Edge of winter, p.1
Edge of Winter, page 1

Maple Grove 18
Edge of Winter
[Siren Publishing: The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection: Contemporary, ManLove, Alternative, Paranormal, Shape-Shifters, Werewolves, MM, HEA]
Winnie’s life was not going as planned. In fact, it sucked. He worked a job he hated, and last night, at some club in Falls Bend, he tried to save a man’s life. How had he been repaid for his efforts? Some dumb musclehead kidnapped him and hauled him to an enormous mansion, delivering Winnie to some mysterious guy who doesn’t plan on letting him go.
Wallace Winter was ruthless in business, and didn’t trust one person he employed. With the kind of life he lived, it had to be that way. He dealt in shady business, had cutthroat men all around him, and no one to warm his bed. That was until some little twink jumped into action after one of Wallace’s bodyguards was stabbed. Now there was a traitor in his home, and Wallace was determined to find out who it was after an attempt is made on Winnie’s life.
Length: 29,000 words
EDGE OF WINTER
Maple Grove 18
Lynn Hagen

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
Edge of Winter
Copyright © 2020 by Lynn Hagen
ISBN: 978-1-64637-093-1
First Publication: February 2020
Cover design by Emma Nicole
All art and logo copyright © 2020 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.
You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.
For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDGE OF WINTER
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
EDGE OF WINTER
Maple Grove 18
LYNN HAGEN
Copyright © 2020
Chapter One
Last night was somewhat of a mystery to Wallace. His brain was foggy on that shit, clogged up like cotton had been stuffed into it. Loose fragmented memories that were just out of reach.
Wallace turned over on his silk sheets and massaged his temples. Shifters weren’t supposed to suffer human ailments, but his migraines were constant. It was a side effect of the silver poisoning he’d suffered from five years ago. He gazed at his mangled bicep, the missing flesh where the doctor had to cut away muscle in order to save him, and then looked away.
With agony he sat up and glanced at the bloody shirt in the corner of his bedroom.
Viper.
The son of a bitch who’d tried to kill him last night. Then again, Wallace wasn’t doing his job if his enemies weren’t trying to end him.
The guy had come out of nowhere. Not even Wallace’s bodyguards had seen Viper in the crowd outside the nightclub last night. They’d reacted too slowly, and Viper had almost killed Wallace.
When his arm began to throb, Wallace hissed and cradled it against his chest. Something had to give. The fucking pain was killing him. Even in his shifted form, he found no relief.
Wallace went to the bathroom and gripped the edge of the sink, looking at himself in the mirror. His eyes were cold and flat, just like his emotions. For too long now he’d felt numb on the inside. No joy, no pleasure, not even a smile appeared.
His surname suited him. Winter. Cold and brutal.
After taking care of his business, he exited the bathroom and dressed. He not only had a few meetings today but Viper had gotten away. Wallace needed to track the asshole down and show the prick what happened when he tried to stab him.
The blood on the shirt was from one of Wallace’s bodyguards who’d gotten in the way. Vance had gone down instead of Wallace.
Such a tragic fucking loss. Vance had been employed with him for five years, had a wife and kid, and was just doing his job. Then again, all of his men knew the risk of working for him. They’d taken the risk because of the pay, but that still didn’t set right with him.
But something else had happened last night, and Wallace couldn’t remember what that was. Again, those fragmented memories refused to let him see. The migraines blocked them out. There’d been some kid, no, young adult there. He…Wallace gritted his teeth.
What? All he could recall were crystal-blue eyes. They’d haunted his dreams last night, teased the fringes of his mind, but were as elusive as wispy smoke.
A knock sounded on the door. Gibson brought in Wallace’s breakfast tray. He set the tray aside and opened the French doors and then set the tray on the table centered on the balcony. The sun made Wallace squint and turn his head away from the glare.
“Is there anything else you require, sir?” Gibson, ancient but loyal, cupped his hands in front of him as he waited on Wallace’s answer.
“Close those damn doors.”
“One of your bad days, sir?” Gibson brought the tray back in and set it on the table in the corner. He closed the doors and pulled the blinds down.
“Is there any other kind of day?” Wallace sat and sipped his orange juice. “Send Chapman up.”
“Very well, sir.” Gibson shuffled across the room and closed the door behind him. Wallace really did need to get a new butler, but Gibson had been with him for thirty years, and good help was incredibly hard to find.
It really was one of his bad days. Wallace wanted to claw off his arm. All he wanted to do was crawl back into bed, but he had responsibilities. He also couldn’t allow anyone to know—aside from Gibson—how much pain he was in.
Weakness was not an option. His enemies would take full advantage of that fact if they knew.
Wallace didn’t bother to look up when Chapman entered.
“You wanted to see me, Mr. Winter?”
