Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6
Disorderly Cowboys
Lana Smith is on the run from a ruthless killer even her magic cannot save her from. She believes Shay Falls will offer her a safe haven until she runs smack into the town’s biggest secret, seductive, powerful werewolves roaming the woods.
Zane Larsen and Jayson Turk have found their mate in Lana, but they must convince her they can help make her safe again. They believe claiming her will end the killer's obsession, but even if they’re right, Lana isn’t the only one with enemies. She is soon caught between her lovers and a huntress whose reasons for seeking revenge are justified.
Meanwhile, an old threat is resurfacing, a pack with plans to use Lana as bait to add Jayson and Zane to their numbers.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Vampires, Werewolves
Length: 63,965 words
DISORDERLY COWBOYS
Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6
J. Rose Allister
MENAGE AMOUR
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Amour
DISORDERLY COWBOYS
Copyright © 2014 by J. Rose Allister
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-533-0
First E-book Publication: April 2014
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2014 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
DISORDERLY COWBOYS
Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6
J. ROSE ALLISTER
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Fear had become such a frequent companion that Lana shouldn’t have been the least bit fazed by having to navigate silent, unfamiliar woods. Nevertheless, she shuddered at the pins-and-needles sensation creeping down her spine.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea,” she muttered while she fought to drag her rolling suitcase over pinecones, rocks, and assorted other obstacles. “I should have called for road service.”
Sage, who was crouched unhappily in the carrier Lana held tight, gave a low yowl in agreement. Getting lost in the woods would really top things off, especially with the afternoon rapidly waning. Anything could be lurking among the trees, watching. Waiting. Ready to take advantage of the stupid female wandering around the middle of nowhere with nothing but battered luggage and a reluctant feline. But she hadn’t wanted to risk sitting alone and vulnerable in her broken-down car, either.
“Better that we get to the cabin before nightfall,” she said. Talking to the cat helped ease the knot of tension tightening in her stomach. “It can’t be much farther.”
She set the suitcase upright and pulled out her phone, but the GPS signal had dropped out fifteen minutes before. At least she’d had cellular service back on the main road. Here, under the thick cover of pine trees, she had zero bars. Meaning zero chance of calling for help if she needed it, and no guidance to help her find her lodging. Still, she’d looked over the directions before setting out, so she knew the cabin was roughly a straight shot from where the car had died. Cutting through the woods would get her there in a mile and a half, whereas the winding highway route would have meant a six-mile hike.
With a sigh, she tucked the phone inside the pocket of her black blazer and rubbed a sweaty palm on her slacks. Soon after, the rolling case hit another rock and wrenched sideways, pulling her off balance with it. She stumbled and nearly let go of the carrier, but she managed to recover it and upright the bag for the twentieth time.
“Sorry, Sage,” she said. “Goddess alive, why did I pack so much?”
She sat on the suitcase for a moment to catch her breath, setting the carrier beside her. Sage’s inquisitive green eyes peered out from between the bars while Lana looked around for some sign of the cabin. “Nothing yet but trees and more trees,” she said.
Lana picked up the reassuring weight of the pendant around her neck and fiddled with it while she surveyed the woods around her. A bird trilled a foreign, yet pleasing tune overhead, and she glanced up to see a hint of afternoon sky through the tall canopy of trees. It would have been a beautiful spot, really, if she wasn’t in such a hurry to get out of it. It was peaceful and serene, with crisp, clean air and the ripe scent of rich earth and invigorating pine. A lovely place for a ritual, perhaps, or some meditation. The calm hand of nature was evident here, which was partly why she’d chosen Shay Falls. If she opened herself to it, she knew this place would fill her with buoyant energy. Somewhere close by there was even a waterfall that had given the town its name. Here in the middle of such beauty,
maybe she would feel safe again. Maybe the bad dreams would stop. For the time being, however, her personal shields were at full power. And despite the lovely view, the only sight she was currently interested in seeing was that of a little cabin residing at 214 Pine Grove Lane.
