Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack)

by N. J. Walters

  “Put on your seatbelt,” he ordered. Rina slipped off her pack, put it on the floor at her feet, and pulled on the safety harness.

  “Go.” At this point she didn’t know if it was nerves or not, but she’d swear she could feel someone watching them. “Go.”

  The powerful engine roared to life, and Sage quickly put the truck in gear and aimed it toward the exit. There was a small building at the edge of the parking lot. A man stepped out onto the porch and raised his hand to wave as the truck rolled by. Sage returned his wave but didn’t stop. She saw the man’s eyes widen when he glimpsed her, but Sage didn’t slow down.

  Rina shivered and peered in the side mirror but could see nothing but woods and parking lot behind her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d just escaped a confrontation with the men who were after her.

  “We’ll be home in a couple of hours. Why don’t you rest?”

  Sage’s voice broke through her dark thoughts. “I can’t go home with you.” Her denial was automatic. “You need to drop me at the nearest town. I’ll find a bus stop there.” She needed to decide where she was going—west or south.

  “Then rest until I get to the nearest town with a stop.”

  She didn’t trust his easy agreement, but her body didn’t care. She felt safe and needed rest. The short nap she’d had hours ago hadn’t replenished her energy at all. “Wake me when we get there.”

  “I’ll wake you when it’s safe,” he promised.

  She couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong with that statement. Her brain was muzzy and her eyes were already closed. The slight sway of the vehicle, the hum of the engine, and the woodsy, masculine scent of Sage all combined to lull her concerns. He would wake her when it was safe.

  Johnny Bellamy lowered his rifle. Damn, it was impossible to get off a shot. What the hell was she doing with a man? She belonged to him. Like a jealous lover, he paced back and forth in the woods. It didn’t occur to him that she only belonged to him in his mind.

  Who was the guy? A camper she’d stumbled across? She must have given him some sob story about getting lost. That had to be it.

  How in the hell was he going to find her now?

  Maybe his brothers were right. Maybe he should just forget about her and go home. In his more rational moments, he knew what he was doing bordered on insane, but he couldn’t seem to care.

  He wanted that little waitress more than he wanted his next breath. Rina was different from other women, and now he knew why. He’d been watching her for a while. Her every move was graceful, and she was always aware of her surroundings. Like a wild animal. A wolf.

  That’s where his brothers were wrong. They might think he’d had too much to drink or smoke, but he knew what he’d seen. She’d turned into a wolf.

  He had to find her.

  A movement caught his eye and drew it toward the small wooden building at the edge of the parking lot. A man stood in the predawn light. A park ranger.

  Looked like his luck hadn’t quite left him yet. Hell, it was a miracle he’d stumbled on their trail at all. He’d lost it for several hours and had almost given up several times.

  Obviously, he was meant to find her.

  Johnny propped his rifle up against a tree. No sense in getting off on the wrong foot with the ranger. He hurried out of the woods and called out. “Hey.”

  The ranger turned, put his hands on his hips, and watched Johnny come toward him. He tensed at first but gradually relaxed. “Morning. Can I help you?”

  “I sure hope so. I was camping with my girl, we had a fight, and she wandered off. I’ve been searching all night for her. Caught some tracks coming this way. You seen her?”

  The ranger hesitated, and Johnny held his breath. “What does she look like?”

  “Tall with short brown hair and green eyes. I think she might be with someone else. A man. I’m worried as hell about her.” He’d always been good at acting innocent. It had gotten him out of more than one whooping with his mama when he’d been a boy. And it hadn’t hurt his prospects with the women either. He employed every skill he’d ever learned over the years, and the ranger bought it. “It was a stupid fight. She wants to get married, and I’ve been dragging my feet. You know how it goes.”

  The ranger chuckled. “I hear you. Can’t say for sure if it’s your girl, but a woman did just drive off with Sage Gallagher, and I know he came in here alone. You should give her a call.”

  “I tried but couldn’t get any coverage in the mountains.” Johnny fished his phone out of his pocket and pretended to dial a number. He held the phone to his ear. “Rina, baby, is that you? You’re safe.” He held the phone slightly away from his ear and rolled his eyes.

  The ranger smiled and shook his head.

  “I didn’t mean what I said last night, baby. Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.” He pretended like he was listening to someone else. “Sure thing.” He tucked his phone away. “That Gallagher fella is dropping her off in the nearest town. She’s going to wait for me there.”

  “Glad everything worked out and that we don’t have to mount a search for a missing hiker. You might want to talk to your girl about wandering off on her own. These hills can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  Johnny wanted to punch the man in the face but kept up his pleasant façade. “Will do.” He turned and headed back toward the woods. “I’ll just hike back to our campsite and be on my way.”

  “How far away are you?”

  It would take Johnny most of the day to hike back to his truck. Then he had an idea. He knew the park well and gave the ranger directions to the visitor center not far from where he’d left his truck.

  “Shoot, that’s quite a ways away. Tell you what. Let me get a coffee and radio in and I’ll drive you over.”

