Michael's Heart: Pack Mates, #4

By Lynn Tyler

Michael Ferris lives a solitary life, even as a werewolf within the confines of the Smooth Rock Falls pack. Not willing to risk getting hurt again, he’s built an impenetrable wall around his heart that only a few have had a chance of chipping away at. His job as a firefighter helps to keep his mind off his solitude for a while, but when he meets the right guy, Michael doesn’t know if he can let him in.

Justin Blake isn’t lonely by choice. In fact, he’s not even aware of just how lonely he is until he lays eyes on the handsome firefighter. As the shifter negotiator, Justin finds himself hopelessly drawn to Michael while helping to ease new shifters onto pack lands.

Can two hurting, lost souls heal each other, or will fear keep them apart even as the Smooth Rock Falls pack grows larger?

To keep up to date on all of Lynn’s newest releases and other cool stuff (can we say free stuff?) join her Reader’s Club.

This book has been previously published.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lynn Tyler
• Release date: Aug 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9780995189928

Lynn Tyler

Lynn Tyler, erotic romance author, has been writing since she was young. An Amazon bestseller and a strong believer in happily ever after, Lynn writes predominantly male/male paranormal romance. Visit Lynn’s website lynntylerbooks.com

Book preview

Blurb

Michael Ferris lives a solitary life, even as a werewolf within the confines of the Smooth Rock Falls pack. Not willing to risk getting hurt again, he’s built an impenetrable wall around his heart that only a few have had a chance of chipping away at. His job as a firefighter helps to keep his mind off his solitude for a while, but when he meets the right guy, Michael doesn’t know if he can let him in.

Justin Blake isn’t lonely by choice. In fact, he’s not even aware of just how lonely he is until he lays eyes on the handsome firefighter. As the shifter negotiator, Justin finds himself hopelessly drawn to Michael while helping to ease new shifters onto pack lands.

Can two hurting, lost souls heal each other, or will fear keep them apart even as the Smooth Rock Falls pack grows larger?

To keep up to date on all of Lynn’s newest releases and other cool stuff (can we say free stuff?) join her Reader’s Club.

This book has been previously published.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to everyone who loves the wolves of Smooth Rock Falls. You guys rock!

Acknowledgements

I couldn’t have done this without my husband, who did the laundry, cooked meals, and went grocery shopping with a smile so I could write.

Meet the shifters of Smooth Rock Falls

Declan O’Halloran—website designer by day, Smooth Rock Falls pack alpha by night. He mated Quinn Gallagher in the book Called to Mate.

Quinn Gallagher—Quinn is the omega of Smooth Rock Falls with a tragic past. It was his mating to Declan, in Called to Mate, that healed him.

Adam Harris—Adam is one of the Smooth Rock Falls betas who also happens to be a firefighter. He mated Cullen in the short story, Spring Mates.

Cullen Stark—Cullen is one of the Smooth Rock Falls betas. He edits novels for a living and is mated to Adam.

Shea Morrison—Shea is a genius, employed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a forensic chemist. He’s a little bit of a loner and social interactions are hard for him. He is mated to Micah, and their story can be found in Micah’s Refuge.

Micah Warren—Micah is new to the Smooth Rock Falls pack after being forced to leave his old pack behind. He is a contractor and is mated to Shea.

Grayson Mitchell—Gray works as an emergency room nurse. He has custody of his three young nieces and is mated to Shannon Cho, from The Wolf’s Tiger.

Shannon Cho—Shannon has issues with his name, as he is all male. He is the first tiger shifter to mingle with the wolves of Smooth Rock Falls and is mated to Grayson from The Wolf’s Tiger.

Michael Ferris—Michael is a firefighter and Declan’s foster brother. Out, but definitely not proud, his self-built protective walls are higher than the flames he fights.

Justin Blake—Justin is a rare eagle shifter. As far as humans are concerned, he is a lawyer, but he actually operates as the shifter negotiator, helping to resolve issues between the different shifter species.

Chapter 1

The delicious smell of frying chicken floated around him and Michael Ferris grinned. If this didn’t bring the guys in from their gaming marathon, nothing would. Well, maybe the mashed potatoes and gravy they all loved so much would do the trick too. The wolf in him growled at the thought of having to share the meat with anyone but Adam, but he pushed the beast down, placating it with the promise of a nice, big chicken breast.

Of course, the steamed veggies Michael had made would probably be ignored by most of the firefighters, but at least he’d put them out.

Adam, a fellow firefighter and one of his pack’s beta wolves, wandered in and gave an appreciative sniff. Smells awesome, Mike. Almost as good as something Shannon would make.

Michael blushed a little and stirred the bubbling gravy. Shannon was his best friend’s partner and a gourmet cook. Eating at their place was like eating at a five-star restaurant. They invited him for dinner at least once a week, and he usually went. He enjoyed catching up with Gray, and the man’s nieces were too cute. He just had to remember not to get too close to Gray because Shannon was a very possessive tiger shifter and tended to be extremely protective over his wolf shifter mate and their three girls. It’s nothing like Shannon could do, but it’s okay, he answered.