She was just standing up to resume her trek when she heard a thumping noise. She whirled around with a gasp, her eyes scanning the area in a panic. She saw nothing but forest.
“A pinecone must have fallen,” she whispered, eyeing the numerous cones studding the trees.
Sage had heard the noise too, and her ears perked up while her gaze fixed on a spot that was indeed littered with cones.
“Trees,” Lana said. “See? Nothing to be afraid of.”
Lana had barely relaxed when she heard the other sound. Scuffling noises came from somewhere off to her left, noises that sounded a lot more like something coming. Her heart rate shot up as she listened.
The shuffling of leaves returned, closer this time.
Lana reached for the telescoping handle on her suitcase, thought about it for a second, and then let it go. She grabbed the carrier and began to run.
Familiar sensations hit her in a rush—the panic, the sick flood of adrenaline, the instinct to flee as fast as she could. Considering the uneven ground, this was neither an easy nor a graceful prospect, but she focused on her escape until all she heard was the ragged sound of frightened breaths and her footfalls hitting leaves and dirt. She left the rustling, scrabbling sounds far behind her, but she kept running. At one point she tripped and nearly fell, and she pictured a man’s arm reaching out and grabbing her.
She threw a look over her shoulder at the thought and sped up. To her relief, she saw no one behind her. Sage let out a wild yowl and began hissing, however, and when Lana whipped back around, her eyes widened at the reason right before running smack into it. The pale gray wolf was large and seemed just as shocked at her sudden appearance. The force of their collision sent them both tumbling to the ground and the cat carrier flying.
“Oh!” Lana cried out.
An explosion of stars hit when she landed, and for a time she heard and saw nothing. There was just an incredibly warm sensation, an odd current of rightness that she floated on for several moments until she realized the warmth was coming from the very bare-skinned, very human male body she was on top of.
Her eyes flew wide as she drew back. Lying on a naked man was something of an emergency, really, but she had even bigger problems. She tossed a panicked look behind her once more, but nothing seemed to be chasing her. Then she sought out the carrier, which had landed more or less upright. The cat was shaking herself vigorously, as though she’d gotten wet.
“I’m so sorry, Sagie,” Lana said. “Are you all right?”
Assured the cat had survived and no one was about to snatch her up, Lana glanced down at the man beneath her. A naked man was beneath her! Twenty-three years old, and this was the first time she’d experienced any such thing. He was sprawled on his back with his eyes closed. Strawberry blond bangs were flung carelessly across his forehead. His chiseled jaw was dotted with a scant amount of pale stubble. He was hot and hard-bodied, and he looked so unforgivably attractive lying there asleep that her stomach did a little cheerleader flip.
Somewhere through her mental fog, it registered that he wasn’t really lying there asleep. He was unconscious. She’d been more worried about her cat than the man she’d knocked clean out.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. Her limbs felt weak and rubbery when she tried to get up, so she stayed more or less put and patted the man’s cheek. “Hello? Hey, Mister. Wake up.”
Another hiss from Sage shot Lana’s head around just as the snap of a twig drew her attention. Gold eyes, narrow and alien, penetrated her from maybe ten feet away. The wolf they belonged to wasn’t the one who’d somehow escaped after she’d run into it. This one was larger, pure black, and imposing, a creature she would have absolutely loved to have seen anywhere except while alone with it in the woods.
Lana froze stiff, eyeing the carrier. Sage had pressed herself as far back as she could, letting out a long, quiet growl as if that would help matters any. The wolf ignored the cage, stepping closer to Lana. She shrieked and slid off the sleeping hunk she was still on top of, landing in front of him and spreading her arms like a shield. It was a stupid instinct, she knew. She should be worried about herself. Still, she couldn’t just leave the stranger unprotected. It was her fault he was about to become wolf kibble.
She reached behind her to slap harder at the guy’s face. “Come on,” she said in a sharp whisper so as not to startle the animal drawing closer. “Please wake up.”
Then she remembered a fact she’d read many times about wolves. It would be more afraid of her than she was of it.
Heartened, she sat up and waved her arms. “Go away!” she shouted. “Scat! Go on, now. Get away from him.”
