A Wolf's Touch (Wolf Mountain Peak Book 3)

by Sarah J. Stone

  Another day at work meant a crowded reception area, people complaining about the endless lines, and predictably, minor arguments between Julia and her colleagues. More often than not, the people she had to work with were much more demanding, and even ruder than the customers. In her mind, abusive coworkers were worse than outsiders. She had to use more energy putting up with them for ten hours every day, whereas she had to tolerate customers for only a few minutes each. At any rate, the anticipation of Ray’s phone call got her through an extremely busy day. By the end of business hours, Julia’s head was spinning, and her stomach was churning. She couldn’t wait to leave the building.

  A wave of sizzling heat hit her in the face, as the power doors slid open sideways. Honking and foul voices pierced her ears, as she stepped outside. But, the sight that greeted her was nowhere near as awful as the all too familiar traffic. It was Ray. His motorcycle was parked on the right side of the road between two black SUV’s. There he was, dressed in tight jeans and a red tee, looking up at her through his black shades. The bright sunlight was shining down on his bronze skin, highlighting every bulging muscle on his arms.

  “You sexy stud…” she thought to herself, as a huge grin formed on her face. “You are the best surprise ever, baby.”

  “Ray?” Julia yelled, climbing down the stairs that led to the street. “Oh, my God: what are you doing here? You said you’d call me.” She didn’t get any kind of response. However, she didn’t mind. He was there. He was there for her. In her impatience, Julia jumped off the last few steps. Closing her eyes, she bent her head down, but it was then that her enthusiasm was cut short. Her smile fell from her lips, as Ray leaned back.

  “Where’s my kiss?” She wondered with a voice a little higher than a whisper.

  “Hi,” he croaked, averting his gaze from her. “Kate gave me this address. Is there someplace we can talk?”

  “Yeah,” Julia gave a quick nod. “There’s a coffeehouse just down the street.”

  Right away, negative thoughts poured into her mind. This was not the Ray she left in Paxton on Sunday. As a matter of fact, he didn’t resemble the frightened man who had insulted her on Friday. There was something different about him, something that Julia could not put her finger on. There was no fear in his eyes. His voice was steady; monotonous even. Under any other circumstances, Julia would have appreciated the opportunity to watch him walking alongside her. She loved the way he swaggered his shoulders. It suggested confidence, and she had always had a thing for confident men. His impeccable looks were just a bonus.

  After pushing the glass door of the coffeehouse open, Ray swept the large, wide room. She followed him to the table in the upper left corner, feeling her frustration building up inside. Julia had no idea why he was acting like this, but, if he mentioned his weakness again, she would completely disregard his nature and humiliate him, right there and then. As much as she appreciated men with a good level of self-esteem, she disliked the ones who would give in to fear.

  “Alright…” Julia sighed, selecting the seat opposite from his. “You said you wanted to talk to me. I’m listening.”

  “I think you should stay away from Paxton.” Ray’s tone had not changed at all. It was just as calm as outside. His expression was cold, as if he had been announcing something trivial.

  “May I ask why?” She spoke, holding on tightly to her temper, as she jutted her chin up.

  “It’s going to be dangerous for a while.” He declared, throwing a few, furtive glances around him, as he leaned his elbows on the table.

  “What is happening in Paxton, Ray?” Julia put a little force in her voice. “Give it to me straight. Is anyone watching you?”

  “No.” Ray said, fixing his gaze on her. “My pack is at war with a neighboring pack. Things will get ugly. Bloody. Trust me; you don’t want to be there.”

  “What, that’s it?” Her surprise sent her voice two octaves up, her mouth falling open in disbelief as she leaned forward.

  “Yeah, isn’t it enough?” He shrugged his shoulders, maintaining the calmness in his tone. “What did you think it was?”

  She dreaded that question, and there was no way she was going to answer it. A wave of relief washed over her face. No, Ray had not fallen prey to fear. He was merely looking out for her.

  “Never mind,” Julia waved her hand in front of her face. “Would you like to know what I did, when Monica first told me about your kind?”

  “Yeah,” Ray responded with curiosity.

