Wolf Tracks

by Vivian Arend

  TJ ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “No, but it’s potentially pretty volatile to have a full human enter the mix.”

  “I’m not giving her up.”

  Robyn shook her head. She pushed Keil until he moved his bulk away with a sigh. “Fine, you talk to him. I’m going back to the party to make sure none of the pack gets into too much shit.”

  Keil kissed Robyn before he left—a sweet and tender kiss—and TJ’s throat tightened with something between happiness and envy. He’d always wanted to have a mate. To have someone to care for and enjoy their company, like he’d witnessed between his older brother and his wife. And now? It was potentially within his grasp.

  Robyn settled on the couch. She checked him over carefully and TJ’s skin crawled.

  “If you’re planning on using your Super Alpha Powers of Obedience on me, I want to say upfront—that would totally suck.”

  She laughed as she lifted her hands to sign at him. “Keil tries so hard to be fair to the pack he forgets to be fair to you. No alpha shit, just one question.”

  He sat across from her. In the past two and a half years since Robyn had joined the pack, she’d come a long way from being clueless about werewolves. Being deaf didn’t stop her from being one of the most powerful—and creative—leaders he’d ever known. Maybe she had an idea of how he should deal with the mess.

  “One question?”

  “You don’t know if she wants you…”

  Well, if the little episode in the hall meant anything.

  “…for anything other than a fling.” Robyn stared expectantly.

  Damn. “She’s my—”

  “Mate. I know, but she’s not a wolf. You want her, and will always want her, but I don’t think it works the same with humans, does it?”

  TJ shrugged. “Never thought about it. I mean, I know there are wolves and humans who are married, but most of them are outcast wolves, who live packless…”

  His stomach fell. If he took Pam as a mate, would they expect him to leave? Granite Lake had always been his home, and while his mate was of vital importance, he didn’t want to give up his pack. His family. He dropped his head into his hands. Suddenly what should have been the most fabulous day of his life turned grey and cold.

  Robyn touched his shoulder gently to get his attention. “We will never kick you out. If Pam is your mate, she’s a part of our family, no matter what.”

  She stared at him for a little while and a nervous twitch started in his thigh. He jiggled his legs to try and hide his reaction. This was a lot more complicated than he’d ever expected it to be. Inside, his wolf fidgeted. It couldn’t understand why they were sitting here instead of sniffing out the delicious-smelling female who belonged to them.

  “You need to give her time. If she accepts you as a human, you’ll have a better chance of her accepting you as a wolf. You can’t go off half-cocked on this one, TJ. Take the time, do it right and make it last.”

  TJ snorted in derision. “How?”

  “She’s registered for the next expedition with Keil’s wilderness excursion company. You’re going along as a guide. Give her a chance to get to know you a little better in a setting you’re comfortable in. See what happens, more than just physical attraction. But you must control your wolf.”

  He and Keil had already been preparing for the next wilderness trip. There was a group of ten signed up, including Pam. While he appreciated Robyn had a point, having to court his mate around a large group of people was stupid. There might be safety in numbers and everything, but he didn’t want to have numbers. One plus one would be fine, thank you very much. An idea rumbled in the back of his mind and he tried very hard not to let anything show on his face. An excursion? Some time alone?

  Oh yeah.

  Loud clapping shook him from his reverie. Robyn lowered her hands and glared at him.

  He leapt to his feet. “Sure, sounds great. Awesome idea, you know, taking some time to get to know her. You’re a genius. Gorgeous, and a genius. What did Keil ever do without you?” Babbling. He was officially babbling.

  How fast could he get out of the room before she figured out something was amiss? He flashed her two thumbs up and dodged a footrest, aiming for the front door. “Well, gotta run. Lots to do in the next couple of days. Gotta get lots of sleep and keep my head and stay in control, right?”

  He ducked outside before she could say anything like “What the hell are you planning and I forbid you to even think about pulling a fast one.” ’Cause what he had in mind was definitely on the not-going-to-be-approved list.

  But this was his mate they were talking about here. Like Keil had waited longer than a day to claim Robyn. TJ headed back toward the hall, a brisk five-minute walk up the gravel road from his Alpha’s house. The music of the party carried through the air, and he hurried as fast as possible. The thought of finding Pam dancing with any of the other guys made the hair at the back of his neck stand upright. Oh no, waiting was out of the question. He pulled out his cell phone and made the first call. “Hey, Jared? Get your ass off the dance floor for five minutes. I need to talk to you.”