She froze when the wolf peeled its lip back in a low growl. Its fur puffed out around the neck as it advanced slowly, like a king approaching his throne. It seemed calm and inquisitive as it drew near—and very definitely not afraid.
Lana shrank back, every muscle rigid, when the wolf stopped in front of her. She sucked in a breath while it leaned close and pressed its snout to her hair. Its breath was hot and damp as it scented her deeply. The urge to fight or run was undeniable, but both ideas were buried beneath her utter shock.
“Please don’t hurt him,” she whispered when it pulled back and growled. “Don’t hurt me.”
The animal backed off and began to shake oddly. Fur stood up all over its body, and as it retreated, it rose up on hind legs. Lana pressed herself tighter to the hot flesh behind her and gawked at the impossible.
The wolf’s limbs lengthened as its fur pulled back to expose bare flesh, and out from within the dark wolf stepped a human male. He was as naked and magnificent as the man she was trying to protect, although the two looked nothing alike. This man was clearly Native American, with dark, glittering eyes and a mane of glossy, black hair that hung loose behind him. A scar ran diagonally from his collar bone across a smooth, powerful chest, but a more intriguing part of him drew her attention between his thighs. His cock was long, thick, and much closer to her current vantage point than she was comfortable with.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered, barely managing to breathe.
Good hell, he was gorgeous, much like the Indian who occasionally turned up in her dreams to save her from the villain. Sometimes it was a cowboy, though, not an Indian. Those were the good dreams, when the hero saved her. Then they would ride off someplace private. Perhaps this was a dream too. Wolves didn’t rise up and turn into gods.
She blinked at him, only vaguely aware he was speaking.
The man knelt in front of her. “Can you hear me?” he asked.
She nodded mutely.
“Are you all right, ma’am?”
The twang in his words was strange. The cowboy lilt seemed disconnected from his sleek profile and naturally tanned skin.
“Ma’am?” he repeated. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” she said, sitting up and brushing off her palms.
“What were you runnin’ from?”
She glanced at him. “I thought someone was chasing me. Was it you?”
“No. I was standin’ right over there behind that brush.” His eyes lifted to the woods around her and sniffed. “I didn’t see anyone chasin’ you.”
Yes, he had a definite western twang. So, the Indian was a cowboy. Interesting. And he was a wolf. Maybe the man behind her wasn’t the one who was unconscious.
“Am I dreaming?” she asked.
“No.”
“I must be. You can’t really be a wolf.”
“Werewolf.”
And he said it so casually.
“There’s no such thing.”
His eyes glittered with yellow flecks, remnants of the animal buried within. “You just saw for yourself.”
She shoo
k her head. “How could I have seen something that doesn’t exist?”
“Because I let you.”
This prompted a smile. “See? That proves my point. If werewolves were real, they wouldn’t go around transforming in front of strangers, would they?”
Unless maybe they were about to eat them. She swallowed hard.
“You ain’t a stranger.” He leaned around her and grunted down at the unconscious man. “Damn. He’s really out.”
She shifted around to look while worry and guilt tugged at her chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think I bumped him that hard.”
“The back of his head hit the tree on the way down.” Another calm remark, as though he were commenting on the weather.
“It did?” She gasped and scanned the pine needles scattered around his head for any sign of blood. “Jesus, I’m so stupid. I should have been watching where I was going.” She yanked out her cell phone and held it up. “This thing is useless. There’s still no signal.”
“Who would you call?”
“An ambulance, obviously. He needs help.”
“He’ll be fine.”
“What if he has a concussion?”
“He’s used to gettin’ knocked down. He’ll survive.”
Her next objection faded while she watched the way he stroked his hand over the other man’s forehead. There was a tenderness about it that struck her as less than platonic.
“Why did you say I’m not a stranger?” she found herself asking.
Their eyes locked. “Why did you risk yourself to protect him from me?”
She blinked. “I don’t know. It was just a reflex. I thought you were going to hurt him.”
Disorderly Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 1