Bayou Wolf

by Debbie Herbert

  “I’m not sure,” he answered truthfully.

  “Think about it. Where do you want to be ten years from now? Still moving around and living under Matt’s thumb?”

  Payton closed his eyes. If he were free to do anything he wanted... How strange he’d never allowed himself to dream. If he had imagined a future at all, it was with a vague hope that he’d fall in love with Jillian. As an acceptable mate, the pack would approve the marriage and they’d have children. A home of sorts. Instead, he’d discovered his true mate in the bed of the last woman on earth he’d thought to share a life with.

  Tallulah’s hand touched his knee and his eyes flew open.

  “Well?” she asked.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  She gave an impatient sigh. “You—”

  He held up a hand. “You make one more remark about acting like a man and standing up for myself, I’m out of here.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t be so touchy.”

  “What about you? How free are you? You say you’ve been called to fight the shadow beings, that it’s part of your genetic inheritance. Ever stop to wonder if you’re truly free?”

  Her eyes widened. “But...I love hunting. And I love Bayou La Siryna.”

  “You sure about that? Or is that your biology talking?”

  “Never thought about it like that,” she admitted. “Wow.”

  Neither spoke for long moments.

  “The difference between us is that I’m happy where I live and with what I do,” she said at last.

  “Are you really? Most of the time you seem...angry.”

  She scowled. “I’m not angry.”

  “Glad we got that clear.” He laughed, and to his surprise, so did Tallulah.

  “I do fight being bitter,” she admitted. “I lost my parents in Hurricane Katrina and then later, I lost Bo.”

  At least she had loved. He’d never allowed himself that luxury. His lifestyle was too transient, his biology too weird.

  “There’s something else you should know. I’d rather you heard it from me.”

  Now what? He braced himself. “Shoot.”

  “I did something really foolish last year. I had a fling with Hanan, another shadow hunter. It was never serious, more of a mutual arrangement of convenience. I was lonely and trying to forget Bo.”

  Jealousy ripped through his gut.

  Tallulah’s cheeks were tinged with pink and she cleared her throat. “At any rate, Hanan betrayed us all, actually joined forces with Nalusa Falaya and set a trap to defeat us.”

  He pictured Russell’s fury when he’d tried to talk him into treatment. “The worst traitors are the people within our own inner circle. Why did Hanan turn against you?”

  “Power. Nalusa promised him the moon.”

  “Where is Hanan now?” He wished him far, far away.

  “Dead. I, uh, killed him.”

  He thought he’d braced himself for everything, but this left him dumbfounded.

  “I had to,” she said quickly. “We were in a battle and he was choking Annie, would have killed her if I hadn’t stopped him. If there were any other way, I wouldn’t have done—”

  “Stop. You don’t have to justify your actions to me. I believe you.”

  “You do?”

  Payton pulled her against him and she curled into him like a kitten. He kissed the top of her head, inhaling a flowery shampoo scent. “Sometimes you talk too damn much.”

  She opened her mouth, no doubt to argue. Swiftly, he kissed her lips, effectively stopping the words. Her mouth opened beneath his, warm and intoxicating. This was what he needed after a crappy day.

  This. Their tongues melded, dancing with passion. His hand splayed over her lower back and then the soft curve of her hip. Tallulah’s fingers threaded through his hair, drawing him closer.

  And this. He slid a hand upward, brushing her rib cage and then cupping her breast. Boldly, she cupped his erection through his jeans. White-hot need jolted through him, eclipsing all else. It was made all the more powerful because she was his chosen mate—even if she didn’t know it yet.

  Chapter 13

  A diminutive redhead entered the cultural center near closing time. Tallulah idly glanced over as the woman elegantly strolled through the exhibits. Hard to miss her—she glittered like an exotic jewel with auburn hair and pale, pale skin.

  Tallulah turned her attention back to the computer. Only three more invoice receipts to enter and then she could close shop and go home to Payton.

