“Chief Mueller, I think the rogue alpha has been sniffing around my house and I think Vicki Hannstein might be involved with the situation.” The rest of the story tumbled out of me. He listened intently and I heard the scratch of a pen on paper as he took notes.
When I finished telling my story, he asked “How long ago did she leave your house?”
I looked at the clock. It was almost midnight now. “About thirty minutes ago.”
“I’ll tell the patrol to check for her. She lives about a mile east from you, so assuming she went home, we’ll be able to pick her up for questioning.”
“Call me if you find her,” I said.
“You’ll know the second I do.”
I hung up the phone and hugged the pillow tightly to my chest. All I’d ever wanted was to be part of the pack. I’d believed that my biggest problem had been being a null, but the truth was, being a wolf took things to a whole new level of trouble.
My phone rang a minute later and I jumped in surprise. Checking the screen and expecting to see the chief calling me back I saw instead a number I didn’t recognize. Curious, I answered. “Hello?”
“Chloe?” asked a feminine voice that sounded vaguely familiar. “It’s me Kelsey. Is this a good time?” Her tone was tentative as if she wasn’t sure of her reception.
“As good a time as any,” I said.
“Jackson called me and told me about the rogue alpha.” Fear laced her voice, making it unsteady. “And the thing is I think I smelled it outside my hotel room. Jackson’s not answering his phone and he gave me your number at the bar earlier. I didn’t know who else to call.”
“The rogue’s not there anymore,” I said, wondering why on earth Jackson gave Kelsey my number. I wanted nothing to do with her.
“What do you mean?”
“He was just here. I managed to run him off. So whatever you’re smelling is an old trail or even something completely different.” I fingered my gun as I spoke recalling the shots I’d fired and the whine I’d heard as the bullets, hopefully, hit home.
“Oh, wow. That’s good to know.” She paused and then said, “Would it be too much to ask if I could come out to your place? I don’t like being alone like this among humans.”
When I didn’t say anything at first, she hastened to add, “I know we got off on the wrong foot. Jackson is like a brother to me and I’m very protective of him. I’m sorry if I was out of line.”
I’d been prepared to brush her off, but the sincerity of her words gave me pause. Maybe I should give her another chance. It would make Jackson happy. “Normally I would say yes, Kelsey. But the rogue is still out there somewhere and I don’t think it’s safe for you to travel. Besides, our guest room is full. I’m babysitting some kids.”
“Oh, okay. I understand and you’re probably right, it’s not safe to travel. Are their parents out looking for the rogue?” She asked.
“No.” I sighed. “It’s a long story, but the basic gist is their parents went feral and their grandmother doesn’t seem up the job of raising them.”
“Sounds like they’re pack kids then.”
“Of a sort,” I said. Thinking to build a bridge between us I said, “You know I was orphaned at a young age. My parents died when I was eleven. I’ve fended for myself ever since.”
“Jackson told you about me?” she asked guessing at the reason for my sudden disclosure.
“He mentioned something in passing,” I hedged not wanting her to feel like he’d spilled her life’s story behind her back.
She was quiet for a moment. “It’s not a good way to grow up, is it? Alone and belonging to no one.”
“No it’s not,” I agreed.
“I was lucky to have Jackson’s family. His father was a good alpha. He took care of everyone, even the unwanted pack baby.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Did you have anyone looking out for you, Chloe?”
“No,” I said unable to keep the sadness out of my voice. Cal had tried but didn’t have the time to devote to raising a child.
“Well, you take care of those kids staying with you.”
“That’s the plan,” I said surprised at the vehemence in her voice.
“And maybe you and I can get together for a do-over. I’d like to be your friend, Chloe. I can’t promise not to say or do the wrong thing, I came into the world with a foot in my mouth and I’ll probably leave this world with it still in my mouth and someone else’s foot up my ass.”
I laughed. “I noticed, but no hard feelings.”
“Great. You’ve put my mind at ease. I’ll call you and we’ll set something up, okay?”
