Protected by the Rogue Wolf

by Kristen Strassel

  I stayed on my mat as the others rolled theirs up. Willow stood by the door, thanking everyone for coming, but her gaze kept coming back to me. Keeping me in this place. Once only Tessa and Luna remained, she came and sat beside me.

  “Didn’t see you as a yogi.”

  “You couldn’t tell it was my first time?”

  “I don’t judge what brings someone to the mat.” She wrapped her hands around her knees. “I just hope I can help guide them to what they’re looking for.”

  After sitting in this class, it was no surprise that Willow had defused the situation at the Stepchild. “What do most people come here looking for?”

  “Some want a workout, and others come to have time to themselves,” she said. “I started doing yoga after I had Hazel, to lose the baby weight. But I started to love that it was the one hour a day I could truly be myself, without worrying about what anyone else thought.”

  “And you started teaching because you wanted other people to feel like that?”

  She nodded. “Or their own version of that feeling. So tell me, just Carlos, what brought you to yoga today?”

  “You.” The answer was easy, but it was so complicated at the same time. “Every time I leave you, all my wolf wants is to come back to you. My beast thinks he needs to save you.”

  “Sometimes it’s nice not to have to do everything yourself.” She inched closer. “Maybe that animal inside you could use a little of that too.”

  “He could.” We were so close now. But in this setting that was so foreign to me—her turf, a place that she brought people peace, even if it was only for an hour a day—I was hesitant to kiss her. Like I’d unleash the unspeakable violence that had defined my life and take this away from her.

  But that feeling of peace was stronger. She brushed her lips against mine and pulled away to see if I’d follow.

  Fuck yeah, I would.

  Bringing my fingers under her chin, I took a good look at her. Her lips curled up in a smile, and her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip. That was all the invitation I needed.

  My hand slipped to her nape as my lips slanted over hers. I was aware of our audience, and the camera. I should’ve played it safe, but my wolf wanted to claim this woman. So I let myself get lost in the kiss. I forgot about all the reasons why I shouldn’t be doing this and finally let myself have a moment of peace. And it felt good.

  Willow looked shellshocked when we separated.

  “Did I do the wrong thing?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “It was pretty much the opposite of wrong.”

  “Any ideas what happened here?” My wolf grumbled that I changed the subject.

  She shook her head. “It’s probably the same people who were in front of The Redheaded Stepchild with the protest signs.”

  “Have they bothered you before?” I failed to keep my growl at bay.

  “Not like this.”

  “Has Tate done anything about it?” It wasn’t my intention to send her running to him. But I wanted to know what kind of action he took when someone threatened the woman he wanted back.

  She sighed. “No. I don’t even want to tell him because he’ll say it was my own fault for leaving him. But Tate’s my landlord. So I do have to call him and let him know he’s got a mess to clean up. If he’s not already aware.”

  I hated he had that kind of control over every facet of her life. “Doesn’t look like his work.”

  “No. Maybe I’m foolish to believe he wouldn’t hurt me, but I know he wouldn’t hurt himself.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” I kissed her again, forcing myself to keep it quick. “I want to see you again.”

  Her face lit up. “I’d like that.”

  “We’ll arrange it with Tessa.” I stood, nodding to the camera crew. “What do you want to do?”

  “You choose.”

  “Do you trust me?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  But the real question was: could I trust her?

  Chapter Nine

  Willow

  I was glad Tessa wasn’t here to ask me how I was feeling, because so many emotions were swirling through me. Excitement and absolute terror mixed with a craving for another one of Carlos’ kisses. Instead, Stephanie was here, like she had been most of the week, following me around with her camera, but Hazel had kept her occupied as she taught Elvira tricks. As part of my deal with the Werewives, Hazel would get her own adoption video with Elvira, and my girl had no plans of wasting the opportunity. She’d managed to teach Elvira an endless number of tricks. Turns out the cat was food and affection motivated.

  Same, girl. Same.

