For the first twenty minutes or so, he’d enjoyed the peace and quiet of the relatively deserted bar. But as the day began to wind down, the place filled up. First one guy, then another stopped by his table to say hello. Now, while trying to eat a bacon cheeseburger for his supper and chasing this monument to clogged arteries with an ice-cold beer, it seemed every guy in the bar wanted to talk about her. Jewel Smith. Colton couldn’t chew and swallow fast enough even to pretend not to know anything.
Finally, he gave up and put the burger down. He hadn’t been able to taste it anyway. He paid his check and decided to head out, get in his boat and do a little fishing. There, he’d find peace and quiet.
And in this at least, he was right. He used his trolling motor to make the boat go slowly, watching as the fiery sun headed gracefully closer to the horizon, and let his lines trail out after him.
He told himself he’d stay away from Jewel’s place, and as dusk began to settle over the water, he kept good on his promise. But the wind blew from the south and pushed him toward her cove and he finally told himself he’d fish that part of the lake, but stay out of the cove water.
So he trolled back and forth, down the channels, avoiding the one turn that would take him near her place.
Then, he smelled smoke.
Someone burning leaves, no doubt, though the middle of summer was the wrong time of the year for that. No, this was wood smoke, making him think of chimneys and fireplaces. In ninety-eight-degree heat?
Standing up in his boat, he shaded his eyes with his hand. There, a thick plume of smoke. From one of the coves near the Pryor place.
There was nothing there to burn—except the Pryor place.
Jewel!
Starting the motor, he opened the throttle to full and took off across the lake.
As soon as he reached the cove, he realized his fears were well founded. Flames licked the roof of Jewel’s rental house. He punched 911 on his cell, spoke briefly to the operator, then closed the phone, steering into the cove.
Ramming the boat ashore, he tossed the anchor on land, jumped on it hard as he passed and took off up the embankment. Where was she? Had she gotten out?
The front door was locked, though he knew the frame was rickety. With no time to waste climbing in a window, he rammed the door with his shoulder. As he’d known it would, the dry wood splintered.
Instantly, a thick cloud of smoke billowed out, blinding him.
“Jewel!” he shouted her name. The fire was still confined to the back area, her kitchen and extra bedroom, though it wouldn’t be long before the entire house went up like the kindling it was.
Though the smoke threatened to blind him, he saw no sign of Jewel in the main room. He could only pray she hadn’t been in the kitchen.
Crouching low to the ground, he ran for the front bedroom. Jewel lay crumpled on the floor, unconscious.
Shouting her name again, he lifted her and, coughing and gasping for air, sprinted for the front door.
Outside, he collapsed on the ground, cushioning her with his body. As he reached to feel for a pulse, her chest heaved and she began coughing.
Behind them, the fire roared through the small frame house, engulfing it.
“Jewel.” He lifted her up, raising her chin to help her breathe. “Wake up.”
Slowly, her eyes opened, the vivid green clouded.
“Colton?” she murmured.
“Yeah.” He started to tell her that her house was on fire, but before he could, she murmured something unintelligible and kissed him.
Too shocked to react at first, he kissed her back. Then, realizing what was happening, he pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length while she struggled. For the first time he saw that her dress was ripped, as though she’d slashed at the material with a sharp knife. “What are you doing? What the hell’s wrong with you?”
At his words, she went still, though desire still darkened her cloudy gaze. “I tried to—” She swallowed, her tone miserable. “When I try to change and fail, this is what happens. All that energy channels into a craving for sex.”
Her words made no sense. Putting them down to a possible injury, he ignored his body’s stirring and studied her. “You sound…confused. Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“That noise…is there a…fire?” Narrowing her eyes, she sniffed. “I smell smoke.” Before he could answer, she turned, gasping when she saw the flames consuming the old frame house. “My purse is in there. My wallet—all my money!” Gaze panicked, she climbed to her knees, as though she were considering attempting a mad dash to retrieve something that was no longer there.
“They’re gone,” he told her quietly. “I’m sorry.”
Expression miserable, she jerked her head in a nod of sorts. “Did you call the fire department?”
“I called 911. They’re on their way. Our department is volunteer, so it takes them a little longer to round up the people.”
Glumly, she watched the fire crackle and dance. “By the time they get here, that house and everything inside will be ashes.”
As if on cue, sirens sounded in the distance.
“A fire?” she repeated, sounding dazed. “How? Why?”
Again he asked, “Are you all right?
“I think so. Yes.” She licked her lips, drawing his gaze, sending a stab of hunger to his belly.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m a bit dizzy, but otherwise…” She nodded. “I’m fine. Good thing I didn’t remove my contacts. If I lost them, I’d be in deep trouble.”
He was still holding her at arm’s length. “If I let you go, will you behave yourself?”
Tilting her head, she winced, then nodded. “I think so. I’m sorry. Really.”
He didn’t release her.
Seeing his hesitation, she sighed. “I can’t control it. Isn’t that awful? I can barely control my own body.”
