After Twilight

by Amanda Ashley

  She dug in her pack and removed a tin plate. “For me, or for the hunters if I decide to turn them in to the authorities?”

  Rising, he stretched his long legs. “Don’t get between the farmers and the wolves. Mostly, they’re just good old boys looking out for their own interests.”

  While scooping eggs onto her plate, she muttered, “What are they going to do? Shoot me?”

  “Not on purpose, but these men are farmers, not expert marksmen. You don’t want to get caught in the middle.”

  Stephanie glanced up at him, suspicion causing her gaze to narrow. “That’s what this visit is about, isn’t it? You came to scare me off?”

  “I came to talk some sense into you,” he corrected. “What’s going on here isn’t any of your business.”

  She set her plate aside and rose, meeting him on his level. “Wolves are being illegally hunted and that’s none of my business? I’m making it my business, and I’m also calling the Fish and Wildlife Service on your crooked sheriff and his hillbilly friends. What do you think of that?”

  “I think you’re poking your nose into something dangerous,” he shot back. “The farmers are good men, and the sheriff is a good man, too. He’s protecting the community. Today the wolves are only killing sheep. Tomorrow it may be a child who’s wandered too far into the woods, or a woman camping alone.”

  She snorted disdainfully. “I’m not that easily frightened. And for your information, there’s no proof that a healthy wild wolf has attacked a human in North America for the past decade.”

  • • •

  Rick felt tempted to shake her silly. She had no idea they were not discussing “normal” wolves. At least one of them wasn’t normal. He couldn’t believe he’d come here last night. Crept into her tent and stared at her. Thank God that was all he’d done. He must have picked up her scent from her jacket draped over the rocker in his room.

  He’d hoped his strong attraction to her the day before might be a result of the drugs in his system. Not so. He fought himself not to kiss her again. She was beautiful, and tempting, and forbidden.

  “You’re stubborn,” he added out loud.

  “I’m dedicated,” she corrected. “And I won’t be bullied around or frightened away. The last man I let tell me what to do was my father, and that only lasted until I was old enough to talk back.”

  He could imagine her as a child. Small angelic face surrounded by blond curls; twisting men around her finger even then. “I don’t want to be your father,” he assured her, not bothering to add that he wouldn’t mind being her lover. He’d made that clear enough yesterday. “I thought you might listen to reason.”

  “But you’re not being rational,” she pointed out. “If I leave, who will save these wolves?”

  She was right. He wasn’t being rational. Leaving was no longer an option for her. Not until he was certain he hadn’t bitten her. To his knowledge, Rick had never attacked a human. Research he’d read insisted a person couldn’t become a werewolf by being bitten by one, but he knew that was a lie. To assure himself that he hadn’t passed his curse to Stephanie Shane, Rick had to keep her nearby until the next full moon cycle.

  “If you call the authorities about the hunters, you won’t get your research or your documentary. The place will be crawling with people. Wolves don’t particularly like people, remember? They’ll go into hiding.”

  Her teeth worried her bottom lip. “That’s true. But what am I supposed to do, just let them continue to kill wolves?”

  It was hard for him to concentrate when she stood close to him. Harder still to keep from sampling her lips again. Rick returned to the stump she’d been sitting on. He sat and lifted his coffee. “I could talk to Hugh. Ask him to forgo any more hunting until you’re finished here.”

  Stephanie joined him, retrieving her unfinished breakfast. “And I suppose in exchange, I have to agree not to report his actions?”

  He smiled. “You’re smart, too.”

  “Too smart to agree to that. I won’t spend time and emotion on these wolves only to hear reports at a later date that they’ve all been killed.”

  “But your work could launch a campaign to have them relocated rather than destroyed,” he said. “I can placate the sheriff and the farmers if you agree to film the wolves killing livestock. They would have their proof that something needs to be done.”

  “And what if my cameras prove the wolves are not responsible, but some other predator?”

  He shrugged. “It won’t, but then you’ll have proof that the wolves should be left alone.”

