Wolf in Winter Clothing (Winter Solstice Run)

By Heather Long

Roland James waited a long time to return to the Black Hills. After Seth, his best friend, left—was driven away—and Seth’s family vanished in the night, he had no reason to stay. Only one purpose remained for him—to build his strength and his skills until he could kill the men responsible for their loss. When word reaches him about Magnum’s demise and Drew’s ascension, he rushes home. Though Drew welcomes him and the town seems to be thriving with a Winter Solstice Run in the offing, Roland can’t celebrate. Not all of his enemies are dead. One—the worst—still lives.

Professor Claudia Donovan has spent a great deal of time and effort to locate one of her colleagues. Then she receives an odd message telling her to meet someone about the woman she’s been trying to find in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota. Taking the first flight and renting a car, she waits at the designated spot. A chance meeting and an even riskier hookup for her TA leaves her with more questions than answers. When she ends up in Los Lobos no one wants to answer her questions.

The last thing Roland expects when he lures the human to the Black Hills is to delight in her scent, her temper, and her cutting tongue. He needs the pawn to distract Ryker because the Enforcer has a weakness. Take away his mate, and Roland can kill him once and for all. Maybe his plan makes Roland the bad guy, but he can live with that. The only problem he has is his need for revenge may cost him Claudia....

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Dec 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781613339213

Heather Long

Heather Long is a USA TODAY bestselling author who likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, and Marines. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romances as hot as her native Texas summertime.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Wolf in Winter Clothing

Copyright  2015 by Heather Long

ISBN: 978-1-61333-921-3

Cover art by Fiona Jayde

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

Look for us online at:

www.decadentpublishing.com

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Epilogue

What a Wolf Wants by Heather Long

Dear Reader,

Can you believe the holidays are here again? I love this time of year. I love the potential for mending old wounds as well as celebrating relationships. Every time the wheel turns, there’s a sense of potential joy and I wish I could bottle that feeling and carry it forward to experience in Spring, Summer and Autumn. I hope you have enjoyed our Winter Solstice Run this year and that each book has given you a glimpse at the magic possible when we set aside old grudges, let go of our anger and embrace the simple joy of being with those we love.

Have a howling good Solstice!

Heather

[e-mail]

Black Hills Wolves Stories

Wolf’s Return

What a Wolf Wants

Black Hills Desperado

Wolf’s Song

Claiming His Mate

When Hell Freezes

Portrait of a Lone Wolf

Alpha in Disguise

A Wolf’s Promise

Reluctant Mate

Diamond Moon

Wolf on a Leash

Tempting the Wolf

Naming His Mate

A Wolf Awakens

The Wolf and the Butterfly

Infiltrating Her Pack

Omega’s Heart

Rebel’s Claw

Claiming the She-Wolf

Worth Fighting For

Dangerous

Uncaged

Promiscuous Wolf

Disquieted Souls

A Cougar Among Wolves

Long Road Home

A Mate’s Healing Touch

Winter Solstice Run

Wolf’s Holiday

Winter Magic

Winter Secrets

Winter Solstice Ménage

Wolf in Winter Clothing

Also by Heather Long

Always a Marine

Series so Far (in order by release)

Once Her Man, Always Her Man

Luke & Rebecca

Retreat Hell! She Just Got Here

Logan, Jazz & Zach

Tell It to the Marine

James & Lauren

Introduction of Matt McCall and Damon Sinclair

Features an appearance of Logan Cavanaugh

Proud to Serve Her

Damon & Helena

Matt, James, Lauren, Luke and Rebecca mentioned

Her Marine

Brody & Shannon

No Regrets, No Surrender

Logan, Jazz & Zach

James featured

The Marine Cowboy

A.J. & Sheri

Phone call from Luke

The Two and the Proud

Rowdy & Kim

A Marine and a Gentleman

Brenden & Liam

Appearances of James, Logan, Jazz, Shannon, Rebecca, Lauren

Combat Barbie

Kyle & Mary

Jazz makes an appearance via phone

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Joe & Melody

James makes an appearance

What Part of Marine Don’t You Understand?

