I glared at him.
Zeke belched and shook his head. “Damn, Boss Lady, never mind,” he said as he backed toward the door. “I’ll just leave you to it, then.”
He was gone before I could think of an appropriate response, leaving the whole lab smelling like cheap beer and unwashed male graduate student. Gross. I rubbed my temple, where the beginning of a headache was starting to coalesce. It looked like I’d be working in my office this fine Saturday.
MY CELL PHONE RANG from somewhere under the stack of papers on my desk. I shoveled them aside, grateful for the distraction. I was only halfway through the reviewer comments on my rejected NSF grant, and I’d already decided every single one of the peer reviewers could go to hell. Slowly, and hopefully painfully.
My phone was sitting face down in the middle of the textbook for my Introduction to Ecology class. I flipped it over, expecting Mom, then frowned. It was John Rodriguez. John studies the interactions between wolf and coyote populations in the park, and he’s also just about the only member of my department I actually like. I swiped my finger across the screen to answer.
“Hey, John, what is it?”
“Karen. They’ve shot a wolf.”
My stomach dropped out from under me. “Oh, no.”
“It was just outside Yellowstone. I’m headed there now,” he said. “Karen, it was... it was a rancher.”
I shot to my feet. “Motherfucker!” I screamed into the phone. “Those goddamn rednecks!”
More wolves are killed by humans than all the other causes of mortality combined, which pisses me the fuck off. And that’s why, ever since the press conference where I was asked to leave the room, John tries to be the public face of Montana State University’s wolf research program.
“What the hell happened?” I asked, pacing to the window.
“That, uh, that’s why I’m headed down. I’ll let you know what I find.”
“Wait a minute,” I said, the sick feeling in my stomach growing. “What wolf? What wolf got shot?”
“I don’t know. A big male, apparently.”
The room spun. I closed my eyes. “What color?”
“Uh, let me check,” I heard the phone shifting. My heartbeat felt very loud, and I tasted something bitter in the back of my throat.
“Doesn’t say,” he said, finally.
“I’m coming down,” I said, slamming my laptop shut.
“No! Karen, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” John stammered.
“West Yellowstone, right?”
John sighed loudly. “Just let me do the talking this time, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, glancing at the clock. I wouldn’t be to West Yellowstone for at least ninety minutes. “John, when you find out what color the wolf is, you call me back.”
“Okay... Are you going to tell me why?”
“Just do it!” I yelled, and I slammed the phone down on top of my computer bag.
A big male. I pressed my palms against my eyes.
Don’t be Vali. Oh, for God’s sake, don’t be Vali.
HIGHWAY 191 WOVE IN and out of the Beartooth mountains, crossing the Gallatin river half a dozen times as it climbed toward West Yellowstone. It was a beautiful day. The sun sparkled off the dancing mountain river, and the tall grasses nodded with the full seed heads of early autumn. My stomach felt like a lead weight; tears bit at the corners of my eyes. I checked my cell phone every few seconds as I lost service, regained service, then lost service again. My phone found a single bar of cell service just as I drove past Big Sky Country ski resort, which was the kind of exclusive, ultra-expensive place Barry fucking Richardson would like.
My phone rang. For a second, I was afraid to answer.
I bit the inside of my cheek and swiped my screen. “Yes?”
“Gray,” John said. “A gray male. No radio collar.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding since Bozeman. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem,” he said. “And Karen. I think it did kill a calf.”
“So fucking what?” I yelled, my anger flaring again. “Don’t they know they can be compensated for livestock losses? Stupid fucking ignorant—”
“You know it’s not that simple,” John said, cutting off what would have been a damn fine rant. “It’s hard to prove the cause of death. You know that.”
“Yeah, I also know that wolves are fucking sentient creatures, with more right to be here than the goddam cattle!”
John was silent. I could almost hear him shaking his head in erudite disapproval. “When’s the last time you had a hamburger?” he finally said. “Where do you think that beef came from?”
