Animal Instinct

by Paige Tyler

  “Heidi Gibson?” one of them asked. He was short and stocky, with dark hair that was graying at the temples.

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  The two officers glanced at each other, then tried to look past her into the apartment.

  “Are you the same Heidi Gibson that rents the blue Toyota Camry parked downstairs?” the dark-haired one asked.

  “Yes.” Her brow furrowed. “What’s this about?”

  “By any chance, do you let anyone else drive the car? Someone…bigger than you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m the only one who drives it. Did someone do something to the car?” Oh no, she hadn’t taken the extra insurance when she had rented the Toyota, and now she wondered if she were going to have to pay for the whole thing.

  The cops exchanged another look, then shrugged.

  “I’m Officer Bartell and this is Officer Kidd,” the stocky officer said, gesturing toward the younger man standing beside him. “Could we come in? We need to ask you some questions.”

  Now she was really getting worried. She took a step back, opening the door wider. “Yes, of course.”

  Closing the door behind the two police officers, she turned to find them surveying her small apartment. “Can I get you anything?” she asked, trying to be polite despite how nervous she was.

  At the question, both men turned their attention back to her.

  Officer Kidd smiled. “We’re good, thanks,” he said. “Were you at the Kodiak Diner last night, Ms. Gibson?”

  She frowned. “Yes. Why?”

  The blond-haired cop exchanged looks once again with the other man. “Well, I’m not sure exactly how to put this, but a man by the name of Ethan Cooper says that he saw you at the diner, and that when he ran into you in the parking lot later, you…assaulted him.”

  “What?!” Heidi blinked in astonishment. Though she didn’t recognize the man’s name, she could only assume he was the guy who had tried to attack her.

  “It sounded crazy to us, too, ma’am. You don’t normally get guys up here in Alaska filing assault charges against women. But he filed a report, so we have to follow up on it,” Officer Bartell said. “Especially since he was toting a broken arm and saying that you did it.”

  Heidi frowned again as the scene in the parking lot played through her head. She had been so frightened that she couldn’t recall much, but she vaguely remembered the man she had shoved grimacing in pain when he had pushed himself up from the pavement. Surely, she couldn’t have broken his arm, though.

  “Ms. Gibson?” Officer Kidd prompted when she said nothing.

  She swallowed hard. “I don’t know what he told you, but I didn’t assault him. And I certainly didn’t break his arm. At least not intentionally.” When both cops lifted a questioning brow at that, she hastily explained, “He and his friend were waiting for me when I came out of the diner. He shoved me against the car and tried to…grab me. All I did was try to push him away. He must have tripped over his own feet because he fell. I suppose he could have hurt his arm when he landed on it. But I sure didn’t break it.”

  Officer Bartell was nodding his head. “Considering that this Cooper fella has more than a hundred pounds on you, your story sounds a lot more believable than his. I guess he thought you would report the attack and figured that since he had a busted arm, he’d file a complaint before you did. Which leads to my next question,” he added, “do you want to press charges against him and his friend for attacking you?”

  Heidi shook her head. “No.”

  “You sure about that?” Officer Kidd asked. “All the DA would have to do is get one look at you and one look at him, and the case will be closed before it can get started.”

  She shook her head again. “I’m leaving Anchorage to go back to Denver next week. I’d just rather forget the whole thing.”

  Both men looked like they were considering whether to try and change her mind, but then Officer Bartell nodded.

  “Okay, then,” he said. “We’ll go back and tell the chief that Cooper is full of crap.” As he and the other officer made their way to the door, he added, “The DA isn’t going to be interested in filing charges against you, I can assure you. But if you change your mind about pressing charges against Cooper, just come down to the station.”

  Thanking the men, Heidi closed the door behind them and leaned back against it, her mind awhirl. The whole time the cops had been talking to her, all she’d been able to think about was the fact that she had broken a man’s arm. Regardless of what he and his friend had intended, she hadn’t meant to actually hurt the man when she had shoved him away from her, and the idea that she had was upsetting.

  She thought back to the horrible things she had read about werewolves on the Internet last night. Then there was the movie she’d seen. Oh God. What if she really were a werewolf? What if she turned into some vicious beast that attacked and killed people uncontrollably?

  Heidi took a deep, cleansing breath and let it out slowly. Sheesh, she really needed to get a grip on herself. She was not a werewolf because werewolves didn’t exist. There had to be some other, more logical explanation for all the strange things that had been going on with her. Maybe it was like that doctor had suggested and she was experiencing some post-traumatic stress reaction from the wolf attack. She was simply feeding into it by thinking she was going to turn into a monster.

  That has to be it. Heidi pushed away from the door and walked into the bedroom. What she needed was a shower and something to eat. She’d feel better after that. Stripping off her tank top and shorts, she tossed them in the small hamper beside the dresser before going into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she adjusted it to the proper temperature, then stepped into the tub.