  “I laughed at her.” She confessed, as heat flushed her cheeks. “Her story sounded a lot like a fairytale. You know, mighty wolves, rescuing damsels in distress, risking their lives for them, always loyal to them, prophecies… She insisted, though. She showed me a picture of your brother’s wolf. That’s when I, uh…” She paused; “passed out. I couldn’t believe how big he was. For a second, I wanted to tell her off. I thought she shouldn’t be together with a guy who’s not entirely human. But, her narrative changed my mind. Raul had done so many wonderful things for her. I mean, he gambled his own life, just to date her for God’s sake. What kind of man does that? Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I don’t care if you guys are at war with anybody. Monica and Kate were there, when you killed that witch. You protected them. I’m sure you’ll do the same for me.”

  “Why risk it?” Ray inquired, frustration flickering in his eyes. “Of course we’d protect you, but why can’t you just do as I say?”

  “Do I have to repeat myself?” Julia made her voice sound sweeter, as she reached her hand towards his. “Either way, the chances of me going to Paxton these days are slim. I have to work on weekdays.”

  “You’re one stubborn girl,” he remarked, as his face was lit up with a huge smile. “I like it.”

  “You’d better get used to it.” She winked up at him, returning the smile. “Now, can we please, please go to my place? God, I’m exhausted.”

  “How did you put it the other day?” Ray teased, looking up at the ceiling, as he tapped his index finger on his lips. “Lead the way…”

  “Don’t say it,” Julia interrupted, furrowing her brow in a look of mock anger. “Don’t even think about stealing my lines. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Ray failed to mention it in the coffeehouse, but it was not just Julia’s stubbornness that he appreciated. In a way, her defiance to danger reminded him that it was another trait they had in common. He was clueless as to what drove her to defy that threat so blatantly. Perhaps it was her ignorance. The young redhead was human; only two humans had witnessed brutal battles in Paxton; she was neither of the two. The incident by the road, between his brother and the outcast, did not qualify as a battle. It ended quickly, and the kill took place in the dark, more than twenty yards away from her. She couldn’t have seen much. Whatever the impetus, however, her decision was most welcome. Why? Clearly, Ray was beginning to like her, perhaps faster than he anticipated. Julia’s bluntness had blown his mind, more than once. Her words at the pier had shown him, very obviously, that she had no problem opening up to him. She had a wonderful sense of humor as well. Ray loved her teasing and her innuendos, sexual or not. Most significantly, however, this sense of familiarity between them had rocked his world. Indeed, the two of them acted as if they had known each other for years, even though they had only met about two months ago. Ray had never found this level of emotional comfort in any other female, and doubted whether he would find it again.

  The first colors of the sunset were streaking across the clear sky when they arrived in Julia’s large, noisy neighborhood, somewhere in Manhattan. Her apartment building was old and not at all well-preserved. The white paint on the outside walls was a grayish shade; large pieces of it had flaked off. This was a rather unpleasant surprise for him. He knew she wasn’t rich, but he expected her to be living somewhere nicer at the very least. Still, Ray would not voice his opinion. Julia’s intention to disregard any potential danger had moved him. The last thing he would do
was criticize her on her apartment. Unfortunately for him, however, his prolonged silence gave him away.

  “Come on, just say it,” Julia urged, pressing the number 3 button on the elevator panel. “Why does a bank teller like you live in this dump?”

  “It’s not so great,” Ray commented. “But, I wouldn’t call it a dump.”

  “Stop trying to be nice,” she said, as a smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “It is a dump. I moved in here a year ago, because Kate’s apartment is just three blocks away. And trust me; the job of a bank teller doesn’t pay as well as you might think,” she continued, as the elevator rumbled to a stop.

  “Alright, but Kate doesn’t spend so much time in her apartment these days,” he stated with a teasing smile, as she stepped out of the elevator.

  “Yeah, I have your brother to thank for that,” she groaned, fishing into her purse for her keys. "My girl’s in the car all the time. But, I’m not mad. If she’s happy, then so am I.”

