by Lily Graison
She took a step back and stopped when he spoke. "Good morning."
"I think our breakfast is almost ready. Jacob has been making enough noise to wake half the valley."
"I know. The clanking of dishes is what woke me."
He tossed the towel in his hand into the hamper by the tub and turned, walking toward her. He was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged his chest. Although the sight of him practically naked was always nice, this was in no way a disappointment.
The man was still gorgeous, shape-shifting wolf or not.
She stared up at him when he stopped in front of her. He hadn't left but a breath of space between them and one deep inhale would be all it took to touch him. She was tempted, but wasn't sure of his intentions toward her. She wasn't going to presume anything. Just because he'd kissed her didn't mean he'd changed his mind and wanted her back. It could have been nothing more than the heat of the moment kind of thing. She wasn't about to make a fool out of herself by thinking it meant more.
His gaze roamed her face, stopping briefly on her lips before continuing down the line of her body. Her flesh tingled and the tightening she felt in her stomach whenever he looked at her returned with a vengeance. She swallowed to moisten her throat when he smiled at her.
"I could stand here all day looking at you," he said, "But our breakfast is getting cold."
"Yeah. Probably." The words came out sounding breathy even to her. She shifted on her feet and her back hit the doorframe. That's when she realized she was blocking the door. "Oh!" she said, feeling her cheeks heat up when his smile widened. "Sorry." She moved to the side, giving him room to pass. He continued to look at her for long moments before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He leaned back and stared at her for long moments, raising his hand and brushing his thumb across her jaw before finally smiling and walking past her. The second he was out of sight, she let out the breath she'd been holding and grabbed the door, shutting it with a soft click.
* * * *
"Any clue what we should do?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah. Get Rayna as far from Wolf's Creek as possible." Garrett leaned back against the cabinet and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared down the hall, watching for her. When she didn't appear he turned his head back to Jacob. "Are the others going along with this plan Malcolm has? To infect Rayna and have her expose the wolves to the public?"
"As far as I can tell they are."
"And no one has a problem with it?" Jacob shrugged his shoulders and looked away. Garrett narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to one side. "Did you know about this, Jacob?"
"No!" he said, looking back up at him. "I swear, man. I mean, I knew Malcolm was trying to get a reporter here to tell our story but that was it. I didn't know he wanted to infect her. You know they don't tell me shit."
"But the others knew?"
"Most of them, I guess. Come on, Garrett. You know how they are. They'd jump in front of a moving bus if Malcolm told them to do it. They think he's God."
Garrett's temper flared suddenly at the thought of Malcolm, and the others, luring Rayna here with the intentions of harming her. Harming his woman. "Well, their God, just caused them a shit load of problems." He pushed away from the cabinet and grabbed the plates, laying them out on the table and tried to get his temper under control. He felt the wolf slide under his skin and he forced it back, clenching his jaw with the effort.
"You know," Jacob said, "You never answered my question yesterday."
"And what question was that?"
"Is she yours?"
Garrett stilled, staring down at the table. Yes!, he thought, just barely managing to hold back a possessive growl. He glanced at Jacob out of the corner of his eye and said, "It's not possible for her to be mine, Jacob."
"Why?"
He laughed. "Why?" he asked, turning to face him. "If you haven't noticed, she's human."
"So?"
"So how exactly am I supposed to claim her as mine?"
Jacob stared at him before shaking his head. "It can be done, Garrett."
"Yeah, if I want to risk the chance of infecting her and I don't. I wouldn't force this on anyone, accidental or not." He'd spent the night stalking the house with those very thoughts running through his head. He busied himself looking out windows and making sure the doors were all locked. He'd paced the hall, stopped at Rayna's bedroom door and stood there, listening to her breathe. The need to mark her, to make her his, was painful. His teeth ached, his skin tightened and his cock throbbed with the need to do it, especially with so many other wolves near by. If there were a way to stake his claim without infecting her, she'd already be his. But there wasn't.
Checking the table again, Garrett tried to distract his thoughts by making sure everything was there. At the sound of Jacob's laughter, he turned his head. "What?" he snapped.
"Nothing."
"Then why are you laughing?"
Jacob's smile was blinding. "Just never thought I'd see the day when you'd go all moon-eyed over a woman."
"Moon-eyed?" Garrett said, growling at him. "What are you, twelve?"
"Does she know?"
Garrett glanced back down at the table. "No."
"It might be a good time to let her know how you feel about her."
"Why's that?"
"She was all the pack talked about yesterday. They'd been sneaking up to the house all day trying to get a peek at her. If you're too afraid to claim her, I know for a fact there are others who aren't whether she's infected or not."
That piece of information woke his beast. He felt it stir, stretch inside his skin and snap teeth sharp enough to break bones. He turned, crossed the distance separating them in three long strides and stopped in front of him, narrowing his eyes. "Who?"
Jacob leaned back and grinned. "Caleb, for one. He had quite a bit to say about her, actually."
He growled before he could stop himself. Jacob looked over his shoulder then, into the living room, and Garrett did the same. Rayna was walking to the kitchen, a strained smile on her face. Had she heard them? God, I hope not.
