The Wolf's Mate

by Emilia Hartley

  “So why the fuck did you slash three of her tires?” Casper said. “If you did one, she could’ve ridden out on a spare.”

  “I don’t know! Because it’s fun to slash tires. I don’t get to do it so much anymore.”

  Cheyenne put a hand on Casper’s shoulder. “Fuggedaboutit. Drive her around as much as she wants. Get her some new tires, a new phone. Take as much time off from work as it takes, but get her the fuck outta Dodge, Casper.”

  Casper felt torn—much more torn than he should feel. He’d only known Trina a few hours, but the thought of her leaving filled him with cold, blue melancholy. He could come up with no other word for it, for he’d never experienced the like. Certainly, he couldn’t explain it to his brothers if he barely understood it himself.

  “All right, let’s just play it by ear for now,” Casper said. It was all the commitment he could muster. “Sooner or later, an opportunity will show itself.”

  “It could be that she doesn’t discover any paranormal shit,” Sheridan said.

  “Or, finds a more interesting place to go, someplace full of ghosts and Bigfoots. Bigfeet? Whatever,” Laramie said.

  Casper had the sinking feeling he knew better. A beautiful woman like that, riding off with a stranger? That spoke of determination. Despite this Donut Girl nonsense, he sensed that Trina was made of stronger stuff. He figured he’d better keep his insight to himself for the time being. No telling what idiotic buffonate the Marino boys might get up to if they felt the same.

  “Keep an eye on her, Casper. Just don’t get any more attached. You know she’s gotta go. Don’t make it too hard on yourself, capiche?” Cheyenne punched him in the arm.

  “Yeah, capisco,” Casper said. He understood the consequences. He didn’t want to get in deeper. Or, on the other hand were either of these things true?. Trina was a knockout. Worse, she was a knockout who really seemed to like him. The last time that happened, the Marinos got kicked out of Wyoming. But he wasn’t exactly in control of that situation. Was he any more in control of this one?

  Trina walked out of the ladies’ room, this time to no chanting.

  “You ready to go?” he asked as she approached the table.

  “One sec.” She grabbed her beer and drained it. “All right. Let’s do this thing.”

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  Chapter Nine

  Trina grabbed the little Cannon bag, making sure there was an extra battery and the shotgun mic inside. From one of the duffle bags, she found a slender tripod bag. Armed, she jumped back in Casper’s truck. She took out the barrel-shaped little camera. There was also a remote control in the bag, in case she had to shoot this “selfie-style.” She’d used the technique a few times on the last show, zooming in on herself and pausing between takes. It worked pretty well. Trina was used to working with a crew, but she didn’t have that luxury now.

  “That thing is tiny. Is it a professional camera?” Casper drove the winding highway, glancing over. “I thought my video camera was small.”

  “It will shoot professional level video. Do you do a lot of videography?”

  “I shot all three of my brothers’ weddings.”

  She watched his profile as he drove. “So you’re a shutter bug?”

  “I like cameras, yeah. But don’t forget, we’re tightwads. Nobody wanted to spring for a professional wedding videographer.”

  Trina laughed. Casper seemed such a normal guy. Big and handsome and sexy as hell, yes, but so down to earth. He was not the usual type of guy she’d been hanging out with. She liked the look of his hands on the wheel, big and powerful. “Well, location shoots like this usually don’t qualify as cinematography. I could use your help, though.”

  “I don’t get it,” he said. “Shouldn’t you have a camera crew and a sound guy and all that if you’re shooting a TV show?”

  His eyes darted to hers. Trina decided to be upfront about her situation. “I’m doing this on a shoestring. I have backing from the network. I own one third of a production company that has money. But the pilot is up in the air. The last show I worked on was Eerie County. One of the crew claimed Brian, the star of the show, faked paranormal evidence. The network dropped us like a hot rock. So I’m fighting an uphill battle, trying to get taken seriously on my own.”

  Casper pursed his lips. “I know what that feels like. Sorry I never saw your show. What was it like?”

