Concern and wariness were clear on her face. She was such a mistrusting creature, much like a dog that had been kicked often. “And I can leave any time I want?”
“You’re a guest, not a prisoner. I live alone, so you won’t have to worry about anyone popping up.” He paused. “Except my mother. She pops in whenever it suits her, but my brothers usually call first.”
She smiled sadly. “That’s nice though. My parents disowned me when I left my pack.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.” He couldn’t imagine.
“Yeah but I’m stronger for it. Nobody to depend on but myself.” She shrugged. She did that a lot, and he got the feeling she missed her family a lot more than she let on.
“So what do you say? Do you want to come to the house with me or rough it here?” Erik wasn’t sure why it was so important to him, but he wanted her to trust him enough to do this. “I drove the truck out here because it’s raining pretty hard now. There’re supplies in there, but I can bring them back into the house just as easily as I can bring them in here.”
He waited, somewhat patiently, as she glanced around the room at the water standing on the floor, her wet bag and the soggy clothes on the bathroom floor.
“I really could use a warm shower, if you don’t mind, and somewhere to hang my clothes.” She turned and, still limping, headed for the wet clothes.
“Hold up a sec. You’ve already slipped once. Just let me grab it for you.” He scooted past and picked up her things, wringing out as much water as he could. “We’ll give everything a wash at the house.”
He stopped when he entered the bedroom again. Sarah had the leg of her khaki pants pulled up to reveal a swollen and slightly bruised knee. She quickly righted her clothing and moved to stand again.
Obviously, she didn’t want to appear weak in any way, but Erik wasn’t about to let her hurt herself worse than she already had. “Sit,” he barked.
She glared back at him, obviously not wanting to obey.
“You’ve already done a number on your leg. Do you really want to make it worse?” After stuffing her wet things into her duffle, he moved to stand before her. When she took a step back to regain her space, she faltered on her injured leg, and he caught her. “I’ve got you.” He could sense her wariness, but was unwilling to let her hit the floor.
“I can take care of myself.” She growled.
Man, was she touchy.
“I never said that you couldn’t, but you need to learn to accept help when you need it.” He was scolding her as if she were a child, and he knew it, but damn it, she was running the risk of making the injury worse.
She settled down in his arms, and he heard her weary sigh. “It’s never been available. I’m sorry if I’m being difficult, but I’m used to being alone with only myself to rely on.”
“You’ve got me now, Sarah.” Her reluctance was obvious, but she allowed him to gently lift her into his arms. The whimper that escaped her spoke of the pain her knee caused her. “Take it easy. I won’t drop you. We’ll head to the house, get some ice on that knee and get you dry. Not necessarily in that order, but it’s a plan.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sarah placed her arms around his neck, and he relished how her warmth seemed to seep into his body.
Chapter Two
Erik’s house was a lot like him. No frills and what you saw was what you got. There were large open rooms with huge windows, the drapes opened wide to allow in all of the natural light.
She’d only seen two rooms since entering his plantation-like home twenty minutes ago, but the place was just huge. Two stories, white with navy blue shutters and four towering columns made up the front of the building. Lush green vines wove around the columns, giving the place an air of southern charm.
The bathroom he’d carried her into was a sight to behold. Oak-finished floors and cabinets, white-marble countertops and tub, a shower stall big enough for two and soft, shaggy, white bath rugs.
Heaven!
He’d left her in here while he brought her things inside and put everything together in a guest room for her. So here she was still soaking in his large garden tub. The water had begun to chill while she’d listened to him move around in the house. She could only imagine what he was doing.
Deciding it was time to get out of the bath, Sarah struggled for a few minutes to get herself to a standing position then began drying. She eyed the wet, dirty clothes on the floor before spotting a fluffy white robe on the back of the door. Hoping he wouldn’t mind her borrowing his things, she slipped her arms into the sleeves, closed her eyes and sighed her pleasure. It was the finest thing she’d worn in years. Lightweight and soft as a dream.
Sarah sincerely hoped that he didn’t take offense to her helping herself, but putting on dirty clothes just seemed to defeat the purpose of the bath. So far, Erik seemed to be a genuinely sweet man…if a bit pushy at times. She had to admit, he had a point about her not accepting help very graciously, but if he’d spent the last six years running as she had then he’d understand help wasn’t offered by many. Hell, when it was, there tended to be some catch. The whole “nothing in life is every free” bit.
Sarah could only hope that this handsome alpha wolf didn’t decide to issue a few “catches” of his own. It would totally ruin the pedestal her inner canine was building for him.
When she opened the door, she found a basket filled with the sodden contents from her bag along with a note to place her other clothes in it. By the time she’d done that, her knee was throbbing in time with her pulse.
Damn, you’ve done it this time, she thought irritably. But at least he seems to be on my side.
After all, look at how well he’d treated her so far. The other alphas had only been interested in getting her marked and mated before she could get away. Yes, Sarah was very grateful this man was the one to find her. She knew things could have ended up much worse.
When she hobbled out the bathroom door, she had to clutch the wall for support. Sarah hated showing weakness, but she wasn’t stupid. Her knee was seriously injured. With her werewolf healing, it should have stopped swelling by now, but no dice.
