by Jinx Neale
“They look wonderful.”
Next, Janet took her to a shop that sold local handicrafts and they browsed happily for an hour before visiting the grocery store. Janet purchased large quantities of meat, in addition to the usual groceries. The Hunters really liked to eat, it seemed. It suddenly hit Faith that, as shifters, their metabolism must also be enhanced.
The older woman laughed at Faith’s wide-eyed look. “Don’t worry. This isn’t just for us. We’re having a barbecue tomorrow for the pack. I hope you’ll be there.”
Faith hesitated. “I’m not sure I’ll be around.”
“Oh? Perhaps you’ll change your mind. I know Zane wants you to attend.”
“No doubt,” Faith muttered.
“Is my son giving you a hard time?”
“He’s the bossiest man I ever met!” Faith burst out.
“Just like his father.” Janet’s eyes twinkled. “I do love a masterful man.”
“Janet, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Not to worry,” Janet returned lightly. “I’m just happy he’s finally found a woman he’s interested in.”
Faith flushed and apologized again. She didn’t want to offend this nice lady.
Janet laughed and steered their cart to the checkout. “Let’s go have lunch.”
Once everything was stowed in the car, they made their way to Janet’s favorite restaurant. Cladded in weathered gray siding, with white shutters and a red door, the old Victorian building overlooked the lake. An eyebrow window sat above the front door.
“It’s charming,” Faith said, looking around the cozy dining room, with its antique furnishings and pristine white linen tablecloths.
Janet nodded. “Yes, I like coming here.”
They ordered the special of the day, a shrimp bisque followed by a spinach and cheese crepe. Everything was delicious, including a glass of local wine. They chose coffee instead of dessert. Janet’s lively chatter had dwindled during the meal and as Faith set down her cup, she noticed how pale Janet was.
“Are you feeling all right?”
“Fine, dear, just a little tired.”
Faith stood. “You sit tight and I’ll pay the bill and get the car.” Janet started to object, but Faith shook her head firmly. “Please.”
By the time they arrived back at the Hunters’ spacious log home, Janet’s face was drawn and nearly gray with fatigue. But she was already out of the car and struggling with her bags when Faith reached her side.
“Here, let me help with that.”
Janet gave her a grateful smile and handed her the bags. “Thank you, dear. I’m afraid I bit off more than I could chew with this shopping trip.”
Faith opened the door and dropped the bags on the floor, hurrying back to assist Janet, who walked slowly up the steps, leaning heavily on her. Something was wrong here. This wasn’t the flu. She got Janet settled in her recliner and plugged in the kettle. The older woman’s hand was cold to the touch. Faith found a quilt in the closet and tucked it around her. “I’ll bring you a nice cup of tea.”
Janet smiled and shut her eyes. Faith put the groceries away, waiting for the kettle to boil, and then brewed the tea, her stomach tight with anxiety. Zane couldn’t know how sick his mother really was. She loaded the tea things onto a tray and found some fresh oatmeal cookies, which she placed on a plate.
Janet opened her eyes at the sound of the china clinking. “It’s cancer, I’m afraid. By the time they found the tumor in my brain, it was inoperable.”
Faith sank down onto the sofa opposite. “Oh, Janet. I’m so sorry. What can I do?”
“You can keep on making my son happy.”
Faith bit her lip. “We only just met.”
“Yes, I know.” Janet patted her hand. “But he likes you, I can tell.”
“Is there anything else I can do?”
“You run along, dear.” Janet managed a smile. “I’m going to take a nap. Alec will be home soon.”
Faith hesitated. “If you’re sure.”
“I am. Thank you, Faith. And don’t say anything to the boys. I haven’t told them yet.”
“Of course.”
Poor Janet. What a shame that such a kind and vibrant woman was suffering so. Life isn’t fair, Faith reminded herself as she took the trail back through the woods to Zane’s place. In fact, sometimes it really sucked.
Chapter Six
Zane came up empty in the first round of his search for Lynch. He wasn’t in the diner or the Red Pony or the liquor store. He was strolling along Main Street when he spotted Alton seated at a table in a fancy local eatery. Zane snorted. A vegan restaurant. Why bother?
