Making A Move: A paranormal hockey romance (Loving the Wild Book 2) Read online

  Making A Move

  A Paranormal Hockey Romance

  Kat Obie

  Copyright © 2022 by Kat Obie

  All rights reserved.

  No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

  Contents

  1. Chapter 1

  2. Chapter 2

  3. Chapter 3

  4. Chapter 4

  5. Chapter 5

  6. Chapter 6

  7. Chapter 7

  8. Chapter 8

  9. Chapter 9

  10. Chapter 10

  11. Chapter 11

  12. Chapter 12

  13. Chapter 13

  14. Chapter 14

  15. Chapter 15

  16. Chapter 16

  17. Chapter 17

  18. Chapter 18

  19. Chapter 19

  20. Chapter 20

  21. Chapter 21

  22. Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 1

  Kirby

  The sound of crushing leaves and the snap of sticks were some of the most soothing sounds in the world. That pull to keep going and to stay in his wolf form was there, but today he knew it was only going to be a brief run.

  Since Kirby had a hockey game in a couple of hours, this run was strictly to shake off the nerves and check on Dez. Kirby would tell people it was a quick patrol of the pack's land, but he wasn't worried about intruders. Other werewolves respected their authority, and humans were never the wiser to the fact that werewolves existed in the world.

  He was always so concerned about Dez before the game to make sure he didn't do a runner again. Dez was one of the best players for the Wild, but he was a new werewolf, and the sounds and smells still really bothered the guy. He had already run away once, and Kirby didn't want to let his friend take off ever again.

  So, Kirby would run close enough to lay eyes on Dez. Sure, he could have followed Dez's scent, but Kirby didn't want Dez to have too much of a head start. Plus, they formed a bond from running together, although Dez preferred to be alone.

  A klaxon rang, making Kirby high-tail back to the pack's main quarters. He just hoped that the klaxon didn't mean trouble, that it was an unscheduled pack meeting with another alpha, and they set off the alarm to get everyone together quickly. But the chances of that were low. Whatever it was, he just prayed it wouldn't interfere with tonight's hockey game.

  Being on all four legs, he could get back quickly before anyone could miss him.

  About fifty yards from the mansion that Paddy, one of the Wild's owners, and his dad shared, Kirby darted into a bush before any of the kids could see him as a wolf. Many families tried to keep the supernatural life hush-hush until they reached puberty since not all the kids would become werewolves.

  He was taking a risk by changing so close to the mansion.

  Kirby could shift easily compared to most werewolves since he came from a long line of werewolves, but it still was an arduous process. The reconstruction of bones and joints snapping into position would never be pain-free. He still had no clue where his clothes went when he became a werewolf, but it had to do with some magical gift given by some witches decades ago, which transfers to all werewolves. So, as his arms and legs became human, he saw his workout clothes come back.

  As he walked into the mansion, he tried to pat down his hair. It always felt so fluffy after shifting. He sat next to his buddies from the Wild. It seemed like most of them had been woken up from their pregame naps by the alarm and were rather grumbly. He just hoped it wasn't a sign that they were going to be on the penalty kill most of the night since they were more pissed off than usual.

  Kirby looked around, trying to get a feeling as to why the meeting was even called. Almost immediately, he saw the Scottish alpha was talking to his alpha. Seeing the Scottish alpha reminded Kirby that once upon a time, his dad had been second in charge instead of Paddy. His dad created an alliance that meant Kirby would marry the Scottish alpha's youngest daughter.

  It was something that he had always hated since he wanted a true mate like Dez. Mates were rare, and arranged marriages between various packs were common, just like it was common for werewolves to have affairs if they didn't have a true mate. Not only were true mates loyal to the core, but they also made each other better people. Kirby wanted that.

  He had honestly forgotten about the arranged marriage until that moment. Now he hoped that maybe there was some sort of miracle that would make Paddy be the one to get married to Charlotte Stewart. Almost everything else that Kirby's dad had either secured or did became Paddy's after the challenge.

  Murray, the most dominant wolf on the Wild and de facto alpha when Paddy and Paddy's dad weren't around, knocked Kirby's shoulder. "Why does it seem like you've seen a ghost?"

  "That's Colin Stewart," Kirby said calmly. It always amazed him how little Murray seemed to know about pack politics, despite being more alpha than him. Kirby had no aspirations to lead the pack ever, but he knew most of the packs' alphas. It was only the Russian pack's alpha that he couldn't identify, but that was more because they went through alphas like every other month. "He's the Scottish alpha."

  Then it finally dawned on Murray. "You don't think it's time for your marriage?"

  "I hope not," Kirby said as he slouched further in the chair, hoping not to be noticed by anyone. "Shouldn't it go to Paddy now that he's the second and single?"

  Murray shrugged. "Maybe? I haven't paid all that much attention to your family drama."

  Kirby was on edge, and Murray being clueless wasn't a surprise, but it sucked. He wished he knew why they were hosting an alpha on such short notice.

