Wolf's Temptation: Caedmon Wolves, #7

By Amber Ella Monroe

His temptation may cost him his life…

Brother to the alpha, Dawson Caedmon gets more than he bargains for when he agrees to help a witch uncover a mystery surrounding her heritage. Their findings reek of danger, but Dawson will do anything in his power to keep Alessia from harm, even if it means trouble for him.

Despite the warnings from his pack mates about dealing with witches, Dawson cannot resist her charms, Dawson throws caution to the wind. His and Alessia's safety isn't the only thing at risk. The peace within the pack is in peril, destroying any chance of a peaceful future.

A witch in peril with a dark secret…

Alessia knows she's different. She's lived a normal life, but she knows she's not a normal person. And neither is Dawson Caedmon, the man she sees for who he truly is—a wolf shifter lurking among men. There is a saying…Witches and wolves do not mix. Fate says otherwise, and so does Dawson, who claims she's his fated mate.

With powers she can't explain and thoughts she can't control, she allows curiosity to win. To gain knowledge, she'll have to risk everything. To protect the ones she loves, she'll have to do the unspeakable.

Wolf shifter meets dark witch in this tempting read. Delve deeper in the world of the Caedmon. Scroll up and continue reading the series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amber Ella Books
• Release date: Jan 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224639878

Book preview

Chapter

One

Alessia

I hadn’t thought about the consequences of getting caught at a private party I wasn’t invited to. The only thing on my mind when I decided to go was what I would discover about myself while there. Although I hesitated to follow through with my plan, I knew that if I didn’t, things would stay the same. But did I want more of the same, or something different?

Fear of the unknown had paralyzed me. I was tired of being sheltered and told my past didn’t suit me. In less than two weeks, I would enter a new chapter of my life, and fear wasn’t allowed. But I didn’t want to enter that new chapter without knowing how and why I was the way I was.

My palms gripped the steering wheel of my sports car as I stared out through the windshield at the family crest on the iron doors of the strange mansion. The same crest haunted my dreams. The crest design itself was distinct, but the most prevalent feature was the wolf’s head in the center. I would’ve recognized it anywhere. It was the same crest that was on the invitation my sick friend, Donna, had passed off to me.

Caedmon. The name, along with the emblem, was etched just above the door of the mansion.

Even as I sat there contemplating what my next move would be, I knew I had a responsibility to find out the truth about my mom. Why would she have enemies who would intentionally set a house on fire—a blaze that would ultimately lead to her death?

I didn’t care about the trust fund that I would inherit on my twenty-fifth birthday. I was on my way to being a self-made millionaire courtesy of my talents. I had proven to my dad that I could generate my own profits without any hand-me-downs, but he still acted like any dad would, keeping me on a tight leash. Over the years, my work had been about the only thing keeping my mind off my uncertain future. I owned an art gallery and sold my paintings to buyers all over the world, but it seemed I couldn’t produce fast enough. I was always busy. Painting was my escape from reality and all of the what-ifs that constantly flooded my thoughts.

A loud group of men passed by the passenger side door of the car, jolting me out of my reverie. If I wanted to look the part without appearing suspicious, I had to blend in. I turned off the ignition, stuffed my keys in my purse, and hurried behind the men as they approached the entrance. I slipped in behind them, almost too easily, with just a single flash of Donna’s invitation to the doormen.

As expected, the inside of the mansion was literally swarming with bodies. It was what anyone would expect from a graduation party. I’d never gone to college or graduate school, so I lived vicariously through my friend Donna where that was concerned. She and her class had just graduated from the law program at the local university, and this party was thrown in their honor. She knew the guy who was hosting it. They were her peeps, she’d said. Despite being passed over the last three times a party had been held, she’d somehow gotten an invite this time. She was ecstatic about it. And had said this was an invite you just didn’t say no to. That offers like this only came once in a blue moon and all that mumbo jumbo. She had finally been accepted into whatever inner circle these peeps belonged to, but bad timing had prevented her from following through. Donna had some kind of stomach bug that rendered her too weak to move and had given the invite to me, making me promise I’d keep it a secret. At the time, I’d told her that I would attend and that, of course, I would keep the event a secret. All the while, believing I wouldn’t go. But when I got home and took it out of my handbag, I’d spotted the mysterious family crest engraved in the vellum just above the invitation wording.