A hipster maître d’, complete with man-bun, hustled over to Zane when he entered. “May I help you, sir?”
“I’m here to see Alton Lynch.”
The maître d’ sniffed audibly. “If you will wait here, I will let Mr. Lynch know you are asking for him. Your name, sir?”
“Don’t bother. I can find my own way.” Zane pushed past the man. “We need to have a private conversation.” Man-bun was still protesting as Zane slid into the upholstered booth opposite Alton.
Lynch glared at him. “What the hell do you want?”
“Just a little chat.” Zane folded his arms over his chest. “I want to make sure we are clear on the whole Faith Wells situation.”
Lynch eyed him. “What do you mean?”
“I want you to stay away from her,” Zane snapped. “By that, I mean don’t talk to her, don’t look at her. I don’t want Faith to know you still exist.”
Lynch studied Zane’s face for a moment, weighing the threat Zane posed. Whatever he saw made him throw up his hands. “Fine, I won’t talk to her. I live here, dude, can’t help it if she sees me.”
“Not good enough.”
“What more do you want?” Lynch thrust out his lower lip. “Do you want me to leave town, for crying out loud?”
Zane nodded. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I want.”
Lynch gaped at him. “You’re kidding.”
“Actually, I’ve never been more serious.” Zane held the other man’s shifty gaze with his own hard stare.
Alton Lynch swallowed at the menace he read in Zane’s face. He fumbled with his cutlery. “I was thinking of going down south for a few months, anyway,” he muttered.
“Excellent.” Zane stood and waited for Lynch to meet his gaze again, enforcing his will. Alton looked away, submitting to him without even knowing he was doing it.
Satisfied, Zane swept out. He would keep track of the dip-shit and let Faith know when it was safe for her to move back home. Though the thought of her leaving made him feel… dissatisfied. He didn’t like the idea of her being too far away from him. She had already entwined herself in his life and damn, if he wasn’t enjoying it.
“Zane!” Brock crossed the street to intercept him. “When are you planning to get over to the new project?”
“Once I’m sure Alton Lynch has left town.”
“And is he planning to?”
Zane grinned. “It’s a funny thing. That’s what he just told me. I want to be sure he follows through.”
“Okay.” Brock hesitated. “You falling for this girl?”
Zane shrugged. “I don’t want to talk about it. Why don’t we discuss your love life instead? How are things going with the girl from the bookstore?”
“Clara.” Brock’s lips compressed. “She still won’t go out with me. Thinks I’m a player.”
Zane scratched his jaw. “Well, you kind of are.”
Brock scowled. “I’m too young to get tied down.”
“Sure. If Clara isn’t interested, why don’t you ask someone else out instead?”
“Because she’s the only girl I want,” Brock said glumly.
Zane shook his head. “You really are kind of pathetic. Why can’t you just admit that Clara is special? A wolf only has one mate.”
“Thanks for the support, jackass,” Brock muttered.
Zane slapped him on the back. “Anytime. I’ll see you later, bro. I’ve got to get back home.”
“You are one lucky sonuvabitch.”
“And I know it.”
Zane walked back to the truck whistling. He’d dealt with Lynch and teased Brock and was heading home where Faith was waiting for him. He’d stop and get something for dinner. A nice steak, maybe. Suddenly, life tasted pretty damn good.
* * *
Faith was sitting on the back steps watching the wild ducks paddle in the creek when she heard the truck door slam and the sound of Zane’s boots on the front steps.
“Faith!”
“I’m out here.” She stood and dusted off her jeans. “How did things go in town?”
“I talked to Lynch. He won’t be a problem anymore. Seems he’s planning to leave town.”
Faith’s eyes widened. “I don’t believe it. Jared Lynch is king of this town and Alton is the crown prince. He enjoys strutting around and letting everyone know it.”
“I can be very persuasive.”
“Did you hurt him?”
Zane’s mouth tightened. “Are you worried about Lynch?”
“I’m worried that if you hurt Alton, Jared is going to come after you. He’s vicious.”
Zane folded his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged under his tee in a mouth-watering way. No, she wasn’t going to be distracted—much.
