FMR

by SL

  Ray grinned, placing the suitcase into the back of the truck, then

  held out his hand. "Next?"

  "Oh," Jac blinked. "This is my laptop. I'll just carry it with me."

  "Okay. That's fine, Miss ... he paused, then shook his head. "Now,

  where's my manners? I don't even know your name."

  "I'm Jacqueline Hamilton, but you can call me 'Jac'."

  "Jac, I like that. It's sassy sounding." In the dim moonlight, his

  eyes roamed over her, checking her out from head to toe. If her face

  weren't so darn cold, she would've blushed like a schoolgirl. Then,

  Ray turned his attention back to the truck. "Well, let's not stand out

  here in the cold. Let's get to town so you can warm up."

  Ray swung open the passenger door. The metal hinges gave a loud

  squeak. "Oh, geez! That sounds like an angry elephant, doesn't it? I'm

  sorry about that. I just need to fix her up with a squirt of WD-40." He

  grinned, then offered her his hand to help her up into the cab.

  Even through the cold, Jac's fingers tingled at their touch. Knowing

  my luck, it's a case of frost bite setting in, she wistfully thought and

  climbed into the seat, fastening the seatbelt. As Ray slammed the

  door closed and headed around the truck, Jac felt the weight of

  everything upon her ... the trip, the accident and the frigid cold.

  Tonight, she knew she would sleep well.

  Before he pulled the truck door open, Ray took a deep breath. The

  crisp night air cleared his head. From the moment he'd laid eyes on

  Jac, he felt something spark inside him. Damn! Earlier he'd been

  ribbing the boys at the bar for being wolf-hounds. Now, he could feel

  the ebbing of the moon deep in his sithech-blood. What a freakin'

  irony! he chided himself.

  Even through layers of clothing, Ray could tell that Jac was petite,

  yet curvaceous. She reminded him of his grandmother's bedtime

  stories of the Picts – the ancient folk of Scotland. Her shimmering

  eyes matched the rich darkness of her shoulder-length hair and were

  accented by her winter-kissed cheeks.

  Jac was lovely, despite her wild-eyed appearance. Ray could sense

  her nervousness in the aura surrounding her. The distorted energy she

  gave off made him want to pull her into his arms and comfort her.

  Yet, she was a stranger. He knew nothing about her, but Ray knew

  he'd like to get to know her better. And, from the looks of her car,

  she'll be in town a while until Derek gets her back on the road again,

  he concluded.

  Climbing up into the cab, Ray started the truck and flicked the heat

  on 'high'. "You must be cold." He grinned over at her. "Don't worry;

  you'll be warm in no time."

  "Thanks," she nodded. Even in the dim light of the truck cab, Ray

  was mesmerized by the rich darkness of her eyes and her lush lips as

  she smiled over at him.

  "I'm really sorry if I'm putting you out of the way," she apologized.

  He pulled the truck from beside the road and headed toward town.

  "Oh, it's no problem," Ray assured her. "I'm just helping Bruce out."

  "So, you and Bruce are really old friends, huh?"

  "Yeah, our parents were best friends. We grew up together. He's

  like a brother to me," Ray recalled. "But that's enough about me. So,

  tell me Jac, what brings you to Heather Grove in the dead of winter?"

  Ray glanced over at her. Jac folded her arms over her chest, gazing

  out the window. "I'm on business, you might say. I'm a freelance

  writer and I'm here to write a story," she replied casually.

  "The best time to come to Heather Grove's during the spring when

  we have our annual festival. It's really lovely here with all the flowers

  in bloom. It's like an Easter basket come to life."

  The sound of her laughter filled the cab. She turned to face him.

  There was something in her smile that made his heart stir. "That

  sounds really nice, but I'm afraid my boss won't wait till spring for

  this story."

  "Is your boss difficult?"

  Jac pursed her lips together, as if in thought, then shook her head.