  “Why are you so sure the wolves are responsible?” she asked, then shoved a bite of eggs into her mouth.

  “I’ve seen the remains. These are pack killings. More than one animal. The thing is, the sheep being killed are most likely animals that are diseased or weak, and might not survive anyway. That’s how survival of the fittest works.”

  “Sounds to me as if the wolves are only doing their job,” she commented. “Can you prove that the sheep being killed are sick?”

  Rick shook his head. “Not enough left of the remains to perform an autopsy.”

  Stephanie set her plate aside. “So much for my appetite. And I have work to do.” She rose, affording him a view of her long legs wrapped in tight denim. “I’m hoping to find one of the dens today. I thought I could set up a camera close by to catch them coming and going.”

  Her long legs were so distracting, he almost didn’t hear her words. When they sank in, he tensed. “That wouldn’t be a smart move. The females are probably ready to whelp or already have. Get too close to the dens, and the wolves will become aggressive.”

  “But getting close is my job.” She scraped the remains of her plate back into the skillet, gathered her dishes, and moved off toward a stream beside her campsite. Rick went after her.

  “I’m serious,” he insisted. Now that the moon’s cycle had ended, he didn’t have to worry about stumbling from a den naked come daylight and being caught on film in the process. But he knew for a fact that there were pups in the dens, and the animals would be protective.

  “I’ll be careful,” she assured him, bending next to the stream to wash her dishes.

  Rick bent beside her. “like you were the other night? You’ve already been bitten once—”

  “No, that was a mistake,” she interrupted. “I only thought the animal bit me. And I plan to be more careful from here on out. Don’t you have something to do besides bother me?”

  He leaned in, smelling her hair. He loved her scent. “Am I bothering you?”

  When she turned her head, they were eye to eye. Her gaze lowered to his mouth. “Yes,” she answered.

  She bothered him, too. And in a big way. He had visited her campsite with the intention of scaring her off, but now, she had to stay. Now he had to keep a close eye on her and, at the same time, keep his raging hormones at bay. Not an easy task for a werewolf.

  Backing off when she sat so close, her eyes still locked with his, took a great amount of willpower. She glanced away, gathered her dishes, and stood up.

  “Good-bye, Dr. Donavon.”

  He rose, watching the sway of her hips as she walked away. The sunshine bounced off her hair. She stopped, and he waited for her to turn and say something else to him. When she continued to stand perfectly still, he moved up behind her. Blocking the path to her campsite stood a large gray wolf. The animal curled back its lips and growled.

  Chapter Four

  Stephanie’s heart was in her throat. The wolf wasn’t the same one that had crept into her tent the night before, and he wasn’t as large, but he looked as if he could hurt someone if the mood struck him.

  “Stand very still.”

  The warmth of Rick’s breath brushed her ear. She hadn’t heard him approach. He stepped around her, shielding her body with his. The wolf immediately ceased his growling. Stephanie raised herself on tiptoes to look over Rick’s shoulder. It appeared to her as if the wolf and the country vet
were having a stare-down. When the animal finally whimpered and scurried off, she breathed a sigh of relief.

  “How did you do that?”

  He turned around, and for a moment, she thought his eyes were glowing. He blinked, and they appeared normal again.

  “Do what?”

  “S-scare him off that way?” she stammered. “It was almost as if he recognized you as the Alpha male.”

  “He did recognize me. The wolves are used to seeing me in these woods. You’re the one they consider an intruder.”

  She supposed he had a point. “I guess I need to stay on my guard. These particular wolves seem to be more aggressive than the ones I’ve studied in the past.”

  “I told you why,” he reminded. “They have pups, or females in the pack getting ready to whelp. They’ll be more protective of their territory than usual. Maybe you should stay in town.”

  Stephanie laughed off his suggestion. “I don’t remember seeing a hotel when I passed through yesterday, and I can’t very well research wildlife from town. I’ll be fine.”

