by Terry Spear
Bjornolf’s heated expression quickly changed to surprise, then worry. He said to Aimée, “Thanks for the good news. We’ll be out in a minute.”
“Carver’s pacing out in the backyard. He said he needed to cool his heels a bit. He’s thinking of letting them come home in their own good time. That’s going to be a first.”
“Good. I think it’s for the best,” Bjornolf said, pulling Anna into his arms.
Aimée said, “Take your time. I’m cooking lunch, and we all want you to stay.”
“Thanks,” Bjornolf said. “We’d like that.”
Anna never cried. Well, occasionally over a sad movie, but generally speaking, she did not cry. Twice in front of Bjornolf now? What was her problem? He had to think she was some kind of basket case.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, hating that she was soaking his chest with her tears.
He stroked her back with one hand while keeping his arm planted around her waist, holding her tight. He had no intention of letting her go until he was sure she felt better.
He kissed the top of her head as she snuffled, finally getting her emotions under control.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not normally like this.”
“At least I wasn’t kissing you this time.”
She saw he was smiling down at her with the warmest, most tender expression. She chuckled and he kissed her wet cheek.
* * *
With her auburn hair in a braid hanging down her back, Sarah walked beside Nathan in the crowded mall, hand in hand. He hadn’t seen her in three months and had been avoiding her, thinking that it would be better to stay away because of her father. And… for other reasons. The human girl, Jessica Everton, daughter of the owner of the Christmas tree farm, topped the list.
Sarah had been thrilled to see him when they had first met at her house, but she’d also been scared. Afraid that her father would kill him if he learned that she’d already met Nathan and hadn’t told her father about him.
He really did like her, maybe because she could relate to him since she’d lost her mom like he’d lost both his mom and dad. But more as a friend. He thought she wanted more from him than he was willing to give.
“You haven’t texted me in months, Nathan,” Sarah said.
“I’m sorry. You said your father would kill you if he knew you were seeing me. I thought…” Nathan shrugged.
He’d had enough to deal with already. He hadn’t been happy with any of the families he’d lived with so far. He hadn’t known how staying with Bjornolf and Anna would be, even if it was only short-term. Though, if they got along well enough, he hoped it might turn out more permanent. He thought living with a couple of undercover operatives would be cool.
“It was easier not to see me,” Sarah finally said, hurt in her voice, drawing him back to the shopping expedition and the problem at hand.
Yeah, it was easier not to see her. The issues of her father not wanting her to see a wolf of another pack, of Nathan’s not having a real home but being bounced from one family in the pack to another—and then just dealing with a girlfriend who was a wolf from a different pack—all complicated the issue. Especially when she learned he’d been seeing a human girl.
“I’m working now,” he said.
“You could’ve texted.”
“I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say. He did like Sarah. As a friend.
They walked in silence. They’d already bought several boxes of colorful ornaments, but they still hadn’t found the angel Nathan thought Anna might like.
“I wish I had the money for the ornaments on me. Kind of hard traveling as a wolf to bring anything with me.”
“Just send it to me when you have a chance.” Sarah sighed. “So… what’s Anna like? You said she works undercover. Is she really tough looking?”
“She’s really cool,” Nathan said. “Tomb Raider kind of woman. Only she’s never had a Christmas tree before. Can you imagine? Bjornolf says she’s sad about the holidays.”
Sarah stopped him and looked up into his face, her brows pinched together. “Why did you really run here as a wolf, Nathan? You know everyone’s going to be upset about it. Your pack, mine. My dad and his new mate. My sister, even. Why didn’t you just drive up here?”
He let out a deep breath. “I don’t know. Sometimes… I just have to run. Bjornolf and Anna had gone out to investigate the tree farm. I thought of joining them, but they need to do their work without me underfoot.”
“You felt unneeded?”
“Yeah, I guess. I caught them kissing last night, and she was crying.”
Sarah frowned at Nathan.
