by Renee Rose
Damn, it was strange to have a female in the house. And a human, no less.
Because of Marina, Colton was a changed man—relaxed and happier than I’d ever seen him. I found them both in the kitchen. Colton sat at the table drinking coffee and eating a delectable-looking Danish and Marina was pulling a cookie sheet of croissants out of the oven. They both looked up at me as I stalked in and poured myself a cup of coffee.
“Late night?” Colton asked carefully. It was hard for any pack member to ignore his alpha’s mood, and my frustration still simmered.
I just spat it out—no sense in trying to keep it in. “Natalie’s still seeing Markle. She went over there yesterday with a bottle of wine.”
“Oh,” Marina said, eyes wide. She grabbed a plate, piled three different pastries on it and shoved it my way, as if sugar and carbs could make me feel better. “How do you know?”
“I was at her place when she came back, wine bottle in hand.”
Marina tipped her head. She was a tiny thing, a disposition as sweet as her baked goods. Completely opposite from Natalie in every way.
“Empty wine bottle?”
I frowned. “No, unopened.”
“So she didn’t share a bottle of wine with him?”
I rubbed my unshaven face. Fuck, I really was going feral. “Well, no. She said she’d brought it over as a neighborly gesture, but he hadn’t invited her in.”
“So he didn’t invite her in or accept the wine?” Marina clarified. She picked up the spatula and moved the cooling croissants to a platter. “I don’t think that qualifies as seeing the guy. It sounds like, well, a neighborly gesture, like she said. If he didn’t take it, he wasn’t all that neighborly.”
“You’re saying what, exactly?”
“That he’s as much of a jerk as we thought.”
I looked to Colton. “If Marina took a bottle of wine to Markle as a neighborly gesture, would you lose your shit?”
He wiped his fingers with a napkin. “Markle’s a dick. I don’t want Marina anywhere near the guy.”
“Exactly,” I agreed.
“Natalie owns the house next door to him. They’re going to be neighbors for a long time. She knows he put his cattle on her land without asking. She knows he’s a dick. Maybe she’s trying to smooth things over.”
“You don’t think she’s trying to get in his bed?” I asked. The question made me sound vulnerable and weak. Natalie was my weakness.
Colton held up a hand. “I don’t want to know the details of your sex life, but if you’re a selfish lover and don’t get her off, then I don’t blame her for seeking orgasms elsewhere.”
My wolf growled while Marina chided her mate. “Leave him alone. You Wolf boys would never leave a woman unsatisfied.”
Colton grinned, stalked Marina around the counter until he got her in his arms and nuzzled her neck. She giggled.
I ignored them as I thought. Now that I told the story out loud and Marina repeated it back through her human female lens, and Colton made me feel like an ass, it didn’t sound as bad as I’d taken it. Maybe this was one of those moments when I couldn’t discern between my wolf instincts to claim and possess Natalie, to mark her forever with my scent so no other male ever touched her and what was normal human dating behavior.
Had I not pleased her sexually? I remembered what she looked, felt, smelled and even tasted like when she came. I hadn’t skimped on the number of times I got her off. I was a generous, attentive lover.
But had I fucked up by acting too possessive? She didn’t know she was my mate. She only knew we had chemistry and killer sex.
“Tell me you didn’t go rip Markle’s throat out,” Colton said, his arms still around Marina.
“Oh, I wanted to, but I held back. Shifted and ran instead. I may have acted like a jackass with Natalie, though.” I scratched the back of my neck, suddenly feeling less like an alpha and more like that jackass.
“Uh oh,” Marina murmured.
I stared at the untouched plate of pastries without appetite. “It’s probably for the best.”
“What? That she hates you? Why’s that?” Colton demanded.
“You know why. I’ve got Nathan Brown stirring up the goddamn pack so his kin can absorb us into theirs. I’m supposed to meet some pack princess from Canada in a couple weeks, and I don’t really see how Natalie can actually be my mate.”
