“Move forward.” A voice came from beyond the light.
“Not Leo,” Jewel whispered. One of his henchmen or bodyguards, no doubt. Colton wanted the actual man.
With nowhere else to go, they did as they were told.
The spotlight clicked off. Still temporarily blinded, Colton squinted, trying to find his adversary.
Finally, he could make out two men standing by a black metal industrial staircase. They flanked a huge wolf with fur so black, it blended with the shadows. Leo?
Colton took a step forward. Jewel’s touch on his arm stopped him.
“That’s him.” Despair and anger warred in her voice.
The wolf moved also, closing half the distance, still flanked by the bodyguards. Colton refused to show fear, though his gut tightened.
When only a few feet separated them, the animal stopped. Colton did, too. He moved his hand to rest on the butt of the gun, trying to get ready before the wolf attacked.
The wolf snarled. But it didn’t move, staring up at him with an intelligence that was frighteningly human. Colton knew then that he’d have to make the first move.
“Don’t,” Jewel urged, low-voiced.
Ignoring the warning, Colton didn’t even hesitate. Yanking the gun free, he flicked off the safety and drew a bead on the wolf.
Immediately, the two bodyguards leaped in front of Leo, protecting him. Colton found himself baring his own teeth, as if he were the animal.
“Move back,” one man growled.
Not wanting to endanger Jewel’s and his chances, Colton did as he was told, moving slowly backward until he had the wall behind him.
Jewel did the same. Her fury and fear radiated off her in waves so strong even Colton could pick up on them. Despite that, when she met his gaze, he saw not despair, nor blind rage, but fierce resolve. He hoped his own expression mirrored 2hers. After all, he had the gun, still pointed at them. And loaded with silver bullets.
Still, he would only be able to take out one before he was overcome and the animal’s razor sharp teeth tore into him.
As if sensing his thoughts, the wolf poked his massive head around one bodyguard’s legs, baring his teeth and growling low in his throat.
Despite himself, Colton shifted his weight uneasily. At any moment they could rush him. “I promise I’ll take out as many of you as I can before I die,” he threatened.
The guards merely laughed.
“Jewel,” Colton spoke her name without taking his eyes off their enemy. “Head for the door. Now.”
The wolf snarled, louder and more threatening. A promise. Despite that, Jewel inched along the wall as Colton had asked.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Roy’s voice. Colton cut his gaze toward the exit. Roy had regained consciousness and somehow managed to free himself. The furious look he gave Colton promised retribution.
Roy was the least of his problems. Concentrating again on the bodyguards and the beast, Colton kept the pistol leveled. “Move, and I shoot.”
As though given an order, Roy grabbed Jewel. She shoved him and he backhanded her. Hard. Her head snapped back, against the cement wall. She cried out and slumped to the ground.
With the gun still pointed at the guards—and Leo—Colton moved forward. But before he could reach her, the wolf went for Roy, moving so fast it was a blur. It attacked, leaping high. Roy screamed, his cry turning into a dying gurgle as the animal savagely ripped out his throat. Blood gushed from his destroyed neck.
Expressions horrified, the other two bodyguards backed away. One of them swore under his breath.
The wolf raised his bloody muzzle and snarled again.
Now. Colton had a clear shot. He swung around to bring the weapon to bear on Leo, aimed, and one of the bodyguards knocked it from his hand. The gun went skittering across the cement floor. Both Colton and the other man went for it.
The other man reached it first. Dropping to his knees and pivoting in a movement that screamed military, he pointed the gun at Colton.
“Enough,” Jewel shouted. Again the sparks flared, flashed, a multihued burst of light in fast motion. When the brightness faded, an ivory-coated wolf stood in her place. She moved toward the other wolf, snarling.
The black wolf raised his bloody muzzle and growled a warning.
Wolf-Jewel responded in kind.
Behind Roy’s bloody corpse, someone screamed. Another woman ran into the room, skidding to a stop at the edge of the shadows and dropping to her knees over the body.
“Nooooo,” she cried. “Not Roy.” When she raised her head, Colton recognized her. Betty Keyes, his ex-wife’s best friend.
Bettina. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. She’d hated him for sending Paula to prison. When she’d hooked up with Roy, she’d seduced him into exacting vengeance. How fortunate for Leo that he’d come across the two of them.
A low growl brought Colton’s attention back to the wolves.
Black wolf and white, Leo and Jewel faced off, circling each other. Jewel showed her teeth, snarling again. The sound reverberated as Leo responded in kind.
They sprang for each other.
Colton saw a flash of metal as Bettina lifted a gun. Instead of aiming at him, she pointed her weapon at the wolves.
He cursed, eyeing his own gun, now aimed at him. His captor laughed. “Move and I’ll shoot you.”
Colton guessed Bettina meant to try and kill both wolves, avenging Roy’s death and getting revenge on Colton by killing Jewel.
He’d die before he let that happen.
The wolves broke apart, bleeding. They resumed their circling, intent on each other.
