Reaching out, she slapped at the buttons until the music stilled. Her breathing was loud and fast, the only thing she could hear above the whooshing sound in her ears.
The truck slowed and turned off the road. Shelley looked around, feeling frantic. A motel. James was pulling into a motel.
She clawed at the lock of her door and whipped off her seatbelt as he brought the truck to a stop. She had to get away. The cab of the truck was closing in around her.
“Shelley.” She heard him call her name as if from a distance.
Air. She had to have air.
She jumped out of the truck and stumbled, barely catching herself before she fell to the hard, cold ground. There were a few patches of snow clinging to the shadowy base of a tree just to the right of the entrance to the motel. It was a silly thing to notice. But she’d found that focusing on something sometimes helped her control her panic attacks.
This was the second one today. Not surprising, all things considered. But she didn’t like it. They left her feeling weak and helpless. And she was neither of those things.
James hovered next to her but didn’t touch her. A part of her was glad he was keeping his distance. Another part of her longed to have his strong arms around her like he’d done earlier today.
“It’ll get better, Shelley.”
She didn’t know who he was trying to convince, himself or her.
Minutes ticked by and finally she felt the vise loosening from around her chest. A bird called out in the distance and she could hear the rumble of traffic on the road beyond.
Slowly, she turned to face James. His eyes were narrowed and a muscle jerked in his jaw. He didn’t look angry, she decided. Not really. She couldn’t quite figure him out.
He reached his hand out, his movements slow and even. She forced herself not to flinch as he tucked a lock of hair around her ear. “Okay now?”
“I’m fine. I’m usually not this bad.” For some reason she didn’t want him to view her as weak, as a victim.
“Don’t worry about it.” He motioned to the truck. “How about we get our stuff and check in for the night. I don’t know about you, but I could do with a good meal and some sleep. I’ve been on the road for a week.”
Shelley realized just how little she knew about James. She knew his home was in North Carolina and that he had a daughter. Oh, and that he’d recently moved into a new house. That was pretty much it if you didn’t count the fact that he was a werewolf, one that she was physically attracted to.
She nibbled her lower lip. Would they share a room? Did that mean he wanted sex? She didn’t want to squander her money on a motel room, but she wasn’t having sex with any man again unless it was her choice.
Once again, James seemed to understand her fears. “Just sleep, Shelley. I’ll get a room with two double beds.” He stared down at her, his piercing golden-brown eyes unflinching. “I promise.”
Taking a deep breath, she made the decision to trust him. He’d kept his promises so far. He hadn’t hurt her. In fact, everything he’d done had been to protect her in some way.
“Okay.”
He smiled and reached in around her and dragged out her two bags of belongings and a leather case. He shut the door and locked it. “After you.” He tilted his head toward the door.
Shelley strode toward it, back straight, head held high.
The fluorescent light in the lobby hummed as they walked toward the counter. The place looked a little worn around the edges, but clean. Kind of like her.
The male desk clerk was efficient and, before she knew it, James was leading her outside again and down the walkway. He stopped in front of room 115.
She watched as he deftly juggled their bags and the keycard, fitting it into the slot. She would have offered to do it for him, but she’d never used one before and was tired of appearing ignorant around him.
James pushed the door open and ushered her inside. The walls were beige, as was the carpet and the drapes. But, true to his word, there were two double beds with a built-in nightstand separating them.
He dumped their bags on top of the low dresser. “You can use the bathroom to freshen up if you’d like. I’ve got to make a quick phone call and then we can go to the dining room and get something to eat.”
Shelley hurried into the bathroom and shut the door, more because she needed a few minutes alone than anything else. But, since she was there, she decided to take advantage of the fact. She used the bathroom and washed her hands. When she was done, she splashed some water on her face and finger-combed her hair. Thankfully, her hair was straight and she was able to make herself presentable enough to go to dinner.
Having done as much as she could, she reached for the door handle. Either James was finished with his call or he wasn’t. Curiosity ate at her and she wondered who he was calling. His daughter? Did he have a girlfriend? Probably not if he needed a housekeeper. In her limited experience, men always expected the women around them to clean up after them. Besides, he’d asked her to move in with him. She didn’t think he would have done that if he had a girlfriend.
She eased the door open and listened.
James waited until Shelley had closed the door behind her before pulling out his cell phone. He didn’t like how pale she was. The last panic attack had taken him by surprise. They’d been driving along listening to the radio when suddenly she’d been frantic to shut off the music. She’d been quiet for so long, obviously lost in thought for quite a while before the attack had struck.
He’d seen the motel and pulled in. She needed some food and rest. Not that his actions were completely altruistic. He wanted the opportunity to talk more with her, to get closer to her before he took her home.
He was under no misconceptions. The moment the word went out there was an unattached female under his roof all the unmated males in his pack would be sniffing at his front door.
A low growl broke from his throat.
Nobody was touching Shelley. Not without her consent. And maybe not even then. All his protective instincts were aroused. He’d only felt this way about two other females—his dead wife and his daughter. And the feelings he had for Shelley were anything but paternal. She was a sexy, strong female who’d obviously dealt with more than her fair share of hardships.
