Whole-Hearted: Malsum Pass Series, #5

By Kimberly Forrest

To survive, she'll tap into strength she never knew she had…

 

An engagement party in New York City? Constance Tully can't wait! Not only will she be celebrating the happiness of one of her best friends, but it will also get her out of Malsum Pass just in time to avoid witnessing Jacob Pierce choose a mate from one of the hand-picked females his mother has invited from her former pack.

 

But what should have been a night of merriment, champagne, and dancing quickly turns into a nightmare when Connie finds herself surrounded by the enemy – a group known to abduct shifter females for the sole purpose of breeding so they can sell the young to the highest bidder.

 

Jacob Pierce has been in love with Connie since childhood, so when he learns that she's been abducted, he doesn't hesitate to join the search team. Will they find her before she is lost to them forever? Will he ever get the chance to tell her that she is the only female for him?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kimberly Forrest
• Release date: Apr 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223976820

Book preview

Prologue

Twenty years ago…

Constance Tully looked up from the castle of mud she was building when she heard her mother calling. A glance at the sky let her know she had stayed out later than she should have and the sun was rapidly setting. She looked at her playmates as dread filled her belly. She was going to be in trouble. Her mother didn’t like it when she got dirty and right now, she was covered in mud.

She, Mike, and Timmy had found a leaky hose out behind the bed and breakfast where Constance lived, and had decided to dig in the wet earth surrounding it. They had created quite an impressive mud pit, but her mother wouldn’t be impressed.

Constance Lynn Tully! If you aren’t in here by the time I count to ten, you are in big trouble, missy!

Both Timmy and Mike shot her wide-eyed looks. Her mother had unleashed the dreaded full name. Nothing said trouble quite like when a parent added in that middle name. Wincing, Connie shot her playmates a look of apology and ran for the backdoor. Her mother was waiting with hands on hips and a scowl on her face. Connie tried to slip past her but was snagged by the back of her shirt. Don’t even think of tracking that mud through my kitchen, young lady. Get those filthy clothes off right now.

Dutifully, Connie bent and tried to untie her sneakers but they were so caked with mud, the laces wouldn’t budge. Her mother huffed out a frustrated breath and knelt to pull the shoes off her daughter’s feet. How did you get so filthy? It hasn’t rained all week.

The hose out back, Connie mumbled, as her mother pulled the socks off and grimaced. The white cotton was now brown from the ankle up. Her mother let out a heavy sigh but was otherwise silent as she helped Connie remove her muddy pants. Margaret Tully then turned her attention to Connie’s hair which was braided in pigtails. The white blonde braids were streaked with mud as well and her mother shook her head. Go on into the bathroom and I’ll draw you a bath.

Once Connie was again clean from top to bottom and dressed in her favorite pair of princess pajamas, Margaret Tully ushered her into a chair in the kitchen so that her hair could be brushed. You start school next week, her mother began. And I’m sure you’re going to make plenty of friends.

Connie hoped so. She enjoyed playing with Mike and Timmy, but they were boys. They had no interest in playing with dolls and dressing them up to look pretty or styling their hair. They wanted to play with trucks or race and wrestle. She enjoyed those things too, but she would like to make friends with another girl who might enjoy tea parties, walking around in her mother’s high heels, and playing dress up. Unfortunately for Connie, her hometown of Malsum Pass seemed to only have boys.

Her mother smoothed a hand over Connie’s hair and looked deeply into her eyes. You know you’re special, Connie. You are one of the only females born in the last several years. You must make the right choices.

Her father entered the kitchen, gave Connie a warm smile, and dropped a kiss on her head before moving to the refrigerator and opening the door. Her mother looked at him. Who is showing alpha potential in the juveniles?

David Tully pulled a beer out and twisted off the cap. He shrugged. Riley Cooper so far.

Her mother tapped a finger against her pursed lips and let out a thoughtful hmm. He might be a bit too old for our Connie. He’s already transitioned so he may take a mate in as little as seven or eight years.

Her father choked on his beer and looked at his wife like she was crazy. Jesus, Maggie. She’s five! Can you at least let her be a kid for a few years before you start pushing a mate on her?

Her mother drew herself up to her full height and placed her hands on her hips. Our daughter has the distinction of being the only female wolf born in the pack in years. She’ll have her pick of any male she wants. So, she’ll need to pick well. She could mate an alpha, David.

Connie wasn’t quite sure what the look on her father’s face meant, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t a good one. He held up a hand and shook his head. I can’t even believe you right now. Turning on his heel, he left the kitchen.

Her mother frowned at the door for a few minutes and then turned back to Connie and smiled. Conner Pierce, she said with a nod. He’s about your age and bound to take after his father. He’s sure to be an alpha.

Her mother continued talking, something about inviting the Pierces over to dinner and making friends with Sherry Pierce, but Connie was only half listening, her attention snagged by the pink crayon she had thought she’d lost but she now noticed had rolled just under one of the kitchen cabinets. It was her favorite crayon and she was itching to get out of the chair and retrieve it.

