Kash & Bella (The Wolf's Mate Generations Book Six)

By R.E. Butler

She-wolf Isabelle has never shifted in her life. Traumatized during a hunt when she was younger, she’s never been able to access her wolf, which means none of the males in her pack see her as mate material. When she’s invited by a friend to visit her pack for the full moon, Bella hopes a change of scenery will be just what she needs to make her wolf come out.

Kash, a fae male with wolfish tendencies, has been longing to find his truemate. Deciding he’s waited long enough, he casts a spell to locate his mate, surprised to discover she’s hanging out with his pack on the full moon.

But Bella’s family isn’t happy she’s found her mate in Allen, especially her alpha father, who forbids the mating and considers her behavior as the utmost betrayal. When her brother tries to force Bella to abandon Kash and return home, things get out of hand fast, and an enemy no one expected rears its head. Can Bella find Kash before time runs out?

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.E. Butler
• Release date: Apr 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798215360101

R.E. Butler

A Midwesterner by birth, R.E. spent much of her childhood rewriting her favorite books to include herself as the main character. Later, she graduated on to writing her own books after "retiring" from her day job as a secretary to become a stay-at-home mom.When not playing with her kids, wrestling her dogs out the door, or cooking dinner for her family, you'll find her typing furiously and growling obscenities to the characters on the screen.Her best-selling series Wiccan-Were-Bear, The Necklace Chronicles, Hyena Heat, Wilde Creek, Were-Zoo, Arctic Shifters, Norlanian Brides, Saber Chronicles, and Ashland Pride are available now.

Book preview

Kash & Bella (The Wolf’s Mate Generations Book Six)

By R. E. Butler

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Excerpt from Purred Promises

Other Books by R. E. Butler

About the Author

Copyright

Chapter One

Kash Anderson closed his truck door with a sigh and stretched, letting his head fall back to look at the midnight-blue sky speckled with stars. The night of the March full moon had come and gone, and he was no closer to meeting his truemate than when the night had started. Since he couldn’t shift, he spent full moon nights guarding the non-shifting members of the Tressel Pack, nestled in the heart of Kentucky in a small town called Allen. He was half-wolf, half-fae, and took after his mother, Jenna, who was full fae. Unlike her, he had stark-white feathered wings and was a metalfae, able to control anything metal with his fae power. His mother was a lockinfae, which meant she could unlock anything no matter what it was made of.

His power was similar in some ways, because he’d always been able to manipulate metal locks, but if there was anything non-metal around it, then he was powerless to unlock it.

He slipped back to the present as a soft moan hit his ears and he grimaced, dropping his head to his chest.

Damn it.

His roommate, Gideon, son of alpha wolves Jason and Cadence, had clearly brought a female home and was entertaining her.

Kash wasn’t jealous.

Okay, he was a little bit.

But he was also damn tired of chasing random female tail, and none of the pack members were his truemate. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done anything with a female besides make out. Waking up with someone in his bed who wasn’t his truemate had long soured him on the randomness and meaninglessness of it all.

His roommate clearly hadn’t made that same decision, though.

And since he had really excellent hearing with his shifter and fae natures, there weren’t good enough noise-canceling headphones in the universe to drown out the sounds of the couple going at it.

Sighing again, he contemplated his next move, and decided to go to his parents’ to crash for the night. He got in the truck and sent a quick text, and when he got the all-clear from his dad that the couch was his, he headed to his childhood home.

Kash had tomorrow off from his job as a security officer for the retirement community, so he could sleep in and maybe cajole his mom into making his favorite blueberry pancakes.

As his house faded into the darkness behind him, he wished he had someone he could enjoy the night with. Even though he couldn’t shift, he still loved the full moons. There was something magical about them, wolfy tendencies or not.

* * *

Saturday morning, Kash was woken up by the smell of blueberry pancakes and a bolt of sunshine streaming through a gap in the living room blinds. He rolled over to avoid having his eyeball melted with the sunlight and yawned, reaching for his phone. He saw a text from Gideon around three a.m., asking why he hadn’t come home.

Even though he doubted his friend was still awake, he sent a text.

You had a female with you, I could hear your caterwauling from outside. I’m at my parents, I’ll be around later to do laundry since I have to work tomorrow.

He got up and dressed in the clothes from the night before, used the hall bathroom, and made his way to the kitchen, where his dad, Logan, was seated at the kitchen table with an enormous stack of blueberry pancakes on a plate.

Morning, Son, he said, looking up from his phone.

Hey, Dad, he said. Morning, Mom. He kissed her cheek as she handed him a plate of piping hot pancakes.

Hi sweetie, she said. Did you sleep well?

I always do here, he said.

Gideon had a female at the house? Logan asked.

Yeah.

You could ask him not to bring them home, you know, Jenna, his mom, said.

He’s my roommate, Kash said. It’s as much his place as mine, and usually he doesn’t bring them home. I told him he could stay until I found my truemate, or he finds his and picks a different house.

You’re very sweet, Jenna said.

He sat next to his dad and put syrup and butter on the pancakes. Gideon’s my last unmated friend in the pack, so I feel like we should stick together.

What about Remy and Lennox? Jenna asked.

Remy and Lennox were wolves who were destined to be alphas because their mom was an Angel Mate, a perfect mate for a wolf. Their three sisters were Angels, and the two brothers were planning to head out to start their own packs elsewhere, because there were too many alphas in Allen, Kentucky and it made everyone twitchy.

Well, Remy already left after the February full moon, but Lennox will leave at some point too, he said.

I’m surprised Lennox didn’t leave with Remy, Logan said, spearing a wedge of pancakes.

