Howl

by Juppenlatz, Silke

  “I didn’t start it.” Oliver lifted amber eyes to his. “I swear.”

  “Did I say you had?”

  “They followed me from school. Mom said to pick up groceries on the way home, so I did. Then they showed up and started pushing me around.” He stared toward the corner. “They wanted me to give them the money I had left.”

  Zalin nodded. “Did you give it to them?”

  “No, of course not! Mom needs it.”

  The kid’s indignant reply garnered his respect. “Well, you best get home.”

  “Can I get a ride with you?” Oliver shuffled on his feet, once more glancing toward the corner.

  “I’m not heading back yet.” Zalin pulled his phone out and dialed Gothrim’s number. He answered on the second ring. “Hey, you still in town?”

  “I’m about to leave, why?”

  “Got a passenger for you. Oliver needs a ride home.” Zalin turned his back to the woman and the boy. “Two kids were pushing him around and he has his mother’s groceries to carry. Figured if you’re still here, you could take him. Save him the bus fare.”

  “I’ll be there in five.”

  Zalin cut the call and met Oliver’s questioning gaze. “Gothrim will pick you up in five minutes.”

  Oliver’s eyes almost bugged. “Go-Gothrim?”

  He kept his face as impassive as possible. The kid was about to crap his pants, from the look of him. Riding back with the pack Alpha would no doubt get him interrogated and lectured. “He doesn’t bite, you know.” Well, not much, anyway. “And no one will dare push you around while he’s nearby.”

  “Who is Gothrim?” Lucia wanted to know.

  “My boss.” Zalin wasn’t about to explain pack dynamics to a human. Even a pretty human. One he owed his life to. One who smelled like heaven to his sensitive nose. With an underlying scent of arousal. Damn. He couldn’t start something with her. Not now, not ever. How could he possibly explain what he was? It would scare her to death. “What were you thinking, going between them? You’re hardly bigger than Oliver.”

  “They were kicking him. I couldn’t just stand by and let them carry on.” Lucia lifted her chin. “And I can handle myself.”

  He’d like to handle her too. The thought of smoothing his hands down her body to learn her curves, knowing she wanted him...damn. His body instantly reacted to his thoughts and he quelled his desire as best he could. While he might not be able to touch her, his nostrils flared, inhaling the clean, warm cotton scent of her. He liked how she smelled, liked it far too much. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

  Lucia blinked. “Coffee?”

  “Yeah. Least I can do.” How would she react if he confessed to owing his life to her intervention? Freak, probably.

  “I...uh.” She blinked up at him, surprise in those beautiful blue eyes. “Are you sure?”

  Zalin knew he was a lost cause when it came to charming a woman. He liked things to go his way and rarely bent to accommodate anyone else, especially not a female. There were just too many secrets, and he didn’t trust anyone else to keep them. Dating was hell, so he avoided it. He should back off now. Right now.

  “Absolutely.” The word was out of his mouth before he had time to consider the decision. Gothrim’s car pulled up and he heard the Alpha call out to Oliver, but it was Lucia’s expression that held his attention.

  She looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

  Chapter 3

  Lucia stared at the driver, her throat tight with fear. This was Zalin’s boss? A shiver ran down her spine. Last time she’d seen him, he’d talked to her father, the day after her mother had died, almost seventeen years ago. Barely eight years old at the time, Lucia remembered how he’d looked at her, the coldness of his eyes. As if he hated her.

  He’d taken her mother’s wolves away and she’d never seen him again. Until now.

  It was the same man, a little older perhaps, but there was no mistaking his eyes for anyone else’s. She’d had nightmares about them for years, never able to tell her father what scared her so much. He still hated her, still stared at her as if he couldn’t wait for her to drop dead.

  “Are you all right?”

  Zalin’s voice jerked her out of the unpleasant memories. “What?”

  “You went pale there, for a minute.” He stepped closer, ignoring his boss. “If you’re going to keel over–”

  “I’m not prone to fainting.” Lucia stepped back. “And I don’t want coffee.” No way. Not with him, not with anyone who worked for this guy. Regret almost made her change her mind. Gorgeous or not, she wanted nothing to do with either of them. “Thank you anyway.”