  "No, not really. I'm just on a deadline. I'm trying to make the next

  issue of The Inside-View. Have you ever read the magazine?"

  "Nope. I don't read magazines." Ray added with a chuckle, "Unless

  you count the one with centerfolds."

  "I thought most guys read that magazine for the articles," Jac

  quipped back with a cheeky smile.

  "Touché!" he acknowledged.

  Just ahead, The Starlight Motel loomed over the dashboard. The

  ride had been too damn short. Ray was just starting to enjoy her

  company. The dark-haired beauty was delightful and witty, despite

  the tiredness he sensed in her aura.

  Ray turned into the parking lot and shut off the truck. An

  uncomfortable silence fell between them. He angled his head, smiling

  over at her. "Hey, you know, I was only kidding about the

  centerfolds."

  "Sure you were." She rolled her eyes. Her smile lit up all the way

  to her eyes as she reached for the door handle, then paused. "Thanks

  again for the ride."

  The huskiness of her tone sent a bolt of lust down his spine to his

  groin. Ray straightened in his seat, clearing his throat. "No problem,"

  he simply replied and swung open his door.

  A sharp breeze bitterly surrounded him as he stepped down from

  the truck. With a hard shiver, Ray was grateful the icy wind had

  cooled his lusty, moon-induced thoughts. "I'll just grab the suitcase

  out of the back while you check-in, then be on my way," he replied,

  attempting to ward off the effects of the moon that seeped through his

  veins.

  However, a gut feeling told Ray he'd see Jac again soon. And, for

  once, he liked what his gut was telling him.

  CHAPTER 3

  "You feel so wonderful." His voice rumbled in her ear sending a

  wave of desire coursing through her. The warmth of his naked body

  over hers spiked the pleasurable sensations of their conjoined bodies.

  "I never thought –

  Jac silenced him with a kiss, pressing her lips against his with all

  the fierce passion that simmered inside her. He tasted of cinnamon

  and primal lust as she slipped her tongue between his lips. In the

  back of her mind, she wondered where he'd been all her life. Her

  heart panged at the thought of all the lonely nights she'd been

  through, but now, with her body wrapped around his, she knew he

  was worth waiting for.

  He pulled his lips from hers, trailing kisses down the column of her

  throat. Jac let out a low moan as the heat of his mouth stirred

  emotions buried deep inside her. Her sex was slick with moisture and

  ached with longing as he gently rocked his body against her. The

  pleasure of his cock inside her increased the erotic sensations. It

  racked her body with such passion, it was unbelievable. Then, she

  was falling, falling into pitch darkness. She let out a shout, crashing

  down onto the cold ground.

  Jac sat up, naked and cold in a dark, wooded glade. Her heart

  pounding wildly in her chest as she glanced around, terrified. Where

  was he? Before she could call out, she saw a pai
r of glowing, wild

  eyes peering through the dark foliage. A low snarl echoed around

  her. Run! Scrambling to her feet, Jac began to run through the trees,

  through the thick grove of bushes. The creature was hot on her trail.

  She could hear its heavy panting and the snapping of twigs and the

  swish of brush as it drew closer and closer.

  Her legs went rubbery. She lost her footing and fell, face first, onto

  the hard, cold ground. Jac rolled onto her back, just in time to see a

  black, furry creature leap into the air. Air whooshed from her lungs

  as the creature landed on top of her, its large, lupus-like face only

  inches from hers.

  Jac was scared out of her wits. A scream ripped from her throat.

  She flailed her arms, attempting to fight. Get off me!

  "Get off me!" Jac shouted, flinging the covers onto the floor. Her

  heart was racing as she sat up, looking around. Where was she? It

  took a moment to get her bearings. The room slowly came into focus.

  She was in bed, in a hotel room ... alone.

  There was no dark woods, no hideous wolf-creature attacking her.

  It was all a dream.

