by Sofia Grey
She called him. He didn’t come.
Lillian pressed a hand to her forehead and stumbled to the porch to peer out through the window. Her heart sank. The yard was full of cars, all with headlights on and directed at her door. The tabloids were gathered, video and still cameras at the ready and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, who had tipped them off. Kurt.
She leaned with her back to the door, her heart racing. How the fuck would she get out of here? They must have blocked her car, as she couldn’t see it. She risked another quick look. What the fuck? Her car was gone and in its place sat a bright red four-wheel drive from the local news station. She’d kill Kurt. Although with her luck, they’d catch it on video and use it as evidence. She called for Wolfie again but he still didn’t appear. A quick search confirmed her fear that he wasn’t in the cottage, even though the doors and windows were all still closed.
She sank to the floor and buried her head in her hands. Her transportation was gone and her dog was missing, and she didn’t dare go outside to look for him. She was truly all alone. As another journalist rapped on the door and shouted her name, she huddled tighter and tried to hold back the tears.
* * * *
Jake cursed every god he could think of and then invented some more. Taking Lillian’s car while she slept had made sense at the time. He figured after all the whiskey she’d drunk, she’d be asleep for hours. Plenty of time for him to drive home, grab some clothes, check in with the Pack, and get back before she woke up. He was glad now that he’d had the forethought to grab some of her clothes rather than driving naked. True he currently wore a pink nightshirt, but it was the largest piece of clothing he could find and it actually covered everything.
Worst-case scenario? To get stopped by the police—or so he thought. He hadn’t considered that he might get a flat tire. From the way the front wheel had buckled, Lillian probably did the damage when she drove off the road the other night, and the tire had been going down slowly since then.
To his frustration, there were no tools in the car and no way fix the flat tire. He slammed the offending tire with his hand. He’d have to run back from here and that would add another hour at least. He was just about to strip and then shift to wolf form when he heard a car engine in the distance. If he could stop the driver and borrow their cell phone, he could call someone in the Pack for help.
He moved to stand by the front of the car and waited. It didn’t take long before the vehicle arrived and his heart leaped. He knew that Subaru; it was Sasha, his cousin. Finally, a stroke of luck in what was shaping up to be a shitty morning. He waved his arms up and down as Sasha approached. His little cousin could be an irritating prick at times but he was heartily glad to see him right now.
Sasha pulled to the side of the road and parked, leaving the engine running and the headlights on. It had started snowing again and thick flakes danced in the light beams.
Jake moved toward the Subaru at the same time as the driver got out.
“Hold it right there, Cuz,” called Sasha and Jake paused. He didn’t have time to mess around especially when the younger man started taking pictures of him on his cell phone. Huh? His cousin was nearly bent double with laughter.
“Fuck, man,” he snorted, “pink is definitely your color.”
Jake sighed. The damn nightshirt.
“I need your help, Sash.” It came out through gritted teeth and set Sasha laughing even more.
“I’ll say,” the other man snorted some more. “I knew you never had any fashion sense, but man … pink is so last year.”
“Ha-fucking-ha.” Jake grabbed the younger man by the front of his parka. “Do you have any clothes I could use?”
Sasha wiped his eyes and waved to the back of his car. “Always do, Cuz. Nothing in pink though.”
Really, Jake had heard enough. He found a backpack of spare clothes and rapidly tugged on dark jeans and a black fleece hoodie. There were no shoes. He stalked back to Sasha, currently examining the damaged front wheel. “Give me your boots.”
“What? Just because—”
Jake got right up in his face. “Joke’s over. Give me your fucking boots, Sash, before I turn your miserable pelt into a rug. Got it?”
“Tammy is going to wet herself when she sees this, Cuz.” Sasha pulled off his boots and tossed them to Jake. He watched with a huge grin on his face as Jake stuffed his feet into them.
“I’m taking your car.” This time, his cousin paid attention.