  “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”

  “Least I can do. I’m officially off shift in a half hour anyway. It’s on my way home.” The ranger walked inside the ranger station.

  Johnny looked longingly at the woods. He’d come back as soon as he had his truck and pick up his rifle on the way. Then he was going to find this Sage Gallagher and hunt down Rina. She’d given him a lot of trouble, but it would be worth it when he found her.

  She’d tried to escape him but was meant to be his. The hand of fate had guided him each step of the way.

  The ranger exited the station juggling two coffees. “Thought you could use one.”

  This time he didn’t have to fake his gratitude. “You’re a lifesaver.” In more ways than one. Johnny would have his wolf gal before too much longer. And then it would be time to have some real fun.

  * * * * *

  Sage glanced over at Rina. She was slumped over to the side with her head resting awkwardly against the window. She was also sound asleep.

  He’d thought her beautiful by moonlight, but now that he could see her by the full light of day, he knew he’d been mistaken. She wasn’t beautiful, she was stunning.

  Her hair was cut in a short choppy style that suited her. It was dark brown with strands of reddish mahogany running through it. And her eyes were green. Not an emerald green. More like a mossy green. She looked more like a woodland sprite than a werewolf.

  But there was no denying her heritage. She moved with a feral grace even when she was exhausted and at the end of her rope. She was skittish too. Like a wild animal afraid to trust.

  He hadn’t lied to her. He’d simply let her believe what she wanted. He would wake her when it was safe. It just happened that the Salvation Pack compound was the safest place for her.

  Her clothes were torn in several places and dusty and dirty from her long trek through the park. Just thinking about her running for her life from some human hunters had him growling low. It made him want to protect her. Hell, it made him want to kill someone.

 
She was too skinny by far. It was obvious to him that she’d missed more than one meal. He had no idea what her story was, but he wanted to. He also knew he couldn’t let her go until he was assured she’d be safe. Maybe not even then.

  Instincts as old as time itself stirred deep within him. It was his destiny to protect this special woman. Mate. The word echoed in his very soul.

  He reached out to touch her arm and pulled back at the last second. He raked his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. If he came on all heavy-handed, she’d run. He’d have to play this smart.

  In the meantime, he needed to call home. He pulled out his phone—glad to see he had service—and punched in one of the numbers on his contact list. It was answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, Sage. What’s up?” Even over the phone, there was no missing Jacque’s commanding presence. The alpha was the most powerful werewolf Sage had ever met.

  “Hey, Jacque. I have a situation.”

  “Okay.” Jacque paused.

  “I ran into a female werewolf in the park last night.” He paused and glanced over to make sure Rina was still sleeping. “She was being pursed by human hunters.”

  Jacque was quiet for a moment, but Sage could feel the anger pulsing through the airwaves. “Hunters?”

  “Yeah, that’s what she said. She’s at the end of her rope, physically and mentally. I got her with me and she’s sound asleep. Now she wants me to dump her at the nearest bus stop.”

  Jacque growled low and long. “Not happening. Bring her here. Make sure you’re not followed. Anyone see you with her?”

  “Yeah. One of the rangers. I’ve worked with him on a couple search-and-rescue missions.”

  Jacque sighed. “Let’s hope that doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass.”

  “I can take her someplace else.” The last thing he wanted to do was put the pack in danger.

  “No. Bring her home.” This was the alpha speaking, and Sage felt the weight of his command. “You’re in more danger out there on your own. If trouble comes, we’ll deal with it.”

  “I’m really sorry.” Sage hadn’t meant to put the pack in this position.

  “Nothing else you could do. You couldn’t leave her out there on her own. How soon will you be here?”

  “Forty-five minutes, give or take.” He was tired and couldn’t wait to get Rina to pack land, to safety.

  “Gator will have breakfast on.”

  “Will you call Uncle Elias for me? I don’t want to wake Rina until it’s too late for her to run.”

  Jacque chuckled. “I’ll take care of it. And, Sage.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Be careful.” He knew the alpha meant more than just watching to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He was cautioning him to be protective of his heart.

  Sage glanced over at Rina. Her lips were slightly parted and she was snoring lightly. He wanted to kiss those full lips and wake her slowly. His entire body clenched and his cock sprang to life, ready and willing to participate.

  “Yeah, it might be a little too late.”

  “I was afraid of that.” Jacque sighed. “You take care and we’ll see you soon.” The alpha hung up, and Sage tucked his phone away. He knew he should call Reece. His brother had to be feeling Sage’s restlessness and his up-and-down emotions.

  Later. He’d call Reece later, once the first meeting with the pack was done and they’d convinced Rina to stay, at least for a while.

  For the first time in his twenty-eight years, he truly felt like a wolf. He might not be full-blooded, but three-quarters of the blood running in his veins was werewolf. And right now, every instinct he possessed was screaming at him to claim Rina for his own.

  But she’d run from him if he tried that.

  No, he had to take his time and lure her with the promise of safety, a home, and love.

  He could love her. He knew that deep in his core. He was physically drawn to her in a way that made a mockery of every other time he’d been aroused by a woman. He knew he’d never want another woman the way he did Rina.