  Lottie

  Going to uni was supposed to be the time of Lottie's life. Instead, it felt like her life was ending. She never should have applied to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, but it was an excellent school, and she could be in the heart of the American werewolves' pack. The moment her dad found out that she got in, it was a given that she was going to Minneapolis.

  It was perfect. She would get an education and be protected. But most importantly to her father, it would allow their pack to fulfill the marriage bond.

  It seemed surreal to be in Minneapolis, and the more she talked to Patrick, the more uncomfortable everything seemed.

  No one from the American pack told them the power dynamic had changed, and Kirby's dad wasn't the second anymore.

  In some ways, she was glad that there was a change since it allowed for the marriage to be postponed. She was still going to marry someone in the American pack, but it didn't have to be Kirby. It could be anyone, although there was the pressure to marry someone with political clout.

  Kirby didn't have any. He was content to be a professional hockey player and didn't seem to have any desire for dominance. But the American pack seemed fine with leaving the original arrangement in place. Something about not wanting to penalize Kirby for his father's failure to maintain dominance.

  After some debate, it was decided that she would live with Kirby for now but could marry whomever she chose as long as it was part of the American pack.

  "Ready?" Patrick asked her. She nodded, even though every fiber in her body was saying the opposite. But you never showed weakness or doubt when around werewolves. The two of them walked into the main room, where all the others were gathered.

  They took places next to their fathers, who were at the front of the room. It was clear that Patrick was highly respected within his pack. He surprised her by lead
ing everything by saying, "Sorry for the late notice. We didn't realize the Stewarts were arriving today. As you know, Mr. Stewart is the alpha from Scotland, and his pack controls the United Kingdom."

  The sentence was laden with the idea of dominance and respect. The wolves in attendance bowed their heads. Patrick continued to speak, "For those who were not aware, Mr. Stewart's daughter was slated to marry Kirby."

  This got a bunch of whistles going through the crowd, which was also expected from a bunch of werewolves. Lottie looked around to figure out which one was Kirby. She spotted him with a bunch of other hockey players.

  His head was down, but even without seeing his eyes, it was easy to tell that he was handsome. His hair was so fluffy and looked baby soft. She wanted to touch it. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

  Of all the things making her uncomfortable, nobody had told Kirby that she was supposed to live with him. Apparently, winning hockey games was too important, and nobody wanted to throw off his game. When she arrived in the states, her new roommate was completely clueless about the arrangement. This was after her arrival had been delayed until January since there were issues getting the correct student visa.

  "Well, given the changes in the pack over the last couple of years. She has a right to choose anyone in the pack she likes over the next several years. She will be going to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. For pack protection, she's going to live here. We won't completely upend the previous agreements, so while she's at school, she'll be living with Kirby."

  All the noise seemed to be sucked out of the room. All eyes bounced between Kirby and Lottie. Probably trying to gauge if he was going to stake a claim on her or what.

  Her gaze went to the enigmatic, shy hockey player. The guy still hadn't looked up at all during the whole announcement.

  Then it seemed like everyone was dismissed. Patrick, Lottie, Colin, and Kirby were the only ones left in the room.

  Kirby got up from his seat and approached them. "Well, I guess we should get you moved in. Do you have a lot of bags that I need to move over there?"

  That's when Paddy said, "I had them drop everything off. Let's let you two get acquainted, and then Kirby, you’ve got to get ready for the game tonight."

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 2

  Kirby

  Kirby was still shell-shocked from the announcement that Charlotte would be moving into his house today. All the game-day preparation that he did earlier in the day was now out the window.

  It would have been nice to have a bit of notice. It just felt so weird to be bringing her straight to his house, and he had zero ambitions of getting her in bed. Instead, he had to be a responsible host.

  The one thing he would have thought would have brought him relief was the announcement that he didn't have to marry Charlotte, but it didn't give him comfort. Instead, he hated the idea of anyone in the pack doing anything with her. He got jealous when he thought about anyone touching her, which was absurd since he had no claim to her.

  There was no denying that she was beautiful. Kirby could bask in her beauty and die a contented man.

  He scolded himself for even thinking that, just like he reproached himself for being jealous. He had never been jealous before, especially not due to a hypothetical. But what if Charlotte was his mate? He shut down that thought as quickly as it came.

  He saw what Dez had been like as he’d bonded with Scarlet. Dez was obsessed with Scarlet and even confessed how he was initially enticed by Scarlet's scent. He wanted to both sniff her and bite her. While Kirby saw Dez sniffing Scarlet a lot, Dez only used his mouth to kiss her, claiming he was too afraid to turn her. But the part of the mating process that stood out to Kirby was how jealous Dez could be over Scarlet.

  Kirby didn't want to bite Charlotte. While her scent was pleasant, it wasn't significantly different from any other werewolf's. So the jealousy thing or the idea that she might be his mate just seemed more and more absurd.

  "You're so quiet," Charlotte said.

  He shook his head. "Sorry. Just thinking."

  "I bet. If it makes any difference, this wasn't my idea."