  Tonight, Jasmine and Jessica, Tessa’s daughters, agreed to hang out with Hazel while I went on a date with Carlos. And Stephanie. I kept laughing to myself, thinking of her as an awkward third wheel and not the camerawoman who would broadcast my very first date to the entire world.

  They showed up with a box of cupcakes.

  “If I had that pink sign beckoning me every time I looked out the window, I’d be in a permanent sugar coma.” Jasmine laughed as she placed the box on the table. “At the shelter, we celebrate all the good stuff that happens with cupcakes. And we thought this was a good reason for celebration.”

  “A sugar high and movie night sounds pretty good. Maybe I’ll cancel my date.”

  “No,” everyone in the room over the age of eighteen said in unison.

  “Fine. Keep the cupcakes all to yourself. I’ll just go hang out with a hot wolf and...” I had no idea what would happen.

  Jessica waggled her eyebrows at me. “I highly recommend that option.”

  “Promise me a girls’ night when the show is over.”

  “Absolutely,” Jasmine said.

  Hazel jumped up and down between her babysitters, her eyes glued to the white box. It would be only seconds before she pulled the pink ribbon away from the box and dove in.

  “What about Elvira? She’s been working hard to become famous.”

  “We wouldn’t show up without cat treats.” Jasmine squatted to pick up the cat who’d wrapped herself around her legs. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight.”

  “You are too.” Jessica nudged me. “What do you and Carlos have planned?”

  “Not sure. I was told to dress casually. And warm. That’s it.” My breath caught in my throat at the thought of it. No available wolf in the Sawtooth pack had been brave enough to take me on a date since I split from Tate. So, at age thirty, I was going on my first real date that was full of nothing but possibility.

  I hated the little twinge of guilt like I was doing something wrong.

  “Ready?” Stephanie asked.

  Hazel frowned. “You’re gonna leave before Elvira does her tricks?”

  “I filmed the rehearsal.” Stephanie winked at her. Perfect answer, whether she had or not.

  My phone vibrated on the kitchen table.

  He’s canceling. You’re a she-wolf with more baggage than an airport carousel, and he wants nothing to do with it.

  But it wasn’t Carlos. It was Tate.

  Speaking of baggage.

  “What?” I couldn’t even hide my exasperation. Usually I was much more civil, but now that I had my maybe actual mate waiting for me, I’d run out of patience. The ladies in my apartment giggled.

  “Did I catch you at a bad time, Willow?” Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing. Unless the world was falling down around him, whatever he had to say could’ve been sent as a text.

  “I have plans,” I said between gritted teeth.

  “Then I’ll be quick. I was hoping we could switch our weekends with Hazel. You keep her this weekend, and I’ll take her the next two?”

  “Yeah, sure.” That wasn’t unreasonable. And if things got too intense tonight, maybe it would be a good excuse to take a breather over the weekend.

  “Thanks. I really appreciate it.” Tate’s reply startled me. Since Saturday night, it had been so easy to sli
p into a Carlos-induced trance. I’d forgotten all about my ex, and I was still on the phone with him. “Take care of yourself, Willow.”

  I stared at the phone after he hung up. Maybe him seeing me with Carlos at the party was the catalyst he needed to move on.

  I shoved the phone in my pocket, took a deep breath, and forced a smile in Stephanie’s direction. “Let’s do this.”

  After a few quick kisses for Hazel and Elvira, I was in the van, riding shotgun beside Stephanie. “Have any of the pairings on the show ever not worked out?”

  “We had a few failures last season. Ladies with compelling stories who didn’t connect with any of the Bloodhounds. Some players we really hoped to feature but we couldn’t find them a mate.” Stephanie headed north. Besides the ranches, including the place I used to call home, there wasn’t much up here.

  “How much of the date is planned?”

  “Nothing’s scripted. We set up every Werewife for success, and then we let the couples take over. In the confessional the other night, you had a hard time when Tessa asked you about your passions. So we’re hoping we can help you find them.”

