“Animals? No.”
“Oh.” Meredith’s brows furrowed. “Then why do you need it clean in there? Tired of looking at it?”
“I offered it to Jaemus. Told him if he wants to fix it up, he can rent it from me. Only I won’t collect any rent because he’s doing me a tremendous favor by being my new Wolfman in the show. He’s fantastic.”
Meredith blinked at her, the woman’s mouth opening and closing like a dying fish on a dock. “Wolfman? Living in your barn?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that? He wanted a place to stay. I had a place. It’s all working out.” And I’ll be having more sex later. That was her favorite part.
“Ah, wrong? Nothing… I guess.” Meredith chewed on her bottom lip. “Hey, why don’t you come over tonight? For dinner. It’s been a while and we can celebrate you finding a new Wolfman. I know Brandy would love to see you too. So would the… wolves.”
“Sure. Okay. You wouldn’t happen to be making your famous lasagna, would you?” Nika patted her stomach. She hadn’t had a decent meal in too long, and the possibility of Meredith’s lasagna made her mouth water and her stomach growl.
“Lasagna. You got it, sweetie.” Meredith glanced over her shoulder into the shop. “You still have those beeswax candles? That’s what I actually came in for.”
Nika led Meredith over to the candle aisle and peeked at her office while she let the woman browse. Inside, Carrie sat at Nika’s desk with Zavier and Jaemus on either side of her. All three of their heads were bent over the laptop, lights flickering off their faces as they watched whatever was on the screen.
Jaemus suddenly looked up, his gaze connecting with hers as if he sensed she was standing there. With a slight grin, he went back to watching the screen, but Nika saw the color on his cheeks as if he were thinking about their naked Olympics as much as she was.
“I’m all set, Nika,” Meredith called from the register.
Nika rang up Meredith’s candle purchases and confirmed that dinner would be at seven.
“And bring this darling.” Meredith bent to pet Daisy before she left.
“Today’s the best day we’ve had in a while, Daisy,” Nika said to the pup.
The Wolfman Show was a success. Money would be rolling back in.
Robert had been intimidated by Wolfman. Nika hadn’t had to deal with him alone.
Wolfman had made her toes curl with his kisses, caresses, and skilled lovemaking. He’d also promised there’d be more of all three.
And now she had a lasagna dinner invitation.
Humming, she wandered through the post, making plans to order more inventory and change up some of the displays. An hour later, Carrie, Zavier, and Jaemus emerged from her office, all three of them smiling as if they were quite pleased with themselves.
“You ready, Boss?” Carrie waved the laptop and set it on the counter by the register.
“Fire away.”
Zavier hit play, while Jaemus came to stand behind Nika. Closely behind her. She desperately wanted him to put his arms around her and pull her back against his chest, but knew he wouldn’t do that in front of the kids. Something about imagining it, though, warmed Nika.
On the screen, Red Riding Hood stood in darkened woods with her red cloak billowing in a mysterious breeze while chilling and enthralling music played. A set of yellowed eyes tracked her from the shadows while a flannel-shirted Huntsman chopped wood in the next frame. The words The woods have eyes… faded in on the screen in a blood red color, followed by Prey is tracked. Footage of Jaemus leaping as Wolfman made it look as if he could jump right off the screen. He landed and there was a heartbeat of pause to see him looking fierce in his costume, a hungry look in his wolfish eyes.
Nika knew that image was supposed to spark fear, but she couldn’t help being in awe of it instead. Even in that costume, Jaemus was… beautiful. Did that make her a freak? That she found a half man-half wolf attractive? Or was she able to see beneath the costume now? She knew what the man underneath was like. She’d connected with that man. She liked that man.
After some footage of the audience laughing and having a general great time, the video ended with the words Be our prey dissolving on the screen and then the standard Come visit us at with the address, phone number, and website of Maple Ridge Trading Post.
Nika clapped and faced all of them. “You guys, this is fantastic! Let’s get it up on the website, Facebook, Twitter, everywhere!”
