“Several.” Bodie rested his hand on the handle of his holstered gun. “Trespassing on private property, hunting in a legally protected area, hunting without your orange safety vests. And I haven’t checked your permits yet. Now tell your friend to come out of the blind. This hunt is over.”
The younger man spit tobacco on the ground. “You gonna arrest us?”
“If you don’t cooperate,” Bodie said.
“You alone?” one of the men asked.
“No.” Not for long, he hoped.
“He’s lying,” the man inside the hunting blind called out. “I ain’t seen no movement since he got here.”
“Doesn’t mean they aren’t there,” Bodie replied.
An older, bearded man emerged and pointed his rifle squarely at Bodie.
“Don’t—” Pain exploded in his upper chest before the blast deafened his ears. He seemed to fall backward in slow motion. But he hit the ground hard, losing what little breath remained in his lungs.
A deluge of memories of Willow as a baby and now nearly grown flooded his mind. So did images of Ronni and Alex. He couldn’t leave them, not like this.
With great effort and pain, he rolled onto his knees and scrambled behind the closest tree. Breathing hard, he drew his weapon.
Raised voices finally penetrated the percussive buzz in his head. Two were panicked. One spoke with deadly calm.
“We do this right and won’t nobody know nothing.” Heavy footsteps started toward Bodie.
A series of short howls echoed through the woods. Bodie needed to disarm the shooter before the wolves arrived. He gathered his strength and pushed to his feet. “Drop your weapon!” Bodie stepped from behind the tree, his gun raised.
“Not a chance.” The man began to lift the rifle at Bodie again.
“I said, drop your weapon!” Movement in Bodie’s peripheral vision kept him from pulling the trigger. A dark blur launched at the man at the same time something large and heavy knocked Bodie to the ground. The hunting rifle discharged, striking the tree behind where Bodie had stood.
The man’s scream drowned in the commotion of raised voices and barking wolves. Bodie couldn’t see what was happening because of the large wolf standing over him. From the gray-blue color of his eyes, Bodie guessed it was Shane. At Tristan’s approach, the wolf moved aside.
Tristan knelt beside Bodie. “I thought you were hit, but I don’t see blood.”
“He got me dead center in the vest.” Bodie glanced at the mark in the tree. “The second might’ve hit me in the head.”
“Glad it didn’t.” Tristan helped Bodie to his feet and knocked debris from his back. “My team will escort those guys to the sheriff’s office. I’ll take you to the hospital, just as a precaution.”
“Appreciate it.” Bodie didn’t know how his chest could feel totally numb and burn like a raging fire at the same time. “I doubt I can drive.”
“Want me to call Ronni to meet us there?”
“No.” Her presence would go a long way in soothing him, but there wasn’t anything she could do to help. “I don’t want her worrying.”
“Word of advice,” Tristan said. “Don’t leave a woman who cares for you out of the loop. She won’t appreciate that you tried to spare her time or worry. Been there, done that. It isn’t pretty when it blows up in your face.”
* * *
“When were you planning to tell me that someone tried to kill you?” Anger and relief wrestled for dominance as Ronni stood in the doorway of the emergency bay, watching Bodie slowly dress. “Or just come home and pretend this didn’t happen?”
“Who told you?” Slowly, he turned around. Guileless relief filled his tired eyes when his gaze touched her face. A massive bruise covered his chest, but as far as she could see, he had no bullet wounds.
“Word travels faster than lightnin’ around here.” Especially for wolfans. Ears particularly honed for her pack’s communication system, she’d heard the network of howls. From the first sharp, icy pain that had sliced through her being, she’d known Bodie was the reason for the man-down signal.
“You should’ve called me.” She swallowed the emotion lodged in her throat.
“If it was a serious injury, I would have.” He closed the physical distance between them and drew her into his arms, dispersing the emotional vacuum.
Her efforts to constrain the sobs wracking her chest only caused her body to tremble.