“My car? You’re going to leave me with a broken VW while you take my Subaru? I was only joking about the pictures.”
“Take it back to my place. I need to be somewhere.” He plucked the phone out of his cousin’s hand, rapidly deleted the photos, and slapped it back into Sasha’s palm. “Thanks.”
Chapter 21
Lillian wondered how long she would have to wait before the tabloids got bored and left her alone. Sadly, in her experience, that could take days. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the buzz of chatter outside and the repeated attempts to get her to open the door. She thought back to her weird dream, where Yummy-Jake had been talking about werewolves. She needed to make another appointment with her therapist—her imagination was running wild. She frowned as she tried to recall what had happened. There had been the most beautiful rainbow of colors shimmering in front of her, and then Jake had transformed into Wolfie-the-dog. Bizarre didn’t begin to describe it.
She couldn’t sit on the floor much longer; she needed a drink. As she prepared to crawl to the kitchen, to avoid being seen through the windows, she heard a familiar trilling sound. Her cell phone. She must have a signal!
To her disgust, the eleven messages that awaited her were all from the press. Guess what else Kurt had given them? Her private number. Right now, killing him wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy her desire for revenge. She made a rapid call to her security team and then switched off the phone. Her private guards would be here within the hour. Time to shower, dress, and get the hell out of Dodge. She just hoped that Wolfie showed up before she had to leave.
* * * *
Jake raced back to Lupus Cottage, his mind fixed on his Mate. He still hadn’t figured out how to tell her, but maybe if he turned up in human form she might listen to him. It had to be worth a try. He didn’t expect to find the small parking area full of cars and people. He parked next to the road and walked up on silent feet, listening to snatches of conversation as he passed the huddled groups.
“Eight firemen, apparently. She banged them all in turn.”
“Kurt Anderson has taken out a restraining order on her. Says she is mentally unbalanced.” Jake growled at that, furious when he realized they were all journalists. Surely having an affair with the Asshole didn’t explain this level of interest from the media? There was even a local TV crew parked and waiting. Jake stuck to the shadows and crept closer.
One guy was leaving her a voice message. “Ella, this is Jason Stanford from Four-News. We just want a few minutes of your time to talk about the rumor that you’re quitting the business.” He sounded as smarmy as a secondhand car salesman. “We’re planning a biography of your career and I’m sure you would prefer to have some input. Call me back at this number.”
The reporter ended the call and grinned at the young man by his side. “She’ll come running, believe me, especially when I call her back to say that Kurt Anderson has already agreed to take part. You have to admire the way he’s making the most of this publicity. There’s a star who really understands how to work the media.” Jake itched beneath his skin as his wolf urged him to claw the fucker. This was just wasting time. He needed to reach his Mate and get her away from this madness.
He strode across the snow and headed for the door, drawing the attention of the crowd as he did so. Curious faces watched him but he ignored them all. He knocked on the door and called through the wood. “Cariad. Let me in.”
Chapter 22
Lillian heard another voice trying to get her at
tention. The only person she’d open the door to was Bryce and he was due any minute. Her bags were packed and she was ready to leave. Please God, let him come soon. She felt as though she was going mad.
She’d swear she heard a man that sounded just like Jake from her dreams. It was the same deep, lilting voice and he even called her Cariad. If she ever needed proof that she’d lost her grip on reality, this was it.
The voice called to her again. It sounded as though he hammered on the door with his fists. “Baby, it’s me, Jake. Let me in, Cariad. I need to know you’re okay.”
The only Jake she knew was her dream lover. Lillian clamped her hands over her ears and tried to block out the voice. Please, Bryce, get your ass here now.
“Lillian.” She could still hear the voice and she cringed. “Don’t make me break this door down.” Whoever it was had researched her well. Seconds later, headlights flashed through the window and a booming voice rang out over all the background noise.
“Ms. Hart, this is Bryce. Open the door when you’re ready, and we’ll get you out of here.”