She was also a female lost and alone. It was his duty to protect her.
Having settled his mind, he placed his call, smiling when Alex answered. “Where are you? Are you close to home?”
James chuckled. “Slow down. Anyone would think you missed your old man.”
“And anyone would be right,” she answered tartly. “Seriously, where are you?”
He glanced around the room, doing his best to avoid looking at the beds. They reminded him of everything he wanted to do to and with Shelley.
He cleared his throat and ambled to the window. Pulling back the edge of the curtain, he looked out. It was almost full dark now, but he could see as clearly as if it were midday thanks to his preternatural vision.
“Dad?” Concern laced Alex’s voice.
“Sorry, honey. I got distracted for a second.” He let the curtain fall back into place. “I’m at a motel for the night. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“Is anything wrong?” Now James could hear Joshua in the background demanding to speak to him.
Hoping to avoid causing any disharmony between his daughter and her husband, he hurried to reassure her. “Everything is fine.”
He started to tell her about Shelley, but hesitated. He heard the door to the bathroom open, but Shelley didn’t come out. He walked across the room and gently pushed the door. She stood there looking both defiant and slightly guilty.
He motioned her out. Alex’s voice filled his ear but he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. All of him was focused on Shelley. “Just a second, honey.”
He put his hand over the phone. Shelley raised her left eyebrow in question. “That’s Alex. Is it okay if I tell her about you?”
Shelley’s
eyes widened and he knew he’d surprised her by asking. Normally he wouldn’t have, but Shelley was special. He wanted her to feel more in control of her situation. That was the key to keeping her happy and close to him while he untangled all the emotions and instincts she brought out in him.
“Sure.”
James put the phone back to his ear. Alex was gone and Joshua was on the line demanding answers. “Everything is fine,” he growled. “Just shut up and listen, Joshua.” He tacked on the last when Shelley’s eyes widened and she took a step away from him. She’d thought he was still talking to his daughter instead of his son-in-law. Not that she looked reassured. She sidled over to her bag, giving him a wide berth.
“Listen up, Striker.” James was going to beat his second-in-command when he got home if he didn’t close his mouth and pay attention. Thankfully, Joshua went quiet on the other end. “I got delayed and I’m bringing home a guest.”
“Who?” James could hear the caution in Joshua’s voice.
“A female I ran across working as a waitress in a roadside diner. She’s a wolf, but she has no idea where she comes from or who her family is.”
“Half-breed?”
That could be a problem with some of the pack, but not with most. Alex was a half-breed and his people had learned he would not tolerate any slight to her. “Don’t know.”
That would be the first order of business when he got back to Wolf Creek. He’d talk to Shelley. Maybe he’d have Alex talk to her. She might open up more to another female. Anything she could remember about her childhood would help them uncover her past.
“Good enough.” That’s what he liked about his son-in-law. He didn’t waste words. There was no doubt in Joshua’s mind that she’d be staying. No decent werewolf would leave a female of their species alone and undefended.
“Let me talk to Alex.” He knew Shelley was listening to every word he said. Could probably hear every word Joshua spoke too. She rooted through her paper bag and dug out an elastic band and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. James frowned. He liked it down.
He heard Joshua murmur and then his daughter was back on the phone. “You’re bringing a woman home with you?” James smiled at her tone, a mixture of amazement and curiosity. “Who is she? Where did you find her?”
“Tomorrow, Alex. You’ll meet Shelley tomorrow.”
Alex sighed. “I’ll wait, if I must.”
“You must.” He smiled, easily picturing her teasing expression. “See you tomorrow.”
“Love you, Dad.”
“Love you too, honey.” He ended the call and tucked his phone back in his pocket.
Shelley was waiting for him, an expression of amazement on her face. “What?”
She shook her head and said nothing.
James shrugged. Who could understand the mind of a female? “How about we go and get some dinner?”
“Sounds good to me, but only if you let me pay.”
James shrugged. “We can talk about that after we’ve eaten.” No way was he letting her pay for his meal. He wanted to take care of her. That included making sure she didn’t go hungry.
He also needed some time away from those beds. A bead of sweat rolled down his back. Tonight was going to be tough. Sleeping near Shelley, but not able to touch her.
He wasn’t looking forward to it.
He grabbed the keycard from the dresser and swept out his arm. “After you.”
“What have you got for me, Red?” Steve Macmillan tucked his phone between his ear and his shoulder. He had a pen and a notebook ready.
“It’s registered to some sort of company. LeVeau Holdings. The company has been around about thirty years or so.”
“Do you have an address?” Impatience rang in his voice.
“Well, that’s the problem.” He could hear Red scratching his beard and knew the older man would talk in his own time. If it had been one of his own men, he’d have been yelling at him about now. But Red was an old friend of his father’s, practically an uncle. He was also one of the few people in the world that Steve respected, so he gave the man more leeway than he gave others.
“It’s registered to some fancy pants lawyers in Chicago.”
