by Kyle, Celia
“But what? What can you possibly say to excuse the fact you’ve been gone for a week and haven’t even knocked on the woman’s door?”
Kade chewed on the inside of his cheek. He had something to show for his time in Pepper, Georgia. It just wasn’t anything his brother would want to hear about. Such as how he’d spent the last week tracking down the sweet smell of a deliciously tempting female wolf. So far, the closest he’d come to finding the mystery wolf was a ponytail band she’d worn. Her sweet honey and milk scent still clung to it and he wore it on his wrist as a reminder of his personal mission.
He was going to find this woman.
He just had to get his brother off his back first.
“You seriously have nothing to say for yourself?” Mason demanded, dragging Kade back into the conversation. “I called Tessa, you know. She hasn’t so much as had a phone call from you.”
“Fine, fine,” Kade grumbled, “I’ll take care of it.”
Being the brother of the pack’s Alpha wasn’t all fun and games. Just when he wanted to reach through the phone and punch Mason square in the jaw, he had to remind himself that his brother was the most dominant wolf in the pack—their leader. As the leader, he rightfully expected everyone—including his younger siblings—to fall in line. Normally, Kade was fine with going along with everything.
Unfortunately, this situation sure as hell wasn’t normal.
“Whatever’s going on—” Mason continued with authority, his brother’s dominance vibrating through the phone and stirring his wolf. The beast tucked its tail between its legs, not liking that its alpha was angry. “—and for God’s sake don’t tell me what it is—you’re going to complete the mission I assigned you. Get your ass to Tessa’s. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Once inside, pack up that little old lady, along with all of her and Lucy’s shit, and haul it all back to Ashtown. No questions. No hesitation. Is that understood?”
Kade grunted, his wolf’s instincts fighting a vicious battle inside him. They should listen to their alpha, but that female… “I said I’d take care of it and I will.” His beast howled its objection, desperate to find that little female. “Don’t get your tail in a twist.”
He wasn’t sure if he was talking to his brother or his own inner animal.
“Seriously? You’re going there?” The gravelly edge of Mason’s voice annoyed him even more than the commanding tone. “Do you know what it’s like to have a mate so desperate to get her things and her grandmother that she literally will not stop asking you about it? Every time I turn around, she’s there asking if you’re on your way. Then I get the joy of having to say, ‘No, he’s still in Pepper, doing God knows what.’ Then she gives me sad eyes and this little pout, and her voice gets all soft. How do you think that makes me, your alpha, look in front of my new mate? I can’t even get my brother to bring me one old lady.”
Kade rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the picture Mason painted. “Well—”
“Not to mention I nearly step on a damn cat every time I move. This place is crawling with kittens. It’s a biblical plague, except we have tiny furballs instead of locusts.” Mason huffed. “I think I’d prefer locusts.”
“But I—”
“Whatever your excuse, Kade, I don’t give a single, solitary rat’s ass—or cat’s ass. I’m not happy. When I’m not happy, people get hurt. Right now, you’re on the very top of my pain inducing to-do list. Now, Tessa is waiting for you, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get to her house sooner rather than later. Get me?”
Kade’s jaw clenched and he fought to find even one snippet of calm. “Yeah, message received.”
“Good. ‘Cause I won’t have this conversation again.”
Mason ended the call without bothering to say goodbye. Not that he was surprised. Kade glared at his phone for a minute before shoving it in his back pocket.
Yeah, he was pissed at getting his ass chewed out, but he couldn’t deny he’d been shirking his duties a bit. But if Mason had just listened to him for five seconds, he would have understood. Mason had just discovered his fated mate, after all, and his brother had stopped at nothing to have her. Mason couldn’t expect Kade to act any different, even if he was supposed to be helping an old woman pack up her belongings.
Kade needed to find this she-wolf soon or he’d go insane. For the last week, her scent had led him throughout town. Sometimes she’d crisscross her own trail, others he’d scent her along the very outskirts of the small town, and then he’d catch her flavors when strolling down Front Street. She liked to walk, that much was certain. The part that confused him, though, was that her scent was usually mingled with that of dogs. Werewolves enjoyed pet dogs about as much as they enjoyed pet cats.