  Pam threw herself on the couch in Maggie’s living room and groaned in frustration. Off in the distance she still heard dance music, but she’d lost interest after getting tossed to the ground like a piece of confetti. Well, not true. She’d brushed herself off, thankful for the dim lighting so no one saw how flushed her cheeks were. Still, accidents happen, and she’d been more than happy to head out onto the dance floor when the man of the moment had disappeared.

  Great. So much for forever, the guy couldn’t even stick around for long enough to finish giving her an orgasm.

  She clicked on the TV and flicked through channels listlessly. Maggie was gone with her true love, sexing it up wherever their bridal suite was. Pam had the run of the house and all she could think about was how lonely it was going to be to crawl into bed tonight.

  Gack. Horny and morose, what an insipid combination. She was well on the way to hitting all the high notes for a pity party in under an hour.

  The door to the kitchen creaked, moving an inch, and she sat up to stare at it. She hadn’t heard anyone come in, but what with all the fun she was having watching The Price is Right, there could have been a dozen people in the next room.

  “Hello?”

  The door shifted again, and this time a silver-grey muzzle appeared, poking through the crack. Pam frowned. She didn’t know Maggie and Erik had a dog. She knelt on the seat cushion and watched more carefully. The animal took a few cautious sniffs, its nostrils flaring.

  “Hey, what you doing?” All the signs were there for her to read—classic nonaggressive behavior, curiosity more than anything. Pam smiled. “Come on, don’t be afraid.”

  Even though the beast didn’t act hostile, once its full head popped through the doorway, Pam swore.

  “Holy shit, no one told me they kept wolves as pets here. Good…wolfie. Stay.”

  The silver-grey creature had made it into the room and obediently sat at her command. Pam blew out a slow breath of air. Thank God for well-trained animals. She came around the couch cautiously to examine the wolf. It seemed to be staring back just as intently, panting softly, its tongue lolling to one side. She held out a hand and allowed herself to be sniffed.

  “So, I’ve got a buddy for tonight. You tired of dancing as well? Going to hang with me for a girl’s night out?”

  The wolf snorted, a gust of air rushing past her hand. Pam touched the animal’s muzzle gently, brushing the coarse fur, rubbing its ears.

  “There you go. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” What a beautiful creature. She wasn’t sure what other lineage had been crossbred with the wolf, but the mix was stunning. Its fur was soft—softer than the German Shepherds she was used to working with. Pam unconsciously examined the beast like she would any of her partners. Whoever owned this animal took excellent care of it. She passed a h
and along its belly and laughed when he jerked back.

  “Oops, not a girl. Sorry about that. Still, I’d be glad for you to stick around if you don’t have any big plans for the night.”

  She rose and the wolf stepped beside her heels. Very well trained, and to be honest, just the kind of company she needed after the strange ending to her evening. Pam curled up in the corner of the couch. The wolf laid its chin on her knee and stared at her with a completely lovelorn expression. She rubbed his head again. She loved how completely honest and simple an animal’s affection was. You could trust them to act according to normal patterns.

  She missed her partner, but it had been time to let him retire.

  “You like comedy or action movies better, wolfie? Come on, hop up. Maybe you’re not allowed on the couch usually, but tonight is a special deal.” She patted the seat beside her and suddenly there was a large furry rug draping itself over her legs. She scratched his neck, checking for a collar and a dog tag. “I don’t understand why the heck people don’t collar their pets. What am I going to call you?”

  A long wet tongue smeared its way up the side of her cheek and she laughed out loud.

  “Cool it, I don’t need a bath.” She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and maneuvered him into a less accessible position. It might be a way of showing affection, but canine slobber wasn’t her favourite. She clicked the TV back on and tried to get into the show.

  It was impossible. The edginess that had started earlier in the day still rode her hard. Damn TJ for getting her motor running then abandoning her. She tangled her fingers in the wolf’s fur and tried to relax. The lingering heat of the day and the rest of the day’s excitement finally got to her. Plus the warmth radiating from the wolf as he lay nestled alongside her. There was something comforting about having an animal around. She missed her partner. When she caught herself yawning for the third time in rapid succession she gave up, clicked off the screen and stretched lazily.

