by Jane Jamison
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She stood, knocking her plate off her lap. Scrambling to scoop it up, she kept her gaze averted. “I’m going to get more food.”
“Wow. What got into her?” Carolina frowned as Lisa-May scurried to the chuck wagon.
Lisa-May pushed to the front of the crowd waiting for food. Carolina, still perplexed by the girl’s reaction, studied her. She hoped Lisa-May would turn around, and if she did, she’d wave to let her know there were no hard feelings. She took another sip of her beer and waited to catch Lisa-May’s attention. Yet when the girl finally pivoted around, it wasn’t Carolina she looked at.
Bill sidled up next to the young girl and slid his hand around her waist. Lisa-May pushed his hand away, but not before she’d given him a beatific smile.
Bill?
Carolina’s stomach did an awful flip-flop. Please tell me she’s not in love with that creep.
And yet she couldn’t have mistaken the adoration in Lisa-May’s face.
What in the world does she see in him?
Her stomach rolled over again. How could anyone as sweet as Lisa-May like a person like that? She tried to remind herself that she didn’t really know Bill, but that didn’t help. Her gut told her there was something off about him. And if she knew anything about herself, it was that she was a good judge of character.
Oh, Lisa-May, what are you thinking?
The sizzle of energy whipped into her before she was aware that Charlie and Jesse had come up behind her.
“What’s with the frown, sugar?”
“Is Lisa-May involved with anyone?”
“Lisa-May?” Charlie took a drag on his bottle of beer. “Not that I know of.”
“Besides, if Lisa-May was involved with someone, she’d have told the world by now. Why do you ask?” Jesse took a drag on his beer.
She watched as Lisa-May moved through the crowd. Bill stayed at the chuck wagon, but his focus never shifted away from her.
“She’s never said anything about Bill?”
“Bill Winton?” Jesse paused, his beer halfway to his mouth. He put it down and followed where she was looking. “You’re kidding me, right? Naw, I can’t see those two together. Plus, he’s quite a few years older than her.”
“It’s not the age difference that bothers me. It’s him.”
At that moment, Bill broke his attention from Lisa-May and found her watching him. He blinked, then stared at her hard before walking behind the wagon and out of sight.
“What’s wrong with Bill?” Charlie handed her a plate filled with a hot dog, corn on the cob, and a large whopping pile of mashed potatoes. “I don’t know him well. He kind of keeps to himself, but from what I’ve heard, he’s an okay guy.”
“I don’t know. He just gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
“The what? Did you get that word from your grandmother?”
She pinched Jesse in the arm, making him yelp in pain. “Maybe I did or maybe it’s coming back. That’s not the point. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s just something…off…about him.”
“Okay, so let’s say you’re right.” Charlie took a bite and swallowed it. “What can we do about it? She’s of legal age. Besides, it’s best to stay out of other people’s relationships.”
“Thank you, Dr. Phil.” But he was right. “Enough about Lisa-May and Bill. Let me ask you another question.”
“Shoot.” Jesse took another swig of his beer.
“What’s with everyone’s teeth?” She squinted, her vision becoming a little blurry. Time to put down the beer, girl.
He sputtered into his drink. Once he’d recovered, he wiped the spill off his chin. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?”
She glanced at Charlie then back to Jesse. “Don’t act like you don’t see what I see. Look over there at Burt.” She tilted her head in his direction. “I never noticed before, but aren’t his teeth unusually large for his mouth?”
Jesse and Charlie exchanged a look. A look of understanding, as though they weren’t sure whether to tell her.
“Okay, I saw that. You two know something. Tell me or I’ll pinch your tit again, Jesse Martin.”
He put his beer on the ground fast and flattened his palms over his breasts. “Can I help if it some people in the hills have bigger teeth than anyone you know? Back off, woman, and leave my itty bitty titties alone.”
She laughed, but that didn’t stop her from asking another question. “And what about their eyes?”
