All appetite for fishing completely gone, body still aching, he headed back the way he’d come, toward home.
Close call. Taking a shuddering breath as the stranger’s boat pulled away, Jewel tried to move quickly for the house. Her shaky legs refused to cooperate. The best she could manage was a kind of crab-like scuttle. No matter. She’d make it. The ramshackle cabin wasn’t too far from the shore.
A fire raged inside her, a need and a hunger she’d come dangerously close to loosing on the unsuspecting stranger.
Hellhounds. Not only did he think she was a druggie, but some sort of nymphomaniac as well.
She told herself it didn’t matter. The only thing she could afford to worry about now was staying alive and being able to change. Anything else was small stuff, not worth the energy.
Still, the haunted look in his eyes, the raw need she’d seen in his face, lingered in her mind.
Why?
Because she recognized it. Identified and empathized with the emotion swirling inside him.
Proving again, she was a complete and utter fool.
Looking up, she saw he waited, watching her. Though water separated them, she shivered, turning on her heels and entering the cabin.
Once inside, she closed and locked the door, testing the strength of the wood and finding it lacking. Much too thin. She’d have to see what she could do about reinforcing it.
Right. As if any wood, no matter how strong or how thick, could keep out an enraged wolf. If Leo came looking for her, this cabin would provide no protection. No protection at all against an enraged shifter who enjoyed making her suffer.
Lucky for her, Leo was safely locked away in a maximum security prison and had no idea where she’d gone. She worried that since the guards didn’t know what he was, one day he’d escape. Though her body felt much the same as it did after one of his frequent beatings.
Exhausted, she dropped into a ratty old recliner that had come with the rental and closed her eyes. She still couldn’t change. Trying nearly killed her. What the hell had Leo done to her? At first, she’d suspected he was doping her with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, an ingredient found in common cold medicine. The well-known remedy also suppressed the urge to change. Since she still wanted to change, longed to change, and couldn’t, she doubted he’d used that particular drug. It had to be something else. Long-lasting and deadly.
It had been over three months since she’d vanished. Drugs couldn’t stay in her system too much longer than that, could they?
She exhaled, still trembling, fingering her silver, wolf necklace for reassurance. She never took it off, not even when she changed. Luckily, it was long enough to make the change with her. The chain and charm were all she had left from the woman who’d birthed her and abandoned her at a fire station in a remote town in the Adirondack Mountains.
Pack took care of Pack, and one of the firefighters had brought the days-old baby home to his childless wife. They’d raised her as their own, teaching her Pack heritage and how to shape-shift into a wolf.
They’d become her family and she’d loved them with all her heart.
Shortly after she and Leo had married, she’d lost both her parents in a car accident. The day of their funeral had been one of the last times Leo had been kind to her.
Blinking, she brought her thoughts back to the present and trying to recover who she used to be. Patience, she told herself. Surely if she gave it enough time, she’d be herself again. Surely.
If not for the stranger who’d found her, who knew how long she might have lain there, unconscious and unprotected. Dangerous, especially because in this Texas town clear across the country from Leaning Tree, she didn’t know her friends from her enemies. Though she’d needed to go far, far away from Leo’s little empire, she knew no one here. She’d chosen this place because she’d watched a fishing show while in protective custody, and Anniversary’s lake had been featured. Leo didn’t know the place and hopefully he never would.
Still, she’d have to be more careful. Wincing as she rose, she headed for the kitchen to make a cup of calming herbal tea.
A reporter knew where to dig. Within minutes of chatting with Reba Mae Evans at one of the local real-estate offices, Colton learned that the woman who’d rented the old Pryor place was named Jewel Smith. An unusual first name to make up for a perfectly ordinary last name. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn the entire name was bogus.
Her face still haunted him—he had seen those hollowed cheekbones and brilliant eyes somewhere before, but where? Had she been a model or an actress?
A search of public records revealed that no one named Jewel Smith held a valid Texas driver’s license. No surprise there—he’d detected some kind of northern accent when she’d spoken.
Still, just to be certain, he checked criminal records next. Nothing. No reason whatsoever to suspect her of illegal drug use—except for the fact that he’d found her naked and unconscious in the woods, bleeding. From the way she’d tried to jump his bones, without even knowing him, he guessed she hadn’t been the victim of a violent rape.
Here was an interesting story.
What reporter could resist? Colton smelled more than just an ordinary story. This just might be a chance to make good on his promise to his dead daughter and prevent another senseless death from drugs.
Two hours later, he leaned back in his chair and admitted defeat.
For now.
Locking up after himself, he left the newspaper office and headed home, where he planned to order a pizza, pop a cold beer and zone out in front of the TV.
When the ten o’clock news came on, Colton grabbed the remote and switched off the television. What kind of reporter was he, when he couldn’t even bear to watch the news? Luckily, Floyd, his boss at the Anniversary Beacon, didn’t know about that little quirk.
Too restless to sleep, he took the boat out instead, ostensibly to do some night fishing. He hated that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Jewel Smith. Beautiful, sensual and elegant. Familiar. He knew he’d seen her somewhere before, but where? Where? The memory nagged at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t make it come.
