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  Hanna’s Haven

  Lorna Jean Roberts

  Shadowpeak Wolves, Book 4.

  After a lifetime of being ridiculed and ignored, Hanna just wants a place to call home. But now that she has a chance to start over with a pack that will accept her, she can’t let go of her big, bad bodyguard. Marcus intrigues her, frustrates her and makes her hotter than hell. How can she leave behind the only man she’s ever wanted? The only man to stir her senses, to make her scream with pleasure.

  Marcus can’t keep his hands off Hanna, but he’s not good enough for her. Except to fuck. The things he wants to do with her would keep her satisfied for years. But she doesn’t need a crusty, stuck-in-his-ways, overprotective werewolf in her life. No matter how beautifully she responds to his touch, his demands, she really needs him to keep his distance. But Hanna is his—the other half of his soul. Now he just has to figure out how to claim her.

  A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

  Hanna’s Haven

  Lorna Jean Roberts

  Prologue

  Hanna drifted into wakefulness. A low, husky voice reached her ears. She kept her eyes shut, not quite ready to face him. Memories taunted her, some murky and confusing, others all too crystal clear.

  Part of her wished she could forget the terror she’d felt when she was kidnapped by two masked men, the helpless horror she’d endured as Dan was beaten in front of her for failing to do what they wanted.

  Dan. She could scarcely believe he was gone. Tears welled in her eyes and she fought to keep her breathing even. She was all alone now.

  Another rumble filled her ears, stealing her back to the present. Marcus was still here. He’d barely left her side since she’d awoken in this hospital room. Marcus was a huge man with piercing eyes and a stern face. Hanna still hadn’t managed to find the courage to speak to him.

  It had fallen on him to fill in her missing blanks. To explain that she’d been found nearly dead in a burning cabin and brought to this hospital. That he was here to protect her until they caught whoever had kidnapped her.

  “So she’s well enough to leave?” he asked.

  Leave? Where would she go? She didn’t have a home.

  “Well, I’d like to keep her a bit longer,” someone else replied. She recognized the doctor’s kind voice. “I’m worried about her emotional state. She hasn’t spoken yet. I’m not even sure she knows what’s going on.”

  So the doctor thought she’d completely lost her mind. Maybe she had. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to get any words past her lips. Each time she tried, fear froze her vocal cords.

  “She knows,” Marcus answered. “She’ll be okay.”

  Would she? Well, she was glad he sounded so certain, because she had her doubts.

  “I know you want to get her somewhere safe,” the doctor said with a sigh. “I’ll go get her release papers. You will find the bastards who did this to her?”

  “I will,” Marcus replied. It sounded like a vow. “Don’t worry, they’ll pay.”

  Chapter One

  Three weeks later

  I am so screwed.

  Marcus Chance rubbed his eyes as he realized he’d been staring at the same page for the last fifteen minutes. He pushed the report away with a disgusted sigh.

  He couldn’t concentrate. Not with arousal pounding through his blood and flooding his body with need. It was Hanna’s fault. She had tormented him to the point that his every waking moment was spent fighting his attraction to her.

  He had no business lusting after her. She’d just lost her mate. She was vulnerable. Alone. He’d be taking advantage of her. Damn it, he was supposed to protect her.

  Not fuck her.

  He really had to stop thinking about having her under him, riding him, kneeling at his feet and sucking him off…

  Hell. This was not helping him control the hunger.

  The scent of her filled his nostrils, stirring his cock as Hanna sashayed past him to the kitchen. He shifted for a better view as she reached down to open a drawer. Marcus closed his eyes, in near pain at the sight of her luscious ass. He bit back his groan.

  Hands off.

  Escaping her was impossible. The two-room cabin they were staying in sat in an isolated spot with their closest neighbors over twelve miles away. Shadowpeak’s estate was another fifteen miles past that. Cooper had bought this cabin and surrounding grounds when he’d first become Alpha, claiming the pack needed a safe house.

  Marcus never figured he’d have a reason to use it. How wrong he’d been.