  They stood there for a moment, the silence between them awkward. She felt the heat rolling off his body, thought she even heard his heart beating. The longer he stared at her, the more uncomfortable she became. But she couldn’t look away. It seemed he held some strange power over her. Even though the morning chill had faded, goose bumps rose on her arms.

  A vision flashed through her mind. Cool sheets and sweat-soaked skin. Seeking mouths and roaming hands. Pleasure so intense it forced a soft moan from her lips. Rick blinked, and the spell was broken.

  He turned and walked away, leaving her shaken and unsure of what had just happened between them. She watched him move through the trees. Shapes crept from the shadows to follow him. Wolves. Stephanie shuddered and returned to her campsite. She lifted her jacket from the stump where it lay draped, spotted the thermos, and sighed irritably.

  He’d forgotten to take it with him, which meant he’d be back, or that she would have to return the item. She had work to do, and he’d already proven to be too much of a distraction. He had said he would try to dissuade the hunters, however, and she would rather gather her research information without getting the authorities involved.

  Stephanie picked up the coffee and poured herself a fresh cup. She would not use the thermos as an excuse to visit the handsome country vet. In fact, she didn’t plan on giving him another thought for the rest of the day.

  She recalled her strong reaction to him earlier, the visions that had flashed through her mind. She remembered her momentary belief that his eyes had been glowing. It seemed ridiculous to her now. The sun must have reflected in his gaze a certain way. Rick Donavon was very handsome, maybe a little strange, but he wasn’t some kind of monster.

  • • •

  Rick slept for two days straight. He stood at the kitchen sink; splashed cold water on his face, then stuck a glass beneath the faucet. He’d dreamed of the woman again. Hot, forbidden dreams. A monster such as himself had no right even to dream about her. She seemed innocent to him, and he was cursed. His fingers tightened around the glass he held.

  The irresistible Miss Shane was only a reminder of all that been lost to him. Maybe this was his punishment for the life he’d lived when he’d been normal. He’d never had time for anyone else, not even a wife. His own desires and needs had always come first.

  Women had called him a loner, and much worse. He used them for pleasure, had given pleasure in return, but he’d never given his heart.

  It was ironic, all the things he’d taken for granted—companionship, a woman to share his life, bear his children, love him for better or for worse—would never be his. Not now. He laughed harshly, then hurled the glass at the wall. It shattered, just as his life had shattered three years ago.

  Rick walked to the mess and bent. He lifted a piece of glass, allowing the sharp edge to slice his finger open. Blood seeped from the cut. He stuck the injured finger into his mouth. By morning, the cut would heal itself. Just like the bullet wound he’d taken in his leg. There was only one way to kill him, or so he’d read. A wound to the head, or to the heart. Those were the only organs that couldn’t heal themselves.

  Ripping open his shirt, he held the glass to his chest. If he plunged it in deep enough, he could end the nightmare, here, now, today. He’d been raised to believe that taking one’s life was the greatest sin. That doing so would condemn his soul to eternal hell. Hell was the reason he hadn’t done it before now. Hell had become a familiar place to him, and Rick longed for peace and salvation.

  If someone else did the job for him, it couldn’t be counted against his soul. Thanks to Stephanie, he probably couldn’t rely on the hunters to handle the task. In all good conscience, he couldn’t plunge the glass deep into his chest, as he wanted to do. Not yet. He had to stick around long enough to be certain she hadn’t been bitten. Rick had also promised to speak to the sheriff on her behalf—ask him and the hunters to give her free rein to study the wolves.

  A knock on his door made him jump. He threw the glass shard on the floor and rose. Rick was surprised to see the woman who’d been occupying his thoughts standing on the porch. She shoved his thermos at him.

  “You forgot this the other day,” she said.

  “I would have been back for it,” he assured her.

  “I know. That’s why I decided to return it.”

  He smiled. “Would you like some more?”

  Her gaze lowered to his mouth. “More?”

  “Coffee,” he specified.

  “No, thank you.”

  When she continued to stand there, he asked, “Would you like to come inside?”