Still feeling vaguely unsettled, he moved across the lake slowly, his headlight cutting a wide swath in the darkness. With the wind in his face and the roaring in his ears a poor substitute for what he inexplicably craved, anger rose in him. Images of her naked, her creamy skin damp with dew, were burned into his brain. He’d been afraid to sleep because he knew he’d dream of her, sleek and sexy and moving underneath him. He both wanted her and wanted to find out the truth about her.
He was worse than a fool.
Knowing that didn’t keep him from pointing his boat toward her cove.
Chapter 2
The hot and humid air made Jewel feel sticky and uncomfortable. Restless. She slipped from the house and drifted silently through the trees to the edge of the water. Here perhaps, if she sat motionless, the lake’s nighttime calmness would seep into her.
Tranquility by osmosis. She could only hope.
Outside, the light breeze blowing off the lake made things slightly better, but there were other risks to ward off. She could smell the faint scent of other animals, nocturnal game prowling the still, wild woods around her. At least her shifter senses still worked, even if she couldn’t change.
Above, myriad stars sparkled in the velvet sky. The moon, still full and pulsing with power, called to her other self, the missing part of her. She desperately longed for the freedom of the change, to race and run and hunt on four paws, snout lifted to taste the scent of the wind and the earth.
The ground felt solid under her feet as she walked down to a thicket of trees close to the water. But her entire body felt wrong, off-kilter. She was tired of fighting herself. If only she knew what had been done to her, she could find a way to purge it from her system.
For now though, she could only wait and pray.
A rabbit dashed by in the underbrush and Jewel spun, blood surgin
g. Bitterly, she subdued the wolf, knowing she didn’t dare attempt to change so soon after her last disastrous try.
In need of a distraction, she thought of the man instead. He seemed familiar to her, as if she might have met him somewhere, known him before, in another time or place.
In another life.
Shying away from the thought, she focused on his physical attributes, planning to dissect exactly what made him seem so familiar.
Perhaps it was his resemblance to Clive Owen. She nearly laughed out loud. If all it took was the look of a film star to lull her natural wariness, then she was already halfway on the road to madness.
No, the feelings he evoked in her had to be more than that. Tall, solid, with broad shoulders and muscular arms that made her think of a protector. If he were Pack, she’d have looked upon him favorably as a potential mate; especially since his size and agility spoke of a good hunter.
Potential mate? She sat cross-legged within the protective circle of trees and stared out over the moonlit water. Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she rubbed her tired eyes. Been there, done that. Not about to get back in that dance again. For a long time, maybe never. Choosing Leo as her mate had been the mistake to top all others. She would never again trust her own judgment where men were concerned.
What she’d seen in Leo had been a lie. What she’d seen as focus had truly been obsession. His cunning had become ruthlessness, and whatever kindness he’d once harbored in him had fled long ago.
Marrying him had been a one-way ticket to death or insanity.
All through their courtship and the early weeks of their marriage, he’d kept his true self hidden from her. Looking back now, she shouldn’t have been so surprised. After all, cruelty and viciousness were often easily masked, especially when he’d worked as much as he did. Twelve-hour days and a lot of travel made it simple for him to hide his real nature.
And, as she’d learned too late, Leo was an especially adept liar. After all, he’d had their entire town and the Leaning Tree Pack Council completely fooled.
Once she changed again, she would be a solitary wolf, outcast and alone. Later, she’d figure out how to convince herself that she liked her life that way. For now, she’d concentrate on the problems at hand.
Staying alive and shifting again.
She sighed, pushing her hair back from her face and wishing she could taste the night air with her other, much more sensitive nose.
Dipping her toe into the warm water, she took a deep breath, hoping for peace. Instead, she saw a boat in the moonlight, moving quickly and unerringly toward her.
She slipped behind a thick oak to watch.
The boat came closer, the headlight directing a path to the shore. As the moonlight outlined the stark features of the driver, her heart skipped a beat. It was him.
The fact that he was here, skulking about her place in the darkness, showed her exactly how poor her judgment had become. What was it about her, that she drew a certain kind of man to her like a moth to a flame?
Could he be a threat?
Every instinct told her no, but the possibility appeared hard to dispute. Though she hated to be always looking over her shoulder, imagining danger in every shadow, she couldn’t afford to take any chances.
Leo had sworn to have her killed.
Tying the boat to a tree, the man stepped ashore and stood, facing her rental house. The moon colored his dark hair silver and made his craggy features seem even more handsome and mysterious.
Heart racing, Jewel held her breath, her entire body quivering with fury and fear. He lifted his face to the wind and for a moment she thought he’d scented her, then remembered he was only a human and couldn’t. Such an advanced sense of smell was impossible for a non-shifter.
She knew he was not Pack. He smelled human. Still, was it possible he could be working for Leo? This far away?
The rough bark of the tree dug into her palms and she realized she was clasping the trunk with a death grip. Forcing herself to loosen her hold, she eyed the trespasser and wondered what he wanted. To kill her? Though she’d come halfway across the country to escape Leo, his operations had a long reach. She wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’d found her. He had resources she didn’t even want to think about.