“I’m okay,” he whispered against her ear.
“You could’ve died.”
“I always wear my vest.”
Having lost her first mate to unexpected tragedy, she found no comfort in Bodie’s words.
Cradling her face, Bodie kissed her, softly, sweetly and lovingly. The anxious knots in her stomach untangled. Fear subsided but something just as dangerous, just as primal, rose.
She wanted this man. Truly wanted him. Not just for the buffer he had provided against Jeb. She wanted Bodie because he made her feel again. Feel like a woman. A desirable woman. A woman with something to offer.
“Pardon the intrusion.” Tristan’s voice broke the spell.
Ronni stepped back and pressed her fingers against her tingling lips.
“Doc said you’re good to go and I was checking to see if you needed a ride home. But I see you don’t.” Tristan grinned.
Ronni walked over and gave Tristan a friendly hug. “Thanks for being there.”
“Always.” He gave Bodie a quick nod. “Take it easy.”
Bodie glanced at Ronni. “I’m not sure I can but it’ll be fun trying.”
With a flash of his trademark smile, Tristan left.
“Let’s get you home.” She turned to Bodie, who was buttoning his shirt.
“And into bed?” His dark brown eyebrows lifted in a devilish tent. “That’s where I should be in my condition.”
“No broken bones, no gaping bullet wounds, what condition are you referring to?” Ronni crossed her arms and forced her lips not to smile.
“The one in my pants.” He hauled her against him, sealed his mouth over hers and kissed her like the devil was riding his heels.
Desire shot through her, molten and all consuming. In the distance, she heard a lone howl but pushed the noise from her mind.
By the time Bodie broke the kiss, she was panting and so was he.
“You’re the only remedy, Ronni.” His voice was rich, sultry and sincere.
“Let’s go home, sergeant. We’ve got a lot of curing to do tonight.”
Chapter 25
“For a man who had a critical condition in his pants, you’re taking a long time with those dishes.” Smiling, Ronni leaned against the kitchen counter. Not only had Bodie washed the dishes, he’d helped to make supper because he hadn’t wanted his mother or the kids to know that he’d been shot.
“I appreciate you knew which critical condition to tend to first.” Bodie towel-dried the pan and tucked it into the bottom cabinet. “It would’ve been embarrassing if I’d passed out from hunger while you were—” he waggled his brows “—curing me.” He laid the dish towel across the empty dish drainer. Then, stepping in front of her, he caged her in his arms. “Thanks.”
“For feeding you supper?”
“You feed so much more than my stomach.” The emotion in his eyes sparked a warm fuzzy feeling in her belly. More than simple desire, the feeling was tangled with a comfortable sense of completeness. She never expected to feel this level of intimacy with another man, especially a human one.
His kiss was sweet, soft and full of longing, but the possessive grip on her hips assured her that he wasn’t a man to be trifled with. Intelligent, strong and with a deep sense of family, he would be a force to be reckoned with if wronged.
With the kids and Mary watching television in the family room, Ronni took Bodie’s hand and l
ed him into the bedroom. He pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the floor.
A dark, angry bruise discolored his upper torso. Tears pricked her eyes. “He really tried to kill you.”
“But he didn’t.” Bodie pressed her hand against the left side of his chest. His skin was warm beneath her palm and she felt the strong, steady drum of his heart even as her hand rose and fell with his breaths.
They took their time undressing each other, stopping for a kiss, a caress, an embrace. He eased her onto the mattress. There was no need for foreplay. He was hard and seeping; she was wet and clenching.
With his knee, he nudged her legs farther apart as he crouched over her. His essence was much more dynamic than she imagined for a human. Bodie radiated a strength and force of will that could rival any wolfan male.
He would make a good mate, someday.
Slowly, he entered her and filled her completely, stretching her inner walls. Their synchronized sighs floated in the silent room.
The rhythm he set was comfortable and satisfying. The way he knew how to comfort and soothe her stirred whispers of things she’d never hoped to have again.