“Bettina, put the gun away,” the other bodyguard said. “You can’t kill them. They can’t even kill each other.”
His admonishment didn’t appear to faze Bettina. Mouth pulled back in a grimace eerily similar to the wolves, she leveled her pistol on the white wolf.
Colton was betting she had silver bullets.
As she sighted her gun, again the wolves sprang at each other, teeth snapping.
Bettina frowned. Her steady hold on her weapon wavered.
The other guard moved stealthily along the back wall, heading for Bettina. When he rounded the back wall, his foot connected with something, making a sound.
Bettina spun and shot him. He didn’t even have time to scream. Shot through the heart, he died instantly.
Colton wondered if she’d kill him next.
But paying Colton no heed, once again she tried to draw a bead on the ivory wolf, waiting for them to break away. Still locked on each other, black fur melded with white. And blood. So much blood.
Finally, they sprang apart. Spent, sides heaving, they stood separated by a few feet, each gathering strength for another attack.
Bettina grinned. She raised her gun. Squeezed the trigger and fired.
Colton’s guard shot her.
Screeching, she jerked and fell. While the guard’s attention was on her, Colton body-slammed him. The man went down, his head cracking on concrete, very still.
Colton grabbed his gun and pivoted, hoping he wasn’t too late.
But just as Colton was sighting, the black wolf staggered and reeled backward. Leo crashed to the ground, limbs splayed, and lay unmoving in a pool of rapidly spreading crimson.
Bettina’s shot had found a mark.
Panting, the white wolf swayed, but stayed on her feet, sides heaving, eyeing the fallen wolf.
Colton went to him, checking for a pulse.
“He’s dead. Bettina must have had silver bullets.”
“I did,” Bettina grunted, trying to sit up. “I wanted to kill her, too, and then you. Roy wasn’t supposed to die.” Moving jerkily, she tried to rise. She crouched halfway up, bleeding profusely, pushing herself up on her knees, clawing at air. Before Colton knew what she meant to do, she dove for the guard she’d killed, sliding on blood-slicked cement. She went for his weapon, coming up triumphantly with it in her hand. Squinting,
she brought up her gun and tried to aim at Colton, knowing regular bullets wouldn’t kill Jewel.
Colton charged her. Reaching her before she could take aim, he knocked the weapon out of her hand. She tried to hit him, but collapsed instead, twitching and moaning in pain.
He turned. Behind him, Jewel made a sound. Again the swirl of lights surrounded her as she quickly changed back from wolf to human. Panting, she grabbed up her bloodstained clothes and dressed, watching him warily.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
She shrugged. “A little. Shifters heal fast. I’ll be all right.”
“She didn’t shoot you?”
“No.” They both looked at Bettina, who’d passed out. “You’d better call for an ambulance.”
He reached in his pocket for his cell phone and dialed 911.
When he looked up again, Jewel was gone.
Heart heavy, he went through the motions. The police and emergency personnel arrived within minutes and then there were statements to give, questions to answer. After dealing with the police and the interrogation, Colton also was exhausted. Still, he called the newspaper to make sure Floyd was all right. The man’s cranky disposition improved when Colton promised him the scoop on the story of the year.
Still unconscious, Bettina was loaded into the ambulance and rushed off to Parkland Hospital, and the two guards’ bodies were taken to the morgue. Though Colton had relinquished his gun to the police for ballistics tests, it was obvious from the bullets that Bettina had killed both men.
Finally, the crime-scene unit finished their investigation, though they’d been puzzled about the dead wolf. Colton had claimed it had been a vicious guard dog, which had torn out Roy’s throat. He told them the dogs had run away.
Once all that was over, the police left him alone.
Wrung dry and exhausted, Colton wondered about Jewel. Aching, he tried to figure out where she might have gone. What hurt the most was knowing she hadn’t even given them a chance. How could he fight for her if she ran away?
He had no idea where to even begin looking. With Leo dead, perhaps she’d go home, back to New York and that town where she’d grown up.
Because Colton couldn’t guess, he decided he’d head home to the lake and try to sort things out.
When he reached the Jeep, his heart stopped.
There. Jewel. Asleep in the back. A little bedraggled with her tattered and bloodstained dress, but unhurt and breathing. All woman.
Joy flooded him, so fierce and deep he couldn’t breathe. He felt as if he’d been granted a miracle, as if a hopelessly impossible dream had been allowed to finally come true.
Moving carefully so he wouldn’t wake her, he climbed in the front seat and started the engine.
She raised her head and looked at him, fatigue making circles under her sleepy eyes. “Colton?”
“Go back to sleep,” he told her, smiling.
“Where are we going?”
He smiled tenderly. “Home. I’m taking you home.”
“No.” Pushing herself up to a sitting position, she frowned. “We need to talk.”
“Later.” He gave a meaningful glance back toward the warehouse. One police cruiser still remained, the officers inside finishing up. “It’s a forty-five-minute drive back to the lake. Let’s go there and get some rest first.”