  Zalin looked taken aback, frowning. He turned to follow her gaze and she could have sworn there was a silent battle being fought between him and his boss. His stance was defensive, rigid, and he didn’t take his eyes off the man in the car.

  “Zalin, you heard the lady. She doesn’t want coffee. Leave her alone.” Gothrim’s voice brooked no argument, and the last few words sounded more like an order than a request.

  “You don’t tell me who I can have coffee with, Gothrim.” Zalin’s voice carried a distinct growl.

  Lucia decided to sneak away while the two men were engaged in a staring match. They’d never notice. She left them behind and hurried to her car. Two minutes later she pulled onto the main road and headed home, trying to get a pair of golden eyes out of her mind.

  Good God, she’d never seen anyone who looked like him. There was a wildness about him she’d never encountered on anyone before. Shaggy dark brown hair, with lighter streaks in between, surrounded a lean face and those eyes of his were spectacular. Golden brown, slightly darker at the rim, surrounded by dark lashes thick enough to give the appearance of a black line, making his eyes startlingly vivid. Of course, once she’d got past those eyes, she’d wanted to be the jeans he wore. The way they hugged the tight muscles of his legs, and most especially the rather appealing curve of his butt… God yes, she envied the dark denim for being so close to him.

  Was his torso as tight as those legs and butt? His black leather jacket hadn’t allowed for close inspection. There were broad shoulders beneath the bulky leather, and she’d bet the farm the rest was just as buff.

  He also had deadly aim. Those snowballs had been placed strategically between the boys’ shoulder blades. Both of them had hit at precisely the same moment, which led her to believe he was ambidextrous.

  And what kind of a name was Zalin, anyway? She’d never heard it before. He didn’t look like a foreigner, but his name suggested he was. Then again, his parents may have just liked the sound of it. She liked the sound of it.

  She’d been half in lust by the time he’d invited her for coffee. If his boss hadn’t shown up, she’d be sitting at the diner with Zalin now. Maybe it was better this way. Had he liked what he saw? Was the invitation because he felt he owed her for helping Oliver, or was there more to it?

  Lucia went around the bend in the road, driving automatically while pondering the encounter in town. Luckily she could drive this road blindfolded. She turned off to head down the long lane to the ranch and had no idea how she’d got here. Something was on the road up ahead, some animal, so she slowed down to give it a chance to get out of the way. It looked like a dog and she wondered why it was standing there.

  As she got closer, she realized it wasn’t a dog, but a wolf.

  The same brown wolf her father had shot two weeks ago, the very animal she’d never thought she’d see again–yet there it was, in the middle of the road.

  He didn’t budge.

  Lucia stopped the car a short distance away, watching her wolf. While she was happy to see he seemed to have recovered, she wasn’t sure what he was doing here. If her father came up this way, he’d definitely shoot him this time. Even she thought he was too close to their cattle, and she didn’t relish the idea of wolves hunting their cows. Especially if this wolf chose to wreak havoc, showing her father the error of his decision to let him live
.

  “Go away.” Lucia edged the car forward, hoping the animal would take off.

  No such luck. Instead of running away, her wolf sat and cocked his head to the side, watching her. For long moments he stared at her, then lowered himself to lie on the icy surface, his head resting on his paws. Paws crossed at the wrist.

  “Oh, sure. Be cute. I don’t think so.” Still, she had to grin, seeing him eye her up. It would be safer to stay in the car, but then...he hadn’t hurt her last time. Maybe he was friendly? Had someone taken a wolf pup and tamed it, only to have him run away later? It was possible, though highly unlikely. She’d have heard about a tame wolf around these parts.

  The wolf didn’t move an inch. She couldn’t get past him without running him over, and if he didn’t move, she had no way to get home. “Come on wolf, I’m really not in the mood for games right now.”