  Hanna moved around the kitchen, far more comfortable in her surroundings than she had been three weeks ago, when he’d first brought her here. Then she’d been a terrified little thing. She’d sat huddled on the couch, staring at him from wide, apprehensive eyes.

  She bit her bottom lip as she poured some mixture onto a hot griddle. Dear Lord, those lips. They were full, plump and pink. Marcus dreamed about kissing her, about drinking his fill from her lips before moving on to her elegant, pale neck. He’d tug her head to one side so he could nip and lick her throat at will, until her breathing came in hard, fast pants, until she whimpered and pressed against him… Crap! He had to stop doing this to himself. He shifted around on his seat, trying to ease his painful erection.

  Marcus didn’t know why he was so attracted to her. She really wasn’t his type. He liked tall women with curves, with confidence, who wouldn’t take offense at his abrupt manner. He was not attracted to tiny females who jumped at loud noises.

  A shadow crossed the table, pulling him from his musings. He raised his head. Hanna held his gaze for a long moment before looking shyly away. A blush crossed her face. What she was thinking? Sometimes she was a complete mystery to him.

  “Pancakes,” she announced, placing a plate on the table in front of him before turning away.

  Marcus swept his arm out, grabbing her wrist. “Sit.”

  Hanna turned, her arm trembling beneath his light touch. But she didn’t resist his hold. Nor did she sit.

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  “Sit, Hanna.”

  “I’m not a dog,” she reprimanded.

  He barely managed to keep his face impassive. “You’re fluttering around like a damn butterfly. How can I relax and eat with you flitting here and there?”

  She smiled and his breath caught in his throat. Shit, she was beautiful.

  “A butterfly?” she asked.

  “Sit, Hanna, please.”

  She sat. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Marcus rose and got another plate, knife and fork.

  “What wasn’t so bad?” he growled, sitting down and placing the cutlery in front of her. She immediately arranged them to her satisfaction.

  “Using your manners. I assumed you had some. You’d simply forgotten how they worked.”

  Marcus bit his lip, suppressing his amusement. “Don’t bait me, brat. I bite.”

  He shifted some pancakes over to her plate.

  She smiled again, this time a full grin that had his heart stilling. “You may growl and glare, but you don’t bite.”

  “Want to bet?” he snarled. He was no trained pup.

  “You won’t bite me. You like me.”

  “Really?” He sat back, surprised by her playfulness.

  “Uh-huh.” She nodded enthusiastically.

  “And what makes you think I like you?”

  “You share your food with me.”

  Marcus tried to puzzle that through but he couldn’t figure out the connection. “How does that mean I like you?”

  “Well, in a pack, the strongest always gets the best, don’t they? The nicest living space, the best cuts of meat and then whatever is left drips do
wn to the weakest.”

  Dear Lord, what kind of medieval pack had she lived in? He’d thought life under his old Alpha Zachary was bad, but he’d never made them live like that. No pack he knew of had such archaic rules. Well, maybe Silverton. From all accounts, Leonard Paterson had been an abusive dictator who’d loved to torment those weaker than him.

  “Where did you fit into the hierarchy?” he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

  “Oh, right at the bottom,” she said matter-of-factly. “Sometimes there wasn’t anything left by the time the lowest ranks got to eat. Dan’s family was ranked higher and he’d often share his food with me.”

  He growled and Hanna flinched, staring at him warily.

  Marcus shook with anger. Years of starvation, of abuse, and she now thought being given food was a sign she was liked. She should have been protected, cherished and coddled by her pack. Assholes.

  “Your eyes are glowing. I made you angry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not mad at you,” he told her, trying to bring the wolf under control, hating the apprehension in her voice. As the Shadowpeak pack’s tracker, Marcus was used to others being wary of him. If a wolf went feral, he’d be charged with tracking him or her down. His ability to put his emotions aside and concentrate on the job made him an excellent tracker. But he hated seeing Hanna’s fear, didn’t want her ever to be scared of him. The scent of her fear was repugnant to him, angering his wolf and shortening his temper.