  She blew out her cheeks. “Honestly? It was just like all the other paranormal shows, what they call a docu-soap, where the cast’s interactions are as much a part of the show as the investigations. Every show has a bit of spin. Ghost Hunters, the first one, was all about being serious and scientific. Paranormal State had a more religious bent.”

  “And your show?”

  Trina faced out the window. “We glammed it up. The cast was young and good-looking. We did most of our filming in the summer, so the girls could wear something skimpy. We had a sense of humor, lots of pranks, lots of practical jokes. Even so, we kept the evidence part of it central.”

  “How did you get involved?”

  “It started out as a final project for college. I was a communications major. I figured after school, I’d break into broadcasting as a weather girl and work my way up through the markets. But Eerie County turned out spectacularly. Even though it was a bunch of college kids, it looked more professional than most other shows on air. Brian sold the idea to a production company. Before I knew it, we were shooting twenty-six episodes a year. We were a hit. It was incredible. The money, the fame, the fans, it was a crazy time.”

  “You loved it,” Casper guessed.

  “Oh, hell to the yeah, I loved it. I mean, it wasn’t like we were on A&E or one of the big cable guys. But everyone seemed to know me. We did conventions, and people screamed when we came out on stage. Talk shows and radio, public appearances, it was awesome. Until Brian screwed us all.” Trina still felt the sting of it.

  “If you were making so much money, you must’ve put some of it aside.” Casper side-eyed her. “Right?”

  “Are you kidding? I was twenty-two when we started. Nobody told me it was going to end one day. The only smart thing I did was to form a production company with Brian and one of the other cast members, Brittney. So we owned half the shows, we controlled the merchandising. Right now, it’s the only thing keeping me afloat.”

  Trees got thicker, and closer to the road. They saw no other traffic. She could see the blanket of the Milky Way above.

  “Perfect night for UFO-watching,” Casper said, reading her thoughts. Then he laughed. “Sounds like a euphemism.”

  Trina laughed as well. She put on a voice. “Hey, baby, wanna go watch some UFOs?” It felt good to laugh. The past year, there hadn’t been much to laugh about. Covertly, she watched shadows play over Casper’s face. Maybe a euphemism with him wouldn’t be a bad idea.

  The campground parking lot was pretty full, but Casper found a space. He took the tripod bag while she carried the camera. “Where do you think the UFO watchers are?”

  “Someplace away from these trees,” she said. Above, the sky was all velvet and diamonds. “The stars are so beautiful here.”

  “Yeah, beautiful.” Casper was not looking at the stars, she found, but at her. Trina swallowed.

  They followed the only trail. With no wind, the surface of the lake perfectly reflected the sky. Casper’s hand found hers. Trina felt a frisson across her skin. Casper’s eyes were lidded when he looked at her, a half smile on his face. He said nothing. They walked on in silence, until they heard the sound of voices. His self-confidence was like an aura, his strides a swagger, and she felt herself drawn to this quiet strength. Trina gripped his hand tighter. She wondered suddenly if his self-assurance would carry over to the bedroom. She had fallen for confident men before, only to find them submissive in the sack. Why was she even wondering? She’d met the man only a few hours before. Trina needed to focus on the task at hand, carnal thoughts or no.
<
br />   There weren’t many UFO watchers. Maybe ten or so gathered around a table in the picnic area. All of them had cameras pointed at the sky. A few telescopes were set up as well. The people were a diverse group, all ages and sizes and degrees of interest in the stars.

  “Hello, newcomers!” an older man called. “Looking for flying saucers?”

  “Yes,” Trina walked over to him, “Have you seen any?”

  “Not tonight. Not yet.”

  “Have you seen it before?”

  He nodded. “Sure did. Why I keep coming out here.”

  “I’m here shooting a TV show. Can I get your comments on camera?” She waved Casper over.

  They set up. A man in a superhero T-shirt and jeans that revealed several inches of white sock over his hiking boots took tentative steps toward them. “You’re Trina Adams, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  He turned to a group standing a few feet away and shouted. “Holy shit, dudes, it is Trina Adams!”

