RICHIE: New Orleans Wolf Shifters with plus sized BBW for mates (Le Beau Series Book 6) (19 page)

She grinned brightly and ran for the door like an excited child.

Chuckling, he joined her on the lawn. “Before you shift you need to know the shifter rules. Born shifters learn these as children. Our goddess decreed these laws when she created us.”

“Okay.” She folded her arms and gave him her full attention.

“Always put your mate before yourself.

“Respect another shifter’s mate.

“Do nothing to expose the existence of shifters.

“Do no unnecessary harm to shifters or humans.

“And respect other nonhumans.”

Piper raised her eyebrows at the simplicity of the rules. “Logical and practical. They make sense on a very basic level.”

“You’d be surprised how simple some shifters are. Plus, this isn’t the human world. Very little crime actually exists in our community.”

“Really? I can’t imagine a world without crime. It sounds surreal.”

“And having shifters in the world sounds perfectly normal to you? Shifters are not humans, and as a species behave very differently.”

“Put that way, I guess it’s unrealistic to expect the rules of both worlds to be the same.”

“Exactly. Now, the first thing you need to do is close your eyes and visualize yourself as a wolf. Picture your hands and feet as paws, feel the fur all over your body, and the sensation of having a tail. Be sure to picture your human clothing disappear so all that remains is the wolf.”

She did as he instructed and squeezed her eyes tightly in concentration. A tingling energy raced across her skin and suddenly she was on all fours in wolf form.

“Good job!” Richie cheered. “You should see yourself. You’re gorgeous. And as I suspected, you’re a beautiful chocolate wolf.”

Without giving it any thought, Piper wagged her tail happily. The sensation startled her and she shot across the lawn to get away from it. The only problem was, the feeling followed her. She skidded to a halt and spun around to nip whatever had attached itself to her backside. She spun and spun again, until she realized it was her tail she was feeling. If a wolf could blush in embarrassment, she would be beet red. Best to pretend it didn’t happen.

Piper’s wolf held her head high and trotted back to Richie.

He held his hand over his mouth, hiding his grin. “Goddess, you are priceless.”

Not another word
she growled.

I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Good answer.

“Okay. Try to shift back. You’ll need to visualize your human form with clothing and no fur. Be sure to be precise. If you want to be wearing underwear you need to visualize it, the same goes for socks and shoes.”

Piper’s glossy brown wolf sat at his feet and closed its eyes. A moment passed when suddenly his mate sat at his feet fully clothed.

He reached down and helped her to her feet, brushing dirt from her backside. “You’re amazingly good at shifting. Most humans take months of practice to do it as well as you do.”

“Really?” she asked with a frown. “I didn’t think it was that hard.”

“Don’t say that in front of the women at the Le Beau plantation. You’ll find yourself strung up.”

“No way! Anna had trouble? She’s so good at shifting.”

“She’s had over a year of practice.”

“Huh. Okay, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to make anyone feel bad.”

“Do you want to go for a run with me or are you ready to see your new home in the Garden District?”

Piper chewed her lip and eyed the forest. “Can we go to the house now and come back in a few days to take a run?”

“Absolutely, cher.”

“Let’s do that then.”

*****

An hour later, Richie had her luggage in the boat and they were speeding toward his SUV at the pier he used near town.

He was so excited to show her their home. He kept his Garden District mansion a well-guarded secret, going as far as maintaining a tiny five hundred square foot studio apartment in the French Quarter. He worked hard to hide his wealth from his human friends and coworkers. He’d even had a few over for drinks to the studio for good measure.

Other than the Le Beaus and a few other shifters, no one knew he owned the house. He’d had his shell corporation purchase it so it wasn’t even in his name.

The house wasn’t far from the river and in no time, they were stopped in front of it. “I’ll pull around to the back in a minute, but first I wanted to show you what it looks like from the front.”

Piper’s eyes widened. “Your house is perfect. I love the white color and it’s not one of the overly large palatial homes I’ve seen in pictures. It’s more of a medium-sized house, large enough to be impressive, but small enough to be a comfortable home.”

“Our house, mon amour. It’s our house now.”

