by Rayna Tyler
Adam reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “For the record, I always thought you were too good for him.”
“Thanks.” Craig was a touchy subject, one I didn’t enjoy discussing with anyone. Adam continued to hold my hand, and for the first time, I noticed a hint of desire in his gaze. I’d never been interested in him that way and was sure I never would. I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression, so I pulled my hand free and reached for my drink. After taking a long swallow, I glanced down the bar and waved to get Derrick’s attention. If this was the direction the rest of my night was headed, I was going to need another drink, maybe several.
NICK
My wolf and I were beyond agitated by the time Reese pulled his truck to a stop next to the jeep parked in the gravel drive. My plans for heading to the bar and finding Mandy and Berkley were put on hold when we received a call from Bryson Cruise, the bear shifter Reese had hired to patrol the perimeter and check on the cabins located farthest from the lodge. He’d reported that some vandals had broken into one of the unoccupied cabins on the eastern side of our property.
As soon as we got out of the vehicle, Bryson lumbered down the porch steps, the wood creaking under his weight. He was naked and clutching the tattered pieces of what appeared to be his uniform in one hand and his cell phone in the other. I assumed by his appearance that he’d recently shifted and hadn’t bothered to take off his clothes first. I’d found myself in similar situations over the years.
“I’m really sorry, boss.” Bryson set the items on the hood of truck, then glanced sheepishly between Reese and me. “They were in their vehicle and out of here before I had a chance to catch them. I followed them as far as the border near Bishop’s property.” He rolled his shoulders, seemingly proud of his endeavor.
Bryson was well over six feet tall, huge for a guy in human form and not a person anyone wanted to mess with. If he’d been able to catch the intruders, I had no doubt he would have caused some serious damage.
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea to keep going, but I can if...” Bryson appeared eager about the prospect.
Reese shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing by calling us.” He frowned at the tree line, then glanced back at me, and I knew what was going through his mind. Hearing that the truck disappeared onto Bishop’s land wasn’t a surprise to either of us and confirmed our suspicions about the man’s involvement. His lust for our land had been a topic of quite a few of our conversations. We knew he was dangerous and had spent quite a bit of time speculating what Bishop’s next move might be.
On at least one occasion, Reese had voiced his concern about the crash that had ended our grandfather’s life. According to Reese, who’d been close to James, the old man had spent his entire life in this area and knew every road, trail, and path. The old pickup James had been driving when he died was found at the bottom of a deep ravine, too beat up to tell if it had any help going over the ledge. Though he couldn’t prove it, Reese didn’t believe it was an accident and suspected Bishop was somehow behind it.
Since using his influence to cut off our local suppliers hadn’t worked, it appeared Bishop was trying a more direct approach to shut us down. Damaging our property wouldn’t stop us, but having to make additional repairs would be costly and slow down the opening of the resort.
Reese opened his truck door and reached behind the seat. He pulled out a pair of sweats and tossed them to Bryson.
“Appreciate it.” Bryson caught them with one hand and quickly tugged them up his legs. The fit was tight, and the length barely reached his ankles.
“Since we’re here, why don’t you show us the damage?” Reese nodded toward the cabin.
The longer we were here, the more time Mandy was at the bar and around other males. My wolf was growling, anxious to get going. I wasn’t thrilled either, but this was important, and I didn’t want to let my brother down.
“Most of the damage was done to the plumbing.” Bryson took the lead and headed for the porch.
Once inside, Bryson stopped in the kitchen and pointed at the wrench lying on the floor next to the open cabinet underneath the sink. “I don’t believe they were expecting me. It looks like they were planning to do a lot more damage but dropped everything when they heard me coming.”
The presence of a tool meant the intruders had come prepared. If they’d been regular vandals or teenagers bent on destruction, they would’ve destroyed the furniture or gone after easier targets like the television sitting on a stand in the corner.
Bryson scratched the stubble covering his chin. “The bathroom was torn up pretty good, but I was able shut off the water and used some of the guest towels to clean up the mess on the floors to save the tile and carpeting.”
“Did you get a good look at them?” I asked. I wasn’t fond of law enforcement and avoided them as much as possible. If Bryson could recognize those responsible, then maybe we could stop them before they had a chance to do something worse.
Bryson gave a disappointed shrug. “There were two males, and I only saw them from behind. Did catch a scent, though, and they were wolves.”
The one advantage to being a wild wolf was the ability to hunt and track better than any of the other breeds. Instead of picking up the wrench, I left it lying on the floor and crouched beside it. After one deep whiff, I was able to get the scent of the person who’d handled it last and logged it into my memory. I moved through the remainder of the cabin, picking up Bryson’s scent. Because he’d cleaned in the bathroom, the intruder’s scents were faint, harder to detect. It took me a little longer to find an odor for the second man. Now if my path crossed with either of them, I’d recognize them immediately.
We spent the next ten minutes checking the rest of the building and locking everything up. After a few parting words to Bryson, Reese returned me to my cabin. Before I could get out of the vehicle, he turned to me and said, “Why don’t you come by the lodge for breakfast in the morning so we can discuss hiring some more security to help Bryson patrol?”
