“Your name?” Gunnar asked in a low growl, practically buzzing with excitement despite his expressionless face.
Damn, Reno hadn’t ever wanted to punch the basilisk, but now he really did. He needed to get himself under control. It was probably because he had extra-strong protective instincts toward her.
“My name’s Danielle Summers, but everyone calls me Dani.”
“Much obliged,” Harrison replied. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but Reno is one of the few men I trust, and I can promise you’ll be safe here as long as you like.”
“Thank you,” Dani said, smiling, seeming unfazed by the huge men.
“And I’m Beck,” Beck added gruffly. “Welcome to Dragonclaw.”
“Nice to meet you gentlemen. Thank you for letting me stay.”
Reno looked away, feeling irked again. She was already warming up to them, and he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy even though Harrison and Beck were both mated.
After she let go of Beck’s hand, she pointed at Gunnar. “And who’s that?”
At that, Gunnar’s eyes widened, and he stepped forward, holding out a hand. “Gunnar,” he said.
She took his hand, and Reno felt a snarl rumble at the back of his throat when the dark-haired basilisk held her hand for a bit too long. She was his mate, dammit.
Wait, no, she wasn’t. He had left, hurt her. He had less than no right to her, and now he was just keeping her safe.
“Well, would you like to come inside, Dani?” Harrison asked, gesturing toward the house as Marian, his mate, walked out.
“Yes, please,” Dani said, looking relieved. “Maybe you kind people can give me an explanation as to what’s going on, unlike a certain someone.” She shot Reno another annoyed glance, and he looked away, tucking his hands into his pockets and following the group inside.
When Harrison shot him a perplexed look from over his shoulder, Reno just shrugged and sighed. She was chatting with Marian and Beck and getting along with everyone, but he couldn’t help but feel the hints of tension and anger and unanswered questions between them.
Everything was getting messier by the minute, and as he followed the rest of the group up the steps, he realized he still had no idea how he was going to explain anything to her, much less the rest of Dragonclaw.
Plus, there was the wave of fury that rose in his chest whenever anyone, especially Gunnar, looked at her.
It was probably just the leftover stress and adrenaline from saving her from those men. It definitely wasn’t at all because he was jealous.
Nope, not one bit.
He hadn’t planned out what it would be like to bring her back to Dragonclaw, but with each passing second, the tension in his chest was rising just being around Dani again.
His wolf howled, but Reno ignored it.
Time to face the music.
7
Dani felt surprisingly at home as she sat down at the worn oak table in the dining room of the homestead.
From what she had seen so far, Dragonclaw was a charming, homey, western-style ranch. Rustic yet clean and seemingly well-functioning. If not for the sudden rescue—or abduction and subsequent argument with Reno—she’d want to take her camera out and shoot photos of the whole place.
From what she could tell, the settlement was completely secluded within its own plot of land. On either side, long Texas plains stretched into the distance while, in the background, tall mountains loomed.
Dani didn’t think she’d ever seen such a beautiful place. Maybe she’d still have time to take a few pictures if Harrison and the others allowed it.
It really was too bad that her thoughts about Reno still occupied her mind right now, being mad at how incredibly frustrating and attractive he was. The most infuriating thing was that she’d wanted to kiss him right in the middle of their argument.
Ridiculous.
But she couldn’t help but notice how different he was now. Gone was her more timid, albeit handsome, boyhood crush. No, the person standing across from her was all man—masculine, confident, exasperating, sexy man.
Some things had changed, but the way he affected her hadn’t for some stupid reason. If anything, the pull she felt toward him had only gotten stronger.
Speaking of stronger, what the heck were they feeding the men here at Dragonclaw?
All three of the men that had come out to greet her had been as huge as Reno, if not bigger. Not one of them stood at less than six-three, and they were all incredibly handsome and absolutely jacked with muscle.
The men in her hometown had been big. Dani was used to being around big people. But these men were big with a capital B.
And it wasn’t just that. Their bearing here was different too. Though rugged-looking, they all seemed calmer, nicer, and not at all like the douchebags that would harass her every day walking down the street of Granite Falls.
Once the group was in the room, Dani took a moment to appraise everyone. Harrison, who she assumed was the boss by his manner, was stereotypical cowboy except for his blazing blue eyes. Marian, who Dani assumed was with Harrison, was a woman with dark-brown hair and a kind smile.
The one named Beck was built like a tank and a bit more gruff-looking, as though he wrestled bulls for a living, but his smile wasn’t unkind and he seemed nice enough.
Gunnar, however, was an oddity. She’d never seen eyes like his. One was deep red, the other blue, and he hardly said a word, but she could feel his intense gaze on her the whole time. His short raven hair and black tattoos only added to the intimidating picture.
“Well, let’s all have a seat now,” Harrison said, pulling a chair for Marian and then sitting at the head of the table.
Everyone sat except for Reno, who stood in the corner of the room, still refusing to meet her gaze.
