Summer Bite Read online

  Summer Bite: A Macconwood Pack Novella

  From The Grazi Kelly Universe

  by C.D. Gorri

  Extended Edition

  Copyright 2017 C.D. Gorri

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, places, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either part of the author’s imagination and/or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights are reserved. No part of this book is to be reproduced, scanned, downloaded, printed, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of any materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  To my Paranormal Pack Street Team! Thanks for all your hard work! You are awesome!

  Title Page

  Synopsis

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Connect

  Other Works

  Tagline:

  Sometimes love comes back to bite you.

  Synopsis:

  Mason Lane cut his teeth working fourteen-hour days for little pay at Vicente Spirits, a whiskey distillery on the outskirts of Maccon City, New Jersey. The no-account, orphaned Werewolf had nothing until Hector Vicente took him in and taught him everything he knew.

  Young Mason fell hard for his boss’ daughter only to be left behind by the young, beautiful heiress. Heartbroken, he dedicated himself to building up his own label.

  Mason hit it big with Bite. He finally had everything he ever wanted. Or did he?

  Ten years after she’d left in the middle of the night, Abigail Vicente, has come home. Can Mason ignore the woman who tore his heart out or will his love for Abigail come back to bite him?

  PROLOGUE

  “Abigail!” His whispered shout was barely audible over than the rain that battered the glass window outside her bedroom.

  Mason crouched beside the rose bushes that grew there. His Abigail loved the pretty pink and white flowers that bloomed on the thorny shrubs. Her mother planted them when she discovered she was pregnant with a little girl. At least that’s what Abby had told him.

  He wished the thorns weren’t so damn sharp though, he sucked on his thumb after one particularly aggressive stem bit through his skin. He was a Werewolf, so he wasn’t worried about an infection or any scarring, but still, the damn thing hurt.

  It was all worth it though when the second-floor bedroom window of the enormous waterfront home opened, and his Abigail stuck her beautiful head out. Jade-green eyes met his and he felt his heart pound against his ribs in a telling beat. She made him ache with need just by looking at her.

  She nodded at him and pursed her lips. They’d need to be quiet so as not to wake her dad. Next, she tossed a backpack to him, which he caught with ease. Finally, she swung her legs over the side of the window ledge and looked down at him. Her smile was infectious.

  “You ready?” She whispered, her eyes sparkling with mischief and love.

  “Always,” he replied. He caught her in his arms and spun her around once before kissing her pert nose. God , she was beautiful.

  Two days till her eighteenth birthday and they could finally tell her old man that this was it, this was real . Mason was going to marry Hector Vicente’s only daughter, whether he liked it or not. He and Abigail were soulmates. He believed that with every single fiber of his being.

  He’d been alone his entire life, but he knew this was real. He’d do everything in his power to protect her and make her happy. She was his true mate. The one person in the entire universe who made him feel complete. She was his world. He cherished every stolen moment they spent together, but he was tired of hiding. He wanted to shout his love out loud.

  They shared everything, well, almost everything. There was that one big thing she didn’t know about him yet. He wasn’t sure how to tell her, but he would. He’d never be dishonest. He simply wasn’t wired that way.

  Mason was a Werewolf. He’d never told a normal about that side of him before. He never had a reason too. Only members of his Pack knew, and they kept each other’s secret from normals and the world in general.

  Supernatural creatures could generally tell when there was another one around, but they steered clear of each other. Boundaries had been drawn ages ago and they were seldom crossed. One thing all supernatural creatures agreed on was that normals should be kept apart from their world.

  Abigail was a normal, but she was his and there were exceptions. Werewolves could tell their mates the truth about themselves. Mason promised himself he’s tell her before they got married. He swore it.

  He’d just turned twenty-one, one week before her June 23 rd birthday. He was responsible, ambitious, and loyal. He’d worked eighty-hours a week at her father’s liquor distillery. He’d done so ever since he was emancipated at sixteen-years old.

  He had no living parents or relatives. He did have a Pack though, and that was just as good. The Pack had paid for his room and board at a small roadside motel when he was just fifteen. They did that until he got on his feet and began paying his own bills. He’d hated the idea even then of being in debt to someone.

  Hector Vicente gave Mason a job when no one else would. More than that, he took a liking to the kid. He showed him what there was to learn about his craft and Mason took it all in like a sponge. He was bright and quick to learn. And he had the advantage of supernatural stamina and senses.

  He could tell which ingredients were best. He’d developed a sixth-sense almost for choosing the best combination among the numerous varieties of grain and mash. He wowed the elder Vicente with his ability to predict which would yield the best product.

  Hector Vicente was full of praise for his young apprentice. After five long years of working for the man between going to school at night and taking online college courses, he finally made Mason assistant manager of production. With his new position, Mason had received a modest increase in his salary, but it was enough to move into a bigger apartment. One he’d share with his new bride.