He looked at his two story, rectangular home with its fancy black wrought iron work on the second story balcony, seeing it through her eyes. The forest green shutters matched the front door and were more lovely than he’d remembered them being. He’d had them installed long ago as finishing touches to really make the house grand without shouting, “look at me.” This had been the perfect house for staying under the radar and going unnoticed. That’s not saying it wasn’t expensive, the house was worth well over a million dollars.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it,” she beamed. And he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s get this rig parked and I’ll give you a tour.”

They pulled around the back to his private garage and he ran around to her door. On the way to the front door, he detoured to the side yard and showed her the private patio and pool with its fountains.

“Oh my, this is lovely, Richie,” she breathed.

His wolf rumbled proudly. The beast loved pleasing their mate.

He took her by the hand again and led her to the door, unlocked it, and swept her into his arms.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked.

“Carrying my woman over the threshold of course.” He walked them into the front hall and set her on her feet. “Welcome home, Piper.”

“Holy moly.” Her eyes grew large as she took in the antiques and artistically designed décor.

“The formal living room is here to the left and has French doors to the pool.”

She stepped into the room and gaped,

“I know it’s large,” he said when he saw her face.

“Large? It’s huge. This has to be at least twenty-five feet long. My entire apartment would fit in this room.”

“If you don’t like it, we can buy a different house.” He worried she hated it after only seeing the first room.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Okay, but after you see all of it, if you don’t want to live here, we’ll move.”

He led her to the far end of the living room and back into the hallway. “Across the hall is the kitchen and informal dining where I usually eat.”

“Wow, I could live in here and never leave.” She ran her hands over the surfaces. “Oh my gosh, you have oak cabinets all the way to the ceiling, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter tops and floors. Richie, It’s exactly what I would have designed for myself.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He leaned against the doorjamb and watched her excitedly examine the room. When she was finished, he took her down the hall toward the front door and up the stairs.

First, he showed her the guest bedrooms and then he dramatically opened the door to the master suite.

“Richie, It’s gorgeous. And you have a huge four-poster bed I can chase you around in. Have you seen these monstrous closets?” Her voice rose an octave with each new thing she discovered.

“Yes, cher. I’ve seen them.” He chuckled. “These French doors lead out to a balcony over the pool area and on the other side those double doors lead to a private sitting room. But I saved the best for last. Close your eyes.”

He led her to the bathroom and then said, “Okay, you can open them.”

Piper’s hands flew to her chest. “I’ve died and gone to heaven. I’ve never seen such a luxurious bathroom. This belongs in a spa somewhere.”

He knew she was envisioning a long hot soak in the fancy marble tub. Richie pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck. “I’ll draw you a bath later,” he whispered as he peppered kisses up her neck and across her jaw. “First, I have dinner waiting in the dining room.”

Piper frowned and looked him in the eye. “You didn’t show me a dining room.”

“I know,” he rumbled with fire in his eyes. “I was saving it for last.”

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles one by one, then led her downstairs to a formal dining room. The table was set for an intimate dinner for two, with candles, crystal stemware, a bottle of champagne on ice, and two plates covered with sterling silver domes.

Her breath caught and she turned to stare at him. “How did you do this?”

He pulled her close and breathed into her ear, “I keep telling you, I have mad skills.” Then he nibbled her neck until she squirmed.

Finally, he stepped back and pulled a chair for her. “We should eat before it gets cold.”

He pushed her chair in, and then took his own.

He grinned like the Cheshire cat and watched her closely. “Let’s see what Anna left us for dinner.”

Piper lifted the dome off of her plate and stopped breathing all together.

The plate was empty except for the incredible sapphire ring she’d wanted so badly the day he’d taken her to Royal Street. It was artfully displayed in the very center of the china so it caught the light from the chandelier.

Her eyes shot from the ring to Richie. She was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

With a smile bigger than any she’d ever seen on his face, he rounded the table, picked up the ring and got down on one knee.

Eyes rounded and widened to the size of saucers, she gasped and her hands flew to her mouth.

“Piper Sinclair Majors, will you do me the honor of becoming my bride?”

Tears ran down her face and she nodded, her hands still shaking over her mouth. Apparently she was too shocked to function.