  Home to Payton. The past six weeks had been almost idyllic. If only she could stop the niggling worry of how long it could possibly last. With a mental shrug, Tallulah pushed aside her concerns for the moment.

  “Excuse me, aren’t you Tallulah Silver?” Green eyes nailed her with a glistening intensity.

  Tallulah jumped. The woman had actually managed to sneak up on her. How unusual. She must have been more focused on the numbers than normal. “Yes?”

  “My name’s Jillian.”

  Was that supposed to mean something special? “Okay. Have we met before?”

  “Payton hasn’t mentioned me?” She fingered the diamond necklace at her throat.

  Tallulah stared at the woman’s long, bloodred fingernails, which contrasted with her alabaster skin. Something about the lady vaguely creeped her out. A scent of old-fashioned violets enveloped her, but underneath the flowery scent was an earthier aroma—faintly dark and disturbing.

  “Um, no.”

  “Well, everyone in the pack sure knows who you are.” Her voice was a dulcet velvet and her Cupid’s bow lips smiled, but Tallulah’s hackles rose.

  “He mentioned there was a female in the group, but no names.”

  Jillian’s smile dimmed. “Odd. We’re so close. Guess he didn’t want to upset you.”

  “Why would I get upset?”

  “Because Payton and I have had a ‘thing’ over the years. He has his occasional fling, but he always comes back to me.”

  She felt the blood drain from her face and her lips went numb. “N-not this time.”

  Jillian elegantly lifted a shoulder. “You’re only another piece of ass in a long line of casual affairs.”

  Crazy bitch. But Jillian had shown a weakness, and Tallulah drilled in on her obvious insecurity. “If you believe that, then what are you doing here? I should be no threat.”

  “I eventually grow tired of his dalliances when they last more than a few weeks. So I’d say your time is about up.”

  “Then maybe you should talk to Payton. Obviously, he prefers living with me to living with you.”

  “This situation is...unusual. But he’ll tire of you soon enough. No way he would ever stay with you for long. I’m his forever woman.”

  “I don’t believe anything you say.”

  Jillian laughed with no trace of mirth. “Ask him. Then ask yourself why a werewolf would ever mate outside of his pack.”

  “Mate?”

  “Let me put it in terms you’ll understand. Among werewolves, we have a primitive, instinctive need to find one mate. We don’t have elaborate courtship rituals. When we meet our mate, it’s something that we feel in our gut. A feeling that won’t ever die, even if we wanted it to. Humans may marry, have kids, raise a family within their community. Our mating is deeper than all that. It’s meeting each other on a soul level. And that’s what I have with Payton. We’re meant to be together. He knows it, too.”

  “I still don’t believe you.” She couldn’t be so wholly deceived. Not again. Hanan’s image burst in her mind’s eye—the hatred in his eyes when he was finally exposed as a betrayer. Yes, she could be one-hundred-percent deceived. It had happened before.

  “Payton needs us. If you know
him at all, you realize how deeply committed he is to his pack.”

  The weight of truth pressed in on Tallulah’s chest.

  “Living with you the past six weeks has been hell on him. I don’t know if he can last until the crew finishes this job.”

  Tallulah’s spine stiffened. “What do you mean by that? He seems perfectly happy to me.”

  “He’s not. Matt ordered Payton to keep an eye on you, discover how you sneaked up on Russell while he was in wolf form. How you seem to know so much about our business.”

  “Liar,” she whispered past dead lips.

  “Am I?” Jillian leaned in. “Payton told us all about you and the shadow hunters. In a way, we have something in common. I’m the lone female in the pack and I take it you’re the lone female hunter in your group.”

  Payton had told the pack their secrets. Tallulah bit the inside of her mouth and schooled her features not to give away distress. She wouldn’t give Jillian the satisfaction.

  “I suggest you find a suitable male in your group,” Jillian said with false sweetness. “Just as I’ve done with Payton.”

  “And I suggest you go screw yourself.”

  Jillian drew up, finally dropping her calm, patronizing facade.