“However bad Jared is, he’s human. I can take whatever he dishes out.”
Faith moistened her lips. Bad move. His gaze swung to her mouth and stayed there. “Would you kill him?”
“I can’t lie to you, Faith,” Zane said quietly. “I don’t want to kill anyone. But if my family is threatened, I will take any action I deem appropriate, including that. It’s the way we are.”
“I’m not your family.”
He stepped toward her, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I can’t help wanting to protect you, Faith, any more than I can help breathing. It’s encoded in my genes. The males protect the females, ensuring the existence of the pack.”
“I’m not part of your pack.” She felt her lips tremble. “I’m human.”
Zane lifted her chin, his fingers warm on her skin. “You have the blood of the wolf, Faith. I scented it the first night we met.”
No, this wasn’t happening. She jerked her head away. “You’re crazy.”
“Faith, who were your parents?”
“I don’t know. I was put in foster care when I was only two years old, and the records were sealed. I have no memory of my birth parents. I could apply to have the records opened, but I never bothered.” Faith firmed her lips. “I figured that if my family was fine with abandoning me, I was fine with never knowing them.”
“But that could be why they didn’t raise you,” Zane said, “because you were half-wolf and half-human. I know the wolves would never approve.”
Faith winced at the implication. She was a half-breed. “I guess prejudice exists everywhere.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Zane explained. “Shifter wolves are born, not made. Without the wolf in the blood, there is no wolf in the heart. That’s what the elders say. To continue as a people, we have had to be careful in our choice of mates.”
“That seems a little cold-blooded.”
“Not really.” Zane took her hand, tracing a finger along her palm. Faith suppressed a shiver. “It’s more like biology,” he continued. “I can desire a human woman, but I won’t ever perceive her as a mate. She wouldn’t smell right, wouldn’t trigger those feelings.”
Faith’s brow creased. “Feelings?”
“The ones that make a man—or a wolf—want to settle down, to create a home and a family. The ones that make someone like me want to change their life for one special woman.”
Faith shook her head. “But I can’t shift.”
“I’m not convinced of that.” Zane’s pale gaze was intent. “These symptoms you’ve been having—the headaches, the dizziness, and loss of appetite. They are the same things a young wolf feels before they change for the first time.”
“But you told me that happens much earlier, around puberty.”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s your mixed blood. But I think your body is getting ready for its transformation.”
Faith’s stomach churned, rejecting the idea. “You’re wrong.”
Zane’s eyes blazed. “You’re thinking with your head, not your heart.” His fingers traced the swell of her bosom. “What do you feel in here?”
Faith stepped back. “Nothing.”
Zane shook his head. “No lies between us, Faith. I won’t permit it. It’s disrespectful.”
Faith clenched her teeth. She wouldn’t give away anything for free, especially her feelings. “Drop it, Zane.”
“Have it your way.”
Faith backed away, trembling as she remembered the last time he’d said the same thing. “Don’t.” She wanted it to sound strong, but the word left her mouth with a quiver. It was too late. Zane, the cocky, amusing companion had left the building. The wolf in man’s clothing had replaced him, his eyes burning with things she couldn’t even begin to name.
He grabbed her arm, pulling her across the deck. “Hold on,” he growled. Faith obeyed, her fingers closed over the railing. Zane’s hand snaked around her front, unsnapping her jeans. She gasped as he pulled them down around her ankles, followed by her panties. He smacked her bottom hard. The imprint of his hand felt like a brand.
“You.” Smack. “Won’t.” Smack. “Lie.” Smack. “To me.” Each stroke burned, her flesh vibrating in response to his touch, her traitorous pussy pulsing. Faith’s bottom throbbed, tears welled in her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them fall.
Zane paused. “Well, Faith?” He gathered her hair in his fist and pulled it back, raising her head to meet his gaze. “Are you going to start listening to me?”
He was so strong and she was so tired of fighting him. “I-I’m sorry.”
His hand twisted a shade tighter. “What are you sorry for?”
“Th-that I lied to you. About not feeling anything.”
