Touch of the Wolf

by Karen Whiddon

  “Finally,” Sam breathed, shifting in the seat and trying to ease the discomfort in her back.

  “It’s snowing again.”

  Sure enough, huge white flakes were drifting down.

  “Once we get off the interstate, the roads won’t be as well-maintained,” Luc said. “Yet I’d hate to stop for the night when we’re so close.”

  “It’s not even dark.” Sam leaned her head on his shoulder. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him. “As long as this car can make it, I say we push on.”

  “We haven’t got too much farther to go.” Excitement made him sound boyish. When she glanced at him, he winked, and her apprehension lifted.

  In the dusky light, the countryside was beautiful, even in mid-November when most of the leaves had fallen. She wondered why the landscape made her feel so secure; then she realized the snow-shrouded trees and softly rolling hills provided a sort of shield between the earth and the immense, slate-colored sky.

  As night finally settled in, the falling snow and the hum of the tires on snow-covered pavement were lulling. Luc turned on the radio, scrolling through numerous country music stations until he located one playing top forty tunes.

  “You know, getting used to this Pack thing isn’t easy.” Stretching, Sam tried to reposition herself in the seat to ease the growing ache in the small of her back.

  “I can imagine. I also should warn you, once they find out you are a healer, your life will get a little crazy.”

  “Crazy how?”

  Luc chuckled. “Healers are very rare. No one in my generation or my father’s generation has known one. You’ll be revered and loved, but I doubt you’ll get a moment’s peace until they get used to you.”

  She looked out the window while she mulled this over, knowing he needed to keep his attention on the road and the ever worsening weather conditions. Now the snow came down heavily, so thick they couldn’t see past the beam of their headlights. Worse, the window defroster wasn’t working too well, making it even more difficult to see.

  “Please keep talking to me. For some reason…” He hesitated, then gave her a wry smile. “For some reason, the sound of your voice soothes me.”

  “I was thinking about the crush of people you’ve described. And you know what?” Sam asked. “Maybe that won’t be such a bad thing for me. I’ve been kind of lonely.”

  Until you came. Taking a ragged breath, she forced herself to continue. “I’ve been alone for a while, ever since my divorce. It might be nice to have more people around.”

  As long as Luc stayed by her side. The depth of her longing frightened her.

  “How long were you married?”

  “Four years.” She wanted to say more, to steer the conversation back to banalities. Even though they’d talked about this before, the discussion suddenly seemed intensely personal. Too personal.

  Yet Sam couldn’t look away from Luc’s profile.

  Suddenly glad his driving occupied his attention, she chattered on about the potential adoption and decorating her nursery, pausing to catch her breath only when he reached over and wound a strand of her hair around his finger.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Sorry I’m trying to adopt? Don’t be. I know being a single parent is difficult, but I can do it.”

  “No, not that.” The sidelong glances he sent her were smoldering ones, making her wish he would pull the car over and kiss her.

  “I’m sorry your marriage ended.”

  A chill went through her. “And that I can’t have children?” For a heartbeat or two, she allowed herself to savor his touch, before pulling away. Somehow, in the heady rush of physical attraction, she’d allowed herself to forget that no man would want her. Very few wanted a wife who couldn’t give them offspring. She imagined someone like Luc would want several children, at least one boy and one girl.

  The mental image caused Sam physical pain.

  She realized he hadn’t answered her question. No matter; he didn’t have to. His response was written all over his handsome face.

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m not. I’m over it.” She kept her voice flippant, unable to entirely hide her hurt. Time to change the subject. “What about you? Have you ever been married?”

  “Once, a long time ago.” He hadn’t thought of Ana, his high school sweetheart and former wife, in years. “We married too young. It didn’t work out.”

  Still smarting from the realization that she and Luc would never be more to each other, Sam decided to be honest. “Sometimes when I touch you, I sense a…chasm.”

