Blackstone Ranger Rogue: Blackstone Rangers Book 4 Read online

  Blackstone Ranger Rogue

  Blackstone Rangers Book 4

  Alicia Montgomery

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Alicia Montgomery

  www.aliciamontgomeryauthor.com

  First Electronic publication October 2020

  Edited by LaVerne Clark

  Cover by Jacqueline Sweet

  102320

  All rights reserved.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

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  Chapter One

  Darcey Wednesday sighed as she watched the happy couple dance to the slow, romantic song playing over the speakers. The ballroom of The Blackstone Grand Hotel was decorated beautifully, setting up a fairy-tale-like background for the bride and groom.

  Really, she was ecstatic for Daniel and Sarah. If anyone deserved to live happily ever after, it was her sister. Ever since they met at that god-awful foster home, Sarah had taken care of her and their other adopted sibling, Adam. For over twelve years, Sarah had been like their mother, father, protector, and caregiver all in one. She could have abandoned them when she turned eighteen and was no longer the responsibility of the state, but she didn’t. Sarah worked her ass off to get them out of a terrible situation and provide for them all these years.

  And now, Sarah had the love of her life, Daniel Rogers, to take care of her. And Darcey would never begrudge her sister happiness.

  But that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel a pang of envy, watching them stare into each other’s eyes, holding each other, dancing together. They were two bodies, but one soul. Fated, bonded mates.

  Someone jostled her from behind, and she turned her head. It was one of the waiters carrying a tray of champagne as he walked away from her.

  A fluttering in her chest distracted her for a moment.

  Mine?

  She shook her head and smiled sadly.

  The fluttering slowed to a weak flapping before it stopped.

  Another sigh escaped her lips. She was used to the familiar flutter and the voice in her head. After all, she was a shifter, and for as long as she could remember, had always shared her body with her inner animal. It never bothered her, that she was different. In fact, she wondered what it was like for humans like Sarah and Adam. What was it like to constantly be alone in their thoughts? To not have an inner companion? To not have to struggle to keep it under control?

  Yes, most of her life, she’d lived around humans, from the Nevada orphanage where she’d spent the first nine years of her life, to the various foster homes she was shuttled around in until she met Sarah and Adam. Still, it wasn’t something she thought about every day—that was just her life. Sure, she’d met a few shifters over the years. When she came close to any of them, she always just knew if they were like her. Like a feeling she couldn’t describe but a truth she just knew.

  Now, here she was, in Blackstone, Colorado, surrounded by other shifters. Hundreds of them. The moment she stepped foot in this town, she knew this place was way different from Las Vegas where she’d lived all her life. Soon, she would be living here full time, too, and opening the first ever brick and mortar shop of Silk, Lace, and Whispers, the online lingerie store she ran with Sarah.

  It was exciting, for sure, and she was grateful that Daniel had invited her to live with them in his house. She and Adam would be occupying two of the bedrooms on the first floor. She would be surrounded by her family—old and new, which included Daniel’s parents who she was already growing to love—and would be living in a town where everyone was like her.

  But she still felt alone. Like there was something out there she was constantly searching for. Like something was missing.

  Maybe it was because she wasn’t like other shifters here. Her new brother-in-law was a bear, as was his boss, Damon Cooper, whom she met earlier today. His other coworkers in the Blackstone Rangers were wolves, lions, deer, foxes, and of course, she had heard about the Blackstone dragons who protected the town.

  But her? She was no apex predator. In fact, she wasn’t any kind of predator. Rather, she was the most docile, harmless creature one could imagine—a swan.

  She had only been a few days old when she appeared at the doorstep of the St. Margaret Orphanage. The nuns had no idea what she was and had been just as surprised as her when a few years later, she was in the middle of a fight with another kid and poof—disappeared under the pile of clothes on the floor. Panicked, she had dashed into the bathroom and saw her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked like a fluffy gray duck. Yes, as cliched as it sounded—an ugly little duckling. But later on, as she matured, her true form emerged. The ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan.

  Kinda, anyway.

  But surely there were other non-predatory shifters around here, right? A raccoon or squirrel, or maybe even other avian shifters?

  The music shifted into something more cheerful, jarring her out of her thoughts. Daniel released Sarah and stepped back, then led her into the beginning steps of an old-fashioned swing dance. The crowd cheered and clapped as the couple spun around the dance floor.

  “They’re so happy, it’s disgusting.”

  Darcey suppressed a smile at the familiar voice. “Disgusting, huh?” she said to her younger brother, Adam, who had popped up beside her in his brand-new motorized wheelchair.

  “Yeah.” His mouth twisted. “I don’t see the big deal with being in love anyway. People can be happy on their own, you know?”

