“Hey.” Samantha brushed pale blonde strands of hair away from her pale brown eyes. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You have?” If the pack was talking about her, things could be worse than she realized. She needed a cup of coffee. The urge to get the hell out of the diner grew inside her. But showing panic would raise even more questions. She took a slow calming breath. “All good, I hope.”
The woman’s complexion was fair enough to be lunewulf. She guessed the woman dyed her hair since it was almost white. A dab of color on her eyelids, with dark eyeliner and dark lipstick added an air of mystery to her.
“Rocky told me all about how Rick sent the pack on full alert looking for you two yesterday.” Samantha’s smile relaxed her features a bit although it still seemed she eyed her carefully.
“He didn’t put the pack on full alert because of me.” Rocky laughed, while walking around the counter to grab a pot of coffee. She poured the hot brew into cups for all of them. “My cousin was in pure alpha form looking for this chick here.”
Samantha’s gaze filled with laughter while she watched Elsa over her coffee cup. The best thing to do was appear amused by the situation too. But this kind of idle chatter could be the end of her. Anyone could overhear them. Even if these two were trustworthy, their easy sense of gab could steal her freedom, if not her life.
“Well, I just stopped in to say hi.” Her stomach growled, proclaiming her a liar, but she ignored the hunger pangs. “I have some errands to run.”
The door to the diner opened behind her, a cool breeze surrounded her, giving her a chill. Winter would be here within a few short months. If she weren’t careful, she would enjoy the cold nights in her fur, hiding in a cave.
Maybe she could head further south, get lost somewhere in the States. Thoughts of Rick made that a very unappealing idea. His strong warm body wrapped around hers protectively, his soft breathing while he slept, she didn’t want to give that up.
Not to mention the way he’d fucked her. More than anything, she wanted to be with him again, explore the different sensations he’d introduced to her the night before. Her body warmed just thinking about how he felt buried deep inside her. His dark eyes, smoldering while he watched her come. His large calloused hands touching her everywhere. The way he had brought her body to life, made her crave more of every sensation he’d given her. Rick made her feel more cherished than she’d ever felt before.
“Look who the cat dragged in.” Rocky grinned from ear to ear.
Elsa glanced toward the door, immediately noticing Marty. He scowled at Rocky, but pulled her into a bear hug the second he reached her. The cozy warmth filling the air around the two of them made it hard not to smile. This was unconditional love. She was sure of it. Happiness found simply in being with each other.
“Hello, Ramona.” Samantha’s tone caught Elsa’s attention. A cold emotion not easily identified surrounded the blonde woman.
She turned to see the woman who had been drunk in the diner the previous day.
“Who do we have here?” Ramona blew on long pink fingernails, then flashed her cold brown stare at Elsa. “Oh. You’re that blonde who likes pack leader cock.”
Hairs raised on the back of her neck, her blood thickening with the urge to allow her fingernails to grow just enough to leave marks when she slapped that cold glare off Ramona’s face.
“Ramona.” Marty gave her a warning look, changing the warmth surrounding him to something more sinister.
“And you must be the pack alcoholic.” Elsa knew she should hold her tongue, not draw unwanted attention to herself, but this woman needed an attitude adjustment.
Samantha snickered. Rocky looked surprised. But Elsa held her ground, staring at the woman who glared with an icy blue gaze that turned mean.
“Watch who you are talking to, little one.” Ramona pointed her pink fingernail at Elsa. “You are talking to the queen bitch. I’ll kick your ass right out of this town.”
She didn’t hear her right. Elsa’s heart pounded painfully in her chest, the diner suddenly seeming to close in around her.
“What did you say?” She could hardly speak.
Ramona laughed, more like a cackle. “Oh. Did Rick fail to mention that small detail to you?”
“Elsa. It’s not…” Rocky silenced when Ramona held her hand up.