  Lucia turned off the engine to conserve fuel, since the beast apparently had no intention of leaving. Fine. For long minutes they just stared at each other. She’d sit here until he moved, even if it was getting rather cold in the car with the heating off. Lucia rubbed her hands and breathed on them, seeing the wolf lift his head. He got up, but she’d never seen an animal look so...heartbroken. He was all sad puppy eyes, his tail low and his head slightly bent. When that didn’t work on her either, he slunk off the road to stand in the snow, still watching her.

  “Thank you.” Lucia started the car again, the icy blast from the heater making her shudder. At least it wasn’t far now, she doubted the engine would warm up enough to provide heat before she got to the ranch.

  She kept her eye on the wolf and, to her surprise, he trotted alongside the car for a while. Half a mile from the ranch he stopped and watched her drive away, then turned and disappeared between the trees in the distance.

  Strange. She knew wolves were highly intelligent, but this one displayed more than just canine smarts. He’d acted as if he knew exactly who she was, and he’d definitely tried to lure her out of the car.

  Lucia pulled into the yard and unloaded the groceries she’d picked up in town. Her arms full, she headed into the house, still pondering the encounter with the wolf–and the man in town, who’d most definitely attracted her attention.

  * * * *

  Zalin loped through the woods, his nose to the ground, seeking Tiffy’s scent. Even in wolf form his thoughts were on Lucia, and the way she’d looked at Gothrim. He was used to people regarding the Alpha with suspicion, even fear, but the look on Lucia’s face had gone far beyond anything he’d seen before. There was more to it than just being aware of Gothrim’s menacing presence, especially since the Alpha didn’t harbor any love for her either. Zalin had expected indifference, perhaps mild annoyance, but never outright hatred from him.

  He’d been disappointed when he’d turned to find her gone. Catching her on the road, after a wild run across the pastures outside town, had been worth it, though. He’d shifted in a barn, worried he’d miss her, but luckily she had to go around the fields, while he’d been able to cut across them. The look on her face when she’d seen him... Zalin couldn’t help thinking she’d enjoyed his little maneuvers.

  After his display of disobedience, Zalin was sure Gothrim would dole out some kind of punishment. The Alpha was obeyed at all times, no exceptions. Open defiance was not tolerated and punished severely. If he hadn’t intended to leave anyway, he’d have given it serious thought now.

  Time to find Tiffy, reunite her with her parents, and get the hell out of Dodge. If the girl hadn’t run away, he wouldn’t have met Lucia and the temptation to fight the Alpha wouldn’t be quite as strong. God damn the kid.

  No matter how much he tried, he didn’t fit in. Zalin had no desire to lead his own pack, but he liked the company of fellow wolves. He may be solitary, but he wasn’t a loner. Unfortunately a pack usually saw him as a threat and drove him off. Several wolves ganging up on him was nothing unusual either. One on his own rarely succeeded in taking him down and most weren’t dumb enough to try.

  He wasn’t looking forward to starting over somewhere new.

  Lucia came to mind again and he stopped, turning back in the direction of the ranch at the bottom of the hill. Gothrim had long declared the ranch off limits. He hadn’t given a reason, but as usual, his word was law. No one would go anywhere near the place. As far as rules went, he’d pushed the absolute limit of what was permitted. If Gothrim found out he’d stopped Lucia’s car, there would be hell to pay.

  Zalin wished she’d got out of the car. He’d tried, pretended to be cute and playful, and she hadn’t taken the bait. He’d wanted to make sure she was okay, and maybe get another sniff at her, have her touch him. There had been curiosity and appreciation in her gaze, back in town. If Gothrim hadn’t arrived, he’d be at the diner now, able to look at her, smell her.

  A whiff of Tiffy’s scent brought him up short. He lifted his nose, tested the air, but couldn’t find any more than the brief trace he’d caught. Better than nothing. It meant she was still in the area, just as he’d suspected. He renewed his search, banishing all thoughts of a certain blonde from his mind, concentrating on finding Gothrim’s daughter instead.

  An hour later a suspicion had formed in his mind. The only place the pack was forbidden to go was the Masterton ranch. They hadn’t checked there, and if he were Tiffy, and he wanted to stay hidden from Gothrim–it was exactly where he’d go. It wasn’t safe to venture there in wolf form, so he guessed she hid in plain sight, right under their noses.

