boyfriends:

  Tatum, Denver, and Krew.

  I knew they would be waiting for me in the woods behind my house. There was a worn rope swing near the river that wound through our small, rural town. It had been our special spot for the past six years, since I was in first grade. It was where they’d all found me after my first day of school, crying because Jillian Holloway was a mean cow and tripped me on the playground after class. I fell in front of everyone, skinning both knees and my chin.

  I still remembered how I’d tried to curl into a ball on the river bank, pretending I was invisible and hoping they’d pass me by. Should've known my pale blonde hair stuck out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of the forest. I could still hear their whispers as they approached. And if I closed my eyes, I could still feel their hands as Krew patted my head like I was a puppy, Denver rubbed my back awkwardly, and Tatum hooked a finger under my scraped chin, lifting my face until I met his pale brown eyes, always so serious, even as young as we were.

  That was our first day of friendship, but today was our last. Now, I was going to have to say goodbye to them because my daddy didn't want me anymore. He was shipping me off to live with my mother in Nashville, which might as well have been on the other side of the planet from my home here in New Mexico.

  Once I saw the shimmer of sun on water through the trees, I pushed aside limbs and branches until I found myself near the river’s edge. Despite trying to swallow it back, a sob escaped when I saw the three of them waiting, clustered together and arguing amongst themselves.

  Their heated words cut off as soon as they heard me arrive, Denver, Krew, and Tatum stalking toward me until I was surrounded. Even though they were only a couple of years older, they towered over me. I had to tip my head back to see them, and the tears filling my eyes slid down my cheeks at the movement.

  “Mer,” Krew started, his usually sparkling green eyes looked dull, yet narrowed in determination as he cupped my shoulders and stared down at me. “I’ve been thinking. You can just live in the woods here! We can bring you blankets and food, and I can steal my dad’s camp lantern, so you don’t get scared of the dark.”

  “She can’t live in the woods, stupid! Girls need… bathrooms and stuff,” Denver argued, pushing him aside and taking his place in front of me. He was always thinking of the important stuff.

  Gripping my hands, Denver then said, “You can come live at my house, Snaps! You can share a room with me—” grunting when Krew elbowed him in the ribs, he amended, “I mean you can share a room with my sister.”

  “Daddy said I have to leave today,” I mumbled through my tears. “He already packed up al
l my stuff and shipped it to my mother’s apartment in Nashville.”

  “Then we’ll just have to run away, Butterfly,” Tatum announced solemnly, nodding his head once as if it were already decided.

  His honey brown eyes held a wild glint, but his expression was set in stone. I knew that stubborn look on his face—the one he wore when his mind was made up and nothing was going to get in his way. It was the same look he wore when he decided they were all taking me to my sixth-grade dance last year when I refused to pick just one. He hadn’t cared what anyone thought. He’d even convinced my daddy to allow it. Tatum could convince anyone to do anything.

  “Where will we go, Tatum?” I asked, hope making me feel lighter for a moment before I remembered he couldn’t leave. “Your mom… ” I whispered, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks when I realized he couldn’t leave her, not with how sick she was.

  I felt like my heart was breaking when I saw his face fall. Bowing my head, my body shook with sobs regardless of how hard I tried to suppress them. I felt them crowd even closer, hugging and holding me just like they had that first day we’d met, but this time, instead of the beginning of a friendship, it felt like the end of one.

  Denver’s arms went stiff around my waist, and I felt his chest expand against my cheek as he took a deep breath. Pulling back slightly, he cupped my cheeks and tipped my face up until we were staring at each other. I caught Tatum and Krew glance between us from the corners of my eyes. They still held me on either side, but I couldn’t look away from Denver to check their expressions thoroughly. Something about the look Denver was giving me made me feel flushed and breathless, as if I were standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump off. I felt my eyes pop open wide when he began leaning down toward me, and his lips puckered slightly.

  He’s going to kiss me. I’m about to get my first kiss.

  Even knowing it was coming, I wasn’t ready for the shock I felt when his lips touched mine. My mouth parted slightly on a sharp gasp, exhaling a squeaking whimper when I felt his tongue briefly flick against my upper lip. I felt clumsy, moving too eagerly against him and desperate to feel every last drop of his kiss. I wanted to hold onto this moment forever. I froze when he pulled away, his blue eyes blazing as he stared down at me.

  “Promise you’ll come back, Snaps,” he whispered, his chin wobbling slightly before he gritted his teeth and swallowed hard.

  “I promise,” I breathed, nodding my head in his grip. I felt like I was in a dream. Even his nickname for me, which usually made me smile, felt hollow now. When would I ever hear that name again?

  How many times had I wished upon a star, my eyes squeezed tight, my fists balled beneath my chin, that they would kiss me? How many times had I hoped that they would finally be my boyfriends in real life and not just my dreams? And now it was happening.

  Finally.

  My racing heart plummeted when I remembered that I was still leaving.

  They’d never be mine. Not really.

  I belonged to my mother and Nashville now.

  Denver’s eyes flicked to the right when Krew made an urgent sounding grunt. Denver looked reluctant but moved aside anyway, making room for Krew to take his place in front of me. Still feeling like I was floating on a cloud of both bliss and grief, I looked up at him, wanting, wishing, pleading with my eyes that he’d kiss me, too.