“I’m going to need your hand, mon amour,” he coaxed and gently removed it from over her mouth to slip the ring into place. Then he cupped her face with both hands and poured his heart and soul into his kiss.

Finally, he whispered against her lips, “I can’t wait to spend the coming decades together. With you by my side, it’s going to be an amazing adventure.”

Read on for an excerpt from

Book 7

of the Le Beau Brothers

Prologue: The Plan

It had been about a year since Isaac and Emma Le Beau first hatched a plan to assist each of their seven grown sons in meeting their one true mate. The plan was a simple one. Emma would ask the Wolf Goddess to disclose who the mate was for each of them. Then Isaac and Emma would ensure whichever son was matched to the disclosed mate was in the right place at the right time to meet her in person. Once they saw each other and experienced the draw of one mate to another, the unique scent one had for the other, nature would take its course. A very simple plan that had worked five times. And not only had they found mates for a few of their own children, but a niece and step-grandson as well.

It all started with Isaac’s fear that his sons would go through their long lives as shifters without experiencing the incredible love enjoyed between mates. Without children to love and cherish. Which would in turn mean no grandchildren for him. That was not allowed to happen, he wanted grandchildren, dang it.

It hadn’t taken long for Emma, a powerful voodoo priestess, to learn the name of the first destined mate. Luperca, the Wolf Goddess told her that their oldest son Cade would meet his mate Anna at the Crescent City Brewhouse. She would be there for lunch on the specific date and time. It was a rather simple matter to trick Cade into being there at the same time.

Isaac arranged for Cade to meet him for lunch at the Crescent City Brewhouse and then called and cancelled at the last minute. That left Cade free to have a long, leisurely lunch with Anna. The love affair and happy ending took off from there.

Sure, there was a bump or two in the road, but what great love hasn’t had them. Harassing ex-husbands, dangerous crime bosses, and suspicious adult children have nothing on a Le Beau. Just look at Romeo and Juliet or Hermoine and Ron as examples of famous love affairs. Well, maybe not Hermoine and Ron. But you get the picture. Isaac and Emma were thrilled with the results and the boy never knew what hit him.

Then a few months later, the Goddess disclosed the next name. She had decided Simon had suffered more than necessary and gave them Rose’s name as his mate. She was conveniently Anna’s best friend in Colorado and it was easy enough to get her to come for a visit. That was happy ever after number two.

Isaac was over the moon, and best yet, Anna announced she was pregnant with his first grandchild.

It wasn’t long and they were given the next name. They couldn’t believe how quickly the Goddess was disclosing them. Not that they were complaining. They now knew that Stefan would meet his mate El at a charity ball that Simon was hosting. Stefan and El’s courtship was a hard and very rocky one, but in the end it all worked out and now they were happily mated and married.

When a couple months later the Goddess told Emma their step-grandson Thomas would be mated to their niece Julia, they were both surprised and overjoyed. Thomas may be a grandson by Anna’s and Cade’s marriage, but he was theirs through and through. In their minds, he was as much Le Beau as any other family member. And Julia was one of Isaac and Emma’s favorite relatives. It couldn’t have worked out better.

While Thomas and Julia were dealing with his good for nothing father and her bat-shit crazy mother, Lucas returned home from traveling the world. The timing couldn’t have been better. The Goddess had just told Emma that Lucas would meet his mate at a ranch he was about to purchase in Texas. Bam! Another son happily mated.

After that, Isaac and Emma were sure one of the other boys would be given their mate, but the Goddess had other plans and gave Emma the name of Richie Major’s mate. Richie was a very good friend of the family, and Anna’s best friend in New Orleans long before she met Cade. Not to mention their adopted son, Seth Le Beau’s best friend in the world.

When they thought about it, it only made sense that they would help him meet his mate. Now Richie and Piper are happily mated and living in the Garden District.

Seth had only recently returned home after a century and a half of service to the Wolf Goddess as one of her elite rogue hunters. He’d shown up while Richie was busy winning Piper over as his mate.

Isaac and Emma only had him home for a week or so when Emma had another visit from the Goddess.

“Blessed be, my daughter,” Luperca greeted her in her soft, peaceful voice.

“Blessed be, Mother. I would like to thank you again for your continued blessings of my family and our friends.”