  Heidi let out a sigh as the warm water flowed over her body. God that feels good. Though it was tempting to just stand underneath the spray for the rest of the afternoon, she forced herself to reach for the coconut-scented body wash. As she ran her soap-covered hands over her body, she couldn’t help but notice that the scar on her thigh had all but disappeared. If anyone saw it, they would assume it was years old. Heck, if she didn’t know better, she would think so, too.

  After rinsing off, she got out of the shower and toweled herself dry, then went into the bedroom to get dressed. She paired her usual khaki shorts with a dark blue T-shirt and large silver hoop earrings before slipping her feet into sandals. Krista, her roommate back in Denver , had laughed when Heidi had packed them, insisting that she would do better to bring a parka and mukluks. Krista had been wrong, though. The weather had been beautiful and warm the whole time Heidi had been there. Not that Krista knew anything about Alaska . She had also been positive that all Alaskan men were hot and hunky, too. She had definitely been wrong about that. While Heidi was sure there must be some around, she hadn’t met any. Well, except for the guy who had rescued her from the wolf, and he turned out to be a nut job. Just her luck.

  With a sigh, Heidi walked out of the bedroom. After going into the kitchen, she toasted two slices of bread and spread peanut butter on them, then poured a glass of skim milk. As she ate, she debated whether to go out to the ranger station in Girdwood and see if anyone had found her pack. Of course, going there would mean she’d have to see Ryan again, but since she wanted her pack, she supposed she didn’t really have a choice.

  Finishing her snack, Heidi rinsed the dishes and put them in the rack, then grabbed her purse and headed out the door. As she got in her car, she automatically reached over to put her purse on the seat beside her, only to pause when she saw the business card sitting there. Almost against her will, she reached out to pick it up.

  Luke McCall

  Wildlife Biologist

  Alaska Department of Fish and Game

  Heidi lifted a brow. Wildlife biologist, huh? That took her by surprise. From the way he’d been going on about werewolves, she would have thought he was one of those crazy paranormal investigators or something. Her gaze went to the telephone numbers li
sted on the bottom of the card and she chewed on her lower lip, wondering if she should call him. Right. What exactly would she say? Hi, it’s the woman you saved from the wolf. I’ve been thinking about what you said and I’ve decided you’re right. I think I am becoming a werewolf. Could you recommend a good psychiatrist?

  But even as Heidi shook her head at her own foolishness, she found herself taking her cell phone out of her purse and dialing Luke McCall’s number. She had to talk to somebody or she was going to go crazy.

  * * * *

  Luke sat at his desk, his gaze fixed on the computer screen. He was supposed to be writing a report about the wolf population studies he’d been conducting up at Chugach, but he had been staring at the same word for half an hour, his mind elsewhere.

  He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of the girl that he hadn’t been able to get anything done for the past two days. He’d hoped she would have called him already, but she hadn’t. That was really starting to make him worry. The fact that she had been bitten so close to a full moon was bound to make things even more difficult for her. Her body would be working overtime trying to get ready for that first transformation. Because he and his brothers were born werewolves, the changes they had experienced, like heightened senses, an out-of-control appetite, and increased physical strength, had happened slowly. With the girl, though, they would be hitting her like water out of a fire hose. It had to be confusing for her. And frightening. Hell, he’d known what to expect and he had been freaked out by the whole thing. Being a genetic werewolf, he’d had his father to explain what was happening, not to mention help him through his first turn, but she wouldn’t have anyone.

  Dammit, he should never have let her go that day. But short of tying her up and tossing her in the back of his SUV, he wasn’t sure how else he would have gotten her to listen to him. He didn’t think that would have gone over real well.

  His cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts, and he swore under his breath as he pulled it out of his pocket. Damn, he hoped it wasn’t Hunter calling to bug him about coming up to Fairbanks again. Not bothering to look at the call display, he flipped open the phone and held it to his ear.

  “Yeah.”

  “Luke McCall?” a woman’s soft voice asked.

  He didn’t recognize the voice. Is it her? “Yeah, that’s me.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone and for a moment, he thought the caller was about to hang up, but then she spoke again. “This is Heidi Gibson. The woman you saved from the wolf.”

  Luke sat up straighter in the chair, his hand tightening on the phone. Thank God. “I’m glad you called. I’ve been worried about you.”

  “I, um, was hoping we could talk,” she said. “I’d rather not do it over the phone, though. Could we meet somewhere?”

  “Sure. Where would you like to meet?”

  She hesitated for a moment. “Um, there’s a Starbucks in Key Bank Plaza . Can you be there in an hour?”

  Considering the conversation they were going to be having, Luke would have preferred someplace a little more private, but he didn’t want to scare her off again, so he nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  Relief coursed through Luke as he snapped his phone closed and shoved it in his pocket. Damn. He’d been so worried about her that he hadn’t even given any thought to what he would actually say to her. Now he had an hour to come up with something that was both logical and persuasive, but wouldn’t scare the hell out of the girl. And he had to do it while he finished writing his report.

  He put the report together as quickly as he could. It certainly wasn’t his best work, but it would have to do. He emailed it to his boss, then with a quick, “Have a good night,” to Madge, he was out the door.