“Hold up.”
His deep voice startled her, and Sarah instinctively turned to face him, only to cry out in agony as her knee buckled.
“Shit!” he swore as she fell, and he dove for her. He caught her and lifted her effortlessly then carried her to the plush, suede sofa in the living room.
“I’ll be fine. I just need to rest it for a while,” she insisted.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He parted the robe where it covered her legs and winced. “You’re tough. I’ll give you that.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You need to get this x-rayed.” He lifted her leg and gently positioned a pillow beneath her knee.
Sarah’s eyes widened at that, and she felt the blood drain from her face.
“I can’t! They’ll find me. What if they’re in town? I can’t fight like this!” Her panic set in, the acrid scent coming off of her in waves, but she couldn’t help it. Her heart rate kicked into double-time as her body dumped a load of adrenaline into her system. “I can’t work for you with a bum leg, either. Just let me grab my clothes, and I’ll go. I’ll be fine…”
“You’re right. You will be fine because you’ll be staying here.” He pulled an afghan off the back of a matching recliner and covered her legs. “This is a small town. There’s a new physician’s assistant at the clinic, and I can take care of the bill. After all, you were hurt because of my faulty plumbing.”
“But…” Sarah shook her head, her long blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch.” His voice was gentle and, for some reason, somewhat soothing. “Sarah, you don’t have to do everything by yourself. Let me help you.”
Erik’s silver-blue eyes looked into hers, and something inside her softened and warmed. He offered her aid without knowing anything
about her other than her name and that she was on the run. Could he really be this nice? Was anyone? There was only one way to find out. She’d just have to lay everything out in the open and see if he still wanted her to stay.
“Listen, let me explain exactly how deep the shit is that I’m in then you can re-think that last statement. Deal?”
“If it would make you feel better.” He settled into the recliner facing her and waited.
“I’ve never fit in anywhere,” she began. “I was too rough and tumble for the other she-wolves in my pack, and even for most of the boys. They recognized me as an alpha by the time I was thirteen.
“My parents were proud until I informed them that I didn’t want to live in a pack.” She sighed, remembering the complete meltdown her mother had suffered at that news. “Then when I was eighteen I left, and every pack alpha I met after that has tried to force a mating on me. I had to, literally, fight my way out.”
A frown creased his brow, the disapproval evident in his gorgeous eyes.
“Those males tried their damnedest to sink their teeth into me, and one of them lost a few for his effort. I’ve always managed to get away.”
“How long have you been running?”
“I’m twenty-four.” She felt better stating her age rather than the number of years spent moving and hiding.
“Six years?” he squawked. He flopped back in his chair, shaking his head in disbelief. “You are a truly amazing woman.”
“Thanks, I guess.” She shrugged.
“It’s a compliment, trust me.”
“So, now you know about why I’m running, but here’s the fun part. The guy who lost the teeth? Yeah, he is so, not happy with me because one was a fang. Another one needed a testicle retrieval procedure after I nailed his ass. Those are the two I’m running from.”
He was staring again. Had he even blinked? It was a little unnerving when he did that, but alphas often had to stare down challengers, so Sarah wasn’t sure why she was surprised.
“Why are you staring?”
“Because you’re beautiful.” He seemed to realize what he’d said when she stiffened. “Sorry. I won’t lie; I find you extremely attractive, but I promise that you have nothing to worry about from me. I would never force a woman into anything. Ever.” He sat up and looked pointedly at her before a wry grin lifted his sensual lips. “Besides, my momma would kick my ass royally if I even thought about it.”
She laughed and found herself relaxing a bit. “I think I like your momma already, but what about you? What’s your story?” She found herself incredibly curious about the man sitting across from her. He was attracted to her? The feeling was mutual, but she wasn’t about to admit to that.
“I’m afraid mine’s pretty boring compared to yours. I’m the second of four sons, all of whom are alphas.”
“Damn! Four alphas in one family?” It was rare for a pair to produce two alphas, but four? That was almost unheard of.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what my parents said. We all live around here, but far enough apart that we can have our space,” he explained. “We get along great, for short periods of time, but much longer than a few hours and usually the fur starts to fly. There’s Abraham, the oldest, me, Ethan and Adam, the youngest.”
“Do they all farm, too?”
“No. Abraham was a Navy SEAL but honorably discharged after a sniper blew out his knee. He would have healed good as new, but he couldn’t very well tell the military. Ethan’s the pretty boy of the group and a volunteer firefighter and forest ranger. And then there’s Adam. He’s a dog trainer.”
Sarah snickered.
“He’s the best in three states and highly sought after.”
“Isn’t that cheating, though, seeing as he can communicate with them?” She arched a brow and awaited his response.
“Nah. Who’s gonna tell?” He winked at her, gaining a small chuckle.
“Good point.” Her stomach rumbled, and she was ready to die of embarrassment.
“I’ll toss your things in the laundry and fix some sandwiches. Once everything’s dry, I’m taking you to the clinic.” He stood and quickly left the room.