Leo. Drug lord and murderer.
She thought of the last time she’d seen her ex-husband, at his federal trial on charges of drug racketeering. Aristocratic features hard and cold, he’d glared at her across the packed courtroom and loudly vowed to see her dead. He didn’t understand that she’d already died a hundred times during their marriage.
Though the federal Witness Protection Program had promised to keep her safe, she hadn’t trusted them. All it took was one weak link, one person to reveal the wrong fact, and she’d die from a silver bullet through the heart.
No thank you. She’d taken to the road alone, telling no one. She’d changed her name, her hair color from brown to blond and changed her style of clothing. Now, she was a new person. Only her face and form remained the same.
Touching her necklace, she tried to convince herself she’d never be found. Leo would never look in Texas—he had no reason to suspect she’d have come so far.
All she had to deal with now was the fact that Leo’d done something to her to make her unable to change, knowing she’d go mad and die. If she didn’t overcome this, he’d have his revenge at last.
A movement brought her sharply back to the present, to the man prowling on her rented land, sniffing around like an untrained pup.
A quick glance assured her he wasn’t armed, though she found small consolation in that. If she could have become wolf, she could have taken him easily, but as a human female she was petite and small boned, untrained in combat.
Instead of defending herself, as her every instinct urged, she’d remain hidden and watch. See what he did, what he was looking for. Maybe then she could figure out how to stop him.
Though she expected him to advance on her house, when he reached the middle of her lawn, he stopped, as still as a statue, staring at her cabin. Then he turned, looked toward the trees as if he could see her, and touched the brim of his cap in a salute.
She stifled a gasp. How had he seen her? Had he scented her? But he wasn’t like her, and only her own kind could do that. Readying herself for combat, she couldn’t believe it when instead of approaching, he climbed back in his boat, started the motor and pulled away.
Staring after his retreating shape in disbelief, she put her hand to her chest, willing her racing heartbeat to slow. Trembling and furious with her weakness, she remained behind the oak until she could no longer see him and the sound of his motor was a distant hum.
Then and only then did she step into the clearing.
What was that all about?
Disturbed and puzzled, she returned to the cabin, locked the door and slid between the sheets. The soft cotton felt rough on her overheated skin, abrasive and making her already-aching body hurt. She tossed and turned, knowing she wouldn’t sleep.
Somehow, she did.
The next thing Jewel knew, bright sunshine poured through the windows and the bedside clock read 10:00 a.m.
Stretching, she woke with a sense of purpose, a renewed optimism and hope. Time to take action. If she couldn’t become a wolf, she needed to learn to fight as a human. Just in case.
Even making this simple decision cheered her, made her feel empowered.
After a quick breakfast of eggs, bacon and coffee, she did a little research. According to the phone book, Anniversary had two martial-arts studios. Jotting down both locations, she pulled on a pair of stretchy shorts and a tank top and hopped into her car. Carefully keeping to the speed limit, she headed toward town, windows open, wishing her air-conditioning worked.
By the time she reached the outskirts of Anniversary, her tank top was plastered to her back.
The first studio, located on Main Street, was in a new, white-stucco strip mall. She parked outside, wat
ching as a class of children, all dressed in white robes, practiced their moves. Apparently, this place was popular with the under-twelve crowd. She needed something a bit more hard-edged and discreet.
Checking her notes, she started the car and headed over to the other place.
Much smaller and less flashy, Chuong’s side street location gave it less curb appeal. Here, too, watching through the large front window, she saw a class comprised entirely of younger children, but she also noticed as several women entered alone. A hand-lettered sign on the upper corner of the plate-glass window advertised self-defense classes for women. She made a decision.
Jewel stepped inside, glad to leave the sweltering heat behind her. The air conditioner ran full blast, and the cold stung her nostrils. From one extreme to the other. Standing in front of a small reception area, she rubbed her arms to keep warm.
“Can I help you?” A slender Asian teenager looked Jewel up and down, her aristocratic face expressionless. Her name tag proclaimed her to be Candy.
“I’d like to sign up for the self-defense class.”
Popping gum, Candy nodded, handed her a clipboard and some papers. “Fill these out, please. Which credit card will you be using to pay?”
Credit card? Knowing how easily such things could be traced, the Witness Protection agency had destroyed all her old ones and had issued her new cards in her new name. Now, since she’d left the program, Jewel had destroyed even those. She had none. She met the younger woman’s heavily made-up brown eyes and forced a smile. “Is cash okay?”
With a curt nod, Candy waved her over to a metal folding chair.
Jewel was nearly finished filling out the papers when he strode in. She felt him before she saw him. Crap. Her mouth went dry as she stared at him.
When their gazes met, he looked as startled as she felt. While part of her hoped he’d continue inside without speaking, she also wanted to talk with him again. Forcing a smile, she braced herself for the husky sound of his deep voice.
Instead, he continued past her with only an impersonal nod.
Cry of the Wolf Page 2