Bleacke Spirit
Table of Contents
Description
Title Page
Copyright
Also by the Author
Dedication
Author's Note
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
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About the Author
[Alpha heroine, geek hero, urban fantasy, interracial, paranormal romance, shifters]
Honestly, Dewi preferred fighting the Segura drug cartel to having a froufrou wedding. But she’s survived both with her sanity intact.
Barely.
That’s due in no small part to Ken and Nami accidentally finding her grandfather, who everyone believed was dead for nearly fifty years. In addition to serving as the Targhee pack’s Head Enforcer, and head of the expanded Pack Council, Dewi’s next challenging mission is trying to teach Duncan about safely navigating a whole new world.
Like texting. And Facebook.
And of course life is never easy for Dewi, Ken, Badger, Beck, Nami, and the rest of their extended family. So when Badger’s old friend comes asking for the Targhee pack’s help, they can’t turn him away.
Even if it brings a new and fuzzy foe into their lives when they’re asked to help his loved one stay…incorgnito.
Who knew cute could be so deadly?
Bleacke Spirit
Bleacke Shifters ~ Book 4
Lesli Richardson
©2018
WWW.LESLIRICHARDSON.COM
Bleacke Spirit
Bleacke Shifters Book 4
Copyright © 2018 by Lesli Richardson
First E-book Publication: September, 2018
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This work may not be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means currently available or available in the future, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, for free or for sale, without express written permission from the publisher and author.
Distributing copies of this e-book to others is a violation of international copyright law and infringes the rights of the legal copyright holder. This e-book may not be shared, copied, sold, given away, offered as a contest prize, or otherwise distributed to anyone other than the original purchaser. Distributing this e-book as part of any collection, or with any type of resale permission, is also strictly forbidden and a violation of copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This is my livelihood. PLEASE do NOT share, upload, or otherwise distribute this book. When people buy my books, it pays my bills. Please don’t steal from me. If you want me to keep bringing you more stories, I need to be able to pay my bills, so I ask that you please legally purchase my books. If you want to give this file to someone else, please purchase them a copy from a legal retailer. The links are on my website. Thank you.
www.LesliRichardson.com
Also by the Author
Please sign up for my author newsletter, where I post info about both my Lesli Richardson and Tymber Dalton pen names, and never miss a new release or update:
http://eepurl.com/cXKR7v
Writing as Lesli Richardson:
The Bleacke Shifter Series:
1) Bleacke’s Geek
2) Geek Chic
3) A Bleacke Wind
4) Bleacke Spirit
5) A Bleacke Christmas (Coming May, 2019)
The Great Turning Series:
1) The Great Turning
2) The Great Turning: Into the Turn
3) The Great Turning: Future Ages
Governor Trilogy:
1) Governor
2) Lieutenant
3) Chief
Determination Trilogy:
1) Dignity
2) Diligence
3) Desire
Devastation Trilogy:
(Coming April, 2019)
1) Dirge
2) Solace
3) Release
Of Boardwalks and Bison
Cross Country Chaos
Poly (Coming February, 2019)
Jailmates (Coming April, 2019)
Lesli Richardson is better known by her more prolific Tymber Dalton pen name. Please check out her website for more info on all her titles under both her pen names, including full book and series listings, trivia, character information, and more.
http://www.tymberdalton.com
Honest reviews are greatly appreciated and can help boost a book’s rankings on retail sites. Thank you!
Dedication
To Hubby, because he’s not just the love of my life, but he’s literally the glue in my universe and keeps me going. And to Sir, who knows why.
Also, for Matt. You wanted a corgi shifter—you got one. :)
Author's Note
The events of this book take place immediately following A Bleacke Wind (Bleacke Shifters, book 3). It is strongly recommended the books in the series be read in order.
The reading order is as follows:
Bleacke’s Geek
Geek Chic
A Bleacke Wind
Bleacke Spirit
There will be more books in this series. Please visit the series page on my website for the most up-to-date information.
Chapter One
“So where is the book?”
Dewi looked up from her laptop to where her grandfather sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. “What book?”
“The book everyone keeps talking about. I looked in iBooks, but it’s not there.” Duncan frowned at the phone in his hand. “And I don’t see a face, either. Does it take a picture to recognize me?” He turned the phone over and studied the back side of it.
The only reason Dewi didn’t roll her eyes at her grandfather was because he was doing a damn good job adapting to what passed for a normal life in their pack after literally having spent the past forty-seven years roaming the wilds of Idaho as a shifted wolf. They’d returned from Idaho nearly three weeks ago, and Dewi hoped Duncan never wanted to leave them again.
