by Angela White
Marc stepped back, automatically wiping his hands down his pants to be certain they were dry enough to grip a weapon if needed. It usually wasn’t at this point.
The other rangers stared at Marc and Bubba’s damaged face in uneasy admiration and surprise.
Calming a bit, Marc calmly walked to his tent and rolled it upright as the wolf snarled and whimpered. “What happens if I let him go?”
JD, who had been the boss in this park until Bubba was placed with them, answered, “He’ll hunt for it. You might as well kill him now.”
Marc had known that already, but he never took the freedom of an animal unless there was no other choice. He didn’t believe in owning pets. “Can you dart him for me before you go?”
“We have a cage in our truck,” JD offered as the others tried to help Bubba. “We’ll bring it up here and then dart him. You’ll have the full two hours that way.”
“Thanks,” Marc gave, holding his hand out.
JD shook hands, grinning as he realized Marc had never intended to honor a deal with Bubba. “No, thank you.”
Marc scanned Bubba. “Leak his story to the press. They’ll have to send him to a new location.”
JD beamed at the suggestion. “I think that could happen. It’s pretty juicy.”
“His kind are cowards,” Marc stated. “You might even be able to get him to go on his own by just threatening it.”
Marc knelt down in front of the flap, staring at the frightened wolf. “I came for a few days of peace and had to run from a fire that I think was set. I fought with you, fought for my life, and then my team shows up in the mood to party. Now, an asshole comes into my camp and I get you out of the deal.” Marc sighed. “Gonna be one of those weeks.”
Marc didn’t stick around while they shot the wolf with the tranquilizer dart. He retrieved his jeep, bringing it as close as he could get it, while one of the men helped Bubba to their truck.
Bubba didn’t look at Marc or the wolf as he left, still cradling his mouth. The two teeth were in his pocket–shoved there by JD when Bubba had painfully demanded that they call the local police. Marc didn’t know what JD had said, but Bubba had gone gray and hadn’t tried to speak again.
Beep!
Marc flipped his pager to silent as he climbed into his jeep and started it. Assuming there was time for the medicine to take effect, Marc read the number on the small black box and then slid the pager into his kit. Julia wanted him to come by.
He began to feel better. She had a fenced farm. She was surrounded by Idaho mountains and forests. If the wolf couldn’t be tamed a little, maybe he could be set free there. Either way, he would have a soft rack and a hot meal.
“I’ll have to make sure that’s legal,” he grumbled.
JD and the other man–Tom, according to his stained nametag–were knelt down in front of the flap when Marc returned, watching as the wolf fought the drugs. JD and Tom could have been brothers with their blond ponytails and green eyes.
“Might take a little longer with him,” Tom explained as Marc pointed to where the jeep was. “He’s bigger than most timberwolves.”
Marc wondered if the animal might be mixed with a dog somewhere along his family tree, but didn’t say so, just in case it changed what they were doing here. He didn’t want to be responsible for the animal being put down.
“You got some place to take him?” Tom asked.
“Idaho. Hey, is it legal to release him there?”
“No,” JD stated. “Not without permits.”
“Figures,” Marc muttered. “Guess we’ll have to make friends.”
“You got room for him?” Tom demanded suddenly. “Not gonna fight him are you?”
“No.”
“Good.” JD held out a small bag. “Here are some pamphlets on wolves from this area. Might help.”
Marc shoved the paperwork into his jacket pocket and motioned toward the crate they’d sat down. “Is that the cage?”
“Yep.” JD hefted it over. “Watch your fingers. Clever animals discover they can get their mouths and paws through some of the openings.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Marc knelt down again to peer through the flap, feeling sorry for the terrified animal that was now drooling all over his sleeping bag. “Sorry, boy. Go to sleep for a while. I promise I won’t do this to you again.”
The wolf’s ears flipped back, snout drawing up, but with the last of his energy used, the drugs finally took hold. He slumped over, panting heavily.
