Saving Their Wolf: Paris Harem, #1

By Tori Knightwood

A wolf shifter haunted by her past. Three men who only want her happiness. Will their fated love be enough to save her?

 

Catherine Malraux has returned to her hometown of Paris after the mysterious death of her ex-boyfriend. She wants to forget the ordeal, as well as the growing shifter hatred she left behind. Her best-friend-turned-boyfriend is moving to Paris with her, and she can't wait to see how their relationship develops.

 

But fate has other ideas. When she meets two new sexy men—Martin, an elephant shifter, and Reid, a wolf shifter—the intense attraction has her reeling. After Catherine has refused lust and affection for so long, three hot men want to love her.

 

Can Catherine accept that she deserves love before an enemy from the past takes her life?

 

Saving Their Wolf is the first part of the Paris Harem trilogy, a paranormal reverse harem romance with lots of suspense and heat!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knightwood Books
• Release date: Nov 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393761501

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Catherine

Catherine placed a plate of Tunisian salad on the table in front of an older gentleman with tan skin and graying hair. Here’s your mechouia, she said with a smile. Can I get you anything else?

Another glass of beer, please.

Catherine whirled around and strode to the bar. Another beer for Mr. Hassine, please, Abdul.

The owner—who also served as chef and manager—handed her a glass of beer without a word. Abdul wasn’t a chatty sort. But at least he hadn’t hit on Catherine yet. Then again, she’d only been working here for a week, having just returned from the south of France not much longer than that. But she’d become friendly with another waitress, Viviane, a petite blonde, who always wore her hair in a high ponytail, like some kind of American cheerleader. Viviane had worked here for several months, and claimed Abdul had never hit on her either.

This was a trait Catherine appreciated in a boss.

As did her protective wolf nature.

Placing the glass of beer on the table in front of Mr. Hassine, she looked out the front window to check on her handful of customers sitting at sidewalk tables. The couple of tourists right in front of the window pushed back from the table, the young man putting his hands over his belly.

That’s my cue, she thought, marching outside. Pasting on another smile, Catherine looked from the young man’s pleasant face to the joyful face of his female companion. Can I bring you anything else?

No, thank you, the young woman said with a bright smile. This was delicious. I’ve never had Tunisian food before. I hope we can find this at home.

Where is home?

Massachusetts, the young man said.

Oh, Boston?

The young woman shook her head. We’re from western Massachusetts, a small town outside of Springfield.

It houses the basketball Hall of Fame, the man said. Have you been to Massachusetts?

No, Catherine answered. I’ve never been to the States. In fact, I’ve never been outside of France. The young woman patted Catherine’s hand. You’ll get there someday, I’m sure of it. Your English is great.

Catherine wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t exactly raking in the money as a waitress. And she’d be damned if she asked her father for any help. In fact, she hadn’t even seen her father since she’d arrived in Paris. She was a little afraid to. But she knew she couldn’t avoid him forever. If she was going to stay here in Paris, she’d have to make up with Papa. If nothing else, her cousin Dany and the rest of their family would force her to.

The young man spoke and pulled Catherine’s attention back to her job. Are there any sites you can recommend that are off the beaten path?

She gave it some thought. It depends on what you’re into. There are smaller museums dedicated to different authors and artists—like the Balzac house or the Rodin museum—or there are lesser-known neighborhoods with a lot of architectural charm. Or you could just walk along the river and see what you find.

The young couple shared a smile.

Here’s your check, Catherine said, pulling it from her apron.

She glanced up then toward the street. A man was walking by, a familiar man, but she couldn’t place him. He saw her, too, and his steps slowed and his features hardened into a glare. She remembered that scowl. She’d seen it only a couple of weeks ago in Aix-en-Provence. He’d been in the middle of a protest near the restaurant where she used to work before she returned to Paris, and he’d glowered at her then, too.

A sense of dread hit her but she couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

Why was he always glaring at her? She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but he started walking again at a quick pace and was soon out of sight among the many other people walking toward the Rue de Rennes on this busy, warm weekend day.

Miss, are you okay?

Catherine startled out of the memory and turned back to her customers. Sorry, I’m fine. All set?

She took the bills they handed her, wished them a good day, and hustled back inside the restaurant.

The man’s facial expression had represented hatred. The protest in Aix had been about a fear and hatred of shifters.

She gulped as fear tingled along her skin.

Could this man know she was a shifter? How could he? And what was he going to do about it?

CHAPTER TWO

Catherine

A re you sure your cousin won’t mind that I’m coming? Viviane, Catherine’s friend from the restaurant, said.

Not at all. She always says, ‘the more, the merrier.’ They were walking from the Metro stop down the Rue de Rivoli to a bar where they were planning to meet Dany and her boyfriend, Guy. Their steps echoed as they passed under stone archways above the sidewalk. No tourists thronged the entrance to the Louvre across the street at this hour.