“Sounds good.” I quickly exited the vehicle. I would have agreed to pretty much anything if it hurried my brother on his way so I could leave to find Mandy.
Chapter Six
NICK
The music, the low drone of voices, the combined scent of shifters and humans bombarded my senses the instant I walked into the bar. It set my already frustrated wolf on edge, and I paused in the entryway to take several calming breaths.
It wasn’t as if I’d never been in a bar before. I had, numerous times, and I knew I could handle it. It was the unsettling need to find Mandy, to be close to her, that was driving my anxiety.
Mate, my wolf countered, his insistence was even greater with the presence of other male shifters in the vicinity.
Glancing around the crowded room, it didn’t take me long to spot Berkley out on the dance floor. The guy she was with ignored the music’s fast beat. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, their bodies moving slowly, grinding against each other. Not an image of my sister I wanted committed to memory. I had to remind myself she was a grown woman and could take care of herself, something she’d been doing long before I met her.
Our familial relationship might be new, but I couldn’t help feeling protective of her. If I didn’t know Berkley would rip me a new one, I’d go over there and tell the guy to keep his hands off my baby sister. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t remain close by in case she needed my help.
After scanning the other faces in the crowd, my wolf and I were relieved that Mandy wasn’t one of them. No amount of willpower would have kept me from ripping her out of another man’s arms. There were too many smells in the room, but it didn’t stop me from trying to lock in on her familiar scent.
I gave the area another scrutinizing scan and finally spotted her sitting on a stool near the bar. Beautiful didn’t begin to describe her appearance. All it took was one look and my cock was springing to life. My chest constricted, the tightness ma
king it hard to keep air in my lungs. The top of her jeans rode along her hips, and her sleeveless, silky blue shirt enhanced the color of her eyes. She no longer had her hair confined in a long braid. The shiny golden curls cascaded over her shoulders, a tempting invitation to have my fingers running through them.
I knew I’d been asking for a miracle when I hoped to find her alone. What I hadn’t expected was to find a guy sitting next to her, possessively holding her hand. I clenched my fists, fighting to restrain my wolf and the claws slowly descending from my fingertips. I wasn’t happy about the raw animalistic powers surging through me or the way my emotions were riding the thin line between jealousy and rage.
In my current state, I didn’t have a problem reaching her in record time, humans and shifters alike scattering from my path. They’d either sensed my wolf’s push for dominance or had noticed the unnatural hue to my determined gaze.
When I reached Mandy, she was facing away from me and handing the bartender money for the drink he was setting in front of her. It didn’t matter that the impeccably dressed man with perfectly combed hair was no longer touching her. Lust had a distinct odor, and he reeked of it. He was sitting too close, and I wanted him gone. “You’re in my seat.”
“Excuse me.” The man jerked his head in my direction, irritation flickering in his dark glare. “What did you say?” The scent of his obvious interest in Mandy was now laced with fear.
“I said, you’re in my seat.” I spat the words more slowly, since the first time, they’d sounded more like a snarl.
“Nick.” Mandy glanced over her shoulder, then swiveled on her seat to face me. She widened her eyes, then quickly narrowed them. “What are you doing here?”
Before I could explain, the man interrupted. “Do you know this guy?” He shot her a sidelong glance, keeping most of his attention focused on me.
“Yeah.” There was some hesitancy in her voice, and I wasn’t sure if she was happy or royally pissed to see me. “Adam, you remember my friend Berkley, right?”
“Old man Reynolds’s granddaughter?”
“That’s the one.” Mandy nodded, her gaze nervously locked with mine. “This is her brother, Nick.” By way of an explanation, she added, “I’m working out at the resort now, so technically, he’s my boss.”
Deciding to use the information to my advantage, I casually crossed my arms and sneered. “Mandy and I have some business to discuss, and maybe it would be best if you leave.”
“What?” Adam jutted out his chin, seemingly able to find his spine again. “She’s not at work, and you have no right to order us around.”
No, I didn’t, nor did I care. My only concern was getting Mandy away from the other male. “Whatever it is you’re offering, she’s not interested.” I glanced at Adam’s crotch, then back to his reddening face, certain he’d understood my insinuation.
“What makes you think I’m not interested?” Mandy glared at me defiantly.
“Are you?” Adam asked.
I should have known she wasn’t going to make this easy. Since I’d already determined from her scent that she had no interest in Adam, I grinned, intent on calling her bluff. “Well, are you?” I quirked a brow, daring her to lie.
Mandy clamped her lips into a tight line and resignedly shook her head. “I’m sorry, Adam, but no, I’m not.” She patted his hand. “It was good seeing you again, but maybe you should go.”
Rejection is not something any guy wants to hear, and I almost felt bad for Adam when he cringed and his expectant gaze deflated. “Okay, but I’d still like to take you out for dinner while I’m here. You can reach me at my folks’ if you change your mind.” Adam slid off the stool, leveled an angry glare in my direction, then shouldered his way past me.
