I knew the headlines, but there was so much more I burned to understand.
We’d done a lot more than just talking, and as I sat in the coffee bar with Luce, my cheeks warmed at the memory of my dream from the night before.
He’d followed me into the shower, and taken me from behind. My hands had been pressed to the wall, and he’d pounded into me, one hand on my hip, the other playing with my breast. Water cascaded down, steam rose up, and I moaned with every long, slow glide. I’d already come once, and a second orgasm drew closer. Alun was close too, his thrusts shallow and rapid, and they stoked me to fever pitch.
“I love you, Cariad.” He sunk his teeth into the base of my neck and my vision splintered. “I promise you, we’ll do this for real again soon.”
I leaned back against him, while I caught my breath. “I’ll hold you to that, Wolf-Boy.”
Chapter Sixteen
We were married in Alun’s village church, two days after Christmas. The pews were filled to bursting, and people also stood at the back. It was the complete opposite in mood to his funeral, and my cheeks ached from smiling. We celebrated in the pub, and danced all night to a raucous local rock band. I couldn’t have been happier.
Waking surprisingly early the day after, my first day as Mrs. Jones, Alun insisted I get up. We had to go somewhere. Tanygrisiau might not have been snowbound, but some of the surrounding roads were blocked, and so I figured we couldn’t be going far.
Ignoring my grumbles, he made me dress in warm clothes, and led me to the edge of the forest.
“What are we doing, babe? More snow angels?”
“Maybe later.” He turned to face me, and cupped my cheek in his hand. “We had the wedding yesterday, but today it’s my wolf’s turn. We have a special ceremony, called a Mating Ritual.”
“Oh?”
“All the pack attend, and watch us swear our bond.” He smiled, mischief dancing in his eyes. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
Swearing our bond? It sounded harmless, so I let him lead me a little farther, to a sun-dappled glade. The trees were bright with ribbons. I hesitated, surprised at the size of the crowd gathered around the clearing. Many faces I recognized from the wedding and from the village.
“Are they all wolves?” I whispered.
He hugged me. “All these are, yes.”
There were so many. Every time I thought I’d figured out something about Alun’s wolves, he surprised me again. “So what happens at this ritual?” I kept my voice low.
He led me to the center of the circle, and took both my hands before he replied. “Well”—Alun cleared his throat—“we take off all our clothes, and make love in front of the Pack.”
What? My mouth dropped open.
“Then they anoint us with blessed water from the sacred spring, and we howl to the moon. Naked.”
I almost fell for it, but then I saw the way he was biting his lip, as though trying not to laugh. I blinked, and my lips twitched in return. “Was any of that true?”
“The howling. But not to the moon.”
“You’re incorrigible.” I couldn’t be mad at him for teasing me. I was still too happy at being with him again. “So what does happen?”
“We make some oaths, and then celebrate some more.”
We stood together in the weak morning sunshine, and I gazed at my lover. My husband. I would never tire of his cheeky grin, or the heat in his eyes. Was it possible for a heart to burst with love?
A tall, darkly handsome man approached, and introduced himself as the Pack Alpha, Jake Bledri. He made a little welcoming speech to me, and then asked if we were ready to continue. His deep, calm voice settled my nerves. We both nodded.
“Alun. Do you promise to stand by Olivia’s side, and share her life and her home, to protect her against all danger, to be her Mate and her partner, and to love and care for her until the day you die?”
“I promise.” Alun stood tall and proud, his voice strong.
Jake nodded, and turned his attention to me. “Olivia, I have the same oath for you. Do you promise to stand by Alun’s side, and share his life and his home, to protect him against all danger, to be his Mate and his partner, and to love and care for him until the day you die?”
“I promise.” God knows how, but my voice rang out clear and confident, and Jake smiled.
He closed his hands around our clasped ones. “By the authority vested in me as Pack Alpha of the Snowdonia Wolves, Alun and Olivia are now Mated under Pack law. It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you both, and wish you long health, love, and happiness.”