“Their eyes? What about them? They’re big enough to see you with, Little Red Riding Hood. What else matters?”
“Ooh, Charlie. You’re so funny. Not.” She pointed as discreetly as she could at the woman on the next log. “I’ve seen bits of amber in a lot of people’s eyes around here. Come to think of it, in your eyes, too.”
“Now you’re wondering about eye color? Who does that?” Charlie took her chin in his hand. “Maybe you should’ve rested longer. How about we take you back to the main house and up to your bedroom?”
“Mmm. The idea of going back to my bed sounds pretty good.” She leaned against his strong shoulder as the world around her grew a little blurrier. “As long as I’m not going back to bed by myself.”
“Sugar, that’s the best offer I’ve had all day.” Standing, Jesse took her along with him and tugged her into his arms.
She melted against his hard form and sighed. “I didn’t get much to eat. And maybe a little too much to drink.”
Charlie stood behind her, then held up a hot dog. “Then eat up, babe. Once we get you into bed, you’re going to need all the strength you can muster.”
She took the hot dog and shoved a large part of it into her mouth. “Promises, promises,” she muttered.
How she hung onto her food as Jesse swept her up into his arms, she’d never know. Or care. She squinted at a man nuzzling the neck of a woman. He paused, then looked straight at her.
She giggled and pointed at him. “He’s a furry.”
“What, babe?”
“See? He’s a furry. He has fur on his face and those strange teeth, too.” Another giggle escaped. “Is he a wolf man?” She lifted her head as high as she could and let out a pitiful imitation of a wolf’s howl.
The bounce she took when Jesse almost stumbled had her head bobbing up and down.
“Sugar, I think you’ve had one too many beers.”
“Uh-uh. I’m fine. Take me to bed and have your way with me.” She flung out her arms in a dramatic take-me-I’m-yours fashion, sending the hot dog flying. The laughter of the others was the last thing she heard before she closed her eyes.
* * * *
Carolina awoke early in the morning before sunrise. Her throat was dry, and her stomach threatened to bring up every bit of food in it. A pounding headache assaulted her.
The act of groaning was too much to bear, and her bladder insisted that she get out of bed and make the arduous trek to the toilet. Charlie and Jesse weren’t beside her, and judging by the way she felt, that was for the best. Although she couldn’t remember getting from the campfire to her bedroom, she was willing to bet that they’d been the ones to take care of her. Unless, of course, they’d enlisted Lisa-May’s help.
She groaned again, getting a protest from the throbbing that had set up shop behind her eyes, and shuffled to the bathroom. Not bothering to turn on the light—after all, she knew how her head would react to that kind of punishment—she took care of her needs, then peered into the mirror and groaned yet again. Pale skin, dark hollows under her eyes, and her hair sticking out in every direction was more than she could bear. She put her head down and made the same promise that hungover people did all over the world made. She swore she’d never take another drink for the rest of her life.
Oh, God, did I look this awful when they carried me home?
She wouldn’t blame them if they never wanted anything to do with her again
. Keeping her eyes shaded from the bright moonlight filtering in through the thin curtains, she recreated her slow shuffle back to her bed.
A howl pierced the air, stopping her cold. Images of the people at the campfire came rushing back. Had she really seen fur on a man’s face and amber in another’s eyes? More than likely, she’d already had too much to drink, giving way to an overactive, beer-induced imagination.
A second howl, one that sounded closer, brought her around to the window. Did she dare look? A safer choice would be to get into bed, pull the covers over her head, and not reemerge until noon the next day.
But safe choices had never been her style.
She edged toward the window, pushed the curtains aside, then let out a small gasp. Four wolves stood in the yard between the main house and the barn. They were huge, bigger than any wolves she’d ever seen. Their brawn was heavy, their necks thick, and their bodies exuding an underlying strength that reminded her of extinct saber-toothed tigers.