As soon as he disappeared, Mandy crossed her arms and pinned me with a murderous stare. I wasn’t sure if my chances with her were going to be any better.
MANDY
It had been good to see Adam again, but I couldn’t say I was sad to see him disappear into the crowd.
Under different circumstances, I’d be flattered by Nick’s interruption and wouldn’t be ignoring the heat smoldering throughout my body. It was the pushy way he’d made his point, acting as if I was his personal property, that had me fuming. And there was no way I was going to let him get away with it. I tucked my arms tightly across my chest and focused my simmering anger on Nick.
At least his eyes had returned to their normal color and weren’t doing the glowing wolfy thing anymore. “What is wrong with you?” I snapped the minute he straddled the seat Adam had vacated. “You can’t walk in here and be rude to people. Adam is my friend. I’ve known him since high school.”
“Your friend wanted to get you into bed.” Nick flared his nostrils, mirroring the set of my arms with his own. “Was I wrong in assuming you weren’t interested?”
“That’s beside the point.” I didn’t want to argue, but I could feel my temper rising along with the heat on my cheeks. “You hardly know me and don’t get to make those kinds of decisions for me.” I should have been afraid he’d wolf out again like he did in the cabin, but I didn’t care. I was really pissed, and I wanted him to know it.
“Mandy, I...” Nick stammered.
“You know what? Never mind.” I abandoned my new drink and slid off the stool, then tried to slip past him.
He gently grasped my wrist and kept me in place. “Where are you going?” Suddenly, the arrogance was gone and he appeared lost, vulnerable, as if he was unsure how to go about explaining his actions.
I ignored the warmth radiating from his touch or how much I was enjoying the contact. “To find Berkley and ask her to take me home.” It was a weak statement that lacked conviction.
“Please don’t leave.” He lowered his gaze and made small circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “I’m not good with people and...”
“Then why did you come here of all places?” Even though his slow caress made it hard for me to concentrate, I needed to know.
He slowly raised his head, honesty gleaming in his silver-gray gaze. “To see you.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I remained silent. Berkley had already told me her brother avoided humans and was pretty much a loner. For him to openly admit to being antisocial, that being in a room filled with people was going to be a problem, and yet he still had done it for me had to mean something, didn’t it?
The apologetic way he looked at me as if he was drowning and I was the only available life vest tugged at my heart. I couldn’t resist his pleading gaze or his adorable half smile, and figured I could meet him halfway. “Okay, I’ll stay, but I have two conditions.”
Nick straightened his shoulders and grinned. “Name it.”
“No more doing the wolf thing with your eyes.” I waved my hand in front of his face.
“And the second thing?”
I wanted to make sure he didn’t get the wrong impression and believed he could bully someone else. I used the most chastising voice possible. “You have to be polite to my friends. No more chasing them off.”
“Even if I can smell that their intentions are less than honorable?” Nick tapped the side of his nose.
“You can...” Of course, he could. He was part wolf. It meant that earlier today when I was practically drooling all over him, he’d scented it. Unsure if I wanted to laugh or cry, I hung my head and blew out an embarrassed breath.
“Mandy.”
I braced myself, prepared to endure further humiliation. “What?” I raised my gaze and found him calmly staring at me.
“I’ll try.”
It took me a few seconds to realize he was referring to my stipulations. “Okay.” I returned to my seat and took a long swig of the beer. “Do you want something to drink?” I raised my hand to signal Derrick. Maybe if we were both drinking—a lot—I’d be able to forget what I’d recently discovered.
He pulled my hand from the air and held it in his lap. “What would you say to getting o
ut of here? Going someplace where it isn’t so loud.” My quizzical look had him adding, “It wasn’t a proposition. I thought maybe we could go into town and get a coffee, an ice cream, or anything you want.” He squeezed my hand. “Then afterward, I’ll take you home.”
I wondered if he realized how boyishly charming his request sounded. Between work and taking care of my father, it had been a while since I’d done something so casual and fun. “Ice cream sounds great.” I slid off my stool again. “I need to find Berkley first and let her know I’m leaving.”
“Not a problem.” Nick stood and pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket, then typed something on the screen.
Curious, I asked, “Who are you texting?”
“Berkley. I’m letting her know that I’m taking you home.”
“Oh,” I mumbled. Not only was he handsome as hell, but he deserved a gold star for ingenuity. I glanced toward the dance floor and, sure enough, within seconds, Berkley was reaching into her back pocket. She looked at the small screen, then glanced in our direction and shot us a wide grin as she waved good-bye.
Once we were in Nick’s truck, I snapped the seat belt into place and gave him a sidelong glance. I leaned back against the headrest with an amused smile. Maybe letting Berkley talk me into going to the bar hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.
Chapter Seven
NICK
I couldn’t deny my growing attraction to Mandy or how badly I wanted to have her naked beneath me, writhing with need and screaming my name as I thrust into her. The way I’d scared off Adam hadn’t scored me any points. If anything, it guaranteed she wouldn’t ever speak to me again. I couldn’t blame my irrational behavior on my wolf, and I sure as hell couldn’t tell her she might be my mate. Is our mate, my wolf growled.