Goodness, he was devastating in that black leather jacket, and she couldn’t help but stare at his gorgeous light-blue eyes, even if everything about the situation was utterly frustrating.
Why is he keeping everything from me?
“First things first. I’m the boss here at Dragonclaw,” Harrison said. Then he gestured to Marian. “This is my wife, Marian. Beck’s my second-in-charge.”
At that, Beck nodded.
“There’re others here at the ranch.” Harrison continued. “You’ll certainly run into them if you’ll be staying here for a while. We can introduce you then, but for now, tell us something about you.”
Dani looked around the table as everyone leaned forward, watching her. She returned their gazes, intrigued by how closely knit everyone at Dragonclaw seemed to be.
Kind of like a family.
Deep down, she felt a tinge of happiness, knowing that even if Reno had left, he hadn’t been alone all these years. He’d had people here, people that clearly cared about him.
Still, her insides twisted and ached, knowing that she wasn’t a part of it, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he couldn’t have been near her, why he had to be all the way out here.
The Remi she knew never did anything without reason. But what could have caused him to come all the way out here and cut ties with everyone from their hometown?
He had to have been escaping something, something serious. But what, she wasn’t sure, and until he told her, she would never know.
“I, um,” she said, feeling suddenly nervous. “I grew up in Granite Falls, Colorado.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Reno’s eyes flash with recognition, but she continued.
“I’m a photographer.”
“Do you have any family?” Marian asked.
A wave of sadness went through Dani, and she shook her head. “No, my mom died a few years ago.”
For the first time since their argument earlier, Reno’s eyes met hers, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was sadness reflected in his irises.
Hmph. Like he has any right to be sad after disappearing like that.
The room was silent as everyone took that in.
/> “I’m sorry,” Marian said finally.
Dani smiled and waved a hand in an attempt to lighten the mood. “It’s okay. It was her time.”
“So what brings you to Texas?” Beck asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“A friend from college actually. She moved out here years ago with her husband and invited me to come and visit.” She laughed. “I liked it so much that I decided to stay. Bought a small studio in town.”
Harrison’s gaze was shrewd. “So what’s your connection to Reno?”
Dani paused, then stared at Reno. “We were friends once. Or so I thought.”
“Are.” He corrected her, looking uppity.
She shrugged at that, not fighting him on it. Secretly, she liked that she could affect him, knowing that after so many years, he felt more than indifference or annoyance.
Maybe he cared more than he pretended to.
The answer seemed to satisfy Harrison, who sat back in his chair and folded his arms. “Well, a friend of Reno’s is a friend of ours.” He frowned. “But what’s this I hear about men in town and Reno kidnapping someone?”
“I didn’t kidnap anyone,” Reno said, nodding to Dani. “I rescued you.”
She rolled her eyes. “There’s a thin line between rescue and kidnapping, and not giving someone a choice makes it a kidnapping.”
“Oh, so you wanted me to leave you with those men?”
“Maybe.”
He stared agape. “What if they hurt you? Tortured you?”
“What exactly do you think you’ve been doing by telling me nothing?” Dani fired back. She winced as the barb struck true, and he looked away. It was true, but she hadn’t meant to go that far.
“Sorry,” she said after a few moments of silence. “I just—”
“No, you’re right.”
The room was awkwardly silent for a few minutes until Harrison spoke up. “Okay, who exactly is trying to take who now?”
Everyone looked at Reno, who frowned. “People… from my family. I think.”
“Your family?” Beck asked, incredulous. “You never mentioned your family.”
What?
Had Reno really been out here for all of these years and kept his past a secret from these people?
Why was he withholding it from them? He had clearly never mentioned her to them, so did he still think about her the way she thought about him?
If not, then why did he kiss her in the alley last night? Why did his eyes light up whenever they met hers, even if he was angry or upset?
All of that told her that he still cared, still wanted her, so what was going on?
“Why would they be after her?” Harrison asked.
Reno paused. “To get to me, most likely.”
The room was silent again as everyone took that in until Harrison cleared his throat.
“Well, in that case, I’m going to make an executive decision. I won’t force you two to share more than you need to, but in light of the circumstances, I think it’s only fair that she knows.” He shot a meaningful glance at Reno, whose eyes widened.
“No, you can’t. It’s against the rules.”
Harrison shrugged. “If she’s spent as much time around people like us as I suspect she has, being around you especially, she probably already knows.”
“Knows… what?” Dani asked, feeling lost. What the heck were they talking about?
People like us?
Dani could hardly contain her curiosity. They were on the edge of telling her things that would give much-needed context. She would do anything to better understand the situation.
“You all tell her this, and she’ll be in more danger than she already is,” Reno said.
“Can her situation get any more dangerous now that people are after her?” Harrison asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Reno opened his mouth, then closed it again in consternation. Then, when it looked like he couldn’t find anything to say, he stormed out of the room and out the front door.
Everyone watched him go. Then Dani turned back to the boss of Dragonclaw.