Colton narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re telling me you’re not sure she’s yours? You didn’t know the moment you scented her?”
I ground my molars. “I knew,” I growled, narrowing my eyes at him.
He stroked Marina’s hair as he leaned against the counter. “Uh huh. So what part don’t you believe?”
I sat back in my chair, overloaded with this untenable fucking situation. “Alphas mate alphas. It’s the natural law. It just doesn’t make sense that—” I cut off my words before I said something to offend Marina or Colton.
“It doesn’t make sense that your mate would be human?” Colton supplied the hard edge to his voice, a warning.
“Not your mate.” I glanced at Marina who gave me a smile. She knew what I was getting at. Colton was protective of his mate and their bond.
“Mine. I’m alpha. Things are different for me. You left, brother, for fourteen years. Boyd left for twelve. You’re just getting a sense for what’s going on around here. I’ve been the only Wolf on the ranch for a fucking long time.”
Colton sighed, ran his hand through his short hair. I wasn’t blaming him for going off and living his life. Mine though, was being alpha of this pack. I belonged here and only here. The needs of the pack came before mine.
“It shouldn’t make a difference,” he said.
“No, but it does. Am I making sense now? You heard about Nathan at the meeting. There’s been undercurrents of that shit for years.”
“Fate’s a bitch, we all know that. But only when you fight her.” He glanced down at my untouched food. “Eat your fucking pastries,” he warned, like he was going to kick my ass if I offended his mate.
I picked up the warm croissant from my plate not because I was hungry but because I didn’t want to be a dick and took a bite.
“Oh fuck, that’s good,” I exclaimed. The flaky croissant was filled with chocolate that melted in my mouth. “Wow.”
“Right?” Colton said, grinning.
“You can take some to Natalie,” Marina offered. “You know, as a peace offering.”
Peace offering.
Fuck.
I had been a jealous dick the night before. I just couldn’t figure out why a smart woman like her couldn’t see Markle’s true colors. Audrey had after one date with him. Maybe my perception was skewed by my wolf’s need to mark her.
I should definitely stop by her place and apologize. I didn’t know if bringing croissants was really my style, but my style seemed to have gotten me in the doghouse.
I could stop by her place after checking the fences.
And just like that, my appetite returned. I could grovel and so could my wolf in order to make things right. I’d told Natalie I was going to fuck things up. I had. She’d had warning, but it didn’t make it right. She just needed to be prepared to forgive me. Often.
I shoved the other two pastries down my throat and downed my coffee, the anticipation of seeing Natalie again already changing my mood.
17
WILLOW
I adjusted my camera’s telescopic lens to get a closer view of the activity on Markle’s property. From where I stood at the window of the master bedroom, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I snapped some photos, just to document.
My search of Markle’s barn and stable the night before had produced nothing. Nothing, which totally pissed me off. If he had more of the crates that had been loaded onto that cattle hauler, they were somewhere else.
Maybe the latest shipment had yet to arrive. I didn’t know how the drugs arrived from South America to Markle’s place. Catching that drop off would
be huge.
When I’d done as much as I could from my location, I put on a pair of jogging shorts and runners. No one questioned a jogger running back and forth on their property. Besides, I needed a good run. I’d run cross country in high school, specializing in the longest distances until my foster parents made me quit because it took too much time away from my ranch chores. For some reason, I’d always had the endurance for running. Hell, I’d always needed it to stay sane.
After Rob stomped off last night, pissed, I’d been itchy and restless. He’d pretty much caught me red handed, and I didn’t blame him for being mad. I wasn’t a two-timer, but I’d certainly given him every indication I was one. It had been cruel. If I’d thought he’d been with another woman, I’d have ripped his throat out.
I knew it was for the best—I should let things fizzle out. That didn’t stop me from planning to jog by Rob’s place, too. If we accidentally bumped into each other and he was over being mad, I definitely wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to explain as best I could without giving everything away. I wanted to spend more time with him, in or out of bed. I really liked the guy—it went beyond carnal attraction and good sex. He was definitely one of the good ones, as they said.