I ground my teeth together to keep from telling him to shut the fuck up.
“I’m almost there,” I said, hanging up the phone.
I took a deep breath and tried to loosen my death grip on the steering wheel. It wasn’t Vali. But still, it could have been him. It could have been a lone black wolf who was shot this morning. I watched the mountains unfold through my windshield. I’ve got to warn him.
I’ve got to spend the night in Yellowstone.
IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME to find the ranch where the wolf had been shot. So long, in fact, I started to suspect John had given me the wrong address on purpose. I finally spotted the tiny, rusty address marker that matched my hastily scrawled notes and turned down a rutted dirt road.
This did not look like a prosperous ranch. The family lived in a trailer at the end of the road, surrounded by broken down vehicles. One of the pickup trucks had a fading bumper sticker that read “SAVE 100 ELK - SHOOT A WOLF!” I tried very hard not to kick the rust-spotted bumper as I left my car.
A dust plume rose in the distance, and the low whine of a four-wheeler filled the air. I shaded my eyes with my hand and watched two vehicles crest the nearest hill. The four-wheelers pulled into the yard, kicking up dirt and belching clouds of blue smoke. John was riding behind a young man, hardly old enough to be out of high school. I was guessing his father and grandfather rode the second four-wheeler. Their sun-lined faces were hard, and their eyes narrow.
“Thank you again for all your help,” John said, dusting himself off as he came to his feet.
“Welcome,” said the young man, curtly.
John nodded at me. “Mr. Leavenworth, this is my colleague from MSU,” he said. “Karen, this is Gage, Rick, and Stan Leavenworth. They were kind enough to take me to the site.”
John emphasized the word kind. I noticed a shotgun strapped to the back of the second four-wheeler.
“I’ll be sure to put livestock loss in my report,” said John. “And remember, you can file that compensation form.”
The older man - Stan, I thought - snorted, demonstrating exactly what he thought of government compensation programs. Undeterred, John turned back to the young man, pulling a business card out of his dust-covered jeans.
“Gage, you remember what I told you about MSU. I’d be happy to give you a tour. We’re always looking for bright, young students.”
Gage smiled. He looked, for the first time, both very young and very shy. The expressions on the older men’s faces softened somewhat.
I opened my mouth. John shot me a panicked look, shaking his head.
“Anything... I can do to help?” I asked, lamely.
“I think we’re all done here,” said John, positioning himself between me and the ranchers. “Thank you again for all your cooperation. We’re all in this together.”
The older ranchers just nodded, expressionless, but Gage smiled again, his dusty fingers curled around John’s business card.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“What the fuck was that?” I asked John over dinner in West Yellowstone. I’d pointedly avoided ordering beef, and now I regretted it. John’s steak looked amazing.
“That’s called recruitment,” John said, with a sigh. “Also, being a decent human being. The calf that wolf killed probably cost the family eight hundred dollars, and you saw where th
ey live.”
“Not the wolf’s fault,” I snapped, stabbing at my chicken parmesan. “People shouldn’t be ranching this close to the park.”
“Right.” John rolled his eyes. “You want to know how long that family’s owned that ranch? Five generations, Karen. Five generations.”
I took a bite of chicken. It was terrible. “And you want to know how long wolves roamed free in North America, before we showed up and slaughtered them all?” I said, jabbing my fork in the air for emphasis.
John shook his head. “I really don’t want to have this argument again. Can we please fight over something else? Departmental politics? Anything?”
I sighed. John was kind of cute, in a vulnerable, nerdy sort of way. It really was a shame he was married.
“Listen,” I said, “I don’t mean to be such a—”
John raised an eyebrow.
“Well, I don’t mean to be difficult. It was a rough week in the park. I think my nerves are still frayed. Can I get you another beer to make up for it?”
John shook his head. “Nah, I’m driving back to Bozeman. You too, right?”
“No. I’m staying here. I got a room across the street.”
John raised both eyebrows at that.