Again, she made no sense. “Now?”
“I’ve got it under control.” But she didn’t sound certain.
“Jewel, did you hit your head?”
Frowning, she touched her temples, pushing the hair away from her face. “I don’t…no.”
“What happened here?” He jerked his head toward the huge fire. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know how the fire started?”
She shook her head. “No. I was outside and I passed out in the woods. When I came to, I made it back to the house and went inside. All I remember is dropping onto my bed, and then you, awakening me to this.”
The roof caved in, sending a shower of sparks high into the sky. The fire roared in triumph.
They were both silent as they stared at the raging inferno that had been her rental house.
“But you don’t know how the fire started?” He was nothing if not persistent.
“Someone probably set it.” Her tone was flat. “Cutting my brake line didn’t work, so they thought they’d kill me in a fire.”
Coming from anyone else, he would have said her words were crazy. For Jewel Smith, aka Julie Licciardoni, they made sense.
“You can let me go now,” she said.
Feeling guilty, he dropped his arms. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She wouldn’t look at him as she slowly climbed to her feet. “I’d do the same thing, if someone I found repulsive kept trying to seduce me.”
“Repulsive?” Though he knew he should keep his mouth shut, he couldn’t help exclaiming at her words. “Believe me, that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
The fire engine rounded the corner in a cloud of dust, wheels skidding slightly on the gravel road. Pulling Jewel out of the way, Colton kept his arm around her slender shoulders as they watched the firefighters attempt to beat back the flames with a massive spray of water.
When the fire—and the old Pryor place—had been reduced to smoldering ashes, she looked up at him and shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”
“
They’ll find out how it started.” He pointed at a tall, stocky man watching as two others put out hot spots. “That’s Bill Snow. He’s a trained arson investigator.”
A moment later the man walked over. He nodded at Colton, then eyed Jewel. “Jewel Smith?”
She nodded. “Did you find out what caused the fire?”
“Yes, I did.” Expression grim, he seemed to regard them both with suspicion. “I’ll need to ask you a few questions.” He looked at Colton. “You, too. This fire was deliberately set.”
Jewel froze. She made a sound low in her throat, her shoulders tensing under his hand. “I knew it. Damn it.”
Bill took out a pad and pen, eyeing Colton. “You called this in, correct?”
Colton nodded. “I did. I was fishing from my boat when I saw and smelled the smoke.”
The other man’s gaze swiveled to Jewel. “What about you? What were you doing when the fire started?”
Trembling from exhaustion, she blinked. She could barely focus on the other man. “I…”
Colton had to set Bill straight. “She was asleep in the house. If I hadn’t broken in and dragged her out, she would have died.”
Shuddering, Jewel nodded. “I never told you thanks.”
He squeezed her shoulder in answer.
Glancing from one to the other, Bill looked confused. “What? If the fire was deliberate, and she was asleep…Are you saying someone tried to kill her?”
“It looks that way.” He squeezed her shoulder again. “She definitely thinks so.”
Jewel moved restlessly against him. “I know so.”
“If that’s the case, that would make this arson also an attempted murder. I’ll need to notify the police, so they can assign a detective.”
Colton nodded. “Good idea.”
The other man studied Jewel. “Before you went to sleep, you didn’t hear anything or notice anyone suspicious lurking around?”
“No.” She looked disgusted with herself. “Not at all. Even once I fell asleep, I should have heard him. I have excellent hearing. Normally.” She swallowed. “This time, I didn’t hear a thing.”
Colton held his tongue. Of course the fact that she’d been completely unconscious might have had something to do with that.
“I’ll inform the police.” Putting his pad back in his jacket pocket, Bill looked from one to the other. “They’ll probably have a few questions for you both, too. Oh, and Reba will want to talk to you also.”
Jewel nodded, swaying on her feet. Colton thought if he took his hand from her shoulder, she’d crumple to the ground.
Bill noticed, too. “What are you going to do now?” His tone softened, though his gaze was still sharply watchful.
“I don’t know.” Though she didn’t look at him, Colton knew what she was thinking. She had no home, no car, nothing. At the very least, she’d need a few days to pull her resources together and figure out what to do.
Colton heard himself answering for her. “She’s staying at my place until she decides.”
Chapter 6
Standing much too close to Colton but unable to summon the energy to move away, Jewel managed to hold everything together until the fire truck left, taking Bill the arson investigator with it. Then, when Colton gently turned her around and held her, she knew she had to choose between anger—and self-respect—or tears.
Of course she chose the anger, but before she could work up a good rage, the tears came.
She cried for herself and her trapped wolf, for what her life should have been and how it had ended up. She didn’t know how much longer she could continue to live like this, unable to change, unable to fight, with no one to turn to.
And then this—Colton’s unexpected kindness. Not only was he the most attractive man she’d ever met, but he wanted to be her friend. He’d offered her a place to stay, temporary shelter until she figured out a new path, claiming he wanted nothing in return. She believed him too, especially since she knew men who wanted more would not have hesitated to take advantage when she’d so wantonly offered her body.
