Wolves of Climax 5
Evan’s Victory
Cassidy isn’t looking forward to the female inspector taking over Gregor Mining for a week. She’s isolated in the cabin, her imagination running wild. When she shows up at the mine and finds her men avoiding her and downplaying their relationship, her jealousy spikes to new levels.
She’s ready to walk away from the men she loves, unwilling to be second best. Evan is the first to try and convince her to stay in Climax, yet he still won’t make a decision without Garret’s approval.
To win her back, the Gregor miners must pass Cassidy’s tests of devotion. It will take more than mind-numbing sex and tempting promises. But with a kidnapping in the works, the pack will have to act fast or lose their little human forever.
Genre: Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 22,483 words
EVAN’S VICTORY
Wolves of Climax 5
Stacey Espino
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EVAN’S VICTORY
Copyright © 2012 by Stacey Espino
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-243-3
First E-book Publication: September 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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DEDICATION
To two of my lovely readers.
Jessica Martin, who always has my books finished before I wake up on release day, and puts a smile on my face.
Crystal Conkie, who inspires me to keep writing with her positive notes.
EVAN’S VICTORY
Wolves of Climax 5
STACEY ESPINO
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Evan wanted revenge.
Not only for what the loggers had put Matthew through, but for what they’d done to his family. He knew he couldn’t act without Garret’s consent, but he had to investigate the logging camp for himself. What if they were still trapping wolves? They could have encroached on Gregor land since their last perimeter check.
There was more to consider than just territory. They had a woman to protect now, and Climax was proving to be an unsafe place for their little human. Things had to change.
After driving up the narrow back roads through the heavy forest, he came to a dead end. It was time for him to shift into his fur. He’d have to be cautious of bear traps and any other tricks the loggers and hunters had up their sleeves. His heart pumped as he tugged off his T-shirt and slipped out of his jeans. Without the security of his pack mates by his side, he was on his own should trouble arise.
He bounded through the forest, heading north. Evan moved with the grace of a predator, navigating the land he knew well. It was good to have their little pack whole again, no more stress due to Matthew’s disappearance. But Evan still needed to let go of the past. The guilt that he couldn’t save his old pack mates would forever haunt him. He was sure the only way for him to find peace was cold, hard revenge on those responsible for the fire that took their lives. Loggers. When he thought of those money-hungry humans, he only saw red. They took without giving back, decimated the natural cycle of the forest. Now they wanted Gregor land, just as they’d wanted the forest where he’d grown up—not too far west of Climax.
“Load everything in the truck.” He overheard a male voice as he closed in on the logging camp. He was hidden by the thick forest cover and shadows of early morning.
The site was a mess, the area clear cut and covered with human filth. He growled low in his chest as he watched the loggers move about.
“We shouldn’t move locations. Nobody has a clue it was us.”
“You willing to take that risk?”
“Those Gregor trees are thousands of years old. Do you realize what that translates to in dollar signs?”
“Goddamn it, Malcolm! You saw what all we’ve done. Garret didn’t come running to us to sell, now did he? You’re the one who swore it’d happen within a week.”
“Give it time, brother.”
Evan slunk around the perimeter of their camp, scoping out their men and equipment. What would these bastards try next?
“We don’t have time. Our claim is thinning out. We need a new location and fast.”
“There’s a girl.”
He froze, his ears pricked to attention.
“Garret and his boys moved a girl into their place. It’s all over the gossip wires.”
The first man laughed. “Kidnapping?”
“It’s better than murder, no? That route didn’t pan out, so maybe it’s the answer.”
Evan’s heart raced, his wolf clawing the ground, desperate to attack. Now. But he couldn’t act without orders. He was loyal to his new pack, to Garret. If he had followed orders that fateful day in his past, he wouldn’t be mourning several of the best wolf-shifters he’d known, including his blood relatives. It was why he’d always been such a stickler for following protocol.
The first time he’d made waves was in regards to Cassidy. He wanted Garret to mark her, to make her theirs. Without their mating becoming official, insecurities ran rampant within him. His beast wanted thei
r union solidified as much as the man. If the loggers planned to steal away his mate, the outcome would not be pretty. Loyalty or not, he would rip everyone to shreds if they dared to touch Cassidy.