Leaning on the window sill, she stared harder. Something else was different about them. Just what that was, she couldn’t put her finger on until one of them, a big black brute of an animal, lifted his head and stared back at her.
Amber eyes.
But it was more than their color that had her catching her breath. The amber gaze held intelligence equal to that of a human’s. Her throat became a desert land as she met his stare.
And then she felt it.
The same spark of electricity that hit her whenever Charlie and Jesse came around struck her in the gut, spearing her with a lust that almost floored her.
It knows me.
But that made no sense. Still, she couldn’t shake the impression that it knew her as well as any human ever could.
Fangs slid over its lower jaw, yet she didn’t sense any hostility. And yet, she was amazed when it wagged its tail at her.
Another wolf, a brown one with white diffused throughout its cinnamon coat whirled around, then lifted his head toward her. His amber eyes blazed, and once again, she felt the whip of desire rush through her.
The two other wolves, both gray in color, growled, then with a flick of their tails, bolted into the darkness beside the barn. Howls echoed from the shadows, calling the two wolves that had remained behind.
She stayed where she was, unable to move, unable to tell herself that what she was seeing wasn’t real. But in her heart, in her gut, she knew it was.
“Lord, have mercy.” She’d whispered, but when both wolves tilted their heads at the same time, she imagined that they’d heard her.
In the next moment, they were gone, moving fast into the shadows. She flattened her hands against the window, pressing as close as she could to see where they’d gone. But it was useless. They’d disappeared like ghosts.
Stepping back from the window, she waited until her breath had evened out, then turned and ran to the bed. Pulling the covers over her head like a child frightened by monsters in the closet, she closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the emotions swirling inside her.
Did I just get turned on by two wolves?
* * * *
Waking up later wasn’t much better. Carolina still had the cover pulled over her head. She lifted it just enough to get a peek toward the windows, then re-covered her head as fast as she could against the blinding light. Why hadn’t she thought to close the curtains? And then she remembered.
Wolves.
Had she imagined the entire thing? Why would a wolf pack come so close to a house?
Amber eyes. Intelligent amber eyes.
She could still see the eyes that had looked up at her with the intelligence and the sexual hunger of a man.
Did I drink that much?
Sure, she’d had a few beers but hadn’t she felt different after the first one? She wasn’t a big drinker, but she wasn’t a lightweight, either. One beer wasn’t anywhere near enough to cause hallucinations. And yet, how else could she explain what she’d seen at first the campsite and then from her window?
She couldn’t explain it. Not with too many beers or anything else.
Maybe if she got up and pulled herself together, she could ask Charlie and Jesse about it. If they laughed at her, then so be it.
Later. I’ll do that later. Until then…
The sound of a woman’s scream then a crash jolted her to a sitting position. Lisa-May stood in her doorway, the bed tray, pancakes, coffee, and broken plates and cup were scattered around her feet.
“Lisa-May, what’s wrong?”
The young girl lifted her arm slowly and pointed toward the ornate metal light fixture hanging in the middle of the room. Following the girl’s direction, she lifted her gaze toward the ceiling.
Carolina couldn’t breathe at first. Then, like a tidal wave flooding over the land, she sucked in a hard breath, giving free rein for the air to fill her lungs. Grasping the cover, she let all the pain and agony fly free. Her scream echoed around the room, her stomach twisting cruelly until, at last, she couldn’t hold back any longer. Leaning over the edge of the bed, she vomited.
* * * *
“Damn it. Has anyone found Milo yet?” Charlie paced across to the other side of the living room as he’d done far too many times already. Jesse cradled the still all-too-pale Carolina on the sofa while Ms. Millicent held a sobbing Lisa-May in her arms.
Just as Charlie had asked the question, Burt appeared at the doorway. His face was hard-set and his eyes burned with rage. “We found him.”
“Where the hell was he? He was supposed to be watching over her.”
“Charlie, easy. Let him talk.”