  At first, she thought her brother was being his usual sarcastic teen self. But when he looked up at her with those big green eyes, she saw a flash of something that made her heart twitch. It was sympathy.

  Aside from the couple themselves, no one was happier about Daniel and Sarah getting together than Adam was. He practically worshiped his new big brother and was thrilled about leaving Nevada to live here. But Adam was not only smart for his sixteen years, but also emotionally mature. She knew he was trying to suppress his happiness because of her. He didn’t want her to feel bad that Sarah had Daniel, while Darcey remained single.

  As far as she knew, Sarah had never dated seriously nor had any long-term boyfriends. In fact, except for two or three guys she’d dated exclusively for a few months and handful of dates over the years, Sarah had been contentedly single, devoting all her time to raising and providing for her and Adam.

  She, on the other hand, tended to flit from one relationship to another, with disastrous results. Whenever a guy paid even a modicum of attention on her, she went all in, focusing her time and energy to making the “relationship” work, bending over backward to please him. But none of that mattered because they all ended the same—with her alone and her heart broken.

  She was like a big jerk magnet, attracting only the worst men. They seemed nice enough at first, but they more often than not turned into assholes who either ghosted her or stuck around long enough to take advantage of her, whether financially or
emotionally. Eventually, she would end up crying and swearing off relationships. But sure enough, a new guy would come along, and well … her relationship status had more cycles than the Tour de France.

  Her swan shook its head sadly.

  Mine?

  Sure, she could blame it all on her animal side. Weren’t swans known for their fidelity, their propensity to mate for life? It seemed like it asked that question—mine?—whenever she met a new guy or was near any potential boyfriend. And Darcey was sure each one was “the one,” and when it turned out he wasn’t, her swan would peck and nag at her to keep looking.

  But still, she couldn’t help herself. She just wanted to be loved. Was that so bad?

  “Sure, people can be content on their own,” she said, repeating Adam’s words, then placed a hand on his shoulder. “But we can also be happy for them without feeling like we’re less for not having what they have.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze, then smiled down at him. He smirked back at her in that way only teenagers can, and she chuckled.

  Back on the dance floor, the music faded out, and Daniel dipped Sarah low and kissed her, much to the delight of the spectators.

  “C’mon,” she said. “I haven’t talked to them the whole night. Let’s go say hi.” She hurried past all the other guests, who made way for them as they made a beeline for the couple. “Daniel, Sarah! That was a great dance set. I didn’t even know you were going to do that.”

  Daniel flashed her a smile that reached all the way to his bright silvery blue eyes. Leaning down, he kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, Darce. Are you having fun?”

  That feeling came over her as she sensed his bear. She wasn’t frightened or anything. In fact, his animal’s presence felt familial and protective. “Everyone’s been great and … it’s weird being around so many people like me.” He didn’t ask about how she felt being surrounded by other shifters, but she could just tell it was on his mind.

  “That’s great, Darce, and how’s the move?”

  When he had asked her to come live with them in Blackstone, the choice was easy. She wasn’t really attached to Las Vegas, plus, with their online sales skyrocketing, she and Sarah realized they could open their shop here instead of their original plan of starting it in Summerlin, not to mention, quit her old crappy retail job. The day she’d handed in her notice to her awful boss Agnes was one of the happiest in her life. “One more trip back to Vegas in the morning and I’m done.” All she had to do was pick up the last of their stuff at their old apartment, hand in the keys to the landlord, and drive back.

  “Thank God,” Adam groaned. “I’m so glad to be out of that town.”

  “Looking forward to the fall?” Daniel asked. Adam was set to start school at the local high school, one that Daniel himself had attended.

  “Yeah, yeah,” the teen said. “Ugh, can I go back up to the suite now? This party’s so boring and everyone’s so old.”

  Sarah chuckled. “All right. Go on ahead.”

  “Later,” he said as he drove away.

  “Go straight to the room!” Sarah called out. “And don’t even think about going through the mini bar!” But Adam only answered with a dismissive wave.

  Daniel turned to her. “Do you want to dance, Darcey?”

  It was really sweet of him to ask, and she was about to say yes when the fluttering in her chest came back.

  Mine?

  “Um, maybe later?” She wrinkled her nose. A strange tingling came over her as her swan beat its wings madly.

  Mine?

  “I think … I think I need to go somewhere …”

  Her feet took her away from the dance floor like they had a life of their own. The flapping of wings inside her was so loud, the noise and music around her faded away. Her swan frantically swung its head side to side as if searching for something. Feeling her swan’s frenetic energy, she had no choice but be swept away by its whim, and she dashed across the ballroom, sidestepping other guests.

  Mine?

  Her vision tunneled, focusing on a pinpoint, leading her toward the bar. There were several people there, but one particular person caught her attention despite the fact that his back was to her and she could only make out dark hair and broad shoulders. Her hand reached out and tapped him on the arm. “Excuse me,” she breathed out.

