by Renee Rose
“Call her, Rob,” Audrey said, setting her peeled potato in a bowl and grabbing another. She glanced at Marina. “How much potato salad do we need?”
“Ten pounds.”
“I thought this was a potluck,” she grumbled.
“It is. Keep peeling. The exercise is good for the baby.”
Audrey laughed, then looked at me again. “Call Natalie and tell her to bring her violin. Fiddle. Whatever it’s called. She could play with the Barn Cats. It’ll be fun to watch and a great way for her to fit in.”
I reached for my phone in my back pocket, then remembered. “Shit. No phone.”
“I’ve got her number.” Boyd pulled his cell out. “I called her last month before she moved with the update about Markle’s cattle.”
I remembered that fiasco well. Markle was a dick through and through, taking it upon himself to use Natalie’s grazing land without her consent.
“Great,” I said, holding out my hand for it.
He held the phone out of reach. “I’ll call her,” he said with a grin. “You’d better hop in the shower. You know how the pack likes to show up early.” He sniffed. “You smell like a horse.”
“Horse’s ass,” Colton murmured.
I gave my brothers a death glare.
“All right.” I headed up the stairs after whacking Colton on the back of the head.
“Hey, Natalie, it’s Boyd Wolf. You won’t believe how many potatoes Audrey’s peeling…”
I didn’t hear the rest of my brother’s conversation with Natalie. I just knew I’d see her again in a few hours. I got hard as I walked up the steps. Just thinking about seeing her turned me on. It was a good thing I was headed for the shower. I could take care of the problem. My fist wasn’t as good as Natalie’s pussy, or mouth… or ass, but it would have to do until later.
21
WILLOW
I showed up at the Wolf Ranch carrying a tray of deviled eggs. I wasn’t much of a cook, but that was the thing my foster mother had always brought to potlucks, so it seemed like the thing to do.
I’d hated these get-togethers as a kid, always feeling out of place. I was just another one of the Johnsons’ many foster kids that everyone kept a sharp eye on because we couldn’t be trusted with their children or their things.
I didn’t particularly want to be at this one, either.
No, that was a lie. I liked being here.
Too much. I liked the closeness of Rob’s family. The way they seemed to have each other’s backs.
The past week with Rob had been delicious. Sinfully delicious. But the whole time, I’d known they were stolen moments. I couldn’t have Rob Wolf.
Being here with his incredible family and pack made that painfully obvious.
I didn’t belong.
I was living a lie. Rob needed to mark a female before he succumbed to moon madness. I knew he believed his wolf had chosen me as his mate, but I suspected that was just biology talking. Like how human females had the biological clock thing going. When they reached the end of their breeding window, they got kind of desperate and married any guy they thought would make a decent father.
Rob had the same thing going. It was his time, and I’d moved in next door. Our chemistry was off the charts, so he was sure I was the one.
But I knew that was impossible.
I was living a lie, and when he found out I wasn’t Natalie, that I was here under false pretenses, he was going to be pissed. No apology would take back that sense of betrayal he would feel.
I shouldn’t have let us get this close—the situation was a guaranteed heartache for both of us.
“Hey, you must be Natalie,” a pretty young woman said, taking the tray of deviled eggs from me. “I’m Marina, Audrey’s younger sister.”
Much younger. I was surprised.
“Nice to meet you.” I followed her to the back yard where a barbecue grill was already smoking with the scent of searing meat.
My mouth watered. “Oh my God, is that peach pie?”
Marina beamed. “It sure is. Baking is kind of my thing.”
“Hey there. You must be Natalie.” Two good-looking younger cowboys sauntered up to me. “I’m Rand,” one of them said. “And I’m Nash,” the other finished.
“They’re ranch hands here at Wolf Ranch,” Marina supplied.
Apparently, all the cowboys at Wolf Ranch were very fine specimens of manhood, not that these two held any candle to Rob.