“Sounds good.” We hung up and I tried to watch Diehard again, but couldn’t focus. Between the rogue, Vicki and now Kelsey, my life contained knots I didn’t know how to even begin to unsnarl.
So I coped the only way I could, I hosed the house in air-freshener to eradicate Vicki’s scent lingering in the air. It wasn’t enough, but it was a start.
Chapter Nine
Jackson came home around three in the morning. The sound of his truck, as unique as a fingerprint to my keen wolf ears, sent a shudder of relief through me. I hadn’t been able to sleep, I was too afraid the rogue would come back. I didn’t want to miss a call from the police chief either, but my phone remained stubbornly silent, which meant Vicki was still out there somewhere plotting my demise.
He came into the house quietly as if trying not to wake me. I ran to greet him and threw myself into his arms.
“Jacks.”
He hugged me tight. “Clo.”
We just stood there for a minute, soaking each other up. He smelled of sweat and dirt, the musk of a hard day’s work, but I didn’t care. It was just good to have his scent filling my nose, to know he was okay.
“Did you find him?” I spoke into his chest, unwilling to leave its safety to look up at his face.
I felt him shake his head. “Nothing. The scent trail is cold.”
“I smelled him out in the woods by the backyard.” His arms tensed around me and I hastened to reassure him, “I shot at him and I think I might have wounded him because he ran off.”
He moved to let me go. “I’ll go out and look.”
Now it was my turn to tighten my arms around him and refuse to be released. “I already checked, he’s long gone. I called the police and the wolves you guys set up to patrol Hunstville are trying to track where he went.”
Jackson allowed me to pull him close again, his warm arms circling me with reassuring strength. He lifted his head and inhaled, testing the smells of the house. “I smell lots of other people. You’ve had company. Some of them smell familiar, but I can’t quite place all the scents. There’s something blocking me.” He sniffed again. “Is that...air freshener?”
I nodded into his chest. “Yes. It’s kind of a long story.” I hesitated, unable to decide where to start.
I took his hand and tugged him into the dining room. “Sit.”
He sat at the table and I poured us each a shot of the whiskey Vicki had pilfered earlier.
“What’s wrong, Clo?” He looked at me, weary concern shining in his eyes.
“Something happened and I’m not sure if you’re going to like what I tell you.” I handed him a glass and sat across from him. “The rogue wasn’t alone. Vicki was with him too. I think she might have led him here hoping to get rid of me and clear a path to you.”
Jackson paused, the glass on his lips as he processed what I’d just said. When he didn’t say anything, I continued, “She hates me Jacks. Enough to kill, but she doesn’t want my blood on her hands. That could mess up her plans for you, you know?”
He swallowed the whiskey and gave a curt nod. “Damn. That’s crazy.”
“Yep. Tell me about it.” I took a sip of mine, welcoming the whiskey’s warm burn.
“Are you sure?”
I shrugged. “Why else would she be hanging out with a rogue in our backyard? She’s not selling Girl Scout cookies. Believe me, I’ve tried t
o come up with an angle where she’s not trying to kill me and I can’t find it.”
After a long silence, Jackson surged to his feet without warning, his face dark with sudden anger. Turning sharply on his heels, he made for the front door.
I hurried after him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to hunt her down and shake the truth out of her.” Anger fired up his voice and the testosterone in his scent became stronger.
“The police are looking for her. You’ve been up all night. Let them do this for now.” I put my hand on his, stopping him from throwing the front door open. “Come to bed, Jacks. It’s been a long night and I need you.” I started shaking then, my ability to hold it together crumpling as some kind of delayed reaction kicked in. My mind flashed to that moment in the backyard when I’d taken a shot at the rogue. Who knew what was out there or what wolf would come sauntering out of the wild next? I couldn’t bear to be left again.
He wrapped me in another hug. “Are you okay?”