He claimed to like her and, while she knew better than to trust him, instinctively she wanted to believe. All that he’d done, especially his actions now, told her he could be trusted.
Unfortunately, until she regained control of her own body, she knew she could not.
Pity party over, Jewel sniffed and wiped at her eyes. Mumbling a quick thanks at Colton, she pushed herself out of his arms, away from him in case her raging libido took over.
Her car was totaled, her rental house gone. What little possessions she’d had had burned. Luckily, she never took her silver wolf necklace off, so she still had that. That, and the clothes on her back.
Ignoring the yellow crime-scene tape and poking through the rubble of what had been her temporary refuge, Jewel jumped when Colton called her name.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked. The gentleness in his tone and the pity she saw in his eyes was nearly her undoing. “I’ve got my boat.”
Straightening, she walked over to him, shading her eyes with her hand. “About that, while I appreciate you making the offer and all, I don’t think me staying with you is a good idea.”
With the sun behind him, his expression was in shadow, making it difficult for her to read his face. “Don’t make any more of it than it is. This would be a temporary thing, just until you get on your feet.”
“Thank you, but no.”
“Why not?”
Why not? She could give him one big reason. Instead she focused on the one he could relate to. “I keep trying to seduce you, remember? If we’re staying together in close quarters, I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”
He looked away at her words. The sudden tension she sensed in him told her he wasn’t as immune to her as he pretended to be.
“See,” she said gently. “When you think about everything, you can see it’s a bad idea.”
“You have nowhere else to go.”
“True, but that’s not your problem.”
At her words, he shook his head. “How long has it been since you had a friend?”
To her shame she felt tears sting her eyes. “I haven’t had any friends since Leo and I married, and I think you know that.”
He took a step toward her, jamming his hands into his pocket. “Let me help you. Let me be your friend.”
This she couldn’t fathom. “What’s in it for you?”
“Having someone as brave and resourceful as you as my friend. You took a stand against what your husband was doing. You were fearless, even when you said you were buying a gun. I admire your courage.”
Her throat closed up. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had admired her for anything. In her husband’s circles, the only people she’d known for the last five years, she was universally despised.
It had been a long time since she’d had a friend. She so badly wanted to take him up on his offer. But, like everything else about her life here, their tentative friendship was based on lies. True friends didn’t have secrets.
Sure, he’d offered to let her stay with him, extended a helping hand in her time of need, but he had no idea what she was—or, more accurately, what she had been. If he found out she was a shifter, once he got past his initial shock, he’d push her away.
Most humans didn’t like learning their myths and nightmares were real.
She looked up, met his gaze, and felt as if she were drowning. How he, a human male, could make her melt inside with a simple look, she didn’t understand. Most likely this had something to do with the fact that her system was at its weakest, and the wall she’d erected to protect herself was beginning to tumble.
“Jewel?” His voice seemed to come from a long way off. “Are you all right?”
She blinked, realizing she’d been staring, and felt her face color. “I’m fine,” she said, feeling as though she were lying again.
“Then you’ll stay with me?”
“I—” Maybe she was mak
ing too much out of this. A simple offer of friendship could be that, and nothing more.
Partly because she was exhausted, and partly because she knew he was right, she found herself nodding. “Thank you, I will. I appreciate the offer. It means a lot to me.”
His smile warmed the cold core inside her. “Great. Are you ready to go?”
She nodded, swaying again on her feet. This exhaustion, brought on by her failed attempt to change, always came after the raging sexual need. “I’ll stay with you for a little while, until I figure out what to do.”
He took her arm. “You look about ready to fall over.”
Stifling a yawn, she lifted her chin. “I am. This…illness takes a lot out of me.”
To his credit, he didn’t ask. Instead, he helped her onto his boat, untying the anchor before jumping onboard himself.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to keep you safe,” he said, touching her arm. “What I don’t understand is, if this is Leo’s work, why is he having this sort of thing done? Cutting brake lines and setting fires? I’d think if someone like him wanted to kill you, there’d be much more efficient ways to do it.”
Startled, she shot him a glance. Fiddling with the ignition blower switch and other gadgets on his console, he wasn’t watching her. Without even knowing her or Leo, Colton had somehow arrived at the truth. A car accident wouldn’t have killed her, unless the car had burned. A fire would have; indeed a combination of the two had ended her adoptive parents’ lives.
“Torture.” She kept her voice emotionless, not wanting to reveal too much. “Leo thrives on tormenting me. He wants me to know he’s found me and plans to make sure I suffer before I die.”
Colton’s narrow-eyed look contained rage. “What kind of man—” He broke off, visibly collecting himself. “You need protection,” he said again.
She thought for a moment, unsure how to respond to the understatement of the year. Deciding a brusque, businesslike approach would be best, she nodded. “I agree. Since I can’t leave town without transportation and money, I think I need to learn how to protect myself. I’ve got to arm myself and learn how to use a gun.”
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