by Kate Douglas
A soft whine woke her. Blinking, she stared at the partially open door, where two wolves waited in the dim glow from the porch light, but she wasn’t awake because it was still her dream. The Manny wolf and the Drew wolf stood in the doorway. “C’mon in, boys,” she said. “The bed’s big, and there’s plenty of room.”
That was all it took. The two of them crossed the room, their toenails clattering across the hardwood, and easily jumped up on the bed. They were huge, but this was still a dream, wasn’t it? She’d always had such lucid dreams, and so often they turned out to be more truth than fantasy. This one was definitely a fantasy, though. Smiling, she scooted to the middle of the bed and patted the space on her left. “Manny, you sleep over here. Drew? You stay on that side. And don’t either of you crowd me. I’m used to sleeping alone.”
She leaned over and kissed Manny on the nose, did the same to Drew, and then curled up between two big, warm wolves and went back to her dream.
Manny stared at Drew, who stared right back at him. How the hell had she known? She wasn’t even completely awake, and yet she’d recognized the two of them. But would she remember in the morning? He did the wolf equivalent of a shrug and lay down beside Jules. After a moment, Drew did the same, but Manny wondered if either of them would actually sleep tonight.
Monday morning
Meg was awake at her usual time, in the dark. Damn it. She glared at the clock by the bed. 5:00 A.M. She was on vacation—why couldn’t she just sleep in once? At least until the sun came up!
She wasn’t one of those people who could go back to sleep once she was awake, and there was no way she could lie in bed all morning. Crawling out of bed, half-asleep and grumpy, she stumbled into the bathroom. A quick shower had her more awake, so she dried off and grabbed the really nice plush robe hanging from a hook on the bathroom door, combed her hair back into a ponytail, and headed for the little kitchen area where she remembered seeing a coffeemaker.
If there was a coffeepot, there had to be coffee. She found everything where it should be and stood by the front window in the dark, waiting while the coffee brewed. With the lights turned off inside, the barest hint of pale sky shimmered in the east. As tall as the mountains were, it probably took a while for the sun to actually show itself, but she did love this time of morning.
If only Zach were here to share it with her.
The coffeemaker gave out a long whoosh and shut off. As she turned to fill a cup, movement across the room caught her eye. “Oh. My. God.” Thank goodness there was a chair behind her, or she would have ended up on the floor.
“There’s a wolf on my bed.” She rubbed her eyes. “I thought I dreamed you. Trak did say you might show up. Have you been here all night?” She remembered a wolf coming to her cabin, inviting him in, and watching him jump up on the bed, but she’d been positive she’d dreamed it. Or imagined it.
“Well, I’m going out to sit on the front porch and watch the sun come up. Would you care to join me, or do you intend to go back to sleep?”
The blasted wolf actually wagged his tail, just like a big dog. “C’mon, boy.” She looked through the cupboards and found a popcorn bowl, filled it with water, and set it out on the porch. Filling her coffee cup, she went outside and sat. A moment later, the wolf joined her.
He got a drink out of the bowl and then took off for the woods. He was only gone a couple of minutes—long enough to find an appropriate tree, Meg figured—and then he was back on the porch, curled up on the wooden deck beside her chair.
“I’m glad you’re here, even though you’ve totally destroyed that whole vicious wild wolf thing you guys have going.” She reached over the arm of the chair and rubbed his head. “I’m sure someone somewhere is going to hunt you down and take away your pack membership. You’re absolutely precious, do you know that?”
He stared at her with those intelligent brown eyes, and she swore he was grinning at her stupid comments. He felt like a friend, one she could tell anything and know he’d keep her secrets. Well, of course she could—who was he going to talk to?
“I really envy you. All you have to worry about is being a wolf. The best wolf you can be. I think that would be such a wonderful way to live.” She sipped her coffee. The wolf studied her, as if waiting for her to say more. “What does one talk about with a wolf? Any suggestions?” He watched her, unmoving. “I thought not. Well, I’m getting married soon. Unless, of course, I chicken out, which could very well happen.”