  He nodded, then unlocked the door and pushed it open. Three suitcases were sitting on his porch. To his surprise, Charlotte pulled in the suitcase that he didn't grab. "Well, welcome to your new home."

  He tossed his keys onto the small table that he kept near the door. He had to do a tour and show her around. His place was a total bachelor's pad. Then again, since it was his first house, he had gotten exactly what he wanted. There were black sofas and dark tones. Apparently, his kitchen was rather nice, not that he ever used it, since he preferred raw meat to satiate his wolf's appetite.

  He led the way upstairs and opened up the guest room door. "I guess this will be your room. I'll help swap out anything you want."

  She went inside the room. Before heading back downstairs, Kirby pointed to the jack and jill bathroom. "On the other side of the bathroom is a gym. Feel free to use it." He used his thumb to point towards his room. "I'm just down the hall."

  Lottie

  While getting settled into her new place, she had to admit that it was a great house. It was chic and modern, but it definitely didn't seem very homey. There wasn't anything on the walls.

  Weirder to her, the place didn't have magic dampeners. That was going to take getting used to. Normally, the homes in Scotland had magic in them that eliminated all the outside sounds which could turn a house into a real sanctuary. But she knew a few years ago there was an issue with magic dampeners and a newly turned werewolf going mad in the American pack.

  After she unpacked things and made a list of things that she wanted for the bedroom, she looked around, trying to decide if she wanted to talk to Kirby right away.

  Kirby headed back to his room, but it didn’t seem like he was actually asleep. He was rolling around for a while there, and now it sounded like he was texting. So Charlotte made a move.

  She approached his door. She didn't have to knock since Kirby opened it, folded his arms, and leaned against the frame. It showed off all his sexy muscles. While his hair was fluffy earlier, it was now going every which way, making it abundantly clear he was rolling around in his bed. From the neck down, he looked perfect. "Everything okay, Charlotte?"

  It took everything to keep herself from licking her lips. She liked how accommodating he'd been. He hadn't fought her moving in. Sure, most wolves that were content with their role in the pack wouldn't make a fuss about things, but he'd been friendlier than she expected. So it was time to let him in, at least a little bit.

  "It's Lottie. Only my dad calls me Charlotte." Kirby smiled and nodded. Then she asked, "Do you mind if I use some magic in the house?"

  Lottie wasn't a pure witch. No werewolf could be a pure witch, but some werewolves like her mother and her were trained in basic spells. It was part of the old ways, with healing broths and even maintenance of their safe houses, since it was far better to do their own safe house magic than hiring a witch who could sell out the location. While she knew the American pack had mostly abandoned those old ways, hers still practiced it.

  Kirby immediately froze, and he frowned. He didn't say anything right away. Instead, he sucked on his lip. Everything about his body language made it seem like he was the American pup that had freaked out. But after a moment, he asked, "What were you thinking?"

  "Dampeners for my bedroom and a protection spell for the house." She tried to keep things nonchalant. It wasn’t like they needed a witch. Knowing that witches in and of themselves could make some werewolves twitchy, she blurted, "I can do both spells by myself, and nobody needs to come into your place if that's an issue."

  He thought for a moment. The longer he thought, the more sure she was that he was going to say no. She noticed a change the moment he took a deep breath and stretched his hand out wide. Typically the start of a shift, so he was fighting himself. "It's no problem with the dampeners." He then pushed his hand through his
hair, which only seemed to push it up more rather than tame it. "What type of protection? Are you talking about magic locks?"

  That simple statement was all she needed to know that he was the pup. Not that she could blame him. She hated being locked into spaces, too. She shook her hair vigorously to let him know she wasn't thinking about trying to keep them locked in while keeping the evil locked out.

  "It's sage smudging. It helps to keep a lot of evil spirits and some spells out. It even makes the place smell nice." She smiled, trying to make it sound as innocent as it really was. "Better than any scented candle out there."

  "As long as it's not a magic lock, it should be okay. Those things are the worst." He relaxed some. "I'll be honest. After getting trapped in that sound and smell-proof box, I don't trust magic. Getting stuck like that and having everything stripped, especially the one real skill I have outside of hockey, it was like I had lost everything. It didn't help that I also lost hockey during that year. It's amazing that anybody could adjust to life in those conditions."

  She couldn't believe how much he had opened up. She wanted to hug and soothe him since she could tell he was still hurt by everything. She couldn't blame him for hating magic so much when she heard it like that. Hell, she'd heard how much quicker the newest American pups could live "normal" lives while keeping their paranormal secrets by avoiding the use of magic safe rooms.

  The only thing she didn't understand was why she was never told it was her betrothed that had gone crazy. It took courage and strength to fight like that.

  Knowing how big of a deal it was for him to say yes to her requests, she said. "Thank you. I promise you won't notice anything unless you go into my room. Also, would you mind if I buy some stuff to hang on the walls?"

  "It's your room. Go for it." He dipped his head down. "I'm sorry I wasn't more prepared for your arrival. I can take you shopping tomorrow. I would do it tonight, but..."