Rob showed up and reached for my hand, tugging me against him in a hug. “There you are.”
I noticed a number of heads turned as people stared at me. I pulled away from Rob, my defenses going up.
“The pack will love you,” Rob reassured in a low voice. “Your great-uncle was a friend to many here.” But then he pulled away and rubbed his face. “They just may not love the idea of me mating you.”
“Let’s not go there, then,” I said quickly, taking a step back and putting more distance between our bodies.
I couldn’t mate this guy. Did he think I could?
Why then, did having my body apart from his set off a sense of yearning that made my whole body ache?
“Right,” he agreed. “We’ll keep what’s between us private for now.” For a moment, I caught the hint of unhappiness in the lines of his face. The weight of responsibility for his brothers and the whole pack on his shoulders.
I squeezed his arm, the ache in me growing stronger. Rob was an amazing man. Selfless and giving. Strong and protective. And this life he had here on the ranch—I never thought I’d want something like this. My childhood had been so shitty. But now that I was here, now that I got to see what he had—the sense of community, of family—now it felt like exactly what I craved. The refreshing antidote to my childhood. A redo on a beautiful Montana ranch filled with kindness and love.
And really hot kinky sex.
Too bad none of this was real.
“So, Rob,” an older man came up and thumped Rob on the back. “When is the contingent from Canada showing up? Do you have any events planned?”
I didn’t know what they were talking about, but the detective in me didn’t miss the way Rob’s jaw clenched and the quick—and guilty—look he darted my way.
“I’ll be right back, Natalie,” he said, stepping farther away with the man, like he didn’t want me to hear.
“You’re not worried about that situation, are you?” Marina appeared at my elbow, speaking in a low voice.
I turned to face her fully. “What is the situation, exactly?”
She flushed. “Oh—um—it’s nothing,” she stammered. “Just some visitors that are coming.”
“What visitors?” I demanded. “Why would I be worried?”
Marina grabbed my arm and tugged me away from the crowd. “It’s this stupid thing,” she explained in a quiet voice. “The pack elders wanted Rob to meet some alpha female in case he wanted to mate her. They don’t know about you because Rob was kind of giving you time to adjust to the whole shifter thing. Plus… they don’t exactly love the idea of us humans mixing in.” She shrugged. “Don’t let it bother you. Rob’s alpha. He can do whatever he wants.”
That wasn’t true. I knew it as soon as I heard the words. A dictator did whatever he wanted. A leader didn’t. He had a responsibility to his pack. And Rob was definitely a leader. The kind who put the good of all in front of his own. So that’s why he looked so strained over the pack knowing we were dating.
Even though I’d known this thing with Rob couldn’t work, some part of me still resisted the obvious answer—telling him we couldn’t be and letting him have at it with the alpha she-wolf.
In fact, the idea of Rob being with her made me want to throat punch the woman.
Crap. Every day this got harder and harder. It was like a train running at top speed toward the car on the tracks. I knew there would be a crash, I just didn’t know how to stop it.
22
ROB
We were nearing the full moon,
but this wasn’t a get together to shift and run in the moonlight. Instead, it was an afternoon picnic. By five o’clock, about twenty pack members were in the field behind the house. Usually, we met in the barn, so there was some shade and a roof in case it rained, but the construction project wasn’t finished. Sawhorses with boards across were set up as tables for the hefty quantity of food everyone brought. From Marina’s and Audrey’s potato salad to peach pie, hamburgers and even homemade ice cream had been devoured. The Barn Cats were tuning their instruments and setting chairs beneath a tree where they’d perform. Some laid out blankets, so they could sit and listen. Others had brought fold-up chairs.
Natalie sat beside me in a pretty green sundress that matched her eyes and had me wanting to slip the little straps off her shoulders and devour what was beneath. I’d kept as close as I could to her since she arrived. As close as I could without raising questions from the pack. I now wished I’d cancelled this BBQ before it started because being near Natalie without showing the whole pack she was mine fucking killed me.
