They lay there together for a long time, and he was content to let her choose the moment they would move. Her body was warm and comforting against his, and he could have stayed that way without complaint for hours.
Eventually, though, she stirred and propped herself on her elbows to gaze at him. “I like being in charge.”
He chuckled. “I noticed.”
“No, really. I understand that you’re probably an alpha male who expects to be in command of the situation, but I congratulate you on holding back.”
“Alpha male? Where did you come up with that term?”
She smiled and traced the line of his jaw with one finger. “I had some time on my hands while I was pacing the floor worrying about you, so I got on the computer and researched wolves.”
“I’m not a—”
She laid a finger over his mouth. “I know you’re not a wolf, but you have packs the way wolves do, and surely there are some similarities.”
“Yes, there are.”
“You mentioned that Duncan MacDowell’s mate is in line to be the alpha of her pack.”
“She is.” He found her interest flattering. “But what makes you think I’m an alpha? I’m not in command of any pack.”
“That’s true.” She cupped his face in one hand and gazed at him. “But I have the distinct feeling you would like that, Jake Hunter. You’re a born leader. You’d be very good as a pack alpha.”
“It’s a nice compliment, but I’m not going to challenge my pack alpha, a Were named Keegan, who happens to be doing a great job.”
“You have a pack?”
“Sure. All werewolves do. I belong to the Hunter pack based in Idaho.”
She looked puzzled. “That’s not very close. Do you ever see them?”
“Sometimes.” He shrugged. “I’ve always felt more like a Wallace, I guess, although the Wallace pack doesn’t exist anymore in Alaska. The Were community maintains the Wallace museum near Sitka, but that’s about all that’s left. Anyway, I like it here. It feels right to me.”
“Hmm.”
“What?”
She propped her chin on her fist. “I’m sure I’m not telling you something you don’t already know, but sometimes, in the wolf world, a young alpha goes off and starts his own pack.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Why not do that, Jake?”
It was a stunning concept. As much as he enjoyed his independence, he’d thought about the advantages of having his own pack nearby. He’d wondered if his mate, whoever she turned out to be, would go along with staying here, even though his pack was in Idaho.
“It’s a good idea, isn’t it, Jake?”
“I don’t know. I’m still thinking about it.” A pack of his own. The beginning of a dynasty. Yeah, he liked it. She was right about him. He was an alpha, which might be one reason he’d organized WARM.
But WARM was not a pack. It was a social movement. Rachel was suggesting a true wolf pack, of which he would be the alpha. He couldn’t create a pack without a mate, however.
He gazed into her silver eyes and knew exactly what she was thinking. But it violated every belief he held. She might have come up with a life-changing idea, but that didn’t mean she should be a part of it.
Yet she was the only one he could imagine by his side.
Enough. It was past time to end a discussion that had nothing to do with her and gently disentangle himself from a situation that could go nowhere. He wouldn’t leave abruptly, but he would leave.
“You’ve given me a lot to think about,” he said. “Thanks for that.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“Sure. Let’s eat.” But the sparkle had faded in her eyes. She obviously knew he’d changed the subject on purpose because he didn’t want to continue discussing his future plans with her.
And so their parting would begin. Maybe he should leave abruptly, after all. Quick might be more merciful than slow. Perhaps she should have a say in that.
“Rachel, you know how this is going to end, right?”
“I know how you plan for it to end.”
He kept his gaze locked with hers. “It will end with me leaving Polecat. I’ll put my cabin up for sale, but I don’t intend to stick around and wait for a buyer to come along. I’ll let a real estate agent handle it for me.”
She swallowed but didn’t say anything.
“I’m telling you this straight out because I . . . care about you. A lot.”
“I care about you, too.” Her voice was husky.
“I know now I can trust you not to breach werewolf security.”
“Thank you for that.”
His voice softened. “I’ve never really thought you would, but my knee-jerk reaction was to keep you close until I was sure.”
“So I’m free now to go about my life?” Her smile was faint.
“We both are. So I’m asking you . . . would you like me to leave right now?”
“You can’t, unless you can fit into my jeans.”
He laughed. It was a damned serious situation, and yet he couldn’t help it.
Then she started laughing, too. “God, I’d love to see that!”
They laughed until the tears came. It felt good. And finally, they both stared at each other with silly grins on their faces.
She wiped her eyes and sniffed. “Tell you what. I’ll drive over to your place and bring you some clothes.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“But if you don’t mind, I’d rather you didn’t leave just yet.”
“You’re sure? Because I don’t want to make this any worse than it already is.”
She looked into his eyes. “When you leave, it will be the worst day of my life. It doesn’t matter if that’s today, tomorrow, or a week from now. I’ll hate that day because it’ll be the last time I’ll ever see you.”
He nodded slowly.
“So can I be greedy and ask for a little more time?”
“Yeah.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “Because I want to be greedy, too.”
Chapter 19
Rachel missed Jake the minute she drove away from her cabin. She’d have to get over this intense desire to be with him, or at the very least to maintain contact, because she wouldn’t be able to for much longer. But she’d left him her cell number and had insisted on digging his phone out of her backpack and turning it on. Knowing she could call him, or vice versa, gave her comfort for the time being.