  “Do you want more syrup?” she asked, jumping up.

  “Hanna, sit.”

  She sat without argument.

  “I want you to listen to me carefully,” he spoke intently. “You are never to deny yourself any food, do you hear me? If you’re hungry, eat. The way your pack worked, it’s barbaric and it’s not how most packs operate. Those who are stronger should look after those who are weaker, protect them, make sure that they have everything they need. Understand?”

  Eyes wide, she nodded.

  “Good. Eat, you’re too skinny.” He inwardly winced at the hard words, realizing it wasn’t polite to comment on a woman’s weight. But she was skin and bone, with sunken cheeks and delicate, pale skin. Now that he knew why, he was even more determined to fatten her up.

  She picked up her cutlery and ate daintily. Marcus dug in with gusto, relishing the fluffy, light pancakes.

  “I think these are the best pancakes I’ve ever tasted.”

  Hanna smiled. “Pancakes were my grandpa’s favorite food. He taught me how to make them.”

  “Did you spend a lot of time with your grandfather growing up?” He eagerly leapt on that little tidbit. Hanna didn’t like to talk about herself, often avoiding any personal questions and he found he really wanted to learn more about her past.

  “I lived with Grandpa until I was ten. When he died, I had to go live with him,” she said with loathing.

  “Who?” he asked.

  She stared at him, her face blank. “My father.”

  Before Marcus could question her further his watch beeped. Hanna stiffened.

  “Someone’s at the gate?” Her gaze darted to the door.

  “Yep.” He moved over to the security panel beside the back door, activating the screen so he could view the footage coming from the camera at the gate.

  “It’s Cooper, Laney and Rye. Remember they’re coming to talk to you today,” he reminded her calmly, noticing the way she focused in on the panel, then the door.

  For the first three days they’d been here, she hadn’t moved from the couch except to use the bathroom and routinely check the doors and windows in the house. Finally, not knowing what else to do, he’d forced her off the couch and outside, kicking and screaming.

  Perhaps he’d been a bit cruel. But once he’d shown her the security surrounding the cabin she’d calmed. Only Rye, Cooper, and Laney knew about this place and it was as secure as they could make it.

  That night she’d slept in her bedroom.

  Two days after, she’d spoken.

  “You’re sure it’s them?” she asked.

  “Yep. Want to come and see?”

  She hurried over to the monitor. After a moment she nodded and Marcus pressed the button, letting them in. The gate closed behind them.

  “I’ll clean up.” She bustled around, putting their plates in the dishwasher. By the time Cooper and the others had reached the porch, the place was spotless once more.

  Marcus let them in, hugging Laney when she threw herself at him.

  “Jeez, did you gain more weight?” His sister whacked his arm playfully. Laney was a few months pregnant, but if anything she seemed thinner, the stress of the last few months taking its toll. He squeezed her gently. He still found it hard to believe that he was going to be an uncle. Christ, how was he supposed to protect a little baby from the evils of the world? What if it was a girl? What if she wanted to date?

  He swallowed heavily, pushing that worry aside. He had years before he had to think about that possibility.

  “Hello, good to see you again,” Hanna greeted them in that remote, polite voice Marcus detested. She fell back on it when she was unsure of herself.

  “Would all of you like coffee?” she asked. Her manner might be stiff and formal, but it was a vast improvement on the first time his family had visited. Then she hadn’t said a word. She’d just sat there, tapping her fingers.

  Laney sent her a smile. “Thanks, Hanna. That would be great.”

  “Let’s go into the living room.” Marcus turned and walked away. He sat on one of the two armchairs. Laney and Cooper took the sofa while Rye stood.

  They made small talk until Hanna walked in carrying a tray laden with brownies, large chocolate chunk cookies and rich coffee.

  “Wow, Hanna, that looks great.” Laney smiled up at her.

  “It does,” Rye agreed, taking the tray and setting it on the coffee table.

  Marcus expected Hanna to sit in the armchair opposite him. Instead she stood next to him, leaning against the arm of his chair.