People had, just as my brothers and their wives had assumed, regaled her with stories about her great-uncle. He’d been a kind, patient human who always had time for the pack. While no one had told him we were shifters, it was assumed he knew and didn’t care. The tales were all good ones, and hopefully, Natalie could cherish them.
“The Barn Cats are ready for you,” Boyd said, coming up with Audrey tucked under his arm.
“What? Me?” Natalie asked, looking at my brother in confusion.
“Yeah, you brought your fiddle over, didn’t you?”
When she continued to stare at him blankly, he cocked his head, narrowing his eyes slightly. “We talked about it on the phone earlier.”
I thought I detected alarm in her expression before she smoothed it out. “Oh, right. Yes. When we talked on the phone.”
“So, where’s the fiddle?” Boyd glanced around. “Got your case stored somewhere?”
She frowned. “Um, no. Sorry, I forgot it. I guess Rob’s addled my brain.”
“It’s all right if you forgot,” I reassured her. She seemed strangely uncomfortable, which made my wolf extremely protective.
Boyd put his fingers in his mouth and an ear-splitting whistle cut through the air. Everyone turned to look our way. “Kurt, got an extra fiddle? We’ve got an extra fiddle player right here.” Boyd pointed down at the top of Natalie’s head, and everyone started to clap and cheer.
All color bled from her cheeks, and she took a step back.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, leaning in so only she—and every other wolf around—could hear.
“I’m not in the mood to play.”
Boyd took his arm from around Audrey, then slung his other around Natalie, as if taking on a new mate. “Nonsense, they play easy stuff in comparison to what you’re used to. Don’t worry, they won’t be pulling out any Mozart. Come on, darlin’. Show ‘em what you got. Don’t be afraid. From what we talked about last month when you were still at school, you’re a hot shot player.”
Natalie offered him a fake smile, but he gave her no choice, leading her through the small group of pack members to the other musicians. They introduced themselves one at a time, then Kurt handed her a violin and bow. The old guy was as grizzled as they came, but he was a mean fiddle player and had a kind soul.
I had no idea what the difference was between a violin and a fiddle, but I knew I liked the sound either way.
Natalie didn’t sit down, so the guys didn’t either. They moved to stand, so she was in the center of them, five musicians lined up. Kurt began to play a lively melody, the other Barn Cats picking up the tune.
Pack members clapped and stomped their feet. Natalie smiled nervously, then looked around. Then she set the bow and fiddle down on a table, reached for a can of soda, put it to her mouth, and spilled it all down the front of her.
Purposely.
Something was off.
“Oh God,” she murmured with a forced laugh. “I need to go clean up.” She set the violin gently back in its case and made a beeline toward the house.
I intercepted her on the way, taking her hand and leading her through the back door and into the house. Shifters had exceptional hearing, but hopefully they wouldn’t eavesdrop from in here. It was one thing for the entire pack to know my business, it was another for them to overhear it.
“Angel, you want to tell me what in the hell’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just spilled.” She grabbed some paper towels from the roll and dabbed them over the soda on her dress. “I should probably get home and change.”
“Bullshit.” I caught her arm and turned her to face me.
She tensed into what I would swear was a fighter’s stance—her knees soft, her elbows loosely bent. I caught the scent of fear, and it turned my stomach sour.
My mate was afraid?
Of me?
Something wasn’t right here. I could sense it, being alpha. It made for a great leader the fact that I had a very strong bullshit meter.
Why wouldn’t she want to play with the others? It was obvious she didn’t. Nothing made sense. My mind raced over the possibilities.
“We didn’t talk much about your schooling. After a week together, that makes me an asshole, and I’m sorry for that. Did something happen that you don’t want to play anymore?”
She shook her head and went over to the center island. She picked up an apple from a bowl, clearly fidgety. “I don’t want to mess up in front of all your friends and family.”
I smelled another lie.
