Lorie OClare - Lunewulf 2 - In Her Blood.jpg

by In Her Blood(lit)

  Chapter Three

  Sleeping on the gravel in the parking lot would have been more comfortable than that motel room bed. Every muscle and joint ached. Elsa swore the damned mattress was stuffed with rocks. And it looked like the only way to get a cup of coffee would be to drive further into town. This day was not starting out well.

  “At least in my fur I don’t crave caffeine.” She tossed her bag onto the back seat. It was that damned werewolf’s fault.

  Maybe if her dreams hadn’t distracted her through the night she would have slept better. The werewolf who had chased her the night before still ransacked her thoughts. She didn’t want to think about him anymore, but he wouldn’t get out of her mind.

  Pulling out of the parking lot, she glanced at the businesses as she drove. A small diner, advertising “All The Ribs You Can Eat on Friday Night”, caught her attention. She frowned at a sudden whining sound coming from her engine.

  “Please don’t die on me now.” She stroked the dashboard, fighting the panic that was rising as she realized she could end up stranded. “We’ve got to stick together, old car.”

  Getting stuck in this town could be dangerous. A werewolf in the area distracted her dreams, making her crave him when she didn’t even know his name.

  The temperature gauge soared toward the red just when she pulled into the parking lot. Losing her transportation would also make dodging her pack more difficult. Her heart pounded in her chest while thoughts of being forced home by her pack members settled in her gut like a rock. She would be watched twenty-four/seven to insure she didn’t run again. A drop of sweat trickled down between her breasts, her nerves on overdrive. There was no way she could endure that type of existence.

  “Looks like we’re both overheated.” She cursed, and cut the engine.

  The diner was almost full of werewolves enjoying breakfast, chatting easily. Holy shit! She’d just walked into the local pack’s lair. Rich aromas of fried beef, grease, and strong coffee lingered around them. Her heart pounded like thunder against her chest. She wiped sweaty palms on her jeans. Allowing the door to close behind her, she stood next to the register, terrified to move. But faltering, allowing her fear to show, would alert everyone sitting here that she worried about being seen. They would notice a negative emotion before they noticed the color of her hair. Walking into their pack scared to death would draw even more attention her way.

  Most of the tables were full, people chattering while they ate. The werewolf who chased her the night before might be here. She had no idea how he looked as a human. He knew what she looked like though. Curious glances made her uneasy. She had to ignore them though in order to remain calm. Finding a vacant stool by the long counter, she sat.

  The waitress approaching focused on the large windows and Elsa followed her gaze, seeing her car outside with the hood up. “Got car trouble?” The young bitch, about the same age as Elsa, had a warm smile. “There’s a hose around the side of the building if you need water.”

  More werewolves than humans filled the booths and tables behind her. The more werewolves who saw her, the better the chances of being recognized from those damned fliers. It wouldn’t surprise her if her grandmother had sent them to every pack leader.

  “Thanks.” She glanced at the menu that the waitress slid in front of her. Her stomach had clenched up in knots. She doubted she would be able to eat now. “I don’t need to order any food.”

  The waitress gave her a curious look when she walked back out of the diner.

  Please don’t decide to be friendly and follow me. The waitress probably wanted to know why she was traveling alone. Good little bitches don’t run by themselves. Grandmother’s words echoed in her head like a mantra while she walked around the building in search of the hose.

  By the time she realized the water hose wasn’t long enough to reach the car, and the car wouldn’t start to move it closer to the hose, her stomach turned from hunger. She scowled at the morning sun. Her morning had gone from bad to worse before she even had a chance to have coffee.

  A blue and white Ford pickup truck parked next to her car. The most gorgeous man she’d seen in quite a while stepped out, walked over to her car, and looked under the hood. She took a step backwards when he straightened, hoping he hadn’t noticed her.