Anger and humiliation flushed over her, burning her skin. This couldn’t be happening. Fucking Rick last night still had her tingling. The afterglow had warmed her body all morning. Thoughts of cleaning his house, spending some of her money on food, and preparing a nice meal for when he came home later had entered her mind.
He said, “You are mine.” How could he have said that if he was already mated?
“Don’t get your claws buried into Rick Bolton, little bitch.” Ramona took a step toward her, smacking Marty in the chest when he tried to pull her back. “You can’t have him.”
Rocky wouldn’t look at her but instead focused on Marty, worry streaming across her pretty face. Samantha, on the other hand, looked pissed, her lips pursed while she stared at the ground. Marty didn’t look too pleased either.
The array of emotions spreading through her made it hard to think. She stared at Ramona, wanting to demand how she could be mated to Rick when it appeared she didn’t live with him. Frustration at the thought that she would reveal knowing what his bedroom looked like had her fumbling for the right words.
But then a wash of clarity brought reality back to her. This wasn’t her pack. Rick wasn’t her pack leader. She didn’t want these werewolves to know anything about her. Nothing good could come from challenging Ramona at any level.
Her heart weighed heavy while she struggled to remain calm. Without saying a word to any of them, she turned and walked out of the diner, hoping she at least held on to a shred of dignity.
Ramona’s laughter, which hit her before the diner door closed behind her, made her blood curdle. More than anything, she wanted to turn and attack, slapping that painted face hard enough to make her feel better.
You can’t draw attention to yourself.
Sure looked like she’d failed there. A handful of the werewolves in this pack watched her leave the diner. She had screwed this one up pretty bad.
Some sense of self-esteem returned as she managed to drive back to Rick’s house without shedding a tear. That must have helped clear her head a bit. It dawned on her that Rick had offered her pack protection. Nothing more. Last night she had asked him to fuck her.
“He is an alpha male, dammit.” She cursed her own naivety. Nothing more than her own gullibility was at play here. “You asked him to fuck you.”
More than likely, all alphas laid some kind of claim on any woman they fucked. Added them to their territory. It didn’t sound like a very nice thing to do, and sure didn’t make her feel a damn bit better. But it made sense if he had a queen bitch. Maybe he laid claim to making her a piece of tail on the side. A small payment for giving her pack protection, seeing to her safety.
Now that you’ve made him out to look like a complete jerk, do you feel better?
Gloom trickled through her while she parked her car in his driveway. Making Rick out to be an ass did nothing to cheer her up.
The phone rang the second she let herself into Rick’s house. Walking into the kitchen, she stared at it. This wasn’t her home, whoever called was none of her business.
But yesterday answering that phone had helped someone in need. Rick was pack leader, and whether he had a queen bitch working with him to lead the pack, or not, dens of werewolves relied on him. That phone call could be important.
She grabbed the phone. “Hello.”
“Elsa. Thank God you went back to Rick’s house.” It took her a second to recognize Rocky’s voice on the phone.
She laughed, her forced attempt at joviality adding to the sinking feeling growing inside her. “Where else would I go?”
“This is Rocky. I had to wait for Ramona to leave before I
could call you.” The clattering in the background had Elsa envisioning Rocky standing in the kitchen, using an office phone. “You really should come back down here. There is something you should know.”
“What’s that?”
There was a pause, the sounds of the kitchen filtering through. Looking around the quiet house, she imagined taking on this bachelor’s kitchen, cleaning and cooking.
This isn’t your home.
“It would be better to tell you in person. Come back down here, please. I’ll have breakfast and coffee ready for you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Rick had visions of wringing that little slut’s neck while he listened to Marty relay the confrontation that had occurred at the diner earlier that day. Grabbing his cell phone from his belt, he punched in the numbers to his house.
“No one is answering.” And he was stuck at the Mulligan’s house until he finished fixing the loose stairs on their front porch. “Ramona better not send Elsa running.”
“We could put a man or two on her. Keep an eye on her,” Marty suggested.