He had to tell Garret about his revelation. Surely his alpha would see the seriousness of this new threat. Evan dashed back the way he came, darting around oaks and dipping under thorny overhangs. As soon as he emerged from the dim interior of the forest into the open light, he shifted into his skin, eager to get back to Gregor Mining as soon as possible.
Evan paid no heed to the speed limit. The truck jolted and bobbed over the rough, unpaved roads along the forest. By the time he got back to the mine, he was having difficulty reining in his wolf. It wanted to return to the logging camp and destroy everything.
“Where’s Garret?” he called out to Travis as he strode to the office trailers.
“You don’t want to see him. He’s pissed you took off this morning without picking up your rebar order.”
“Fuck, I forgot,” he said. This surely would take precedence over a common shipment.
“Patrick had to go in your place. He’s not impressed either.”
He just needed to find Garret. Evan brushed past Travis and bounded up the steps to the trailer. After shoving the door open, he stopped dead in his tracks. Every time he saw Cassidy time seemed to stand still. She appeared upset, her arms crossed over her chest. As soon as he entered, she squeezed by him and left.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked.
Garret shook his head before running a hand through his hair. “I don’t really know. I guess she’s upset she’ll have to spend most of the week at the cabin instead of working.”
“What for?”
His expression went from concerned to pissed in the span of a second. “If you were here, you’d know. We have an inspector coming. They got a bogus call and we’re under the gun until we get the okay. Everyone’s out in the yard making sure we’re up to code. You should be helping.”
“I have more important concerns,” he said.
“Really. Let’s hear it.”
“I took a drive up north—”
“To the logging camp,” finished Garret.
“I had to. Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything stupid. But I did overhear them talking about plans to kidnap Cassidy.”
His alpha’s brow creased. His eyes narrowed. “You shouldn’t have left the mine.” Garret shoved past him without another word. He could practically feel the anger rolling off him as he left Evan alone in the trailer. Evan dropped down in Cassidy’s swiveling office chair. There was always something fucked up in Climax.
* * * *
Cassidy didn’t want her jealousy to show. These were her men, and she didn’t like the idea of being kicked out of her office to make way for a new woman. One who was supposedly beautiful and ball-breaking. Garret acted like the Queen of England was coming by for a visit, not some dime-a-dozen inspector.
She internalized all her venom and looked for her car. The piece of crap would get her to her house. It was high time she started working on the house her grandfather left her. Relying on her miners for everything was a bad idea. What if things went sour? She’d be lost if she lived with them, worked for them, and had nothing of her own.
Cassidy slammed her whiny metal door shut and exhaled, and she held the steering wheel in a tight grip. I can’t believe they’re hiding me away like some dirty little secret. She knew it was probably her own insecurities surfacing. After living her life as an orphan, it was a godsend to find these five men who claimed to be devoted to her body and soul. But what if she was wrong? She really didn’t know very much about these men at all. Once this female inspector showed up, they might give her the same treatment—the affection, the sex, and devotion.
She bit the inside of her lip. I’m just overreacting. It was only business. Garret didn’t want to lose his license and livelihood. A week out of a lifetime was a drop in a bucket. Yes, she’d stop jumping to conclusions and take a day at a time.
There was a knock on the driver’s-side window, startling her. It was Garret, his dark eyes staring through the glass. He was so handsome. After everything they’d all been through lately, she just wanted to enjoy him, fold herself into his arms. But he was sending her away. She cranked down the old manual window.
“Sweetheart, I just wanted to add a little something to everything else I told you.” He braced a hand atop her car. He was so damn sexy, his dark features exotic and tempting. “If you happen to stop by for a visit, I think it’d be best if you didn’t mention there was something going on between us. You know…personally.”
Her heart began to race, adrenaline pumping through her veins. “Right. Great idea, Garret.” She started the car, revving the engine.
“I don’t like you being alone, Cassie. Let Evan drive you to the cottage.”