  But it was more than that. He hadn’t known her long, but he knew she was brave and resourceful. She was also independent, but he sensed a deep loneliness in her. A longing for a pack and home.

  Whatever had happened to her in the past hadn’t been pretty. A female werewolf didn’t end up on her own without something drastic happening. Sage wanted her to trust him enough to tell him. He wanted her to share all her problems with him. He wanted to laugh with her and love her.

  Most of all, he wanted to mate with her.

  But first he had to get her home and then survive the explosion when she realized where he’d taken her.

  Chapter Five

  “Wake up.”

  Rina stirred from sleep. She knew that voice. It soothed her and made her feel protected.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe.” He’d said those same words to her before. She pried her eyes open and stared up into the concerned face of Sage Gallagher.

  He had the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Like the sky of a beautiful summer day. One side of his mouth turned up in a smile. “How are you feeling?”

  She took stock of her body. She was still exhausted in spite of the nap and she was starving. “I’m good.” She could tell he didn’t believe her. “I slept the whole way.”

  “Yeah, you did. Remember I told you I’d wake you when it was safe.”

  Rina nodded, getting a knot in the pit of her stomach. “I remember.” She’d asked him to wake her when they reached the nearest town with a bus stop.

  “You’re safe now.” He moved away giving her a perfect view out the windshield of the truck. There were no buildings or town. Only a handful of other vehicles.

  “Where are we?” She had a sinking feeling she knew.

  “Salvation Pack land.”

  She clawed at the seatbelt until it released. She had the door open and her pack in her hands before he’d finished speaking.

  “Rina.” There was some emotion in his voice she couldn’t name, and she wasn’t sticking around to figure out what it was.

  “You lied to me.” She surged out through the open door and started back down the road. She had no idea where they were. Well, they apparently were on Salvation Pack land, wherever that was.

  Sage moved in front of her so quickly she almost plowed into him. He caught her by the shoulders and steadied her. “I did not lie. I told you I’d wake you when you were safe.”

  Okay, he had her there. “You knew what I wanted.” Why did he have to be so damn good looking? It wasn’t fair. All she wanted to do was lay her cheek against his chest and rest.

  Fatigue was obviously making her stupid.

  He scowled and his eyes grew dark with annoyance. “There was no way in hell I was simply going to drop you off at some bus stop and leave you.”

  “Why not? I’m not your problem.”

  “Why not? Why not?” He shook her lightly. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to make her lightheaded considering her current physical condition. “You’re making me crazy,” he muttered.

  Then he kissed her.

  He slammed his mouth down on hers in the most possessive kiss she’d ever experienced. Her toes curled in her sneakers and her pack fell from her grasp as she was suddenly too weak to hold it. She dug her fingers into the thin material of his tank top and hung on for dear life.

  Sage stole her breath and then gave her his own. He was so warm. Hot really. She burrowed closer, feeling chilled in spite of the growing morning heat.

  He cupped the back of her head and tilted it slightly to give him a better angle. He tasted so good. Every inch of her body was alive with sensation. Her breasts ached so she rubbed them against his chest.

  He growled and stroked his free hand down her back to cover her behind. The rig
id length of his erection pressed against her. This was dangerous. This was wrong. Rina didn’t care.

  She met the thrust of his tongue, boldly stroking in return. Then she became the aggressor, surging into his mouth. He groaned and tightened his hold, as if he was afraid she’d escape him.

  Wait. Wasn’t that what she’d been trying to do?

  Before she could summon the energy to pull away, a male voice interrupted them. “I was going to ask if there was a problem, but I can see everything is just fine.”

  Sage released her ass and her lips but kept his hand behind her head. He sighed and touched their foreheads together. Werewolves liked to touch, and that seemed to be one of Sage’s favorite ways to touch her, as he’d already done it several times in the short while they’d known one another.

  “You have great timing,” Sage grumbled.

  The other man just chuckled, and Rina eased away until Sage was forced to drop his hand. She could see the family resemblance immediately. They were the same height and build and shared similar features, although this man’s eyes were dark brown instead of blue. He also radiated an intensity that she would have found frightening if Sage hadn’t been beside her.

  Sage bent down, scooped up her pack, and tucked it under his arm. “Rina, this is my Uncle Elias. Uncle Elias, this is Irina Matheson.”

  “Sir.” She wanted to run but feared her legs wouldn’t get her too far.

  He studied her and then nodded in greeting. “You need to come back to the house. Breakfast is waiting.” With that, he turned and walked away.

  She started to let out a sigh of relief when she sensed another wolf behind her. She slowly turned and came face-to-face with the largest wolf she’d ever seen. He was covered in brown and blond fur with piercing green eyes that missed nothing. He was larger than the alpha of the Sitka Pack.

  Her wolf bristled and then whined, content to stay inside and let Rina deal with the predator before her.

  “That’s Cole Blanchard,” Sage told her before he turned to the wolf. “Hey, Cole.” The wolf dipped his head at the greeting but didn’t take his eyes off her. She was beginning to feel hunted once again, except this time she had no hope of escaping.