  My chest tightened more with each breath. I wanted to be furious that I’d confided in Tessa, in front of a camera, and she’d betrayed me, but she didn’t, and I couldn’t be. This was what I’d signed up for.

  I wasn’t afraid that Carlos was my mate. I was more scared he wasn’t.

  “You think my passion is in the Sawtooth mountains?”

  “Maybe.” She dragged out the word. “The more Tessa and I have talked to Sawtooth she-wolves, we realized that a lot of you were kept from really exploring what it meant to be a wolf. And Carlos is like, all wolf, so he’s the perfect tour guide.”

  I closed my eyes and pictured what it would be like to run through the forest with Carlos. Totally free. What he’d look like as a wolf. The full moon was this weekend, and maybe I’d have a chance to find out...

  Or not, since Tate switched weekends with me. Damn it. And I could forget about getting a babysitter on a full moon weekend.

  I’d be mad about it later, because Carlos came into view. He stood next to a pickup truck and trailer. There were snowmobiles on the back. He knew I couldn’t shift, but he’d come up with the next best thing.

  And did he ever look good.

  Tonight, his hands were in the pockets of his winter jacket. But those jeans were worn to perfection, molded to his body and leaving no secrets. His hair blew in the breeze, and his gray eyes lit up when he saw me.

  Stephanie was talking. I was pretty sure she’d brought the van to a complete stop, and I was already getting out of it.

  “Hey,” he said, like this was no big deal. Maybe this wasn’t a big deal to him, my self-doubt loved creeping in at the most inopportune times. He was a gorgeous, unmated wolf of mystery descent. A rogue wolf, like I’d been taught to suspect. Maybe he went around from pack to pack, seducing she-wolves, and...

  This was stupid. I didn’t have anything to offer besides a daughter hellbent on becoming internet famous...and my heart.

  I didn’t want him to crush either.

  “Hey,” I said back. “Where did you get these bad boys?”

  “I called in some favors.” He put his hand on one of the snowmobiles, and my muscles clenched. I wished he was touching me. “Do you ride?”

  That doubt from moments before? Forgotten as I pictured a very different kind of ride. The kind that Stephanie would have to excuse herself from....

  “I’ve gone out a few times.” More than that, but I wanted him to think tonight was special. And it was. I’d never gone on a snowmobile with him.

  He nodded. The tension between us was hot enough to melt the snow. “I’ve noticed the Sawtooth pack tends to stick to the same areas of the forest. But Sawtooth is huge, and it’s worth exploring.”

  “Is it safe?” I asked. “Sometimes there are wolves passing through that aren’t friendly.”

  Like possibly my date...

  “We’ve got a camera crew and a plethora of getaway vehicles.” Carlos stepped forward, and he put his hand on my arm. I shouldn’t have been able to feel the heat through my jacket, but it surged through my body. Dangerous or not, this wolf was my mate. “I can shift any time I want. And I never shy away from a fight.”

  Chapter Ten

  Carlos

  Bringing Willow to the backcountry was a dangerous move, but she wasn’t the only one who brought backup. It was easy to convince Javier to be anywhere Stephanie was, and Rick never walked away from a fight.

  “My guys are here, just in case,” I said, realizing it was the least sexy thing ever to bring my pack on a date. But I couldn’t tell Willow I feared she was being used as bait, and that was the best-case scenario. “They’ll be around, in case we need them.”

  “Let’s not need them.” Willow laughed. “So it’s kind of funny, I’ve lived in Sawtooth Forest my whole life, and you’re giving me a guided tour.”

  Fuck. I’d insulted her. “Then why don’t you show me your favorite places?”

  “I like that idea.” A smile curled her lips.

  I wouldn’t let myself think I’d played into the wrong hands. Willow was a woman who needed a little challenge. Good to know. Tonight, we’d get a chance to get to know each other. At the Werewives party, she’d been upset and blindsided by Tate. If it all hadn’t been an act. It was no coincidence I’d brought her to the place where some of the fiercest battles had taken place. The ones most of the pack never heard about. It was a dangerous move, whether she was working with Tate or not.