Zane grunted. “That’s a start.” He spanked her again, right where her bottom curved to meet her thigh. Faith sucked in a breath against the pain. “What else?”
“I’m scared that you may be right. That I may be a wolf, but I can’t change.”
Zane gave her two firm strokes across both cheeks. “And?”
Her bottom ached, skin flaming. Did he want to see inside her soul? “And that I’ll always be an outsider, neither one thing nor the other.”
A final flurry of smacks, first one side and then the other, until Faith’s bottom felt red-hot and swollen. “Good girl.” Zane’s hands were gentle as he stroked her poor, punished skin. “I want to help you, Faith. If you keep denying what you are… it’ll only lead to more pain, and I don’t mean just the punishment. You’re hurting yourself, inside.” Zane pulled up her panties and jeans, and turned her around to fold her into his arms. “You don’t even realize just how strong you are. I wish you could trust me—and yourself.”
Zane held her for a moment, the strong beat of his heart a soothing rhythm beneath her cheek. After a few moments, he sighed and kissed her hair. “I have to get over to the campground to help set up the barbecue. Will you be all right on your own?”
Faith nodded, and Zane left her alone on the deck, reminding her to keep the door locked. A sob escaped her. He was getting too close, but somehow, she couldn’t find the strength to leave him. She walked inside, wincing as her panties rubbed against her freshly spanked flesh. Damn Zane Hunter. He hadn’t tamed her yet.
* * *
Faith put away the last of the dishes and turned to face the stubborn shifter waiting behind her. Zane had returned to pick her up. She stuck out her bottom lip. “I’m not going to the damn barbecue.”
Zane arched a brow. “Yeah, you are. Mom and Dad are expecting you.”
“Please give them
my regrets,” Faith said primly.
“Your regrets?” Zane shook his head. “Dad is the pack alpha. If he wants you at the barbecue, I’m going to make damn sure you show up.”
“I’m not a pack member, Zane,” Faith reminded him.
“Not yet. But once you change…”
“Stop it! I can’t think about that anymore.” Her mouth trembled. “You asked me to give you forty-eight hours and you already talked to Alton. We’re good. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
Zane’s grin was just plain wicked. “Like scorching your bottom?”
“Maybe not that.”
Zane prowled toward her, feral strength wrapped in a mouth-watering package. Faith backed up.
“Uh, uh, little girl. You’re not going anywhere. Not till you play with the big, bad wolf.”
Lord, she was tempted. Zane challenged her, protected her, made her strive to be the best version of herself. Could she really leave all that behind? “I have to get a job, Zane. I can’t just hang around your cabin, dependent on you.”
“Why won’t you just lean on me for a bit? Until you get your life in order?”
It was tempting to take him up on the offer. Faith’s life had been a struggle for so long. A struggle to graduate high school, a struggle to leave this town, a struggle to find a job. And, after all that, Faith still had nothing. “I don’t want to be a burden,” she said quietly.
“Faith, you could never be that. I like having you here. Let me help you, please.”
She wavered then, and Zane must have sensed it, pulling her into an embrace. “Faith, stay.”
His heart beat beneath her ear, a strong steady beat just like the man who held her. All her resistance, her stubborn refusal to yield to this man, crumbled beneath the comfort she could finally admit that she found in his strong arms. This time, when her body clamored for his possession, her brain finally gave permission. “All right,” she whispered.
Zane tipped up her chin, his pale gaze warm on her face as he accepted her surrender. “Faith,” he murmured and claimed her mouth with his. His lips were warm, moving persuasively against hers, the tip of his tongue touching hers, urging her mouth open. Faith melted against him. His tongue surged inside, winding around hers. Faith clutched his collar as Zane plundered her mouth, heart pounding in an insistent rhythm that was echoed by the pulse between her legs. Her fingers found the soft, dark hair that curled around his neck and she tugged, hard. Zane growled and pulled her against his erection, hot and so damn hard. Faith moaned into his mouth. She wanted this, wanted him. He unsnapped her jeans, pulling down the zipper, the tips of his fingers dipping just inside the edge of her panties and then stopping. He was going to drive her insane. Faith pressed against his hand, silently urging him to continue.