“Is he okay?” Marc asked in concern.
“Fine,” Tom replied, unzipping the flap. “It makes them a little hot.”
Marc smothered his small fire with dirt as Tom and JD removed the wolf from the tent. Marc was impressed with the care they took not to injure the subdued animal. The bulky cage was lined with thin padding, but Marc doubted that would survive the trip as they placed the wolf inside and locked the door without any more fuss.
“Hardest part is cornering them,” Tom observed as the two rangers hefted the cage to Marc’s jeep.
“Why did you have to?” Marc asked curiously. “The pack attack someone?”
“More than someone,” JD answered. “This wolf’s pack killed a toddler about a month ago. We rounded them up, but one of them figured out how to open the cages. Entire pack escaped and we’ve been trying to catch them all ever since. He’s the last one. If we can’t relocate them, the entire pack will be put down.”
“And should be,” Tom said, holding out a hand.
Marc shook, but he didn’t agree. Wild animals acted wild. They didn’t know any better. This wilderness was no place to be lax with a child.
“You sure it’s the right wolf? I saw this one at my last campsite, over forty miles from here.” For some reason, Marc wanted to protect the wolf.
“Yes. His size makes him hard to miss. We’ve ended up chasing his pack each time they come through. Almost always for killing livestock,” Tom stated stiffly. “Wolves roam, Mr. Brady–far and wide.”
“Thanks again for Bubba,” JD called, heading for their truck.
Marc watched them leave without the rebellious feelings that he usually carried toward authority. He was in the Marines and he enjoyed that life, but he still hated to be told what to do. As he got older, it was easier to cuss in his head than to have his squad leader bail him out.
After collecting his gear, Marc secured the crate in the jeep with cords from his toolbox and carefully drove out of the wilderness. The damaged tent, he left. The forest would cover it or other animals would use it for shelter and nests. Nature took as much as it gave.
2
Marc chose to hit the highway without stopping at the gas station to make his call. Julia rarely paged him. When she did, she never asked questions or expected him to drop everything and come running. She honestly only wanted one thing; when she’d ridden him enough, she would send him on his way with a funny walk and half a smile. It was the perfect friendship.
Marc glanced at the crate in the mirror, and then put his full concentration into the drive. If he tried hard, he could be there by dinner. Her ranch was a few hours west.
Was I expecting her to contact me? Marc asked himself. Was that why I chose to come here, why I told my team where I was going? If I wanted to be alone, I would be.
Marc knew that to be true. It had been over a year since he’d spent time with Julia and his body was aware of it, even if his heart wasn’t. The wolf would make an excellent reason to leave without supplying her demands, if he found that he couldn’t. Sometimes her words or actions triggered a dark memory and he fled. He’d had a similar relationship before Julia, but even with her nose ring, Amber had been too tame. Julia owned a cattle ranch. Cowboy boots, dusty jeans, and a plaid shirt on her were sexy. A dress would have been out of place. She was scarred, tough, and erotic.
“But she’s not my Angie,” Marc whispered, increasing his speed on the mostly empty strip of highway. “No one is.”
The wolf
woke before they arrived at the ranch. Marc heard the snarling first, then the sound of an animal trying to shred the plastic cage. He reluctantly pulled over.
Marc dug through his kit as the snarls and scratches continued, bringing out a few strips of beef jerky. He shoved them through the holes in the crate and got rolling again. He was hoping the jerky might distract the wolf, but mostly, he was hoping the cage held for another hour. It had sounded like the animal was going crazy in there.
Marc listened to the wolf snap down the food, groaning as the fight to be free immediately resumed.
“Gonna be a long couple of hours.”
The wolf howled, proving him right.
Marc had a nasty headache by the time he arrived at Julia’s ranch, an hour later. The wolf had continued to shred the cage between emitting long howls that even the high speeds couldn’t muffle. He clearly wasn’t happy to be caged.