Connie, are you listening?

Connie jerked, startled, and returned her attention to her mother.

It’s important that you make a good impression on Conner Pierce. You must always look pretty and make sure he notices you. Do you understand?

She didn’t, not really, but she nodded. Her mother hugged her. Nothing would make me prouder than for you to mate an alpha. Nothing, Connie. No more playing in the mud. You are beautiful. You need to let that beauty shine. The sooner you gain Conner Pierce’s attention, the easier it will be. All right?

Connie nodded. She wanted to be a good girl. She wanted her mother to be proud, and if that meant looking pretty and making friends with Conner Pierce, she could do that. All right, Mommy.

Chapter One

Present Day…

Constance Tully watched from the window in her bedroom as Conner Pierce left the diner with his mate Elizabeth, her son Jeremy, and Lily, a cat shifter who had requested sanctuary from the pack along with her sister, Daisy. For almost twenty years Connie had had one goal: do whatever it took to marry Conner Pierce. She’d failed.

Blowing on her steaming tea, she took a sip from her mug. She’d done everything her mother had told her to do; had followed every piece of advice. She felt her cheeks heat and her stomach kicked with the all too familiar feeling of humiliation. Conner had never encouraged her advances, yet she had continued to throw herself at him at every opportunity, so sure that if she just tried a little harder, made herself even prettier, he would finally fall in love with her. It had never happened. She had even gone so far as to attack Lily because Conner had shown an interest in the other woman. She’d been punished for it, and rightly so. She’d been completely out of control.

She’d taken a long hard look at herself and hadn’t liked what she’d seen. She hadn’t respected herself. That was clear. She may have looked beautiful on the outside, but she’d been an ugly mess on the inside and that had to change. Oh, she still liked to dress pretty, and she had a kick-ass regimen for her hair and skin, but she was also doing more things that she liked because she enjoyed them rather than trying to impress a certain male. For too long she had cultivated her interests with Conner in mind, but no more. Now, she was doing things for her. She was finding herself. It was like having a clean slate and boy, was it refreshing.

She discovered that she liked to paint. She wasn’t very good at this stage, but it was fun, and she was improving. She also enjoyed reading. Her mother had never encouraged reading for fun, telling her that being shut up inside the house with her nose stuck in a book was nothing more than a missed opportunity.

She tried yoga at the fitness center in a nearby town but found it too boring to stick with, but she wouldn’t feel bad about that since it led to her finding a dance aerobics class that she loved. She’d even made a few new friends as she sweat to the music.

He’s not married to that human yet.

Connie jumped, sloshing tea over the rim of the mug onto her hand. She had been so deep in thought, she hadn’t heard or scented her mother’s approach. Sucking the tea off her thumb she looked out the window to see that Conner was standing by his truck with his mate and her son while he laughed at something Lily was saying. Connie sighed, tired of this conversation. It was all her mom could talk about lately. It’s done, Mom. His wolf chose her. Let it go.

Margaret Tully let out a little disdainful sniff. A human. I can’t even fathom it. Perhaps it’s for the best. He’s obviously flawed to pick a human over you.

Connie resisted the urge to roll her eyes and remained quiet. She wasn’t going to argue with her mother again. It was like banging her head against a wall – pointless and bound to leave her with a headache.

I haven’t seen Jacob Pierce in a while. I thought he was interested in you. He’s only a beta, but perhaps you’re just not cut out to hold an alpha.

Connie gritted her teeth and counted slowly to ten. She’d heard it all before. It had to be her fault that she hadn’t attracted the mate her mother had deemed perfect for her. She hadn’t tried hard enough and clearly hadn’t put her mother’s excellent advice to proper use. The last thing Connie wanted was for Margaret Tully to fix her sights on Jacob and start the badgering all over again. Mostly, because, unlike Conner who she’d hung around because of her mother’s insistence, Connie liked Jacob Pierce. Her mother’s nagging would only ruin it. Well, ruin it worse than it already was…

An image of Jacob’s face formed in her mind. With his dark red hair and brown eyes, he took after all of the Pierce children who favored their father, Tarvahl. Unlike Conner who was frequently serious, and Zachary, the youngest, who was the jokester of the family, Jacob was easygoing with a subtle humor that she appreciated. He was Conner’s younger brother by two years and owned his own residential construction business. He was a skilled carpenter and electrician among his assorted other skills.

She and Jacob had gone on one date and it had been wonderful. They’d gone fishing and had spent the entire evening talking and laughing rather than catching any fish. He’d listened to what she had to say as if he was truly interested. When the temperature had dropped, they’d huddled close under a blanket, neither one of them ready to end the evening. Connie had come home that night with stars in her eyes as she’d imagined the possibilities. Things with Jacob had just felt so right, and natural, unlike how things had been with Conner. She had gone to bed that night feeling like she was floating on a cloud. Only to thump back to earth, hard, the very next day.

