by Bonnie Vanak
THE MATING NEED
Werewolves of Montana Book 15
Bonnie Vanak
Contents
Blurb
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
The Werewolves Of Montana Series
Book 2: The Mating Hunt
Book 7: The Mating Destiny, Alex’s story
Book 12: Wild Wolf
Blurb
When darkness gathers, he will protect her from the growing evil with every last breath in his body…
Kicked out of his pack for being different, Troy Gilbert knew from experience life on the road is rough for a lone wolf. When he rescues a woman in trouble, Troy knows he’s met his true soulmate and feels driven to protect her. Jenny possesses extraordinary magick while she’s in human form. Unlike Troy who wishes for a pack to call home, she’s determined to avoid pack life and stay in wolfskin to suppress her frightening abilities.
Jenny Logan’s been a wandering soul since the day her pack died from a violent shooting that she blames on her magick. Yet frightening as her powers are, she senses they call her to a higher purpose. When Troy convinces her to stay at Aiden Mitchell’s werewolf ranch in Montana, Jenny knows something evil is afoot. She and Troy must find the darkness seeping into the ranch and destroy it, before it destroys all in its path…
Prologue
There’s no place like home, they said. Except when you had no home, and no one wanted you at their home, either.
Guarding his duffel bag with his booted feet, Troy Gilbert leaned on the bar. Few in this seedy place for OtherWorlders this late at night. Then again, most Lupines in Seattle belonged to packs and were out carousing or running with the full moon. Country music played softly in the background. Someone wailing about losing a horse or a woman. Or both. Spilled wine, cheap perfume, sour beer and something feral lingered in the smoky air
The face in the mirrored wall in front of him looked nice, he supposed. A woman he’d met in California once told him he had a movie star looks. Dark brown hair cut short because he believed in haircuts, even with his wandering lifestyle. Bristles on lean cheeks and chin, dark, even brows set over brown eyes.
He looked about thirty.
He felt like two hundred these days.
Troy sipped his whiskey, relishing the burn down his throat. Inexpensive, watered down. Wouldn’t expect anything else. Not that he deserved the fine stuff. Not him.
Two other Lupines sat at the far end of the bar. A female sidled up to them, chatted and then sashayed toward Troy. He eyed her over the top of his whiskey glass. She had a calculating look in her eyes, wore a low-cut dress and high heels that could dig into a male’s back as he rode her long into the night, hard and rough. Troy liked it rough. But lately he found himself longing for more than a one-night stand.
Sipping more whiskey, he almost laughed. More what? Another pack, a place to settle down, a mate who would kiss him and love him in the morning instead of sneaking away as the sun rose?
“Hey handsome,” she purred. “What’s a good looking wolf like you doing here? Want some company?”
He almost said yes, and checked himself, looking her over. Really looking her over instead of studying her impressive attributes. Her eyes weren’t calculating, they were weary. Tired. Her skin was soft, and tanned, contrasting to the cheap blonde wig she wore.
Tired as he was of the games. Tired of roaming and having no place to go.
“What’s your name?” he asked gently.
“What do you want it to be?”
He gave her a pointed look and she sighed. “Zoe.”
Up close, she looked much younger than he’d first thought. Troy dug into his wallet, found a couple of hundred dollar bills left over from his last day job shoveling dirt. He handed them to her. “Zoe. Go buy yourself a bus ticket and go home, wherever home is. This place ain’t it.”
For a moment she looked angry as she shoved aside his hand. “I don’t have a home.”
“Everyone does.” Except me.
Still, she didn’t leave. A hopeful sign. Troy patted the stool next to him. “My name is Troy. Talk to me.”
Troy waited, and finally her story spilled out after she sat.
Her mouth wobbled. “I did have one back in Montana. I ran away two months ago. My alpha emailed, telling me to come back. He said whatever made me run away, we can work it out. I don’t have the money. Soon as I earn it, I spend it. I can’t go back crawling without… showing something of what’s left of my pride.”
Troy understood pride and the struggle to stay on your feet when everyone else kicked you in the back of the knees. “And you don’t want to ask him for money so you can get there.”
She shook her head.
“He sounds like a good Lupine.” Troy reached for her hand, placed the money into it. “Take this, buy yourself a couple of nice outfits, and go home, back to your pack, your people. You don’t belong here.”
Moisture gathered in her dark eyes. Zoe nodded as she clenched the money. “I don’t like it here. I want to go home. But…”
Troy felt a need to keep her talking, get her out of here. Maybe he’d been a colossal screw up, but he could do one right thing.
“Tell me about home. You said Montana. A ranch?”
“A place called the Mitchell Ranch. Aiden Mitchell runs it.” Zoe stared at the money in her hand. “I screwed up.”
He waited. Hard to admit when you made a mistake.
Zoe clenched the money. “I accidentally shifted into a wolf around the horses and spooked them while the cowboys were rounding up the cattle. It was a mess. I was so scared I ran off.”