  Krew brushed his thumb over my lips, then down my chin to my neck until it pressed lightly to the thundering pulse in my throat. He flashed me his trademark cocky smile, tinged heavily with sadness, as he lowered his head. He kept his eyes open and on mine as he slid our mouths together, not hiding or fighting his tears as they overflowed and wet our lips. Our kiss tasted like heartbreak and sorrow, but I would still treasure it always.

  “You’re ours, Mer, always have been. You have to come back home, okay? When you’re old enough, you have to promise to come back. We’ll wait for you,” he vowed, his lips brushing mine as he spoke.

  “I’ll come back, I swear,” I promised.

  Krew nodded hard, tears still a steady drip off his strong chin, and stepped back. Tatum’s jaw was clenched tight when I turned wide eyes up to him, hoping he would kiss me too, my heart fluttering in my chest like a wild thing caught in a snare. Instead, he shook his head, slowly, as if he were fighting against himself to say no.

  “You’ll have to come back for your kiss, Butterfly,” he growled, almost angrily, before he surged forward and hugged me so hard my feet left the ground. He held me for a long moment before setting me down and stalking off, leaving me confused and crying behind him, staring at his back as he left me feeling crushed.

  “Don’t be mad at Tatum, Snaps. He just…you know how he is. Moody,” Denver tried to cheer me up by rolling his eyes dramatically, though he glared at Tatum’s retreating back when he thought I wasn’t looking.

  “Come on, Mer, we’ll… ” he then paused, swallowing hard. It was like the words didn't want to come out. “We’ll walk you back to her.”

  He grimaced on the last word as if my mother were the one to blame. I knew better. It was Daddy that called my mother to come get me, even though she’d never once visited since their divorce four years ago or asked for me to visit her. I knew exactly whose fault it was that I was leaving. And I wasn’t ever going to forgive him for it. This was Daddy’s fault.

  Glancing over my shoulder as Krew and Denver wrapped their arms around me and walked me back, I thought I spotted Tatum through the trees. But he was gone before I could be sure. Turning back around, I watched my feet as they reluctantly followed Daddy’s voice as he hollered my name. My feet dragged towards the rented sports car waiting to take me away from Denver, Tatum, and Krew.

  Away from my home and the boys I loved.

  1

  It’d been a while since I’d ridden in a police cruiser. My father, Detective Steve Miller, used to barrel down the winding road to our house after school, blaring the sirens as I squealed in excitement. When I got the call three weeks ago that he had died, I drank an entire bottle of wine before calling Denver Price. After some awkward small talk, he enthusiastically offered to pick me up from the airport. I wasn’t expecting to see him in uniform—one that he more than filled out with his muscular frame—while leaning against a police cruiser. An old German Shepherd with grey hair on the tips of his ears was lying flat on the concrete and panting at his heels. I walked up to him with my luggage and an awkward smile.

  “Hey there, Snaps,” he said with a happy, teasing grin.

  A genuine smile tipped my lips at the old nickname, and some of the unsure tension in my shoulders relaxed as Denver greeted me with perfectly white teeth and sparkling blue eyes rimmed in thick, dark lashes. I couldn’t stop myself from scanning his body, cataloguing the changes in the boy I used to know. He was much taller now, at least a foot taller than me, with broad shoulders and a tapered silhouette. His dark brown hair was no longer an unruly mess, but cut short in a way that seemed to emphasize his square jawline and smiling lips. The badge on his chest glistened in the sun, and I couldn’t help but think how handsome he’d become.

  Fifteen years was a long time.

  “Hey,” I replied, not sure if I should hug him or shake his hand. How was one supposed to greet someone that was once their best friend? He was a stranger to me now.

  I squeaked and accidentally dropped my luggage as Denver rushed forward with a chuckle and wrapped me in a big hug. Despite the unexpectedness, I was thankful he’d closed the distance between us, both physically and mentally. He placed a tender, yet friendly, kiss on my temple as he spun me around, enfolding me in his intoxicating sandalwood scent. “I’m sad for the circumstances that brought you here, Snaps. But I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty happy to see you again,” he whispered.

  My heels landed with a sturdy thud after he slid me down his hard frame. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I didn’t want to be here. Nor that I was planning to leave the moment my father’s house was sold.


  A large mass of fur brushed against my leg just as he let me go, practically toppling me over and saving me from having to respond to Denver’s declaration. “Who’s this?” I asked while sinking my hands into thick fur and scratching. The dog had grey hair scattered along his body but the playful eyes of a puppy.

  “That’s Remy,” Denver replied with a grin, “your new dog.” I snapped my hands back, placing distance between me and the animal that certainly wasn’t my dog.

  “Uh, what now?” I asked incredulously. Denver had always been playful when we were kids, and I wouldn’t put it past him to play a prank on me now.

  “He’s a retired K9 officer—and a damn good one at that. Your dad left him to you. Didn’t the attorneys mention him?” he asked, frowning slightly in confusion.

  I felt my eyes go wide as I shook my head. “No, no they didn’t.” They didn’t really mention much of anything.

  Your father is dead. He left you his house. Sign on the dotted line.

  Not two days after I’d hung up with the attorney, three solicitors called with offers on my father’s land. I guess his thirty-three and a half acres were a hot commodity. Everyone wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to buy it from me. I was too busy juggling offers to read the fine print.

  “Well, shit,” Denver muttered, scratching the back of his neck. Remy flopped his tongue out and sat back down on the concrete with a huff when he realized I wasn’t going to continue petting him.