Seduced by the Wolf hotw-5

by Terry Spear

  "Most animals in the zoo are born and bred there. So they're more suited to a zoo environment. Many haven't ever lived in the wild."

  "So you're saying no, they shouldn't be released?" Mr. Hollis persisted.

  "That's what she's saying," Alex said, as if he was talking to someone who was a little slow to understand.

  While she appreciated that Alex stuck up for her, Cassie preferred to fight her own battles.

  Mr. Hollis turned around and glowered at Alex. "She's the wolf expert here. If I want your opinion, Sonny, I'll ask for it. Otherwise, mind your own business."

  Alex arched a brow and offered a little smile. He was almost as much of an expert on wolves as Cassie was, although being one part time, she did have the advantage. She was glad he kept his mouth shut and didn't say anything further.

  A student raised his hand, and Hollis didn't say anything further while she answered the students' questions. Cassie was relieved to see most of the ranchers quit the place. Not Mr. Hollis. She hoped she didn't have to deal with him afterward. And Alex. How in the world was she going to lose him as she attempted to slip into the wilds to study the rare red in the woods?

  Of course, Leidolf was the other major problem. He already suspected she'd seen a wolf. She frowned. It couldn't have been one of his people, could it? She sure hoped not. And now because of the tire situation, she was stuck dealing with him a little while longer. At least until she paid one of his men for repairing her tires and thanked him for the gesture. She definitely didn't want Leidolf learning she was one of his kind. The sooner she was as far away from him and any members of his pack as she could get, the better.

  Another girl's hand shot up, and she proposed her question. Cassie loved educating students since they were more eager to learn than adults. But right now, she was ready to slip away before anything else went wrong tonight. And she was afraid it would--as soon as she tried to get away from Leidolf without telling him about the wolf she'd actually seen.

  Chapter 2

  As soon as Cassie finished responding to questions, Hollis moved in to harass her at the podium. Leidolf intercepted him, not intending to let him bother Cassie further, while the students gathered around her to ask about her chosen career field. Dividing Leidolf's attention, the blond guy also inched closer to get a word with Cassie.

  The other ranchers shook their heads and left.

  "What?" Hollis said to Leidolf as he blocked the sheepherder's path. "Don't tell me you love wolves, too. You raise cattle!"

  "She's just an educator. That's all."

  Hollis shifted his glower from Leidolf to Cassie. "She ought to be in some other kind of business, the way she looks. If she starts advocating that we allow Oregon to be a safe haven for wolves..." He gave Leidolf another scowl. "A lot of ranchers will turn into hunters, is all I got to say." He stalked out of the building.

  Glad Hollis had left, Leidolf folded his arms and looked at Cassie. He was surprised how much she understood about wolves. She truly was an expert, knowing them inside and out. His admiration of her went even deeper. The love she had for them was what really struck him.

  "Have you ever slept with real wolves?" a wide-eyed girl asked. "My German shepherd sleeps with me on campouts. Would the wolves you've studied in the wild let you get that close?"

  Cassie glanced at Leidolf.

  He was used to reading people, and yet he was getting mixed feelings from her expression. Worry that she might say the wrong thing to the older teen girl, maybe? He wasn't certain. What got to him was the way her eyes suddenly became glazed with tears.

  Cassie quickly looked back at the girl and said, "Uhm, no. They're wild, and even though I grew close to the packs, even howling so they would gather around me as if I were one of the pack, I didn't... didn't sleep with them."

  The hitch in her voice, the change in her tone, the tension in her posture made Leidolf think she had slept with them. Why would she be upset about it? Why not tell the truth?

  "Did you ever miss the pack when you left them?" another girl asked.

  Cassie smiled, but the look was sad. She swallowed hard. "Of course."

  "Any that were really special? I mean, weren't they like all the same to you?" the first girl asked.

  Cassie shook her head. "No. All wolves are different. Ever have dogs?"

  The girl nodded.