  Ray responded with a chuckle, as Julia unlocked her front door. The bond that she shared with both of her friends became crystal-clear to him, as they entered her living room. There were two, large pictures of Monica and Kate, on the wall across from them, both of them from their mating ceremonies. They were all alone, smiling for the camera. Smaller pictures were on the dining table, as well as on the table next to her couch, spanning from their childhood to the present day.

  “They’re not just my friends; they’re my sisters.” Julia’s emphatic tone confirmed the obvious, as she eased her door shut. “I’m still a little mad at Monica for not reaching out to me first when she dumped Raul, though.”

  “You guys are close. It’s admirable.” His voice was bass-deep, with a hint of change behind it. “But, I don’t see any pictures of your parents. Do you have any siblings?”

  His question put a bitter smile on her face, as she moved around him.

  “My folks got divorced, about eight months after Kate’s parents supposedly died.” Julia informed him, lowering her gaze from his face. “I lived with my mother until I went off to college. She moved to L.A., back in 2013. My dad died of a stroke, four years after their divorce. I’m an only child.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ray whispered, as his lips thinned in a sad grimace.

  “Don’t be,” Julia shook her head in disapproval. “It’s not your fault my dad decided to fool around with his secretary. Anyway, I’m off to take a shower. Make yourself at home.”

  “Good job, dumbass,” he told himself, staring down at the floor as she trotted off to her bathroom. Ray quickly decided, however, to not scold himself any further. He was in her apartment, waiting for her to get out of the shower. What would be better than surprising her in her bedroom?

  Predictably, as far as pictures were concerned, things were not much different in there. Julia had a large framed one of her and her friends, on graduation day, on the far wall. Several smaller photographs were on her desk; but something else caught his gaze, something that intrigued him far more than old pictures: a thick, red notebook, lying on the side of her desk. The temptation was too much for him to resist. Ray picked it up, and then pried it open, in the hope that Julia had mentioned him somewhere. The first few pages were dated back to January, 2017. They held no interest for him. Her past was none of his business. Ray flipped through the pages in a hurry, until his gaze landed on the date that Monica had abandoned his brother:

  05-06-2017

  “Tonight, I was shocked beyond my wildest dreams. Monica went missing for a week, and when she came back, she told me and Kate she had been dating the guy she saved on her moving day. He’s part human, part wolf… She even showed me a picture. Our little geek has decided to marry him, or ‘mate’ with him, as they call it. Their fates are bound together, according to some witch. I really hope she knows what she’s doing, although I must say the guy sounds incredible. His entire kind is loyal to one woman, until the day they die. It’s like a dream come true. I’d love to get me one of those, especially after what my mom went through with my dad. Fingers crossed.”

  No surprises there. Ray could tell by the sorrow in Julia’s eyes just how scarred she had been by her parents’ divorce. Eager to find out more, he read her next entry:

  05-12-2017

  “I’ve just come back from my first visit to Paxton. I met Raul and his brothers, Dean and Ray. They both look gorgeous. Dean’s a lot more private than the others. Kate seems to have taken an interest in him, but I’ve got my sights on Ray. He’s a little smaller than those huge bastards, but he’s so damn cute, and he’s so much fun I could listen to him for hours. He’s 26, my age, has short, blond hair, dark-green eyes and a body to die for. I mean, I could see his abs through his shirt, for God’s sake. Damn it, Mon… If you hadn’t told me about their loyalty, I wouldn’t even consider leaving Sean. Now, I can’t stop thinking about it. How can I? Ray and I seem to have a lot in common, and Sean is so serious sometimes that it makes me want to scream. His sense of humor is next to none. I really want to go back to that tiny little town, and talk to him…”

  A small hand came into view, before he could finish reading this entry. In a split second, Julia snatched her notebook away from him. In his eagerness, Ray failed to catch her scent.

  “You’re going through my stuff?!” She yelled, her eyes flaring with rage, as his gaze shot up to meet hers. “You weren’t supposed to read that!”

  “I’m really sorry,” he sighed, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, as she tossed the notebook across the floor. “I got carried away there.”

