by Cecilia Lane
“You’re safe,” he murmured thickly. “You don’t need to run. I have you.”
Nora shook, a whine bubbling out of her. Her arms shot out, twisting around his neck in a tight hug. Sweet lavender filled his nose, soft and delicate and tied up in the scent of her wolf. Fur and wind and moonlit nights. He wanted to bottle it up and take it out whenever he needed a fresh dose.
Under all that deliciousness was a deep, sinister sadness. Anguish hurtled through her, racing through her veins with every quick beat of her heart.
The sound of her whimper broke his heart. His bear shredded his insides. The world colored with tinges of red. Dark red, blood red, crimson. All of it layers of Viho’s blood.
The beast roared. He didn’t know how to help her. Didn’t know what the wolf wanted with her. There wasn’t a playbook for finding a mate at the end of her rope or being chased by another. All he knew was she clung to him, trembling with fear.
Death-mad and bond sick from a lost war, or just plain vindictive, Jesse didn’t care. Viho wouldn’t touch Nora. Fucking asshole of a wolf couldn’t be allowed to destroy her. And no bones about it, Viho would crush her.
Which was why Jesse wouldn’t let him get near her again.
Somehow, he’d help her back to her feet. He’d secure a world for her where she didn’t have to worry about who was on the other end of the phone or waited in a dark parking lot.
Right then, he needed her to come back to him. No more staring into the abyss of her darkest fears.
“What’s the first animal you think of that starts with P?”
“Panther,” she mumbled.
“I think there are one or two living in town, now. Have you been to the waterfall yet?”
She shook her head against his shoulder. Her heartbeat began to slow while he made plans to show her all the best spots around town. Anything to make her feel a little more normal with a rabid wolf on her heels.
He ran a hand up and down her back. Touch was important for shifters. For mates, especially. And there was no denying what she was to him. She could walk away, but he picked her. And he’d go to the ends of the fucking world and cut out his own heart to see her happy and whole.
“He’s not going to stop.”
“He will,” Jesse promised savagely. “He won’t get to you.”
His childhood laughed at him. His father lost it all and hid in the bottom of a bottle instead of finding a place in his new reality. Happiness became the enemy after that, and the old man did his fucking best to rid the world of it.
Jesse growled at the memories. Not them. They wouldn’t have the same ending, wouldn’t be consumed by the same trap.
He wanted forever with Nora, not just what little time fate allowed before she was snatched away from him.
Nora drew a shuddering breath and flashed him a weak smile. “How did you get so good at calming down panicking women in back alleys? Got some secrets you need to tell me?”
Jesse huffed a laugh and toyed with a glib answer for her flippant question. Her eyes pulled honesty out of him. She tried to deflect, but she was raw and bare to him. He owed it to her to show off his scars.
He sat next to her, his leg and shoulder pressed against hers. “You didn’t have a family, you said. Sometimes it’s just as lonely with the ones that stick around.”
Nora frowned. “How do you mean?”
“My father is—was, I don’t know—bond sick. He was alpha of our clan when someone stole it from him. My mother died that night. He lost his mate and his clan in one blow, and never recovered.”
She rested her head against his shoulder, her quiet soothing with a lack of demand.
“Nights were good when he’d drink himself to sleep. At least once a week he’d lash out at all the problems that haunted him. It was my job to pull him back from the edge when he got too bad.”
Jesse’s bear growled at the remembered hurt. Years and years of it. “The never knowing what I’d find when I got home from school was the worst. An angry, vindictive parent ready to smack down anything he deemed a threat? At least that stopped when I grew big enough to defend myself. Finding him too drunk to get food in his belly or raging at the ghosts of the past didn’t end until the day I finally had enough and moved out.”
“I’m sorry he wasn’t the father you needed,” Nora said quietly.
Jesse glanced down at the top of her head in surprise. “Most people say he loved me in his own way.”