Not at all.
As far as Kade was concerned, he deserved a damn commendation. Even in his desperation to find this woman he recognized as his mate, he’d managed to keep his wolf contained. He’d kept a low profile—as commanded—which wasn’t easy in a town as small as Pepper.
But thanks to Mason’s demands, time was running out and Kade had little choice now. He needed to do as his alpha commanded. That didn’t mean he’d give up on finding his mate. He simply had to accomplish both before Mason drove down and took matters into his own hands.
Kade knew—without a doubt—where to find Tessa. As for that delicious she-wolf… Maybe it was time to “loosely interpret” Mason’s rules. He’d told Kade to lay low and not draw attention to himself. Well, shifting into a wolf and pretending to be a dog wouldn’t draw attention, right?
Besides, the beast that lived inside him had a far keener sense of smell than he did. As much as he’d tried to avoid it—and as much as he’d denied his wolf’s pleas—Kade had no choice but to shift and track down his mate the old-fashioned way.
He hurried down a side street and ducked behind some shrubbery at the edge of the woods. He shrugged out of his clothes and tucked them, along with his wallet and phone, deep under a bush. He could retrieve them when he was done with his hunt and returned. He didn’t think walking around naked would be considered “low profile.”
Kade loosened the ties on his wolf and the delighted beast bounded forward. He relaxed into the sensations of his shift, letting his animal take the lead while his body lengthened and expanded. The tingle of fur sprouting all over his body came with the prick of his fangs poking into the lips of his growing snout. The familiar thrill of a predator chasing its prey zipped through his bulky, wolf body.
Once on all fours, Kade took a deep breath, his damp nose held high in the air as he searched for the woman’s scent. His upper lip peeled back, frustrated that he didn’t smell her immediately. Darting out from the underbrush, he loped down the path edging the woods, sniffing and snuffling as he went. He’d already searched the area earlier, but he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Having his wolf senses at his disposal meant he’d pick up everything now.
And he did.
Only a handful of feet down the trail, he caught a hint of that intoxicating aroma. Her sweet scent mingled with the honeysuckles growing on a nearby fence, and he couldn’t help but yip with the rush of joy that hit him. Damn, she smelled good! So good he couldn’t wait to strip her bare and coat himself in her scent. Then he’d claim her. Sink his cock and fangs into his mate and tie them together for eternity.
His.
Nose to the ground, he followed her trail, pausing when he reached a higher concentration of her scent. The smell lingered there, stronger than before but tinged with the overwhelming sting of fear. Not just fear. No, it was utter terror. A growl rumbled to life within his chest, his wolf hating that their mate feared anything—anyone.
Because as his beast grumbled and growled, he caught a whiff of another wolf in the area. A wolf that set the fur along his spine on end. A wolf his beast ached to kill even if he wasn’t sure why. That growl grew, volume steadily increasing as he searched the surrounding area. He hunted this other sh
ifter, determined to eliminate the cause of his mate’s fear. If he remained near…
But no amount of searching brought him a fresher trail. That, coupled with the fact that the she-wolf’s scent had stopped suddenly at this spot on the trail, meant she must have turned back.
Kade backtracked until he picked up her fresher flavors. Very fresh. So fresh he couldn’t help but lick his whiskers and drool just a little. He could practically taste her on his tongue, the heady combination of sugar and female. He followed it, attention solely on the trail. The one that led toward the middle of town.
Yeah, a panting, drooling wolf running around the streets of tiny Pepper might be a cause for alarm. He stayed in the shadows, hoping residents would think he was simply a big, dumb, happy dog instead of the dangerous beast that lived inside him.
His claws clicked on the sidewalk as he scanned the street for her. Her smell filled his nose, so he knew she was close, but didn’t even catch one flicker of her presence. He stopped just before his street intersected with Front Street and Kade carefully poked his head around the corner building. If he was going to get spotted by some random local, it would be on the main street running through town.
