Seducing the Schoolmarm

by Mahalia Levey

  Jace laughed. “Amen. Let’s get it, sexy scruff.”

  “You’re doing it again, with your pseudo gay shit. Or are you fucking with me and you’re bi?”

  “Nah, man, after being forced to hear your sister’s annoying-as-fuck song, I owe you some payback.” Jace threw the truck in park and cut the ignition. “Right, you ready to hunt?”

  “Yeah.” He grabbed the pack and withdrew the bottle of Jack, grungy clothing, and beanie hats. He tossed a hat to Jace and opened the tub of smelly dirt, stepped out, and rubbed the soil on his face and under his nails. He opened the Jack, took a swig, and then poured the alcohol over his shirt, smearing the noxious smell onto his neck, mixing with the dirt. Then handed off to Jace to follow suit.

  “The plan is to pretend to be two drunks. With your pretty face, this is a cakewalk. I need to know what the land developers look like and the hunters. Are they country or professionals? People rarely look past first impressions. They won’t see Wolves. They’ll see stumbling drunks.”

  “These guys are straight country, definitely not professionals. That’s part of the problem. They’re dumb and therefore prone to doing dumb shit.”

  Ravage grinned. “Good, maybe we’ll get some blood, then. A good fight. Either way, I’ll track the targets wherever they are from scent memory. I can retain a scent for two weeks. Sometimes longer. And, barring inclement weather, I can track well over a hundred miles in any direction.”

  “I don’t want Michelle caught up in their shit.”

  “Then we’ll make damned sure that doesn’t happen.”

  Jace smiled and whacked Ravage on the back. “Let the games commence.”

  “Fuck, you stink. Caress packed the foul soil.” Ravage set off carrying the bottle, singing off-key at the top of his lungs, pretending to drink every few steps, spilling liquor on himself now and then, and swiping more of the nasty grunge over his face and arms.

  “I’m not the only one, fucker.” Jace snorted and grabbed the bottle, following suit. Together, they stumbled along the trail.

  A group of men came out of a cabin to investigate the disturbance. Ravage headed straight for the targets, bumbling into them, slurring an apology. He grabbed onto a flannel shirt to keep upright.

  “This here’s private property.” A man’s voice thundered, one of the four men in suits surrounding them.

  Jace wrapped an arm around Ravage’s neck and pulled him away with a laugh. “Our bad, dudes. We were looking for our friend, Dave. He lives out this way. Short fucker. You seen him?”

  Ravage forced himself to puke on the shoes of the man in front of him. “Sorry.” He stood up and wiped his mouth, head still low. He spun around. “I think we’re lost, bro.” He wiped a trail of saliva from his chin.

  The second man moved back. Ravage pretended the man caught him off guard, grabbed onto the guy’s leg, and fell over, obtaining his second imprint. The man wrinkled his nose in distaste, trying to dislodge himself.

  Jace wrinkled his nose. “Damn, man. I thought you said you knew where we were going?”

  “All fuckin’ looks the same out here.” He crawled across the ground, pushed up on his hands to stand then leveled himself by bracing on the two suits stepping up to their friend. Their cloying cologne made it impossible to scent them. He pulled back a fist and let one fly, knocking the suit on the right. A spray of blood hit his sensory nerves. He tackled the second suit, elbowing him in the nose and basked in the ambience, then turned to see Jace handling the hunters without fighting.

  Jace snagged the back of Ravage's shirt. “Whoa, my man, what’re you doing?” He walked backward, pulling Ravage with him, diffusing the rapidly escalating situation. “Sorry, guys. No offense.”

  Cocked guns trained on them. “We suggest you get your boy or get shot for tresspassin’.” One of the hunters spit on Ravage.

  Jace exerted a strong grasp on Ravage before he could rip the man’s head off.

  Ravage let Jace pull him away and tucked the four pieces of clothing with blood and scent in the only clean pocket on his body.

  He pulled Ravage along the trail and mumbled, “You get what you need?”

  “Yup. What you wanna bet they were having a meeting with the developers and we interrupted it? Fuck, their cologne was strong. Like they bathed in it for days.” Ravage rubbed his nose. “The team will also know the individual scents of those four.”

