by Jane Jamison
She glanced down at her phone for the hundredth time since leaving town. Reception was non-existent.
Had they tried to contact her at all? Granted, she hadn’t been in town long before Dina had given her the map and she’d hopped into the Jeep and taken off. Was it because they were tied up with problems at the ranch again? Were other calves being born? Perhaps dying? Or was it because her cell phone reception was gone? But why had they run out of the barn in the first place?
They’d have to fill her in later. She wasn’t about to hang around waiting for them to show up as she’d done at the ranch. Not when she still had a job to do.
Night was closing in and she was a little nervous staying out in the woods by herself. Maybe she should get her gun out of the glove box where she’d left it. But she’d remembered Tony’s words, convincing her to leave it locked in the Jeep.
“We wouldn’t want you to shoot one of us by accident.”
She’d hate to think she might shoot them if they came to find her.
At least she’d managed to get her tent up without their help and had hung her food over a branch as they’d shown her. She’d also managed to get a small fire going. So far, so good. In fact, she’d learned a lot watching the men make camp. Now all she needed was for the white wolf to show up.
She bent over the paw print in the dirt. Although she was by no means a tracker, even she could tell that it was a large animal that had made the footprint. Whether it was a cat or a werewolf or even a bear was up in the air. But at least checking for prints helped keep her mind off the men.
“Come on, wolfie. Where are you?”
A noise to her left sent her pulse racing. She held her breath and looked up.
As though he’d heard her and come to her like a pet dog, the white wolf stood only a few feet from her. If she didn’t make any quick moves, she might be able to snap off a photo or two. Or at least keep him from lunging at her.
His startling blue eyes sparkled brightly surrounded by the white fur. His mouth was closed, thankfully not showing any fangs, and his tail wagged back and forth much like Rico’s had. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought he was ready to play.
Taking her time and keeping her eyes on him, she lifted the camera. Yet just when she was about to snap a picture, he whirled and vanished into the underbrush.
“Oh, hell, no. I’m not losing you.”
She pushed through the brush and found him standing on the other side in a small clearing. He was huge, his paws the size of softballs, not including the long, sharp claws.
“Hold still, okay? I’m going to get a few shots and then you can go your way and I’ll go mine.”
Again, just as she was about to take the photo, he spun around and darted into the brush. “Aw, come on.”
She was off and hurrying after him again. The woods grew thicker as she moved forward, her mind focused on keeping up with him. Every time she’d thought she’d lost him, he’d stop and wait for her. And every time, even though staying ready, she’d wind up with a picture of white blurriness.
She wasn’t about to give up. She’d come too far and gone through too much to do that. And to have him so close was egging her to go on.
Her legs were hurting and her back ached as she bent low to follow him under branches. He never got too far ahead, and even if she lost sight of him, all she had to do was to keep going and she’d find him, waiting again.
She was panting when she finally broke through another bunch of bushes and found him standing on a rock. Lifting her camera, she took a quick picture then realized that he was still there. She took her time with the next few shots, making sure everything was just right. If the idea wasn’t so ridiculous, she’d think he was posing.
She clicked another shot then lowered her camera. He bobbed his head up and down as if to tell her she’d done a great job.
“Good modeling, big guy. Want to see if we can get a few more?”
The big wolf shook his head, then bounded off into the woods.
“Was it something I said?” The professional in her wanted to take off after him again, but she was too exhausted. They’d covered a lot of ground. She was surprised she’d lasted so long and covered such a great distance.
But it had been worth it. She’d finally gotten what she’d come for.
Congratulating herself on a job well done, she turned around, ready to head back to camp. But where was camp? She pushed through the bushes, going back the way she’d come. Yet after several minutes of trudging a few yards, then stopping and trying to judge which way to go, she realized the awful truth.
Shit. I’m lost.
Chapter Nine
Livi didn’t frighten easily, but she was getting more frightened by the minute the darker the forest became. Talking to herself served two purposes. One was to keep herself calm. The other was that she hoped someone would hear her and come to her rescue.
“Don’t worry. It’s the same woods you were in today.”
She hunkered down under a tree with a large tree trunk to support her back. Once it was daylight, she’d start searching for moss on the trees. Yet although she knew that moss grew on the north side of the tree, she wasn’t sure which direction she should go to reach Lost Hills.
“Tony, if you can hear me”—it was a ridiculous thought, but that didn’t matter—“I want you to know that I fell in love with you that first night we spent together in Vegas. I was just too stupid to know it until I’d already gotten back to L.A. and realized how much I missed you. If, no, when I get back, I’m going to tell you that. Better yet, I’m going to show you how much I love you.”
She froze at the sound of an animal scurrying past her. When she didn’t hear it again, she gave a shaky sigh and concentrated on thinking about the men. Even without them near her, she gained a sense of comfort.
“Nick, you are such a great guy. I had no clue that Tony had brothers like you and Eric. I’m so happy that I met you. You mean every bit as much to me as Tony does.” She wiped an unwelcomed tear from her cheek and hugged herself against the chill in the air. Hopefully, it wouldn’t get much colder, but again she shoved that thought away.