“I think she really likes him,” he said, “and I know he likes her. But something’s upsetting her. I think it’s the holidays. She didn’t want to decorate the tree. But you know what she did? She made a popcorn garland. She worked for an hour stringing it all by herself in the living room. I would’ve helped her, only I thought she was just eating popcorn. He shook his head. “I thought… if I did something, like bring home the ornaments, maybe she’d feel better. I had to get the urge to run out of my system first. And… I wanted to see you.”
He had wanted to see her to settle things in his mind because he couldn’t get Jessica Everton, the human girl he wasn’t supposed to be falling for, out of his thoughts. He knew Anna was right when she said he couldn’t get involved with a human girl.
Yet he couldn’t help it. Maybe it had to do with the fact she was a human who smelled like a she-wolf.
* * *
Dressed in blue jeans and a gray sweatshirt, Bjornolf used Carver’s phone to call Hunter and let him know that the teens were fine. “We’ll be home later this afternoon. I didn’t even think about Nathan’s job, though…”
“I already called them and told them he was sick with the flu. If he wants to go to work tomorrow, that’s fine. If he needs to stay with the two of you for the next couple of days to sort out things, that’ll work also.”
“Okay. About the murder case—I haven’t had a chance to tell you what happened. Last night, Anna found some dog tags where Nathan had smelled a dead body. The name is Thomas Cremer.”
“Cremer. I’ll share this second name with Finn.”
“Did you learn anything more about the Wentworths from our last mission?” Bjornolf asked.
“Not yet. I have Rourke, our investigative reporter in the pack, looking into things. He’s got a lot of connections, and he’s good at ferreting out information. Maybe he’ll unearth some clues for us.”
Bjornolf let out his breath, wanting to mention how upset Anna had been. He wanted to see if Hunter knew what was distressing her so much, but decided it would be best not to share that bit of news. Hunter might want to take her off the case, worrying about her safety in the frame of mind she seemed to be in. Bjornolf knew that neither Nathan nor he could get through the holidays without her, and he wasn’t about to give up his pursuit of something deeper with her. He had no intention of putting it off any longer.
“Talk to you later, Hunter.”
Anna was outside in the backyard with Alice, Sarah’s twin sister. Alice was showing Anna the gardens. He smiled as he watched Anna move about in the light sprinkle of snowflakes as if she was a snow sprite, thinking how much he’d love wrapping her in his arms.
Nearby, a “thwack, thwack” rent the air. Carver was chopping wood with such vigor that Bjornolf figured he was trying to let out some of his pent-up frustration over Nathan and his daughter.
Carrying a couple of logs, Carver came inside, acknowledged Bjornolf with a nod, glanced back at the window to see what he’d been watching—Anna and Alice—then tossed one of the logs on the fire and set the other in a copper wood box. “Sarah said she and Nathan will be here in about twenty minutes. Are you and Anna mated?”
Bjornolf turned his attention from Anna as she swept her hair into a ponytail to Carver, who looked more than curious. “We only first met several months ago.”
&
nbsp; Was he mated to her? Bjornolf was definitely thinking along those lines. They’d make one hell of an undercover team.
Aimée frowned at Carver as she set out the silverware on the table in the formal dining room. Carver’s mate was a pretty woman with red gold hair curling about her shoulders and a light smattering of freckles bridging her nose. She looked more sweet than seductive, like his Anna did.
His Anna. That’s the way Bjornolf was already feeling about her.
“You shouldn’t ask such a thing,” Aimée scolded. “That’s personal.”
Carver rubbed his chin as he looked from his mate to Bjornolf, pondering the situation. “What’s holding you back, son?”
Bjornolf couldn’t remember the last time his own father had called him that. He was amused the man was so curious.
“It’s complicated,” Bjornolf answered as he looked out the back window and saw Anna brushing the snow off the nose of a wolf statue while smiling at Alice. He wondered what Anna would be like in a backyard of their own with a teen of their own.
