Wolf Bride Read online

Page 22


  Twelve sets of dancing eyes settled on him as he made a tinkling sound against his crystal glass. The delicate noise was quite beautiful.

  Richard Pratter, who sat at the end of the table with his fiancé, lifted his glass. “After a year of marriage, have you finally an announcement of the next heir to the Delaney fortune?”

  The crowd burst into a happy murmur and I wrenched my hands under the table. Giving Daniel a son would be wonderful, but he hadn’t visited my bed in months, and even when he’d done so before that, I was quite convinced we were doing everything wrong. No, there was no child growing in my belly to announce.

  Daniel laughed but it sounded forced with an edge of cruelty. “No, something much better is happening.”

  Richard’s deep set eyebrows turned down. “Well, tell us, Delaney. What could be better than an heir?”

  He looked down at me and smiled vacantly. “Right now, at this very moment, I have a team of lawyers working on a divorce between my wife and I.”

  A few of the ladies at the table laughed. “Oh, Daniel’s just putting us all on again,” one of them mumbled behind a gloved hand.

  The Count said, “Here, what’s this about divorce, Delaney? It’s hardly a joking matter to utter that word in mixed company.”

  Something had grown cold and dark within me at the shame he’d brought by joking about it in front of me. In front of anybody, really. Divorce wasn’t talked about in society. It just wasn’t done.

  “The law clearly states a divorce can be granted in the presence of impotence in the marriage. And if a man can be divorced for impotence, then Lorelei can be divorced for leaving my bed cold and wanting. She’ll never grant me an heir as is her wifely duty, and so the proceedings have begun long before now.”

  Different flavors of horror sat upon everyone’s face. The only sound was the kitchen door opening, but the servant holding a tray of food froze when she laid eyes upon the table of silent highborn. Heat, burning and telling, crept up my neck and landed in the very tips of my ears until I had to stifle the urge to cover them with my cold, clammy hands for comfort.

  “What is this?” The Countess whispered. Under the table she clasped my hand in a steely grip. “The disrespect you’ve shown your good wife in this joke is insurmountable. I’ve never witnessed anything so crass in my life. Give us the punch line and be done with this conversation, sir.”

  Daniel’s mouth set in a grim and somber line. “No punch line, I’m afraid. I deserve better than the person I married.”

  The Whitten’s and Ash’s stood as one, throwing their embroidered napkins onto their dinner plates with fire in their eyes. Without a word they left the room, quickly followed by Richard and his betrothed.

  I couldn’t move. Every angry glare was a lance across my heart. My friends stood and left one by one until only a few endured to witness the remainder of my plummet from society. The Count waited by the door for his wife, and the Countess stood over me with a poisonous glare for Daniel.

  Her delicate nostrils flared as she said, “You’ve ruined her with what you said in here tonight. News of her cold bed will reach even the darkest crevices of Boston by morning.”

  “That was the plan. It’s the only way my lawyers will be able to win my case. It has to be common knowledge that she is an undeserving wife,” he said dryly before he downed his champagne.

  “She’s a McGregor,” the Countess fumed. “You’ve just spat on generations of good breeding for the chance to elope with one of your whores.” She turned and with a whoosh of deep, red silk skirts, she disappeared through the door after her husband.

  “Why?” I asked in a small, trembling voice.

  “I’ve already told you. You don’t please me in bed. You bore me, like the flavor vanilla or the sight of yet another brown horse.”

  The tears that built in my eyes made dual rivers of warm water down my burning cheeks. “I want my dowry back.”

  He sat heavily in the chair beside me and poured more champagne until his glass was filled to the brim. “Your dowry was spent in the first few months of our marriage, I’m afraid. You’ll have nothing and no one from society will call on you after this scandal. Your best bet is to borrow money from your family and move away. The farther the better.”

  White hot anger boiled inside of me until surely I’d explode into a million broken pieces. “I hadn’t any idea you hated me so much, Daniel.”