  “That’s right. Get the hell out of here,” Tallulah snapped, out of patience.

  Jillian gave an imperious lift of her chin. “Don’t say you haven’t been warned.” With that, she turned and casually ambled out the door.

  Tallulah seethed. She didn’t believe half of what Jillian claimed, but there’d been enough there to raise serious doubts about Payton’s true feelings for her. The man had some explaining to do tonight.

  * * *

  “Hand me that seventeen-millimeter wrench,” Chulah said.

  Payton grabbed it from the set of tools Chulah had spread out on the concrete floor next to the Honda Gold Wing. He handed it to Chulah and watched as he loosened the bolts to the two front disc brakes. “I can help you with that.”

  Chulah brushed his long hair back from his forehead and scooted away from the bike. “Give it a go.”

  Eagerly, Payton set to work. Ever since Chulah had mentioned he owned a motorcycle shop, Payton had been dying to come down and check it out. He loved fixing all things mechanical. With a minimum of effort, he efficiently removed the disc pads from the brake calipers and replaced them with new ones by bolting them back to the front fork of the motorcycle. “That should do it.”

  “You’re really good with bikes. You ever own a Gold Wing?” Chulah asked.

  “No, used to have a Harley, though. Sold it a couple of years ago. Got to be too much of a hassle hauling it every time I moved. Besides, none of my other friends had bikes.”

  “I can loan you one while you’re here. No charge. Me and a couple other hunters ride most Saturdays. Join us whenever you’re free. Lots of scenic back roads ’round here.”

  His blood tingled at the offer. Funny, he hadn’t even realized how much he’d missed the feel of the open road until Chulah mentioned riding.

  “Let me show you what I’ve got.” Chulah motioned him over to where he stood by a row of used bikes.

  His eye was immediately drawn to a gold-and-white, two-toned Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic with soft-mounted, studded leather bags that matched the seat. He let out a low whistle. “Love the huge retro-looking fenders and the whitewall tires that match the paint.”

  Payton inspected the pristine engine and checked out the odometer—sixty thousand miles. Not bad for a 1995 model. “This one for sale?”

  “Sure. But Tallulah mentioned you’re only in the bayou temporarily. So if you don’t want to drag it along when you move, then I can just loan it to you.”

  The reminder of the move deflated his newfound excitement over buying the Harley. Leaving Bayou La Siryna, leaving Tallulah, would be the hardest goodbye yet. But it was the nature of his pack to keep on the road, to prevent detection and attachment to regular humans.

  With an effort, Payton shrugged off the discomfort. Tomorrow’s worry would take care of itself. “I wonder if Lulu likes to ride motorcycles?” he mused aloud.

  “You mean Tallulah?” Chulah’s lips twitched in amusement. “She lets you call her that?”

  “She didn’t like it at first, but it’ll grow on her one day.”

  “I’ve never even heard Tombi call her by a nickname. You’re brave, dude.”

  “Or crazy.” Payton tread lightly. Tallulah had told him that Chulah had once proposed to her.

  “Nah, she’s cool. Just had a string of bad luck the last few years. Bound to make anyone a little edgy.” Chulah gazed at him curiously. “Guess she told you I used to have a thing for her?”

  “She mentioned it.”

  “Glad that never worked out. We would have driven each other nuts. Besides, one look at April and I was a goner.”

  Payton grinned. Chulah’s wife was a stunning blonde that stopped traffic in Bayou La Siryna. He climbed onto the Harley seat, testing its feel. “Does your wife ride with you?”

  “April loves it. She’d be mad if I rode without her. Says riding makes her feel like she’s flying.”

  Payton patted the motorcycle’s studded driver and passenger seat. “How much for this baby? I want to buy it.”

  “About eight thousand bucks. I just rebuilt the motor. Take it for a test ride this weekend. If you like it, we’ll work out a deal.”

  “Perfect.”

  The front door of the metal shop opened and Tallulah strode in, her mouth set in a grim, tight line.