I put some sunscreen on my face and shoulders and stepped outside, breathing in the cool Montana air. It was a beautiful morning—not too hot yet. The smell of wild grass and pine cheered and relaxed me at once.
I put my earbuds in, the music setting a steady beat to follow and started jogging along the telephone line trail, then cut west down another path to check out Natalie’s property line. As the current homeowner, it was up to me to see if any of her fences needed mending although it sounded like Rob and his brothers had been taking care of things like that. I didn’t see a broken section, but I hadn’t covered the entire perimeter of the property.
As part of my prep, the real Natalie had told me she’d talked with Boyd Wolf a month ago, that they’d found her fence cut and Markle’s cattle on her land.
The Shefield property was beautiful. Honestly, I thought I’d never want to see another ranch in my life after I left my foster home, but some silly part of me fantasized about staying here.
If I were the real Natalie, what would I do with the place? When I’d first arrived, my opinion had been she should do the repairs necessary to sell, to take the cash and run. Now? I wasn’t so sure. Cooper Valley was gorgeous—the view of the mountains was breathtaking, and the big blue sky and open range gave a spaciousness to my thoughts and spirit I didn’t find in Phoenix. Everything was so green. In the winter, it would be white, a frozen wonderland.
I was lost in those ponderings when I felt the hard pound of galloping hoofbeats. Tugging out an earbud, I heard a shout from the distance. “Natalie! Stop!”
I slowed, then stopped, even as it took me just a couple seconds to process that I was supposed to be Natalie. Rob was on a dark horse that galloped toward me at a breakneck speed, and he was pointing to my left.
I whirled and froze.
A bull, about fifty feet away, was squared off to me and running, horns lowered. The beast was black. Big. Pissed off.
Holy shit! Where the fuck had he come from? I got in a zone when running, but I didn’t think I was so focused to miss a fucking bull. What in the hell was it doing on this property? Natalie didn’t own a bull. Or cows.
I immediately knew.
Markle.
Mother. Fucker.
That asshole let his bull onto my—Natalie’s—property. Whether it was to take advantage of this land or to get me back for being with Rob, I couldn’t be sure. Right now, scrambling for my life, I felt pretty damn antagonized.
I veered right, not taking my eyes off the angry beast.
It ran straight for me, and it moved much faster than I could. I had to be quicker. My runners skidded in the dirt as I darted in the direction of Rob’s approaching horse. Maybe he could somehow swing me up on the saddle with him, Wild, Wild West movie-style.
His horse whinnied and snorted as he approached, racing to get ahead of me and distract the bull. My heart pounded as I swerved and slid out in the dirt, falling onto one knee. I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out which way to go to get away.
The bull ignored Rob and kept coming after me.
Then Rob did the stupidest thing possible, and swung off his horse, his boots landing hard in the grass. “Get on—get out of here!” He shouted, reaching for me. The bull turned around and came back toward us. It was almost upon us and the horse had taken off in fear, leaving us both behind.
Now there was nowhere for either of us to run. No tree to get behind. No fence to jump.
Where was my gun when I needed it? I didn’t want to die like this. Seriously, it would be bad for my legacy, the DEA agent who’d been killed by a stupid bull in the line of duty.
A terrible, animal-like snarl came from Rob, coupled with the sound of tearing clothes and cracking bones. I’d had my gaze on the bull, and from the corner of my eye, pounced a huge wolf. The fierce animal attacked the bull, teeth bared, snapping for its throat.
I was cool-headed in emergencies. It was my job to keep my wits about me and do what had to be done. I’d been held at gunpoint. I’d seen sick fuckers do bad shit and took them down without even blinking. But I froze now, shocked by what I saw.
Rob’s cowboy hat lay in the dirt at my feet.
A ripped pair of jeans and white t-shirt hung off that giant wolf’s hindquarters as it chased the bull back, antagonizing it with ferocious nips on its shoulders, then flanks, as the beast spun and veered away.