  Slowly, he turned around. His dark head was bowed, his gaze going immediately to the exposed cleavage of her low-cut dress. “Hey, sweetheart.” A smile spread across his lips as his head slowly tilted up. “What can I do for—”

  Mine!

  “—you?”

  Light golden-brown eyes stared right into her, sending electricity across her skin as she heard something from deep within him answer back: Mine.

  “Yes,” she gasped. “It’s me.” Her swan squawked animatedly. This was it. It was him.

  When she heard that Sarah and Daniel were mates, she almost didn’t believe it. Growing up, with no one to explain to her what being a shifter was all about, she could only do her own research on the Internet, and even then, the information was not really accurate or scientific.

  But she had heard about mates—that fate paired shifters with someone they were intended to be with and that only those with animals inside them would be able to tell who their mate was.

  She mentally slapped her forehead. God, she was so dumb. Her swan was looking, looking, looking all the time. Trying to find him in all those guys she dated. Asking that question—mine?—and never getting an answer back because they were all wrong.

  But now, he was here. Even though she didn’t realize that she was looking for him, she knew it: He was the one she had been searching for.

  And, oh dear, he was breathtaking. He was tall, a couple of inches over six feet with a lean, graceful build. He wasn’t overly hulking like Daniel or many of the shifters here, but his shoulders were broad, and his biceps strained against his shirt. He was handsome, too, with firm lips and a chiseled, clean-shaven jaw, but what she couldn’t tear her gaze away from was his eyes. They were the color of molten honey, and she wanted to lose herself in them.

  Joy burst through her, making her heart leap out of her chest. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face, even if she’d wanted to. Looking up at him, she could see the shock register on his face as his eyes widened and his jaw slackened.

  “Yo, Anders!” someone called from behind. “You joining us?”

  He didn’t answer, just kept staring at her. Darcey couldn’t move either. His companion peeked from behind him, said something, then shrugged and walked away.

  Time ticked by, with neither of them saying anything or moving. Finally, she managed a breath and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. Oh God, he smelled so good. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “I didn’t think I’d find you.”

  He tensed in her arms, and something in her brain got through the blissful cloud surrounding her. Frowning, she released him and stepped back. “Your name is Anders? I’m Darcey. Darcey Wednesday. I’m your—”

  “I know who you are.”

  Of course he did. This actually made it easier. Sarah had told her that although Daniel had known instantly she was his mate, she didn’t know because she was human, and that had caused some problems between them initially. “Great. So … do you want to, like, go somewhere to talk? Or you can meet my family?”

  His nostrils flared, and his jaw hardened. “No, I don’t think so.”

  Oh God, she sounded stupid. Maybe they were supposed to do something else? “Oh. Okay. What do you want to do, then?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Listen, Daisy—”

  “Darcey,” she corrected. Her swan pecked its beak toward him irritably.

  “Yeah. Okay. I don’t do relationships.”

  She blinked. “Excuse me?”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up. “You seem like a sweet girl, Darla. But I’m not the one for you.”

  Was he joking? “B-but I heard it. My animal said it. And y
ours—”

  “Be that as it may, this just isn’t going to work out, Dolly.”

  “But we’re—”

  “I like what I see, though.” His voice dipped low, and he lifted his hand, tracing a finger over her arm, up to her shoulder and collarbone, then followed the vee of her dress down her chest.

  Warmth spread through her as she closed her eyes, and she bit her lip to keep from moaning when his knuckles brushed the tops of her breasts.

  “You’re pretty enough, and I’m not picky. Wanna go meet me in the janitor’s closet for a quick screw? This party’s getting boring anyway.”

  His words slammed into her, making her eyes snap open. “A-a quick screw? That’s what you want?”

  “Yeah, sure.” He pulled his hand away. “But it won’t mean anything. If you’re looking for someone to take you on romantic dates and whisper sweet nothings and live happily ever after with, then go find someone else. I prefer my lays with no strings attached.”

  This wasn’t happening. Surely this was some kind of joke. “I … I don’t believe you. You don’t mean what you’re saying.” He must have felt it too. She heard his animal roar it out. What was he anyway?

  A vision flashed in her head. Something big with large teeth and sharp claws. Stripes and fur and—

  He let out a sardonic laugh. “I meant every word, sweetheart.” The endearment dripped with acid. “If you don’t want to get hurt, stay away from me.” Turning on his heel, he put the glass in his hand back on the bar and walked away.

  She stood there, frozen. Afraid to make a sound. Afraid to make a move. She was still as a statue, calm as a millpond on the outside.

  But inside, a storm of emotions churned. Her swan cried out in distress, not knowing what was happening. The only thing it could focus on was that he—their mate—was walking away from them.