  The young men started over. Trina saw plaid pants, eyeglasses, college sweat shirts.

  “Could we get a picture with you?”

  “After the interviews, I’ll take pictures, sign autographs, whatever. Did any of you see the UFO?”

  Dejected looks followed, head shakes.

  “Maybe we can get some B-roll of you guys, for the show.”

  The first one to approach her frowned. “I thought Eerie County was cancelled.”

  “This is a new show. I’m doing it solo.”

  Basking in the adoration of fans, she set up the interview. This felt so right. It had been awhile. She had the man say and spell his name on camera. Casper focused in, waiting.

  “You need to say ‘action,’” Trina said. “I didn’t bring a clap board.”

  “Okay, ready, action!”

  The man described the sighting, first seeing it from his car before pulling over. He said he believed it was a meteor, until it dipped below the trees and circled back the way it had come. “Used to be a log cabin over that way. It burned down the same night the UFO was spotted. Cops said it was arson, but there’s always a cover up with these things.”

  “Cut!” Trina said. Casper fumbled at the camera, his face pale. Maybe he was just nervous. She didn’t have time to ponder it right now.

  ***

  Her feet felt light as they walked back from the picnic area. Finally, she was back on track, doing what she loved. Casper took her hand again. She relished the warm grip. This time, he pulled her to a stop.

  She gave him a quizzical look. Shadows played across the planes of his face, amber eyes practically glowing.

  “All the stars, the lake, the woods, seems a shame to waste it,” he said.

  He moved closer, inches from her face. She took him in, the devilish features, thick, wind-tousled hair. Casper was as handsome as any movie star. From his intense gaze, she knew he wanted her. Trina went a little light headed, wondering if her expression mirrored his. It felt dangerous to be so taken by him so quickly. Dangerous, and exciting. Her hand moved to his chest. He felt so solid, so real. His eyes closed. Their lips met.

  She was amazed that such soft lips existed in a face like chiseled marble. The warmth of his mouth surged through her body. His free hand circled to her lower back and pulled her closer.

  He grinned when the kiss broke. “A mouth like yours is just asking to be kissed.”

  Her hand remained on his firm chest. “You have a nice mouth, too.”

  “Pretty sure it’s asking to be kissed also.”

  She leaned into him, reveling in the touch of his lips. Although it was a totally silly cliché, Trina felt fireworks.

  “You’re right,” she said. “Your mouth was asking to be kissed.”

  Footsteps and voices approached. With a disappointed glance over his shoulder, Casper took her hand again. “It’s getting late.”

  He drove her home. Trina stared out at the darkness. Emotions stirred inside her. Had she ever been this attracted to a man? She certainly never locked lips with someone so quickly. Even while part of her mind danced, the other weighed her down. She had a career to build, which would require a lot of work, a lot of time. Time she didn’t have for a relationship.

  When he parked in the driveway, Casper pulled across the seat. Again, they embraced, this time with more urgency. Her heart quickened, lips tingling, her tongue touching his. Trina wanted to bury herself in the kiss. She pushed back.

  “Casper, I can’t.” She said. “I like you. I really, really like you. This just isn’t the time.”

  He looked as if he was about to say something. Instead, he just nodded. Trina felt relieved that he didn’t press the issue. Oddly, she also felt a tinge of disappointment.

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  Chapter Ten

  In the morning, Casper awoke and almost immediately started to whistle. He stopped himself, happy feeling fleeing. Kissing Trina was a stupid, stupid move. What the hell was he doing? He needed her to go, not play house with him.

  It wasn’t just her beauty that lured him in. She had a sexy body, her face heart-breakingly lovely, and it seemed his hand took hers of its own accord. But it was seeing her in her natural environment that pushed him to the kiss. The way she put people at ease, even those timid nerds. People adored her, yet instead of haughty about it, she adored them back. Her easy guidance made that old man into a seasoned interview veteran. It wasn’t another facet of the woman he was growing to know, it wasn’t an act she put on. It was just her usual demeanor, turned up a notch. Kind of like a three-way bulb switched from a warm glow to dazzling.