“You are more than welcome. It pleases me to see my children happily mated and starting families of their own. That is in fact, why I am here.”

Emma became alarmed. “Has something happened?”

“No, my daughter. Everything has gone as planned.” Luperca laughed softly.  “I have another name for you.”

“You do?” Emma asked excitedly.

“Yes. Seth, your adopted son has done a great service for me and as such has suffered. He has closed himself off from all human and shifter contact and I fear for his personal safety. He needs his mate to complete and heal his ragged heart and soul. Killing rogues, a few who had been his friends and family over such a long period although necessary has taken a terrible toll on him. The least I can do is assist him in finding his mate. I am only sorry he didn’t find her sooner,” the goddess said sadly.

“What would you like me to do? How may I be of service?” she asked in rapid succession.

“Seth is destined to meet his mate Sara Adams in Minnesota. A rogue went on a killing spree June tenth and killed Sara’s brother. She’s a murder investigator with the Richfield police department, but as a family member of the victim, she has been denied access to the investigation. She’s a tenacious woman and has taken it upon herself to find the killer on her own. Seth must go to Richfield and help her take down the rogue before she gets herself killed. If she dies, all hope to save Seth will be lost.”

“So if I am understanding you correctly, you would like Isaac and me to get Seth to go to Minnesota after the rogue. Other than getting him to Richfield is there anything we should do?”

“In order for him to meet her, he must agree to work with her to kill the rogue. He has never worked with a partner and definitely never a human. It won’t be easy. He will want to hunt the rogue on his own and return home.”

Emma thought about that for a bit. “I think I know how we can force him to take her as a partner in this. Leave it to Isaac and myself, we will get it done one way or the other.”

The Goddess’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I believe you will. I leave this in your capable hands. Blessed be, daughter, and good luck.”

“Thank you. I’m sure we will need a little luck this time. Blessed be, Mother.”

Emma watched her fade from view, chewing her lip worriedly.
How are we going to pull this one off?

She needed Isaac and fast. The last time she’d seen him, he was heading for his study, hopefully he was still there. “Isaac!” she called and she hustled down the hall.

“I’m in the study, cher,” he called back.

She plopped down into an overstuffed chair next to him huffing and puffing from her exertion. When he opened his mouth, she held up one finger to silence his questions while she caught her breath.

“We have a problem,” she finally panted out.

“What kind of problem?” he asked, leaning forward, concern etched into his features.

“The Goddess gave me another name and this one is not going to be easy.”

“Who?”

“Seth.”

“Holy cow,” he breathed out and sat back in his chair. “I didn’t see that one coming, not that he doesn’t deserve his mate like all the other boys. But as a hunter, I assumed he’d never have a mate. It’s extremely rare for the elite to settle down. Of course, I didn’t expect him to turn up on our doorstep talking about quitting the hunters either.”

“I was rather shocked myself. And here’s the kicker, we have to convince Seth to allow his mate to partner with him in a rogue hunt.”

“Shit. That’s never going to happen,” Isaac growled.

“I’m pretty worried as well, but I might have an idea. It’s going to require a lot of steadfast parental tough love to pull it off though,” she said sadly.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, leaning forward again and taking her hand.

“We could make it a condition of him coming home and living on the plantation. It’s going to break my heart to force him to do something he is dead set against in order to come back home, but I can’t think of any other way,” she said with a tear rolling down her cheek.

Isaac scrubbed his palms up and down his face, racking his brain for other options. He had nothing. “I think that might be the only way. I’m going to have to put some thought into how we’ll present it to him. I don’t want to drive him away and screw the whole thing up.”

“I already thought about it and I think the only way we can do that is to tell him the Goddess requested him specifically for this last hunt and she added the requirement that he must work with the human. She specifically wants him to help her avenge her family, not just take out the rogue. We could tell him the Goddess has a plan for her and has tasked him with keeping her alive.”

“That just might work. We’ll emphasize the Goddess made it a requirement in order to force his compliance. Seth would never go against the Goddess’s wishes.”

He grinned, his eyes twinkling with excitement again. “He’s gone to help Richie protect his mate at the cabin, when he returns we will inform him he is heading to Minnesota.”