If there was one person Wallace could semi trust, besides Gibson, it was Chapman. He was only one of two shifters Wallace had hired. Wallace didn’t believe in having alpha males around him. They might get the wrong idea and try to overtake his empire. Still, he had ex-military on his payroll. He’d thought that would be enough to keep him protected.
He’d been wrong.
“Tell me about last night.” Wallace looked at his plate of food then pushed it away from him. He had no appetite this morning.
Chapman stood with his hands tucked behind him. “We were exiting the club when Viper attacked. Vance jumped in the way and was stabbed in the gut. He didn’t make it, sir. You grabbed the knife from Viper and struck back, wounding him.”
That explained how Wallace had gotten the blood on his shirt. It wasn’t from Vance like he’d thought. It was Viper’s blood.
“Some guy tried to intervene. He tried to stop the flow of blood from Vance but was unsuccessful.”
Those crystal-blue eyes popped into Wallace’s head. A Good Samaritan. An innocent who’d put himself in harm’s way in order to save a life.
Something stirred in Wallace, but the cotton in his head was relentless. Why couldn’t he remember all the details? Why did they elude him?
“Do you know who the guy was?” He took a sip of his tea, glad Gibson had brought him something soothing to drink.
“No, Mr. Winter. He was by the entrance when everything went down. The twink just jumped into action, no thought to his own safety.”
Wallace heard pride in Chapman’s voice.
“I went after Viper, but there was a car waiting for him at the curb. He got in and took off before I could catch him.” Chapman finally looked at Wallace. “I’m sorry I failed you.”
“You can make it up to me by finding a lead on Viper.” Wallace set his cup down. “I want that piece of shit brought to me. I also want to know who the guy from last night was. He needs to be rewarded for what he did.”
Wallace might be cold and bitter, but he also considered himself a fair man.
A wave of pain shot through Wallace’s head. He hid the agony, keeping his features schooled even though he wanted to scream.
“On it, sir.” Chapman left. When the door was closed, Wallace slumped in his chair. He gripped his head, gritting his teeth.
Something definitely had to give. The migraines were getting worse, and Wallace wasn’t sure how much more of this he co
* * * *
“Are you kidding me?” Winfred Rickman waved the ticket at Deputy Hayley’s face, which wasn’t easy considering how tall the cop was. “A jaywalking ticket? Do cops even give these out anymore?”
Hayley ground his teeth. “You nearly caused an accident shooting out into the road, Winnie. I can’t just let that slide.”
“I’m late getting back from lunch.” Winnie had made fast friends with Steven Dunkin when Steven had brought his new kitten into the vet to have a checkup. Winnie and Steven were like two peas in a pod, and Winnie had lost track of time while they’d eaten at the diner.
Hayley pressed his hands on his hips. “Now you’re even later because you broke the law and nearly got two people killed.”
“You’re heartless.” Winnie couldn’t afford a ticket. Hayley could’ve let him off with a warning.
Hayley narrowed his eyes, but he also looked wounded from Winnie’s statement. “Make sure you pay it.”
With what money? Winnie and his cousin, Lenny, had gone to Falls Bend last night to party. It wasn’t as if Winnie could afford it, but damn it, he worked hard, and once in a while, he wanted to enjoy his paycheck.
He just wished he and his cousin had gone another night. Winnie was still in shock he’d witnessed a violent crime. Worse, he’d jumped right in when that guy had fallen to the ground with blood pouring from his guts.
Lenny hadn’t been outside with Winnie. His cousin had gone to the bathroom while Winnie had waited on him. The attack had happened so fast that Winnie, at first, wasn’t even sure what was going on.
“Be more careful,” Deputy Hayley said before getting into his cruiser and driving away.
Winnie hurried to the vet clinic, dreading the lecture he would get from Dr. Westbrook. For the third time this week, Winnie was late returning from lunch.
As he walked to work he thought of the guy he’d seen last night. Not the attacker, but the man who had been the target. Tall guy, lean with muscles and the most gorgeous gray-green eyes Winnie had ever seen. He shivered just thinking about the mysterious man.
Too bad he’d never see the guy again.
Winnie also thought about the guy he’d tried to save. The stranger had jumped in front of Gorgeous Eyes and taken the knife to his gut. Winnie had tried everything in his power to stop the flow of blood. Even though he wasn’t a doctor, he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. Instinct had just kicked in, and Winnie had gone into action, no thought for his own safety.
The guy had died before the ambulance had shown up, and the man’s last breaths still haunted Winnie.
“Third time this week,” Dr. Westbrook said when Winnie entered the vet clinic. “Is there a reason why you’re returning so late?”