I was here already, and I couldn’t turn back now. I couldn’t ignore the clues or my sporadic, ever-increasing, ability to pick up on the feelings of others around me.

I was almost certain that no one would recognize me here. Sure I had a shop in the downtown district where I worked full-time to sell my work, but most of my buyers were in their mid to late forties, at least. These partygoers looked nowhere near that age group. Some of them even looked a bit underage, but you could never tell these days with the way some folks aged.

I had practiced restraining myself right before coming here, so I was doing a good job of filtering through the emotions around me. But as I gazed through the hazy & dimly lit ballroom at the dancing and gyrating bodies, I could tell that something was off about some of the people in this place. Well…more than some of the people. But it took one to know one, and I knew something was wrong with me. I was different. I tried my best to blend in, and I think I did a pretty good job of it. I wore a simple, black dress with a thick, silver belt around my waist. I’d purchased the silver stilettos earlier that afternoon at one of the retail shops downtown, just before heading home. Most of the women wore slutty, tight-fitting attire, probably to get the attention of the guys here, or just as an excuse to flaunt themselves while wearing the latest designer clothes.

The music was electrifying, and the thrumming vibes pulsed through my skin. I probably would have danced if I hadn’t been here to connect clues. Whenever Dad wasn’t around, or whenever I thought he wasn’t around, I would blast music in my upstairs bedroom and dance for as long as the tracks continued. It was a good thing that our mansion was big enough to separate us, with my room on the top floor and Dad occupying the only master suite, which was downstairs. I loved to dance. It got my blood flowing and calmed me on the worst of days. But I wasn’t here to seek serenity, I was here seeking closure. I shifted my focus from the people in the place to my surroundings and the interior of the mansion itself.

The ballroom looked as though it had been organized specifically for the party. Most formal mansions I visited like this were decked out in foreign accent furniture pieces, pictures and paintings, and overly expensive decor—more for show and less for entertaining. However, this setup was different. I could tell right away that while the mansion itself was probably decades old, the insides had been recently renovated to align with a more modern style.

The dance floor was jam-packed, and there were two fully-stocked bars, one on either side of the room. Two entrances flanked each side of the ballroom, and I figured that those led to rooms that were off-limits to guests. Several big, buff guys who appeared to be on steroids and hearty helpings of meat and potato meals stood at each open doorway. I figured they were security guards for the night, just in case something went wrong. There were more than enough people here to justify the need for enforcement should a fight break out. And where alcohol and youngsters were concerned, it was probably wise to have some type of action plan and security. The partygoers didn’t seem to mind the guards.

I felt as though someone was staring at me and I turned just in time to discover that a guy was following me.

Looking good, hon. His sandy-brown hair was tousled about his head, and he gave me a long, steady grin. Is this your first time here?

No, I lied.

Even better. Then you like a good time, huh?

His smirk was a little too suggestive.

No, I ah…was looking for my boyfriend. Excuse me. I slipped through the crowd, hoping to lose him in the process.

From my observation, the ratio of men to women seemed to be almost four to one, so I figured I’d have to brace myself for more advances like that. I’d just use the same old boyfriend excuse over and over again.

Eventually, I made my way to the edge of the crowd near the opposite side of the room, where the body gyrating was minimal compared to the area I had just left. I was way too tense among dozens of dancing bodies. If I wanted to blend in, I needed to loosen up. My gaze swept back and forth over the throng of dancers and across the paintings on the wall. Because of the dark lighting, I couldn’t quite see the details, but I could tell that the work was custom and not mass-manufactured. But I wasn’t here to sell my work or solicit another gig. I was here to find out what connections existed between the family crest on the invite and the crest from my dreams.

I felt a draft against my bare shoulders and looked toward the source of the chill. One of the doors had opened, and many of the dancers had parted down the middle of the ballroom to allow what looked like a small group of guests to walk through. Before I could focus my sights on the group that had made what looked to be an appearance only someone of great influence would cause, the dancers closed the line and returned to their regular activities.