“Tell me what?” she asked.
He breathed in deep, then sighed slowly. “About shifters.”
8
A soft evening breeze blew across the back porch of Reno’s personal home as he reclined on the steps, staring out into the Texan wilderness.
He’d always loved to stare out at the prairie and the mountains in the distance. It made him feel calm, which was something he really needed at the moment.
It had been a long time since he’d been this on-edge.
Deep down, he knew that Dani had every right to know about shifters. She grew up in a town full of wolves who were mostly part of his family’s very large pack, though he’d had to fight them off her many times throughout their childhood.
Still, that didn’t mean that knowing would make her any safer, nor would it simplify the situation.
If anything, it just made everything even more confusing. One more thing he had kept from her no matter how noble his intentions in doing so.
Reno frowned and opened his hand, staring at the small vial of pale blue-white liquid that sloshed within.
His last stabilizer.
He stared at it for a second, then tucked it into his pocket and considered his current circumstances.
The woman he’d left to protect had magically appeared back in his life, his family was after both of them, and the only thing that kept the power inside of him from tearing him apart and turning him into a monster was down to the last dose.
Wonderful.
He cursed his stupid, megalomaniacal family for tearing him and Dani apart and leaving him no option but to hurt her.
Dani, who had been his everything, his mate, best friend, and balm in the world. She still was in many ways, and his wolf ached to be with her every second.
But things had changed, and he couldn’t help but wonder what his life would have been like if things had been different. If his family hadn’t sucked so bad and he hadn’t had to leave.
Would they be mated by now? Perhaps with a few wolf pups?
He shook his head. None of that mattered now. It would never be his future, even if all he wanted to do was just take Dani in his arms and kiss her senseless. It had broken his heart all over again to hear the loneliness in her voice when she talked about her mom and their hometown.
She deserved so much more—love and support and happiness—and he just wished there had been a way to give it to her. But for all his searching, there hadn’t been. He couldn’t have risked it.
If he’d tried to contact her, his family would likely have captured her and tortured her for information. It was why they had been following her for years, why they were still following her.
And making up for lost time now wasn’t an option either, not if he wanted to keep her safe.
He was so deep in thought, however, that he almost didn’t notice when a hand tapped on his shoulder. When he looked up, Dani was leaning over him, accompanied by Gunnar, who was surveying him quietly.
“You weren’t in the barn,” she said. “No one knew where you went off to, but Gunnar said he knew where you were.”
The basilisk nodded resolutely, eyes flickering back over to Dani before meeting Reno’s again.
She looked up at Gunnar. “Thanks.”
At the words, Reno’s wolf growled jealously. Damn, if it wasn’t out of control nearly every moment he spent with her.
Gunnar smiled proudly and nodded, then turned and trooped back over to the main house, leaving Reno and Dani in awkward silence.
After a few minutes of quiet, only broken by the sounds of the breeze and tumbleweeds dancing across the prairie, Dani cleared her throat.
“Mind if I sit by you?”
Reno shrugged, unsure of what to say, and she sat down next to him and ran a few fingers through her hair.
She exhaled wearily. “So that was a ride.”
“What did they say?”
“Just
basic stuff really. Things I’d already seen on TV and the Internet. I’d never put much stock in it, though.” She laughed and leaned over to nudge him. “So you’re a wolf, huh? Howling at the full moon and all that?”
He snorted. “Alpha wolf, and for your information, the last time I howled at the moon was, um…” He trailed off. “Two months ago.”
“Explains your fascination with astronomy as a kid,” she said, laughing and looking up at the clear blue sky. “And those men back in town who tried to kidnap me?”
“Most likely wolves.”
“What about the people back in our hometown?”
“A couple of bears but, again, mostly wolves.”
“Huh.” She took that in, her lips pursing adorably.
“How are you handling the news?” Reno asked after a few minutes. He’d often wondered what her reaction would have been if he had told her. Or what her reaction would be if it ever became safe to tell her everything.
“I’m a bit shaken, honestly,” she replied. “But a lot of things kinda make sense now.”
“How so?”
“Like how I never seemed to fit in back at Granite Falls. Why there were so many strange customs and norms that weren’t really what most people consider normal.” She nodded at him. “Explains why I’ve seen you do things that aren’t really… human.”
He thought for a second, then smiled. “Like that one time I snapped the quarterback’s arm the week of homecoming for making a rude gesture?”
Dani laughed. “Yeah, that among other things.”
“I wasn’t a full alpha back then. I was still basically a kid.” Reno laughed ruefully. “I’m not the same person I used to be.”
“I can see that.”
Surprisingly enough, there was no judgment in her voice, and he looked up, catching and holding her gaze for a second, feeling warmth and hope blossom within him for the first time in a long while.
In spite of troubling circumstances, it was good to see her. Really good.
“For what it’s worth,” Reno said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry that I had to bring you here on such short notice.” He shrugged. “Maybe I shouldn’t have.”
Rogue Wolf Page 5