It had started with her boss, Flora who owned the salon where Connie worked. Connie had been excited to share the news of her date, only to see Flora’s eyes narrow as she shook her head. Shame on you, Constance Tully, using that sweet boy to get at his brother. Everyone knows that boy has always had a crush on you. I never thought I’d see the day that I’d be this disappointed in you, girl.

Wait… What? It had felt like a kick right to her gut. Everyone knew that he had a crush on her? Well, it was news to her! And she certainly hadn’t had ulterior motives when she’d agreed to go out with him – had she? She’d tried to protest her innocence but the older woman had just eyed her skeptically. And Flora hadn’t been the only one. Two more clients that day had shared Flora’s belief that Connie would stoop to using Jacob to get to Conner.

Their absolute certainty in her duplicity had led to a steady buildup of doubts. Had she used Jacob? Was it possible that subconsciously she did have ulterior motives? She didn’t want to believe that, but those thoughts were like a spider in her head, building its web. If she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure of her motives then wasn’t it possible that Jacob might believe it as well? Would they date only for him to wonder if she was secretly picturing his brother instead of him? The very thought had made her sick to her stomach. So she’d done the only thing she could think of to fix the situation, and had told Jacob to stay away.

He’d persisted for a time. Had come to visit her at the bed and breakfast or the salon, sent her little notes to let her know he was thinking of her, and even prepared a romantic little basket with snacks and a DVD for them to watch. It was all so sweet and heartbreaking and unfair but she’d forced herself to stay strong in her refusal. He’d finally stopped coming around. And that hurt even worse.

Logically, she knew it was for the best. She never wanted him to think he was merely a replacement for his brother. But honestly, logic sucked. She missed him. She missed his sweet smile. She missed that giddy feeling that she got in her belly when she found one of his notes or when he popped in to say hello. Now, to make matters worse, she’d learned that his mother, Sherry Pierce, had invited some females from her former pack to visit Malsum Pass for an extended stay. And for one express purpose. Mrs. Pierce wanted to find mates for her two remaining single sons. Would Jacob find one of them attractive? Would his wolf respond to one of them as his chosen mate? To add insult to injury, those females would be staying right here at The Cedars. God, the last thing she wanted to do was witness a romance unfolding between Jacob and one of those females.

You have mail, princess.

Connie and her mother both turned from the window to look at David Tully and Connie smiled in welcome. Her father was shorter than most males in the pack at only five foot seven and age had graced him with a receding hairline of gray while his wife’s cooking had given him a bit of a belly, but he was still a superhero in Connie’s eyes.

He held up his hands and gave his fingers a wiggle to display a coating of glitter that sparkled in the light. Your mail is dangerous, I hope this stuff washes off.

Connie laughed, put down her mug, and took the square envelope that looked like it might contain an invitation. She checked the return address and saw it was from Victoria, one of her best friends from cosmetology school. Vic had moved to New York after she’d finished school and gotten her license there. She’d dreamed of working in a top salon in Manhattan, but last Connie knew, she was working in a tiny place in Flushing.

Carefully, she opened the envelope and pulled out a card. She laughed as glitter exploded to coat the floor around her in sparkly dust. Her mother huffed. You’ll be vacuuming that up, not me.

Connie didn’t respond, her attention focused on the invitation as she let out an excited squeal. Victoria was getting married.

Chapter Two

Connie was just about to call Victoria for details when her phone rang. Snatching up the receiver, she glanced at the number and grinned when she saw Tanya’s name flash on the display. Like Victoria, Tanya was another friend Connie had met during her training. But unlike Vic, Tanya had decided to stay close to home and was working and living in Burlington. They didn’t see each other as much as they would have liked but made a point of getting together for dinner or drinks every few months to catch up.

Connie didn’t even bother with a hello as she accepted the call. Did you get the same glitter bomb I did?

Tanya let out a squeal of delight and Connie could hear her feet stomping a rapid tattoo on the floor in excitement. Oh. My. God. Can you believe that sneaky little bitch? Last time I talked to her all men were the spawn of Satan and then I get this!

I know, right? Have you talked to her? Grinning, Connie flopped on her bed and rolled onto her back.

"I just got off the phone with her. His name is Francoise, she said, drawing out his name with a breathy roll of the tongue that made Connie laugh. Her voice was back to normal when she continued. He’s totally loaded and according to Vic, hot as hell."

Connie let out a high-pitched squeal of excitement and she could faintly hear her father say, Christ, my poor ears, before she asked Tanya, How did they meet?

Okay, get this. Vic was pulling out of the salon in that relic she calls a car when Mr. Fancy runs a red light and takes her front bumper off. Connie winced, but before she could say anything, Tanya added, Well, you know Vic’s temper.

Oh, yeah. Did she need to be bailed out of jail? Connie asked, only half joking.

Tanya laughed. "No, but she sure did give him a taste of that Sicilian-Irish temper of hers. It must have turned the guy on to get verbally bitch-slapped because he asked