When she saw them looking at her, she stopped. "What?"
Jacob was the first to speak. "Nothing. Hungry?"
"Famished," she said, crossing to the table and stopping.
"Good. Hope you like omelets."
"I'm so hungry I'd be tempted to eat road kill at the moment."
"Mmmm... sounds tasty," Jacob said, grinning. "You should have told me sooner. I could have whipped that up for you in a flash."
She laughed, her nose crinkling as she did. "I think I'll have the omelet, thank you," she said, taking her seat. "You boys can stick to the raw meat. No offense."
"None taken."
Garrett took the seat across from her and tried not to stare. She seemed happier this morning than she had the night before. Of course, she'd probably been in shock most of the night. She'd nearly passed out when Bryce had shifted, not to mention Malcolm's revelation, her mad dash through the woods to escape the pack and the fright he'd given her when he finally met up with them again. For someone who hadn't known twenty-four hours ago that the world of the supernatural existed, he thought she'd handled it pretty well. Then again, this was Rayna. She was the strongest willed woman he knew. It was part of the reason he'd been drawn to her.
No one spoke as they ate. The clinking of silverware on plates the only sound in the room. When they'd finished and cleaned all the dishes he refilled his coffee cup and leaned back in his chair.
"We need to come up with a plan," Jacob said. "I'm sure Malcolm is forming one of his own as we speak."
Garrett glanced up at Rayna, watching her eyes cloud with worry. The scent of her fear filled his mouth a second later and he saw Jacob shift in his seat. "I won't let them hurt you, Rayna. You don't have to be afraid."
"I'm not," she said, pushing her plate away. She looked up and sighed. "Does it show on my face?"
"No. I can smell it," he said.
Her eyes widened a bit. "Smell it? What do you mean?"
"We have a very keen sense of smell," Jacob said.
"Some of us do," Garrett grinned. "Jacob is the exception to the rule."
"Very funny," Jacob said. "I can smell just fine. I know she's scared. She reeks of it."
"Judith mentioned something to me about it," Rayna said. "The smelling fear thing but I didn't really understand what she meant."
Jacob turned to her and leaned his arms on the table. "We can smell fear, just like she said. When your pulse races it causes your scent to thicken in the air and it coats my tongue like thick molasses."
"My scent?"
"Yes. Too bad you smell like Garrett though." He laughed and leaned back in his seat. "I'd much rather taste flowers than him."
Her cheeks reddened and she lifted a hand, pulling the robe she was wearing closed.
"It's the clothes," Garrett said. "My scent is on your skin."
She met his eyes and said, "Oh."
"Not that I'm complaining," he said, grinning. She smiled and ducked her head, lifting her coffee cup and taking a sip. "I'd much rather smell me on you than the pup here."
"Hey," Jacob said. "No name calling before noon. Besides, this pup got her to safety while you were busy playing the hero."
"Next time, you can play the hero," Garrett said. "I'd much rather save the girl and hide out for a while. Less painful."
"No thanks," Jacob said. "Unlike you, I'm not crazy enough to go against the entire pack single-handedly. Omega's run when the big boys get all gnarly and besides," he laughed, "I excel at running."
Garrett grinned and looked back at Rayna. She was staring at him and his body tightened at her bold gaze. He inhaled deeply, taking in his scent that lingered on her skin and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to pull her from her chair, sit her on his lap and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. His fantasy was interrupted when Jacob said, "So, what do you think we should do?" He glanced at Jacob and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table. "Get her out of town. We can't stay here long. The sooner she's gone, the better off we'll be."
"I can't leave without Mitch," Rayna said. "I won't."
He looked up and met her gaze. "Getting you safe is our first priority. We can come back for Mitch."
"Garrett, if they want me bad enough to lure me here what makes you think I'll be safe anywhere I am? Malcolm practically stalked me for six months. They know where I live."
At her words, he saw the torn, ripped body of the young victim lying in the alley in Bluff's Point and knew she was right. He looked up at her and knew his face reflected what he thought.
"What?" she said. He sighed and lowered his head. "Garrett?"
He rubbed a hand over his face and looked up at her. "There isn't a serial killer in Bluff's Point."
"What do you mean? And what does that have to do with this?"
"It has everything to do with this and I know who it is," he said. "Well, not exactly who it is, but I know what it is."
"What it is," she said, confusion wrinkling her brow. Her eyes widened a moment later. "You mean-"
"A wolf."
"A wolf? As in a werewolf? That's what's been killing all those women?" He nodded. "Does the police department know this?"
He snorted a laugh and shook his head. "No. It wasn't exactly something I could tell anyone, now was it?"
She stared at him for long moments before saying, "You know why don't you?" When he didn't answer her, she clenched her jaw and said, "Damn it, Garrett. Now isn't the time for secrets. After last night I wouldn't think you had any more of those. Not any that will shock me more than that one did."
He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you ever follow up on any of the victims?"
"Of course I did," she said. "I always ran an article on the victims."
"Did nothing about those women ever seem familiar to you?"
"Should they have?"
"Think about it, Rayna. Think about each of them and what you learned."