She twisted her fingers in her lap. “I’m sure he tried, but that doesn’t make what you dealt with any easier.”
“I thought I was over everything. Or numb to it. We lost touch when I moved to the ranch. He’s called or sent cards a few times over the years, but they’d be weeks or months off the mark. There’s nothing like being wished a happy birthday four months late.” He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. Another dose of calm sank through him. Her scent, too, settled from the jumpy anxiety to the gentle lavender he couldn’t get enough of.
He held tight to that scent. “He’s back in town. He was actually here, the night we officially met. He wants to reconnect. Says he’s turned over a new leaf.”
Nora was quiet for a long moment. Her thumb stroked over his skin cautiously, as if she wasn’t sure if the touch was allowed.
Skittish woman. That she had reasons to fear others made his bear want to tear the world apart. The grumpy beast slashed at his middle, pissed off at Viho and his father and every circumstance that pushed Nora to the ground.
“You didn’t have the father you needed when you were a kid. I think you owe it to yourself to see if he’s changed. There’s no obligation to keep seeing him if he’s going to keep hurting you.” Nora shrugged. “I just know if I had the chance to meet my parents and didn’t take it, I’d regret it down the road.”
She knew what hard felt like. She’d always been on her own. There was a strength to that, even if it shoved her in the wrong direction and built up a wall around her. Her own brand of protection for someone afraid to let anyone close.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. Her hand splayed over his chest and—fuck him—heat spiraled down his back.
He dipped his nose into her hair. Lavender burst through his senses as he pecked the top of her head. “You’re not alone anymore.”
“Neither are you,” she said so quietly he almost missed it.
Chapter 12
Jesse prowled away from the bloody scene as soon as Ethan and Alex arrived. Two cows, dead. Killed outright, without a nibble. And right under their fucking noses.
They’d pulled the herd close. They’d set a watch. Hell, he even ran the damn perimeter when he couldn’t sleep and needed to burn off excess energy. Despite all the precautions, wolves snuck in and killed before the clan had a chance to drive them off.
Fucking Viho.
Jesse lifted his lip and snarled into the night. Motherfucker wasn’t content with chasing after a woman and leaving her unable to sleep with the lights off. He had to send a bloody message to those that harbored her.
Jesse took solace in knowing the bastard couldn’t get close to her. That meant they were doing something right.
The two cows brought the total to three dead. Apprehension rippled down his spine. Repeated infiltrations, the same as last time. And like last time, Jesse was certain Viho wouldn’t stop. Not while he drew breath and had a target in mind.
So Jesse prowled, unable to sleep for longer than a few hours at a time when that fuckface lurked somewhere in the darkness.
He’d made a promise to Nora. He would keep her safe.
The same sort of promise his father made to his mother?
Jesse growled. The old man was another reason he couldn’t sleep. He’d tried to erase his father’s number from his phone a thousand times, but stopped each time. Nora’s words hung in his mind. Could he live without knowing if Elijah had truly changed or not?
Soft lavender filled his nose and yanked him
out of his head. He whipped around to see a wolf streaking through the night like the devil himself was on her heels.
Immediately on alert, Jesse roared a challenge and faced off against—
No one.
No one chased her. He inhaled deeply, but the only scent belonged to her.
Fuck.
Jesse turned and bolted after Nora. Why she was out before dawn without anyone by her side was beyond him. Dangerous move. If he weren’t so damned worried about her running into Viho and his pack, he’d be furious.
Nora zipped over the ranch. She was fast, too. Jesse fought hard to keep up with the speedy creature.
One chuff. Another. The wolf didn’t slow, but turned beautiful golden eyes on him. Her mouth opened with a beastly grin before she cut to the side.
Jesse growled and took after her. No matter how fast she ran, he’d be there at the end.
Miles lurched by before the little wolf started to falter. His long strides ate up the ground between them. She stayed just out of range, zigzagging in front of him.