“That’s exactly what I said when I met Aimée. It’s complicated. I wanted her, no doubt about it. She was feeling the same about me.” Carver winked at her and Aimée blushed furiously. “I had two twin daughters and I didn’t want to mate with just any old she-wolf who might treat my girls poorly.”
“The wicked, old she-wolf stepmother syndrome,” Aimée said.
“So what’s your reasoning for holding back? You don’t already have a mate, do you?” Carver asked.
The wily wolf had to know the answer to that, just from the way Bjornolf had such a time keeping his eyes off Anna, as if he was afraid she’d vanish in the blink of an eye.
“No,” Bjornolf said with a half smile.
“Been mated and have offspring already that you’re worried about?”
Bjornolf shook his head.
“Then what? It’s sure as hell not because you don’t want her. And I can tell the woman’s as interested in you. While I was chopping wood, I overheard Alice asking Anna if she was planning to mate you, and when I cast a glance in their direction, the she-wolf was blushing to high heaven. She didn’t laugh at the suggestion or deny it. You’re as good as mated, to my way of thinking. So what are you waiting for?” Carver shook his head and washed his hands at the sink, not giving Bjornolf time to answer. “Seize the moment. You never know when another wolf might come along and snatch your woman right up. Then where will you be?”
Killing the male wolf, Bjornolf thought darkly. The back door shut with a clunk.
The doorbell rang, and from the hurried footsteps moving in that direction, he assumed Alice and Anna were headed for the front door. Bjornolf and Carver hesitated. Both were annoyed with Nathan for running off. They also knew they had to handle the teens carefully or chance having them run off again.
He and Carver went into the living room to greet Nathan and Sarah, but instead they saw Alice and Anna standing at the front door talking to a big blond-haired, bearded man wearing camouflage hunter’s gear. His blue eyes were challenging Anna as he said, “Hi, I’m Henry Thompson and I work in a special capacity with the zoo. Eyewitnesses said they saw wolves enter your backyard.”
Alice turned to her father, looking for his help. Confronting the threat, Carver immediately approached the door, his whole posture stating he was in charge.
“I’m sorry,” Carver said gruffly, not sounding sorry in the least—more like get the hell off my property. “We don’t even own a dog.”
“Are you friends with Leidolf Wildhaven?” Thompson asked, as if he knew something more about the wolves than he should.
Carver narrowed his eyes. His hesitation spoke volumes. Carver finally said, “He’s a wealthy rancher.” Like everyone in Oregon should know that.
“Yeah, but are you friends of his?” Thompson persisted.
“Did you say you’re a police officer?” Carver asked.
Thompson smiled, but the look was not friendly. “Not exactly. I help police wild animals running loose in the area that might come to harm.”
“Okay, so I said we don’t have any dogs here. Or wolves.”
“May I have a look around your backyard? Your neighbors said you have a dog door in your back gate.”
Because of the woodland setting, the neighbors were a long way from each other and a mini-forest surrounded each of the homes in the development. The neighbors couldn’t have seen the dog door in the gate unless they’d come onto Carver’s property.
Carver smiled, his expression dark and threatening. “No, you don’t have permission to traipse around my backyard.”
Thompson turned his attention to Anna and Bjornolf. “Do you know Leidolf?”
Bjornolf thought Thompson would have made a good alpha wolf with his tenacity.
Both he and Anna shook their heads. Bjornolf had never met the red wolf leader.
“I’ll find the wolves. I always do.” Thompson’s threat was a promise. Then he turned to leave, paused, and said over his shoulder as an afterthought, “You can tell Leidolf I said hi.” Then he headed for his pickup truck as Carver shut the door a little too forcefully.
“Lock the back gate, Alice, just in case Thompson decides to snoop around back there and sees wolf prints,” her father said.
“We can sweep the snow,” she said eagerly.
Carver watched out the window. “It’s too late. He’s headed to the cul-de-sac, and then he’ll go through the vacant woods and around the back of the property. He’ll see the tracks leading up to our gate even if he doesn’t try to enter the backyard. Dogged damned bloodhound.”
