by J. E. Taylor
“Shoot if you have to,” he said and turned back to the stove. “But it would be a shame to ruin breakfast.”
Even his voice tickled the triggers inside me. It was deep and musical and almost hypnotic. I had never heard a werewolf’s voice, only the howls and growls from the beasts.
The man turned with a pan in his hands and dumped scrambled eggs on the two plates sitting on the small table.
“How did you get in?” I asked and cursed the breathless quality of my voice. I still held the arrow tight on the bow.
He smiled and I nearly fell to my knees at the small dimples in his cheeks and the playful shine in his eyes. “There’s more than one way to get into this house.” He turned his back and put the pan into a wash basin before taking a seat at the table. “Eat. Then you can kill me.”
I lowered the bow and stared at him as he began eating the eggs in front of him. I knew I should put him down, but there was something disarming about the man, and I could not bring myself to shoot him. Frustration gathered inside me, along with something more primal, and I gave in to the civility of the moment.
I sat, but kept the bow and arrow within reach in case the wolf attacked.
“Where did you get the eggs?” I asked, assuming he had stolen them.
“My henhouse out back.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “And the milk came from the cows.” He pointed to the glass in front of me.
My fork stalled on the way to my mouth, and I just stared at the man. There was no precedence for a werewolf having a farm. At least not one where animals lived long enough to produce food.
He smiled. “Eat up before your eggs get cold, then we can check on your grandmother.”
My muscles remembered what they were doing, and I took my first bite. The scrambled eggs were good. Not runny or rubbery, but just right. I focused on feeding my growling stomach. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was, but then again, adrenaline kept me moving last night, so my lack of a meal didn’t hit until now.
I finished every kernel on the plate and gave him an awkward smile of gratitude.
He stood, cleared the plates, and proceeded to wash the dishes while I sat dumbfounded.
“Who are you?” I finally asked.
He turned towards me while wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Lucas Bayo,” he said and stepped towards me.
I reacted and strung the arrow in the bow, jumping to my feet as shock and panic filled my muscles. My gaze dropped to his extended hand, and a hot flush filled my cheeks. He was just being polite and offering a handshake. I closed my eyes and sighed.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t trust you enough to let my guard down,” I said and stepped backwards. “My parents were killed by your kind and...”
He pulled his hand back and slid it in his pocket. “My kind.” His voice filled with bitterness, and he nodded like he understood my reaction. “Well, then, you do what you need to do.” He leaned against the sink, his expression resolved but not fearful.
I pointed the arrow at him and pulled it back. The tip centered on his chest, but my gaze locked with his. That primal urge to drop the bow and arrow and jump into his arms filled my form. I wanted those full lips on mine, those strong hands cupping my...
“Damn it,” I muttered, shaking the inappropriate thoughts from my head. The fabric of my vest rubbed against my breasts in a way that was both uncomfortable and just as arousing as looking into Lucas’s eyes. I lowered my bow. “How many humans have you killed?”
“None.”
I stared at him and relaxed my grip on the bow and arrow, but didn’t put it away. Not just yet.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I really don’t care what you believe. It’s the truth, and you can take it or leave it.”
His arms crossed, making the muscles in his chest flex in a way that made me shift to try to quell the heat pooling between my legs. I didn’t know what the hell had gotten into me, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill him. Not with my grandmother’s words still ringing in my head. I unthreaded my arrow and dropped it back in my quiver.
“If you so much as twitch the wrong way, I’ll kill you.”
He gave me a huff of a laugh and dropped his arms. “Can we go see how your grandmother is doing?”
“Fine.” I waved for him to lead the way.
Lucas rolled his eyes and headed towards the bedroom, his gait that of someone who wasn’t at all happy with the situation. It amused me, but my amusement died as soon as the door opened.
Gram’s pale features set my heart on overdrive. The bow fell from my fingers, hitting the floor as I skidded to a stop by her side. Her eyes opened at the sound, and she blinked at Lucas standing a few feet away. Her gaze moved to mine, and she formed a smile.
“I guess I’ve made it through the night.” Gram’s weak voice came out in a whisper.
“Yes.” Lucas stepped around me and put his wrist to her forehead. He glanced at me with sadness in his eyes. “She needs a doctor. Today.”
I nodded. “I need to get my horse.”
“I’ve got one that we can use,” he said.
“I can get my horse,” I said, straightening my back.
“Look, there is no time for you to travel to Dakota and back. She needs to be transported now, not tomorrow.”
“I won’t bring anyone back with me if that is what you’re worried about,” I snapped.
He raised his eyebrows. “I’m not worried about a hunting party. I’m worried about whether your grandmother will make it back alive. And I am not taking her through the woods at night. That’s a death wish waiting to happen no matter how good you are with that bow and arrow.”
The growl in his voice caught me as off guard as his words.
“I don’t think I can ride,” Gram said, her voice frail.
“It’s okay. You can ride on my lap so you don’t get jostled as much.” Lucas turned to me. “My mare is out in the barn. I’m assuming you know how to put a saddle on.”
I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes. “I’ll stay with my grandmother while you go prepare the horse.”
