Captivated by the She-Wolf

by Kristal Hollis

  “Later, Mom.” Alex jumped out of the car and darted inside to change into his work coveralls.

  Rafe strolled into view, wiping his hands on a shop towel. “That was something, outside Mabel’s.”

  “You saw that, huh?” Why couldn’t he have had his head stuck under the hood of something at that time?

  “I don’t think anyone with a view of the diner missed it.”

  “Bodie.” How could she explain? “He’s being a good friend.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Jeb’s SUV slowly drove by and continued past her store. Breathing easier, she hoped he stayed away for the rest of the day. Rest of her life, actually.

  “Jeb said he’s meeting with you, Gavin and Brice tonight.”

  “Yep. Got the call from Gavin about an hour ago.” Rafe tucked the shop towel into his pocket. “Gavin is going to establish rules, boundaries and consequences for Jeb.”

  “Good! I don’t appreciate him showing up unannounced at my store or Alex’s school.”

  “I’ll make sure Gavin knows. He won’t take kindly to Jeb going behind his back, or yours.”

  “How long is this ordeal going to last?” Not knowing one minute to the next what to expect from Jeb was already wearing on her nerves and he’d been in town less than a day.

  “Gavin told Jeb that he could visit with Alex tomorrow night during supper at your house, as you suggested. Then he’s expected to leave and not return unless Gavin gives him permission to come back.”

  “Jeb doesn’t like rules and restrictions.” He did what he wanted, when he wanted, without regard for what others wanted.

  “He doesn’t have to like ’em,” Rafe said. “But he will have to abide by them. You and Alex are Walker’s Run pack now.”

  Ronni felt a small measure of relief, but until Jeb actually left Walker’s Run, she would be on edge. “I’ll have supper ready by seven.” And, afterward, she hoped never to lay eyes on Jebediah Lyles again.

  “Are you coming?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Rafe said.

  “I’ll invite Bodie, too.” Since he mentioned wanting to come, she was at least obligated to ask.

  He had a way of putting her at ease and she would definitely need his talent to get through the evening without having a nervous breakdown.

  And sharing a lip-numbing good-night kiss with him would be a good way to end an otherwise crappy evening.

  Chapter 10

  Bodie stared at the grocery list Willow had texted him. Yeah, Anne’s Market was technically on his way home from the DNR office but his mother could’ve used her car to go to the store rather than asking him to pick up what she needed. Since coming to Maico, Mary hadn’t driven once at night because she didn’t know the roads and said she was too old to learn. However, she was many years away from actually growing old.

  He didn’t know if her behavior was a protest or if something was wrong, despite her affirmations to the opposite.

  Collecting a shopping cart, he glanced out the large storefront window. From this view, he couldn’t quite see Ronni’s store, but the lights had been on when he’d turned onto the one-way street around the town square and parked at the market.

  The trip to his office after lunch to turn in paperwork was nothing more than a blur. His mind had replayed the kiss with Ronni so many times that he’d felt as if they were still lip-locked. If not for his family waiting for him at the camper, Bodie would’ve forgone the groceries and headed straight to her.

  No woman had ever intrigued him the way Ronni did. That she was also a she-wolf was advantageous, but he was also drawn to her as a person.

  She responded well to his teasing; not all women did. And he just felt downright comfortable being with her. Sure, she was conflicted about her own feelings toward him but he was going to enjoy winning her over, despite the complication with Jeb.

  Friday night, he’d hated when every sudden movement or sound unnerved her. Hated the anticipatory fear that made her hands tremble, especially having been on the receiving end of her gentle kindness.

  No one was going to harass Ronni while he was watching over her. Which meant he’d be back on his perch tonight until she was safely locked inside her house.

  Bodie reviewed the list again and headed to the fruits and vegetable section. Several women labored over which head of lettuce or bag of oranges to buy. With their human senses less refined, picking produce was more of a guessing game.