Troy gestured to the bartender, who refilled his drink. The bartender eyed Zoe, who shook her head.
“Did your alpha kick you out?” Troy had to ask. He knew how much that kind of rejection hurt.
Zoe sighed and patted her wig. “No. He is a good alpha. Kept emailing me, and I ignored the emails until last night. He said I could work in the kitchen, or help to build homes or any other kind of chores as long as I stayed away from the horses. The important thing was for me to return because I belonged there. I was more important than any horse.”
Troy liked the sound of this Aiden Mitchell. Different from other alphas he’d encountered in his travels over the past year. Far different from the alpha who’d kicked his ass out of his last pack.
“An alpha who values his people is a good leader. What’s the rest of them like?”
He wondered why he asked. Not just to keep her talking and walking off and making more mistakes with other males, but he wanted to know. Maybe because it had been too long since he’d heard of a good alpha leader who cared.
“We’re a big pack. Some cowboys, some not. Aiden says some of us are a ragtag bunch of misfits.” She gave her first real smile. “He says he’s the biggest one of all. The only perfect Lupine is his mate, Nia.”
She drummed her fingers on the bar. “My parents are great, too. I miss them, and my brothers and sisters.”
“What are you waiting for? Go.”
Still, she bit her lip and looked uncertain. He wondered what else held her back.
Finally she said in a soft voice, “Not everyone there is as nice as Aiden. There’s one guy there… I really screwed up with him. I didn’t want to tell anyone be
cause I was ashamed.”
Zoe looked away.
That made sense. “The real reason you shifted into a wolf and spooked the horses.”
She blinked hard. “Stupid of me. I’m Lupine. I should be able to take care of myself.”
At that moment, he wanted to punch the male who had hurt her. All he could do was offer reassurance. “Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. But running away will only give him more power to you, up here.” Troy tapped his temple. “Is there anyone there you do trust besides the alpha and your parents? Someone to watch your back?”
A small smile touched her mouth. “Yeah. If he knew what happened… you’re right. I do trust him. Do you really think I can go home again?”
“Yes. Go.”
Zoe nodded. “What’s your cell number?”
For a moment, his natural caution rose up. Never give out personal information. Yet he was the one who pushed her to returning home.
Troy looked at her again and told her. Zoe pulled her cell out of a tiny purse and called his phone.
“There. You have my number now. If you ever find yourself in Montana, look me up. Aiden is a good alpha if you need work. Or even a real pack to call your own. Thanks Troy.”
She dropped a kiss on his bristled cheek.
Troy pushed aside his whiskey, finding himself grinning a little. Maybe he still was a sorry soul, but hell, he’d managed to help someone in need. The glow of doing a good deed filled him, warmed him more than the cheap alcohol. Maybe he wasn’t such a screw-up.
Zoe started for the door. She almost reached it when a drunk Lupine shouted, “Whore!’ As Zoe turned, the drunk grabbed a half-filled bottle of whiskey and chucked it straight at her.
Troy sped off his stool, catching it in mid-air before it hit Zoe. She stood immobilized, fear etched on her face. Clutching the bottle, he opened the door.
“Go,” he ordered.
She fled as if being pursued. He shut the door behind her and then placed the bottle on the bar. Too late he became aware of the dead silence draping the bar. The stares and mutters.
So much for good deeds. Damn. He forgot how different he was, and how other Lupines hated different.
“What the hell?” screamed the drunk.
“You ain’t no damn wolf. Never seen a wolf move that fast, only Fae,” another Lupine yelled. “I should rip your throat out.”
Troy bristled. “I can show you how much wolf I am.”
“We don’t need your kind around here, freak,” the drunk told him.
Troy’s guts churned with a mixture of anger and grief. He struggled with his temper, the temper that always got him in trouble.
Did anyone need him around? What was his kind?
The kind that doesn’t belong anywhere.
He heard all too familiar sound – the same kind made the day his father told him they were leaving, but he was not going with them. If he tried, he’d be sorry.
“Get the hell out of here.” The bartender showed him the business side of a shotgun.
Troy got the message, dumped some bills on the bar, and picked up his duffel. He headed for the exit.
Rain splattered on the sidewalk as he trudged along, ignoring the wetness down his neck, leaking past his sheepskin jacket, wetting his shirt. Worse things than getting wet and being cold.
As he started to pass a dark alleyway, he heard a cry. Troy stiffened. None of his business. He’d already done his good deed for tonight. Can’t get involved.
But the same protective urges that got him into trouble before wouldn’t let him take a step further away. Instead, he headed into the alley.
Dim light leeching out from a second story window showed exactly the reason for the cry. A female, petite, her shirt torn and exposing one pale breast, struggled against three humans holding her captive. Skins, his kind called them. One kissed her neck as he held her long braid, jerking her head back. A fourth stood a little ways off watching, unzipping his pants, massaging his junk.
Damnit. Rape was not happening on his watch. His hackles rising, Troy dropped his duffel, ready to tear into the bastards.
