Taken: Grey Wolves Rising, #6

By Emma Storm

Stuck in small-town Katt's Creek, Maisie Elliott longs for a life out of the shadow of her cheating mother's shadow, but money is tight and opportunity scarce until sexy, silver-eyed werewolf Logan Kitterick shows her there are doors that open onto more than minimum wage jobs and studio apartments in the big city.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emma Storm
• Release date: Sep 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540170392

Book preview

Stuck in small-town Katt's Creek, Maisie Elliott longs for a life out of the shadow of her cheating mother's shadow, but money is tight and opportunity scarce until sexy, silver-eyed werewolf Logan Kitterick shows her there are doors that open onto more than minimum wage jobs and studio apartments in the big city.

1

Maisie Elliott felt like puking. How, Crystal? How did you blow a hundred and seventy-five dollars? It’s dollar beer night!

Crystal, her drunk as a skunk sister who smelled about the same, leaned heavily against the bar. It’s my birthday. I wanted to celebrate.  You sure as hell weren’t gonna throw me a party.

Her voice slurred over birthday and celebrate.

Conversation in the bar carried on at its usual Saturday night volume but the noise didn’t fool Maisie. She and Crystal were the center of attention, once again entertaining the respectable folk of Katt’s Creek, North Dakota. Maisie balled her hands into fists and blinked back frustrated, humiliated tears. Unable to face the amused, knowing stare focused on another episode of Elliott family drama, she didn’t take her eyes off Crystal.

So you decided to throw yourself one and stick me with the bill?

Of course not, Crystal muttered. I pissed Danny off and he stormed out, leaving me with the tab.

The tab for the entire bar, Maisie said as quietly as she could while still being heard.

Danny—

Doesn’t even have a job! Jesus, Crys. How could you do this to me? You know I’m trying to save some money.

Crystal rolled her eyes. You’re stuck here just like me, so what’s the point of sticking your paycheck under your mattress? Spend it on making this fucking town less of a miserable place to live.

Pressing her lips together, Maisie bit back her argument and thumped her purse onto a stool. As she pivoted to shield the contents of her wallet from Crystal’s sly gaze, she glanced past a trio of men straddling stools at the corner of the squared bar top.

Heat prickled at the back of her neck. Frowning, she gave the men a slower look.

They were big, all three of them. Broad shoulders, a muscular physique—and not one of them wore camouflage, safety orange or a baseball cap. She didn’t have to look at their faces to know they were out of towners—that was obvious by their lack of a hunter’s uniform—but she found herself looking anyway.

Two of the men had dark hair and light eyes, while the third sported short red hair that blazed under the light mounted above him. All three were particularly good-looking, but one stood out with a mane of black hair that fell past his shoulders and a pair of silver eyes locked right on hers.

Her breath caught, then released in a whoosh. Clutching her bag, she stared as he lifted a beer bottle to his firm, full lips. He had thick, solid wrists, long fingers that cradled the bottle instead of gripping it. Sharp cheekbones, a straight nose. The barest hint of beard shadow along his square jaw.

He was handsome with all the right physical attributes in the right places but she’d seen attractive men before. This man wasn’t attractive; he was magnetic, and she found herself swaying slightly. She put one hand on the bar to steady herself and his lips quirked.

Maisie’s insides fluttered. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything—before she could figure out what to say—the bar manager showed up and knocked on the counter beside her.

Time’s up, girls. You paying, or am I calling Harold?

He may as well have sloshed a bucket of ice water over her head. Maisie jerked her gaze away from the silver-eyed stranger and yanked her wallet out of her bag.

You don’t have to call Dad. I’ll pay the tab. Maisie shot a furious glare at her sister, who merely lifted her shoulders in a shrug.

He’d pay, Crystal said.

He’s already paid enough. Maisie sighed and slid her saved cash from where she’d hidden it behind her driver’s license.

It wasn’t the full one seventy-five but the manager agreed to let her come in on payday to settle up. Maisie wanted to cry, watching her cash go into the till. Every time she made a little financial headway, something went wrong. Her fifteen year old car needed a new alternator, insurance premiums went up, Crystal spent money she didn’t have. And then she was right back at square one.

Her father would have bailed Crystal out on the bar tab but he had his own financial burdens between housing two adult daughters and a toddler, and paying alimony to the woman whose actions were the biggest reason Maisie needed out of Katt’s Creek.

Why do you do this? Crystal gestured at Maisie’s purse.

What do you mean, why? I paid because you couldn’t.

You could’ve called Jeff, she sneered. He owes you after proposing with that shitty ring.

Maisie’s stomach soured. She ran her hands over the silver band on her ring finger. The ring was solitaire in style but the princess-cut rock was just glass.

Silver and glass didn’t bother

Reviews for Taken

[Heather Gottfried Lloyd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Short story, mostly character development. Minimal romance. More you want me...... I’m going to bite you but not this minute. Okay way to waste 30 min.