  And that full mouth, almost unbearably soft and hot—

  Let it go, you idiot, he told himself. The pack is in danger.

  He hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly. The interview subject put the UFO together with the arsons in Ripple. He might have come off a little like a conspiracy nut-job, but he was also right on target. There were paranormal incidents occurring in Ripple—all the time in fact. But for normal humans to start putting the pieces together, well, that was a slippery slope that led to the discovery of shifters. It was the same scenario that had ousted the pack from Wyoming. This time, it wasn’t the pack’s fault, but the same endangerment loomed.

  Trina said this wasn’t the right time. Casper wanted to tell her that he would wait for the right time. Except there couldn’t be one. Not with who she was and what she did for a living.

  He cursed his luck. He was long past finding a mate, rising to the leadership of the pack. No other woman had ever seized his heart the way Trina did. Perhaps forbidden fruit tempted him the most. Casper wanted her, but he could never have her.

  Sunday. He had nothing better to do than keep an eye on Trina. Casper showered and found some instant oatmeal for breakfast. He needed to drive out to the grocery store. He’d ask Trina if she wanted to go. Otherwise, he’d starve just to make sure she didn’t wander into a discovery. From the kitchen table, he watched the in-law unit. He saw no sign she was awake yet. Casper hunched over his coffee mug, wondering how to get Trina out of Ripple.

  He’d come to no conclusions when the doorbell rang. It was probably Cheyenne or Laramie, coming to find out when the investigator was leaving town. Instead, he was confronted by a woman.

  She tossed auburn hair over her shoulder. Her eyes were sky-blue, irises ringed with dark. She had a narrow mouth, square and top heavy. High cheek bones vied with a long chin, her neck was long and slender, her brows arched. He squinted at the willowy woman. “Yeah?”

  “Good morning, sugar pie. Oh, don’t tell me you don’t recognize me.”

  It was the voice that sparked a memory. Her drawl carried the honeyed tones of the south. “Scar?” he asked.

  She smiled, waving his comment away. “Please, Cass, I’m no tomboy in Levis and braids anymore.” The woman, though still, seemed to strike a pose.

  “I haven’t seen you since—” The Incident, Casper
thought, the sweet but terrible summer that had changed his life. He thought she might be a distant relative of Cheyenne’s wife, Carolyn, but how he didn’t know.

  “A blast from the past, right?” She angled her head so that she looked up at him. “Well, find your manners, Cass. Invite me in, for pity’s sake.”

  He stepped to the side, and she walked past. She wore a sleeveless blouse that highlighted her high breasts, a pencil skirt that hugged her hips. Lines ran up the back of her stockings from red pumps. No, not a tomboy in Levis and braids anymore. Even then, she’d had every red-blooded boy sniffing after her, Casper first among them.

  “What are you doing here, Scarlet?”

  She lowered her brows at him. “Your alphas didn’t tell you?”

  Casper bristled at the term, “your alphas,” hinting that he wasn’t one. Were he mated, he would be the undisputed leader of the pack. Now, he was just one vote out of four. “Tell me what?”

  “They hired me. Apparently they believe you’re too tied down with the company bookkeeping.”

  What the fuck? “I don’t need any help.”

  She threw her hands in the air. “That’s not what they tell me. They said the books were a burden on you, that you should be on the job site, not in the office.”

  Well, they’re full of shit, he almost said. But it was just like the alpha bitches not to tell him. Scarlet, of all the possible bookkeepers in the world, was the last person he needed to see right now. Not with the problem of Trina to solve.

  Scarlet glanced around. “This is a nice house. You’re doing well.”

  “We do fine.”

  “Except I’m told the Marino Brothers office is in your spare room?”

  Casper sighed, and fell back on a line he used a lot. “You know we’re tightwads,” he said.

  “I do indeed. Would you be so kind as to escort me to the office? I should probably assess the task at hand before I start tomorrow.”