The beta wolf grabbed a drumstick and crunched down on it. Good, he praised through his full mouth. He swallowed and smiled. If I wasn’t already mated to Cullen, I’d be hitting on you.

Don’t let Cullen hear you say that, Michael warned with a laugh. He’d tear me to pieces and then serve you your balls on a silver platter.

Adam laughed too. Yeah, it’s true. He might be an editor by day, but he’s a terror if something happens that he doesn’t like.

Handing Adam a platter of chicken to put on the table, Michael stuck his head into the firehouse’s living room and called the rest of the men for dinner.

His stomach growled and his wolf demanded food, so he grabbed another platter of chicken as everyone started filing into the kitchen. Oh, man, one of them said. This is better than what my mom and my wife could make combined.

Yeah, another agreed. Do you think you could give my wife cooking lessons?

Michael laughed and reached between the big men’s shoulders to place the platter on the table. I’ve seen what your wife can cook, he countered. She’s a great chef.

All around the table, the firefighters were reaching for chicken, biting through the crispy skin before he even had the rest of the food on the table. At least grab a plate, you heathens, he admonished before heading back to the stove to grab the huge bowl of potatoes.

Yes, dear, yet another one of the firefighters shot back. I swear, you’re as bad as my wife.

Maybe we should start calling you Miss Michael, came another reply.

Laughter rang out around the table, even as Michael felt his smile start to lose its shine. Here it comes.

Well, you know, if the shoe fits…

Michael practically dropped the bowl of potatoes on the table. He’d come out of the closet when he was a teenager and hadn’t bothered hiding his sexuality since. He thought nothing could be worse than his father’s reaction to his announcement. And he’d been right. But the teasing, especially from his co-workers, bothered him anyway.

Fuck off, guys, Adam snarled, stepping in front of him.

Resisting his wolf’s urge to cuddle up to his beta, like a normal werewolf would, he took a few steps back and cleared his throat, forcing his lips into a smile. It’s okay, Ad-man. They’re only teasing.

He thought, anyway.

Regardless of his outward appearance, his appetite had tanked and dinner no longer seemed appealing. He delivered the rest of the food to the table, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. He still heard his father’s words in his head, telling him he should be disgusted by his sexuality, and a small, very tiny, part of him believed the man.

But the real reason he felt ashamed of himself was because he knew he shouldn’t feel disgusted by his sexuality. There were plenty of people around, like Adam and his mate, Cullen, who were out and proud. Michael was out, but he wasn’t always proud about it.

He left the guys devouring the meal he had cooked and ducked into the now empty living room on the excuse that he needed to make a phone call.

The thing was, he really didn’t have many people to call. He’d pushed so many of his friends away when he’d been kicked out of his house after telling his parents he was gay; he could count the number of friends he had on one hand.

There was only one person he could think of to call. He punched in the number and waited while it rang on the other end. He almost hung up when a deep, breathless voice answered. Hello?

Music played in the background, and the sound of giggles and shrieks pierced the melody occasionally. Um, hi, Shannon. It’s Michael. Is Gray available?

Sure, Shannon said. Hang on for a second.

A shuffling sound came over the line, and the shrieks grew louder for a split second, like a happy baby being passed from one set of arms to another, before Gray spoke. Hello?

Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea after all. Michael found himself at a loss for words.

Gray spoke again. Mikey? You there?

The sound of Gray’s childhood nickname for him had him loosening up. Hey, Gray. Is there a party going on I wasn’t invited to?

Gray laughed. A spontaneous dance party just broke out in the kitchen. Seriously, Mikey, you should see Honor dance to ‘Moves Like Jagger.’ She has Mick’s chicken dance down pat.

He could picture the scene. Gray’s three nieces, who he had custody of, were the cutest things alive. He hadn’t been around them too often, as they were usually in bed by the time he came over for dinner, but he’d had the pleasure of guarding them a few times. I bet that’s pretty darn cute. And your man’s probably no slouch in the dance department.

His friend cleared his throat a couple of times. Yes, I can assure you, he’s quite the dancer.

Gray’s tone made the statement seem dirty and Michael couldn’t help the snort that escaped his throat. You’re a perv, he said with a chuckle.

Hey, Gray said, sounding slightly offended. I didn’t say anything wrong. You’re the one with his mind in the gutter.

Michael knew Gray well enough to realize the other wolf was only teasing. Man, maybe I need to get laid.

Gray snorted again. It might help with your gutter thinking. Then again, it might make it worse.

Shit, he was glad he’d called his friend. He may have lost touch with Gray when the other man went to university to become a nurse, but Gray had been trying to rekindle their friendship for a little while now. Maybe some time out with a friend would be a good thing. I wondered if you wanted to grab a drink tonight? My shift is done around eight unless there’s a major fire they need my support for.

That should be okay, provided Shannon doesn’t mind watching the kids on his own tonight. There was a pause, and then Gray shouted the request over the music.

Shannon’s muffled reply, telling him it was fine as long as Gray rewarded him when he got home, made him groan. He was happy for his friend. He really was. But he didn’t need to have their sex life thrown in his face.

You hear that? Gray asked when he came back on the line.