  The other said, "Yeah, two cockapoos. You know, cocker spaniel-poodles. And they're really different from each other. One's really friendly with everyone. The other just with us."

  "The same with wolves," Cassie said. "One I called Crooked Tail. He had fur that stood up every which way, no matter if he went swimming with us or..."

  "You swam with the wolves?" one of the boys asked.

  Her gaze flicked back to Leidolf as if she wanted to know what he thought of the matter. Her swimming with the wolves did surprise him. He'd expected she'd sit back with notepad and pen, journaling everything that the wolves did. He hadn't expected her to howl to gather them or swim with them.

  He smiled. She didn't. She seemed uptight about having mentioned it at all. She nodded to the boy. "Yes. Anyway, no matter what he did, his fur always stuck out every which way."

  "And he had a crooked tail," one of the girls said.

  "Yes. And he was kind of a clown. Seemed to go along with everything else." Cassie sounded more lighthearted now.

  She waited patiently for the next question, but one of the boys looked at his watch and said, "I gotta go to work. Thanks for all the cool stuff."

  "You're welcome." Cassie seemed relieved when the questioning drew to a close and began gathering her notes.

  The teens all headed outside, talking about school ending in a few weeks for summer break, and Millie thanked Cassie and then handed her an envelope.

  "Cassie, imagine my surprise to see you here," the blond guy said, taking Millie's place as she tidied up the room.

  Cassie immediately rolled her eyes at the man and slipped her lecture notes into her leather case along with the envelope from Millie. "Alex, as many times as you've found me, you'd think you'd come up with something more original to say."

  "Cassie," Leidolf said, coming to her rescue. At least, she seemed to need rescuing, and he was the one to do it. "I'll take you back to your place."

  "I'll take her," the blond said. "We're old friends."

  She seemed torn, and that puzzled Leidolf. She'd been fairly obvious about not wanting to be in Alex's company, but why was she reluctant to be in Leidolf's when all he had done was offer her assistance?

  The fact Alex called himself an old friend also bothered Leidolf, although he had no business caring one way or another concerning her relationship with the man.

  "Cassie?" Leidolf motioned to the door. He still intended to ask her about the wolf she'd seen, and the blond guy wasn't going to interfere.

  "Alex, one of Mr. Wildhaven's men is taking care of a couple of flat tires for me. We'll have to have a rain check."

  Mr. Wildhaven was it now?

  Alex's face fell. Leidolf almost felt some compassion for the man. Almost. He gave Cassie a smile, but she quickly looked away from his gaze and her cheeks colored slightly. His smile broadened. Was she embarrassed at turning down Alex, someone she was better acquainted with, to spend more time with a man she barely knew?

  "I'm sure one of my men has fixed your tires by now," he assured her. He hoped Elgin would ensure that whoever repaired the tires took his time, without making anything of the request. Leidolf hoped they'd assume his reasoning was that the woman would talk for quite a while during her lecture and his men had no need to rush the job.

  He walked Cassie out of the building and down the steps. Time to question the little lady further and hope she wasn't as evasive as before.

  Alex waved at her as he got into a black truck and waited. She shook her head.

  "I heard what you said back there to him. Is this Alex stalking you?" Leidolf asked her as he got in the Humvee, trying to keep h
is voice light.

  "No, just an admirer of my work."

  "And he followed you here from...?"

  "He's a wolf biologist from California also," she finally said with a huff.

  Hell. Had this guy seen one of Leidolf's people in his or her wolf coat? "So you work together?"

  "No." She shook her head to emphasize the point. "He just wants to."

  For whatever insane reason, Leidolf was glad she didn't want to work with the guy, but he didn't like that Alex ignored Cassie's wishes.

  When Leidolf and Cassie arrived back at the Cranberry Top B&B, they discovered a tire jack elevating Cassie's truck on the passenger's side, and the ruined spare was gone. Cassie frowned. Leidolf quickly hid his relief and pulled out his phone.