  It couldn’t be…

  She broke out in a sweat, the cool shade from the building doing nothing to help. The sensation that she’d met the man she’d just caught a glimpse of before traveled through her with a vengeance. Her heart raced while she leaned against the hard brick wall, wondering what her best move would be.

  “Take a deep breath, and calm down,” she mumbled under her breath. Never before had she seen such a damned good looking man.

  He was tall and broad shouldered, with a well-worn cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes but the distance between them made it impossible to sense his emotions.

  Just her luck. The last thing she could do about it was go flirt with him. “You probably look like hell anyway,” she scolded herself. “I doubt he would even notice you.”

  Within minutes two other men joined the man in the cowboy hat looking at her car. Now what the hell was she supposed to do?

  “Breathe.” The best thing to do was continue taking small steps to get her car running. It had overheated. She needed antifreeze. If she walked to a parts store, by the time she returned the car would have cooled down.

  See. You’re organized. Everything is okay.

  “We’re going to tow your car over to the shop.” The deep voice made her jump.

  Elsa looked up into deep chocolate eyes, long eyelashes masking his gaze. The man in the cowboy hat now stood way too close, capturing her attention, wearing the look of a predator narrowing in on his prey. Interest and the warm aroma of satisfaction surrounded him. Why would he be satisfied? Her heart stopped beating, the pain building in her chest until she remembered to breathe. He was even better looking up close. Damn.

  Sometimes life simply wasn’t fair. She would love to have him help her.

  “That won’t be necessary.” Her voice cracked, while her heart began thudding painfully against her ribs.

  He moved closer, blocking what sun filtered over to this side of the building. Powerful, well-defined muscles could easily be seen through his t-shirt that stretched across his chest. Thick biceps bulged. The perfect amount of coarse black hair covered his arms. He stood much taller than any man from her pack. As a werewolf he would be enormous.

  Like the werewolf you saw last night.

  Her pussy swelled, reacting to his male perfection encroaching into her space, her mouth went dry. This was too much man. Too close. Her nipples hardened into painful nubs brushing against the material of her shirt. If she wasn’t careful, he would smell her lust.

  She moved around him, struggling to regain control. A whiff of salt from his skin, mixed with soap, maybe an aftershave, trailed around her. He captivated her with his all male scent, masculine, rough. There wasn’t an ounce of softness to this man.

  This werewolf would take over if she didn’t assert some authority. An overwhelming urge to tell him her problems, beg him to help her, made her hesitate. But she doubted a weak woman would impress him. She would make him see she wasn’t some bitch in need.

  She started to walk around him. He moved at the last minute causing her to almost reach out and grab him, just to retain her balance. She wanted to touch him. Muscles moved under his tanned skin when he raised his hand to her face. She held her breath, not sure if she sensed his curiosity, or hers. His fingers grazed her cheek. Electricity charged through her from his touch, gentle yet stemming from so much power. The ache in her pussy returned with a vengeance, heat rushing through her.

  He reached for a strand of her hair. “You are too beautiful to be running on your own.” His voice had turned gravelly, sending chills racing over her feverish skin.

  “That is none of your concern.” She moved to walk past him, needing distance before she
begged him to touch her some more. He was too much man, too confident in his actions. If she didn’t get away from him, she would make a fool of herself.

  “You are in my territory. Every inch of you is my concern, moon princess.”

  What did he just call me?

  Her hair was blonde, not white. The only way he would compare her to the moon was if he knew the color of her fur. The thought that this man was the werewolf who had seen her in her fur the night before fueled her excitement. But it shouldn’t. She should be terrified. If anyone turned her in, her freedom would be gone forever.

  She met his gaze, smoldering heat flushing her skin. She wanted him to be the werewolf from last night. Powerful, larger than life, chasing her, ignoring the fact that she couldn’t be caught. She wanted to know if he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. But there was no way to ask him. No way to confirm. Not while he remained a human.

  “You are pack leader.” She tried to sound indifferent. It didn’t matter what his rank was. She had broken none of his laws.