Growling a little, he advanced toward them.
Suddenly the girl’s hands were … glowing? Fuck yeah, they glowed white. Not only her hands, but her eyes turned white as if lit from within. She flung out her hands and all three Skins sailed through the air, hitting the brick wall behind them.
Troy grinned. Good for you.
To his surprise, she growled low and shifted into a wolf.
Well damn, how about that? Another Lupine who had more than Lupine powers.
One Skin shrieked as the wolf pounced, tearing at his leg. The other two ran to the end of the alley and were trapped. The wolf dealt with them next, tearing into their legs, incapacitating them. A hot copper smell, blood, filled the alleyway.
The watching Skin dropped his hand, his erection fading as if someone dumped ice water over him. Troy grinned again. In a few strides, he was at the man’s side.
Troy throat punched him. Perv Guy tumbled down like dead weight. For good measure, Troy kicked him in the balls. The man screamed, and fainted.
The wolf bounded over to him, growling.
He backed up, held up his hands. “Easy girl. I’m on your side. I intend no harm.”
Showing her teeth, the wolf stared at him.
Troy gentled his voice, making it low and soothing. A former lover used to call it his persuasive tone that could sweet talk the most celibate woman into ripping off her clothes climbing into his bed. He didn’t use it for sex often. Didn’t have to, not when women were willing to be his bed partners.
On the road he used to calm volatile situations, or in this case, a volatile wolf.
“I know you’re scared. I can smell your fear. If you get into human skin, I can help you. You can’t be a wolf in the city. Too many Skins. They’ll want to haul you to animal control or worse. Like shoot you.”
She shifted back, a swirling mass of incredible colors accommodating her shift before he could even blink. Whoa. He’d never seen a Lupine shift back into Skin so fast.
Troy pushed a hank of wet hair out of his face as she clothed herself through magick.
Young, early twenties. Big blue eyes, wet black hair hanging in a thick braid down her back, a vulnerable look to her, like a lost lamb.
But this girl was no sheep. More like super wolf.
Troy gestured to the alley’s exit.
“Get your stuff. We need to get out of here before the cleanup crew arrives and a certain wizard punishes you for exposing magick to Skins.” Troy didn’t know when Tristan, the wizard who judged Lupines, would arrive, but he wouldn’t take chances.
The girl had been through enough tonight. She didn’t need that jackass wizard scolding her or worse.
The girl grabbed a backpack that seemed painfully thin.
“I’m Jenny. Jenny Logan.” She shivered. “Thank you. I can’t believe… that almost happened to me.”
“Troy Gilbert.” He shrugged out of his jacket, draped it around her slim shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here and home to your pack.”
“Don’t have a pack. Or a home.” Those big doe eyes looked up at him.
Something tugged at his hard heart, breaking it a little bit more. “Then stick with me for tonight.”
For a moment, suspicion flared on her face. So damn young, and yet her eyes looked ancient.
“How do I know you won’t try what they failed at?” She jerked her thumb at the alley.
Troy held up his hand. “I promise I won’t do anything.” Not unless you want me to. “Friends, okay? Besides, you look more than capable of handling yourself. That light trick was impressive.”
Jenny gave an uncertain smile. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Hell yeah, good thing you did. Showed them a thing or two. You let them live.” He glanced at the trio, bleeding heavily. “I wouldn’t have spared their sorry lives.”
“I don’t lik
e to use my powers.” She flexed her hands, water dripping off her slender fingers. “They scare me more than those Skins.”
Ah hell, she looked so sweet and vulnerable. He had to get her the hell out of here. He reached over and touched her face, feeling the tears there mingling with raindrops.
“These powers scare people. My own people. I’m a wolf, but I’m such a misfit. No one wants me around. Ever feel like that?”
Troy’s chest tightened at her misery. “All the time, sweetheart. All the time.”
He glanced upward. “Rain’s falling harder. You need shelter. I have a hotel room not far from here.”
“You expect me to sleep with you now that you tried to save me?” She narrowed her eyes.
He shook his head. Oh, he found her attractive. More than attractive. He liked the look of her, and the way she’d kicked ass on those three gained his admiration. But Jenny didn’t need a Lupine with a hard on trying to seduce her.
“No. Just offering shelter. You can have the bed. I like sleeping on the floor anyway. Besides, if I tried anything with you, you can kick my ass just like you did to them.”
Jenny’s lower lip wobbled. “Thanks… I’m sorry for being suspicious. No one’s been nice to me in a long time.”
Troy couldn’t resist staring into her pretty blue eyes, feeling a tug of deep empathy. “Me either. It’s a rough life when you’re traveling from town to town, not knowing anyone.”
Her smile faded. “I’ve been on the road so long, sometimes I forget, like tonight, that there’s people out there who only want to hurt you. I was trying to grab some sleep in the alley when they saw me.”
A low growl rumbled from his throat. “Stick with me. I’ve been on the road as well, and there’s worse things out there, Jenny. You shouldn’t be alone.”