“Do you know how to splint a leg?” he asked.
I shifted and nodded, but that wasn’t true.
“For heaven’s sake, Ruby, go get the horse ready,” Gram scolded.
I glanced at her and then at Lucas. Pointing my finger, I opened my mouth.
“I know. If I harm her in any way, I’m a dead man,” he cut in.
I swiped my bow off the ground and stormed out of the room while my grandmother apologized for my rash behavior. The last thing I heard before I stepped out the door was Lucas saying I was entitled to my feelings. As unsettled as I was about leaving Gram with him, I was also curious to see what his land truly held.
I made my way to the side of the house and gawked at the barn and the surrounding farmlands. Wooden fences gated the animals as well as the gardens starting at the back of the house. Just beyond the perimeter fence was the forest. I couldn’t imagine keeping the farm safe from the dangers in the woods. Not only were there werewolves, but there were plenty of other predators looking for an easy meal.
Lucas Bayo was one big mystery, and as I unhooked the gate and passed through to the pasture, I realized I wanted to unravel the layers and get to the core of the man. A heat burned deep inside me, one that had never been lit before, and I cursed under my breath.
Lucas was a werewolf.
The thought pounded my brain with each step. I couldn’t let this weird attraction take over and cloud my mind. When Gram was back home under the care of the doctor, I would honor my oath and do my duty, even if it killed me.
One bite and he could create an army to overrun Dakota.
I opened the barn door and scanned the interior. Chickens pecked their way across the interior and the hen house lined the wall to my left while stalls filled the right side of the barn. Most of the stalls were empty, but two had occupants. One held a milking cow and the other a horse.
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bsp; “Focus,” I mumbled and approached the old mare that reminded me of a bowl of cinnamon sugar. White and brown speckled her coat, and she whinnied as I approached.
“It’s okay, girl,” I said softly and reached for the reins on the wall.
I stepped to the stall door and gently ran my hand down her nose and to the side of her jaw. She sniffed my hand, looking for a treat, and then met my gaze. For a minute there, I saw a shadow of our old mare who carried me to that fateful clearing all those years ago, but the vision passed just as quick.
The horse allowed me to fit her bit and strap on the reins without any fuss, and I led her out of the stall. She patiently stood while I threw her saddle blanket in place and fit the saddle on tight. I led her to the post just outside the back of the house and descended a stairwell to a door.
The knob turned easily to Lucas’s root cellar. This must have been how he got inside the house this morning. The stairs led up to the door across from the bedroom. I closed the door and glanced at the knob. I engaged the lock and strode towards the bedroom.
My grandmother moaned.
It was as if lightning shot through my veins. I had the bow and arrow in my grasp before my brain caught up to what I was seeing. Lucas was wrapping my grandmother’s thigh in gauze. Along her outer thigh and hip, he had placed a piece of sturdy lumber that went from her hip all the way down to her knee. Smaller pieces framed her upper and inner thigh, and from the way he was moving her, I would guess there was another piece of wood framing the back of her leg.
Sweat poured from her face. Each time Lucas rolled the gauze under her leg, she whined. He kept apologizing each time he had to move her, and finally he tied the bandage off just above the knee and turned towards me.
“This is going to be a rough ride,” he said, his eyes relaying a world of concern.
“I can take care of her,” I said, ignoring the pang that went through me.
“I’m going with you two,” he said.
I laughed at him. There was no hiding his pearlescent eyes. The town would string him up with silver and slowly torture him to death. I shook my head. “No. They will kill you on sight.”
“You didn’t.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t find the words. Alarms were already ringing in my head. “You can’t come,” I finally squeaked out.
“She’s right. They won’t understand,” Gram said.
Lucas ran his hand through his thick hair and crossed to his bureau. He pulled on a shirt much to my dismay and then offered me one. “It’s colder today than it was yesterday.”
I glanced down at my vest, and heat filled my cheeks. I had totally forgotten I lent my shirt to Travis. I had been so preoccupied at my surroundings that I didn’t notice how cold it was. I almost declined, but Gram’s raised brow made me take the shirt and retreat as quickly as possible from the room.
In the washroom, I slid the shirt over my head. The material was soft and hung over my small form. I tucked the hem into my pants and slid my vest back on. I had to roll up the sleeves to almost my elbows in order to not get in the way of my bow and arrow if the need arose.
I stepped back in the room a few minutes later, and Gram gave me that same raised brow.
“Travis fell from a tree and needed a sling. Remy had already used his shirt sleeves for a splint, so I was the last one left with a shirt.” Heat engulfed my entire face, and I glanced at the floor. This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have in front of a stranger. A sexy stranger at that. A sexy werewolf, my mind corrected. He pulled on his boots, and my gaze fell to the open V of his shirt and the firm, smooth skin peeking out of his tunic.
“So you gave the shirt off your back to help a friend?” His bright blue eyes met mine.
“I guess,” I answered.
The dimples in his cheeks toyed with my insides. He stood and crossed to the spot in front of me, his gaze never leaving mine. “I can’t let you try to make this trip with just your grandmother. That wolf you killed last night, that wasn’t the only one in the area.”