  Rye sent him a look of reproach before sitting in the free armchair. Marcus raised his brows and shook his head slightly. He knew what Rye was thinking—that he was sleeping with her.

  If only. Maybe then he might get some relief for his raging hard-on.

  “Oh Hanna, before I forget, I better give you these.” Laney handed her a bag. “Marcus asked me to get them for you. I hope I got the right kind.”

  Hanna opened the bag and peered at the contents. She blinked rapidly as she drew out a large sketching pad and pencils.

  “You remembered,” she whispered, giving him a huge smile. “Thank you. They’re perfect.”

  He nodded. She placed everything on the coffee table.

  “I’ll get right to the point,” Cooper said. He leaned forward, his face firm, but sympathy filled his eyes. “Hanna, I sent you and Marcus here to give you time to recover and keep you safe. Now with Paterson dead the danger to you has gone.”

  Marcus felt his stomach tighten. He’d been expecting this. He’d known that he and Hanna couldn’t stay here forever. Leonard Paterson, former Alpha of Silverton, had been pure evil. He’d been behind a number of threats to Laney’s life, going so far as to kidnap Hanna in order to force Hanna’s mate Dan to murder Laney.

  Once they’d figured out that Leonard was behind everything, Cooper had killed him and taken over the Silverton pack.

  “Some of my enforcers are helping to stabilize the Silverton pack, and I’ve been splitting my time between the two packs. But I can’t keep going the way I have been,” Cooper said.

  He reached over and grabbed Laney’s hand, squeezing it. “Especially with Laney pregnant. I need Marcus’ help, which means I have to pull him away from here, as soon as possible. I’m sorry to do this, but it’s time we found you somewhere else to go.”

  Hanna cursed her fear, fighting to keep it hidden.

  She’d known this was coming but she still had no idea what she was goi
ng to do. She couldn’t go back to her pack, there was no way. She hadn’t escaped that place to be returned to them on a silver platter. And yet where could she go?

  Her wolf wanted to be around a pack.

  Her wolf wanted to stay with Marcus… Hanna rubbed her temples.

  She’d been terrified of Marcus when she’d first met him, but as she’d come to know him she’d realized his grouchy exterior hid a heart of gold. And for the first time since she’d left the safety of her grandpa’s home, she’d felt safe.

  Stop relying on him and learn to fend for yourself.

  She didn’t need anyone else. She could be strong…just not right now. Not when faced with Rye and his frighteningly cold eyes. He tried to make himself seem harmless, but her wolf knew the truth—this one was a cold killer.

  Then there was Cooper, who exuded self-confidence. She supposed it was that whole Alpha thing, but she was pretty sure he’d been born that way.

  And lastly there was Laney—gorgeous, happy, together Laney.

  Urgh.

  “Hanna?” Rye queried.

  Marcus was important. They needed him. She didn’t know what that was like. No one wanted her. Being with Marcus had kept the loneliness at bay, but wolves were pack creatures. She needed a pack, a home.

  Taking a deep breath, she spoke quickly, “As I’ve told you before, I can’t go back to my pack. I understand why you don’t want me in your pack. If you will give me just a few more days, I’ll be out of here. Marcus can leave now. I’m fine here by myself.” Her stomach knotted at the thought of being alone, of Marcus leaving her.

  Laney regarded her with sympathy. Hanna’s temper stirred. She didn’t want pity.

  “Hanna,” Laney said. “You understand that it isn’t that we don’t want you, it’s just—”

  “Dan tried to kill you. I understand.” The rest of the pack wouldn’t accept her, not after what Dan had done.

  “Why did you leave your pack in the first place?” Laney stared at her inquisitively. They’d tried to pry this out of her before, but at first she’d been too upset to talk and then they’d been too busy taking care of Paterson to pay much attention to her. Laney’s gaze dropped to Hanna’s lap. Realizing that she was tapping her fingers, Hanna quickly shoved her hands under her arms in an attempt to keep her fingers still.