The wolf rested his chin on her left foot. She rubbed his head with her right foot, scratching behind his ears with her toes. The silly beast groaned and leaned heavily against her leg. “The thing is,” she said, staring blindly at the dark forest, “it’s really hard for me to have a man like Zachary love me like he does. There’s no reason for me not to believe he’s sincere, but it’s just so hard. He’s amazing, and I’m just …”
She sighed, not looking at the wolf, still staring into the forest. Lighter now, or her eyes were adjusting. The trees not as dark, the sky taking on more color. “I guess that doesn’t make sense without background, does it? See, I always figured my parents loved me. I mean, that’s what parents do, right? Love their kids? But one night when my mother was drinking, she told me I was a mistake, that she never wanted to be a mother. She never wanted kids. Neither did my father—it’s not a good feeling, to have your parents tell you that you’re the result of a broken condom. A mistake that meant they had to get married. And now, when Zach is so sweet to me, I feel like such a fraud. Logically, I know there’s nothing wrong with me, but inside, I don’t think I’ll ever get past thinking I’m not worth it. Not worth his love. I love him so much, yet I can’t make myself believe I’m worth loving, that he could possibly love me the way I love him. He’s everything I’m not. I’m terrified that after this week apart, he’s going to realize how much happier he is without me. That’s why I wanted to come here for a week. To give him the chance to find out how he really feels. It’s going to kill me when he tells me he wants to cancel the wedding, but I’m positive that’s what he’s going to do.”
Elle awoke once during the night, so warm and comfortable she couldn’t figure out what had awakened her. The soft snoring beside her brought her wide awake, and the soft glow from the night-light in the bathroom left her smiling. There was a wolf in her bed. Snoring.
Snuggling close, she buried her face in the thick fur at his neck. He smelled like Tuck. Smiling, she drifted back to sleep.
Jules came awake slowly, but when she tried to roll over and couldn’t, her eyes flashed wide and she bit back a scream. Then she just lay there and giggled. She had a wolf on either side of her, on top of the blankets, pinning her down.
And both of them were staring at her. “I thought I dreamed you guys, but you’re really here.” She stared at the blue-eyed wolf and then the one with dark brown eyes. Stroking his head, she said, “I dreamed that you were Armando.” She glanced at the blue-eyed wolf. “And you were Drew. But that’s not possible. Is it?”
The wolves stared at her, unblinking. She still felt as if the brown-eyed wolf was the man who’d walked her home last night and the one with blue eyes was that truly good-looking guy she’d met at dinner, which was totally bizarre.
“Or is it?” Shaking her head, she gave each one a hug. “I’m going to need to think about that one. Now off, okay? I need a shower, and then I want to go to the lodge for breakfast, and I don’t want to miss the hike today.”
She opened the door to let them out, took a quick shower, and then made a cup of coffee. Sitting out on the front porch, she thought about those wolves in her bed, but as much as she wanted to put her crazy thoughts aside, she couldn’t. It wasn’t physical resemblance, obviously, and it wasn’t even the eye color. It was more an inner sense that told her the men and the wolves were one and the same.
Finishing her coffee, she rinsed the cup and left it beside the sink. Obviously, she’d been working too hard. Either that or she was merely losing her
damned mind.
Dar awoke to a soft knock on the door. It was barely seven, and she’d slept better than she had in months. She’d had such a wonderful night, dreaming Lawz slept beside her, except he was a huge, silvery-gray wolf with glimmering canines and a black saddle-shaped patch over his shoulders and back. He’d been wonderfully warm, and he’d made her feel safe.
She heard the knock again, so obviously she hadn’t imagined it. Yawning, she stretched her arms over her head. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Lawz. Are you awake?”