* * * *
Jake had given up on the front door and made his way to the back, careful not to let any of the press follow him. What he saw just about broke his heart. His Mate sat huddled on the floor, hands over her head, tears falling. She looked lost and utterly fragile. Every protective instinct surged to the fore. When he grasped the door handle and found it locked, he prepared to smash the window.
“I’m coming, baby,” he shouted. “Hang on.”
She lifted her head. Had she heard him? Would she come and unlock the door?
No.
She stumbled to the front door instead. What the fuck? Jake stared through the kitchen window as the woman he loved was hustled away by a mountain of a man and swept into a huge black car.
*
Bryce and his team were used to barging through crowds of fans and media alike. They loaded Lillian and her bags into a car and drove into the early morning light with as little fuss as if she’d just been shopping. She blew her nose, dried her tears, and tried to get her pounding head together.
Jasper, her current driver, announced that they were heading for an exclusive country hotel some half an hour’s journey away. There was a flask of fresh coffee in the basket next to her and a blanket and pillow too, if she wanted to get some sleep. Bryce sat in the front with him and glanced over at her. “Would you like me to activate the privacy partition, Ms. Hart?”
She shook her head. Right now she needed the company. “Thanks, it’s fine like this.” She stared out of the window and watched the landscape flying by. She was too stressed to sleep. She wanted Wolfie, wanted to know how he’d gotten out of the cottage and where he might be.
On an impulse, she leaned forward and caught Bryce’s attention by tapping on his shoulder. “I had a dog with me, and he got out somehow. I think the gutter press scared him off—could you please send someone back to look for him? Once the press have gone, he might come back.”
Bryce nodded. “Sure. What does he look like?”
“Big, lots of dark fur. Looks like a wolf.” She remembered the way he curled up next to her on the bed. “Unusual, brilliant blue eyes. I called him Wolfie.” I invented a gorgeous guy with the same eyes and called him Jake, but you won’t find him.
*
Jake stared in disbelief as his Mate was driven away. It felt as though his heart was being torn from his chest. The realization that he didn’t know how to find her made him rock on his heels. Why hadn’t he shifted back to wolf form? He was such a fucking idiot.
It was only as he reached Sasha’s car that he remembered the media vultures, currently packing up and leaving around him. He turned back and went to see who was left. One smartly suited young woman was bitching at another guy as he packed away some expensive-looking cameras. Jake took a deep breath, manufactured a polite smile, and walked up to join them.
The woman’s eyes opened wide when she saw him, and he seethed as her focus swept up and down, before settling on his face. Her smile reminded him of a piranha. “Hello, handsome. What outfit are you with?”
He kept his face impassive. “Nobody you know. I wondered what was going on here. Why all the photographers and reporters?”
She gave a short, surprised laugh. “Ella Hart has been staying here, sweetie. Are you a local? Do you know where she’s gone?” She stepped closer and placed a hand on his sleeve. “I could make it worth your while,” she purred. “In more ways than one.”
He peeled her fingers from his arm and gave her a venomous glare. “I’m trying to find her.”
“Join the club,” the woman snapped back. “If you hear anything, call me.” She held up a business card. “Whatever the others offer you, I’ll pay you double—as long as it’s exclusive.”
“Forget it. I’m not for sale.” Jake made his way back to the car. Ella Hart. The name was familiar from somewhere, and not just the tabloid headlines he’d seen when making the fire. Damned if he knew.
The solution was so simple when Jake thought about it. She had to come back for her car. The same car that Sasha was fixing and taking back to Jake’s place. He sat in the Subaru and thought rapidly. As well as carrying a cache of spare clothes in their cars, shifters usually carried a spare cell phone. When he rummaged through the glove box, he found one and called his cousin immediately.
“Not content with taking my car and my boots, you’re now hogging my spare phone?” Sash sounded suitably annoyed. “Oh yeah, and you abandoned me. I think you owe me big time, Cuz.”