Though she still looked uncertain, she finally nodded. Climbing into the front seat, she fastened her seat belt and stared straight ahead. Ten minutes into the drive, she fell back asleep, snuggling into the seat. Eventually, her head came to rest on his shoulder, and he was content.
Rarely done, changing twice in one day had wiped Jewel out. Though she wanted to stay awake—needed to stay awake and settle things with Colton—the multiple changes and the fight had taken their toll. When sleep claimed her for the second time, she hoped she wouldn’t dream.
Too often in her life she had dared to dream, only to have her hopes crushed.
“Jewel, we’re here.” His voice, Colton’s. The man she’d come to love despite all the odds against them. Struggling, she tried to open her eyes, failing completely.
She felt him release her seat belt. When he lifted her in his arms and set her feet on the ground, she fought to gain energy to keep from crumpling in a boneless heap on the grass.
Wobbly legged, she succeeded.
He cradled her against his chest, supporting her, letting her lean on him as they made their way into his house. She listened to his heartbeat, strong and steady under her cheek, and tried to imagine life without him.
A wolf without a mate. She supposed that was only fitting. She’d already lost her Pack. An outsider probably should get used to being alone.
Only thing was—she didn’t want to.
She wanted Colton. She wanted it all.
Colton helped her to the couch, worrying that her injuries were more severe than they appeared. She didn’t wake again, and he covered her with a blanket and let her sleep, taking the chair near her side.
The calls started coming in the next morning. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and CNN—all the networks left messages on his machine. They all wanted exclusives with Jewel, thanks to Floyd and his big mouth.
Colton ignored them, waiting for her to awaken.
Hearing the ping of the coffeepot finishing brewing, he went and got himself a cup. When he returned, she sat up, her hair tousled, her expression guarded.
“Mornin’,” he said. “Would you like some coffee?”
She gave a hesitant nod.
Absurdly tongue-tied, he brought it, burning his mouth by drinking his own too fast. She sipped hers, peering at him over the rim of her cup. “Are you ready to talk?”
He nodded, trying to push past the emotion clogging his throat and find the right words.
Absolutely still, she watched him. Her haunted eyes shone brilliant green from her pale face.
“I…” Still struggling, he didn’t know where to begin. Or how. He who was so good with words on paper couldn’t seem to string together a coherent sentence to save his life.
A minute ticked by, then another. When Colton still didn’t speak, she dipped her chin once in acknowledgment. Hurt had made her gaze dark. “I’d better go.”
He knew if she left this time, she wouldn’t be back.
God help him, he couldn’t let her. She’d stayed, given them a chance, and he didn’t know what to say.
Except this. “I love you.”
She froze, her shoulders rigid, keeping her back to him. He kept talking, hoping she’d turn to face him.
“I love you, Jewel. Both parts of you. I know you’ve heard that before, from someone you thought you could trust, but this is me.”
Her strangled sound could have been one of pain, or of joy.
“Me, Jewel. You know me better than I know myself. I thought…” His voice broke, and for a moment he couldn’t go on. “I thought my life was over, hell—I wanted my life to be over when my daughter died.” Speaking of it, he felt the old familiar pain lessen somewhat.
“When I learned her own mother, my own wife, had killed her, I was furious at myself for not seeing it coming, for not stopping it. Sixteen years old! She’d barely begun to live. But I’d been too tied up in my own life, in my career, and I missed the signs.”
Slowly she turned, her gaze soft and full of compassion. “You blame yourself?”
Rage filled him, clogging his throat so he couldn’t speak. Rage and self-loathing, but as he looked at her, both melted away. “I did, once.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Colton.”
Though he jerked his head in a nod, he continued on as if he hadn’t heard her words. “I would have traded my life for hers in a heartbeat, but I couldn’t. Do you realize how much I would trade to have my little girl back?”
Nodding, Jewel sniffed. Wondering, he realized she was crying. Silent tears made silver tracks down her too-pale skin.
“Why are you telling me this now?” she asked.
&nbs
p; “Because I’ve learned what’s important in this life. Damned if I’m letting you go. I’d regret it the rest of my life.”
She stared, her expression guarded. He rushed to continue, the words now pouring from him like a flood. “You’re important to me. We have a chance, you and I. Do you realize how special this thing between us can be? How rare?”
She moved forward hesitantly, like a sleepwalker still deep in the throes of a dream. “You saw me change.” She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “You can’t pretend you never saw that, or that it never happened. It’s who I am, what I am. Part of me.”
Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed the tip of her nose. “I know what I saw and I realize what you are. I want to love both parts of you. I want to learn more about your kind, your people. But first, I want you to try.”
Mouth working, she appeared to be trying not to cry. “Try what?”
“Try to love me the way I love you.”
“I don’t have to try. I already do. But—”
He hushed her with a kiss, this time on the mouth and deep and long and full of his heart. When he came up for air, she grinned, a big, wolfish, utterly feminine grin.
“Convince me again,” she said.
Laughing, he did.
ISBN: 978-1-55254-822-6
CRY OF THE WOLF
Copyright © 2007 by Karen M. Whiddon
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
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