“It’s Saturday,” I stammered. “And it’s a—” I hesitated. I couldn’t really say long drive. By Montana standards, a ninety minute drive is practically next door.
“Okay,” said John, slowly. “You want to spend a rocking Saturday night hitting the bars in West Yellowstone. Got it.”
I laughed. “Not quite. Actually, I’m going to bed early.”
John looked even more confused. I ordered us both a second beer and tried to change the subject.
MY HOTEL ROOM WAS TINY, and it smelled bad, like someone burned a lifetime’s supply of Ramen noodles in the sad, gray microwave. Since I decided to spend the night when I was already halfway here, I’d left Bozeman with just my purse. No toothbrush. No sexy pajamas. Not even a change of clothes for tomorrow. I took off everything but my underwear and my MSU T-shirt, pulled the paper-thin curtains shut, and lay on the bed, trying to will myself to fall asleep. And trying not to worry about whether or not this hotel room was even close enough to the Lamar Valley to reach Vali. Or if Vali was still around at all.
After an hour of tossing and turning I gave up and turned on the TV, flipping through channels until I settled on the most boring thing I could find, a televised bowling tournament. I turned to volume down low and leaned back, waiting for sleep.
MY EYES OPENED TO DELICATE spring sunlight, filtered through the pale green of aspen leaves. I was back in the dream forest. Finally.
I ran through the trees and burst into the meadow so quickly it surprised me. My legs staggered as I pulled up short to look around. The same flowers were blooming, that unrealistic mixture of wildflowers from every season. The sky was a clear, translucent blue, like the smooth curve of a robin’s egg.
I was alone.
“Vali,” I whispered, walking the edge of the meadow, staring through the trees. “Vali!”
I cupped my hands around my mouth, calling to the forest. “VALI!”
“Hello, beautiful Karen.”
He’d entered the meadow silently. Now he stood directly behind me, so close we were almost touching. I clamped my mouth closed to stifle my moan. Of course, he was completely naked, and damn, he was so fucking hot. Relief crashed over me, flooding my body with heat and forcing the breath from my chest.
“Oh God, Vali, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
He wrapped me in his powerful arms and pulled my body to his. “Why would I not be?”
I met his eyes. “Listen, I have to warn you—”
He stopped me with his lips on mine. I opened my mouth to his hungry kiss, pressing my chest against his, my body shivering as his hands ran down my back to cup the curve of my ass. His scent surrounded me, and I was suddenly acutely aware of my thin T-shirt separating our bodies.
“Warn me later,” he growled, dropping to his knees.
He yanked my underwear to my ankles, wrapping one arm around my hips as he buried his head between my legs. I hardly had time to gasp before waves of pleasure crashed over me, knocking me off balance. His moans rippled through my entire body, escaping from my lips. I sank my fingers into his hair, clinging to him for balance as my body burned under his touch.
“Oh, Vali, I’m—” I gasped, expecting him to pull back, to stop.
He did not stop. His fingers tightened around my hips as he pulled me closer, his tongue thrusting inside me as his lips devoured me, sending great red waves of pleasure soaring through my body, each one more intense than the last.
“I’m—” I panted, my hips rocking against his mouth, my hands digging in his hair.
He shook his head against me, his lips and tongue deep inside me. My orgasm tore through me like an explosion. I cried out, something loud and wild and animal, as my head rocked back and my mind drowned in a haze of ecstasy.
I was only dimly aware of Vali lowering me to the ground, and the tickle of grass against my thighs. My eyes slowly refocused to find Vali’s full lips and high cheekbones, his dark curls against the cerulean sky.
“My woman,” he said, his voice hoarse.
I opened my mouth to speak, but my lips seemed to have forgotten how to form words. He grabbed my hips, flipping me over. My face pressed into the ground, and I could smell the earth, and the green scent of broken wildflower stalks. He shoved my T-shirt down over my back to pool under my arms; then he pulled my waist up and spread my legs.
“Oh!” I gasped.