  “Tell me where you are staying.” His fingers ran through her hair, the urge to turn her cheek into his hand, learn his scent, taste him, overwhelmed her.

  He will break your defenses, learn your secrets.

  She wasn’t born yesterday. Pack leader or not, he didn’t need that information. “Not on your life, wolf man.” Drawing in a deep breath, she walked around him, wanting him to see he couldn’t make her submit to him.

  Even though every cell, every nerve in her body screamed for her to do so.

  Thoughts of him pushing her backwards up against the building ransacked her senses. That powerful body could crush her. Imagining his hands gripping her breasts made her nipples pucker with painful cravings. The thought of him rubbing his palm over her tortured flesh, moving her clothes so he could nip at her skin, raised her body temperature to the boiling point.

  “Then I will put you somewhere so I do know where you are staying.” He grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him.

  The two men hovering over her car looked at her with mild curiosity. She glanced at them before the gorgeous pack leader stepped in front of her and blocked her view. His chocolate colored eyes swirled with emotion. Too many feelings to detect all at once. A protector’s instinct, strong and raw, dominated over the other array of smells.

  His gaze lowered, strolling down her, while something akin to a smile twitched at his mouth. Wherever he looked, the heat from his gaze burned through her, branding her.

  Just fuck me. Put me out of my misery and fuck me, please.

  “How sweet of you.” Her insides quivered, need consuming her with a fiery craving that burned to her very soul. But she had to sound cool. He couldn’t know he affected her. “But I promise you, I’m fine.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” He didn’t seem swayed by her attempt at indifference. “Go inside and eat. I’ll get your car taken care of.”

  This wasn’t working the way she wanted.

  “I really don’t need your help.” Her stomach growled, betraying her, and he grinned.

  The fire inside Elsa melted her resistance. He could have told her to do anything at that moment and she would have obeyed. Never had a man looked so damned good, his smile simply adding to the perfect package displayed before her.

  He moved closer, once again running his fingers through her hair. Only this time he gripped, pulling, forcing her to look up at him. She couldn’t move, could only stare into his possessive gaze. Her heart pounded, her pussy throbbed to the same beat, primal, a craving that only he could satisfy. His calm look of authority, pure raw power, of a confidence not faltering, made her shudder.

  Thoughts of challenging him, telling him she would eat when she damned well felt like it, entered her frazzled brain. But she couldn’t think straight, couldn’t form an argument, not with him staring at her like that.

  Taking ahold of her arm, he lowered his face to hers, his lips brushing over hers. Heat from his body poured over her, flooding her with his need. That one kiss, the moist heat from his mouth branding her, threw everything she had prepared for her defense to the wind.

  More. She wanted more. The kiss ended, a mere touch of the lips. And all she could think of was the emptiness left when he straightened. He brushed her cheek with his thumb, rough and calloused, a working hand. Again, his smile twisted her insides, her pussy throbbing while her heart pounded with excitement. At that moment, she would do anything to learn more about this man.

  Chapter Four

  Rick didn’t want to let her go, didn’t want her out of his sight. This sexy little bitch had just landed in his lap. On her own, with car trouble, in his territory. She was now his responsibility. And he took his responsibilities very seriously.

  Her blue eyes glowed with a passion and fire that he itched to test. She didn’t want to do what he told her to do. She had spunk. Blood rushed through him, the roar of it distracting his ability to concentrate. He remembered the fire that burned in her last night, and her actions today confirmed that passion had not been doused.

  She was here, out on her own, her car broken down, telling him she didn’t need his help. The adorable bitch was stranded, not that he minded that fact a bit, but she definitely needed his help.

  “And how are you going to get the water to your radiator?”

  She pursed her lips together, frowning. He was going to enjoy getting to know this frisky female better.

  “I’ll figure something out.” She put her hands on her hips, turning her attention from him to her car.