  Jace slapped his back. “Excellent work, man. Let’s get out of here.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’ve got a hot date tonight.”

  “Sounds great. I need a shower. Fuck, make that two showers.”

  Chapter Nine

  Adrie sighed. Her spastic nerves refused to calm. Edgy. Fidgety. Four days had passed since she’d been in Ravage’s arms. Where was he while she was teaching? Gone. On some errand for the Alpha. His absence was enough to make her scream. To make matters worse—no contact. How could the Alpha send a small team away for a few days without allowing them to carry phones?

  Okay, so watching the man her Wolf wanted—and, yes, shit she wanted him, too—shift into a massive, black-haired beast made her go all agog. Cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Still, she hated the physical distance between them. Since her Wolf took over in a moment of sexual insanity and bit him, she hadn’t had a moment’s peace. No, they weren’t traditionally mated as of yet. Damn her Wolf for choosing to bite into his corded neck and taste his mouth-watering essence.

  Forcing herself to get it together, she smiled at her young students, diligently working on their assignments. She’d promised a movie in the afternoon while the older kids helped to plant the garden. Looking out the windows, she saw Caress holding out her garden map, pointing out directions to Seth, Carter, and Luck—who’d miraculously healed from his snakebite without shifting. They’d purchased their supplies from Ogden Woods, the owner of Los Lobos Lumber.

  “Ms. Scarlett, will we get to drop the seeds in the holes still?” one of her five-year-old students asked.

  “Yes, you will. The older teens are preparing everything. Then you all will get to help plant and cover the seeds with soil.”

  “Why can’t we do it right now? Why we got to wait?”

  “The ground isn’t ready yet. Caress and her crew are preparing the soil, making sure there’s the right balance of nutrients for the seeds to grow into plants. Everyone’s doing so well with making the Los Lobos Community Garden sign. I love the use of the color wheel. You’ve all made a rainbow of bright colors and added your handprints around the edges. Luck and Seth will make the stakes, and we can hammer it into the ground.”

  “Ms. Scarlett, how long will it take for the vegetables to grow?”

  “They vary. Green Beans can take sixty days to grow, radishes thirty days, corn three months, potatoes two to three months to grow. Other vegetables like broccoli and cabbage can take five months, tomatoes forty-five days, cucumbers forty-days, and fruit is different. We will have to wait and see on those.” Thankfully, Caress had advised her of the proper lengths and planting dates for specific foods.

  “Will we have enough to feed everyone?”

  “Once everything is growing in large quantity, I believe so. That’s the purpose of beginning the garden, so we can be more self-reliant and not depend on going to the nearest large supermarket to load up.”

  “Can we watch the movie please?”

  “I think you have a great idea. Are you guys ready to watch Balto? This movie is based on a true story. Back in the winter of 1925, people used dog sled teams to travel. Balto was a hero in his time, running the last fifty-three miles and carrying the serum to Nome. The total trip before he picked up the last leg was almost six hundred miles. That’s a long, long way, and it was over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards even.” She clicked on the DVD player and started the movie, then moved around handing out little bags of popcorn and juice boxes for snack. “Be respectful and quiet. I’m going to check on the others and will come right back. Can I trust each o
f you to be good for me, like I know you are?”

  “Yes, Ms. Scarlett.”

  “Good.” She walked outside, moving toward the newly turned earth. “Caress.”

  “Hi, Adrie,” Caress greeted her.

  “How is everything panning out?” She covered her eyes from the bright sun to see down the long rows.

  “Good. I’ve picked out the spots for the vegetables and fruits and arranged them from east to west, the tallest growing ones will be planted north, the shorter in front of those. The guys are almost done. I’d say we can seed the holes later on this afternoon and continue tomorrow and the next day if the kids get tired, or we can let them plant some today and I can finish up with the guys after school’s out.” She laughed.

  “Seems fine to me. Have you, um…heard from your brother?”

  “He came home last night, grabbed a bag, and left. Didn’t he tell you they organized a fight for him?