“I am now. If you don’t mind seeing me with my eyes still half shut, c’mon in.” Of course, there was damned little of her he’d missed last night. She was smiling at the thought when he pushed the unlatched door open with his shoulder and walked in, carrying a couple of cups of something smelling suspiciously like caffe mocha latte. She scooted back against the headboard, dragging the blanket up to cover herself.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. Breakfast is cooking, and your friends are already beginning to straggle in. I was getting worried.”
He handed a big ceramic mug to her, and she held it to her nose. “Okay. How did you know this was my favorite?” She took a sip and moaned. “This is wonderful. Thank you.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, holding the extra cup. “Did you sleep well?”
She tilted her head, stared at him, and wondered. That dream had felt so real. Smiling, she sipped her coffee and said, “Don’t you know? Wasn’t that you sleeping beside me last night?”
“Not me.” Shaking his head, he said, “I tucked you in after you just about wore me out, but I left the door ajar the way you’d said to. It wasn’t me. You had a wolf in your bed last night. I saw him leave a while ago.”
She’d always been good at reading people. In fact, her real talent was lost on the job she had as a weather reporter because she always knew if someone told the truth, and Lawson Jakes was lying. She wasn’t going to push him. Not this morning.
“Well, damn,” she said. “And here I thought you’d come back and crawled into bed with me.”
He laughed, and his eyes twinkled. “I wish it had been me. It could have been, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome. Last night was a bit much for your first night here.”
He still wasn’t telling the truth.
“Last night was amazing, but I need to get up and get a quick shower. I’ll be down at the lodge as soon as I can get there. Thank you for this.” She held up the cup and then leaned over and kissed him, and it was every bit as good as she remembered.
But something was going on, and she was going to keep an eye on this guy.
As hot and sexy as he was, that shouldn’t be too difficult.
Kentucky, Lawson, Armando, and Drew led the four women away from the lodge along the trail to Blackbird Lake. It was an absolutely spectacular morning as Trak watched them go. The women were laughing, the men teasing, and he should have had his camera out for pictures, because they looked like a blasted advertisement for Feral Passions, all of them hiking out along the trail through a meadow of wildflowers.
As soon as they were gone, he grabbed Evan, and the two headed for the private office behind the kitchen. “Now tell me again what Armando said.”
“When Jules woke up, she looked at him in all his wolven glory and said she’d dreamed he was Armando. And then when she looked at Drew, she said that he was Drew, only she knew that couldn’t be true. Then after she thought a moment, she said that maybe it was, or something like that. The guys are convinced she knows, and I swear I’ve never seen Manny so freaked out. Lawz had a similar experience when he took coffee to Darian. She said something about him spending the night with her, and he told her no, that it had been a wolf, but he said she didn’t seem to believe him. Meg doesn’t suspect you at all, but even Elle mentioned something about the wolf sleeping beside her reminding her of Kentucky. Said he smelled like Tuck. It’s flat-out weird, Trak. What do we do if they have us figured out? We didn’t plan for anything like this.”
“No,” he said, staring out the window at the mountains he loved so much. “We didn’t. Maybe we should have.” He turned to Evan. “I have no idea how we’re going to handle this. See if you can get hold of Brad or Cain. Cherry might have some ideas. If they’re not too far away, ask if they mind cutting their trip short. I’m at a loss here. I really don’t get it. Cherry’s the only one all season long to figure out her guys were wolves, and now we’ve got three women with suspicions? Not good. Not good at all.”
He had no idea what the solution might be. They’d never been faced with exposure before. Not like this. Never faced the risk of giving up everything, of going into hiding.
But what alternative was there?
CHAPTER 7
It was an ideal morning for a hike. Lawz led the group, but Dar stayed back with Meg. None of them had had a chance to talk to her yet about Jules’s suspicions, and while Dar honestly didn’t think Meg wanted out of her upcoming marriage, there was obviously something very wrong. She should be having a blast up here, but instead she’d been introspective and quiet, which was totally out of character.
Glancing up, Dar caught Jules’s eye and motioned for her to join them. She smiled, said something to Armando, and waited until Dar and Meg caught up with her. “How’s it going, ladies? Legs okay?”