She had two errands to run—clothes for Jake at his house, and a pound of coffee at the general store. She hadn’t told Jake about the coffee because he might have objected to her making contact with Ted. But she wouldn’t take long, and she just had time to drop by the store before Ted closed up for the night.
She was almost out of coffee, and a day without caffeine wouldn’t work for her, especially considering the stress she was under. She’d meant to pick up a pound a week ago, but she’d been distracted by a sexy werewolf.
Jake was in charge of cooking dinner while she was gone. He’d do a far better job of it than she would. When she’d left him in her kitchen, he’d been whistling as he concocted a barbecue sauce for the ribs she’d taken out of the freezer and stuck in the microwave.
She had to admit he did a lot for the decor of her kitchen, although he’d chosen not to be completely naked while he worked in there. He’d said that sharp knives and hot liquids made him nervous about his family jewels. So he’d protected his privates with a towel slung loosely around his hips. With his dark hair and ripped body, he’d looked like a primitive warrior wearing a loincloth. The faint red marks from the bear’s claws and his bullet wound only made him look more manly. And, bonus, he could cook.
Yes, she wanted him. She’d run through all the reasons why she shouldn’t want him, and none of them amounted to a hill of beans. Because he trusted her, she could live the way she always had, except she’d have a man in her life. Jake passed for
human all the time. Around her friends and family, he’d continue to do that.
The issue of children had given her pause at first, but she believed that two parents who were devoted to each other were such a gift that a little thing like uncertain genetic patterns became unimportant. Her kids would never know anything different, anyway, and they’d be loved, no matter if they turned out human or Were. She’d help them deal with whichever species designation they’d inherited.
Sadly, she probably wouldn’t get the chance, because Jake wasn’t buying what she was selling. She didn’t delude herself on that score. Not anymore. He had every intention of walking out of her life forever.
After that, he’d mate with some lucky werewolf and start his own pack. She’d seen how he’d lit up at that suggestion of hers. It was her idea, damn it. She’d hoped he’d make the obvious leap of faith and ask her to share that dream with him.
But he hadn’t. There’d been a moment there, a millisecond of optimism when something in his expression had told her he was thinking about it. In the end, he’d rejected that possibility.
As she drove around the lake to his cabin, she wondered whether she should simply hand him his clothes and tell him to hit the road. He could take a doggie bag full of the food he’d cooked. Or a wolfie bag. If she hadn’t changed his mind by now, after she’d taken care of his wounded self twice and they’d enjoyed stellar sex many times, chances were she wasn’t going to change it.
Would keeping him around longer, knowing she couldn’t win, make the end more devastating? Maybe, but she’d also have more memories to warm her on cold winter nights. Those memories would make finding a replacement for him extremely difficult, though. She couldn’t do much about that. She’d had the best and was now stuck with the rest.
The parking lot of the Polecat General Store was empty except for Ted’s truck and a late-model SUV with, of all things, Idaho plates. The dusty, mud-spattered vehicle had obviously traveled the Alaskan highway to get here. Rachel hesitated before pulling in, but she really needed that coffee.
She’d be okay unless the visitors could ID her on sight. Some could do that because she’d been featured on a few news shows in the lower forty-eight. Once someone pinpointed her location here in Polecat, she would have to increase her security measures in both her cabin and her workshop. She’d like to avoid that if possible.
Reaching for the faded navy baseball cap she kept tucked behind her visor, she shook it out, put it on, and pulled her hair through the opening in back. Without makeup and wearing old clothes, she didn’t look much like the internationally famous wood-carver from Alaska’s interior. The baseball cap finished off what she hoped was a successful disguise.
Opening the screen door, she set off the jangling bells that Ted had hung there as a cheap alert system. Ted was behind the counter talking to an attractive middle-aged couple. They were both tall and athletic looking, with good bone structure.
Rachel had been in contact with enough wealthy people in her new career to recognize that these folks had money. That could mean they were collectors searching for her. Although they seemed harmless enough, she couldn’t trust them not to brag to others and give away her exact location.
Tugging her baseball cap lower, she headed down the aisle toward the coffee. Ted wouldn’t announce her presence, and she could wait until they left to approach the counter and pay.
Then Ted called her name. “Hey, Rachel!”
She froze in place. What in the hell was Ted doing, indentifying her like that? Cautiously she turned around.
“These folks are looking for Jake.” Ted gave her a reassuring smile as if to say that all was well. The visitors didn’t want her, after all.
“Oh?” Alarms went off in her head. Idaho.
“They knew his folks and wanted to stop and say hello, but they didn’t find him at home. I thought you might have some idea where he is. Weren’t you two going hiking today?”
“Um, yeah.” She thought fast as she tried not to stare at what had to be a mated pair of werewolves. And they looked so completely normal, too. But then, so did Jake. “Jake, um, hurt himself on the trail, so he’s over at my place.” She could feel the couple studying her. They knew she wasn’t Were. Jake had said werewolves could smell the difference.