Yeah, Michael confirmed. And you say I’m the pervy one? I think Shannon’s got me beat.

A sudden shriek made Michael pull the phone away from his ear, and this time, the screech didn’t sound happy. The wail got louder and louder until Michael had to hold the cell a good foot from his body. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it sounded like at Gray’s place.

Hope, sweetie, that’s not a good idea, Gray said to his middle niece. Listen, I gotta run. Where do you want to meet?

Michael thought about telling Gray to meet him at the local pub but decided against it when he realized neither of them would be able to drive if they had a couple of drinks. What about my place? Say, around nine?

Perfect, Gray answered. Another cry joined the first shriek, this time the unmistakable sound of the baby.

He was about to ask what was going on when Adam joined him in the living room. I’ll let you go, he said to Gray, motioning to Adam that he would only be another minute. See you later.

Yeah, man. Hey, stay safe. And tell Adam the same thing.

Gray hung up before Michael could say anything further, but he didn’t blame the man. Obviously, something or someone needed his attention.

Speaking of which, Adam seemed to be waiting patiently for Michael to focus on him. What’s up? he asked.

The beta wolf cocked his head and walked right up to Michael. He wrapped his arms around Michael’s waist and pulled him close for a hug.

Michael gave in to his wolf and leaned against the more dominant male for a few seconds. It felt good to let go and accept some comfort, even if it was for only half a minute.

Come and eat, Adam whispered, pulling away and stepping back.

His phone call with Gray had brightened his mood substantially, but Michael suddenly remembered why he’d taken refuge in the living room in the first place. I’m not really hungry, he said.

Adam frowned at him and crossed his arms over his chest. Mike, you need to come and eat. You know you need to make sure you get enough calories.

The beta glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. Look, your wolf won’t let you go without nutrients for very long, especially since you’re such a muscular guy. The last thing we need is a hungry werewolf, particularly at a fire where there’s a lot of fear and possibly blood. You don’t want to tempt your wolf.

Michael knew Adam was right. And he also knew the other guys were just teasing him. They didn’t have a problem with him, or Adam. In fact, Adam had brought Cullen to several work barbecues and fundraisers. But he didn’t know if he could take any more of the teasing tonight.

Adam seemed to know what he was thinking, and he rubbed Michael’s shoulder. Let me chat to the guys about the way they talk.

They had the same argument every time the words finally got to Michael. Don’t worry about it. I’m a man and I should act like it. I shouldn’t let their teasing bother me.

The other man shook his head. It has nothing to do with you being a man, Mike. You know that.

Michael shook his head and repeated the same thing he said every time. No, don’t say anything. At least they’re only playing around right now. I don’t want them to have a reason to really lay into me.

Adam sighed but relented. Fine. I won’t say anything … if you agree to come and eat.

It was on the tip of his tongue to decline, but Adam was the more dominant wolf and higher in the pack hierarchy. He really couldn’t say no.

Instead, he followed his beta back into the kitchen and squeezed in between two other firefighters. He grabbed a plate and placed a single chicken breast, one small scoop of potatoes and three green beans on it.

He glanced up when Adam cleared his throat and sighed at the glare the wolf was throwing at him. He heaped more food on his plate until the beta gave him a slight nod.

His stomach growled when he took his first bite, and he realized how hungry he actually was. It always amazed him how much his mood affected his body’s responses.

So, one of the firefighters said as Michael began to plow through his meal. You were on the phone for a long time. You got a hot date tonight?

And please, save us the details, one of the other guys called from the sink where he stood, doing the dishes.

Michael forced a smile and swallowed before opening his mouth to throw back some sort of reply.

Not that he had much of a reply other than the standard fuck you.

He was saved from saying anything when the fire bell rang. Shoving a few more bites into his mouth before jumping up to join the rush, Michael stretched out his shoulders as he prepared to head to the scene of the fire.

Chapter 2

Justin Blake sat back in his desk chair and stretched his arms over his head, the bones in his spine creaking as they finally moved. He glanced at the clock and realized he’d been reading the same brief for the last three hours. It didn’t surprise him. He routinely got lost in his work, and it usually took something pretty drastic to grab his attention when he focused on a task.

It had been his growling stomach that interrupted his thoughts, as it was close to when most normal people ate dinner. His secretary would have left for the day more than an hour ago. She’d probably popped her head in to say good-bye, and he had been too focused to even notice. If he had any luck, she would have left … yes! A thick sandwich from the deli down the street was sitting on a plate perched on one of his filing cabinets, next to a pile of potato chips and a dill pickle. A tall paper cup of soda completed the meal.

His secretary thought he needed someone to take care of him, and since her children had grown up and moved out of the house, she had taken on the role herself. She constantly chided him to eat, bringing him tasty treats she’d baked at home and reminding him not to spend entire nights at the office.

He appreciated the effort more than she would ever know. He was an eagle shifter, and once he’d reached eighteen, his parents had released him to the world.

Well, more like forcibly tossed him into the world. Normally, eagle shifters were independent and remote. They didn’t have much contact with their families once they reached the age of majority and parents were released from the responsibility of