Page 17 of Twisted Howlidays

One by one the wolves shifted into their human forms, and everyone saw that Ryan and Kendra were stark naked.

Bailey knelt down, helping Kendra cover herself with a blanket. “Let me help you out. Daisy is a doctor. You should have her check you out.”

“Were you one of the bears I saw yesterday?” she asked, still puzzled by the realization that she’d been tricked.

“Yep. Me and Gavin here. Sorry.”

Ryan attempted to help Kendra out from the small pocket that saved them. But she quickly rebuffed him, nearly knocking him to the ground. Wrapping the blanket tightly around her body, she nodded to Bailey and Gavin. “Thank you,” she said, quietly.

Baily gave Ryan the told you look and kept her mouth shut. She should have known better than to get involved when it came to the crazy antics Ryan had concocted to impress his mate. Guilt tore through her for tricking Kendra into thinking she was photographing real grizzlies in the wild. She could tell by the look on Kendra’s face that she was not only pissed but she was also hurt by the lies. Not to mention the fact that they were nearly killed by an avalanche. Then half the pack had seen her stark naked. Yeah, she was pissed and rightfully so.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Kendra sighed, selecting her sister’s contact number on her phone. “Hey, Cindy. Looks like I’ll be there before Christmas after all.” She tried to keep her voice upbeat and cheerful when she felt anything but. Her heart literally hurt. It felt like it was breaking in two. She couldn’t believe the lies that she had fallen for. The scheming. The elaborate plan that Ryan had concocted. Worst of all, she felt like a complete idiot for believing him. If he had lied about the bears, he’d probably lied about the whole mating thing as well. She’d gotten caught up in what she had secretly hoped to be her own fairytale ending. It had nearly been her ending all right—smashed to death by a freaking avalanche. Awesome!

“That’s great. And the kids will be so happy. You got your grizzly pics after all?” her sister asked.

“Yes, and no.” It was impossible to hide the utter disappointment in her voice.

“Oh no. What happened?” She could hear the concern in her sister’s voice and knew damn well that Cindy was not going to let it go until she answered her questions. Might as well get it over with.

“It’s just…ugh…well, I met this guy and—”

“Every time you call to tell me one of your tragic stories, it starts with meeting some guy. Did you realize that ‘some guy’ is the common denominator to your misery?” Cindy chided her.

Kendra imagined her sister rolling her eyes as she talked.

“I know. I know. And I’ve done my best to avoid those guys lately. The thing is, this one was a wolf. And for a hot minute, he had me tricked into thinking he was the one.”

“The one? You mean like your true mate?” Cindy gasped.

“Yeah. And you know I don’t believe that garbage. But he’s a slick one.”

“Spill it. Where did it go wrong?”

“He turned on the charm and said all the right things. He took me up to the mountains and promised me he’d find my bears. Which he did. Then we spent the most amazing night together in a cabin. I mean, he made me feel things I’ve never felt.” And boy did he ever. She was still sore from their lovemaking.

“I don’t know but that all sounds pretty damn good to me. So, what happened.”

“An avalanche at dawn. We were buried under a mountain of snow. And you’ll never guess who rescued us.”

“Who?” Cindy asked.

“The bears.”

“The ones you photographed?”

“Yep. They are bear-shifters, Can you believe it? He talked some bear-shifter friends of his into showing up at the right time. It was all a trick to make him look good, and to get me to stay at a cabin with him. I mean, the whole thing was just a sham. He even brought up the whole fate story. I nearly fell for it too.” That was the part that still stung. She had bought it all…hook, line, and sinker.

“Is it really so bad? Maybe he just didn’t know how to impress you. Guys are capable of stunningly stupid things when it comes to women.”

“It’s bad enough. I mean, if he just wanted to hook up for a night, fine. He could have just asked me. Hell, he’s super-hot and he knows it. Trust me, he’s the kind of guy who can get with whomever he wants, whenever he wants. I’m sure. So why would he want to trick me by using his bear-shifter friends? And especially, why did he bring up all that garbage about the fates?”

“I can’t answer that,” Cindy said.

“I’m not sure if feeling like he was playing a game with me was the worst part, or if it was when I emerged from that snow pile butt naked with half the damn pack standing around watching! Honestly, I never felt more humiliated in my life. And it was because I immediately worried that they were all in on his little plan. And it all started online with the mysterious Willow K. Sprout. I’m caught up in a giant scam! I’m serious. Do you think they’re all like him? You know, tricking me into believing silly things like fate and destiny, just so they could find a mate for one of their lone wolves?” she huffed. The more she thought about it, the madder she got.

“Kendra, you’re overreacting. There’s no way they are all in on it. In any case, what is important is that Ryan truly believes in these things. I’ve learned that for our kind, fate and destiny are not just words. They are the most basic beliefs which are the bedrock of the very foundation of who we are as wolves. After all, I believe it because I am living it—every day. And I know your wolf believes in it. By the way, what is she telling you?”

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