  Quickly scanning the shelves and bins, he selected optimum bags of potatoes, onions, peppers and Willow’s favorite green apples. Ready to head to the next aisle, he watched a cute brunette pick up a cantaloupe, squeeze and sniff it. She hesitated, feeling the others.

  “I wouldn’t get that one.” Bodie pushed his cart alongside hers. “Unless you plan on eating it as soon as you get home. It’s already peaked. By tomorrow, it’ll be too ripe.”

  “I need one for Saturday.” She gazed at him with big, green eyes. Green-eyed brunettes had been his “type” until he’d encountered a blue-eyed she-wolf. “Which one would you get?”

  Bodie quickly located a melon that would ripen sufficiently. “This one.”

  He held it for her to take.

  “Thank you.” Her fingers brushed his hands. The innocent graze lacked the sizzling awareness in Ronni’s touch.

  “You must be Bodie,” the woman said before he could walk away. “I heard a game warden moved to town.” A coy smile curved her painted lips. “I’m Gillian.”

  Her gaze drifted to his left hand and lingered. She wasn’t the first to check for a ring.

  “I hate to meet and run,” he said politely, “but I need to finish shopping and get home to my family.”

  “Oh!” Her eyes widened. “Thanks for helping me pick out a melon. Next time I see you, I’ll let you know how it tasted.”

  “Okay.” He angled his cart around hers and resumed shopping.

  In the meat section, he made the same mistake and intercepted a woman about to place a nearly rancid package of chicken thighs into her basket. Thankfully, Willow called to check on his progress and he escaped what could’ve been a lengthy personal interrogation.

  After assuring Willow he would be home soon, Bodie gathered the remaining items on the list.

  “Excuse me.” The woman he was trying not to make eye contact with stepped in front of his cart. “Would you get the jumbo cups down from the top shelf? I can’t reach them.”

  Bodie parked his cart and stepped up to the shelves. “Blue or red?”

  “Red,” she practically purred in his ear.

  “You’re a bit close,” he said. “I don’t want to bump you with my elbow.”

  “Oops.” A throaty laugh filled his ears.

  Oh, boy.

  Bodie reached up, clasped the bag and turned around. The woman loomed in his personal space again. He held the bag between them. “Anything else?”

  “What are you offering?” Her seductive smile muffled a faint growl.

  If he were human, Bodie doubted he would’ve heard it. Since he wasn’t, he knew to tread carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off a she-wolf.

  “I’m not offering anything other than a helpful hand to reach what you can’t.”

  “Mmm, I have a few places I wouldn’t mind your hand reaching. Or scratching.” She pulled the bag of cups from his hands, dropped it in the cart behind her and cozied up against him. “Or petting.”

  “Bodie?” Ronni’s voice was a welcome relief until he saw her unamused face. Apparently, he’d been too concerned with pissing off the wrong she-wolf.

  “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “It looks like Delilah is pawing you like a bear after the honey pot.”

  Okay, that observation was pretty spot-on.

  “She asked me to grab her cups.”r />
  “I bet she did.”

  Delilah laughed but Ronni did not.

  “Delilah, please excuse us.”

  “Relax, Ronni. I was just having a little fun at his expense.” Delilah stepped away from Bodie and collected her cart, swinging her hips exaggeratedly as she walked.

  Ronni cleared her throat.

  “I was just thinking.” Bodie sidled up to her, his hands naturally gravitating to her waist. “Your strut is much better.” He pressed his mouth against the shell of her ear. “So sexy.”

  “I don’t strut.” There was a playful undertone to her indignation and he liked that she hadn’t automatically assumed that he had been hitting on the other woman, which of course he hadn’t been.

  He stepped back to give her a little space. “Obviously, you haven’t seen yourself from my viewpoint.”

  “My bathroom mirror is clear enough.”

  Oh, what he might give to be that mirror one morning. He collected his cart. “So did you follow me in here because you can’t stop thinking about that kiss?”

  “What kiss?” She gave him a perfectly innocent look.

