Harvest Moon: The Mad Wolf's Harem Series, #1

By Tabitha Conall

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Tabitha Conall, an erotic werewolf romance novella in the exciting new Mad Wolf's Harem series.

In a world where werewolves mate in threes...

A mad werewolf chose Lunaville as the perfect hunting ground.  He needs new wives to rebuild his harem, and what better place than a town full of wolves?  But when he sets his sights on Madison Blake, he runs into trouble--she finds her fated mates before he can grab her.

Maddy, Eli and Donovan face trouble of their own just making their mating work.  Maddy and Eli have bad blood between them, history strong enough to keep them apart in spite of the overwhelming mating lust.  To find true love, they must not only conquer their own problems but also keep Maddy safe from the mad wolf stalking her.

This 20,000+ word novella is the first in the Mad Wolf's Harem series, which is set in the same world as Protecting the Pack and the Stonewall Pack Alpha series.  HEA included.

If you enjoy werewolf romances, check out Tabitha Conall's other series and stand alone novels:

The Stonewall Pack Alpha Series
The Mad Wolf's Harem Series
Protecting the Pack
The Colliding Worlds Series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little Death Books
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781498901949

Book preview

Chapter 1

Eli didn’t like feeling like a little kid. But it didn’t matter how old he was, when Eli was with his mom that’s exactly how he felt. No more so than that afternoon while he followed her around the grocery store pushing her cart and pulling things off the shelf for her.

Get some cereal, his mother said.

He knew what she liked–the same cereal she’d been eating since he was little. He grabbed some and dropped it in the cart. His mother didn’t usually need an escort to the grocery store, but she’d broken her leg. The sensible thing would be for him to go to the grocery for her while she stayed at home, but she insisted on hobbling along beside him on her crutches.

That was Mom.

Did you hear about that poor girl?

Eli put his mom’s favorite tea in her basket. What happened this time? There was always a poor girl when Mom was around.

Mom smacked his arm. The girl who works at the hairdresser’s. She’s been missing two weeks now.

Missing. This wasn’t the usual poor girl story. What happened?

They don’t know. Can’t find her anywhere. Her family’s frantic. Caleb told me he doesn’t expect to find her alive at this point. Mom gave him a pointed look. Don’t tell anyone that.

Maybe she shouldn’t have said it out loud in a store full of shifters with superior hearing. But Eli didn’t say that. He doesn’t have any leads? His older brother Caleb was the sheriff of Lunaville.

None. He’s pretty upset about it. Feels like he’s not doing a good enough job. You know your brother.

Not like this, he didn’t. Caleb always got his man. Something will turn up.

I hope so. That poor girl.

They had just reached the back of the store where the deli and bakery sat when he spotted someone he hadn’t seen in years. Madison Blake. That bitch.

He’d had the worst crush on her when they were in junior high but Miss High-and-Mighty couldn’t even give him the time of day. When her family had moved away, he’d been relieved to see her go. He hadn’t wanted to see her every day and be reminded of how she’d stomped on his heart.

Madison hadn’t spotted him yet. He made a quick turn, hoping to get away.

Oh, my goodness. Mom put her hand on his arm, stopping his forward motion. Isn’t that little Madison Blake? She hobbled toward Eli’s arch-nemesis. Come on, let’s go say hello.

Eli stood frozen in place. ‘Hello’ was the last thing he wanted to say to her. Why couldn’t Mom have just let him shop by himself?

His heart beat frantically. He could still get away. But then he’d look like a coward.

Eli slowly turned the cart around and followed his mom. Just like a little kid.

Madison? Mom said.

Madison turned. She saw his mother first and started to smile. Then she spotted Eli. Her face froze. She met his eyes for a split second then refocused on his mother, as though he wasn’t even there.

His gut wrenched. It shouldn’t bother him to see her do that yet again. But it did.

Hi, Mrs. Couteau, Madison said.

It’s been so long, Mom said. Are you visiting?

I’m moving back, actually. Madison adjusted her purse on her shoulder.

Just like usual. She couldn’t be bothered to say more than a single short sentence.

Mom smacked Eli’s arm. Say hello, Eli.

Hey. Eli could do short sentences, too. Especially since he couldn’t say any of the things he really wanted to in front of his mom.

Hey, Madison said softly.

Are your parents coming back, too? Mom said.

Eli gazed longingly at the deli counter. Would it be too rude if he wandered off?

***

No, they’re happy in New York.

Maddy’s palms sweated. Her first day back in Lunaville and she ran into the person she wanted least to see. Eli had picked on her for years. Even standing this close to him made her stomach hurt.

But Mrs. Couteau had always been nice to her. Maddy didn’t want to create a scene, even if she wanted more than anything to abandon her cart and run out of the store as fast as she could.

She’d hoped after all this time that Eli might have moved away. Or become nicer. Or gotten over himself. Based on the looks he was giving her, he hated her as much as ever.

She’d never known why.

Maddy realized there’d been a silence in the conversation. Mrs. Couteau looked at her expectantly. I–I came back for the librarian job, Maddy stammered. She really hated small talk. Or any talk, for that matter. She wasn’t anywhere near as shy as she’d been back in school but she still stumbled through social situations like this never sure if she’d made a fool of herself or not.

We should get going, Eli said. He looked at her as though she was personally responsible for making him late.

We’re not in a hurry, his mother said.

Maddy couldn’t think of a single way to agree with Eli without looking rude. Another painful silence ensued. Oh, I don’t want to keep you, she said.

Let’s go. Eli turned the cart and took a step away from her.

Mrs. Couteau looked between the two of them, a crease between her eyes. I’m sure we’ll see you around, Madison.

Maddy. I go by Maddy now. She’d always hated the way ‘Madison’ made her sound wealthy and stuck-up. Just like Eli always said she was.

Mrs. Couteau smiled and squeezed her arm. We’ll see you soon, Maddy.

As they headed for the deli counter, Maddy took an inventory of her cart. If she left now with only what she’d gathered, could she get by? She didn’t think she could keep shopping knowing she might turn the corner and come face to face with Eli at any second.

Bread. She had to have bread. And then she could leave.

***

Donovan Geary loved books. He spent so much time at the library his mother said he should work there. His brother Matt said Donovan should move in.

Lately, the library hadn’t been open as much. One of the two librarians had retired and it took them a long time to find someone new. He might have considered applying, seeing if he could sweet talk them into letting him have a job he wasn’t qualified for, except he loved the job he had as a park ranger. As much as he loved books, he didn’t think he could spend all of his time cooped up in a building.

He’d