“Eric. You’re the tough one of the bunch, aren’t you? Or is that just because you’re the oldest and think you have to be? I admit it. At first, I thought you were a jerk. But now, after watching you around other people and especially around Lucy and her poor baby, I know it’s all a front. When I get back, I’m going to break down that wall once and for all.”
She wiggled her bottom into the small hole in the ground that she’d dug before sitting down. Her nails were broken and her polish ruined, but she’d have kept on digging if she hadn’t run into one of the roots of the tree. Then she’d gathered fallen leaves, not that there were many, and sticks around her, hoping that it would give her a cushion against the chilly night.
“So, guys, would you welcome me back? Half the time, I can’t get a grip on what you’re thinking. One minute, you treat me like a queen and then, in the next, you’re leaving me alone with no word about when I’ll see you again. Are you playing hard to get? Or just hard to understand?”
She closed her eyes and remembered their time in the barn. Getting tied up was just as exciting as her wet dreams had been. But that was because the men tying her up were the Parker brothers.
She loved Tony and had from their first meeting. Nick was like Tony. She’d fallen for him from the very start, yet again not realizing it at first. Eric had been the one she’d struggled with the most. Not so much that she didn’t believe she cared for him, but more that she thought she might never understand him or tolerate his gruffness. He was like a big teddy bear that was ready to take a hunk out of her at any moment. Cute, but possibly dangerous. Yet wasn’t that one of the reasons she’d grown to love him?
She rested against the tree and watched as the world around her grew darker. The moon gave her some light, but not like that she’d get from a lantern. Her voice dipped to a whisper
, fearful now that she might draw the unwanted attention of a predator, yet still needing the comfort of hearing her own voice.
“Please, come and find me, guys. I promise I won’t yell at you for running off on me.” She reconsidered, her curiosity never dimming even then. “Okay, maybe I won’t yell, but I’m still going to need an explanation.”
She tried not to fall asleep. If she did, she wasn’t certain she’d wake up. What if a bear came upon her? Or another wolf pack like the one by the lake? What if she froze to death? Not that it was likely. She was thankful that it was summer.
Twice she woke herself up when she nodded off. Each time she squirmed around, trying to take out the kinks and soreness setting up shop in her body. She stretched her legs, then was lost, too tired to stay awake.
The dream that took her brought her back to the ranch, back to Lucy having her calf. Yet instead of standing by, she bent over, grabbed hold of the baby’s legs and pulled her free.
“I’ve got her.”
She leaned over the poor thing struggling to breathe and wiped out her nostrils. A hard whack to the calf’s torso had the little thing dragging in life-saving gulps of air. “You can do it. Breathe, baby. For me and your mamma.”
She shouted for joy in her dream and in real life as the calf got onto its legs. Her legs were wobbly, but they held and soon she was nuzzling her mother’s teat.
“You’re terrific, Liv.”
She fell into Tony’s arms as Eric and Nick surrounded her, congratulating her on saving the calf. But all that wasn’t important. The feel of their bodies next to hers was all that mattered.
“Nick. Eric. Tony.”
She shivered and wondered why she was so cold when they were next to her. Huddling closer didn’t help, either.
“What’s wrong?”
The sensation of something cool sliding over her arm brought her gaze away from the men she loved and down to her leg. Was it one of the leather straps they’d used? She stared, unable to understand why her leg felt so odd. Reaching out, she pressed her palm against her leg.
And woke up.
Livi’s scream tore at her throat as her hand closed around the snake. She slung it to the ground, then rolled in the opposite direction. Coming to her feet, she grabbed a nearby rock without thinking and slammed it down on top of the snake’s head. The squishing sound of its head cracking made her empty stomach revolt and she whirled around to vomit.
When she was through retching, she dared to face the snake. To her relief, it was definitely dead.
“Damn, I hate snakes.” She wiped her mouth, suddenly feeling much better, even prideful. “Hell to the yeah. I actually did it. I killed a snake.”
Okay. Maybe, just maybe, I can make it out alive.
* * * *
Eric dashed across the street from Dorrie’s B&B and met up with Tony and Nick on the other sidewalk.
“Any word?”
Tony’s attempt at keeping his worry hidden was failing. Eric could sense that he and Nick were as worried as he was. “No. Dorrie said she hasn’t seen Liv since yesterday. She just assumed she’d come back to the house and gone to bed early.”
“Which means she didn’t come home last night.” His gut was in agony. If they hadn’t taken off after the white wolf they’d seen from the barn, Livi wouldn’t have gone and she damn sure wouldn’t be missing now. Although they’d chased after the wolf, they’d lost her in the woods. Still, they’d gotten close enough to know that it was Calem skinwalking in the body of a white wolf.
“Do you think Calem showing up yesterday was a coincidence? Especially after Dina came around first?” He knew the answer, but still had to ask the question.
Nick checked his cell phone as he’d done all morning. But his hope that Livi had called was only a hope. “’Course not. I’d bet my last dollar that Dina has something to do with Livi going missing. Calem’s her henchman. He was there to lure us away.”
Missing. Damn, he hated to hear the word out loud as much as he hated thinking it. “We should’ve checked on her last night. After running off on her like that, we knew she’d get angry.”
“But we know she made it back into town all right. Dorrie said as much.”
“Do you think she’d lie for Dina?”
“No.” Eric had more respect for Dorrie than that. “She loves her daughter, but she’d draw the line on this kind of shit. We should’ve gone into town and checked on her ourselves last night.”
“We had to tend to the cattle like the vet recommended,” added Tony. “By the time that was done, it was too late.”
“Fuck the cattle. Livi should’ve come first. And she’s going to come first from now on.”
“I agree, bro, but who knew she’d head out into the woods in the evening? I thought she had more sense than that.” Nick checked his phone again and gave a growl when he didn’t see anything.
“We should’ve known she would. She’s hell-bent on getting a good photo of the white wolf. Of us. And we should’ve guessed Dina would take another stab at her.” Tony strode toward The Witches’ Brew. “We’re damn fools for not thinking ahead. I say we find Dina and make her tell us what’s she’s done.”
“And if she won’t talk?” Eric strode after his brother with Nick on his heels.
“She’ll talk if she knows what’s good for her.” Tony shoved through the door, then stopped.
Eric pointed to the left where Dina sat in a booth with Tally Shorter, one of Dina’s girlfriends and one of the town’s few were-coyotes. She glanced up and saw him motioning toward her. Her laugh died and she started sliding her way out of the booth.
“Let’s get her.” Eric led the charge, dodging past several people who stuck out their hands to greet them. “Hold up, Dina.”
Nick had swung around the other side of the tables and headed for the back door, blocking Dina’s attempt to slip away. “Hey, there, girl. What’s up?”
Eric’s first impulse was to threaten to rip her head off to make her tell them what she knew, but realized that Nick’s way might work better. “Yeah. We’ve been looking for you.”
Tony, his scowl dampening their efforts to make Dina think they were happy to see her, backed off. He crossed his arms and tried to wipe the snarl away once Eric shot a warning look his way. Usually he, not Tony, was the one who scowled the most.
Eric moved in closer to wrap his arm around her waist. “Where have you been?”
Dina’s brow furrowed as she jumped her gaze from one to the other. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing much. We just wanted to see how you’re doing.” Eric brushed a golden strand of her hair away from her neck. “Truth is, we kind of feel bad about the way we’ve treated you the last few days.”
“You do?”
He’d known Dina wasn’t the sharpest tack in the box, but he’d thought she was smarter than to buy their sudden change of heart. All he could think was that her crush on them had her thinking off-balance. “Sure we do. We’ve paid too much attention to that photographer girl from L.A. when we should’ve been getting close to you.”
He slid his gaze up and down her, letting her think he found her hotter than hell. He hoped she’d buy it.
Her eyes lit up with a hunger no one could miss. “You’ve got that right. Why did you guys do that? She’s not even a shifter.”
Nick busied himself with playing with her hair while Tony had finally managed a pleasant expression. It was up to him to get the information they needed from her. “I guess it was just that she was someone new. You know, a girl to take and then toss away.”
He could see the hesitancy in her. “She’s nothing like you. Don’t you see? We needed to play the field a little before we let you know that you’re the one for us.”
It wouldn’t have surprised him if she’d drooled on him. Part of him hated leading her on, but if she told them where Livi was, then it was worth it. If she didn’t tell them or if she truly didn’t know, he’d have to find a way—short of hooking
up with her—to make it up to her.
She leaned against him and snaked her hand around Nick’s neck. “I knew you’d come around once she was gone.”
Gone. So she does know what happened to Livi.
He gritted his teeth, keeping the fangs back. “How’d you know she was gone?”
She tensed then, but Nick’s soft blow in her ear relaxed her. She sighed and ran her fingers through Nick’s hair.
Hating that he had to touch her, Eric leaned in and pressed a kiss to her neck. It took every ounce of restraint in him to keep from digging his fangs deep into her neck to hear her howl in pain. If she’d hurt Livi in any way, he’d find her and do exactly that.
Dina, however, proved she was indeed smarter than he’d thought. “Oh, so that’s it. That’s why you three are finally coming around.”
He traveled his kisses along her collarbone. “Does that mean you know where she is?”
“Fuck you, Eric Parker!” Dina shoved him and Nick away. “You’re playing me to get me to tell you where she is.” Her face was scrunched up, fury wafting off her.
“If you know, you’d better come clean and tell us.” Tony pushed forward, putting his body as close to her as he could without actually touching her.
Dina pushed them apart and headed toward the back door, but Eric grabbed her arm, swinging her around. A bellow of rage echoed around the room a second before he found himself getting flung backward.
“Leave her alone!”
He landed on top of Old Man Smucker who was sitting at a nearby table with his two mates. The old man came awake out of a deep snooze, his gray hair splayed away from his face like he’d gotten an electric shock, bits of food flying off his beard. He let out a curse and shoved Eric off him. “You youngins stop horsing around, you hear? Stop bothering your elders.”
Calem barged past them to plant his huge frame in front of Dina. “You leave her alone. If you don’t, I’m going to bash your head in.”