“I’ll lock it.” Alice grabbed a broom out of a closet and flew toward the back door and outside to sweep the snow anyway.
Thankfully, Leidolf and his men weren’t coming to search for the teens. If Thompson had found them here, what would he have concluded?
A blue sedan pulled up out front, and Carver muttered under his breath, “Finally.”
Nathan and Sarah. Now how would he handle this?
Chapter 13
Aimée joined Carver—along with Bjornolf and Anna—in the living room and took hold of Carver’s arm as if to calm him. Before Nathan and Sarah reached the front door, Aimée said to Bjornolf and Anna, “Thompson’s the one who put Leidolf and Cassie in the zoo when they were running as wolves.”
“Thompson and Leidolf sound like they have a history, and not a good one at that.” Bjornolf wanted to put his arm around Anna, but she was already headed for the door and opened it as Sarah raised her hand to twist the doorknob from outside.
Anna stretched out her hand. “Hi. You must be Sarah. I’m Anna Johnson.”
If Nathan had been in his wolf’s coat, he would have appeared as bowed as he did in human form, and his tail would have been between his legs. He glanced at Anna, avoiding Bjornolf and Carver’s gazes, and looked as though he wanted to be swallowed up by the terra-cotta tile floor in the entryway.
“We were so worried about you.” Anna pulled Nathan into a hug.
* * *
Bjornolf had no idea how they managed to get through lunch. Carver was furious. Bjornolf was upset with Nathan for putting everyone in danger. Bjornolf was even more concerned about Anna’s state of mind. She barely ate more than a couple of bites of food, withdrew from the small talk, and avoided looking at anyone.
Nathan and Bjornolf couldn’t help glancing in her direction, both wanting desperately to make her feel better.
Nathan cleared his throat and rushed through his words to Carver. “I want to date Sarah.” His eyes were dark with challenge as he met Carver’s.
Bjornolf swore the older man was fighting a smile as he paused in the process of cutting a slice of roast on his plate.
“When and where?” he asked.
Nathan’s mouth dropped open a little, then he clamped it shut.
* * *
On the trip home, no one said a word for several miles as Bjornolf drove a rental car with Anna up front w
ith him. Nathan was in the backseat behind her.
“You really like Sarah? She seemed like a nice girl,” Bjornolf said finally.
“Yeah. Um, I like her. A lot.”
Anna swore Nathan wasn’t telling them the whole truth.
Nathan cleared his throat. “I’m so sorry that I ran like I… I did.” His voice broke on the last word. “I thought maybe if I saw Sarah again, I’d realize she was more suited to me than Jessica. Because Sarah’s a wolf. It didn’t work. I like Sarah, but she’s not… Jessica.” Nathan let his breath out on a heavy sigh. “Sarah will want to kill me.”
Anna reached over her seat back, took Nathan’s hand, and squeezed it. “You don’t really want to date Sarah, do you?”
“No. I mean, she’s a friend. Sure. But… I think she wants me to be more than that.”
Anna’s own teen years had been such a muddled mess; how could she offer advice? But she was worried about him.
“Was it because of me that you ran off?” Anna asked.
“No… well, and yes. You didn’t make me do it. But I got to thinking about what you said about Jessica being human and you were right. Seeing Sarah didn’t change the way I see Jessica, though.”
Anna took a deep breath and nodded. She couldn’t think of anything to say that would help, so she turned around to watch out the windshield, glad he was safe.
“I’m sorry I ran away. I promise I won’t again.”
Anna sighed heavily. “I felt the same way when I was your age. I think sometimes I’m still running away. We’re here for you now. I mean that. You’ve got a pack who cares about you. I didn’t have any of that. It’s really tough out there living without a pack. Believe me. You don’t want to lose what you have.”
“She’s right, Nathan. I was about your age when I lost my parents. They were missionaries killed while doing what they were called to do. When that happened, I was as wild as could be, no rules, no curfews, no family, nothing. I would have given up all that freedom just to have my family back.”