He scanned up one side and down the other and before his eyes landed on any other Pepper resident, he found her. His gaze was drawn to her full hips, the way they swayed as she hurried across the street. Her dark brown hair fell in soft waves down her back and undulated as she walked. So did all the best parts of her curvy body. He’d won the jackpot! No, he’d won every jackpot across the globe all at once.
He couldn’t wait to learn her name, to hold her hand, to kiss those soft, pink lips, to know every last thing about her. But first he had to catch up to her.
Now! his wolf insisted.
As she reached the opposite sidewalk, Kade bounded out from behind the building. His claws scraped against the concrete sidewalk, nails searching for purchase as he leapt off the curb and… into the path of an oncoming car.
Chapter Three
Ally’s heart thundered, pounding so loud she wasn’t sure any other sound could penetrate the steady rhythm.
She just wanted to go home. No stops along the way. No check-ins or “how are yas.” Not that home would be safe from Brian. A wooden door wouldn’t be much of a deterrent, but there was something to be said for being familiar with the lay of the land. At the very least, she knew where to find the knife block.
She kept her eyes trained on the front door of the house she shared with Tessa as she strode up the walkway. Relative safety was so close. Fifteen feet. Then twelve. Then…
The high-pitched shriek of tires skidding across asphalt. The ear-piercing yelp of an animal. Ally whirled in place, instincts sending her spinning to face the road just in time to watch a large furry body flip end over end through the air. A red sedan with tinted windows sat motionless in the middle of the street but by the time the big dog thudded to the ground, it was gone in another waft of smoking rubber.
“Asshole!” she snarled at the motorist as she rushed to the near motionless dog. The only sign it still lived was the rise and fall of its chest.
The car neared the corner and whipped onto a side street and… did she catch a hint of Brian’s noxious scent? Instincts battled one another, her fear urging her to run to the house while another part of her demanded she stay put.
What the? That was when she caught it—a scent that her wolf recognized before Ally’s human mind could process the discovery. The dog bleeding at her feet wasn’t a dog. No, it was a wolf—a werewolf just like her.
Like Brian.
And it wasn’t just any werewolf. It was the wolf she’d smelled on the edge of the woods. His familiar smoky scent set her wolf to howling. It demanded to be released, but Ally shushed the thing and knelt next to the furry body.
The wolf’s chest moved steadily, and it appeared to have suffered only scrapes. On the side of the road, there was no way to tell if it had broken bones or internal bleeding. The very thought tightened her chest, as if he meant more to her than just another wolf she’d stumbled across. Her wolf snarled at her, doing its best to tell her that this wolf was a hell of a lot more than some random shifter.
She nearly snorted. Yeah, right. They didn’t know the werewolf from Adam. He could be just as dangerous as her ex, or even more so. She would be safer far from him.
Even if he made her skin all tingly and sent her heart to racing for a reason that had nothing to do with fear or panic. It had everything to do with watching him shift, touching his skin, exploring every inch—
Right. Not going there.
A quick glance in both directions confirmed she and the mangy mutt weren’t about to become roadkill, but another car would come along soon enough. Muttering an oath under her breath, she reached a shaking hand out and stroked its thick coat. Her eyes fell closed and her breath quickened at the softness of his fur. Her wolf surged again, fighting her for control, but she held it at bay.
Ally had spent her adult life learning how to fight off her inner beast. Yet, even with those countless hours fighting an internal battle with the wolf, it nearly won this round. It really wanted to get its paws on this wolf.
She reached for the downed wolf, and at her touch, he stirred. A soft whine rose from his chest and he opened his eyes, his soft brown gaze latching onto hers. Warmth flooded her, the comfort of his presence nearly overwhelming her decision to keep her distance. Indecision warred with her wolf’s certainty. It drove her to care for him—protect him. After years of its encouragement to stay away from other wolves, it now wanted her to get close to this male. That sudden flip was enough to spur her into movement. Enough to break the spell his nearness wove around her.