Matt & Naomi

Appearances by James and Logan, Damon is mentioned

A Marine Affair

Eli & Rick

Marine Ever After

Paul & Lillianna

Multiple appearances at Luke & Rebecca’s wedding

Marine in the Wind

Greg & Georgia

Appearances by A.J. & Sheri

Marine with Benefits

Derek & Kara

Appearance by Logan

A Marine of Plenty

Charlie & Jana

Appearance by Naomi

A Candle for a Marine

Isaac & Zehava

Appearances by Zach & Shannon

Marine Under the Mistletoe

Kaiden & Rowan

Have Yourself a Marine Christmas

Rebel & Noel

Appearances by Derek, Kara, Luke and James

Lest Old Marines Be Forgot

Tom & Brenda

Appearances by Luke, James, Logan, and Damon

Her Marine Bodyguard

Shannon & Brody

Multiple appearances including Luke, Logan, Zach, Jazz, Mary, Damon & Rowdy

ROAR Series

Mischief, Mongrels & Mayhem

The Black Hills Wolves

What a Wolf Wants

Wolf in Winter Clothing

Roland James waited a long time to return to the Black Hills. After Seth, his best friend, left—was driven away—and Seth’s family vanished in the night, he had no reason to stay. Only one purpose remained for him—to build his strength and his skills until he could kill the men responsible for their loss. When word reaches him about Magnum’s demise and Drew’s ascension, he rushes home. Though Drew welcomes him and the town seems to be thriving with a Winter Solstice Run in the offing, Roland can’t celebrate. Not all of his enemies are dead. One—the worst—still lives.

Professor Claudia Donovan has spent a great deal of time and effort to locate one of her colleagues. Then she receives an odd message telling her to meet the woman she’s been trying to find in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota. Taking the first flight and renting a car, she waits at the designated spot. A chance meeting and an even riskier hookup for her TA leaves her with more questions than answers. When she ends up in Los Lobos no one wants to answer her questions.

Dedication

For Nan. She taught me everything I know.

Wolf in Winter Clothing

Black Hills Wolves

Winter Solstice Run

By

Heather Long

Chapter One

Home in Los Lobos not even seventy-two hours, and Roland James took a break from refurbishing his cabin to catch up with friends at Gee’s bar—or The Den as the new sign out front declared. The Bear greeted him with a long look, a grunt, and a pint of beer. Could have been worse. He could have greeted him with a fist. Not saying a word, Roland slid two crisp one hundred dollar bills across the bar.

The Bear eyed the bills then Roland. That’s one more than you owe me. Considering he’d emptied the till on his last day in Los Lobos when he fled years before, he wasn’t surprised Gee knew the exact amount owed.

Call it interest.

Tapping the bills once with two fingers, Gee studied him with a gimlet gaze. Then it should be three.

Hiding a smile, Roland fished a third C-note from his pocket and added it to the stack. We square?

You’ll do. He nodded to the beer. You want me to start a tab?

Not quite laughing, Roland nodded. Please.

Leaning against the bar, he glanced around the common room. The redecoration gave it a modern, yet rustic appearance. Gone was all the seventies vinyl, cracked seats, and too-hideous-for-words upholstery. Whoever did the work had not only brought Gee’s bar a few decades closer to the present, but also given the space a renewed feeling of home.

Half the pack seemed to have jammed inside, filling the tables, standing, and some even danced. Christmas music rolled out of the jukebox—how the hell they’d managed to update that relic, Roland had no idea. Weird, he couldn’t recall such a joyous gathering within the bar without at least some bloodshed and tears.

Hey, man. Samuel Kent slid onto the stool next to him and waved to Gee. Big burger and fried pickles. Bigger beer, though.

Kaden chuckled as the Bear gave another grunt of acknowledgement before vanishing into the kitchen. Setting a new beer in front of the other Wolf, Kaden shot a look at the door then hustled to get a couple of beers and a bottle of whisky.

Glancing at the frosted mirror behind the glasses, Roland caught sight of their Alpha as the room swelled with greetings for Drew Tao. Behind him loomed another figure, one which dampened Roland’s good mood. Ryker. Fucking. Grey.

Though the bar was full and every table occupied, one group abandoned their table and moved their conversation to the hearth, drinks in hand, to lean against the wall and continue talking. Kaden cleaned the table off and set beers down before Drew made it past the first group.

The Alpha was a decent sort. Instead of going to the table, he took time to greet individual Wolves, pausing for a word here or there. Ryker, his shadow, didn’t share the same charm.

So, I’m heading to Rapid City to grab more supplies. You said you needed some stuff, right? Samuel asked before tipping his bottle back for a long pull. The Wolf was one of the reasons Roland had returned to Los Lobos. Younger by a year, Samuel and he had been the best of friends, at least until Ryker appeared on the Kent family