“I need your help again, Sash.”
Chapter 23
Jake knew that for all his grumbling, Sash would be there for him. They were Pack. Cousins by family, blood brothers in every way that mattered. He sat and waited in the Subaru, impatient for his cousin to arrive. Almost an hour later, he saw his Mate’s VW pull up and park neatly in front of the cottage.
Jake strode across to meet him. “This what you want, Cuz?” Sasha held out three of Jake’s prized wooden carvings: the figures of Sasha, Tammy, and Henry. “So you’ve finally met someone? That’s kinda sweet, apart from the whole borrowing her clothes routine.” He winked and pretended to stagger back when Jake punched him on the shoulder. “Man, I’m glad your aim is off. Does she have a name, your girl?”
“Her name is Lillian, but everyone calls her Ella.” Jake had already written a note for her, with several of his contact numbers, his address, and he was now in the process of wrapping the note around the figurines when another car swept up the track and parked close to the cottage.
“That was the car she left in.” Jake gave his parcel to Sasha, along with the Asshole’s laptop “I’m going to shift. Wait here for me.” He darted into the trees and seconds later watched in wolf form as a heavyset man walked up to the VW. He could tell from Sasha’s puzzled expression that his cousin had no idea what was going on, but Jake had to trust him.
“Hey,” called the man as he approached. “We’re looking for a big dog, might answer to the name of Wolfie. Have you seen him?” She’s sent them back to look for me. This was even better than he dared hope. He trotted out from the cover of the trees and sat by Sasha’s feet.
“Uh, yeah. Is this the dog you’re looking for?” Sasha grinned. “He’s a bit mangy and I’m pretty sure he has fleas.” Jake growled a low warning but Sash ignored it. “Who wants him? Is he in trouble?”
The bruiser smiled, making him look far more approachable. “My employer was looking after him and he ran off. She asked me to see if I could find him.” He crouched and held out a hand to Jake. “Here, boy. Let me take you to Ella.”
Jake was about to go to him when Sash dug his fingers into his ruff. “I can bring him in my car. No offense, mate, but I’d like to hand him over myself. Is there any kind of reward?”
The man looked resigned as though he was asked that question on a regular basis. “I’m sure Ms. Hart will be able to sort something out for you. Now can you ple
ase load up the dog and follow me; she’s very keen to have him back.”
Jake stretched out on the backseat of the Subaru, every sense tingling with excitement. She’d been worried about him. She wanted to have him back. Granted, she thought he was a dog, but still. It was time to tell her the truth. He was so pleased that he didn’t pay attention to Sasha at first.
“Cuz. This girl of yours, Lillian. Don’t tell me she has bright red hair and a voice like an angel.” Jake lifted his head and stared at his cousin. Sasha snorted with laughter. “Man, you have gone sappy in your old age. You’ve fallen for Ella Hart. You and half the frickin’ nation.”
Taking a gamble that nobody would see him, Jake shifted back to human form. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
The look Sasha flashed him was actually sympathetic. “She’s the hottest pop star since Madonna. I’m gonna break it to you gently, Cuz. You have less than nothing in common. There’s more chance of you walking on the moon than claiming her as your Mate. And she’s human. Don’t you need to mate with a wolf?”
“Wolves mate with humans. Sometimes.”
“Not when they’re Pack Leader. And the last of their bloodline.”
Why did it have to be Sasha that pointed out the ugly truth? Sasha, who didn’t have a responsible bone in his body. If Jake didn’t produce a full-blood heir, the next Pack Leader might be the first non-Bledri in hundreds of years. Any human-shifter offspring would be half-blood. They might not even be able to shift.
The weight of responsibility lay heavy on his shoulders, but his need for Lillian was greater. He shifted back to wolf. The conversation was over.
Chapter 24
Lillian paced her hotel bedroom, unable to rest. Bryce had found Wolfie. She needed to figure out if she could actually keep him, or if the man with him was his real owner.