  He’d first caught a glimpse of Abigail when she came looking for her father at the distillery after school one day. The young girl had inky black hair pulled back in a long braid and a face like an angel. Mason had lost his heart the second he saw her in that prep school uniform with her poor little rich girl pout. She’d been upset with her father for refusing to sign a permission slip for a school retreat, but Hector had been too busy to see her.

  He sent Mason to drive her home instead. That was the first time he’d been alone with her. She’d rolled her eyes and scowled when she got into his truck. Used coffee cups and a couple of wads of crumpled up foil littered the floor, as he’d often have just enough time to sit in his car and eat a quick bite while working. He made his own

  He thought her spoiled at first, but to his surprise, he discovered she was kind and smart. Funny too. She’d wanted to stop for food, but he was broke. Running on empty .

  She surprised him by accepting his offer to split his lunch. She took half of his turkey on rye, but then ate his entire orange! He’d never let her forget it either. She blushed so prettily when he teased her. He’d made it a habit to bring her oranges regularly.

  Abigail was the absolute best person Mason knew. She didn’t judge him or his upbringing. The fact that he wore
ripped jeans and sneakers to work or that he drove a beat up old pick-up truck. She’d started dropping by the distillery more and more. When he finally called her on it, she didn’t deny it it was just to see him.

  Respect for her father forced Mason to tell her to back off, but she’d called him a coward. That didn’t go over so well. What began as an argument ended up in a kiss that left him and his Wolf hungry for more.

  That was how this whole thing started between them. Almost six months passed since then, and Mason had grown tired of sneaking around. Abigail had begged him to wait until her eighteenth birthday before approaching her father. He reluctantly agreed.

  “That way, he can’t legally tell me what to do. We can be together, without his consent.”

  He’d thought about it constantly. When she’d messaged him to come get her that night, he went. No questions asked. Her eyes were bright, and her hot breath warmed is throat as he held her in his arms.

  The rain pelted them both and he quickly ran the distance to his truck without bothering to put her down first. He wasn’t even out of breath. He could carry her for hours and never grow tired. She was light as a feather. He opened the door and set her inside.

  Abigail smiled at him and brushed his wet hair back from his cheek. Her pale green eyes were aglow with love and something else. Mason ran around to the driver’s side and climbed in.

  “Where to?”

  “Let’s go to our spot,” she said as he handed her a towel. She patted her face dry then looked over at him with that same odd expression in her eyes.

  “You got it, Abs ,” he turned the key and started the truck down the road.

  She snuggled close to his side and used the towel to dry his hair and face. He grinned and kissed her hand when it brushed past his lips. Mason felt his chest expand. She was his . His to keep her dry and warm.

  The way she trusted him to catch her when she jumped, to keep her safe and dry, to whisk her away in the middle of the night, made him feel ten times the man he was.

  He turned off the ignition when they arrived at their spot. They’d discovered the little clearing in the woods one afternoon not too long ago. It was far enough away from the trail that he could hide his truck from any passersby.

  The woods there were wild and rustic. Beeches and oaks fought with pines for ground, then gave way to tall soft grass. It was beautiful.

  He loved that place. He loved her. They sat in silence for some time, both enjoying the feeling of just being together.

  For one reason or other, Mason became aware of a growing tension between them. He broke the silence, hoping to get back some of that peace they usually shared.

  “I’m sorry that it’s raining. We could’ve gone for a walk or something,” he murmured into her hair.

  She snuggled closer and his heart sped up. She was so beautiful. Her hair was completely dry now and hung down her back in long, ebony waves.

  He liked the silky feel of it in his work-roughed hands. She was tall and thin, graceful as a ballerina, his Abigail. Her slender body fit perfectly against him.

  “I don’t want to walk,” she’d sounded sad to his ears. He turned her face up to his, startled when he saw tears in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong, Abs? What happened? Talk to me.”

  “Oh, Mason, kiss me, please kiss me,” she pressed her soft lips against his. Like always, his body responded instantly. He held himself back though. He didn’t want to frighten her with his ardor.

  She controlled the kiss. Her shy innocence giving way to demands she never made before. He got lost in the feel of her sweet mouth pressed against his. She opened and slid her tongue past his lips and he groaned.

  He’d wanted to take his time, to appreciate the sweet honey of her mouth and the feel of her trembling body pressed against his. Abigail had other ideas though. All thoughts of being patient with her, of asking her why she seemed sad, of celebrating in the fact that there were two days left till her birthday, were forgotten the second she climbed on top of him.

  Abigail had straddled him and pressed her body so close he could feel every inch of her through their clothes. She kissed him in a dizzying, passionate embrace, damn near suffocating him in her zeal. But he took it.

  He took everything she gave like a greedy puppy while the rain pounded down on the beat-up vehicle providing them with a sort of natural symphony in the background.