I sniffed. Tears sprang to my eyes despite my efforts to hold them back. “She went through the house like she owned the place. Even took one of your shirts.” I took a deep breath. “How close were you guys?” I’d been under the impression that Jackson only indulged in a series of casual one night stands when he first came to town. Vicki seemed to go a level deeper than that. There was nothing about her behavior that said ‘casual relationship.’
He kissed me, a gentle press of his lips that was gone before I could respond. “We dated a bit. My wolf liked her, so I thought that meant we might be mates. We talked about it once or twice. The second I brought your wolf, we were over though.”
I frowned. “So you say, but did she know that? Did you call her?”
He had the grace to look chagrinned. “No I didn’t. I guess I thought she’d figure it out when we showed up at the pack clearing.”
I threw up my hands. “Way to let a girl down hard, Jacks. Wow. No wonder she hates me.” God. He’d essentially led her on. I couldn’t blame Vicki for being pissed.
Jackson’s expression hardened. “Maybe I messed up, but that’s no excuse to kill you.”
“Yeah, but she might not have snapped if you’d manned up and talked to her. She’s lost it, Jacks.” I whirled my finger by my ear. “Like seriously psycho and she is out for blood. Don’t forget, I’m not the only target here. Tonya’s gone. All those other girls down in Nashville too.” The collateral damage of Vicki’s jealousy took my breath away. Was there anything she wouldn’t do for revenge?
He rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t know she was going to do this. No sane wolf would.”
I frowned. “How did she find a rogue in the first place?”
Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know. They’re rare and I have no idea how she got him up here without being killed herself. Rogues are the werewolves of legend, beasts that are half man, half wolf and the only language they speak is violence.” He sucked in another lungful of air. “I smell lots of people. Was someone besides Vicki here?”
I nodded. “Mara and Sara. They said you sent them?”
Jackson ran a hand through his dark hair, fatigue creating shadows under his eyes. “Oh yeah, I forgot. We ran into them out in the woods. I told them to come here since our house was close by.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what their parents were thinking, letting them run wild like that.”
“Their parents went feral and they showed up here looking like they aren’t being properly cared for. I don’t think anyone’s been watching out for them. I fed them and tucked them into the guest bedroom for the night.” I gave a wry smile. “I promised pancakes for breakfast by the way.”
Jackson glanced at the clock on the wall of the entry way. “That’s about four hours from now.”
On cue, his stomach rumbled and I laughed. “Let me guess, you’re hungry now.”
A slow smile spread over his face. “Yes for lots of things.” His eyes began to gleam with desire and his hands were suddenly travelling my body.
I twisted away from him. “We’re not alone.”
“We’ll be quiet,” he promised as he pulled me back into his orbit and cupped my breasts.
“How about some food first?” I asked. I hadn’t eaten dinner and the girls had consumed all the popcorn. Jackson wasn’t the only one feeling hunger pangs.
He gave a curt nod. “Food sounds good. I could use the extra energy.” The wicked smile that split his lips left no doubt as to how he planned to use all that energy.
For a second time that night, I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We washed them down with whiskey and then stumbled to bed, unsteady from fatigue and the buzz of alcohol.
In bed, Jackson cradled me for a long time, hands stroking my hair, then my shoulder down to the curve of my hip. “I thought about you all day. Were you safe? Were you okay?”
I gave a soft laugh. “Same here. I tried to see your wolf, but you were too far away.”
“I’ve heard some packs are telepathic.” He kissed my cheek. “I wish we were. It would make it easier to be apart.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” I wiggled my bottom against his rising hardness. “Did you just want to talk all night, Jacks?”
He ground against me. “Hell, no. I want my mate beneath me, screaming my name.”
“No screaming. Not tonight,” I reminded him.
“Okay, fine. I’ll settle for a hoarse whisper then.” He nuzzled my neck and I turned toward him so we could kiss.
His lips were tender on mine, but soon he couldn’t hold back. He ravished my mouth, beard stubble scraping over my soft skin, teeth worrying my bottom lip. Our tongues tangled and I moaned, arching up toward him.