Even though Ramona was Marty’s den, he knew the werewolf got tired of her antics. The bitch pushed the limits on her title by default too often.
“Call Toby. I can’t get away from here for at least another hour.” If his sexy blonde ran from him, he would spank her adorable behind. “Tell him to keep a tail on Elsa, but not to let her know he’s watching her.”
Marty nodded, turning to head back to the car he’d borrowed from Harry to come talk to him. Obviously, Ramona’s little outburst at the diner had sent half the pack into a frenzy. He appreciated Marty coming and telling him though.
“Ramona threatened the women if they talked to Elsa.”
Rick almost hit his hand with his hammer. He sighed. Dropping the hammer to the ground, he stood, facing the werewolf.
“Elsa doesn’t need to know that. I still don’t know all the details, but she is running from her pack. I won’t have my pack hurting her.”
“Running from her pack?” Marty stared at him, apparently wanting to hear more.
“I don’t want her running from this pack.” And she wouldn’t run from him.
“I told Rocky to call her as soon as Ramona left. The women won’t ignore her.”
Rick watched Marty leave before turning back to the steps. Images of her baby blue eyes, so full of life, eager to learn and explore new things, popped into his head. Whoever had hurt her in her past would suffer, he’d already decided. Now he had Ramona to deal with—again. That female was a thorn in his side.
Of course, Elsa had the right to challenge her. If she decided she wanted her title, truly wanted to be his mate, she could call Ramona out. The only way Elsa could be queen bitch would be to kill Ramona. And that would be a fight he would love to see.
Imagining that trim body, so soft yet so firm, he began pulling nails from the rotted wood on the staircase. He’d explored every bit of her last night while showering and then fucking her. Nothing had ever brought him more satisfaction than hearing her cry out his name while she came. The way her nipples had hardened into perfectly round pebbles. Watching her taut belly rise and fall with her gasps. Feeling her long blonde hair glide over his fingers as it fanned around her while she’d tossed her head from side to side. Her body had cried for more of him, absorbed his cock into her heat and clung to him tighter with every orgasm.
Elsa had watched him with those sensual blue eyes, and briefly, during the intense heat of their passion, he’d watched her ghosts leave her. True happiness and contentment had washed through her.
He imagined right now her past riddled through her, while the incident that had just occurred at the diner added pain to her misery.
It would not continue. He would not allow her spunky spirit to be beaten until broken. The woman had entered his life for a reason. That point would not be argued. And he would be damned if she would suffer any longer now that he had her.
Finishing the stairs didn’t take too long. Calling his house again, he growled when the phone rang through to his voice mail. Where the hell was his sexy, blonde werewolf?
After loading his tools back into the van, he decided to check in at the diner, see if Toby had tracked her down. The werewolf better have found her.
“What the fucking hell?” He parked his truck in front of the diner, and stared at Elsa’s car, parked across from his.
All four tires were flat. A man he didn’t recognize stood next to the car, inspecting the tires. He walked from back to front of the car, then squatted, running his finger along the wheel.
Rick had seen enough. This werewolf walked around Elsa’s car like he owned it.
Getting out of his truck, he enjoyed watching the man straighten quickly when he slammed his truck door closed. “What are you doing?”
A calm, almost cocky expression remained on the werewolf’s face, even though his body tightened. Rick knew the kind. An alpha male had entered his territory. He didn’t recognize this werewolf though, and he hadn’t approached through the usual channels if he were a pack leader searching out new territory.
“I wish to speak with your pack leader.” A wave of annoyance leaked through the man’s demand.
“You’re talking to him.” Rick maintained eye contact, willing the man to show his respect, acknowledge his rank and wipe that cocky look off his face.
The man grinned, none of his calm self-assuredness leaving. He extended his hand in greeting. “I’m Johann Rousseau.”
Rousseau. Elsa’s last name was Rousseau. Ignoring the greeting, he walked around the werewolf, aware of how alert the man stood, his calm friendly approach not hiding the underlying tension slowly filling the air.