  Her hands were on his shirt. She bit her lip and looked at him, her hands trembled as she touched the dark hair that covered his upper body. Mason growled. She was driving him out of his mind. Before he knew it, they were both undressed and close as two people could ever get.

  “I love you, Abs,” he’d whispered as he sunk into her sweet warmth. It was like heaven. She was everything to him.

  “We should be on satin sheets in a hotel room with champagne and strawberries,” he’d whispered against the smooth skin of her stomach as she caressed his hair where they lay in the back seat of his pick-up.

  He still couldn’t believe they’d made love. He’d never forget the way she looked when she sat upright and began taking off her clothes. Her skin was pale like marble, soft and cool, despite all the steamy summer rain outside. Until he touched her, then she was fire.

  Thankfully, he’d kept a soft blanket in the back when he started seeing her for picnics and such. He draped that over the torn leather seats to cushion her sweet body. He had no protection though and that was a problem, but she told him months ago she was on the pill and he had no reason to doubt her.

  Besides he’d smell it if she were ovulating, or so he’d heard from other Wolves he knew. Though, with Abby, it was sometimes difficult for him to scent out what was going on with her. It was that rose water perfume she wore, it fogged his senses. He’d have a talk with her about it, after he told her his secret of course.

  Right then he was basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. It was wonderful. As beautiful and sacred as a dream or a prayer. He was born to love her, body and soul. He was never so sure of anything in his life.

  “I love you,” he whispered against her honey sweet mouth as he kissed her goodnight. The smell of roses and orange peels hung in the air. He’d never get tired of those scents. The rain stopped and he drove her home, pulling the truck over before her father could see or hear it.

  That sadness was back in her eyes, but he chalked it up to physical discomfort. After all, first times in a truck were bound to be a little uncomfortable. He should have had the willpower to say no, but he loved her. It would all be okay. He’d make sure of it.

  “I am sorry about the truck, Abby, I wish it happened somewhere else, but I-”

  “No, don’t say that, don’t even think it. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was perfect, like you. I love you, Mason, always.”

  She ran out of the car just as a fresh sprinkling of rain came down. His heart was so full he thought it would burst. The full moon was a week away, but he was so amped up he wanted to howl at the moon and run for miles. Mason Lane was officially in love. For the first and last time of his life.

  The next day Hector didn’t show up for work. Mason waited a while before texting Abby to see if her dad was ill that morning, but when she didn’t answer he began to worry.

  He worked until evening, then headed to her house. When he got there, he found Hector crumpled in his home office. An empty bottle of booze was next to him.

  “Hector? Hector! Where is Abby?” Mason’s heart thudded in his chest as he picked up the old man and sat him on the couch. Mason slapped his face gently, hoping to rouse the man from his stupor, not injure him. Hector slumped forward and wailed, his head in his hands.

  “She is gone. She goes away, to live a life that I can’t approve. Gone, gon-” he slumped over unconscious. Mason tore through the house like a madman.

  He was shocked to find Abby’s room completely empty. All her clothing, her books, and the stuffed bear he’d won her at last month’s carnival. Everything. Gone. There was
a note on the desk. His name on the envelope.

  Mason,

  I am sorry for everything. It’s better this way. I will always love you.

  -Abigail

  Mason fell to his knees as a wave of agony overwhelmed his senses. His Wolf howled in his mind’s eyes, a deafening noise that would have driven a lesser man insane.

  After days and weeks of waiting, of believing she’d come back, Mason faced the inevitable. Abby was gone. She’d left him.

  “She’s like her mother. I’m sorry, Mason. I told you, stay away, but you think it’s because I think you’re no good, but no, my son, she is the one. She’s gone now, it’s for the best.”

  His accent had always seemed deeper when he was emotional, as he’d been then. Mason’s first response was to knock the old man’s teeth in, but he’d refrained. He’d obviously experienced heartbreak before with Abigail’s mother. Mason should have listened.

  His Wolf howled in his mind for him to go after her. To find out the truth, but Mason already knew it. Abby was just a bored, rich teenager with too many hormones and too little scruples. He’d obviously fulfilled his purpose. She’d used him. Notched her lipstick case or whatever. He fell for it. Like a fool. He’d vowed then and there to never look back.

  Forget her.

  CHAPTER 1

  “It’s almost summertime already, Mr. Lane, and whiskey is a winter drink! I am sorry, the ad agency just doesn’t have anything better than this,” Claire Freemont, his former Administrative Assistant and current VP of Marketing at Lane Liquors Corporation, pointed to the white board and clicked a button.

  The following unedited campaign clip showed a group of bikini clad women playing volleyball on a beach with some abhorrent dance music in the background and a bottle of his soon-to-be-launched, honey-citrus flavored whiskey, Summer Bite .

  The artisan crafted blend featured undertones of fresh oranges and lemons, organically grown from a recently acquired source in Florida, the Thomas Family Farms. He’d made the connection through his Pack.