Jesse smoothed Carolina’s hair and whispered comforting words in her ear. She clung to him, her eyes rimmed with red, her hair as unkempt as when they’d rushed into her bedroom and found the dripping, bloody head of Queen hanging from the light fixture. Jesse had gathered her bed covers around her and hurried her out of the room. Charlie had stayed only a moment longer, then scooped up Lisa-May and carried her downstairs after them.
“Fine. Tell me.”
“He’s dead.” Burt growled the words out.
“Shit. Where?” Charlie had hoped they’d find Milo somewhere sleeping off a night’s drunk, but in his heart he’d known that wouldn’t be the case. Milo was a loyal and trustworthy pack mate. A brute of a man who would do anything to help out. He’d been assigned to stand guard outside Carolina’s room until they returned from their run and now he was dead.
Burt’s gaze flicked to Carolina and back.
“Go on.” He didn’t think she was listening. The few times they’d tried to get her to talk had failed.
“They found his body upstairs in the dirty linen room. Shoved in there like he was nothing but soiled sheets.”
Burt and Milo had been fast friends for many years. Charlie could only imagine what Burt was feeling. “I’m sorry, Burt.”
“No need.” His dark gaze met Charlie’s. “Just promise me that once we find out who did this, I get a shot at him.”
“I’ll do my best, man. If I can hold myself back.”
“That’s all I can ask.” Burt nodded, then spun on his heel and was gone.
“Why would anyone do that to poor Queen? And Milo? Oh, my God.”
He came to her other side, giving Jesse a quick glance. At least she was talking again. “I don’t know, babe. Whoever did this is one sick bastard. But don’t worry. We’ll find out who it was and make him pay. I promise you that.”
“We shouldn’t have left her. It was our job to look after her and we failed.”
Charlie couldn’t disagree with his brother. They’d needed to run, had felt their wolves clawing their way to the surface. Then when Carolina had drunk too much, they’d taken the opportunity to leave her in the hands of the faithful Milo and had released their inner animals in a wild, freeing sprint around the ranch. Seeing her at her bedroom window earlier had thrilled them. Even from that distance, they could sense the connection whipping between them and ha
d felt the lust that transcended distance.
“Stop blaming yourselves. That’s not going to do anyone any good.” Ms. Millicent pulled Lisa-May’s clinging hands off. “Go along, child. Your brother’s waiting for you in the bunkhouse with something to warm you.”
Lisa-May started to protest, but the older woman wouldn’t let her. “Go. Do as I say.”
The young girl nodded once, bowed her head in submission, and left. Ms. Millicent strode across the room. She held her head high as she always did, but it was one of the few times he’d ever seen sadness take control of her. That bothered him almost as much as seeing Carolina in her desperate state.
“Whoever did this had access to the house. Probably still does.”
Charlie stood, making sure the cover was over Carolina. “We figured as much. Which means he’s a were—” He stopped just in time. Telling Carolina what they were might push her over the edge. He couldn’t take that risk. Not yet. “He’s got to be one of us.”
“Agreed.” Ms. Millicent clasped her hands in front of her.
“How do we find out which one it is?” Jesse slid out from under Carolina and eased her down, letting her lie on the couch. She closed her eyes.
“I don’t know.”
Charlie couldn’t believe it. Ms. Millicent always had an answer. “I guess we have to wait until he makes another move. And make sure she’s protected at all times with more than one guard.”
He bent over Carolina. Had she spoken? “Did you say something, babe?” She shuddered, her body trembling under the cover. “It’s okay. You’re safe. We’re here.”
She pushed herself to a sitting position. “Why?”
Her eyes were big and filled with pain that tore his gut apart. “Why what?”
She swallowed, hard. If he had only one wish, he’d make a wish to take her pain away.
“Why me?”
“I don’t know, babe. Are you sure you can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt you?” Torment was a better word. If the man had wanted her dead, he could have easily killed her while she slept. Charlie had his own shudder course through him. Just thinking of losing her made him ill.