What. The. Fuck.
The wolf remained, watching the bigger animal trot off, nose flaring and breathing hard. Finally, the wolf turned and loped toward me, its familiar amber eyes glowing bright.
I should be afraid. Very afraid. It was a fucking wolf.
And I wasn’t.
I stooped to pick up Rob’s cowboy hat, looking from it to the wolf as he approached. The animal was dark gray, the fur thick, a long line raised at the spine. It was huge—terrifying in size, especially after I’d seen those ferocious jaws snap. It body-checked my legs, making me stumble away from the bull, even though he was some distance away. Another body slam to move me, and then it showed its fangs.
I wasn’t a screamer, but I definitely let out a breath with sound when it bit down on my…shorts. And tugged. Then released them and tossed its head in the direction of the horse who was now contentedly grazing on the tall grass far enough away not to feel threatened any longer.
“Okay, I’m moving. You want me to get the horse? Put the fangs away, wolf.” Or did I mean, Put the fangs away, Wolf? I spoke cautiously, backing away in the direction of the horse standing a dozen yards away and keeping my gaze on both the wolf and the bull. The wolf faced the bull, as if standing guard in case it decided to charge me again. The bull looked at us, circling angrily, but not approaching.
I put Rob’s hat on my head and picked up the reins. The horse was huge, but I managed to get one foot in the stirrup and stand in it, aided by a hold on the horn on the saddle, and swung my other leg over.
From the saddle, I sat and watched Rob—in the shape of a giant, fucking wolf—chase the bull back farther and farther until it bellowed and crashed through the wood fence onto Markle’s land.
I kicked my heels into the horse’s flanks and tugged the reins to turn back to Natalie’s house. I hadn’t been on a horse in a while, but it was like riding a bicycle. I never really lost the touch. Rob’s animal was smart and knew exactly what I wanted him to do. When I got there, I dismounted and let the reins fall, giving the animal a quick pat on the neck. I went inside and grabbed my gun where I’d left it under the basket by the front door.
I walked back outside and aimed it at the wolf approaching the porch.
18
ROB
Well, shit.
Having my mate point a gun at my chest was getting to be all too familiar.
I lower
ed my head and shifted back to human form—right there in broad daylight on Natalie’s porch—something that went against every pack rule. Never show yourself to a human. Never let the secret out. She was pointing a gun at me and knew damned well how to use it. I needed to show her who I was before she shot me.
I hadn’t meant to shift back there. I’d planned to distract the damn bull, but when it got too close and my mate’s life was threatened, my wolf leapt to the surface without warning.
I hadn’t even considered shifting. My wolf had made the choice all on its own.
The gun in Natalie’s hand didn’t waver, and she didn’t look surprised to see me rise to my full height and stand there, buck naked, except for the tattered clothes hanging off my limbs.
“Hold it right there.” She sighted me over her left arm. She wasn’t fooling around. “You’re not coming any closer until you tell me exactly what you are.”
She looked sexy as hell in her little running shorts and snug tank top. Her skin glistened with sweat and her hair, while pulled back mostly in a ponytail, was wild about her head.
I held out my palms. My cock had the unfortunate idea to get hard at the sight of my mate, such a beautiful badass in her fighter’s stance and my hat on her head.
“Easy, angel.” I advanced slowly. “I think you already know what I am. And you should also know that I’m no danger to you. I told you before I’d never hurt you. I’ll always protect you from danger.”
“You’re a werewolf.”
Slowly, I shook my head. “We prefer the term shifter.”
Standing there silently, she studied me with those fierce green eyes. Considered. Finally, she glanced down at my boner and her lips twitched. She lowered the pistol and took my hat off with her right hand, then tossed it to me.
“Thanks.” I used the hat to cover my jutting erection. “Can we step inside? I don’t make it a practice to stand out in public with my dick swinging in the wind.”
“Oh, I didn’t see it swinging.” A smile formed on her face as she backed into her house and let me pass. “Looked pretty sturdy to me.”