Retired Force Recon Marine Max Granger is not your typical alpha lionshifter. He does not want a mate, his own pride, or territory, because experience taught him the easiest way to conquer a Pride, is to kill the alpha mate. It’s a lesson he doesn’t want to relive.
He may prefer his loner lifestyle, but when Max’s only friend,
Copper Creek Pack enforcer and former Navy SEAL Kell Creed asks Max to help watch over a teammate’s widow, Fiona and daughter, Emma Grace. It's a favor he can’t refuse.
When the favor leads him to his destined mate, Fiona’s best friend, Shelly, Max is forced to rethink his self-imposed exile. Can he let go of his tragic past and embrace his future, a happily ever after with Shelly?
Will Max’s shy, innocent, human mate accept him once she learns he’s an alpha lion shifter who will never lead a Pride?
NOTE: This book, originally published as Max & Shelly: a novella, is a prequel to Their Cajun Queen, Copper Creek Pack Series, Book 1. It can be read before or after book one. 2500 words added to the original publication. This book contains graphic sex, adult content and language. It is intended for mature audiences over 18.
"Love that max calls Shelly doll. The way Shelly tells Fiona about staying the night with Max is hilarious! Fiona is the best friend anyone could ask for. All the puns are sublime! I'm still lmao over them! This series is a hot one!"
Amazon reviewer Leah
"Great sweet story. The shy yet Snarky Shelly shows the big Grumpy Lion
what fated love is. Perfect addition to the Copper Creek Pack."
Amazon reviewer Billy Jo
“You are more than I could have ever dreamed.”
Shelly almost jumped out of her skin when Max spoke. She looked over to see Max leaning against the archway that separated the living area and the foyer. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t heard him come through the door. Shelly sighed. She would never grow tired of the love and devotion that shone in his eyes when he looked at her.
“That’s good because I will never grow tired of looking at you or loving you.” He winked at her.
She narrowed her eyes and scowled at him. “Get out of my head, Max.”
He chuckled. “I’m not in your head, mate. You were projecting.”
“Whatever.” She flapped her hand at him.
He smiled and walked towards her. Walked wasn’t an accurate description. Max moved with easy confidence and fluidity. He was a predator stalking his prize. She ran her gaze over his toned, muscular body. Mmm, she wanted to lick him. She eyed his crotch. The outline of his hard cock behind his zipper confirmed they were on the same page, horny and frustrated as hell.
Max leaned over and placed his hands on the back of the sofa caging her in. He kissed Lily on her little bald head and whispered, “Hello, sweet angel. Daddy missed you.”
He ran his nose along Shelly’s cheek breathing in her scent. “Mmm, you smell good.”
She whimpered. He smelled damn good, too.
He pulled away too soon for her liking and sat next to her. Her disappointment was short-lived when Max lifted both of them onto his lap. He caressed her cheek. “Hello Doll, I missed you today, too.” He kissed her.
She loved his kisses, slow, fast, reverent, or ravaging, she loved them all. She particularly loved ones like this one. They started out slow, gentle caresses of his lips against hers, dipping his tongue in her mouth for brief tastes, and then retreating. Nothing was hotter than when his barely leashed control snapped, and the beast inside him took over, like right now. Knowing she caused this reaction in him was empowering. He never hid the animal that made up the other half of his soul. She wanted to experience the raw all-consuming need that lived inside him. He growled and buried his fingers in her hair, gripping the strands tugging on it the way she liked. Max ended the kiss the moment milk leaked from her breasts. Breathing heavily, he pressed his forehead to hers and ran his hand over Lily’s head, who was still nursing as if nothing had happened.
“She’s okay right?” Worry creased his brow. “I didn’t mean to get so carried away. You undo me, doll.”
“Lily’s fine. She probably appreciated the little extra milk. She’s a pig.”
Max smiled and his chest puffed out with pride as if he was responsible for Lily’s milk consumption abilities. “She’s not a pig, she’s a hearty eater. She gets that from me.”
Lily squirmed and fuss. Shelly moved her to her shoulder just as Lily wailed.
“What’s wrong with her?” His hands ghosted over Lily’s little body. “You said she was fine.”
“She is okay. She ate too fast and has a little bubble in her tummy because she’s a pig.”
“I hate when she cries like that.”
Truer words, Shelly thought. Their tiny little girl’s cries reduced the big, strong alpha into a pile of fretting old lady including wringing hands and pinched expression. His overreaction to Lily’s unhappiness was just another reason Shelly loved him. Lily let out a loud adult-sized burp. “She gets that from you, too.”
“Ha. Ha.”
Shelly noticed he didn’t deny it.
“Is she done?”
She nodded and Max took Lily cradling her in his strong arms. Lily stared up at Max with bright, amber eyes that matched her daddy’s. The familiar scene was in the top three of Shelly’s favorite parts of the day. Every evening, when Max came home from work, he would sit on the couch, hold Lily, and talk to her, while she stared lovingly at him from the safety of his arms.
Shelly snuggled into Max’s side and laid her head on this shoulder. “I love you, Max.”
“I love you too, Doll.” Lily fussed at him. Letting them both know she felt left out. “Hey now, I didn’t forget about you.” He kissed her pudgy cheek. “I love you too, angel.”
It didn’t take long for Lily to fall asleep. Shelly suggested Max put her in her cradle, but he refused stating Lily was fine where she was and if she wanted to sleep in her cradle, she would have told him. Shelly rolled her eyes, but didn’t point out the obvious fact that Lily was six-weeks old and couldn’t talk.
He nodded towards the tree. “That’s new.”
“Fiona and Emma Grace brought it by earlier. E.G. said, she picked it out all by herself.”
“She did? It’s perfect.” Max looked at her and arched his eyebrow. “You’re thinking about moving it, aren’t you?”
She glanced away. “Maybe.”
“Can’t confirm nor deny?” Shelly shrugged. Max shook his head in feigned disappointment. “Seek help, doll. If not for me, do it for our daughter.”
She swatted his shoulder.
“Hey, baby in my arms.” He kissed the tip of Shelly’s nose. “Seriously, it looks great, right where it is. Everyone can see it.” In other words, don’t be a crazy person. Leave it alone.
They sat in silence for a while, her head on Max’s shoulder and Lily in his arms. She shivered and reached for the throw on the back of the couch. Max stopped her.
“Hold the princess, and I’ll build us a fire.” Max gave her a quick hard kiss on the lips before laying Emma Grace in her arms.
“Oh, that sounds nice. I wanted to build one earlier.” She pointed at the scowl on his face. “That, that right there is why I decided not to. I didn’t want you to get all butt hurt about it.”
He growled making her smile. He thought he was scary when he did that. Maybe he was to other people, but not to her. She knew what a big marshmallow he was.
He wagged his finger at her and scowled. “There would have been hell to pay, if you had.”
“Oh yeah? What would the big, bad, scary lion with the squishy center have done?” She jutted out her chin.
He pressed a palm to his chest pretending to be wounded by her words. “You know. You could pretend that I’m in charge. It hurts my lion’s feelings when you act like he’s as scary as a house cat.”
She laughed at his indignant expression before laying a placating hand on his forearm. “Oh Max, if you wanted me to be afraid, you never should have been so kind when I eye-fucked you while you stood in Fiona’s doorway the first time we met.”