Marc stopped at the gate to Julia’s big ranch and hit the buzzer, not certain she would be able to hear him over the increasing howls. The ranch was nestled in the southeast corner of Idaho, but it didn’t look like the national parks that it was so close to. Idaho, down here, wasn’t welcoming. Marc still wasn’t sure why Chad and Julia had chosen this area to settle down, but they’d always done well with their cattle. After Chad’s death, Julia had refused to leave, working the ranch herself to make ends meet. Marc had stuck around as long as he could after the funeral to get her set, and then returned between deployments, but it was clear that he’d been gone too long this time. The roof tiles scattered in the driveway and the lack of cows in the pasture was unsettling.
“Is that you, Brady?”
“Yes. Sorry for the noise!” Marc shouted. It was as if the wolf knew he was close to being free, because his howls were getting louder.
“Come on in!”
The gate buzzed open and Marc quickly drove through, studying his six in the mirrors. He wasn’t expecting trouble here, but as with keeping his hands dry enough to grip his gun or knife, watching his back was ingrained.
The gate shut with a loud clang that Marc barely heard, thanks to the wolf. He drove straight to the rear barn behind the large main house. He usually hid his vehicle there in case Julia had unexpected company, but today, he needed the room as well.
Marc quickly opened the doors and then drove the jeep inside. Tall and wide, with a long loft, the barn was lined with shelves and storage spaces that were all labeled for the contents. Most of them were empty.
After a quick check, when he was satisfied that the cage would hold a bit longer, Marc greeted Julia, who had come from the main house. They had a normal routine that was about to be disturbed, but Marc doubted she would mind. Julia often rescued animals.
Marc shut the barn door as the howls again increased in volume. “Give me a few more minutes, boy.”
Marc smiled at the woman walking his way. The first thing he noticed was her hair. She’d cut it not long before their last hookup and he almost hadn’t been able to perform. Clearly, she’d sensed that, because it was well below her shoulders now. That willingness to please was part of why he spent downtime with Julia. She didn’t always know what he needed, but she was willing to try to find out. It was usually enough.
As long as the lights are off, he added.
Julia increased her pace to a quick trot that shook the right parts and reminded Marc that when the lights went out, she didn’t turn them back on until he was happy. It sent a rush of need into his guts, causing welcome to spread across his lightly bearded face.
Julia had been observing his bruises and bandages while judging his mood. Determining that he was in a good mood, she tossed herself into his arms and molded herself to his hard body.
Marc inhaled deeply as the past flew over him in vanilla waves of agony. It was always the same. A willowy brunette with long curls and that scent lit him up where nothing else could.
Marc slanted his mouth over hers, hand sliding down to cup a cheek and press her closer. His other hand tangled in silken strands as he deepened the kiss. It had been a year. He could suddenly feel every second of it.
Julia encouraged the familiarity in public only because he never gave this to her. She hated Marc’s lights-off rule, and to have him grope her in broad daylight was something of a thrill. When he growled lowly, iron bar pressing into her thigh, she gave in to the unspoken demand, nodding.
Marc led her toward the shed, aware of their audience. Julia owned the ranch, but she also had employees who lived here. She wouldn’t care for them witnessing this, even if she was enjoying it.
A wolf’s long howl broke the moment.
Julia pulled away, peering around. “That was close. We should go in.”
“Yeah, uh…” Marc sighed, letting go of the soft, but no longer willing flesh in his hands. “I brought a friend.”
“A friend?”
Marc headed toward the barn. “Well, maybe not so much a friend as a wild animal.”
Julia snickered. “Call it whatever you want, Brady. I’m already sold on your Johnson.”
Marc laughed in surprise and felt the Marine finally slip back into his cage as the civilian took over. It was a relief.
“Thanks, baby. I needed that.”
Julia snickered, securing the doors behind them. It would be a shame when Marc was gone. She really did enjoy his company.