The dappled grey wolf, closely resembling Tansey’s other form, zoomed forward and slowed long enough to look over her shoulder, then spun and ran away as soon as he approached.
The tight bands of worry at the thought of losing her melted away. He understood the need to run. Being thrown too far off balance did him in. A shift and a brawl always soothed his inner beast. They were animals, after all, and their other halves had needs, too.
Besides their first meeting, he hadn’t seen her shift. Days locked inside, with emotions running high and an evil bastard after her? No wonder she’d shed her human skin and taken off on four paws.
Her tail streamed out behind her. Her scent distilled down to the wild, earthy scent of the wolf: lavender and moonlight and night air and fur. Gorgeous scent for a gorgeous creature. She deserved a lifetime of peaceful runs.
She slowed enough for him to draw up to her side. He chuffed at her, but there was no warning or order in the sound. He nudged his head against hers for good measure.
They made their way back to his den, slowing to a trot as they neared. He rumbled at her, then let his beast melt away. Pops and cracks entered the air as one form shimmered into the other.
Jesse shook off the lingering fog of the shift and pushed to his feet. Up the porch and just inside the front door, he pulled out a pair of loose sweatpants for him, and a large shirt for her. They’d have to figure something out now that she’d taken up residence in his den.
He turned to toss her the shirt and still found the wolf staring at him with wild eyes, head canted and ears perked.
Jesse’s stomach sank with realization. He shut his eyes and turned his face to the sky. He hadn’t run with Nora, after all. Her wolf had control of her.
Not a good sign even in the best of circumstances.
Anything could set off an animal. Hell, they’d had to shoot Alex full of sedatives to bring him back to the human side on more than one occasion. Nora had a monster after her. Reason enough for her wolf to steal control.
And reason enough to run a chill down his spine. Viho was close. Jesse hated the idea of Nora running into him when she had no idea of her surroundings.
His bear roared at the danger she faced and wanted to bleed Viho all over again.
When Jesse opened his eyes again, the wolf sank down to her belly, head still cocked.
He knelt in front of the beast and reached forward to brush soft fur in encouragement. “Time to let her out.”
The wolf stared at him and made a soft growl. He stared right back. His bear rolled through him and pressed on the wolf’s will. He was the bigger beast. He would have what he wanted.
The wolf snapped her mouth closed and laid her head on her paws. Her eyes slid closed.
Another long second of defiance ticked by before her form shimmered.
Jesse shook out the big shirt and gently laid it over Nora’s form as her shift rippled through her, then turned to give her space to dress.
She groaned, then hurried movements sounded as she bolted upright. There was a rustle of clothing, then slow steps approached him.
“She took control again, didn’t she?” Nora winced when he turned to face her. Dark hair hung over her shoulders and down her back, messy from sleep and her shift. “Unless you’re very rudely kicking me out before daylight.”
“Happen often?” He crossed his arms over his chest. He meant the shifting, though he made a silent vow to suss out the names and numbers of everyone who put her through such a rude eviction.
“You could say that again.” Nora grimaced. “I may have broken a window trying to get out. I’m sorry. I’ll pay to get it fixed.”
“Don’t worry about it.” His skin stretched tight at her discomfort. His bear roared to fix her, fix the world for her, at the very least make her stop smelling so nervous. Jesse’s throat bobbed with a hard swallow. “What happened?”
Nora made a face and twisted her fingers together. “You weren’t there when I woke up. I tried to keep her calm, but she wouldn’t listen. She never does. She had to get out. Had to find you or get away from here before Viho found us. And then everything went dark.”
Well, shit.
She needed him. Wanted him close.
His bear surged to the front of his mind with a chuff of pride.
His gaze dipped to her bare legs before he jerked his eyes back to her face. Nope. Her scent had to be enough for him. Even if he wanted to dive under the shirt brushing against the middle of her thighs.
He was a gentleman, dammit.
A gentleman drowning in sweet lavender.