  Uh-oh. Trouble was brewing.

  “Hey, Lulu,” Chulah called out, slanting Payton a sideways wink. “What’s the good news?”

  Payton stifled a grin.

  “Oh, great, see what you’ve started, Payton? Before long, everyone’s going to start calling me that stupid name. And then—”

  He ignored her grumpy greeting and cast a cheery smile, pointing at the Harley Heritage. “Look what I’m getting. I heard you like to ride, too. We’ll have fun cruising together.”

  Surprise distracted her complaining spew of words. “Nice. I’ve always liked this one. As a matter of fact, I’ve thought of buying it myself.”

  “I gotta get back to work, guys,” Chulah interrupted. “Payton, you know where I store all the motorcycle keys in my office if you want to take that Harley for a spin.”

  “Thanks, man.” He faced Tallulah again. “I didn’t know you could drive a motorcycle.”

  “Does that bother you?” she asked sharply.

  “’Course not. Why would it?” He pictured her wearing chaps and tearing down the road on a bike. Damn, she’d look sexy as hell. What a turn-on that would be.

  “I never bought one but I’ve driven one a time or two.”

  “Too expensive a toy?” he asked.

  “No, it wasn’t that.” She hesitated a heartbeat and then plunged on. “Bo was dead set against me having my own bike. Said he was afraid I’d get hurt. He let me ride on the back of his, though, while he drove.”

  The admission surprised him. If he’d dared lay down a law like that, she’d probably buy a motorcycle that day just to show him he couldn’t tell her what to do. Not that he’d order any woman around.

  “You look surprised,” she observed.

  “A little.”

  “Would it bother you if I bought one?”

  “No. I think you should.” Damn, now he sounded unconcerned and uncaring compared to Bo’s edict. “As long as you’re careful,” he added quickly.

  A slow smile lit her face. “I appreciate that about you.”

  “Appreciate what?”

  “That you let me be me.” She heaved a deep sigh. “Damn, I was all ready to light into you until just now.”


  “I noticed,” he said drily. “What’s up?”

  She glanced across the shop at Chulah.

  “He can’t hear over the running equipment. Go ahead.”

  “Tell me about Jillian.”

  Heat flared in his neck and chest. The question was completely out of left field and he was unprepared. “She’s a member of the pack,” he hedged.

  “I know that.” Tallulah waved a hand impatiently. “How close are you two?”

  “We’ve...seen each other on and off. Mostly off.” He shifted his feet, uncomfortable with her hard stare. “What made you ask?”

  “Jillian says you two are a permanent thing. Mated forever.”

  His head jerked back. “Whoa. That’s a damn lie,” he said hotly. “She actually said that?”

  “Sure did. Came to see me at work today and showed her claws. Let me know you were just fooling around with me, that you did this in every new town, but eventually went back to her in the end.”

  “It’s not true,” he denied. “I can’t believe she’d come to you and say that crap.” He’d never known Jillian to be anything but agreeable and nonconfrontational. Visiting Tallulah seemed totally out-of-character. Still, a tinge of guilt left him squirming. He had occasionally gone out with Jillian, trying desperately to rouse some romantic interest or passion. But it wasn’t there. Not at all. But had he left her with the wrong impression?

  “You’ve never had a...relationship with her?”

  “We’ve gone out a few times. That’s the extent of it.”

  “I haven’t told you the worst yet.”

  What the hell? He stuck his hands in his jean pockets and let out a low whistle. “Go on,” he said tersely.

  “She claims you only moved in with me because Matt ordered you to keep an eye on me.”

  The semitruth sucker punched him in the gut. Matt had said that—but he’d moved in with Tallulah because he wanted to be near her every night, to make love with her and hold her in his arms.

  “He did order me—”

  “Damn it, Payton. How could you do this—”

  He abruptly pulled her into his arms and planted a quick, fierce kiss on her forehead. “Shut up and listen to me a minute, Lulu.”