“Long health, love, and happiness.” The entire Pack repeated the words, and Alun held me close, love shining in his eyes.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he placed a finger over my lips. “Not yet,” he whispered, and so I waited. Silence fell over the group, and then Alun’s parents stepped forward. Lifting their heads, they howled to the skies. The sound made my spine tingle, and my blood heat. One by one, the others followed suit.
“They’re welcoming you to the Pack.” Jake smiled at me. “And so am I.” He howled, his call quite possibly the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.
Two adorable little girls held baskets of flowers and walked up to us, staring at me with solemn blue eyes. They carried garlands, woven of velvety petalled blossoms, draped with care around our necks.
“Now,” said Alun, clasping his hands around my face. “Now we can celebrate some more.”
Every day with Alun was a celebration for me. His waking was the best Christmas present I could have been given. His life, the most precious gift.
This time, he really was my forever.
The End
Playlist
Music is interwoven so tightly into my writing that I can’t untangle the two. Either I’m listening to a playlist on my iPod, have music seeping from my laptop speakers, or there’s a song playing in my head – sometimes on auto-repeat.
If Dreaming of a Wolf had a soundtrack, this would be the playlist:
Alice in Chains – Hollow
Biffy Clyro – Back Chandelier
I Am Giant – Razor Wire Reality
Soundgarden – Fell On Black Days
Pearl Jam – Black
Pearl Jam – Immortality
Massive Attack – Angel
Maroon 5 – Harder To Breathe
Kings of Leon – Revelry
Foo Fighters – Stranger Things Have Happened
Kings of Leon – Wait For Me
Stone Sour – Through Glass
Pacifier / Shihad – Everything
Stone Sour – Say You’ll Haunt Me
Seether (ft. Amy Lee) – Broken
Listen along with my Spotify playlist: Dreaming of a Wolf
If you enjoyed Dreaming of a Wolf by Sofia Grey, check out her other books, including the rest of her Snowdonia Wolves series.
Wolf at the Door
Love can heal all wounds…
Pop star Lillian Hart is determined never to trust another man. She has no idea that the wolf at her door is anything other than a wounded dog, much less the Alpha of the Snowdonia Wolf pack. There’s something about the wild creature that pulls at her. Then a man with her wolf’s eyes starts to invade her dreams, and reality and fantasy merge in a way that has her hoping, against all odds, for dreams to come true.
Lillian may have sworn off men, but Jake’s not just any man, he’s a shifter, and he’s about to shift Lillian’s world to make room for him. He vows to claim her as his Mate, and when Jake makes a vow, he keeps it. But Lillian wants to take it slow and Jake is not about to waste any time.
In this battle of wills, both discover giving in and trusting their hearts can heal even the deepest of hurts.
A Handful of Wolf
Sasha's not a looking-to-the-future kind of guy, but he's made an exception with his plans to travel and meet lots of pretty girls. Too bad his Pack Alpha, fate, and reality have oth
er ideas about his trip abroad. He's pretty sure he didn't sign on to be a diplomat for the Snowdonia Wolf Pack. Or to find a Mate. Especially not a human Mate.
Megan knows better than to let a sweet-talking charmer get under her skin, but Sasha's sexy playfulness is making her forget all her rules. Except one: she's not willing to risk her heart by falling in love. The gorgeous boy from Wales can only be a fling, especially since her over-protective brothers hate him on sight.
In the midst of a wolf uprising, a hesitant Mate, and Megan’s complicated family ties, Sasha learns that sometimes impulsiveness is dangerous and even lethal. Can he show Megan why they belong together before it all comes crashing down around him and he loses his Mate forever?
A Very Wolfie Christmas
Sasha's homesick for the snow of the Welsh mountains, but the New Zealand sun and Santas in board shorts are worth it, if he gets to spend the holiday with his Mate, Megan. Besides, he's got a surprise planned for their first Christmas together.
When he discovers he's not the only one keeping secrets, his plans threaten to crumble. Can he make this a holiday they’ll never forget, for all the right reasons?
Caging The Wolf
Table of Contents
Blurb
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen