by Celia Kyle
Desire hit her hard, thick and fast. She scented the warm musk of it in the air around them, clouding over every other scent. Not just her own need, either. The dark look in Kade’s eyes told her it had struck him the same way. Then he blinked and swallowed hard, before setting her back on her feet.
She hissed and groaned the moment her right foot touched ground. “Ow.”
“Are you okay?” Concern filled his eyes.
“I’m fine.” She rotated her ankle and tried not to wince at the pain. “See?”
He grunted and scooped her into his arms again. He carried her to the porch and lowered her to the steps, then lifted her leg, so he could have a better look. Callused fingertips ghosted over her skin, the rough scratch teasing her nerves. What would it feel like to have his hands all over her body?
“It’s just sprained.” She pulled her foot from his hands. “It’ll be fine in no time.”
Another grunt. “You can’t drive until it’s healed.”
She rolled her eyes. “If you’re just trying to finagle a way to be alone with me for hours, you can forget it.”
Her wolf howled its objection because the animal was all over being locked up in a car with Kade for hours. Horn dog.
“Are you okay, Ally?” Tessa hurried up the walkway. “That could have been a nasty tumble, sweetheart.”
“She twisted her right ankle,” Kade explained.
“I’m fine.” Ally braced a hand on Kade’s shoulder and used him to steady herself as she pushed herself upright. “Let’s get going.”
Ally gritted her teeth and put her foot on the next step. Pain shot up her leg, along her spine, and right out the top of her head. She managed to stay silent, but that hadn’t been enough for Tessa. Why the hell couldn’t she have been a better actor? Why?
“Oh, I don’t think so little miss.” Tessa shook her head. “I don’t drive because I have common sense.
“And because you like to stare at Bobby Thompson when he drives you around time.”
Tessa ignored her even though Ally was right. “Enough sense to stop you so that I don’t die in a fiery wreck.”
Tessa peered past Ally and into the house. Ally followed the older woman’s line of sight and watched a shirtless wolf named Austin single-handedly carry a grandfather clock across the room. His muscles bulged, and his body was slick with sweat, accentuating his heavily carved muscles. The wolf was almost as sexy as Kade. Almost.
Ugh. What was wrong with her? Kade wasn’t sexy. Werewolves weren’t sexy. They were dangerous and evil.
“I’m sure one of Kade’s fine young friends won’t mind chauffeuring me around, isn’t that right, Kade?” She shot Kade a grin and then resumed her perusal of the man-meat prowling through the house.
Kade chuckled. “I don’t think he’ll mind at all.”
She was pretty sure Austin would mind being stuck in a car for hours with a flirty, occasionally handsy woman, but it didn’t look like he’d have a choice.
Much like her. Being clumsy pushed her into this situation. She wanted to argue with him more, but it would be stupid to try to drive with her ankle screaming so loudly. Maybe if she had a few hours to heal… Nah, no sense in waiting. She’d been chomping at the bit to leave town and she wasn’t going to waste another minute.
“Fine,” she sighed, and turned to face Kade. “But don’t get any bright ideas about carrying me around. I’m not an invalid. I can—”
He ignored her completely. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the SUV, gently placing her in the passenger seat. He nudged the door closed and then retraced his path to the house. Probably to let Austin know about his new job. Ally’s chest constricted, tightening more and more the greater the distance that separated them.
Nah, that was all in her mind. He wasn’t affecting her physically. It was just a case of blue ovaries. She tugged on the handle and the door opened slightly so she could shout at the retreating wolf. “Bet you’re pretty happy with yourself.”
He spun around, big grin already plastered on his face, and spread his arms wide. His shirt pulled tight across his chest, the fabric outlining his toned body. “More than you can imagine!”
Within ten minutes, they were on the road. It took another fifteen to hit the highway and merge with traffic. Ally kept her visor pulled down, using the embedded makeup mirror to keep an eye on the Focus behind them. Tessa was waving her arms around, mouth going a mile a minute while she talked with a dazed Austin. Poor little werewolf.
Attention split between Tessa and Kade, she finally broke the quiet in the SUV. “So, tell me a little more about Ashtown?”
“It’s the best place to live on Earth.”
“Travelled a lot, have we?” She pulled her gaze from Tessa and quirked a single brow.
“Nope.” He shook his head. “Don’t have to when you live in the best place on Earth.”
She rolled her eyes. “If you have nothing to compare it to, how do you know it’s the best?”
“You don’t have to visit every corner of the world to appreciate where you are. It’s the people who make a place, know what I mean?”
Ally turned to look at the lush scenery speeding past. “Not really, no.”
Everything fell quiet. The silence was only broken by the thump of tires on asphalt. She glanced in the passenger side mirror at the traffic behind them and wondered if she’d ever get to stay in one place long enough to truly discover its people. Pepper had been her longest stay ever since Brian had entered her life. Then destroyed it.
“All I can say is that Ashtown has everything a small town should. There’s a coffee shop called Beans and it’s the hub of town gossip. Dickey’s is the best little greasy spoon in all of Georgia. Then, of course,” he shot her a wide smile. “there’s my family.”
Ally’s heart gave a little stab, but she tried to sound unmoved. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. My brothers are great. Though Mason’s been a little on edge ever since Ghost Kitty came into his life.”
“Ghost Kitty?”
Kade barked out a laugh. “I was sure Lucy would have told you about that damned cat. Ghost Kitty had a litter of kittens under Lucy’s old porch. When she moved into the Blackwood pack house, she insisted on giving them a home. Since Mason can’t say no to Lucy, he’s got a herd of cats racing around the house and destroying everything they can with their little claws and sharp assed teeth.” He stopped and looked her way, his head tilted. “Is that what you call a group of cats? A herd?”
“Glaring.”
“Who?”
“What?”
“Who’s glaring?”
Ally laughed. “No, a group of cats is called a glaring.”
“Oh,” Kade paused for a moment then jerked his head in a brisk nod. “Sounds about right with those little assholes.”
Ally couldn’t help giggle at that.
“Anyway,” he continued, “Mason found a kitten in his shoe the other day and it scared him half to death.”
Ally laughed outright. “The Alpha was scared of a kitten? I don’t believe you! You’ve got to be lying.”
“I swear!”
Never in a million years had she expected to ever laugh with another werewolf. She couldn’t help wondering how a werewolf pack could be so… lighthearted. After everything that happened with Brian, she never imagined such a thing was possible. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Kade was a far better actor than her.
“So, Lucy’s happy?” she asked.
“Ridiculously happy, as far as I can tell. I’ve never seen anybody fit in with the pack so fast. She’s going to be a fantastic Alpha Mate. Everyone loves her.”
Ally glanced at the traffic behind them again, trying to find the right way to ask a question that had been nagging her for days. His brief explanation of how Lucy had been changed into a werewolf seemed sketchy. If she’d been turned against her will, Ally would make it her mission in life to get her and Tessa the hell out of Ashtown immediately. They could be sisters on t
he run, a pack of their own with a sassy, elderly human mascot.
“Can you tell me more about how Lucy was turned?”
“I’ll tell you what I know. It was actually a lucky break, if you think about it. The accidental bite from the pup is what led Mason to her.”
Ally snorted. Getting bitten and turned into a werewolf was lucky? Finding her supposed “mate” was lucky? “Uh-huh.”
Kade’s brow pulled down in a frown. “If little Charlie hadn’t bitten her, Mason would never have found her. He would have gone feral and… we would have had to put him down.”
Maybe that would have been luckiest of all. The bitter thought flowed through her mind.
His voice was low and soft, no hint of the teasing male from moments ago. “I know you don’t like talking about it, but Lucy and Mason are fated mates. Because of that, he was able to claim her and ease her transition. If he hadn’t, she probably would have died.”
She whipped her head around to stare at him—eyes wide as shock slapped her and alarm made her heard race. Her best friend had almost died, and Ally hadn’t been there. “What?”
He looked confused. “She was bitten by someone who wasn’t her mate. That’s almost always deadly to humans, you know that.”
No, she didn’t, but she kept that to herself. She stayed silent and fought to control her breathing as he explained that something called the “National Ruling Circle” had investigated Lucy’s change and cleared the Blackwood pack of any wrongdoing. Her heart rate picked up to a breakneck speed and she pressed her hand to her chest. A fine bead of sweat gathered on her upper lip as her panic continued to rise. She closed her eyes and pushed her painful memories down to the depths of Hell where they’d been born. Her wolf whimpered pitifully.
“Does she know about me? That I’m…”
“A werewolf?” Kade asked. “No, that’s your secret to share.”
Ally wasn’t sure whether she should thank him or curse him. If he’d blabbed to Lucy, she wouldn’t have to admit she’d been lying to the most wonderful and generous people she’d ever known.
With a heavy sigh, Ally let her gaze drift to the makeup mirror again. Tessa was still jabbering, and Austin still looked shell-shocked, but he kept a comfortable distance between the vehicles, so Tessa was safe enough.
A few cars behind the nondescript Focus, a red sedan eased a few feet onto the shoulder before slowly pulling back into its lane. It hadn’t concerned her at first. Probably just someone toying with their cell phone which was such a smart thing to do while doing eighty miles an hour. But then they’d done it again. And again.
Okay, maybe not a phone jockey. Was the driver drunk this early in the day? They weren’t going slow and the highway wasn’t crowded. It wasn’t like they were hogging any lanes or dragging their ass. What the hell?
Kade moved from the middle lane to the right and she made sure Austin followed suit. But he wasn’t the only one. The red sedan kept right on Austin’s ass.
That red…
A memory prodded her mind, pushing and shoving itself forward. She closed her eyes and let it flow through her. A red car with tinted windows. Idling in the middle of the street. A shifted Kade injured and unconscious. Then the stink of Brian as the car raced off.
She swallowed hard and pressed her hand to her stomach, praying her breakfast would stay put. Nausea swept over her and saliva pooled in her mouth, the urge to vomit increasing with every breath.
She glanced in the mirror again, praying she was wrong but knowing she was right. The car that followed them was the same one that had run Kade down. The one that’d been drenched in Brian’s sticky scent. She couldn’t make out the driver’s face, but she knew who sat behind the wheel.
“You know, Tessa’s safe with Austin.” Kade must have scented her distress but hadn’t interpreted the cause correctly. “He’s a good wolf and a good driver. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll take care of your car, too.”
“Okay.” She forced a smile and tried for a casual tone. “So... I don’t suppose your guys finished early and already hit the road, did they?”
Kade frowned. “No. They have at least another day’s work ahead of them. Possibly more since they’re a man short now. Why?”
She nibbled her lower lip. Of course, he’d have to ask why!
“No reason.” She shrugged. “I just thought I saw someone following us and wondered if they caught up to us.”
“No reason?” Kade’s demeanor changed, the smiling man replaced by a dark hardness. His gaze locked onto the rearview mirror, an occasional glance flicking to the road in front of them before returning to his search.
“Right. No reason,” Ally insisted. The scent of Kade’s suspicion drifted over her while at the same time, he hit the gas a little harder.
Chapter Eight
Ally’s anxiety hung in the air like a heavy fog, sending his wolf into a protective frenzy. He wanted to get his hands on whoever was making her feel so fearful just as much as his beast, but she wasn’t giving up any details.
He pressed a button on the SUV’s steering wheel and told his vehicle to call Austin. It only took one ring for the other wolf to answer.
“Hey Kade!”
Austin’s voice boomed out of the SUV’s speakers. He sounded a little too happy to talk to someone other than Tessa, which would have given Kade a chuckle if he hadn’t been so focused on their current situation.
“Pull off at the next rest stop in a half-mile.”
“Are we swapping drivers?” Austin sounded happy at the idea.
Kade could almost smell the poor guy’s desperation. “‘Fraid not, brother.”
There was a sigh, followed by a grumbled “okay,” and then the call disconnected.
As soon as Austin hung up, Ally turned to him. “Why are we stopping? We’ve only been on the road a few minutes.”
“Which one is it?”
She acted puzzled by his question. “Huh? One what?”
“Which car is tailing us? The black Crown Vic?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She continued with the charade even as a red flush crept up her chest all the way to her hairline.
“Or is it the red Accord?”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and the stink of her fear increased, which pushed his wolf closer to the edge of his control. To the animal, protecting its mate from whatever caused her fear included fangs and claws. It didn’t care that a wolf couldn’t drive a car. It simply knew that Ally should never fear anything or anyone.
“Ally, I can smell your anxiety and I can sure as hell smell your lies.”
Without another word, he pulled off at the next exit, Austin dutifully following along. He pulled into the first available spot and threw the SUV into park.
“Stay put,” he instructed as he jumped out.
And dammit, he should have known she wouldn’t listen. Her constant refusal to blindly obey him turned him on, but it also frustrated the hell out of him. Though he couldn’t deny his wolf settled the moment she limped to his side at the back of the SUV. The two of them watching the traffic speed past.
The tension between them crackled and sparked, and he soon found her delicate hand wiggling into his grip. He gave her a reassuring squeeze as the red car he’d suspected blew past the rest stop exit. Air whooshed out of Ally’s pursed lips and her shoulders curled forward.
“See? It was nothing.” She flashed him a fragile smile.
He stared at her, wishing she’d open up and tell him what the hell was wrong. Wish in one hand, shit in the other and see which one fills up first. It was clear he’d have to take matters into his own hands if he wanted to find out what had frightened her so much.
Austin had just clambered out of the Focus and was stretching his back when Kade pulled Ally toward a grassy patch.
“Austin, stay here and keep your eyes peeled for a red Accord. Ally and I need to have a conversation.”
He kept hold of her hand an
d pulled her along. While she wasn’t kicking and screaming, her resistance grew the nearer they walked to an empty picnic table. The moment they were close enough, he released her hand and gripped her waist. She was such a tiny little thing. Curves in all the right places, but still small compared to him. Delicate. Vulnerable. With her on the table, they were now eye-to-eye—no hiding for his mate.
A couple of kids walked a dog nearby, and travelers traipsed past them to reach the restrooms. Not the most private spot in the world, but it’d do.
Leaning in so close he could smell her shampoo, he dropped his hands to rest on the wood on either side of her hips. He yearned to grab those hips and pull her close, but he needed answers first. His wolf growled at the delay in claiming their mate but was soothed by her nearness. For now.
“No more games, understand?” He stared into her warm brown eyes.
She lifted her head and stared down her nose at him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh. Why did you think someone was following us?”
Ally shrugged. “I guess I watch too many cop shows.”
“Who was in the red car?”
“What red car?” Oh, she had that innocent look down but that would only work on a human. Wolves had a sense of smell that easily revealed lies.
“Enough with the bullshit, Ally.” He tried to keep his voice low, but apparently didn’t do a very good job. A mother leading her child to the bathroom shot him a glare.
Ally’s defiant gaze turned to her lap. She fidgeted, twisting and twining her fingers. She gnawed on her bottom lip, and the air of anxiety she'd held since her first moments with him dissipated into something more like briny, bitter sadness.
“Please tell me what’s going on.” He was less gruff this time, but she still refused to meet his gaze. Instead, her eyes drifted toward the traffic rushing by and lost focus.