Lennox said they talked about it, but he wasn’t feeling the pull to leave and the chafe against Jason’s alphaship like Remy was, so he didn’t feel the need to leave yet. Plus, they’re both alphas, so it wasn’t like Remy would be alpha and Lennox would be his second if they start a new pack together, they both need their own pack. At any rate, I kind of don’t count them among the unmated males since one is gone and one is planning to take off. There were other unmated males in the pack, but Kash wasn’t close with them. His friend group was small, and they were expected to lead the pack when the current generation of leaders were ready to retire and step down, which he didn’t think would happen for a long while.

He and his parents talked over breakfast, and when he’d helped his mom with the dishes, she said, I need you to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s at some point.

Sure, is everything okay? His maternal grandparents lived in the Fae Realm. His parents had a home next to theirs and spent time in that realm for long weekends and vacations.

Yeah, Grandpa needs your assistance with a greenhouse he’s building. He’s planning to use metal to build the structure and so your power will be very handy.

Sounds good, he said. He loved helping out his grandparents and had assisted with a few things over the years at their home. With his fairy power, he could easily manipulate whatever metal items they had to whatever specifications needed.

You’re a sweetheart, she said. Thanks for helping with the dishes. Remember to be that sweet when you find your truemate. Don’t leave her to do the dishes on her own. She gave a side-glance at Logan, who growled softly at the teasing.

I’ll help with the dishes, woman.

The way his dad said dishes made Kash think he didn’t really mean dishes. That’s my cue. I’ll head to the Fae Realm from here.

Be careful, his mom cautioned.

Always.

He said goodbye, grabbed his coat from the hall closet, and headed to the backyard, where his mom had a fairy garden with a sprite named Darlie and her little sprite family that watched over things. Near the garden, which was blanketed with frost from the chilly March morning, was a tree that had a permanent fairy circle, which allowed them to portal between the realms.

He stepped into the circle of rocks in front of the tree and laid his hands on the trunk, calling out the spell to open a portal, focusing on his grandparents’ home. In minutes he was through the portal and walking into the warm home, which always smelled like freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

Well, well, well, his Grandpa Brokk said, looking up from an easy chair in front of the fireplace. "Look what the fellbeast dragged in. How are ya, kiddo?"

Oh Kash, you’re here! I had an inkling you’d come this morning, so I made your favorite cinnamon rolls, Grandma Rhoswen said, smiling at him from the kitchen. Jenna said yesterday on our portal-call that she was going to ask you to come help out but didn’t know when you’d be available.

I’m working tomorrow, so today is perfect, Kash said. Even though he was stuffed from the blueberry pancakes, he couldn’t resist the delicious cinnamon rolls that called to him from the counter, and snagged one.

Then let’s get to it, Grandpa Brokk said.

Happy to help, he said, his voice muffled by the cinnamon goodness and melted icing.

Following his grandpa outside, he got to work, using his power over metal to bend various rods and beams to the shapes needed to frame up a large greenhouse. It took several hours to complete the metal work, and then he helped cover it in thick plastic sheeting, adding vents to the tops and sides, and doors on both ends. While they ate lunch around the large kitchen table, he told them about his loneliness as his closest friends all found their truemates.

So spell for her, his grandma said.

Kash stared at his grandma, his sandwich halfway to his mouth. I hadn’t thought of that.

Why not? his grandpa asked. You’re certainly old enough and you’re feeling the longing to find your truemate and start a family. Seems like the perfect time to me.

He toyed with the sandwich and set it down. I’ve always worried that my truemate wouldn’t be happy I’m half wolf, half fairy.

Why? his grandma asked.

Because if she’s a wolf, what if she doesn’t like that I can’t shift? And if she’s a fairy, what if she’s not happy I’m half wolf?

His grandma covered his hand with her own. She’ll love you because you’re truemates. She won’t care that you can’t shift or that you have a wolf hanging out in your subconscious. That’s the amazing thing about truemates.

He felt better, hearing the hopeful words from his grandma and seeing the agreeing nod from his grandpa. Then I think I’ll do it. During the April full moon.

Why wait? his grandpa asked.

I need to get the house ready, he said. And kick out Gideon. I’ll help him find a place to live, but I can’t cast a spell for my truemate and then tell her to suck it up when it comes to me having a roommate.

Good plan, his grandma said. If you need anything, let us know.

Just all the good vibes you can send my way.

You got it, his grandpa said.

After finishing lunch, he said goodbye to his grandparents and headed to their portal to return to his own home, to tell his roommate that he had a month to find a new place to live, because Kash had just decided to take charge of his future, starting with finding his truemate.

Chapter Two

Isabelle Sullivan stood huddled at the end of the driveway and watched for the school bus to drop off two of the three kids she nannied for. Toddler Faith was making a snow angel on the grass next to Bella, oblivious to the cold. Bella was certainly not oblivious to the cold, because it was freaking frosty outside, the inch of late March snow had really messed with her ability to wear the cute leggings outfit she’d picked out the night before, and instead went with fleece joggers and a thick sweater.

Winter in southern Kentucky could either be a warm paradise or a bitterly cold nightmare, and right now they were in the middle of a snowy nightmare.

Not that Faith minded.

Her little wolf ears picked up the sound of the bus before Bella’s did.

Here! Fanks and Ols here! She struggled to get up from the snow, and Bella reached over and pulled her to her feet.

Yep, the bus is coming with Frankie and Ollie. Then we’ll have hot chocolate and play a board game.

Faith jumped up and down, her little nose pink with the cold.