Is this going to be one of those loud clubs with pulsing music? Viviane asked. I’m not so into those kinds of places, especially tonight. I’m exhausted and it’s been so hot out, I just want a relaxing night.

That’s what I want, too. Catherine turned toward her new friend. So, let’s make a deal. If it is one of those horrible places, we’ll leave together and we’ll go have a quiet drink somewhere else, with or without my cousin.

Viviane smiled and they continued down the road.

In another few steps, they came to the meeting place. They went down a flight of stairs and through a heavy wooden door into a dark room with comfy chairs strewn around. A long counter took up one wall, lined with stools.

Catherine, over here, a voice called out from their left. Viviane and Catherine turned toward the voice and found a group of people sitting in some of the low chairs.

Catherine hadn’t expected so many people. She recognized Guy, the huge bear shifter her cousin had been dating since even before Catherine left Paris for the South of France. But she didn’t know the other two young men with them. As she and Viviane approached, the two men stood. One was almost as big as Guy, with dark skin, almost as dark as the night. His broad shoulders filled his white and blue striped button-down shirt in a way that made Catherine itch to grasp onto them. The other man was shorter and leaner, with auburn hair and pale skin and a smirk that made her think it was always close to his lips.

Catherine kissed her cousin and Guy on both cheeks, and introduced Viviane.

You can call me Vi, Viviane said with a shy smile.

This is my old friend from university, Martin Diop, Dany said, gesturing toward the dark-skinned man. He kissed the two women on both cheeks and then introduced the other man.

And this is my friend visiting from the States, Reid Sawyer.

Nice to meet you both. He held out his hand to shake Catherine’s and she couldn’t help but laugh. He clearly wasn’t a local, which intrigued her.

What are you doing here? she asked as they all sat down.

I’m taking a break from my job, and I missed this big lug. Reid gave Martin a soft punch in the arm and Martin pretended to be hurt.

Your French is so good, Viviane exclaimed. I think you’re the first American I’ve met who actually speaks it.

Catherine had been thinking the same thing and leaned closer to hear Reid’s answer over the music coming from speakers at either end of the bar.

I learned in high school and volunteered for a humanitarian organization in Senegal one summer during college. That’s where I met the big lug. He smirked again and glanced affectionately at Martin.

Martin leaned forward. Can I get you a drink? He glanced from Catherine to Viviane.

Sure, a chocolate martini, Catherine said. Thanks.

Same, Viviane said.

Martin rose in a graceful movement that Catherine couldn’t help but follow with her gaze. She watched him walk to the bar and lean fluidly over it to speak to the bartender.

He’s one of the good ones, Dany said.

Catherine whipped her head toward her cousin as guilt reddened her face.

Dany laughed. I approve.

There’s nothing to approve, Catherine whispered. She had no business admiring another man, let alone two men. She and her best friend from Aix, Nico, had just taken their relationship to the next level. He might not be an official boyfriend, but thinking about being with anyone else still felt like a betrayal. Her face reddened again as she felt Reid’s eyes on her. She turned to look at him and the left side of his mouth quirked up even more. Had he heard Dany? Her nostrils quivered and she noticed his scent for the first time. Under the more obvious notes of trees and nuts was something animal. Wolf, like her, but different.

He was a shifter.

Viviane was human, so Catherine would have to wait until she and Dany were alone later to ask her cousin about Reid. And when Martin returned, she realized he was also a shifter, but she didn’t recognize his scent beyond tropical fruit like pineapple and mango and date.

She took a long sip of her martini and watched the two men. They were each handsome but in such different ways—one dark, one pale; one built like a tank and one lean. And they both intrigued her and attracted her.

So Reid, tell me more about yourself, Viviane said. How long will you be in Paris?

I don’t really know. I just left a teaching job in New York and haven’t decided what I want to do next. I could be here a couple of weeks or a couple of months. Who knows?

You’re a teacher? Catherine asked.

I was a teacher for two years in a special American government program for urban areas. I taught English in an inner-city high school.

Catherine was surprised. Reid didn’t strike her as a humanitarian. Then again, she could imagine him with high school students. He probably taught them more dirty jokes than they taught him.

Ooh, what’s New York like? Viviane asked.

He looked at Catherine, not Viviane, while he answered. New York is awesome. Such a lively city, full of things to do. Just like Paris. His gaze lingered on Catherine and she began to feel warm all over.

I’ve always wanted to visit New York, Viviane said. Maybe I can visit you there someday.

Reid tore his gaze from Catherine. Maybe, but I’m actually from North Carolina. When I leave Paris, I have no idea where I’m headed next.

Catherine turned to Martin. You went to school with my cousin?

He nodded. I knew her before she met Guy.

Did you study psychology too?

He nodded again.

Are you a shifter hunter like Dany, too, or did you stick with psychology?

I’m a psychologist, he answered. He lowered his voice. "I work with legitimate shifters who