She was quiet, staring at him for over five minutes before her eyes widened. Her face went stark white the next. "He was looking for me, wasn't he?" When he nodded his head at her, she asked, "Why? Why would Malcolm have those women killed if he wanted me to come down here? It makes no sense. Was he trying to turn me into a-"
"I don't think Malcolm is the one who sent the wolf after you."
She shook her head. "I'm confused," she said. "You just said-"
"Someone sent him but it wasn't Malcolm."
"Who then?"
Garrett glanced at Jacob before looking back at her. "Carmen."
Chapter 7
"Carmen?" Rayna said, wide-eyed. "Carmen sent a wolf to kill me? Why?"
He got up from the table, poured his coffee down the sink and walked to the living room.
Rayna stared at him, watching him look out the window. She glanced at Jacob, noticing him look at anything but her before he got up and left the cabin without a word. She stood and crossed the room, stopping just behind Garrett. "Why would Carmen send someone to kill me, Garrett? Yesterday was the first time I've ever met her."
He sighed and leaned against the window. Long minutes passed before he spoke. "I spent five years in Wolf's Creek after I was turned. I was twenty-four, scared out of my fucking head at what I'd become, and these people were all I had in the world. They were like me. Freaks that didn't fit into society. I met Carmen the second day I was here." He turned his head and glanced at her and she knew by the look on his face what he was going to say next. Her stomach cramped at the thought and she hoped she was wrong.
He looked back out the window, fixing his gaze on some distant point and continued. "She was different from anyone I'd ever met. I realize now it was just the wolf in her that made her so..." He shrugged and didn't explain. "But she started to change after a while. Grew more aggressive and talked about overthrowing Malcolm. I didn't think much of it at first. She loved nothing better than a little blood play and I thought she was just being Carmen. When she convinced a few of the other pack members that her plan to overthrow Malcolm was in their best interest, she tried to get me to challenge him. I knew she was serious then."
Rayna ignored the Carmen bit and asked, "What do you mean by challenge him?"
He turned and faced her, leaning his shoulder on the window frame. "Pack hierarchy is based on power. The strongest Alpha in the pack always leads, everyone else follows. It's the way its always been done. In order for someone new to take over, he has to prove to the pack he's strong enough to lead them. Once a challenge is made on the pack leader, they fight until only one remains."
Her eyes widened. "To the death, you mean?"
He nodded. "Most of the time. A pack leader will only relinquish his role by total defeat. He'd be an outcast if he just surrendered and there can only be one leader. Any pack can have any number of Alpha's though. Their strength varies but the strongest always leads."
Rayna shifted on her feet and glanced out the window. "So, Carmen thought you were strong enough to fight Malcolm and win?" she said, looking back up at him.
"I am strong enough to fight Malcolm and win."
She smiled at him and shook her head. "Your arrogance is showing, Garrett. Surely you aren't that confident in your abilities."
"I was stronger than any of them twelve years ago and I've only improved with age." He grinned at her and stood to his full height. "There isn't anyone in Wolf's Creek as strong as me and that isn't arrogance talking, that's fact."
"Okay, so you're the big bad wolf around these parts," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "And Carmen wanted you to prove it. Why? What did she gain by Malcolm being gone?"
"Carmen wanted to lead the pack."
She raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head. "But if you fought Malcolm and won, you'd be pack leader, not her. How would that make her leader?"
"She's Alpha female in Wolf's Creek."
"So?" That look c
rossed his face again and she knew. "Oh, I see. Whoever fucks the head honcho is at the top of the food chain, right?"
He nodded his head. "The pack leaders mate would also be seen as leader regardless of her rank."
"I see." She stared at him and tried to get the visions of him and Carmen out of her head without much success. She saw her in her mind's eye, saw the smile the woman had given her yesterday and now, the looks she'd caught didn't seem quite so odd. She looked up at Garrett and asked, "Was Carmen trying to get rid of me because of you?"
"I think so," he said.
She laughed and walked closer to him, leaning her shoulder against the wall. "Isn't twelve years quite a long time to hold some torch for a guy who left you?"
"What?" he smiled. "You don't think I'm worth some woman holding a torch for?"
"I haven't seen any proof of it."
"Maybe you haven't been looking in the right places." He glanced down and she followed his gaze, laughing when she realized what he meant.
"All right, enough," she said, waving her hand to dismiss his comment. "We'll debate your torch another time, right now, tell me why Carmen waited this long to come after you."
He sobered and shifted his weight, moving closer to her. "I left the pack not long after I realized what Carmen was up to and spent four years roaming the country until I found Bluff's Point. Eight years later, she finally tracked me down. When she tried to get me to come back and fight Malcolm, I refused. Carmen likes to have her way so she paid me a visit to try and lure me back the only way she knows how."
"What? She was going to fuck you into submission?"
"Something like that."
She stared at him, visions of him and Carmen once again filling her head. She didn't like the visual or the fact that the woman had gone so far just to try and seduce him. Is that all she did, though? Try? "Carmen was in Bluff's Point?"
"Yes."
Rayna crossed her arms under her breasts and leaned her head to one side. "Before or after there was an us?"