  Her words shocked him, she could tell. Tight-ening his hands on the steering wheel, he swallowed hard. “Not from that marriage, believe me. That was over long before we divorced.”

  “Is the emptiness inside you because of your brother?” She voiced her question softly, to let him know she wouldn’t pursue the subject if he wanted to drop it.

  To her surprise, he gave a rueful nod. “I do want to talk about Kyle. I still miss him. He was only thirty-seven when the cancer took him.”

  Now it was her turn to reach out. “I’m sorry.” She placed her hand on his arm and felt a rush of warmth, the awful ache in her throat easing somewhat. She could only hope her touch did the same thing for him.

  “Kyle was my best friend and the glue that held our family together. After he died, my parents separated, even though Kyle was from a previous marriage of my mother’s.”

  “Do your parents still live in Leaning Tree?”

  “No. My father lives in Greece now, and my mom moved to Vancouver. I’m the only one who visits Kyle’s grave.”

  “He must have been pretty special.”

  Luc nodded. “He was. If he’d been a full-blooded shifter instead of a Halfling, he could have healed himself. If…” Luc’s words trailed off, a muscle working in his jaw.

  Another flash of clarity gave Sam the words to finish what he couldn’t say. “If you’d had a healer then, Kyle would still be alive.”

  Luc didn’t respond, though the guilt-stricken look on his face told her he’d suffered recriminations for this many times over.

  “Full-blooded shifters like you—are you immortal then?”

  “No. We age and die, just much more slowly than humans. And we can be killed, by silver bullets or fire.”

  “So that part of the legend is true.”

  “Yes. One advantage we do have is our resistance to sickness or injury. If we’re hurt, we heal ten times faster than a human.”

  “But Ha-Halflings,” she stumbled over the word, “don’t.”

  “For minor things, like cuts and broken bones, they seem to have accelerated healing. Haven’t you ever noticed this about yourself? Bruises go away in hours rather than days. Cuts seem to heal overnight.”

  “But major illnesses, like Kyle’s cancer and Lucy’s tumor, are barely slowed down?”

  “Exactly.”

  “And you think I can heal these Halflings.” Simply because she could heal small animals.

  “Yes.” Covering her hand with his, he lightly squeezed. “I do. After all, you healed Tomas.”

  “I hope you’re right.” She sighed. “Or there’s going to be one big mess.”

  “I have faith in you.”

  She couldn’t read the odd expression that flickered over his face when he said those words. Obviously, they meant something to him. What, she’d never know unless he told her.

  “This is a lot to think about.” More than he’d ever realize. Not only did Sam have to digest the possibility of a whole new aspect to the world, but she had to figure out how to put a damper on her feelings for him.

  A semi blasted past them. Admiring Luc’s com-petent driving, she watched as he kept their car from shimmying in the updraft.

  “Someone’s following us,” he said a minute later, his voice steady. “Don’t look too obvious, but when you can, turn around. This snow makes it hard to tell, but I swear that looks like the maroon van from yesterday.”


  “The man who tried to grab me.” Slowly, cautiously, she glanced over her shoulder. Even obscured by the swirling snowstorm, the vehicle right behind them appeared to be the one the stranger had driven.

  As she watched, the van drew closer. “He’s riding our bumper way too close for these conditions.”

  “He’s been behind us for a good while, keeping up with us all along. Let’s see what happens when I do this.” Luc wrenched the wheel to the right, crossing two lanes to slide sideways down an exit ramp leading to a farm road.

  Though he had to fight the steering wheel, he kept control of the car, making her admire his skill all the more. Impressed, Sam cheered when the darkcolored van had to stay on the freeway. A second later, it disappeared into the blizzard. “You lost him.”

  “For now.” Luc shook his head. “Not for long, if that was the man who tried to grab you.”

  Sam clicked on the overhead light and unfolded the map. “I bet he’s thinking he’ll take the next exit and double back.”