That wasn’t for completely unselfish reasons, either. For the first time in her life, between being married to Ken, being “adopted” as a little sister by Nami, and having Duncan back, she felt…normal.
“No, Da. That’s called ‘Facebook,’ and it’s an app.”
He scowled as he looked at her. “A what?”
“An app. Short for application. It’s a program. A…” She sighed and motioned for him to hand over the phone.
Fortunately, Gillian had bought Duncan an iPhone after Ken suggested it’d probably be easier for him to use. The old wolf had quickly grokked the phone and camera parts of it, but was still struggling to master some of the other things it could do.
She unlocked the phone and swiped to another screen. “Right here.” She pointed to the app’s icon. “That F? That’s for Facebook.” She tapped it, then swiped through to her profile. Peyton’s mate, Gillian, helped run the pack’s legal side of things, including securing and building new IDs for people when they needed them.
&nbs
p; As part of creating a new identity for Duncan Lister, Gillian had even created him social media accounts, and, of course, added Dewi and other immediate family and pack members.
“See?” she pointed. “There’s me. But I don’t want you posting anything on Facebook until Ken sits down with you again tonight to show you.”
“Why?”
“Because there are all sorts of privacy issues. He needs to teach you all the settings. And you can’t talk about wolf things on there, obviously. We refer to the pack as ‘family’ or ‘extended family.’ Or the ‘family business.’ Stuff like that. This is an entirely new world than you grew up in, Da. By being on Facebook, people you don’t know and who live on the other side of the world literally can connect with you.”
Dewi returned the phone to him. He loved texting, and had taken to that immediately. And e-mail. Both features fascinated him. He’d also learned how to use the browser, and was quickly trying to catch up on some of the major historical events he’d totally missed.
Still, they were trying to keep him off social media right now, because Goddess knew that could be complicated enough, even for people who hadn’t been living in the woods for almost five decades.
But he nodded at her warning. “Ah, I see. That makes sense.” That was something else—he wasn’t resisting them about anything. Now that they’d returned to Florida and he was settling in, he was soaking up everything he could about this new-to-him world.
Didn’t hurt his old friend, Badger, lived with Dewi and Ken. So at least it wasn’t like he was among total strangers. Duncan and Badger had known each other well over a hundred years before Duncan’s disappearance, since before coming to the New World from Scotland. But while Badger hadn’t bothered trying to change his Scottish burr, Duncan’s smoother voice bore only hints of it, along with a mostly generic Midwestern accent his years in the wilderness hadn’t chiseled away, either.
Malyah appeared in the office doorway. “Dewi, Sis called. Again. To remind us not to be late to dinner tonight.”
“Again.” Dewi smirked. “It’s like she thinks we’ll forget or something.”
“Right?” Malyah crossed her arms over her chest and smiled at Duncan. “She said Gillian gave her a few family recipes, but wouldn’t give me deets.”
Duncan lifted his head and smiled at her, a twinkle in his eyes. “Because she figured I’d Prime you to get it out of you.”
“I’d imagine so.” She walked in and draped her arms around his shoulders from behind. “If you haven’t guessed already, Da, Sis loves to cook for family.”
“I love Nami’s cooking. And yours.” He affectionately nuzzled his head against hers, a typical wolf gesture.
Dewi smiled as she watched the two of them together. She wasn’t the only one who’d grown up feeling the aching void of missing family. Nami and her siblings had quickly adopted Duncan as a grandfather, too. It didn’t matter to Dewi or anyone else in their pack that the Drexler siblings were black—they were family. Pack. That was all that mattered.
It wasn’t that Dewi grew up feeling like her brothers didn’t love her, but they were both much older than her. Considering they had to run the pack after their parents’ murders, leaving Badger and Beck to protect and raise her…
This is nice. Watching them together, it settled Dewi’s soul in ways she hadn’t fully realized were unsettled before Nami, Malyah, Da’von, Lu’ana, Reggie—and, of course, little Bebe—became a permanent part of their lives.
It also terrified Dewi, because how was it that this perfection could come so…easily?
“Are Badger and Joaquin still working with Ken?” Dewi asked. She knew Malyah had just returned from the woods, where Badger and Joaquin were conducting Ken’s training today. Beck was at home with Nami, preparing for their weekly Sunday dinner tonight, and Martin had just finished moving into his new house. Malyah and Joaquin would live at Dewi’s, for now, with her, Ken, Badger, and Duncan, until they got their own place.
So far, Nami had nixed every house Malyah had liked, coming up with a variety of reasons the houses wouldn’t work for the younger couple. Dewi suspected Nami felt more at ease having Joaquin and her little sister living at Dewi’s, where there were three Prime Alpha wolves in residence, in addition to Joaquin being an Alpha.