  He made a clucking sound with his mouth. “Poor naive Lorelei. Your problem has always been that you’re too sweet for your own good. I don’t hate you. I just never loved you. We married because my family line benefited by being tied to the McGregors, but now, I don’t care about all of that so much. I’ll remarry and this scandal will be old news by next season. At least for me it will be.” His eyes were cool and emotionless, like some slithering serpent. “I’ve arranged for a carriage to take you to an inn. You may gather your most personal possessions, but I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave the valuables here in my care. Go now. I’d like to eat my dinner in peace.”

  The palm of my hand itched to slap him across his smirking face, and if I were lower born and able to get away with such behavior, I would’ve. Instead, I covered my mouth to hide my treacherous sobs and ran from the room. He didn’t deserve to see how much he’d hurt me.

  Divorce! That was the foulest word you could dare to utter, and he’d thrown me under a carriage in front of the most prominent members of society with it. The Countess was right. I was ruined—utterly, unerringly, and devastatingly ruined.

  No man would ever touch me after such a scandal. I’d die cold in my bed, alone and without the comfort of a husband, or of children. He’d cursed me to an existence beneath everything I knew.

  Mariel Loche flitted across my mind and my heart sank in terror. I didn’t know anyone else in the living world who’d weathered divorce except for Mariel Loche. Her husband divorced her and left her nothing but a meager living to eat on. When that had been spent, she’d fallen further and further and last I’d heard, she was working in a brothel in the worst part of town. Whoring and making coins by selling her body to survive. That would be my fate.

  No. I was still a McGregor. I could borrow money, surely, and eventually some man would overlook my scandal and marry me. I shook my head in devastation. What man would ever want a woman who’d been so cold in bed, she’d pushed her husband into divorce?

  Shame filled my veins until I was filled to bursting. I hadn’t known how to fix that part of my relationship, so I just let it go. How could every other woman manage to please their man but me? I’d bare this humiliation like a heavy metal chain around my neck for the rest of my life. My fists clenched until my nails dug into the skin and the smell of moist iron hung faintly in the air. I’d never marry a man for anything but necessity ever again. I’d loved Daniel and look where that got me. Men were harsh and unfeeling creatures, incapable of receiving love, incapable of giving love.

  As long as I breathed, I vowed my heart would never be touched by another again.

  RED SNOW BRIDE

  Coming November 2014

  Bear Shifter Romance Series

  KDP All-Star Series – Bestselling Series

  Bear Valley Shifters - Complete Series - Available Now

  The Witness and the Bear (Book 1)

  Devoted to the Bear (Book 2)

  Return to the Bear (Book 3)

  Betray the Bear (Book 4)

  Redeem the Bear (Book 5)

  Hells Canyon Shifters

  Call of the Bear (Book 1)

  Fealty of the Bear (Book 2)

  Avenge the Bear (Book 3)

  About the Author

  T. S. Joyce

  T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. Experienced at handling an alpha male of her own, she lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing b
ig stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.

  Bear Shifters? Check

  Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check

  Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it's gonna to be a wild ride.

  For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.

  Contents

  Other Books in This Series

  Copyright

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Epilogue

  Other Books by T. S. Joyce

  Newsletter Sign-Up

  Sneak Peek

  Bear Shifter Romance Series

  About the Author

 

 

 