  "More like a nightmare," she muttered, retrieving the bedcover and

  wrapping herself in the warm, comforting material. "Damn," Jac

  cursed under her breath, curling up in the bed once again. Listening

  to her heart return to a normal pace, the nightmare gradually

  dissipated as she began to focus on the day ahead.

  "Time to get busy," she sighed, tossing the cover aside and rising

  from the bed. A manila folder lay beside her laptop bag. Jac flipped

  it open, scanning its contents. Her editor's contact had provided

  nothing more than a few transcriptions of town hall council meetings,

  a genealogical family tree and a clipping from the local newspaper.

  She scanned over the scrap of paper. It was a sighting of a half-

  man, half-wolf spotted in town on Halloween. "A werewolf on

  Halloween, huh?" Jac shook her head, slipping the news clipping back

  into the assignment folder. "I still think it's all a big farce," she

  grumbled, but decided to get down to business – but only after a

  shower and a cup of coffee. These were the two things she needed

  every morning to jumpstart her brain.

  * * * *

  There was no coffee pot provided in her room and no Wi-Fi

  connection. Disgruntled, Jac decided to head out. Closing the motel

  door behind her, she noticed the sky was still cloudy and the air crisp

  and chilled. Thankfully, there hadn't been any precipitation overnight.

  Dressed casually in her Nikes, blue jeans and favorite heavy sweater,

  Jac headed to the hotel lobby. She adjusted the laptop bag over her

  shoulder and stepped into the small office to be pleasantly greeted by

  The Starlight Motel's elderly owner.

  "Good morning." She returned a grin to the gentleman behind the

  counter. She'd briefly met Mr. Campbell last night during her late

  check-in. The motel owner winked. "You're an early bird. After

  such a nerve-racking night, I'd thought you'd sleep in this morning."

  "I'm on a deadline. My boss can't wait." She gave a soft sigh then

  added, "So where can I find a Wi-Fi connection and a decent cup of

  coffee in town?"

  "Wi-Fi?" The older man had a far-away look in his eyes, then

  blinked. "Oh yeah. That's one of those internet computer hook-ups.

  Right, dear?"

  "Uh, yes sir. I need one for my laptop." Jac placed a hand on the

  pack over her shoulder. "I always check my email in the morning."

  "I don't understand all that computer stuff." Mr. Campbell

  wrinkled his nose, as if he disapproved of technology, then his face lit

  up. "You sound like Ernie, my nephew. He's the brains in our family.

  He loves computers and things of that nature. Why, ever since he was

  little, he used to take things apart ... electronic gadgets and gizmos.

  But, putting them back together was a problem for a while ... until he

  got older."

  Mr. Campbell's amusing story made Jac grin. "It's handy to have

  someone around who knows about computers and electronics," she

  acknowledged politely. "Now, where can I find a Wi-Fi connection

  and a cup of coffee?"

  The gentleman gave her directions to a family diner, Jewel's.

  Thankfully, it was in walking distance and, according to Mr.

  Campbell, a favorite haunt for Heather Grove's more computer savvy

  crowd.

  "Thanks so much!" Jac breathed a sigh of relief as she headed out

  the door. From what she'd experienced of Heather Grove, so far, it

  was a very rural little town. However, she mused, strolling past the

  shops on Main Street, it does seem to have a quaint, unique charm.

  Although she enjoyed city living, Jac wondered if she could settle

  down into the quiet serenity of a small town. Yes, she thought with an

  amused smirk, and then I could write my great American novel. The

  wistful thought made her laugh out loud as she rounded the corner. A

  big smile spread across her face. The tantalizing scent of coffee was

  drawing her like a magnet to the diner up ahead.

  * * * *

  "And, after a few more attempts, I was able to figure out what ISP

  he used," Ernie Campbell concluded, then angled his head, glaring

  over the table top at Ray. "Hey, are you even listening to me?"

  "Yeah, sure. I'm following you," Ray returned his gaze from the

  busy morning crowd in the diner to the wide-eyed youth. "So, the

  computer hacker's located in the area, right?"