He shoved his bear to the very back of his head and built a thick wall to cage the animal away from his thoughts. The need to pull Nora close ratcheted down to a manageable level.
Jesse cleared his throat. She needed help in more than one area, it seemed. Viho would be solved. Her wolf would be kept under control.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to stick by your side while you sleep from now on,” he drawled. He jerked his chin toward his door. “Go get cleaned up. You have twigs in your hair.”
Nora raised a hand to her head and winced. “Warn a girl next time,” she muttered.
Jesse reached to squeeze her hand before opening the door for her. “I like the wild, wood nymph look,” he murmured as she passed.
He stashed away the kick of her pulse and the flush that spread over her cheeks.
Chapter 13
She was leaving.
She should have done it the night Viho called Hogshead Joint and sent her reeling. Instead, her reflection, that b-word, shook her head in smug denial and shooed her out of the bathroom to the man waiting for her on his porch. Jesse treated her to dinner and a show while hurling insults at Alex over his failed attempt to cover Sloan’s Jeep with cotton balls.
She told herself the plan the next morning and found herself on a quiet horseback ride with Jesse leading the way.
Another day. Another breakfast. She offered to help clean the spill made when a brawl broke out between Lorne and Hunter over unclear rules in a coin toss and who was to lead a trail ride that morning.
She was leaving because staying meant putting the wild, kind clan in danger.
Then there was the fact that she broke a dang window because Jesse hadn’t been next to her when she woke. Because that was the stuff of stable shifters.
Her wolf slashed at her middle and dug in her feet. The beast didn’t want to go back on the run.
Tansey poked her head out the front door. “I didn’t miss it, did I?”
Nora glanced up from her spot on the porch. Liv and Sloan filtered out of the door after Tansey.
“Not yet.” She fingered the sides of her new sketchbook. A gift from Jesse to replace the one she’d lost when Viho attacked. “They should be riding in soon.”
She wanted to capture them in that moment. The look on their faces when they spotted their other halves. The day’s labor melting as their s
miles lifted.
“Best part of the day,” Liv said as she took a seat. Nora made a noncommittal sound of agreement.
Tansey disappeared inside, then reappeared with a round tray loaded with glasses of lemonade. A second trip inside brought out a pitcher and another set of glasses that she set aside. The others, she passed down the line.
Nora took the offered drink with a smile and relaxed. The mates of the Ashford clan had rallied to her side as soon as she and Jesse turned back up on the ranch. They’d stuck by her in the days since, too, never straying too far from her side while still giving her any space she needed. With a wild wolf in her middle and an even wilder one chasing her, she needed plenty.
At least there had been no other phone calls or ambushes. Trips to and from town and her shifts at the barbecue joint were interspersed with moments where she could just sit and breathe.
Nora wasn’t sure if they understood what a gift they’d given her.
Tansey peeked over the side of her sketchbook. “What are you working on?”
“Nothing special,” she murmured distractedly. The horse in the pen tossed her head, then graciously settled back into place. Nora rubbed her fingertip between the lines she sketched to add a bit of color to the horse’s legs.
“Nothing special looks a whole hell a lot better than my stick figures. How long have you been doing this?”
“Oh, I don’t know exactly. As long as I can remember. I hoarded pens and pencils and drew on every scrap of paper I could get my hands on as a kid.”
“You taking commissions? I’d love to get something like that for Joss’s spawn.”
Joss poked her head out the door. “What was that? That better not be baby shower talk. I told you I don’t want one.”
Tansey’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I know what you said, but I also know what I want. My wants trump your needs. I thought we’ve established that.”
“Tansey,” Joss moaned. She made her way onto the porch and very carefully seated herself on a bench. “I’m not going to have any fun, so I don’t know why you’re insisting. These things are stupid. The games always suck. We don’t even know if we’re having a boy or girl, and everyone always brings the most frilly pink things or generic boyish stuff. I don’t want to worry about guest lists or registries no one will even look at because surely they know better than the freaking mother what she wants.”