Meg actually laughed. “I think I’d do better in heels, I wear them so much.”
Meg kept up the steady pace without getting winded. Even Dar was beginning to feel the climb.
Meg just kept moving. “What do you guys think of this place? Glad we picked it?”
Dar glanced at Jules, and they both burst out laughing.
“Okay.” Meg glanced from one to the other. “What am I missing?”
“Uhm …” Jules blushed beet red. “I think Dar was the first of the group to lose her Feral Passions cherry.”
Meg stared at Dar with her mouth open. Dar merely shrugged, but it was a struggle not to laugh.
Before Meg came up with either a question or an answer, Elle slowed until they caught up and interrupted. “If it wasn’t Dar, it was me.” She waved an imaginary fan in front of her face. “That man is just so fine.”
“Wow.” Meg lost it then, and it took a few minutes before she could catch her breath, she was laughing so hard. “I had no idea you girls worked that fast. I mean, I know you’re good, but, just, wow.”
Dar poked Jules in the ribs with her elbow. “Yeah, well, Jules here outdid both Elle and me. She might not have gotten around to doing the nasty, but she did have two guys in her bed all night.”
“Yeah.” Jules rolled her eyes. “But they had eight legs between them, so I don’t think that counts.”
They were all laughing when they rounded a bend in the trail, and Tuck waved them over to a shady spot beside a small creek. “Time for a break, ladies.” He spread a blanket on the ground and set out a few containers of fresh berries and grapes, a tray with brie and crackers, and paper plates.
They settled in for a short feast while Manny and Drew went up the trail to make sure everything was open. There’d been a heavy rain just a few days earlier, and they wanted to check for damage. Tuck and Lawz sat on a log a few yards away, giving the women privacy, which was exactly what Dar had been waiting for.
She sat next to Meg with Jules and Elle on the opposite side. “Meg? What’s going on?”
“What?” Meg looked from one to the other. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not you.” Dar shrugged. “We’re worried about you. You don’t seem at all happy about your wedding. Is there something we should know about Zach? I mean, do you still love him? Are you excited about the wedding or having second thoughts? He’s not abusive or …”
“No. No and no.” She laughed, but it was colored in sadness. Dar read that as clear as could be. “Zach’s wonderful.” She shrugged and glanced away.
Meg definitely wasn’t lying. “Then what?” Dar grabbed Meg’s hands. “Something�
�s wrong. What is it?”
“That’s it.” She squeezed Dar’s fingers. “That’s the problem. Look at him! He’s everything I want in a husband. He’s smart and funny, and so damned good looking and sexy he makes me ache. He’s honestly the nicest man I’ve ever known. He’s dynamite in bed, he was rich even before he inherited a fortune, and he says he loves me more than anything in the world.”
“And your problem is?” Jules’s dry comment had even Meg cracking up.
“My problem is, how can he honestly love me? I mean, why me?” She pulled free of Dar’s gentle grasp and twisted her hands in her lap, and it was obvious this wasn’t Meg looking for compliments. This was Meg honestly afraid she’d made a huge mistake in trusting Zach with her heart. “I’m scared to death he’s going to wake up next to me about a week after we’re married and realize he made the biggest mistake in his life. I don’t think I can handle that. He’s going to come to his senses, and when he does, it’s going to kill me.”
“Okay. I don’t see that happening, but obviously you’re worried sick about it.” Dar glanced at the rest of the group. “So how do we fix this? What do you need to know to convince you that Zach truly loves you?”
“I don’t know. But if any of you come up with a good idea, please share.” She brushed a tear off her cheek. “I know I sound like a whiny idiot. Zach’s wonderful, and he’s never done anything to make me doubt him, nothing to make me doubt that he honestly loves me, but I can’t shut that stupid girl up. You know, the one my parents raised who lives inside me and keeps reminding me that I’m really not much of a catch? Can’t shut her up at all.”
Elle turned away from the rest of them and glanced to her left toward a thick stand of cedars. “Did you hear that?”