I paused near a console and one of the paintings I’d caught a glimpse of earlier. I got lost in the beauty of the design, with its abstract but unpredictable pattern, the warped effect of the lines near the center, and the muted color tones chosen by the painter to express the mood. My fingertips tingled whenever I got the inspiration to paint, and it was not very often that another painter’s work roused those feelings almost instantly. My muse wakened within me to a point where I could hardly control my emotions or my reactions. As I continued to focus on the painting, the straight lines became warped, almost as if they were moving. But as the lines pulsed and swayed, I began to realize that the lines weren’t moving to the beat of the blasting music in the background. They were moving courtesy of my own manipulations.

Before I could subdue my abilities, I felt a presence behind me. Well…I felt many presences. Had they seen me struggling to gain control of myself?

I turned around slowly and found myself face to face with three men. They surrounded me and gazed upon me as if in a trance. By the time I reined in control, it was too late. The men were already on to me. The electrifying energy I had created around me had taken root in my heart, and my blood rushed through my veins in a panic.

What shocked the hell out of me was when my intuition kicked in as I made eye contact with all three men and I realized that their auras weren’t human. Not in the least bit. They were animals pretending to be humans. Had they realized what I could do, or was it just a coincidence that they had me cornered like prey?

Just as I began to process what could be the worst possible outcome to this predicament, one of the guys spoke.

Hey, you. Let me show you something fun.

His request threw me off guard, but once my line of sight traveled from one face to the next, I realized that their eyes were filled with lust. What had I done? I knew I could control most objects, but…people? Animals?

I think you have me mistaken with someone else, I replied.

I’m Edward, another said. I know magic when I see it. Where’d you learn how to do that shit? You a witch, or a fluke?

I gasped and took one step back, knowing full well that I was between the men and the console table. I don’t know what you’re talking about, I said quickly.

The third guy chuckled and elbowed his way in front of the other two. It’s getting a little hot in here. Looks like you could use an escort outside to cool off for a bit.

I shook my head. No, I⁠—

The third guy grinned. Ah, come on. I won’t bite. Th⁠—

Before the guy could finish begging, a fourth appeared behind them. He was much taller and brought an air of dominance with him. He carried an animalistic aura so strong, that my next instinct told me to run.

Mine, the fourth guy growled.

The others hadn’t even turned around, but they disappeared as quickly as they came.

My breath caught in my throat, and suddenly, I wasn’t even breathing anymore. On first sight, I knew that this guy was an animal, not a human. Sometimes my ability to see an animal spirit within a not-so-human body felt like a curse.

I couldn’t help but gaze at this male with more curiosity than I had with the others. With the previous three, I had wanted to flee. But this one…

I wanted to run both away from and to him.

As I observed him, his eyes flowed over every inch of me. He had an icy blue stare that reminded me of the light given off by crystals whenever they were placed under the sun. He was taller than me. He wasn’t bulky like the previous men, but the muscles on his arms were sleek and artfully formed. He had a defined cleft in the middle of his chin and a thick neck. He was the type of guy that would probably have a woman on her knees begging for a date. I wasn’t on my knees, but the way my stiletto heels were rooted to the floor in front of him, I might as well be.

I saw him for what he was. No, I knew instantly—exactly—what he was. Wolf.

The moment my revelation was projected, his eyes widened and his dominant expression turned to one of surprise.

I saw what you did to the picture. His voice strummed through me like a melody.

What did I do to the picture? I breathed.

His icy gaze lifted above my head and fixed on the wall behind me. That’s not the way you found it.

I turned slowly to glance at the painting. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now, the entire frame was lopsided, as though whatever had been holding it to the wall had failed to do its job. Had my abilities taken me over again? Had I repositioned the frame? I erased the surprise on my face before I turned back around.

I was just looking at it. I’m a painter myself, and this is good work, I blurted out before I could stop myself.

He narrowed his gaze. You’re a painter?

I… I needed to divert attention away from me. "Maybe the owner of this