Malyah smiled. “Yes. And yes, Ken’s got some bruises.”
Dewi choked back the growl threatening to rumble from her, even making Duncan focus on her with an arched eyebrow.
Badger—and Ken—had recommended Dewi not join them for their training practice today. Ken was liable to end up with some bumps and bruises from working on hand-to-hand combat basics, and they were afraid Prime Dewi wouldn’t be able to stop herself from stepping in to protect Ken.
Which would totally defeat the purpose of teaching him how to better take care of himself.
She understood it, but it didn’t mean she liked it, or that she still wouldn’t growl over any bruises she found on him later when they were in bed together.
The other obvious reason someone else needed to work with Ken was that Dewi had tried to work with him and found herself going too easy on him. Even Ken had said that.
“Do you need me to Prime you?” Duncan asked Dewi, not quite totally joking, either.
“No,” Dewi grumbled. “I’ll be fine.” She sat back in her chair and closed her laptop. “Although, now I totally get why Beck freaks the frak out over Nami every time she so much as sneezes.”
“You know Ken needs to learn this,” Duncan gently said. “He got damned lucky that Endquist didn’t kill him that day. Likely only because you are such a strong Prime. Granted, Ken kept the two of them alive in Idaho, but had Segura’s men caught up with them before I did…”
He didn’t have to finish that statement, because it was currently one of several nightmares that plagued Dewi’s sleep.
“I know,” Dewi said. “At least his marksmanship has greatly improved.”
Actually, he was getting damned good with a bow and arrow. With a gun, he wasn’t going to win any Olympic gold medals for his shooting, but he could likely hold his own, if necessary.
“He’s not always going to have a gun with him,” Duncan said. “Or one of us. I have not a single doubt that, if he’s properly trained, he will be every bit as effective as many wolves, when it comes to combat.”
“I don’t want him to have to need it, though.”
“No one does, Dewi.”
“I think Beck and Joaquin are gonna swap teaching me and Nami combat,” Malyah said. She wore a teasing smile. “If it means anything, Dewi, I think our men are feeling like you’re feeling.”
They heard the back sliders to the lanai open. “You get ‘im inside,” they heard Badger say. “I’ll go Prime Little Miss—”
Dewi was already up and moving, and didn’t even see Duncan reach out to catch her arm with his left hand.
“No,” he said, full Prime freezing her in her tracks. “Badger,” he called out, staring up at her from where he still sat in the chair with Malyah hugging him. “I’ve got her. We’re in the office.”
“Bloody well hold ‘er there, Duncan. He’s fine.”
Fear bordering on panic flared through her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I’m fine, Dewi,” Ken called back. “Just twisted my ankle.”
She wasn’t even aware the growl had rolled from her when another word from her grandfather, a Prime order, silenced her.
“Quiet.”
Malyah released Duncan and headed out to see what was going on, but then Badger appeared in the office doorway.
The old wolf chuckled. “Heh. Duncan, did I mention how glad I am ye came back?”
Duncan didn’t release Dewi as he stood, slipping the phone into his back pocket. “Me, too. What happened?”
“I’m fine!” Ken called out from what sounded like the living room. “Don’t go eating anyone, hon.”
“Let…me…go,” Dewi growled.
Suddenly,
Duncan was in her face, staring down at her, lips peeled back and baring teeth as his grip tightened on her arm. “Don’t you dare think you’re going to Prime me, sweetheart,” he snarled.
Dewi felt the fight flee her body. This wasn’t a feeling she was used to. Badger was a strong Prime, but not much stronger than her. Even Peyton was barely stronger than her.
Duncan, however…
He was like all of them put together, and then some.
By a lot.
She resorted to something unfamiliar to her—begging. “Please let me go to him!”
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Joaquin,” Duncan ordered.
“I won’t!”
He released her, and she raced out of the office and through the house to the living room, where Joaquin was helping Ken down onto the couch. “What happened? What’d you do to him?”
“He didn’t do anything to me, Dewi,” Ken said. “I did it to myself.”
“What?”
Ken pointed at his left ankle while Joaquin quickly backed out of the way. “I tripped on the way back to the house. I wasn’t looking where I was going and stumbled over a tree root. Seriously, I’m okay. I just twisted it.”
Dewi didn’t miss how Malyah had joined them and eased herself between Dewi and Joaquin.
“Oh, for crying out loud, I’m not going to attack anyone.” Dewi carefully started unlacing Ken’s left sneaker. “Give me a little credit, please?”
“Well, I’da handled it the same way were it Nami we half-carried back in here,” Badger said. “Would’a had Duncan Prime him, too.”
Ken’s ankle was already swelling. “We should get some ice on that, or something,” she said.