“I’ll take care of that,” Zavier said as Carrie grabbed her things to leave, her shift long since over.
Nika stopped the girl on her way to the door. “Thanks so much. I couldn’t have done that alone.”
Carrie gave Nika a hug. “No problem, Boss. I had fun with Zavier.” She looked back at the boy talking with Jaemus at the counter. “And Jaemus.” But she was only staring at Zavier. “See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, honey.”
Chuckling to herself, Nika went back to the counter. “Zavier, will you do me a favor and check what inventory is in the back. I want to be ready for the hordes of buyers this guy is going to pull in.” She waved a hand at Jaemus.
“Sure thing.”
After Zavier disappeared, Nika turned to Jaemus. “Is watching you do your Wolfman thing on that screen supposed to turn me on?”
Jaemus’s features softened, and for a minute Nika would have described his expression as… vulnerable. “Did it?”
“Very much. You’re so good at pretending to be a Wolfman.”
“Pretending… aye.” Now he looked a little sad as he hooked some of his blond hair behind his ear.
“You’re so believable.”
He nodded, still sending off a solemn vibe that she desperately wanted to change.
“Hey, I guess we’ll be dining together tonight.”
That made a grin spread on his magnificent lips. “What’s on the menu?” He let his gaze travel from her eyes down to her breasts then down lower, lower.
“Lasagna. Meredith stopped in to invite me over to dinner at the sanctuary.”
Jaemus’s gaze snapped back up to hers. “She did?”
Nika nodded. “Yeah, to celebrate finding a new Wolfman for the show. Finding you.”
“Meredith knows I’m your new Wolfman?”
“Well, yeah, I didn’t think it was a big secr—”
“I have to go.” Jaemus reached the front door in a few long strides.
He was gone before she could say another word.
Chapter Nine
Reardon paced in the living room of Brandy’s cabin as Jaemus sat on the couch, feeling very much the scolded child and not loving anything about that feeling. Meredith was across the room, purposely not meeting his gaze. She’d tattled on him. So much for Dylan thinking they could trust his grandmother.
She’s just trying to protect everyone.
And he knew that. He did, but listening to Reardon call him reckless and foolish made him wish he’d never asked Dylan or Meredith for any help cleaning that damn barn.
“You absolutely cannot let people see you in wolfman form, Jaemus.” Reardon raked a hand through his black hair, but Jaemus didn’t miss the look his brother gave Brandy. “Only in very specific situations should we expose ourselves. And probably not even then. It’s too big of a risk.”
“Not if they all think it’s just a well-made costume, brother. No one will know I can actually change.” That secret would stay tucked away, most importantly from Nika. If he had any hope of being able to see her naked again, she couldn’t know he was a real beast.
Although…
She’d told him his Wolfman costume turned her on. She liked seeing him wild and untamed. She didn’t mind the fur. But if he told her it wasn’t a costume, would she feel the same?
He shook his head. How could she? He was an animal. She only liked the costume because she was certain there was a man under it. She had no idea how deep she’d have to dig to find that man.
No. She couldn’t know what he was
. Not ever.
“They might figure it out if they see this.” Dylan handed a rectangular device to Reardon who tapped the screen.
Jaemus instantly recognized the mysterious and suspenseful music Carrie had chosen to accompany the video footage she and Zavier had spliced together for the trading post ad. He’d known that video could be a danger to him, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted The Wolfman Show to be the success Nika needed it to be.
He wanted to save her and her business.
He wanted her.
Reardon let out a groan. “You jumped like that in front of people? Gods be damned, Jaemus, what are you trying to do?”
Jaemus shot off the couch and got toe-to-toe with Reardon. His brother was an inch or so taller, but Jaemus had a bit more muscle. Right now, he considered using that muscle to knock Reardon into next week. Only the presence of the boy and the two women stopped him.