  “No. He didn’t.” Hurt enveloped her. He didn’t include her or say he was back but had to leave for a second time.

  “I’m sorry. I only know because Raze told me. Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be home when he’s won. He always wins if you’re worried about him getting hurt. Why don’t you stay over with me tonight, that way I have some company. Raze is busy designing buildings. He has all his architectural doodads and has been strapped to his drafting table for like the last two days.”

  “I thought he went out of town a few days ago.”

  “Nah…well, he went to see some guy. He can’t bring the human here right now, you know, secrecy rules, so he has to go meet his lover elsewhere.”

  “Oh. That bites. But we have humans here mated to Wolves. There’s a way. He’ll have to talk to our Alpha.”

  “Yeah, my brother is a male whore. He put the W in the word. He doesn’t do relationships, and I don’t think the guy he’s seeing now is relationship material. They are buddies with bennies. He’s been eyein’ one sexy piece of sin, Markos. Tall, dark, and broody on detail with Ravage.”

  She moved closer to Caress. “Shh. Don’t want others to hear.”

  “What? The fact I have a gay brother or how he’s a fuck machine?”

  Adrie put her hand over her face and groaned. “I may be, um…seeing your brother, but I’m still your boss, and the direction of this conversation is not appropriate.”

  Caress grinned and threw an arm over her shoulder. “Adrie, you are so human it’s cute. I can see why my brother is into you. I bet you are like nothing he’s ever seen before, and that’s a good thing.”

  “I’m going back inside to watch the movie. Come and get us when you’re ready.” Adrie shrugged off Caress’s arm and stepped away. “Boys, you’re doing a fabulous job. Keep it up. This is how the pack helps take care of each other.”

  Dripping with sweat, the teenagers spared a moment to glance and acknowledge her before trudging back to do Caress’s bidding.

  By late afternoon, she’d still heard no word from Ravage. She glanced at pack news, the town-wide PA system with morning and afternoon updates. She strongly disliked his non-communication. How hard was it to pick up a phone? The crystal-clear reality was that her mate was, no longer on pack business. He always carried his cell on him, and that he chose not to call her smarted. In sheer desolation, Adrie planted her face on her desk.

  Ravage abandoned me without an explanation. Couples don’t do that. Surely, he knows he should check in with me. We’ve marked each other. We’re supposed to have open lines going at all times.

  The door creaked open and Myanna peered in. “We’re ready for the planting.”

  “Line up and follow Myanna outside. Do everything the older Wolves ask you to.”

  “Are you gonna plant, Ms. Scarlett?”

  “No, I’m not dressed for planting.” Maybe she should adjust her wardrobe and wear sensible clothing instead of blouses, skirts, stockings, and heels.

  Through the open windows, she watched the young kids pick up packets of seeds and follow the older class around. This was the way to raise a responsible village. The leaders taking the new generation in hand and teaching them with smiles and patience, waiting for the kids having a hard time to grasp things.

  She paced by the window until the sun started to go down, the young ones having left to make it home to dinner on time. Admiration surged through her. Ravage was right, his sister made an easy type of leader, a natural, a born Beta. Not surprising with the emotional and physical strength of her two brothers.

  She checked her voicemail, e-mail, and text screen for any word from her man. Silence on all accounts. When the planting was done and everyone had gone home, she sat at her desk and dug into grading papers and prepping for the next school day.

  Adrie woke with a startle. She picked her head off her desk, wiped the sleep from her eyes, and brought everything into focus. Moonlight peered through her classroom windows. Damn, she’d fallen asleep going over the next month’s lesson plans. One day, she’d make her way home at a decent hour or build a house behind the school so she wouldn’t have far to walk. At least patrol was on duty, with the rumors of wildlife, and the occasional hunter, he worried about trespassers but kept the tidbit of information to herself.

  Along the hidden path, she made her way, deciding to forgo heading to her place. She ambled toward Gee’s Bar instead. The Werebear smiled at her as she found her regular seat at the bar and ordered a beer from Kaden, the bartender. He gifted her with a warm smile, and she returned one but glanced away hoping to convey she wanted to be left alone to wind down.