  “Either that, or he’ll drive on ahead to the first entrance ramp, pull over on the shoulder and wait for us. That’s what I’d do. In order to avoid him, we’ll keep going on the access road. The next town is about twenty miles ahead. With the way this snow is coming down, we need to find a place to stop for the night.”

  Blizzard conditions. Driving should have been easy, as Luc had lived all his life in the exceptionally wintry region of upstate New York. They crept forward, through snow coming down so hard and thick he could barely see twenty feet ahead. They were okay. Driving in this was doable, as long as no other drivers took unnecessary and foolish risks.

  But black ice was an entirely different playing field. Luc never even saw the dark glaze under the lacy coating of powder.

  As they went into a spin, he saw ahead the brake lights of the only other vehicle he’d spotted for miles. Too big for the van. Luc realized it was the Kenworth that had passed them earlier. The truck driver must have gotten off the freeway, too.

  Why? Something clenched in Luc’s gut. “Hell hounds!”

  No time to question. He had to regain control of the car.

  “What?” Sam took in the situation and stared straight ahead, jaw clenched as she clutched the door panel.

  “Jackknifing semi. No way can we stay on the road and not hit it.”

  Still, he had to try. Steering into the spin, he pumped the brakes, even knowing it was useless. The car continued sliding forward, tires independent of the road.

  “No traction?”

  “Ice.”

  They continued the spin, heading directly toward the careening semi. At this speed, if they hit, there’d be nothing left of them but pieces.

  Because he had no other choice, Luc yanked the steering wheel toward the right shoulder, off the road. He hadn’t found his mate only to lose her.

  On the shoulder, the tires finally grabbed. Regaining a semblance of control, Luc began the arduous process of steering them away from the Kenworth.

  “Look out!” Sam screamed.

  Bam. The maroon van appeared out of nowhere. It broadsided them, hitting hard and putting them into another spin. What little control Luc had was gone.

  Ahead, the truck did a complete 180, sliding in slow motion directly toward them.

  The van slammed into them again, this time on the passenger’s side. They went careening across the median like a figure skater gone mad, spinning, spinning. Luc braked and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right once more.

  If they could get off the road, they’d have a chance.

  Chapter 10

  Stomach plummeting as they barreled down the embankment, Luc managed to hang on to the wheel and keep the car from rolling. The vehicle shook as they plowed into a snowdrift. Earth and rock and trees and snow sent up a shower of white as they shuddered to a stop.

  Eyes closed, Sam gripped the door. Her lips moved as though she was in prayer.

  Any second now Luc expected to feel the impact of collision with either the truck or the van. At the speed both vehicles had been traveling, he feared they’d explode and burst into flame.

  Instead, miraculously, when the car finally shuddered to a stop, the only sound left was the engine ticking.

  From the passenger seat, Sam moaned, sending Luc’s already rapid heartbeat into overtime.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “I don’t think so.” Expression dazed, she fumbled with the seat belt, trying to unlatch the buckle.

  Relief flooded him, so intense he leaned over and planted a quick, hard kiss on her mouth. “Wait here,” he said grimly, reaching to turn off the ignition, only to realize the engine had already died.

  “Where are you going?” Glancing from him to the window, she shook her head. “Have you looked out there?”

  The swirling snow was so thick and heavy they couldn’t see the car hood in front of them.

  Luc couldn’t tear his gaze away from Sam. The entire incident made him feel as if he’d done battle for her. With adrenaline still pumping through his veins, he swallowed hard. “Unless you’ve come up with a better plan, I’m going to go for help. That jackknifed semi shouldn’t be too far away. Those guys usually have CBs.”

  “Let me come with you.”

  “You don’t have a coat,” he pointed out. “Wait here. This shouldn’t take that long.”

  Finally, she nodded. The forlorn look in her expressive eyes nearly made him change his mind, but he pushed open his door, blew her a kiss, then disappeared into the swirling snow.

  Sam huddled in the car, an old blanket that she’d retrieved from the backseat wrapped snugly around her.