  She moistened her lips with her tongue. “No, I should probably get going.”

  Yes, she should leave, Rick thought. But no amount of reasoning seemed to work when she stood within touching distance. He was painfully aware of her. Her gaze lowered to his open shirt. She sucked in her breath and reached out.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  The feel of her fingers on his skin nearly drove him wild. He fought the urge to yank her inside the cabin and into his arms. “I broke a glass in the kitchen. It’s just a scratch.”

  “It looks fairly deep.” She pushed past him. “We should get that cleaned up and see if you need stitches.”

  Rick followed her inside. He smiled and closed the door behind him. “You should be more careful,” he called.

  Stephanie turned, raising a brow.

  “The glass,” he reminded her. “Watch where you step. It could slice through your shoes.”

  She nodded and hurried into the kitchen. Rick pushed away from the door. He moved toward the kitchen, realized his actions were furtive like those of a stalking animal, and approached more directly. Stephanie already held a paper towel under the faucet.

  “Come here,” she ordered.

  Like a well-trained dog, he obeyed. She squeezed water from the paper towel and turned toward him, wiping the blood from his chest. Her knock on the door had startled him. His hand must have slipped. Her scent curled around him. He’d thought she smelled good the other day, but her fragrance seemed stronger to him now. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

  “I don’t think you need stitches,” she said. “But you’ll have a nasty scratch for a while.”

  It would be gone by tomorrow. He felt the flesh already healing, just as the cut on his thumb would also disappear.

  “Be sure you keep it clean so it doesn’t get infected.”

  Rick opened his eyes and glanced down. Her features were perfect. Small oval face, high cheekbones, delicate nose, inviting lips. “I do know a little about that,” he said dryly.

  Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “Of course you do. Sorry, I forgot for a moment.” Her brow furrowed. “Why aren’t there any animals in the pens outside?”

  He shrugged and walked away. “The wolves are doing a good job of separating the weak from the strong. Mostly all I get is sheep.” Ri
ck grabbed a broom and a dustpan. “A sick calf once in a while. I only practice on large animals. I prefer to make house calls rather than have owners leave animals here.”

  “Because they wouldn’t be safe,” she said.

  He didn’t look at her. “Exactly.”

  She walked over and took the dustpan from his hand. “Too many wolves roaming this area.”

  “Right,” he agreed, his tone dry.

  Stephanie bent, holding the dustpan while he swept up the broken glass. He would have preferred that she take the broom. Having a beautiful woman kneeling before him didn’t help his raging hormones. Once he’d swept all the broken glass into the dustpan, Stephanie rose.

  “Where’s your trash?”

  He nodded toward the sink. “Cabinet under the sink.”

  Replacing the broom, he watched her open the cabinet door and empty the dustpan. His gaze roamed her backside. Her natural instincts were not very good, he decided, or she’d sense what he was thinking and make a hasty retreat. Instead, she straightened, walked back toward him, and held out the dustpan. He replaced it beside the broom.

  “I’d wear shoes in here for a few days,” she mumbled. “We might have missed some of the smaller pieces.”

  “I’ll be careful,” he assured her, wishing cuts and scrapes were something he had to worry about. That would mean he was normal.

  She glanced around. “I’ll just wash my hands and be on my way.”

  Rick didn’t want her to go, but he really didn’t want her to stay, either. His attraction to her became stronger every second she remained. For his sake as well as hers, parting company would be for the best.

  Even as he told himself that, he moved up behind her while she washed her hands.

  She smelled of wildflowers and sunshine. That, and something else. Some unidentifiable scent he couldn’t resist. She turned and nearly bumped into him.

  “W-were you sniffing me?” she stammered.

  “I like your shampoo.”

  He should step back and let her pass, but Rick’s feet felt glued to the floor. He kept staring into her eyes, thinking how green they were. His gaze lowered to her neck. He’d tasted her there. But he couldn’t recall if he’d been a man or an animal when he’d done so. Her hand crept up, pulled her collar closer around her neck.