Chapter Four
Southeastern Idaho
1
Julia didn’t ask questions as the wolf continued to howl. She and Marc had discussed her rescues at length on a previous visit. She assumed the wolf was injured or in danger.
“I need to let him out. In here, okay?”
Julia glanced around the cobwebbed barn that she rarely used anymore. “Should be fine, but I don’t know if there are holes…”
Marc was already walking the perimeter to search for places where the wolf could escape.
Julia approached the crate in the jeep, amazed at the damage that the wolf had done to the carrier. Another hour of it and the big animal would have been free.
The wolf whimpered, begging to be released. It was easy for him to sense the kind nature of the human female. He’d met her type before, in his home forest.
Julia smiled sympathetically. “Hang on, baby. We’ll get you out of there.”
Finished with his search, Marc motioned for her to take the ladder that led to the loft. Neither of them needed to be in reach of the wolf until after it had time to calm down.
Julia climbed to the loft and took a seat on the open edge, eager to observe. She also assumed that Marc would finish what he’d started at some point. It was amazing how a one-minute embrace could fire up her body. He knew how to reach that place inside her that no other man she’d been with could, including her husband. Julia used to wonder if it bothered Marc to sleep with the wife of his dead teammate, but she didn’t now.
The wolf lunged against the crate as Marc got close. Marc quickly unsnapped the latch, but didn’t open the cage door. He hopped down from the jeep and went to draw a bucket of water from the pump. He knew the wolf required a drink, but Marc also needed the animal to understand that food and water came from him. Maybe the animal wouldn’t be as aggressive at feeding time once he figured that out.
The wolf lunged against the crate again and this time, the animal gained freedom as the door swung open. He shot out of the crate, leaping from the jeep seat to dart into a dark corner.
“He’s out!” Julia called.
Marc didn’t answer. He could already feel the wolf watching him gather the water. He expected an attack. The waves of anger coming from the animal were hard to miss.
Marc placed the bucket on the ground next to the pump, and then scoured the barn for the expensive bags of dog food that Julia stored here for her own pets. Marc noticed the bags hadn’t been touched in a while. He wiped away the webs and tore the top bag open before pushing it over to spill across the dirt floor.
Marc climbed to the loft, thi
nking he would have to keep track of the animal’s eating and drinking habits. He wouldn’t be able to make friends until that happened. Wild animals had basic needs to satisfy before any other new scent or idea could be given time to grow. Sex was another trigger like that, and Marc was glad there were no female animals here. Julia only adopted males. She said girls were needed on sanctuaries and preserves to help build those populations, but Marc suspected that she just liked being the solitary female on her ranch.
They waited quietly for a few minutes, but the wolf stayed in the far corner shadows, glaring. Only the occasional shuffle or whimper came.
Marc turned to Julia, body swelling as hot need sank into his balls.
When he held out a hand, Julia let him pull her to her feet, not saying anything. When he left his Colt on and took her against the loft window, big hand curled around to please her, she forgot how to speak.
Marc kept his face buried in her hair and pretended she was someone else.
2
Marc kissed her softly on the neck. “Thank you.”
Julia fastened her jeans and slumped into the old, shrouded chair by the window. “My pleasure, grunt.”
“We’re here to service, ma’am.” Marc adjusted his damp clothes. “Is this a good time to ask for a favor?”
“Not after the one you just did for yourself,” she joked, glanced over at him. “Want me to help with the wolf?”
“Yes, please, baby.”
Julia leered again. “You’re using charm. Uh-oh.”
Marc chuckled as he climbed down the loft stairs. The wolf had to get used to him sometime. Might as well be now. A man could die content after sex.
“I don’t think he’s injured, but I need to know some basics, like age and general health. I’ll handle it from there.”
“Have you done this before?” she called down.
“I’ve worked with dogs in the service,” he stated vaguely, hating the guilt that always came now.
You just fucked your best friend’s wife.