My mate was lying to me. Again. My wolf howled with dismay.
I was right. Something was wrong. Natalie wasn’t shy. I doubted since she was getting a Master’s degree in music she’d have stage fright. It was as if—
Boyd walked into the kitchen. I glared at him, wanting him out, but he folded his arms over his chest and walked over to flank me.
Like he would if I were under threat.
But by Natalie?
“So, you forgot the fiddle?” Boyd asked. The question definitely sounded aggressive. My wolf didn’t like it, but a prickle of foreboding had already begun at the base of my skull. Boyd knew more than I did, it seemed. I just had to wait it out.
“Yeah.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Sorry. The truth is, I got pretty burnt out on music in school. I don’t ever want to play the violin again.”
That was a different story than what she’d offered me a moment ago.
“Well, did you at least bring the mayonnaise?” Boyd demanded. “Remember, from when I called earlier?”
Natalie lifted her eyes from the apple. “What? Oh, gosh. Sorry! I guess I forgot that, too.” She ran her fingers over her hair, then spun away.
I’d dealt with some bad shit with the pack over the years. Someone had hurt a kid once. That had been bad. Another drank himself off a bridge. But I had a sinking feeling that what was going to happen next was going to destroy me. I couldn’t figure out what, exactly, but if Boyd was here questioning her, he was doing it for a reason. He wasn’t accusing her of anything. It was more like he was trying to pull answers from her. To gauge her response. I’d done it many a time, setting a trap for someone to step in and...
“On the call, I didn’t ask you to bring mayonnaise,” Boyd said in a low, dangerous tone.
Natalie went still, her gaze narrowed. I’d seen her pissed at me before, deservedly so. This was all defense.
“Tell me, Natalie, who the fuck did I talk to this afternoon?” Boyd asked. “Because it sure as hell wasn’t you.”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, but this time not because I’d brought her to orgasm.
Her jaw clenched in defense, but tears popped into her eyes. She blinked them back. I hated when females cried, especially my mate, but I wasn’t going to hold her now. She was holding onto something. A secret. A big fucking secret.
When she didn’t answer, I slapped my hand down on the counter. “Who did
Boyd talk to?” I put alpha power into it without meaning to. Both she and Boyd drew back.
“Natalie,” she blurted. “He spoke to Natalie.”
“You.”
Her fiery curls swayed as she shook her head. “The real Natalie.”
I took a step back as I stared at my mate before me. A tear slipped down her cheek, but she remained silent.
“Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with Natalie Shefield?”
She inhaled and let out a long breath. “Natalie is in LA. She’s fine. I didn’t kill her and stuff her body in a freezer.” She looked at Boyd, then at me. “My name is Willow Johnson. I’m a DEA agent, and I’m here undercover.”
My eyes flared wide, and my wolf wasn’t sure if it should howl in misery or snap at her at her deceit.
“We don’t have drugs here. You’ve done a thorough check of my bed. Search the rest of the property, then get the fuck out.” I pointed at the closed door.
The tears came faster now. “You’re not who I’m investigating.”
“Oh no?” I asked. I’d never hit a female before, and I wasn’t going to start now, but this woman… this imposter… was trying my abilities to hold back. She’d tricked me and my wolf. She wasn’t Natalie Shefield. All this time, I’d had no idea. What a pathetic alpha I was.
“It was all a lie, wasn’t it?” My brows went down low. “Were you using me to get information? Was any of it real?”
“Rob, no—”
“Fuck, I opened up to you.” I took a step toward her when I realized something. “Holy fuck. You know the truth about the pack.”
It was my job to protect the shifters who looked to me to lead, and I’d broken the biggest secret of all. No one could know we were shifters. I didn’t just tell the hot neighbor. I told a fucking DEA agent. Not only did I have moon madness and my wolf had chosen a human… a lying human, but I’d blabbed pack details like a middle school girl.
“I won’t tell your secrets, Rob,” she whispered.