The man had a seriously nice ass, and she openly admired it as he left then heaved a disappointed breath when he was out of sight. She was never one to lie to herself. She was definitely attracted to him. He seemed safe, despite being an alpha. And when he’d held her…hmm, she could definitely get use to resting against that man. He smelled like the rain and the forest. He smelled…right.
He was fully respecting her space, too—that was a good thing, right? Erik was an alpha, but a gentleman as well, and for the first time she found herself tempted to claim someone herself. But what did she really have to offer? She had nothing. No car, no home, barely any money or belongings.
Yup, she was a real catch.
And she was a twenty-four year old virgin. Not exactly the sex kitten most guys went for. She’d only been kissed once, and she had punched the bastard for it. Needless to say, seducing Erik was out.
Who am I kidding? Sarah thought. I’m in deep shit with two alphas. Why would he want to take that on?
* * * *
Erik was impressed. Sarah was a scrapper, and that just made him even hotter for her. Damn, just holding her in his arms had made his blood boil. His body didn’t seem to care if she was injured or not. Good God, he was so hard right now a good breeze might finish the job.
Pathetic.
Finally, a woman who was strong, independent and comfortable in a life outside of a pack, and she’d pretty much sworn off men. Maybe, just maybe, he could coax her into a nice, quiet country life.
She seemed as if she might enjoy a peaceful place akin to what he’d created for himself. Town was a few miles away, and his home was the only one at the end of his lengthy private drive. The only noises, besides that of nature, were from his tractor or lawn mower when he worked the field.
Erik had no doubt he could keep her safe. Between his brothers and himself, nobody would get to her. All he needed to do was convince her of that.
Once he had the laundry started, he headed to the kitchen and threw two sandwiches together, sliced an apple then poured two glasses of sweet iced tea. He grabbed a baking sheet to use as a serving tray then returned to the living room. Sarah was right where he’d left her, but with a picture in her hands.
“That’s the whole family,” he stated, and when she smiled up at him, he nearly dropped the tray. Her whole face had gone from beautiful to radiant.
“Quite a handsome group of guys. Your mom must beat the women away with sticks,” she teased.
“Not hardly. I’m afraid we’re a very picky bunch. She’s actually anxious to see us settled.” He gave her a small smile. “I think she wants grandbabies.”
“That’s sweet, though.”
“You won’t think that for much longer if she stops by,” he chuckled, “She’ll try to fix you up with one of us for sure.”
“I’m sure I could do worse. Do all of you stay clear of pack life?” She watched as he settled the tray onto the wooden coffee table before the sofa.
“Every last one of us.” He shrugged and handed her a plate before sliding the table closer. “We don’t want to deal with all the hierarchy bullshit involved with a pack. We value our freedom.”
“That’s exactly what I’ve tried to explain to the thick-headed bastards chasing me.” Sarah sipped the tea he’d handed her before placing it on a napkin. She even held her little pinky out, and damned if Erik didn’t find that cute. “So what do you intend to do with your freedom?”
“Me? I just want to find my mate, settle down out here and enjoy life.” And I’m really hoping you’d like to be that mate, he thought.
“That sounds so nice.” She had a wistful look in her eyes that made her look so incredibly feminine, and Erik longed to just sweep her up and kiss her. Whoa! Where had that come from? Luckily, she continued speaking so he was spared from exploring those thoughts.
“I’d love to settle somewhere and not have to look over my shoulder constantly. A steady job would be nice, too.”
“How do you get your money if you can’t draw on your bank account? An employer would require your social security number, as well.”
His inquiry seemed to rattle her, and he watched as she averted her eyes, suddenly very interested in her half-eaten sandwich.
“You’re not into anything illegal are you?” he asked.
Her eyes bulged. “What?” She shook her head, sending her blonde tresses tumbling over her shoulders. “Nothing like drugs or anything like that.”
“But it’s still illegal,” he pushed. He needed to be sure that she wasn’t hiding from the law as well as the alphas chasing her.
“Fights.” Sarah spoke low, obviously reluctant to admit what she’d done.
“Fights? Like…?” He couldn’t wrap his head around it. She’d fought for money?
“Yeah, fight clubs, mostly. I’d take any opponent they threw in with me. They’d put me against whoever was willing to come in against a girl.” She gave an astonishingly nasty grin. “You wouldn’t believe the bastards just itching to hit a woman.”
Erik winced at the venom in her voice. “I’m sure you showed them the error of their ways.”
“You bet your sweet ass I did.” She shrugged and sipped her tea. “The fights are surprisingly easy to find. If you hang out in bars and listen enough, you’ll be amazed at all the things you can learn.”
“I can imagine.” Erik set aside his empty plate. “So you live off of the prize money?”
“Yeah. I never stay in one place long, so it’s easy to get into fights since no one in the area knows me.” Setting aside her own plate, she straightened, sucking in air through clenched teeth at the pain it caused. “I’m really grateful for everything you’re doing for me, Erik. You’re a real decent guy.”
“You’re welcome and thank you.” He rose to clear their plates. “I’ll go put the clothes in the dryer and let you rest for awhile. We’ll head to town as soon as they’re dry.”
To Tame His Mate Page 2