He wouldn’t hide his feelings, not wanting to mask the fact that he would fight and protect what was his. And Elsa belonged to him.
“What are you doing here?” If the werewolf had just slit Elsa’s tires, he smelled no guilt on him.
But one glance told him her tires had been slashed. Without looking too closely, he would guess a werewolf had extended its claws swiping each one. Anger raced through him so quickly, he considered pounding the intruding werewolf first and questioning him later.
“I heard Elsa was here.” Johann Rousseau nodded to Elsa’s car. “You know where she is?”
He would be damned if he admitted he had no idea where she was. “Why do you want to find her?”
The werewolf met his gaze. His blue eyes were so similar in color to Elsa’s. His pale blond hair, cut short, didn’t have that silky shine to it though. And he sure didn’t have her good looks.
“I’d like to know that she is okay. That she is happy.” Something changed in the werewolf’s expression. Rick smelled it while he watched the man’s gaze harden. “Where is she?”
He would not be challenged. No alpha male sauntered into his territory making blind demands. “Where are you staying? If she wants to contact you, she will.”
The werewolf shrugged. “I just got here. Haven’t found a place yet.”
Rick noticed the Canadian tags on the blue Suburban parked a few stalls down. It would be easy to spot. He had no interest in offering the werewolf housing, but knowing where he was might be a good idea. But first things first.
He didn’t doubt the werewolf would follow him when he headed toward the diner. Johann Rousseau was on his tail when he entered, taking in the few loiterers. Harry headed toward him from the other side of the counter the second he saw him.
“Get the man some coffee.” He waited until Johann sat at the bar, nursing a cup and then gestured to Harry to join him at the other end. “What the hell happened to Elsa’s car?”
The older man ran his hand through his thinning gray hair. “You missed some action.”
Chapter Fourteen
Elsa slowed to a walk, the sting on her cheek reminding her how badly she’d humiliated herself. The best thing would have been to stay out of the whole damned thing. But she hadn’t and now the damage
was done.
“Hey. Wait up.” Rocky trotted down the sidewalk behind her. “I can’t believe your car.”
Her car was the last thing she wanted to think about right now. Sitting in the middle of the diner parking lot, right along the road for anyone to see, and stuck there with flat tires. She’d made a spectacle of herself, and left her damaged car as a reminder.
Shit.
“I’m sure Ramona did that to your tires.” Rocky caught up with her, holding her work apron in her hand while she matched Elsa’s pace.
“After the way I stood up to her in front of her pack.” She could kick herself a million times for not thinking. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
More than likely by now, the entire pack knew how she had told Ramona off. She ran her fingers over her cheek, certain it had puffed up like a balloon by now from Ramona slapping her.
“You were great.” Rocky nudged her, grinning from ear to ear, like they were best of friends. “She teases me all the time. You stood up for me.”
“She shouldn’t ride your ass about being a virgin. And the comments she made to you about Marty…” Just thinking about how Ramona had told Rocky she was a prick tease around Marty made her bones pop. Adrenaline rushed through her while the urge to change made her body ache.
“Marty and I can’t mate,” Rocky mumbled so quietly that Elsa almost didn’t hear her. “Ramona says he can’t take me as a mate. And since she is the elder in his den…and queen bitch…”
“You two would make a perfect mating.” Elsa knew her anger would surge out of control all over again if she didn’t drop this. But none of it made any sense to her. “Why does she say that?”
“I’m sure it’s because Rick won’t take her as a mate.”
Elsa stopped in her tracks, positive she didn’t hear right. “She is queen bitch. Doesn’t that mean she is Rick’s mate?”
Rocky shook her head. “Rick had a mate. Ramona’s older sister. She’s dead. When we were all still in Duluth, our pack was burned out. We lost almost everyone. Rick relocated us here. You know, small town, low profile. Anyway, Ramona became queen bitch by default. There is no one to challenge her.”
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