Vali moaned as he thrust inside me. He filled me so quickly it took my breath away, his hips hitting my thighs, his breath coming in quick pants above me. I dug my fingers into the dirt, grabbing for purchase among the thin, little roots as his thrusts rocked my entire body. He was so big, so damn big, he hit every pleasure center I had—
Vali leaned over my back and I could smell him, his wild, sweet scent. “My woman,” he whispered.
His arm curved around my waist and his fingers traced the apex of my sex, sending shivers rocketing through my body. I opened my mouth to say it was too much, too soon, but all I could do was moan as my hips rocked against his and pleasure rolled through me like breakers against the shore. I let my cheek fall to the grass as my eyes closed, my vision swallowed by euphoria.
I came again, my body clenching around him as I moaned his name into the ground. His fingers pressed against my clit, drawing out my climax, until the pleasure was so sharp and intense it was almost pain. When I finally stopped screaming he released me, panting, and I collapsed onto my back.
His hands traced my breasts as I waited for my head to stop spinning. When I opened my eyes, his face was just above my chest. He grinned at me and kissed the hard tip of my nipple, then ran his tongue around the edge of my areola. I sighed at the flood of heat between my legs, surprised my body had any nerve endings left.
“My woman,” Vali whispered.
“My wolf,” I replied.
His laugh filled the aspen grove. Then his hips shifted, parting my legs, and he was inside me again, moving slowly and sweetly. I stretched my arms, letting the grass and wildflowers brush against my skin, my body rocking against Vali’s without thought, without effort. This time the pleasure grew slowly, almost like a dance, until we were both gasping and panting as our bodies rose and fell, rose and fell against each other.
We came at the same time, both crying out as our hips crashed together, his cock spasming deep inside me. He fell forward onto my chest, his head pressed against my neck, his sweet, wild smell surrounding me. For a long time we lay like that, arms and legs entwined, our chests rising and falling together.
“What was it?” Vali finally said as his lips nibbled at my ear.
I blinked at the bright sky. “Hmmm?”
Vali rolled onto his side, one arm still resting across my stomach. “Your warning?”
“Oh.�
� I tried to fight my way through the endorphins flooding my brain to form a coherent thought.
And I failed. Miserably. “Uh. I don’t—”
Vali’s laugh rolled across the meadow as he bent to kiss me. Our lips danced together for a very long time, and I wasn’t sure there had been a warning. I wasn’t even sure there was another world; all that seemed to matter was right here, pressing his naked chest against mine.
He pulled away, still grinning at me. “That can’t be comfortable,” he finally said.
“What?”
Vali glanced at my chest and I realized I was still wearing my blue MSU T-shirt, bunched up under my armpits. I felt my cheeks flush as I sat up, pulling off the shirt and tossing it into the grass. “I didn’t even notice.”
“I apologize for my haste,” he said, his eyes on the crumpled mess of my discarded shirt. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again. I wasn’t sure you’d want to return.”
My heart surged. “Oh, I wanted to come back! I searched for you, Vali!”
“As I searched for you, beautiful Karen. Once I even thought I heard you.”
Tears bit at the corners of my eyes. To cover them up, I leaned forward, kissing Vali’s soft lips until I felt them curve into a smile.
“Oh, God, I’ve missed you,” I said. And with that admission, the rest of the world came flooding back to me.
“Listen, I remember what I wanted to say,” I said, shifting in his arms. “When you’re...not here. Not dreaming. Look, you’re safe as long as you’re inside Yellowstone. When you’re in the park. But outside of it, you need to know that humans are dangerous.”
Vali smiled at me, his hand tracing the curve of my cheek. “Humans are always dangerous.”
“Well, yeah, I suppose. But listen, please. Those ranchers, they’ve got guns. And it’s not always clear where the park boundaries end, and—When I heard a wolf had been shot—”
Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I tried to brush them away discreetly.
The Wolf's Lover_An Urban Fantasy Romance Page 8