  "I'll see how long this is going to take." He texted Elgin, mentioning that if repairing the doctor's tires was going to take a while, he'd have time to question the woman about some urgent business.

  Elgin's response was immediate. "Take ur time. 7 cars ahead of her. Good luck."

  No way were that many vehicles waiting to be repaired ahead of hers at this time of night, and besides, his men would have gotten priority, considering how much business his pack members gave the auto-repair shop. Elgin came through for him as usual.

  Leidolf shut off his phone, let out his breath as if he regretted the news, and then turned to speak to Cassie. She was watching him, her large eyes expressive.

  "I'm sorry to say seven vehicles are ahead of you," he said, with just the right apology coating his words.

  Instantly, she narrowed her eyes.

  He spread his hands. "My foreman will let me know as soon as the tires are fixed. Would you care for a cup of coffee?"

  Cassie sat rigid against the seat again, leaning against the door as far as she could get from him.

  "Hot tea? Dinner?" he suddenly asked. "I haven't had anything to eat, come to think of it. Great little Italian place if you like pastas and such."

  Her lips parted and then she clamped them shut and pursed them again. She tilted her chin up and seemed even warier than before, if that were possible. "Can you drive me to the shop?"

  "Pardon?"

  "The shop. Where your men have taken my tires. Maybe I can get the repairmen to expedite matters. I'm on a tight schedule and need to leave..." She hesitated.

  He raised his brows. "Surely you don't plan to drive out tonight. If the Cranberry Top won't accommodate you for another night because of your delay..." On one hand, he had the sneaking suspicion she was attempting to call his bluff about the repair shop. He didn't know what gave him away. On the other hand, he assumed she had another night booked at the B&B and didn't want him checking her story out further, either.

  "Dinner?" he asked.

  "Fast food," she said with a cute little frown, and she folded her arms across her waist.

  He squelched a chuckle, loving the way she had so graciously capitulated. He wasn't about to tell her the small town had no fast-food places he'd be willing to take her to. And he decided the Italian place wouldn't suit her as much as the Forest Club, where tables sat under fake trees covered in real bark that looked about as real as the ones in the woods surrounding his ranch. The club's "sky" was black velvet sprinkled with twinkling white lights, and dance music beat a rhythm made for hot dance numbers on a chilly night. The only real drawback was that one of the mated couples in his pack owned the place, and many of his pack members frequented it, too.

  Still, it was the perfect place for questioning the doc about her wolf sighting. Nice table situated in the dark forest, massive trunks hiding them from most of the other guests. And she probably had never seen anything quite as unique.

  He drove her to the place a mile away, and when they reached the expansive building where giant maples towered over the gravel parking lot at irregular intervals like a forest, she frowned at him. He thought she'd be pleased because of the kind of work she did. Or maybe she lectured a lot and didn't really live among the wolves as he thought.

  She opened her door, and he hurried out of the vehicle to reach her before she shut the passenger door. "It's not a fast-food restaurant," she said matter-of-factly.

  "None of them are very appealing around here. I thought you might enjoy something kind of unusual. Since you're a wolf biologist and all." He reached behind her, and with a whisper of a touch on her back, guided her to the building, which looked like a hobbit's home, with a thatched roof for quaint appeal. The composite roof shingles underneath protected the occupants during frequent rains or the occasional snowstorm.

  Cassie wasn't smiling yet, and her step slowed the closer they got to the entrance as they walked on the pine-needle-covered pathway as if they were strolling through piney woods. He reached for the door, but one of his men pushed it open, heading out with his mate. As soon as he saw Leidolf with Cassie, the man and his mate grinned, backed out of Leidolf and Cassie's way, and followed them back inside.

  Leidolf sighed. He should have figured that no matter where he took the attractive redhead, his people would be curious as to what might develop. He guessed they still didn't know him well enough to realize that except for a one-night stand or two with a willing human, he wasn't ever taking one as a mate.

  Cassie suddenly shrank away from Leidolf and even groaned. He glanced down at her. "Are you all right?"