“I hope it’s nothing serious,” the woman said.
But this visitor wasn’t a woman, Rachel reminded herself. She was a female werewolf. Rachel began to sweat. “No, not too bad. Took a fall, has a bit of a sprain, but he’ll be fine. How long are you here for?”
“We’re staying at a place about an hour back down the road,” the male said. “We tried to call his cell, but it just went to voice mail, so we thought it would be fun to surprise him.”
They must have tried to call while Jake’s phone had been turned off at the bottom of her backpack. “I’m sure he’d love to see you.” Rachel did her best to sound enthusiastic. God, she didn’t want to get Jake in trouble. For all she knew, these two belonged to his anti-human-mating group.
Even if they weren’t part of that group, they were certainly from his pack. They had to be wondering why he was laid up since he had the ability to heal himself through shifting. Maybe they assumed he was trapped with her, a human, and couldn’t shift. But why not? She’d left him to go shopping, so by all rights, he’d be fine when she returned.
All this complication for a pound of coffee! If only she’d bought some last week. “I don’t think he’s up to company tonight,” she said. “But tomorrow would probably work. Do you want to leave me your phone number so I can give it to him?”
The female hesitated. “If you’re sure he can’t see us tonight, we can do that.”
“It’s been a long day for him.” Now, there was an understatement. “Tomorrow would be much better.” She sounded like a protective girlfriend and couldn’t help that. She wasn’t about to invite these werewolves to her house. Something about them gave her the creeps, and she hoped it wasn’t a newly discovered prejudice.
Then she realized that if anyone was displaying prejudice, it was these two werewolves. When they looked at her, there was no warmth. Apparently they judged her as unworthy simply because she was human. Unfortunately for them, she controlled access to Jake, and they’d come to see him.
“Then let me give you our information,” the female said. Opening her designer purse, she pulled out a small notepad and a jeweled pen. “I’ll write our names down, too.”
“It’s been years,” the male said. “But he’ll remember who we are.”
“I’m sure he will.” Rachel took the slip of paper. Above the number, the female had written Ann and Bruce Hunter. Rachel could have predicted that the last name would be Hunter.
“Give him our best,” the female said. “We’ll wait to hear from him.”
“I’ll be sure to. Have a good night.”
“Thanks for stopping by!” Ted called after them. Then he glanced at Rachel. “Did I screw that up? They weren’t looking for you, just Jake. And they seemed to know him really well. They had his address and cell phone number, so I thought—”
“It’s okay, Ted.”
“Is he really hurt? Or are you two enjoying some alone time?”
“Both. He did have a small accident, but he’ll be right as rain in the morning.” Especially if he shifted once more while she was running errands. “But we . . . I guess you could say we hit it off better than I thought we would.”
Ted beamed. “That’s wonderful. Here I thought you two were destined to be bitter enemies.”
“No.” Rachel blew out a breath. “Not enemies. Hey, I came in for coffee, so I should probably buy it so you can close up.”
“Don’t be silly. Take your time.” His eyebrows rose. “I’m a nosy old man, but you blush every time you talk about Jake, and it sounds as if he’s settled in at your place instead of his . . .”
“He’ll be staying over.” Even though she’d known Ted for years and shouldn’t care if he knew
she was getting cozy with someone, she felt shy admitting it.
“Ah. No wonder you don’t want those people barging in on your private evening. I’m glad you held them off.”
They’re not people, Ted. They’re shape-shifters. But she couldn’t tell this sweet man that, not now and not ever. If she’d needed a demonstration of what her life would be like if she hooked up with Jake, she was in luck. Ann and Bruce Hunter were testing her ability to deal with two different realities.
She wasn’t crazy about the maneuvering, but if the reward was Jake Hunter, who was presently preparing food in her kitchen wearing only a skimpy towel, she could deal. He, on the other hand, probably would be horrified to find out she’d had a conversation with Ann and Bruce of Idaho.
Getting back to her cabin took on greater urgency. “Let me get my coffee.”
“Need more candy bars?”
“Oh, sure, why not?” After grabbing a bag of fresh-roasted coffee beans, she detoured past the candy aisle and scooped up several of her favorites. Chocolate was a known mood elevator, and she might require a little mood enhancer in the near future.
Placing the coffee and candy on the counter, she dug in her purse for the small mesh bag she always carried for impulse buys. A random thought crossed her mind. She’d had several rounds of mind-blowing sex with Jake, but she didn’t even know if he recycled.
He’d said werewolves were protectors, so she figured he would include the Earth under that umbrella. After all, a wolf couldn’t run through the woods if someone cut down all the trees. A wolf couldn’t drink from a stream that had been polluted with chemicals. Being wild would seem to focus a creature on sustainability.
But she didn’t know that, and she was curious. She should make a list of all the questions she had so that she could ask them while there was still time. When Ann and Bruce came to call tomorrow, he’d want to distance himself from her. It might be the end of her acquaintance with Jake.
Ted put her candy and coffee in the bag she handed him. “Did you ever find out why Jake was so hell-bent on giving away that carving?”
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