The pesky howl in her mind threatened to become a distraction. She closed herself off to the nagging and focused on how his body joined with hers, the fire smoldering in his eyes and how the masculine strength of his spirit allowed her to let go weighty worries.
Despite recent misgivings, she was still falling in love with him.
“You think too much,” he said in a soft, gravelly voice, then kissed her forehead, easing the tension furrowed in her brow.
“Are you asking for my undivided attention?” she teased.
“Absolutely.” Trailing kisses down her throat, he found the sweet spot where her neck and shoulder joined. He licked, he sucked, but when he nibbled, electricity charged every nerve in her body. She arched beneath him, her nails scraped down the taut muscles in his back and she clenched his ass, pulling him even deeper inside her.
His thrusts grew harder, faster, and the erotic feel of his slick skin against hers drove her over the edge. Her body splintered as waves of ultimate pleasure pulsed along each and every cell. Even as she came undone, she felt Bodie’s presence gathering every piece of her. He filled her mind, body and soul.
“Mine!” His raspy voice echoed through her mind as he shuddered in release.
Her eyelids would’ve popped open if she’d had any ounce of her own strength left. But all she felt was Bodie’s essence ebbing through her, bolstering her and tethering her. To him.
He nuzzled her cheek and resettled his body on her, not his full weight but enough to know he wasn’t ready to withdraw.
“You okay?” His smile was tight but his eyes were warm and tender, and she wanted to curl into his heat.
“Uh-huh” was all she could manage.
Eyes closed, he gently pressed his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes, holding him close. It felt so good to be so connected to another being. She couldn’t imagine anything better than this, right now.
When Bodie eased from her, his warmth remained, almost as if he’d left a piece of himself with her.
“I want to show you something.” His face set in a serious expression, he scooted to the edge of the bed.
Ronni sat up, pulling the sheet over her chest. “Is it good or bad?”
“That’s entirely for you to decide.” He stood. “Just remember, whatever you see, it’s still me.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
He lifted his arms the way an eagle spreads its wings. Then her heart nearly stopped beating.
“Bodie?” Her voice was shrill because she’d been staring straight into his eyes, and then poof. Nothing but air. Something fluttered above her. She looked up and fear clouded her senses. Instinct took over. She rolled off the bed and shifted.
* * *
A frightened she-wolf bearing her pretty, white, sharp teeth in a silent growl wasn’t what Bodie had hoped Ronni’s reaction would be when he shifted. Maybe he should’ve waited a few more days after getting shot, but he wanted her to know him completely.
He alighted onto the tall dresser. “Ronni, it’s me” is what he tried to say, but likely all she heard was a bird-like cawing.
She lunged but didn’t strike. Her low growls sounded ferocious but fear and uncertainty shimmered in her big blue eyes. She truly was brave at heart. A measure of pride welled inside him.
He flew over her head and landed on the bed, then bowed to her the same way he had the night he’d first encountered her in the wolf sanctuary. Her growls softened. She inched closer, her head tilting right, then left as she studied him.
Feeling the imminent danger had passed, Bodie shifted into his human form. “Baby, it’s me.”
The she-wolf jumped back.
“Don’t be afraid.” He slowly reached out his hand, beckoning her forward rather than retreating.
She sat on the floor. The faintest shimmer outlined her silhouette before her beautifully naked human body reappeared.
“I’m not afraid,” she said with a snarl that rivaled her growl. “Get out!” She pointed at the door.
Bodie shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You!” She stormed toward him. Her eyes flashing, her hair a tangled mess. “You—”
“I what, exactly? Deceived you?” He sat more comfortably on the bed and patted the space next to him. “Considering you’re a wolf shifter, isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?”
“You’ve known what I am the whole time?” Her scowl deepened. “You bastard!”