  “How much did you read?” Julia asked, her voice squeaky, as she leaned over him. However, Ray was not going to dignify her question with an answer. Her diary had enthralled him, but it had triggered his curiosity as well.

  “When I found you in ‘Northern Oak’, you said he’d dumped you,” he stated, his tone calm as he gazed deep into her eyes. “Was that what really happened, or did you lie to me?”

  “You’re not human, Ray,” Julia whispered, her upper lip quivering, as tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m not expecting you to understand.”

  “Try me,” Ray encouraged with a nod.

  “People…” she sucked in a deep, cleansing breath, as she ran her hand through her hair. “People spend their lives, searching for their other halves. When they marry one another, they hope that their significant other will be loyal, body and soul. With you, loyalty is a given. There’s no risk. So, no, Sean didn’t dump me; I dumped him. I did it, because I was thinking about you. I just didn’t have the courage to ask you out back then. You may be wondering why I was flirting with all those morons that night; the truth is, I wasn’t. I was just wasting time, waiting for you to show up. I gave them my name, I got their numbers, and that was it. I was about to leave Jonas’s table, when I saw you walk in. I started laughing when I realized Lucas was staring at me and him, because I was trying to get your attention.”

  Ray couldn’t believe his ears. She had managed to move him yet again. He couldn’t get mad at her for lying to him. After all, he had invaded her privacy. She could well do the same with him. More importantly, however, during her confession, the scent of almond and lavender had engulfed his senses. It was like a drug that weakened him, leaving him subject to her whims. Every small movement of her lips was as sweet as the fragrances that surrounded him. He could not hold back his desire any longer. In a swift move, he grasped her wrists, and turned her back to the wall beside her desk.

  “You did, you sexy little thing,” Ray said, his voice raspy, as he leaned in and then released her. Julia gave him a sexy smile, closing her eyes, as she snaked her arms around his waist. A frantic shudder ran through his body, as she pressed her soft, warm lips to his. Tugging on the belt of her bathrobe, he felt her glorious scent flowing through him, like a river in spring. A low purr escaped him, upon the sensation of her tender, still moist, flesh against his hands. Ray felt the full weight of Julia’s breasts against his chest, causing his
heart to pound like a hammer. Instantly, he recalled all the moments he had marveled at them, either being hugged by tight t-shirts or low-cut tops. The days he would dream about touching them belonged to the past. Now, Julia was at his mercy, and he was going to show her exactly what his naughty dreams had contained. Dragging his tongue along her lips, he trailed his hands up her stomach, savoring her tight grip around him. Her throaty sigh in his mouth made his blood boil in his veins, as his fingertips made contact with the underside of her breasts. A gentle, upward push sent waves of lust rippling through his core. Their smoothness and their sheer weight forced a deep moan from him. Delving his tongue deep into Julia’s mouth, Ray entwined it with hers in a passionate dance, as he glided his fingertips over her breasts. Her arms crept around his waist, as he felt the peaks of her nipples tightening under his touch. Yanking his shirt from his jeans, she skimmed her hands up along his stomach and chest.

  “Your body heat,” Julia hissed, as Ray stroked both of her breasts. “I want to feel it.”

  A grunt of satisfaction served as his response. Taking his hands off of her, he grabbed the edges of his shirt, and then pulled it up and over his head, as she peeled off her bathrobe. The beast within purred with contentment, as Ray settled his gaze on Julia’s breasts. His large, stiff cock had been twitching, aching to be released, but he was so eager to worship her that he didn’t take any time to unbutton his pants. A sexy smile burst upon her lips, as he bent his head down towards her. She threw her arms around him, and flattened her hands against his back, pulling him against her. Ray’s lips caressed the outside edge of her left breast, the tenderness of her flesh driving him crazy with desire and need. He moved his mouth closer to her nipple, as he reached up to her breasts. His fiery kiss caused her to arch upward, thrusting her hips closer to his, as he kneaded her flesh. Snaking his tongue out of his mouth, Ray teased the area around her nipple, feeling her soft hands traveling down his back. A deep grunt escaped him, as the tip of his tongue brushed the hard peak.