“What am I trying to do? I’ll tell you what I’m trying to do, big brother. I’m trying to live something that resembles a normal life. I’m trying to forget that I’ve been ripped from my home in Ireland, that I’m no longer a respected, feared, and victorious warrior, that I can grow fur, claws, and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth with a thirst for blood. I’m trying to grab onto whatever still makes me a human and not get lost.”
He stalked away from his brother and dug his fingers into his hair, holding onto his head as if his skull were about to break apart. He’d been bottling that rage inside him since finding out what Reardon had done to him. He’d been trying to deal with his situation. He’d been pushing aside the fury he felt about being changed, and now it all came tumbling out. He was unable to stop it.
“You’ve turned me into a monster.” He turned to face Reardon again. “And for some reason, Flidae thought it was a good idea to drop me here with you. What do you expect me to do? Hide here? Blend in with Brandy’s wolves like a good doggie? I need more. If I want to get back to Ireland, I have to do something worthy. I have to be outside the sanctuary gates to do that.”
“Is that the only reason you want to be beyond the sanctuary gates?” Meredith asked. “To earn your way back to Ireland?” Her raised eyebrow let him know where she was going with her question.
“I think Nika is my something worthy,” he said. “I can help her.” He turned back to Reardon. “With my wolfman, I can help her. I want to help her.”
“And what if she wants more than your help?” Brandy asked. “Nika is my friend. I won’t let you hurt her. She’s had enough hurt with her father passing away and the business suffering. Not to mention that greaseball Robert Senclair sniffing around her.”
Jaemus’s hands curled into fists at his sides, and he had to fight to keep his claws from coming out. “He doesn’t get to sniff around her anymore.” His voice was a low growl and the familiar tingle ran through him that came before a shift. Hearing Senclair’s name pushed Jaemus into fight mode. “I would never hurt Nika.”
“If you let her get close to you, then you earn your way back to the Ireland of our time and you go, you will hurt her.” Reardon folded his arms across his chest, but his face didn’t share the sternness of his posture.
“Then I won’t get close to her.” He didn’t want to hurt Nika and he wouldn’t. They’d had one fabulous afternoon. He hadn’t pledged his life to her nor had she promised him her heart. They could keep things friendly while he was stuck here, and when he got sent back home, no one would be hurt.
“That’s easier said than done, Jaemus.” Reardon walked over to Brandy and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Women of this time and this place are hard to resist.”
Brandy leaned back and dropped a kiss on Reardon’s bearded chin. “Never underestimate the power of a modern-day woman.”
Reardon squeezed her for a moment, kissing the top of Brandy’s head, then released her. “If you choose to continue doing The Wolfman Show at Nika’s, at least promise me you’ll be careful.” Reardon held out his hand toward Jaemus, looking to seal the deal. “No one can know what we are.”
Jaemus pointed to Meredith, Dylan, and Brandy. “They all know and nothing terrible has happened. In fact, you look downright happy among them.”
“That’s different,” Brandy said. “He turned me. I wanted this. This is a wolf sanctuary. It’s a good place to blend in.”
“I can blend in over at Nika’s. I need my own space.”
“Because you haven’t forgiven me yet,” Reardon said.
Jaemus shook his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you.”
A moment of silence hung in the living room before Reardon walked out. Brandy jogged after him, leaving Meredith and Dylan looking at Jaemus.
“I’m sorry,” Meredith said. “But I had to tell him, Jaemus. My daughter is like the two of you now. I need her to stay protected. I can’t have the wrong people finding out what you all are and wanting to hurt her or worse. You understand?”
“I do. Trust me, being in Nika’s show is safe. It allows me to try to come to terms with what I am now thanks to my brother. I need some space and time if I’m ever going to accept this change.”
Meredith patted his arm and left the living room. Somehow, he believed the woman was truly trying to keep everyone safe. What must it have been like to grow up with a mother like Meredith? A mother who truly cared for her children at all costs. He’d never know.
“You mad at me?” Dylan looked up at him.
Jaemus crouched down to the lad’s level. “No. I’m the one who got you involved in my… my lies.”
“I told you lying wasn’t a good idea.”