  Ten minutes later, Luke walked past a group of elderly tourists taking pictures beside the unique-looking wildlife sculptures in Key Bank Plaza , Heidi Gibson’s pack in his hand. Not knowing what else to do with it, he had kept the pack in his Mariner just in case. He had searched through the pack again when he’d gotten home that night, hoping he had missed something. He had even gone through every picture on her digital camera, thinking he might stumble across something that would tell him where she lived. It had taken a long time; she had taken a lot of pictures. But unfortunately, other than a few dozen pictures of a teenage girl, all the other photos had been typical tourist shots of Alaska . Next, he had gone through her sketchbook, but other than learning she was a very talented artist, he hadn’t discovered anything useful. He had enjoyed looking at the sketches, though. She had definitely captured the essence of Alaska .

  Heidi hadn’t arrived at Starbucks yet, but then again, he was five minutes early. Spotting an empty table in the corner, Luke walked over and sat down. While he waited, he was tempted to reach into her pack and pull out her sketchbook so that he could flip through it again, but then decided against it. He didn’t want her to find him pawing through her stuff when she walked in.

  Sitting back in his chair, he anxiously drummed his fingers on the table while he waited. Every time the door opened, he expected it to be Heidi, but it was always someone else. He glanced at his watch and frowned when he saw that she was ten minutes late. Has she changed her mind? He didn’t know what he would do if she had. He supposed he could try and call her back at the number that was now on his cell phone.

  Just then, the door opened and she walked in.

  Heidi stood in the doorway, looking around the coffee shop for him, and though Luke knew he should probably give her a wave, he couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at her. The other time he’d seen her, he had been too preoccupied with first chasing off the wolf, then with trying to convince her that she was going to become a werewolf to pay much attention to her looks. But even as distracted as he’d been, he should have noticed how beautiful she was. She was a knockout.

  Tall and slender with long, blond hair that hung down her back, Heidi Gibson had curves in all the right places, not to mention the shapeliest legs he’d ever seen. When she lifted her sunglasses to perch them on top of her head and looked his way, Luke got a chance to see those beautiful blue eyes of hers again. God, they were captivating.

  Spotting him, Heidi tucked her hair behind her ear and slowly made her way over to his table. With all the people in Starbucks it had been difficult for him to pick out her scent when she’d been over by the door, but as she got closer, he could smell the light perfume she was wearing. Though the fragrance was sexy to be sure, it was nothing compared to the pheromones she was putting off. As a werewolf, scent was one of the first things he tended to notice about the opposite sex, and hers was completely intoxicating. Not to mention arousing as hell. It was unlike anything he’d ever smelled before. It must be all the changes she was going through.

  He felt his jeans tighten in the crotch area and hoped that his hard-on wasn’t too visible as he stood up to greet her.

  “I was beginning to think you had changed your mind about coming,” he said.

  She gave him a sheepish look. “I almost did. I’ve been standing outside for fifteen minutes trying to decide if I should come in.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did.” Luke gestured to the chair opposite his. “Have a seat and I’ll get you something to drink. What would you like?”

  She chewed on her lower lip and eyed the chair hesitantly, but then after a moment, she sat down. “A nonfat latte, please.”

  He smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

  As Luke stood at the counter waiting for the nonfat latte and tall coffee he’d ordered, he couldn’t keep his gaze from straying to Heidi. She had found her pack and was looking through it.

  “A venti nonfat latte and a tall coffee!” the barista behind the counter called.

  Thanking the woman, Luke grabbed the cups and walked back to the table. As he sat down, Heidi looked up from her pack.

  “Thanks for bringing this,” she said, setting the pack down on the floor beside her chair.

  He nodded. “I went ba
ck to pick up the were’s trail and came across it. I probably should have dropped it off at the ranger station.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Were?”

  “It’s short for werewolf,” he explained, keeping his voice low so that no one else could hear.

  She went pale beneath her tan at the word. “I had hoped you were making that up.”

  He gave her a rueful smile. “I think you already know that I’m not. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have called me.”

  Her hand tightened on the cup, but she said nothing. After a moment, she shook her head and pushed her chair back. “This is crazy. I shouldn’t have come.”

  Luke reached out to put his hand on her arm before she could get to her feet. “Stay and hear me out,” he entreated. “Please. You need to listen to this.”

  Heidi stared down at the hand on her arm for a moment before finally lifting her gaze to his. He saw the indecision in her blue eyes, along with a little bit of wariness, and Luke found himself holding his breath. If she left, he would have to go after her. He couldn’t let her get away again, not when the full moon was so close. To his relief, though, she nodded.

  “Okay,” she said softly.

  Luke relaxed back in his chair. Okay, now that he had her attention, where did he start? “I know you think I’m out of my mind,” he finally said.

  She lifted a brow. “Can you blame me?”

  A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I suppose not. But as crazy as it sounds, werewolves are real, and you were attacked by one in up Chugach. That’s why the bite closed up before I could even get you back to the car. It’s also why you probably have a hard time even finding the scar on your leg. Within seconds of being bitten, your body was already starting to change.”