This man made me lose my mind. I couldn’t get close enough to him. My wolf seemed to agree and, in my mind’s eye, she pressed herself up against Jackson’s wolf.
When he moved his attention to my breasts, he whispered one command to me. “Touch yourself.”
My breath caught at the power in his voice and my hand moved before my brain even understood his words.
“We’re going to make you come together.” He lowered his head after that and took a nipple into his mouth while a hand went to pinch the other. Deep, hot places inside me quivered and pulled tight.
Jackson nipped my nipple with his teeth, the pain making me gasp and immediately want more. Releasing me, he said, “Now, when I go slow, you go slow. When I go fast, you go fast. Got it?”
I nodded, too breathless to speak. A fire burned in me, one that couldn’t be put out with water. This little game had me ready to combust.
He resumed toying with my nipple, alternately taking it deep into his mouth and whipping his tongue across the sensitive tip. I kept pace with him as best I could. My nipples became harder and harder, stiffening into high points that begged for more. I squirmed underneath Jackson as a pulse throbbed inside my core, beating like a second heart beat. Soon it would explode and pleasure would spill out, flooding my senses.
Sensing I was on the brink, Jackson intensified his efforts. Bunching my breasts up in his hands to bring their tips closer, he became merciless. Biting, scraping, whipping each tip in turn until my entire body brimmed with desire. The whole time, he growled, low and soft in his throat. The sound shook my breasts with exquisitely rough vibration.
I came with almost no warning, my body arched and my mouth open in a silent scream. Jackson watched my face and our eyes met, his intent, mine glazed.
When the last of my orgasm faded, he lifted my hand away and sucked on my fingers, tongue tickling my palm. Just like that, the orgasm became a drop in an ocean of desire. My body clenched tight with need. I wanted him inside me. The orgasm hadn’t been enough, not even close.
“Jacks,” I whispered.
“Clo,” he said.
I wrapped my hand around his shaft to make my point.
“You need something?” There was a gleam of mischief in his eye.
“You. I need you.” I parted my legs in invitation.
When he finally took me, I couldn’t suppress a sharp yip of excitement. Behind my eyelids, my wolf was yowling. To quiet myself, both inside and out, I sank my teeth into his neck. Jackson returned the favor and we marked each other. We both crested at the same time after that.
The orgasm shook me with the intensity of raw voltage. I filled my mouth with the curve of his shoulder to keep from screaming as my body shuddered around him. Jackson grunted as my teeth broke his skin and bit me again as well.
Bloodied, our bodies slick with sweat, we collapsed on the bed, side-by-side.
“Wow,” he said quietly. His hand sought out mine and gave a squeeze.
I squeezed back. “Yeah. That was something wasn’t it?” I thought for a second and then said, “Was it like this with the other girls?”
“Clo...” He started, sounding unhappy.
I cut him off. “I’m not being jealous. I genuinely want to know. Remember, you’re my first.”
“And only.” He squeezed my hand again, harder this time.
“So answer the question.” I turned my head to look at him. Jackson’s dark chocolate eyes were heavy-lidded with fatigue and satisfaction.
“No, it was never like this with anyone but you.”
“Because I’m your mate.”
He nodded. “You’re my everything.”
The sincerity of his words made me feel a little mushy inside. Even my wolf managed to look sentimental, instead of her usual boring, death stare, she actually blinked. Maybe she was surprised. I snuggled up against him, basking in the heat of his body. My body temperature ran on the high side, but Jackson was pure alpha furnace, perfect for a cold winter’s night.
There might be a rogue out there and dozens of angry, she-wolves scorned gunning for me, but just then, with Jackson’s arms and body wrapped around me, his words still ringing in my ears, life felt perfect.
Was this love? Would we last? Was the mating really a thing for us? I didn’t know. I hadn’t even had a boyfriend let alone sex before Jackson, but, for a brief moment that night, I believed our mating bond that transcended anything the world could throw at us.
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