  “Tell Rocky to set you up with breakfast.” He turned her toward the diner, wishing he could keep her at his side. “She’ll make sure you get a feast.”

  “I said I didn’t…”

  “If you stay out here with me, you are going to make me very hungry, moon princess.” And he could make one hell of a feast out of her.

  Her eyes widened, his meaning obviously quite clear to her. She turned and stalked toward the diner.

  “Damn.” He watched her tight little ass sway back and forth, his cock growing, pressing even tighter against his jeans.

  He needed to fuck her. Wanted more than anything to learn the details of her body.

  He looked toward her car, needing the distraction. Damn. She would make the perfect mate. And he didn’t know if his heart was ready for that yet.

  Joining his mechanic at the car, he realized the man had the repairs under control.

  “I’ll run and get her some antifreeze.” Lyle tapped the lid to the radiator. “She didn’t drive it too far. We shouldn’t have any trouble getting her ready to go.”

  Rick nodded, flashing Lyle a knowing grin. “Take all the time you need.”

  Knowing that the mechanic would have her car in better condition than it had been when it was running, Rick turned and walked towards the diner. Steak and eggs sounded good this morning. Getting to know the story behind his intriguing blonde sounded better.

  He strolled across the parking lot, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his back, while thoughts of cornering this female, this alpha bitch, had him grinning. He was going to enjoy this.

  Breakfast at the diner had turned into group sessions, something he didn’t look forward to. The pack would have congregated by now, everyone having napped after their nightly run, and they would be ready to discuss their problems, pack business and anything else that caught their fancy. Despite his alpha status and his strong responsibilities as leader of his pack, getting to know this alluring woman over coffee and breakfast sounded much better.

  Breakfast, with its array of odors, attacked his senses when he pulled open the diner door.

  “The usual?” Rocky smiled. She had grown into a beautiful young lady without him noticing. His younger cousin, whom he had practically raised from a cub, seemed to be attracting too many strays lately.

  Her soft brown hair, mere shades lighter than his, curled adorably around her face, reminding him of the cub she used to
be. But the spread of freckles across her nose and cheeks had faded. And he would have to talk to Harry about getting her a looser fitting uniform. Any tighter and she would be turning heads of every lone werewolf entering the diner.

  “I think I’m in the mood for something a bit heartier this morning.” He enjoyed her dimples, a small part of her youth still lingering. “Why don’t you set me up with some eggs, over easy, and a steak.”

  She cocked her head at him, her brown curls falling around her face. “Burn a little extra energy last night on your run?”

  “That, my dear, is none of your business.” He enjoyed watching her blush, and turned quickly to get his coffee and hide his smile.

  He wasn’t ready for Rocky to turn into a woman of the world, full of knowledge of what consenting adults might do while out on nightly runs.

  “I’ll have your order up in a few minutes.” She placed silverware rolled in a paper napkin down at his usual spot at the counter.

  He picked up his coffee cup, blowing on the hot brew, and turned to scan the diner. Usually he would do his best to pick up bits and pieces of what his pack members discussed. None of that mattered this morning.

  Rocky leaned forward over the counter. “If you are looking for that woman that came in, she is over there.” She gestured with her note pad to one of the corner booths next to the emergency exit.

  Rick glanced at Rocky, her brown eyes twinkling with amusement. “Thanks.”

  He worked his way around the tables, nodding greetings to the morning gatherers, but his attention remained focused on the blonde in the back corner booth. She sat with her back to the wall, glancing down, her hands cupping her coffee mug. She didn’t see him approach, but her senses were obviously on alert. She looked up quickly before he made it halfway across the diner.

  She glanced at him with haunted looking sapphire eyes. Quickly, the look disappeared, her defenses rising. He could sense her worry, smell the fear and frustration coming from her. An overwhelming desire to wipe all concern from her swept over him, a flushed heat that settled deep inside him. She needed protection. He didn’t know why, or from whom. But that didn’t matter. She had his protection now.