“Huh.” That in itself was interesting. There’d been a lot of werewolf activity in that city over the past year. “Get Sawyer on it.” If anyone could hack into the lawyer’s computer system it was Sawyer. “Have him do whatever needs doing. I want to find out who that guy was.” More than that, he wanted to know who his passenger was.
“I’m on it.”
“In the meantime, circulate that license plate number. I want to know if anyone sees that truck. I’m heading to North Carolina tomorrow. There have been some rumors out there. I’m going to do a bit of nosing around.”
“You want me to send anyone?”
Steve thought about it for a moment. “Yeah. Send Quinn and Mitch.” If shit went down, he wanted a front line of defense.
“Will do. You take care, boy.”
“I will, Red.” He hung up and tucked his phone away. His stomach growled. Time to get himself a good meal. He stood, grabbed his jacket and slipped it on. Maybe he’d stop into a local bar and see if he couldn’t find himself a willing woman. He was horny and tense. A night of fucking would go a long way toward alleviating both those problems.
He headed out, locking the motel room door behind him.
Quinn’s phone let out a jangle and he answered it before it could ring again. “Quinn.”
“Get your ass to North Carolina.” Red rattled off a motel address. “Steve will meet you there.” Red was the only one who called Macmillan by his first name. They went back a long way as far as Quinn could tell.
“I’m gone.” He hung up and stared out his truck window. He hadn’t even reached the apartment the hunters kept in Kentucky, where he was going to be stationed for the foreseeable future.
These guys seemed to have unlimited resources with apartments in many major cities. Quinn knew they also had isolated cabins all over the country.
“Fuck!” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, ignoring the sharp pain radiating up his arm. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
He was bone tired and sick at heart. He’d been at this for so long he could barely remember what life was like before he’d joined the bounty hunters.
“Suck it up,” he muttered. He briefly closed his eyes, reaching out mentally, searching for that indescribable link he’d always had with his twin. Nothing. But Quinn knew in his heart his other half was still alive. That was what kept him going.
Putting the truck in gear, he started driving. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter Six
Shelley was feeling pleasantly full as she walked into their motel room almost an hour later. “That was delicious.” She knew she’d already said that three times, but it was true. She’d never eaten fettuccine alfredo before and she’d loved every mouthful of it.
James grunted. He’d been quiet, almost withdrawn, during their meal. She hadn’t had much to say, but way too much to think about. As a result, dinner had been a fairly silent affair.
She wondered if everything was okay at home but didn’t feel as though she should ask him. From everything she’d heard of his phone call, his daughter seemed fine. She had no idea what he was thinking.
She almost snorted. Who could figure out the mind of a male? She’d made a study of it her entire life and she still got surprised on occasion, especially since meeting James. He challenged everything she thought she knew about the opposite gender. Better to keep quiet and leave him to his mood.
He closed the door and set the lock. The finality of the gesture set loose a flock of butterflies in her stomach. Her nerves jangled. She was alone in a motel room with a man she’d only met this morning.
All her sensible arguments flew out the window. She took a deep breath. She would not panic. Not this time.
“Why don’t you get ready for bed? You can have th
e shower first.” James motioned to the bathroom. He was watching her with those golden eyes, an unreadable expression on his face.
A shower sounded like a wonderful idea. She grabbed a few things from her bag and hurriedly shut herself in the bathroom. Closing the door, she leaned against it and released a breath. How was she going to manage to sleep with James only a few feet away from her? Would he let her sleep alone or would he try something? Did she want him to?
Groaning, she pushed away from the door and looked for a place to put her bundle of clothing. There was only a sink and toilet. The little alcove outside the bathroom contained a mirror and a counter. She put the lid of the toilet down and put her things there.
She didn’t have a nightgown, so she’d brought her clean dress and a pair of underwear for wearing to bed. It would cover her from head to toe and make her feel more comfortable.
Biting her bottom lip, she went back to the door and pushed in the lock. Not that it would keep James out if he wanted to get in. She had no idea just how strong he was, but she knew he was all muscle beneath his clothing. It was evident in the way he moved, in the way his shoulders filled out his shirt, his biceps straining at the sleeves.
Her skin flushed and she felt restless. She was glad there was no mirror in this room. Didn’t want to see how red her face was. What did it matter how strong James was or how he looked beneath his clothing?
Shelley tugged off her jeans, folding them carefully before setting them on the floor. She loved her new clothing. Pants were so much more comfortable than wearing a dress all the time. The freedom of movement was amazing.
Her sweater came next. Followed by her socks and underwear. Naked, she started the shower running and stepped beneath the spray. It was hot, warming her chilled skin.
She shivered, trying not to remember Steve Macmillan’s face. He looked a lot like his father had all those years ago when he’d captured her. Tom Macmillan had been intelligent, strong and as mean as a snake.
“Don’t think about it.” Shelley grabbed a paper-covered bar of soap and tore off the packaging, tossing it on the floor outside the shower. She worked the sliver of soap into a lather and started rubbing, working her way from head to toe until she felt clean.
Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 Page 7