    Woodcutter Werebear Read onlineWoodcutter WerebearSawman Werebear Read onlineSawman WerebearDawson Bride Read onlineDawson BrideMate Fur Hire Read onlineMate Fur HireRedemption of a Wolf Read onlineRedemption of a WolfFor the Love of an Outlaw Read onlineFor the Love of an OutlawWolf Bride Read onlineWolf BrideLumberman Werebear Read onlineLumberman WerebearAvenge the Bear Read onlineAvenge the BearSon of the Cursed Bear Read onlineSon of the Cursed BearBoarlander Silverback Read onlineBoarlander SilverbackBear the Heat Read onlineBear the HeatBear My Soul Read onlineBear My SoulChance Fur Hire Read onlineChance Fur HireBlackwing Beast Read onlineBlackwing BeastFor the Heart of an Outlaw Read onlineFor the Heart of an OutlawLumberjack Werebear Read onlineLumberjack WerebearHeart of the Bear Read onlineHeart of the BearGray Back Broken Bear Read onlineGray Back Broken BearBear Valley Valentine Read onlineBear Valley ValentineGray Back Ghost Bear Read onlineGray Back Ghost BearFealty of the Bear Read onlineFealty of the BearBloodrunner Bear Read onlineBloodrunner BearFor the Blood of a Crow Read onlineFor the Blood of a CrowGentry Read onlineGentryDevoted to the Bear Read onlineDevoted to the BearA Very Beastly Christmas Read onlineA Very Beastly ChristmasLowlander Silverback Read onlineLowlander SilverbackCoveted by the Bear Read onlineCoveted by the BearAsher Read onlineAsherBear the Burn Read onlineBear the BurnRed Havoc Rogue Read onlineRed Havoc RogueWoodsman Werebear Read onlineWoodsman WerebearRed Havoc Guardian Read onlineRed Havoc GuardianBehind the Beginning (Becoming the Wolf Book 1) Read onlineBehind the Beginning (Becoming the Wolf Book 1)King of the Asheville Coven Read onlineKing of the Asheville CovenReturn to the Bear Read onlineReturn to the BearAir Ryder Read onlineAir RyderFor the Soul of an Outlaw Read onlineFor the Soul of an OutlawRedeem the Bear Read onlineRedeem the BearSon of the Dragon Read onlineSon of the DragonDawson Fur Hire Read onlineDawson Fur HireDig Deeper (Keepers of the Swamp Book 2) Read onlineDig Deeper (Keepers of the Swamp Book 2)Claim the Bear Read onlineClaim the BearTarian Traitor Read onlineTarian TraitorHoliday Bride (Wolf Brides Book 4) Read onlineHoliday Bride (Wolf Brides Book 4)Boarlander Cursed Bear Read onlineBoarlander Cursed BearTimberman Werebear Read onlineTimberman WerebearFor the Heart of the Warmaker Read onlineFor the Heart of the WarmakerAxman Werebear Read onlineAxman WerebearTuff Enough Read onlineTuff EnoughHow It's Supposed to Be Read onlineHow It's Supposed to BeA Shifter for Christmas Read onlineA Shifter for ChristmasBlackwing Wolf Read onlineBlackwing WolfBetray the Bear Read onlineBetray the BearHow It Is Read onlineHow It IsLast Immortal Dragon Read onlineLast Immortal DragonHold Steady (Becoming the Wolf Book 2) Read onlineHold Steady (Becoming the Wolf Book 2)Red Havoc Bad Cat Read onlineRed Havoc Bad CatSwim Deeper Read onlineSwim DeeperGray Back Bad Bear Read onlineGray Back Bad BearOutlaw Shifters Holiday Bundle Read onlineOutlaw Shifters Holiday BundleBaby It's Cold Out Bear Holiday Bundle Read onlineBaby It's Cold Out Bear Holiday BundleHusband Fur Hire Read onlineHusband Fur HireTarian Alpha (New Tarian Pride Book 1) Read onlineTarian Alpha (New Tarian Pride Book 1)Red Havoc Bad Bear Read onlineRed Havoc Bad BearWolf Bride (Wolf Brides Book 1) Read onlineWolf Bride (Wolf Brides Book 1)Bloodrunner Dragon Read onlineBloodrunner DragonFirst Time Train Wreck Read onlineFirst Time Train WreckSon of Kong Read onlineSon of KongNovak Raven Read onlineNovak RavenCall of the Bear Read onlineCall of the BearBoarlander Boss Bear Read onlineBoarlander Boss BearA Very Outlaw Christmas Read onlineA Very Outlaw ChristmasProtect Mine (Becoming the Wolf Book 3) Read onlineProtect Mine (Becoming the Wolf Book 3)Ash Bear (Daughters of Beasts Book 3) Read onlineAsh Bear (Daughters of Beasts Book 3)Shelter Me Home Read onlineShelter Me HomeQuickdraw Slow Burn Read onlineQuickdraw Slow BurnA Shifter for New Years Read onlineA Shifter for New YearsWolf Fur Hire Read onlineWolf Fur HireTarian Protector (New Tarian Pride Book 4) Read onlineTarian Protector (New Tarian Pride Book 4)How It Has to Be Read onlineHow It Has to BeHow It Was (Oath of Bane Book 6) Read onlineHow It Was (Oath of Bane Book 6)Boarlander Beast Boar Read onlineBoarlander Beast BoarRed Havoc Rebel Read onlineRed Havoc RebelBoarlander Bash Bear Read onlineBoarlander Bash BearGrim Christmas (Daughters of Beasts Book 4) Read onlineGrim Christmas (Daughters of Beasts Book 4)Two Shots Down (Battle of the Bulls Book 1) Read onlineTwo Shots Down (Battle of the Bulls Book 1)For the Hope of a Crow Read onlineFor the Hope of a CrowGray Back Alpha Bear Read onlineGray Back Alpha BearThird of the Winterset Coven Read onlineThird of the Winterset CovenHow It Started Read onlineHow It StartedNew Vyr (Daughters of Beasts Book 5) Read onlineNew Vyr (Daughters of Beasts Book 5)Blackwing Defender Read onlineBlackwing DefenderUnlove Me Read onlineUnlove MeRed Snow Bride Read onlineRed Snow BrideWolf Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 4) Read onlineWolf Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 4)Gray Back Ghost Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 3) Read onlineGray Back Ghost Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 3)Bloodrunner Dragon (Harper's Mountains Book 1) Read onlineBloodrunner Dragon (Harper's Mountains Book 1)Dawson Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 5) Read onlineDawson Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 5)It Begins with Her (Becoming the Wolf Book 4) Read onlineIt Begins with Her (Becoming the Wolf Book 4)Love Her Better (Kaid Ranch Shifters Book 4) Read onlineLove Her Better (Kaid Ranch Shifters Book 4)Boarlander Boss Bear (Boarlander Bears 1) Read onlineBoarlander Boss Bear (Boarlander Bears 1)Lumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears Book 1) Read onlineLumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears Book 1)Red Havoc Bad Bear (Red Havoc Panthers Book 5) Read onlineRed Havoc Bad Bear (Red Havoc Panthers Book 5)Asher (Wolves of Winter's Edge Book 3) Read onlineAsher (Wolves of Winter's Edge Book 3)Son of Kong (Sons of Beasts Book 2) Read onlineSon of Kong (Sons of Beasts Book 2)Air Ryder (Harper's Mountains Book 3) Read onlineAir Ryder (Harper's Mountains Book 3)Chance Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 6) Read onlineChance Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 6)Bite Deeper (Keepers of the Swamp Book 3) Read onlineBite Deeper (Keepers of the Swamp Book 3)King of the Asheville Coven: Harper's Mountains Vampire Romance Read onlineKing of the Asheville Coven: Harper's Mountains Vampire RomanceSon of the Cursed Bear (Sons of Beasts Book 1) Read onlineSon of the Cursed Bear (Sons of Beasts Book 1)How It's Meant to Be Read onlineHow It's Meant to BeFor the Love of an Outlaw (Outlaw Shifters Book 1) Read onlineFor the Love of an Outlaw (Outlaw Shifters Book 1)Red Havoc Rebel (Red Havoc Panthers Book 2) Read onlineRed Havoc Rebel (Red Havoc Panthers Book 2)Blackwing Beast (Kane's Mountains Book 3) Read onlineBlackwing Beast (Kane's Mountains Book 3)Bear the Burn (Fire Bears Book 2) Read onlineBear the Burn (Fire Bears Book 2)The Witness and the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 1) Read onlineThe Witness and the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 1)Timberman Werebear (Saw Bears Book 