  “A sexy woman shouldn’t be sitting alone.” Ravage’s words sparked a chill down her spine. His breath warmed her ear.

  Adrie spun on her stool, glass in hand, and threw the remaining liquid in his face then followed up with a slap to his smug cheek. “I was enjoying my drink.”

  If looks could kill, she’d be deader than dead. Once handsome gray eyes crinkled dark, her future mate radiating the promise of retribution.

  “You’ve used your one free hit. You only get one this lifetime.” Ravage took the proffered napkin from Kaden and wiped his face dry. “Do you want to finish this quarrel here or somewhere private?”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. You can’t disappear without letting anyone know and waltz back in like nothing happened days later. Doesn’t work that way. You blew it big time.” She poked him in the chest to accentuate her words then turned from him to see Kaden set a fresh beer in front of her and moved off to help his other patrons. Ravage spun her to face him. She opened her mouth to speak, but his murderous expression tied up her tongue.

  A sinister smile graced Ravage’s face. He braced those muscular arms she drooled over on either side of her and drew a finger down the middle of her blouse, fingering the tiny pearl buttons. “Jealousy becomes you.” He planted a searing-hot kiss on her lips, forcing away her rage, and just felt him plunder, tease, and demand compliance.

  “Keep it PG,” someone hollered.

  Adrie planted her hands on his chest and pushed him back. “Stop.” She picked up her glass, draining half the contents.

  Ravage took a seat and hefted her from her stool onto his lap. “No. You belong in my arms.”

  “We’re in public.”

  “And?”

  “You— We can’t do anything in front of the entire pack.” She clutched her empty glass as a lifeline and made herself ignore how good his muscles felt underneath her ass and thighs. How she loved his massive arms wrapped around her. For the life of her, she couldn’t place his scent, the one driving her Wolf and her bonkers.

  He chuckled in her ear and picked up a bottleneck beer off the bar. “Thanks Kaden.”

  Ravage twisted off the cap with the hem of his shirt.

  If only she could see him pop the top off a second time but lift his shirt a tad higher so she’d get a full view of the happy trail of hair leading down to his cock, she’d die a happy Wolf.

  “What dirty things are you thinking
about?”

  “N-nothing.” Her anger had transformed into arousal, damn him.

  “I can tell, you know. Sense your heartbeat kick up a notch, the sudden smell of your arousal heightening. You are a horrible liar, love. Finish your beer so we can leave, or I will flip up your sexy skirt and fuck you here in the bar while our people watch.”

  Adrie groaned. He can’t be serious. She’d never seen anything more than heavy petting and kissing happen in the bar. Craning her head to look at him, she lifted her glass, took a dainty sip, and set it back down. His hand crept beneath her skirt, grazing her skin with naughty intent. The way they sat, no one had a clear view. When he strummed his finger over her swollen nub, she closed her eyes, delicious torture shooting through her. The satin fabric of her panties provided the perfect amount of friction with the pressure of his thumb.

  “They can’t see, but they can smell. Look at the single dominants sniffing the air, wanting to know whose ripe scent is begging for a good fuck. Sweet ambrosia, that’s how delectable you smell.” He plunged a finger under the edge of her panties, swiping along her slit, and then left her in need while he smirked and licked his finger clean.

  Ravage pulled bills from his pocket and tossed them on the bar top. “Night, Kaden.”

  The bartender nodded as he moved to take care of patrons.

  When Ravage slid her from his lap then slapped her on the ass to get her moving, she died in mortification. Heads turned their way as they left, no doubt catching a whiff of her arousal. He didn’t waste time. He pulled her over to the side of the building, against the darkened wall, and eased her skirt up. Oh, how she ached to unbutton his jeans and fist his dick. Her man had other plans. He dropped to his knees and slid his tongue over her slit, his hands holding her thighs open while he feasted. Pulling at his hair to get him to stop didn’t deter him. The stubborn man took what he wanted.

  Worried someone would see them terrified and excited her. Never before had she embraced the wildness harnessed inside her. Ravage provoked her to set her Wolf free. When he tugged her clit into his mouth and worked her first orgasm from her, she screamed.