  She looked a little pale.

  "Cassie?"

  * * *

  What else could go wrong tonight? Cassie didn't even want to pose such a question in her head for fear she'd get an answer she didn't like. The Forest Club was the most interesting eatery she'd been to in a very long time, and if she hadn't been worried about Leidolf and his people discovering what she was, she would have loved it. The problem was the place was filled with his... well, their kind.

  She took a deep, fortifying breath. Okay, she could do this. She was used to pretending to her colleagues that she was only a human wolf biologist. She could pretend she was a human wolf biologist to this crowd of werewolves. As long as the hunter spray didn't give out on her. Or she didn't give herself away in some other manner.

  Leidolf guided her to a secluded booth that formed their own little forest hideaway. The only other tables nearby were empty.

  She could do this.

  Thankfully, Leidolf escorted her to one side of the booth and then sat opposite her, like the perfect gentleman. She supposed he was looking for a little nighttime diversion. He must not be mated.

  "Like it?" he asked, handing her a menu already placed on the table against a tree trunk.

  She finally gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks. I love it. Feels like home. Except for the music." She motioned in the direction of the beat.

  He smiled broadly back, looking relieved she'd changed her tune. "Maybe you'd like to dance later."

  "Uhm, no. Thanks. Don't dance." She quickly looked at the menu and fought the blush that rose to her cheeks.

  "Ever?" He sounded disappointed.

  She gave him a quick smile meant to appease but faked to high heaven. "Sorry, never."

  "I can teach you--"

  "No."

  He watched her. She didn't have to look up to know he was studying her, trying to figure her out.

  "You're not a hard-shell Baptist, no drinking, no dancing, are you?"

  She smiled, only this time it was for real. "No. I'll have the..." She frowned as she studied the menu. "Forest Urchin Special."

  "A vegetarian's dish."

  She nodded. "Red meat's not good for you, you know." She figured that would throw him off track if he had any inkling she was a wolf, although she was dying to have the chicken or beef added for substance. A little bit of meat would give her more energy to sustain her for longer. And she'd need it for her trek through the woods tonight. As soon as she could have her truck in working order and leave.

  "I'll have the roast tenderloin." He closed up the menu and motioned to one of the waiters, who hurried to bring them glasses of water.
>
  The man had been staying clear of them, trying to give them privacy, Cassie thought, as she'd seen him attempting not to be noticed but glancing often in their direction. Probably all Leidolf's pack members were dying to know where this would lead. Which most likely meant Leidolf was their pack leader. Great. Just great.

  All of a sudden, Alex stalked into the club, spied her in their little hidden part of the forest, smiled, and headed for one of the empty booths across from them. She wondered how he'd found her this time. Must have followed them from a distance.

  The waiter glanced in Alex's direction, but after Leidolf ordered for them, he cast the waiter a look, turned his head toward Alex, and then gave a very subtle nod to the waiter.

  She knew what it meant. Alex was encroaching on Leidolf's territory. Even if Leidolf only wanted to be with her for one evening, he wasn't about to let Alex interfere. The waiter smiled at Cassie in a knowing way and then hurried to speak to Alex.

  He spoke low, but with her enhanced wolf hearing, she overheard him say, "I'm sorry, sir. These two tables are reserved. And the rest of the place has been booked until closing. Perhaps you'd like to make reservations to dine here another night."

  Leidolf hadn't had to make reservations. And she predicted no one would sit in the tables across from them while she and Leidolf remained here tonight.

  Leidolf opened the wine menu. "Want a glass of wine?"

  "Uh, no, thanks." She sure didn't need to drink before she started her long trek later tonight, trying to hunt the wolf down.

  He closed the menu. "All right. So, where did you see the wolf?"

  * * *

  Leidolf couldn't figure out Cassie's mixed messages. One minute, she seemed resigned--like when she agreed to eat with him. She was skittish again when she entered the club and then panicky when he mentioned the wolf.