3) Read onlineTimberman Werebear (Saw Bears Book 3)For the Blood of a Crow (Red Dead Mayhem Book 2) Read onlineFor the Blood of a Crow (Red Dead Mayhem Book 2)Boarlander Bash Bear (Boarlander Bears 2) Read onlineBoarlander Bash Bear (Boarlander Bears 2)Heart of the Bear (Hells Canyon Shifters Book 5) Read onlineHeart of the Bear (Hells Canyon Shifters Book 5)Red Havoc Rogue (Red Havoc Panthers Book 1) Read onlineRed Havoc Rogue (Red Havoc Panthers Book 1)Mate Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 3) Read onlineMate Fur Hire (Bears Fur Hire 3)Gray Back Broken Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 4) Read onlineGray Back Broken Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 4)Gray Back Alpha Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 2) Read onlineGray Back Alpha Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 2)Beck Bear (Daughters of Beasts Book 2) Read onlineBeck Bear (Daughters of Beasts Book 2)Redemption of a Wolf (Red Dead Mayhem Book 4) Read onlineRedemption of a Wolf (Red Dead Mayhem Book 4)Return to the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 3) Read onlineReturn to the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 3)It Ends with Her (Becoming the Wolf Book 5) Read onlineIt Ends with Her (Becoming the Wolf Book 5)Axman Werebear (Saw Bears Book 5) Read onlineAxman Werebear (Saw Bears Book 5)Bear Valley Valentine: Valentine's Day Paranormal Romance Read onlineBear Valley Valentine: Valentine's Day Paranormal RomanceDevoted to the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 2) Read onlineDevoted to the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 2)Red Havoc Guardian (Red Havoc Panthers Book 4) Read onlineRed Havoc Guardian (Red Havoc Panthers Book 4)Boarlander Cursed Bear (Boarlander Bears Book 5) Read onlineBoarlander Cursed Bear (Boarlander Bears Book 5)Red Havoc Bad Cat (Red Havoc Panthers Book 3) Read onlineRed Havoc Bad Cat (Red Havoc Panthers Book 3)Blackwing Defender (Kane's Mountains Book 1) Read onlineBlackwing Defender (Kane's Mountains Book 1)Gentry (Wolves of Winter's Edge Book 1) Read onlineGentry (Wolves of Winter's Edge Book 1)Woodcutter Werebear (Saw Bears Book 2) Read onlineWoodcutter Werebear (Saw Bears Book 2)Sawman Werebear (Saw Bears #4) Read onlineSawman Werebear (Saw Bears #4)Son of the Dragon (Sons of Beasts Book 3) Read onlineSon of the Dragon (Sons of Beasts Book 3)For the Soul of an Outlaw (Outlaw Shifters Book 5) Read onlineFor the Soul of an Outlaw (Outlaw Shifters Book 5)Redeem the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 5) Read onlineRedeem the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 5)Betray the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 4) Read onlineBetray the Bear (Bear Valley Shifters Book 4)Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains Book 4) Read onlineNovak Raven (Harper's Mountains Book 4)Call of the Bear (Hells Canyon Shifters Book 1) Read onlineCall of the Bear (Hells Canyon Shifters Book 1)For the Pride of a Crow (Red Dead Mayhem Book 3) Read onlineFor the Pride of a Crow (Red Dead Mayhem Book 3)6 Woodsman Werebear Read online6 Woodsman WerebearLowlander Silverback (Gorilla Shifter Royalty 1) Read onlineLowlander Silverback (Gorilla Shifter Royalty 1)A Very Outlaw Christmas (Outlaw Shifters Book 2) Read onlineA Very Outlaw Christmas (Outlaw Shifters Book 2)Bear the Heat (Fire Bears Book 3) Read onlineBear the Heat (Fire Bears Book 3)Dawson Bride (Wolf Brides Book 3) Read onlineDawson Bride (Wolf Brides Book 3)Gray Back Bad Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 1) Read onlineGray Back Bad Bear (Gray Back Bears Book 1)Blackwing Dragon (Harper's Mountains 5) Read onlineBlackwing Dragon (Harper's Mountains 5)