“I should have listened.” He ruffled the boy’s hair. “On the positive side, Nika was impressed with our cleaning job in her barn.”
Dylan smiled. “We kicked that barn’s butt!”
Jaemus laughed as he stood. He glanced out the window to see some of the wolves milling about. “Do they all like to run?”
Dylan walked to the window and leaned on the sill. “No, some of them have had injuries that don’t allow them to run anymore.” He pointed to the big brown one that hung around the house more than the others. “That one, Lug, he’s always good for a run though.”
“See you later, lad.” Jaemus pulled his shirt off. A run would let him release some of the aggression building up inside him. Before, when he was a normal human, fighting enemies with his sword and spear allowed him to get rid of pent up energy. He had neither sword nor spear nor a proper opponent in this time and place. Running with wolves through the woods would have to suffice.
When he got outside, Lug gave him a good sniff and galloped around him in a circle as if inviting him to play.
“Aye. That’s the plan, mutt.”
He dropped his T-shirt on the front steps and added his boots, socks, jeans, and underwear. Without hesitation, he shifted into a huge silver wolf and stretched out his hind legs then his fore legs, preparing the muscles. Lug poked his muzzle into Jaemus’s face and neck, urging him to hurry up.
Let’s go, friend.
Lug took off toward the large open field behind Brandy’s cabin and Jaemus dashed right behind him. The two wolves stirred up grasshoppers in the tall grass and tiger swallowtail butterflies took to flight as they passed. Darting into the forest, Jaemus pushed ahead of Lug and headed toward the sound of moving water to the east.
After a few minutes of fevered running, the woods a blur of brown and green all around him, Jaemus and Lug skidded to stops in front of a waterfall gushing into a pond. Tall cattails and grasses bordered the water and some frogs croaked as the sunlight of the day faded. Lug approached the water and after taking a drink from the edge, splashed right in and paddled out to the middle.
Jaemus had to admit to being hot from their running too, so he followed suit and took a running leap into the pond. Water flew up on either side of him, soaking his fur and cooling him instantly.
He and Lug swam for a while, playing seeking games with one another as th
ey dove below the surface and emerged in different spots. This was the most relaxed Jaemus had felt in wolf form. Being with the natural wolf helped him get in touch with his own unnatural wolf.
Maybe it was time to stop fighting what he was. Reardon had changed him. There was no way to change back. All he could do was move forward and live this new life. He had no idea where it would take him, but maybe it didn’t matter.
He was alive. No enemies were coming at him with weapons sharpened to spill his blood on the battlefield. Maybe he could just enjoy this time. Get creative with The Wolfman Show and prove to Reardon that it was safe. Further explore his wolf abilities among Brandy’s wolves at the sanctuary.
See what developed, if anything, with Nika.
As long as she believed him to be only a man, what harm could come of kissing her, touching her, holding her after he’d pleasured her? And if she turned out to be his something worthy, he would achieve Flidae’s task and be sent back to Ireland.
Where he belonged.
****
The night was warm and cloudless so Nika walked to Silver Moon Wolf Sanctuary with Daisy by her side. She’d taken some of today’s earnings—which were up from yesterday’s—and bought a triple chocolate cake from Rosie’s Diner that would probably send them all into a coma after consumption. That was fine. She’d die happy today.
A gentle woodsy breeze ruffled the flowing black skirt she’d paired with a black tank top for tonight’s dinner. Her handmade silver crescent moon necklace adorned her throat and matching earrings dangled from her earlobes with silver bangles on her wrist and silver sandals on her feet. She’d wrangled her hair into a loose knot at the nape of her neck and allowed a few waves to frame her face. A light dusting of makeup and some gloss on her lips and she’d called herself ready for the evening.
An evening she wasn’t sure Jaemus wanted to spend with her. He’d stormed out of the trading post so quickly when he’d found out she’d told Meredith about his job and the barn offer. How was she supposed to know it was all super confidential? He hadn’t mentioned not telling his brother or the Wendons. She figured they’d know.
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