“Your horse can’t hold all three of us.”
“Yes, she can.”
I knew there were more wolves out there. A whole pack, but I didn’t want to be responsible for this creature’s death. “Lucas, they will kill you,” I said slowly, enunciating every word to make my point.
His easy smile burned through me. “Then you won’t have to make that call.” He slid into his coat, pulling the hood over his head, scooped Gram up in his arms, and headed out the front door.
I followed and brought the mare around front where Lucas hopped on with Gram in his arms, shifting her until she was as comfortable as possible. He offered me his hand, and I swatted it away. Using the porch, I climbed onto the back half of the saddle and wrapped my right arm around his waist.
“I’ll do what I can to keep you comfortable, but you and I both know time isn’t on our side right now,” Lucas said to my grandmother.
She nodded.
He glanced back at me. “Hold on,” he said and then kicked his heels into the horse.
The mare took off like a bolt that belied her calm demeanor. She reminded me of Midnight as she traversed through the woods. I clung to Lucas and my bow, wondering if Gram felt every hoof beat or not. Her pale, stressed features worried me.
Her eyes met mine. She offered me a grimace instead of a smile, but just the effort alone was endearing.
“Werewolf coming fast on the right.” Lucas’s purr reached my ears.
I tightened my thighs and swung the bow in that direction, threading it with an arrow as we rode through the thick woods. The mare never slowed down or veered from her path. I caught the flash of the wolf’s iridescent eyes just as it launched into the air.
My arrow pierced right through its head. Lucas sent a punch in its direction so the dead beast wouldn’t knock us off the horse. His strength and calmness astounded me, and for a moment, I allowed myself to be in awe of the man regardless of the beast inside.
I repositioned myself and wrapped my right arm around his waist again, hugging him tight as we continued at breakneck speed.
Chapter 8
The mid-afternoon sun didn’t offer much warmth, and I shivered as I slid off the horse in front of Doc Wilton’s. I knocked on the door, and when it swung open, Doc Wilton’s kind smile disappeared. He opened the door, waving us inside.
We hurried through the house to Doc Wilton’s office where Lucas laid Gram on the exam table.
“I did my best to try to keep her broken bones stable on the ride...” he said and stepped back. “I think she may be bleeding internally.”
The doctor snapped his gaze to Lucas as if seeing him for the first time. His eyes narrowed before he grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting through the gauze.
“You did fine,” Gram whispered to Lucas and stretched her hand out for me.
I stepped to her side and took it.
“Get him somewhere safe,” she whispered.
Doc Wilton looked up from his task. “Why would you let that monster near your grandmother?”
“He saved me, Jacob,” Gram said. “I was stupid and tried to use the berm to grab an apple off a high limb and lost my balance. I fell all the way into the valley gorge. He came around just when another wolf found me. He protected me, running that varmint off, and then curled around me to keep me warm. When Ruby found us, he kept both of us safe through the night. He didn’t have to help us at all. And he certainly didn’t need to risk his life by coming here, so you just hush up and leave him be.”
Doc Wilton looked down as pink bloomed in his cheeks. “Yes, Mrs. Locklear.” He slowly removed the outer splint, and Gram groaned through clenched teeth. He glanced up at us. “Go home. I’ll come get you when she is stable.”
Gram squeezed my hand and then let go, giving me a reassuring smile. When I didn’t move, she turned her gaze to Lucas. “Have her take you to our cottage. You should be safe there until nightfall.”
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nbsp; Lucas nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Ruby, don’t let anything happen to him, okay?”
I rolled my eyes and nodded. “Fine.” I took a second to give her a hug. “I love you, Gram,” I whispered.
“I love you, too, child. Now go, before the Guard gets back.” She met my gaze with a clear warning in her eyes.
I knew I’d have to face Remy later today when the Guard got home, but if he intercepted us on the way home, Lucas would not get out of Dakota alive. I gave her a nod and stepped outside with Lucas.
Without a word, he lifted me onto the mare and hopped on behind me. He handed me the reins.
“Lead the way,” he said and gently banged his heels against the mare’s sides.
She started trotting as I led her through the back side of the village and into the woods.
“You don’t live in town?” he asked as we went deeper down the secondary path that I rarely traveled.
“No. Gram has always lived outside the town proper.” I turned the mare to our left, doubling back to the stables behind our cottage. Our clearing was tiny in comparison to Lucas’s land, but it was all we had.
We didn’t have issues with predators either, but that was due to the wolf carcasses hanging on every post. Lucas tensed as I stopped at the gate. I slid off the horse and took the reins, leading the horse through to the inside of the corral with Lucas still on her back. The gate closed behind us, and he twitched in the seat. His gaze passed over each pelt before dropping to mine.
His teeth peeled back in horror at the vulgar display of death.
“It keeps Midnight safe.” I nodded to the black stallion drinking from the trough. “I don’t know what you did around yours, but this works like a charm.” I waved at the perimeter.
Lucas huffed and climbed off the horse. “I marked the territory. You’ve announced death to all who enter.” He nodded at the posts. “No werewolf in their right mind would breach that line.”