  Dropping in on her yoga class had given me some clues to who she really was, but being alone with her would be totally different.

  Javier and Rick helped me get the snowmobiles off the trailer, wished us luck, and disappeared between the trees. They were about to shift. They stunk like their wolves, and there was no way Willow didn’t notice.

  “What about Stephanie?” Willow asked. “There are only two snowmobiles.”

  “I have a GoPro camera and a drone,” she offered. “I can stay in the van and follow you remotely.”

  “Problem solved. Show me the way.” I climbed onto my snowmobile and watched Willow do the same. Tonight, she wore a short puffy jacket, and her dark hair was in a high ponytail to make room for her fuzzy red earmuffs. Fucking adorable. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were pink from the cold. Skintight jeans that hugged every curve were tucked into snow boots. I liked that she’d come ready for anything. Tessa had advised me not to give Willow too many details of what I planned to do, which would give me a chance to improvise if I didn’t get it right.

  I was determined to get it right.

  Stephanie rigged the portable cameras to our handlebars and checked the monitors to make sure they had reception. “They’re outfitted with GPS.”

  “That doesn’t sound ominous at all.” Willow eyed the devices nervously.

  “Don’t worry if you can’t see me. I’ll find you. Not to sound creepy, but that’s what I do.” Stephanie laughed. “And if the camera falls off one of the mobiles, we’ll be able to find it.”

  Willow revved the engine. “Ready?”

  You have no idea, my wolf curled inside me, desperate to set this woman free and claim her at the same time. My beast was arrogant enough to think he could do it. I was willing to forget about pack rivalries and ride with her.

  “Show me what you’ve got, wolf.”

  She liked that, a lot, judging from the fire and determination in her eyes. I was sorry when she snapped the goggles down over them. Snow kicked up behind her as she took off. I followed her along the road, turning quickly between the trees. Willow knew her way through these much-forgotten backroads, not even hitting the brakes when the trails narrowed, and snow flew behind her when she hit twigs and branches that crossed her path.

  I realized she was heading back to familiar territory, back to Bald Mountain, but not the part that faced town. No, we were headed to the rough terr
ain wolves loved to use as their training grounds.

  Shit, I’d been had.

  I tensed, willing my wolf not to burst through my skin. Willow couldn’t shift, not until this weekend. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t leading me to wolves that didn’t have that restriction.

  She stopped by a stream and hopped off the snowmobile. Steam rose from the water.

  “What’s this?” I asked, not ready to abandon my vehicle yet.

  “Hot springs. Don’t you have them in Wyoming?”

  “We do.” I dismounted the bike. Her excitement was infectious, but still, my wolf was on edge. “But it’s been a while since I’ve been home.”

  “Maybe this can be your new home.” Her tone was low and she dropped her gaze. “It’s been a while since I’ve come too. Don’t know why I haven’t been. That’s not true. Things that used to be fun...weren’t fun anymore. But I miss coming here and letting all my stress melt away and looking up at the stars without a care in the world.”

  “Kind of like one of your classes.”

  She knit her brows together. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “When you rubbed that oil into my skin at the end of class, I could almost forget—” I almost said what I was fighting for, but I didn’t want her to ask questions about what that actually was. Not now. She knew Tate and I didn’t see eye to eye, but now wasn’t the time to tell her how it would end.

  Steam curled around her, and she wore it like an accessory. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  I shook my head.

  “You’ve watched the show before, right?” she teased. “There’s a thing that they do. It’s actually super cute. Hot tub time. If I knew we were doing this, I would’ve brought a bathing suit. Maybe that can be another one of our dates, I mean, if we have another one.”

  There would be another date, my wolf rumbled inside me. Many more dates.

  “I’ve seen the show. I was just thinking. The next time we come here, we won’t need bathing suits.”

  Her lips parted and a full flush spread over her cheeks. “Oh.”