  "Bingo! I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure it's a local hack, but

  the bastard's outsmarted me. I can't get a trace. Unfortunately, the

  slime ball managed to get into the council's system and even snooped

  around on the tree, too." Ernie frowned.

  "Snooped around on the tree?" Ray repeated, perplexed. "Now,

  what do you mean by that, Einstein?"

  "He's searched the database with all our family records in it. You

  know, our family trees?" Ernie arched an eyebrow. "Our genealogical

  records?"

  Ray's gut clenched. "That's not good." He shook his head. "Do you

  think we need to call an emergency pack meeting?"

  "And tell them what? Someone's hacking into the computer records

  of Heather Grove and we don't know why? What good's that gonna

  do, Ray?"

  "Guess you're right. Just keep an eye on it, Ernie." Ray let out an

  exasperated sigh, spearing a hand through his hair.

  "Mind if I join you two?" a familiar voice sharply drew the guys'

  attention away from their deep discussion.

  "Shit, Taylor, don't you know not to sneak up on a private

  conversation," Ernie cursed, glaring up at the tall man looming over

  the table.

  "Who's sneaking?" Bruce Taylor flashed them a grin. "Besides,

  any wolf within a few feet can hear exactly what y'all are talking

  about."

  "No wolves in here," Ray glanced around the diner. "Just us and

  Mary Lynn, but she's up to her eyeballs in customers. Take a seat."

  He nodded, indicating for his friend to join them.

  Bruce pulled out a chair and sat down with a heavy sigh. Ray

  glanced over, wrink
ling his brow with genuine concern. "Were you

  busy last night?"

  "Yeah, this full moon's going to be a dozy," his friend grumbled.

  "It's already getting a few riled up. I answered two calls after I left

  you last night. A domestic disturbance call and a fight over at The

  Red Lion."

  "Sheez! Was anybody hurt?" Ernie interjected.

  "Nope, thankfully not. But I have a feeling it's going to be a crazy

  next few days." Bruce shook his head. "Speaking of which, what're

  you two yammering about?"

  Ernie glanced at Ray, who shrugged, sitting back in his chair. "Oh,

  nothing to worry about, I don't think. Ernie's got it all under control."

  A wide grin spread over the red-headed youth's face. Ray could

  sense his comment had stroked the computer geek's ego.

  "Yeah, like Ray said, nothing to worry about. I'm on it." Ernie

  quickly rose from his seat. "If I learn anymore, Ray, you'll be the first

  to know. Well, I gotta run now. I've got things to do."

  Ray was deep in thought for a moment as Ernie left the table.

  Sipping his coffee, he returned his attention to Bruce, who was giving

  a breakfast order to the attentive blonde waitress. With a wide smile

  and a wink, she turned, heading toward the kitchen.

  "Mary Lynn's trying to catch your attention, bro." Bruce chuckled,

  his own gaze appreciating the view of the waitress' rounded backside

  before she went behind the counter.

  "Looks like she's got your attention, too." Ray smirked.

  "You know, she's liked you since high school, Ray. Why haven't

  you asked her out?"

  Bruce turned to face him. Even though his friend was smiling, his

  eyes were serious.

  "She's not my type." Ray shifted in his chair. "Maybe you should

  ask her out."

  "Maybe I should." Bruce straightened his shoulders. "You're so

  damn picky."

  Ray chuckled, but knew his buddy was right. Women literally

  threw themselves at him, whether they were average women or ones

  with sithech-blood. On some level, they sensed his alpha nature. For

  the last few years, however, Ray had put his love life on hold for duty

  ... duty to his pack.

  "I worry about you, man," Bruce shook his head.

  "Oh, there's no need to worry about me," Ray playfully slapped his

  buddy on the back. "I'm fine. Really."

  The soft tinkle of a bell drew his attention to the diner's entrance