“I wanted to tell you sooner, but first we had to deal with Jeb. Then Mom fell and we moved in. Even if I hadn’t got shot, I planned on telling you tonight.” He pulled her to him. “I want you to know me. All of me.”
“Why?” Suspicion glittered in her eyes.
“I think you’re my soulmate.”
“You think?”
“When I saw your wolf for the first time, there was something about you that intrigued me, but the feeling was stronger than anything I had experienced. There is a connection between us. You feel it, too, don’t you?”
“What I feel is hurt.” Her voice quieted to a whisper.
He tugged her to sit next to him.
“I had planned to reveal my wolf until I sensed you distancing yourself from me in Gatlinburg.”
“I never meant for you to doubt me.” Bodie inhaled deeply. He wanted Ronni as a true partner, not just a bed warmer. “The feather you found was a summons from Willow’s estranged grandfather. After you went to sleep, I went to see him and we had a heated argument because we don’t have the same vision for Willow’s future. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Stop doing that.” The blue in her eyes turned a frosty gray. “I’m not fragile, I’m a capable she-wolf and I can handle bad news.
“Zeke knew Jeb was alive and didn’t tell me. Now I’m dealing with the consequences of him not wanting to worry me. I’d rather deal with issues head-on, not scrambling to catch up because I didn’t know they existed.”
“Duly noted!” Playfully, Bodie bumped her shoulder. “Are we good?”
Worry tightened his chest at Ronni’s prolonged silence. He’d wanted his revelation to bring them closer together, but what if it drove them apart?
“Even though I proposed a pretend relationship to deter Jeb, everything that has happened between us is real. At least for me.”
“But you’re a bird. I’m a wolf.”
“So?” Bodie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We have the same family values, we enjoy each other’s company and our human forms fit together quite nicely.”
“But we aren’t human, and I have an Alpha—oh, God.” Standing, she hugged her waist. “I have to tell Gavin.”
<
br /> “No.” Bodie rose to his feet.
“This is Gavin’s territory. And I’ve only been a pack member for a short time. If he learns that I kept a secret about another type of shifter...” She paused. “Are there more? Do you have a flock or something?”
“I have Willow and my mother. We’re the only Tlanuhwa in Walker’s Run. I swear.”
“But there are others, tla-noo-wahs, like yourself?”
He nodded. “Our numbers have dwindled to a few hundred, but I broke with our traditions when Willow was born.”
“Why?”
“I promised her mother things would be different for our daughter. To keep our species from dying out, our Tribunal strictly enforces arranged marriages. Young adults are paired based on pedigree, without a chance to know each other. Layla and I had nothing in common. Had she survived—” he swallowed the burn in his throat “—our marriage would have been unhappy and lonely.”
“Bodie—”
“I will tell Gavin.” He clasped Ronni’s arm. “And as for us, I want you as my lifemate but I don’t want you to feel pressured. So you set the pace. If you want things to speed up or slow down, say so. I’ll follow your lead.” A slight ripple rolled across his shoulders. An alpha in his own right, he didn’t give up control lightly. “Deal?”
After his heart pounded a dozen times, she answered with a nod and he could actually breathe again. Everything was coming together and he’d never been happier.
So why did he feel as if Fate was about to drop a ten-ton weight upon his head?
Chapter 26
Bodie’s chest rose and fell in rhythm with his shallow, soundless breaths. Ronni couldn’t blame her inability to sleep on his snoring. Lying on his back, one arm thrown behind his head, the other hand resting on her hip as she propped on her side watching him, he wasn’t making a peep.
Part of her wanted to press against him so that his heat would chase away the hollow uncertainty gnawing her stomach. The other part wanted to roll him off the bed to get some satisfaction in hearing him thud to the floor. A small penance for his deception.
If he hadn’t known she was a wolf shifter, Ronni wouldn’t have been wounded by his decision to reveal his raven because it would’ve been a demonstration of trust. Waiting simply reinforced that he didn’t trust her. At least not completely.
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