Nature of Trust E-Book

Jae

• Herausgeber: Ylva Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: The Shape-Shifter series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 54

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

A Mother's Courage, a Shifter's Trust, and a Race Against Time – A Short Story from Jae's Paranormal Lesbian Romance World. Faith MacAllister never expected to become part of a wolf-shifter pack, but after her fake relationship with Tala turned real, she's doing her best to fit in. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to welcome a human into the family. When her six-year-old daughter, Chloe, goes missing in the pack's territory, Faith has no choice but to trust the very people she used to fear. As they search the dark woods, help comes from the last place Faith expected. Will it be enough to bring Chloe home safely?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Other Books by Jae

Author’s Note

Nature of Trust

Other Books from Ylva Publishing

About Jae

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www.ylva-publishing.com

Other Books by Jae

Happily Ever After 1 & 2

Standalone Romances:

Bachelorette Number Twelve

Just a Touch Away

The Roommate Arrangement

Paper Love

Just for Show

Falling Hard

Heart Trouble

Something in the Wine

Shaken to the Core

The Hollywood Series:

Departure from the Script

Damage Control

Just Physical

The Hollywood Collection (box set)

The Oregon Series:

Backwards to Oregon

Beyond the Trail

Hidden Truths

The Complete Oregon series (box set)

Fair Oaks Series:

Perfect Rhythm

Not the Marrying Kind

Portland Police Bureau Series:

Conflict of Interest

Next of Kin

The Shape-Shifter Series:

Second Nature

Natural Family Disasters

Manhattan Moon

True Nature

Enemies by Nature

Shifting Nature

The Vampire Diet Series:

Good Enough to Eat

Unexpected Love Series:

Under a Falling Star

Wrong Number, Right Woman

Chemistry Lessons

Author’s Note

This story is a short sequel to my novels Enemies by Nature and Shifting Nature, in which Tala and Faith started a fake relationship and then fell in love for real.

I highly recommend reading the two novels first to fully appreciate the characters and the events leading up to this moment.

I hope you enjoy this continuation of Faith and Tala’s journey!

Nature of Trust

by Jae

Why on earth did Wrasa homes even have doorbells? Faith didn’t get it. They seemed as unnecessary as a snowplow in the desert.

Since she had first met Tala’s family six months ago, she and Tala had visited the pack’s home in the mountains at least a dozen times, and not once had they made it to the front door before it swung open.

This time wasn’t any different.

The door opened as Faith climbed out of the SUV. Tala’s parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins spilled out of the sprawling two-story house to greet them.

Tala wouldn’t let herself be hurried along. She paused in the circular driveway, lifted her face to the sky, and closed her eyes. Her nostrils flared as she breathed in the crisp mountain air and the scent of pine and soil. The soft chitter that escaped her was Faith’s favorite sound in the world—one she usually heard only when they kissed.

Faith watched her with a smile. This was Tala’s home—her natural habitat—while Faith was still learning to fit into the pack.

Her daughter, Chloe, had no such problems. Before Faith could help her, she jumped down from the SUV’s back seat and bolted toward the house, her ponytail bouncing up and down. “We’re here!” she announced as if Tala’s family members hadn’t already seen them.

Chloe blissfully ignored pack protocol, which established the correct order in which to greet people, and threw herself into Jemma’s welcoming arms.

Thankfully, the Wrasa were very forgiving when it came to children, allowing them more freedom than adult pack members, as long as they didn’t cross certain lines. Chloe, who was still learning the rules of pack life, was granted even more leeway.

Tala’s mother laughed as she twirled her around. “Oh Great Hunter, you’ve grown so much since we last saw you!”

Chloe giggled.

Tala took both overnight bags from Faith, and they walked toward the house side by side. “You saw her just two weeks ago, Ammakki. I doubt she grew that much.”

Her mother shrugged. “Must be the good food we’re feeding her, then.” She set Chloe down. “Are you hungry?”

Chloe nodded eagerly.

Faith opened her mouth to assure them she had fed her daughter before they’d left DC. But before she could say anything, Tala’s stern father pulled her in for a hug.

Then he held Faith at arm’s length and studied her from head to toe as if to make sure she hadn’t come home injured again.

His wife nudged him aside to engulf her in a longer embrace.

Relatives crowded around them, each waiting their turn to greet her and Tala. It was overwhelming and wonderful in equal parts—a chaotic whirlwind of affection.

Faith hid a grin as one of the elderly aunts ruffled Tala’s short, auburn hair as if she were a little pup.

Rey waved two cousins out of the way. Not too long ago, he and Tala had circled each other like two wolves about to attack, but now he made a beeline for his sister and hugged her.

They patted each other’s backs—clearly trying to out-alpha each other—in a way that made Faith wince.

He was much gentler with Faith, wrapping his one arm around her in a short embrace. “How are you? Still keeping my sister out of trouble?”

Faith laughed. “I try.”

“How’s the new job?” Rey’s wife, Mirella, asked as she greeted Tala. “Busy?”

Tala groaned. “You have no idea! I’ve been buried in agents’ personnel files all week, trying to pair—”

Faith gently bumped her. “No work talk, remember?”

Tala had been working nonstop since she’d been promoted to head of the Federal Bureau of Shape-Shifter Investigation. The responsibility of creating a new agency from the ground up rested heavily on her shoulders. She needed a weekend away from it all, and Faith was determined to make sure she got it.

It was only when the pack around them fell silent that Faith noticed what she had done.

Crap. She’d put her foot in her mouth again, ordering Tala around in front of the pack. They weren’t used to anyone daring to tell the fierce Saru commander what to do. With anyone else, Tala would have let out a snarl that sent them scrambling for cover.

But she just turned toward Faith and flashed her a grin. “I could be convinced to stop talking about work if you—”

Chloe groaned and rolled her eyes in a way only a seven-year-old could. “They’re going to kiss again! They do that all the time!”

The pack burst into laughter, and Faith’s cheeks warmed.

“Tala!” Sutton, Tala’s youngest cousin, squeezed past her older relatives. “Look what I finally got!” She proudly held up a small, round piece of metal that she wore on a thin chain around her neck.

Faith instantly recognized it. It was one of the ID tags all Wrasa were required to wear by law.

Well, maybe not all Wrasa. Faith hadn’t realized it before, but now that she thought about it… The younger kids of the pack didn’t wear one, only the adults and the teenagers once they were old enough to shift shape.