  He waited until dusk to get closer. Zalin sat at the edge of the property for a long time, scenting the air for any trace of Tiffy’s presence. Instead he caught enticing snatches of Lucia’s scent, bringing her to the forefront of his thoughts yet again. He knew her location, and wanted to run down there and join her. Zalin shoved temptation to the back of his mind. He had no way of explaining how he knew where she was, or how he’d found her. Definitely a dumb move, if he wanted to keep his secret.

  His mind back on Tiffy, he homed in on her scent. She was definitely down there, but he’d wasted too much time sniffing after Lucia. The light breeze he’d hoped would aid him changed direction. He got nothing and moved closer, then closer again, until he reached the outside of a barn. Scents of animals, both domestic and wild, overwhelmed his senses. Human scents too. Lucia’s and a sharper smell, this one male and near her. He shook off the sudden need to go and check which male dared be close to her. Zalin wished she weren’t there, distracting him.

  He forced his nose back to the task at hand. There was a fuel spill somewhere. Then, finally, he found her. Tiffy was here, though how he’d get her out was a question he currently had no answer to. Trying to work out exactly where Tiffy was, he caught a scent he most definitely hadn’t expected.

  Wolf.

  Or, more precisely–Angela.

  Zalin crept into the barn to confront her. His view partially blocked by Lucia’s Honda, he moved forward and spotted Angela. She lay at the far end of the barn, and he issued a low growl to alert her to his presence. No reaction came. Slightly annoyed, Zalin skirted the parked car to get closer. There wasn’t enough light to figure out why Angela wasn’t moving, until he was almost next to her.

  The sight of her muzzle and legs bound with heavy-duty cable ties stopped Zalin in his tracks. What was going on here? She wasn’t conscious, but he didn’t smell any blood. Either way, it meant she wouldn’t be walking out of here. Tiffy be damned. If Angela went missing, Gothrim would lose it. There was only one way to get the ties off and get her back to her mate.

  He had to change.

  Zalin hesitated, uneasy about the location. Everything was quiet, but once he started to change, he’d have to complete the transformation. He’d have a hard time carrying a heavy wolf and he didn’t relish the idea of doing it bare-ass naked, in the middle of winter. His only other option was to steal Lucia’s Honda. With a bit of luck the doors were unlocked and the keys stashed on top of the visor.

&n
bsp; He just hoped to God Angela would appreciate the risk he was about to take.

  Chapter 4

  Lucia crunched her way across the frozen snow to the barn, huddling into her coat. Damn it was cold tonight. If she hadn’t known her cellphone needed charging, she would have stayed inside. And of all the days to leave her purse in the car, she’d had to pick one where frostbite was a real danger. It couldn’t be helped. She’d rather have icicles on her nose than risk being cut off without a phone.

  A noise in the barn made her slow down. It sounded like something was in pain. Another sound came and she tiptoed to the door, finding it ajar. The barn should be empty. They only used it for her car and some equipment. Had something strayed inside? Whatever had sought shelter in there, it sounded like it was in agony.

  Lucia stepped through the side door and switched on the light only to stagger back against the wall, a scream lodged in her throat.

  A dark shape–what the hell was this?–writhed on the floor, covered in brown fur, stretching and contracting, clearly in complete agony. A head turned toward her, amber eyes wide with shock and pain, then another spasm hit...it...and it made a sound somewhere between a moan and a whimper.

  It looked like her wolf...and it didn’t. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the animal. He didn’t even look like an animal. A leg stretched and she heard bones crack. The tail receded as if it had never been there. There were patches of bare skin next to thick fur and she could have sworn the skin looked human.

  Which, of course, was utter nonsense.

  The back bowed and twisted, she heard snapping, as if someone tightened the spine from the inside out.

  Lucia stared, incapable of taking in the transformation before her. Her heart hammered in her throat and shock froze her limbs. At long last the sounds ended. In the place of the horrifying creature she’d first seen was a man, flat on the ground, naked and sweating. His damp hair clung to his skin where his head rested on one outstretched arm.