“No,” she snapped. “I’m an adult. I can drive myself home in the light of day.” She’d learned her lesson about walking alone in the woods. Right now her throat was burning with emotion, her eyes ready to release the floodgates. Cassidy hit the gas and left Garret in her dust as she sped away from the Gregor mine.
I’m such an idiot! She was so desperate for love and affection, roots in a life with no destination, that she believed every word the men spoke. She’d fallen for their act, given her heart only to have it trampled on.
Cassidy wasn’t stupid. She heard the secret meaning in Garret’s words loud and clear. He wanted to keep his options open, didn’t want Cassidy to ruin his chances with the new woman. She wouldn’t take his sloppy seconds. Climax was off the grid, a world within itself. It had lulled her, changed her way of thinking. Now she realized these men were only so attentive because there were no other options. The few women in town were nothing to be desired, but given fresh meat, they’d fail the test of loyalty. She was sure of that after Garret’s innocent little comment. And the things she let them do to her body. Bastards!
She pulled into the overgrown lot of her house. It seemed to have been ages since she’d come back here. The men claimed to worry about her living alone, but now she wondered if they cared at all. They probably just wanted a live-in sex toy until they tired of her or something better came along.
Cassidy unlocked the front door, taking a tentative step inside. The air in the house smelled musty. There wasn’t much inside, just a table and single chair. She should have been smart and fixed up the place when she first arrived in Climax. But she’d fallen under the spell of the Gregor miners, believing she’d found her happily ever after.
It was too quiet, making her tense up. She wasn’t used to being alone these days, even though she’d spent the bulk of her life by herself. There was still a glimmer of hope inside her that it was all a misunderstanding. But that glimmer was fading more by the minute.
She brought an emergency blanket from the trunk of her car inside the cabin, along with a crowbar in case the Climax murderer or rabid wolves showed up in the night. The more she thought about the possibilities, the more she realized she’d be up half the night listening for sounds. It was going to be a long road.
“Why’re you here?” asked Evan. She was stretching the blanket out on the hardwood floor, leaning over on her hands and knees. How did he know she was there? Why hadn’t she heard the door or his boots when it was so silent in the house? Hadn’t she locked the door behind her?
She twirled around, landing on her bum. Cassidy looked up at Evan, his body so broad and masculine. She loved looking at him, studying the way his waist tapered in from those massive shoulders. Cassidy shook away her desire, trying to stay focused on the reason she’d come back to her cottage at all.
“It’s my home,” she said, lifting her chin.
“No. Your home is with us.”
“Not anymore.”
He entered the room and squatted down next to her. “What’s going on with you? Did I do something wrong?”
“Garret made his intentions clear. And sinc
e he’s your ‘alpha,’ and the lot of you apparently feed off his every word, I’d say his actions reflect on you, too.”
“What did he do now?”
She stood up, embarrassed to even talk about the subject. What if she was wrong?
“He sent me away. Like a discarded old shoe.” She sulked, her shoulders sagging. Cassidy would regret her behavior tomorrow. Today she was feeling sorry for herself.
Evan tilted her chin up. “You know that’s not true. He’s just making sure everything’s perfect for when the inspector shows up. He doesn’t want him finding any excuse to shut us down. You can understand that, right?”
“Her,” said Cassidy.
Evan frowned, not catching the meaning.
“The inspector. It’s a woman. It wouldn’t have bothered me so much if Garret hadn’t told me to pretend there’s nothing going on with us. He’s either embarrassed or looking for new action. Either way, I’d rather have no part in it.”
“Garret loves you, Cassidy. Whatever you think he meant, I’m sure you’ve misunderstood. Ask him tonight. At our place.”
“I’m staying here,” she said. If she returned to the cozy little cabin in the woods, the one that smelled of masculine cologne and sex, she’d start the cycle all over again. She’d be unable to resist the men once they turned on the charm.
“No way in hell will I let my woman stay here alone. Especially not now.”
“What’s so special about now?”
“You know there are dangers in Climax. A woman living alone is just asking for trouble. Behave and come with me.”
Stacey Espino Page 1