She glanced up and down the street once more, still not finding any cars that threatened their safety.
The wolf twisted and rolled until his feet settled beneath his body, but the very moment he attempted to stand, he flopped back to its side. A low whimper reached her ears and those big brown eyes met hers for a moment, before his head dropped to the road once more.
The dog lover part of her couldn’t stand seeing an animal—werewolf or otherwise—in pain, but her survival instincts warned her to steer clear of any and all werewolves. Personal experience had taught her wolves healed quickly from all types of vile abuse. A lesson taught to her by Brian himself.
This one wasn’t so far gone he wouldn’t heal, of that much she was sure, but it would take a little while. He wouldn’t be lumbering off to lick his wounds any time soon. Which left her with a choice: leave him in the road to risk getting hit by another car or drag his furry ass into her house and risk being eaten by a sadistic psychopath.
“Shit,” she muttered again. “Shit, shit, shit.”
Kneeling, she wrapped her arms under his forelegs and hauled him upright. The length of his body pressed against hers, his scent and nearness sending her wolf into a ravenous frenzy. It took everything she had to half-carry the beast without letting her own gain control.
“You’re one lucky pup,” she growled into his ear, grunting while she hefted him to the front door. “Not even The Rock would be able to haul your heavy ass this far.”
A sound rumbled from the wolf, but she ignored him.
“What the hell were you thinking, anyway? Shifting in the middle of a human town in broad.” She clicked her tongue. “You must be out of your damn mind. You’re lucky you only got hit by a car. Some of the hunters around here would be thrilled to hang a wolf’s head on their wall.”
Ally fumbled with her keys and the doorknob, finally releasing the latch so she could bump the door open with her hip. She paused and listened, her wolf enhancing her senses for a moment. She thanked God that Tessa was so predictable. Like she did every day, she was at her morning “stitch ‘n’ bitch” with the head librarian. Which meant Ally had about an hour to figure out what the hell she was going to do with him.
With a grunt, she heaved the wolf inside and kicked the door s
hut with her heel.
“You may be nuts, but I’m fucking insane for helping you.” She glared at the wolf in her arms. “Now, if you even look at Tessa the wrong way, I will go feral she-wolf all over your mangy ass.”
Hopefully the guy’s super wolfy healing powers would allow her to kick him out long before Tessa returned, but knowing her luck, that wouldn’t be the case. If he’d only suffered scrapes and a concussion, he would have been on four paws already. She paused in the entryway, mind whirling as she tried to think of a place to deposit Mr. McWooferton while he finished his healing. Somewhere Tessa wouldn’t go snooping around while he got better. Somewhere Ally wouldn’t be cooped up with an injured wolf while he healed.
Neither of those was Ally’s room, but there was a room not being occupied at the moment. Plus, it’d been mostly packed already. Lucy wouldn’t mind, right? She nibbled her lower lip, stuck in a whirl of indecision. It was the wolf that made the choice for her. He whined and shifted in her hold, spurring her onward—to Lucy’s old room.
It took five minutes of huffing, puffing and cursing before she managed to reach Lucy’s room and heave him onto the handmade quilt covering the bed. She made a silent apology to her BFF along with a pinky swear to have the quilt dry cleaned once she got rid of the furball. Her main saving grace was that at least his scrapes had stopped bleeding.
At least until she took a look at them and dug out whatever had embedded itself in his wounds.
She propped her hands on her hips and stared down at the pathetic wolf. “If I’m doing this, I’m doing it right, puppy.” She huffed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
She left him for a moment, striding through the house to fetch the first aid kit and other supplies, before returning to his side. He hadn’t budged while she’d been gone, those dark eyes still closed and chest hardly moving.
Dropped to her knees beside the bed, she dug through the kit and snagged what she needed. Then she went to work. Fingers sifted through dense fur, carefully wiping at the matted blood to get to the injury beneath. She prodded each pink patch of skin, feeling for any abnormality hidden from view.