  “I’m more than willing to give you an instant replay. Right here, right now.”

  Dark pupils in an ocean of blue dilated and her delicate nostrils flared as she wet her lips. “I’ll consider a rain check.”

  “Deal!” He stuck out his hand.

  “You aren’t going to fool me twice.” Despite her dubious expression, a small smile toyed with her lips before she glanced away and he sensed her growing anxiety.

  “Hey,” he said gently, drawing her close. “Something wrong?”

  Shaking her head, she toyed with his open collar and ran her fingers across his Kevlar vest. Her gaze lifted to his face. Uncertainty had replaced the delightedness he’d seen when they parted after lunch. “Were you serious about coming to supper with us and Jeb?”

  “Absolutely. Would you mind if I bring Willow and my mom?”

  “The more the merrier, I guess. Rafe will be there, too.” She let out a weighted breath.

  “Mom!”

  “I’ll text you the details,” she said, moving out of his arms.

  “I got the sandwiches from the deli,” Alex called, coming up the aisle.

  “Thanks, hon.”

  “What’s up, Mr. G?” Alex stopped beside Ronni. Not even fully grown and he was already half a foot taller than his mother.

  “I was talking to your mom about something really spectacular that happened at lunch.”

  “What was it?”

  “Nothing that concerns you.” Ronni motioned Alex to start walking. “Good night, Bodie. Nice seeing you again.”

  Nice? That was as bad as her calling him cute.

  “Don’t forget! Raincheck on that instant replay, right?”

  She might’ve been shaking her head no, but her sassy sashay said bring it on.

  * * *

  The steady creak of the back porch swing was Ronni’s only company, except for the large raven in the tree. The warm glow of his golden eyes and his quiet song, soft like a lullaby, ate away some of her worries.

  All things considered, today wasn’t quite as bad as it could’ve been. Jeb’s sudden intrusion into her life had been mitigated by Bodie’s timely appearance. And his kisses... Well, sometimes a woman got exactly what she longed for and she had been dreaming of kissing Bodie since Friday night.

  Unfortunately, she discovered that he wasn’t the type of kisser to put fantasies to rest. The reality was that he inspired a whole lot more.

  Restless, Ronni needed to stretch her limbs, settle her thoughts about Bodie and mentally prepare for Jeb as a dinner guest in her home.

  After leaving the market tonight, she’d talked to Alex about his uncle and the supper invitation she’d extended. Alex had vacillated between curiosity about getting to know his father’s brother and frustration at the possibility that Jeb could take them away from all they had grown to love. Ronni had assured Alex that she would absolutely not let that happen.

  Come what may, it was a promise she intended to keep.

  Placing her cooled cup of tea on the railing, Ronni slipped out of her long-sleeve T-shirt and boy shorts and crouched. Tiny pinches of electricity erupted from her spine and spread along her nerves. Heat flushed her skin an instant before fur covered her morphing body.

  Nails clicked across the wooden planks as she padded toward the steps and leaped from the porch. Squawking, the raven hopped from the shadows. In the moonlight, his inky black feathers shimmered with a silvery luminescence. He spread his wings and launched from his perch. High above her, he circled in a dazzling aerial dance. She loped into the woods and he matched her pace, anticipating her every move.

  It wasn’t quite like running with a wolf, but the raven was company all the same. Weaving in and out of the thicket, he seemed to be playing a game. When his wing grazed her fur, a frisson of awareness electrified her body much like Bodie’s touch.

  The stress of Jeb’s reappearance had definitely screwed with her senses if her instincts confused a bird with a man.

  Strange scents drifted on the wind. Apparently, the raven smelled it, too. He cawed and flew ahead.

  Ronni slowed her trot to a cautious step. Through the trees, she caught sight of three armed men and froze.

  Like the sanctuary, the private forest where most of the pack had built their homes was not a designated hunting area. No Trespassing and No Hunting Allowed signs were posted on all Co-op lands and sentinel patrols routinely canvassed the properties.