Dr. Anthony Westbrook was a sweet, fair man, but he did have a business to run. Winnie started to lie, but he wasn’t that type of man. “I got caught up with Steven Dunkin at lunch, and then Deputy Hayley held me up even longer when he gave me a stinking jaywalking ticket.”
Winnie slapped the ticket onto his desk. He still couldn’t believe Hayley had done that to him. Winnie had been living in Maple Grove only six months, but he’d thought all the cops were nice.
Clearly at least one of them was a prick.
Dr. Westbrook looked down at the ticket and shook his head. “Did you jaywalk?”
“Tell me you’re not on his side,” Winnie argued while stomping his foot. “Deputy Hayley was exaggerating when he said I almost caused an accident. Those two cars didn’t even touch.”
Dr. Westbrook rolled his eyes. “Try not to be late again, and use the crosswalk. They’re there for a reason.”
Who used crosswalks? Winnie had seen plenty of people jaywalking. Why was the cop picking on him? When the doctor walked away, Winnie sat behind his desk and whipped out his phone, texting Lenny to tell his cousin what had just happened.
“Are you going to get any work done today?” Dr. Westbrook asked when he returned.
Winnie tossed his phone onto the desk and hurried to the kennel area where the animals were housed. He started cleaning out the cages, feeding the critters who’d stayed overnight, and mopped the floor.
Belinda, the vet assistant, popped her head into the room and smiled. “Got into trouble again?”
She was in her early twenties with a pixie haircut and pretty gray eyes. But she could also be a bitch at times. Belinda did little things that irritated Winnie, like when she said snarky comments or purposely mixed up charts so Winnie would appear incompetent.
One time she’d even left a cage open after a cat had been spayed. Pie, the cat, had been so out of it from the drugs that she’d nearly tumbled out.
Dr. Westbrook had given Winnie an earful that day.
Winnie had always been nice to her, but there were just some evil people in the world that hid their wickedness well.
“No,” Winnie lied. He walked past her, ignoring the smirk on her face as he went back to his desk. There were files sitting there that he needed to enter, and having Belinda hovering near him got on his last nerve. There was no way anyone could convince Winnie that she wasn’t prejudiced against gay people. Her family had lived in Maple Grove for generations, and they were one of the families that had loudly protested the gentrification of the town and allowing it to be “overrun” with gay people.
Although that hadn’t been what Belinda’s grandmother had called Winnie. The term she’d used had been a hell of a lot more offensive, and Belinda had apologized for her grandmother’s colorful word. Though Winnie suspected Belinda hadn’t really meant her apology. She’d just done it because Dr. Westbrook had been at the front desk at the time. The doctor had looked pissed, and Belinda hadn’t brought her grandmother in since.
She crossed her arms. “Maybe if you stopped having lunch with your boyfriend you wouldn’t come back late.”
Before Winnie could tell her that Steven was just a friend, Moose came in with two dogs on leashes. It was time for Bayne’s and Boone’s checkups.
They sat obediently, their tails wagging, but they didn’t move when Belinda petted their heads. “Such good boys. Yes you guys are.”
“Hey, Winnie.” Moose winked at him. “How’s your day going?”
Belinda glared at Winnie before she walked to the back to let Dr. Westbrook know that Moose was there.
Winnie got up and went to the dogs, kneeling in front of them. He pulled two dog biscuits from his pocket and gave them to the dogs.
“You spoil them,” Moose said. “Grayson already sneaks them treats, and our granddaughter is constantly feeding them cookies.”
Winnie chuckled. “They’re very well behaved. I see why they get so many rewards.”
“I just put a lot of work into their training. That’s all. They’re easy to teach.” Moose petted their heads, yet the dogs still sat still. They were amazing compared to some of the pets brought in. Just yesterday some guy brought a mixed mutt in, and the large dog had gone wild, not listening to a word his owner had said.
“Come over to the desk and sign them in,” Winnie said. He got up and wiped the fur from his clothes as best he could.
When Moose approached the desk, he looked at the ticket Winnie had forgotten to put away. “Got into trouble?”
Winnie grabbed the ticket and shoved it into his pocket. “Not big trouble. Deputy Hayley got me for jaywalking.” Winnie sighed. “It was my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going, in a rush to get back here, and ran out into traffic.”
Moose winced. “Sorry to hear that.”
Moose and the sheriff were life partners, but no way would Winnie ask for Moose to make the ticket disappear. It truly was Winnie’s fault, even if he’d thrown a fit about it. Hayley had just been doing his job.
Belinda returned, all fake smiles. Winnie knew it was fake because Belinda was well aware that Moose was gay. She’d commented one day how that was a waste of such a good-looking man. “Dr. Westbrook will see you now, Mr. Zitelli.”
“Up,” Moose said, and his dogs rose from their sitting position. They walked right next to the giant as he passed Winnie.