  For a Texan used to a warm climate, this was torture. Yet she knew things could be worse—she and Luc could be dead or severely injured.

  A tap on the window made her jump.

  “Already?” she said, turning.

  The masked face peering back at her wasn’t Luc.

  “What the—?”

  The stranger yanked the door open, grabbing Sam by the elbow. Struggling, she saw a flash of metal as the intruder’s arm swung back. A knife? Or something else, like another syringe?

  This was the same man who’d grabbed her before. The one who’d called her a healer.

  She wanted to fight him, but the blanket restricted her movements. With a hoarse cry, she shook it loose and shoved it at the masked man, attempting to wrap it around his head.

  Her sudden move worked. The man stumbled, then fell to his knees in the snow, thrashing and grunting.

  The blowing snow felt like pinpricks of ice hammering at her skin. She struggled to pull the door closed, with the crazy idea of locking it, since she wouldn’t make it far in the blizzard without a coat.

  But the locks had frozen and wouldn’t work.

  The masked stranger yanked off the blanket and came at her again.

  This time, Sam didn’t wait around. She’d take her chances with the cold and snow rather than face another hypodermic needle at the hands of some crazy man. Scrambling across the driver’s seat, she opened that door, dived out and took off running in the direction Luc had gone, hoping against hope that she’d find him.

  Behind her, she heard a shout.

  Don’t look back, don’t look back.

  “Sam?” Luc’s voice. Close.

  Relief flooding her, she screamed his name. He came running and met her halfway, his breath puffs of mist in the frigid air.

  “What are you doing out here? I told you to wait in—” They both heard the roar of an engine. A second later, the maroon van appeared, heading directly toward them.

  “Come on.” Grabbing her arm, Luc yanked her with him. “If we can make it to the truck, he can’t hit us.”

  Though she could see it was likely a lost cause, Sam gamely struggled to keep alongside Luc.

  Luckily for them, the van hit another icy patch and spun out.

  With a sense of the miraculous, they kept going. The wrecked tractor-trailer rig loomed l
ike a sunken ship in the blinding snow.

  “Here,” Luc grunted, swinging her around. “You’re safe.” He wrapped his coat around her shoulders.

  They both tensed at the sound of the van’s tires spinning, then the roar of its engine as it drove away.

  Looking grim, Luc stared at the spot where the vehicle had vanished. “If we don’t put a stop to this guy, he’ll be back.”

  “He tried to grab me again.” Sam fought to catch her breath. “Same guy, with a syringe. I don’t know why he would try to run us over.”

  “Maybe he was trying to take me out. Obviously he thinks you can heal him.”

  “Why not just ask? From what you’ve told me, once we find out if I can heal Halflings, I’ll be healing pretty regularly.” She liked the sound of that. As though she’d been born for another purpose, one as far away from the simple pleasure she’d taken in helping people find books in the quiet town library.

  “I don’t know. Maybe he’s planning to use you another way, like charge people to see you rather than have you heal for free.”

  “Speaking of healing, how is the truck driver?”

  “He’s all right. He’s radioed for help. Tow trucks should be here soon.” Luc took her arm. “Let’s go wait in the cab with him. Your lips are turning blue.”

  An hour later, the wrecker dropped them off at Clem’s Motor Lodge. A faded sign proclaimed American Owned and American Proud.

  Though the motel parking lot was full, Luc hoped they could get a room. Many stranded travelers were bunking down for the night. Still, it didn’t hurt to try.

  With Sam swaying on her feet behind him, he asked for a room as far from the road as possible. When the clerk told him they had just one left, Luc handed over his credit card with relief. He was glad the unit was at the back of the building, near some trees and a snow-covered field.

  Before the night was over, Luc suspected he would be making use of this proximity to nature. His one recent change hadn’t been enough. Tension radiated in his blood, and his inner wolf paced within the confines of the human cage. When the blizzard ended and the moon rose in a star-studded sky, he knew he’d have to allow his wolf to run and hunt.