  If she howled an alarm, the sentinels would come. Of course, the hunters would then know of her presence. If she attempted to race home, the hunters might still see her and shoot, or they might move on and endanger other packmates.

  But by tracking them from a safe distance, she could gauge where they were going and alert anyone in their path.

  Stepping quietly, Ronni made sure her paws landed softly on the brittle, leaf-covered ground. Any sound could carry on the quiet wind and she couldn’t allow a slipup to give away her position.

  The hunters didn’t seem to follow a particular trail. Rather they meandered along, stopping here and there before starting again.

  The raven sat high in the tree, intently watching the scene below. She hoped he stayed quiet and settled, because even one squawk from him would draw the men’s attention.

  A twig cracked. Ronni hadn’t made the sound but she didn’t dare look around, fearing to take her eyes off the trio of hunters. One stopped, cocked his head and looked around. Though hidden in the shadows, she still felt the man’s gaze rake her fur. Holding her breath, she inched a step back. Her heart pounded to the point of giving away her location. Still his gaze continued to follow her.

  The others turned. Whispers wafted toward her in an indistinguishable buzz.

  “Run!”

  Even as the deep masculine command threaded through Ronni’s mind, her paws scrambled to gain the traction needed for an all-out retreat. Shrieking, the raven took flight, rocketing high into the night sky only to dive in a free fall.

  The woods filled with shouts and shrieks but Ronni didn’t stop. Running full throttle, she zigzagged around the trees.

  Boom!

  A sound like an exploding cannon ricocheted all around her, making the woods tremble.

  Just as she was about to look back for the raven, Ronni sensed the nearness of his presence. Continuing onward, she howled. A chorus of other wolfans answered. The sentinels were close, and they were coming.

  Knowing that didn’t give her any peace. Wolves were no match against guns.

  Near the house, Ronni leaped over a moss-covered log as another shot rang out. The bullet missed, but something sharp sliced through her front paw as it touched the ground. Her leg buckled and she slammed to the ground
with a yelp.

  “Mom!” Alex’s voice screamed through her mind.

  Lifting her muzzle, she watched a tawny wolf launch off the porch.

  “Alex! No!”

  Ignoring her order, he bounded toward her. Another shot blasted.

  Ronni’s heart failed. Alex zagged but didn’t slow down.

  A terrible commotion ensued behind her. The raven’s shriek rang louder and sharper. Ronni glanced over her shoulder. A flurry of feathers flew around a poacher ducking his head beneath his arms to guard his face from the bird’s beak and talons.

  Gratitude burst inside her chest. Ronni pushed herself up. Without touching her injured paw to the ground, she dashed toward Alex, placing herself between him and the hunters. When he saw her racing toward him, he slowed, turning to run beside her when she reached him.

  Blue and red lights flashed through the trees. A measure of relief flowed through her body. Tristan or one of the new pack deputies had arrived. She and Alex leaped onto the porch and scrambled into the house.

  “Mom,” Alex called out after he shifted. “Are you okay?”

  Hyped on adrenaline, Ronni darted into the master bathroom before shifting. Gulping her breaths, she remained crouched on the floor. We’re safe, she repeatedly told herself until her body finally believed her and stopped shaking.

  “Mom?” Panic raised Alex’s voice. “I know you’re bleeding!”

  “I’m okay—it’s just a scratch,” she calmly answered, looking at her blood-smeared palm. “Lock the doors and stay away from the windows.”

  Hearing him walk away, Ronni shut the bathroom door and turned on the faucet, allowing warm water to wash away the blood. After inspecting and thoroughly cleaning the long, shallow wound, she wrapped her hand with a gauze bandage.

  Staring at the disheveled woman in the mirror, Ronni watched grateful tears seep from her eyes. Tonight could’ve ended so differently. She could’ve lost Alex; he could’ve lost her. They could’ve lost each other.

  But they didn’t. Survival was what they knew best.