  “Okay, wolfie. Time for you to head home.” She rose to push open the kitchen door only to see the animal’s rump disappear up the stairs. “Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

  When she found him curled up on her bed, she laughed. “Bet you’re a bed hog. Fine, as long as you don’t snore, you can stay.”

  She stripped off the sweats she’d changed into after abandoning the party before pulling on an oversized T-shirt. One hard shove moved him over enough she could crawl under the quilt. He didn’t do any of the usual canine things to settle down, just stuck his nose by her ear and licked her once before plopping on his belly close to her side. She chuckled and draped an arm over him.

  Sometime during the night when she rolled over, he was gone. How poetic, she’d been dumped by another male. She sighed and slipped back into her dreams.

  Chapter Four

  Glorious blue sky greeted them for the first day of the tour. With the weather cooperating, Pam checked out the other hikers with a wary eye. This was the biggest concern she’d had with Maggie’s suggestion she take part in an organized expedition—you never knew who your companions would be, and at times too many people made for trouble.

  Keil called for everyone’s attention before pointing at the stack of supplies piled on the picnic table.

  “We’ve got light daypacks for everyone, already loaded with snacks and water bottles. Don’t try to race up the hill, take your time and enjoy the journey. There are a number of set places we’ll stop and have photo ops, but anytime you need to stop and take a stretch break, feel free. We’ve got enough guides you can all go at your own pace.”

  Pam nodded in satisfaction. It appeared there were a few different fitness levels within the group, and while she wasn’t sure how fast she’d be hiking, it was nice to know Keil didn’t expect them to stick in one mass pack. She stared up at King’s Throne peak towering over her and adjusted the light pack to sit a little easier. Clear sky, soft fragrant breeze—should be an awesome day ahead. She turned and bumped into TJ.

  “Hey there, ready for the hike?”

  She pretended to be annoyed. “Are you planning on dogging my heels the entire week I’m with the excursion?”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Umm, pretty much the plan, yeah. Or at least until you accept my apology. I didn’t mean to desert you the other night.”

  Pam laughed softly. The guy was nothing if not persistent. “I know, you were called away momentarily and when you got back I was gone. It’s okay, I forgive you. Really.”

  “Why are you acting like you’d enjoy seeing me…fall in the lake or something?”

  Tempting thought. Only because she bet he’d look great dripping wet, his clothes clinging to him. Maybe she could convince him it would be better to let them air dry and he would hike in the nude.

  Yeah, right, with eight other people around?

  He gestured down the path and she fell into step with him. “I was upset, but I’m done. It just wasn’t how I expected to spend the evening.”

  She heard his quick intake of air. Yeah, his response was pretty much her response.

  She’d given it a lot of thought over the past two days as she got ready for the trip—especially after finding out TJ was one of the guides. She could stay mad and pout, or turn it around and have some fun. Since this was her chance to get out and have a good time, she chose to give him a break. There was too much attraction between them to be upset for any length of time, and really, wasn’t it a waste of energy? She’d be gone in a couple of weeks and in the meantime he could show her some Northern Hospitality.

  But making him squirm was still fun.

  They walked easily along the wide section of trail. “Is this an old road?”

  “Logging road. The trail narrows when we reach the Cottonwood Junction. Then it’s single file until we reach the meadow.”

  They chatted about the Yukon Territory. TJ pointed out some of the more unusual plants at their feet. “The wildflowers are pretty much all gone by now, except the fireweed.”

  “It’s pretty.”

  “It’s a weed, but yes, a pretty one.”

  Hours passed, and she fell into a rhythm, gazing out over the scenery and enjoying the chance for a physical challenge. A couple of the hikers in the group had fallen a fair ways behind, and soon there were only two others in the group with her and TJ.

  “How long are you spending in the Yukon?” one of the men asked. She slid a little farther away from him. While he wouldn’t be a physical challenge to her, she didn’t feel like flirting with anyone. Anyone other than TJ, that is.

  “Couple of weeks, right?” TJ stepped between them before gesturing to the right and directing their attention to a lookout point.

  Pam hid her smile.

  The panoramic views when they reached the top were staggeringly beautiful. Pam wandered aimlessly and clicked picture after picture. Tufts of clouds clinging to the mountaintops. A ribbon of glacier ice trailing off into the distance. The sun reflecting in a million dazzling light spots on the surface of Kathleen Lake.

  Every time she glanced up she found TJ’s gaze fixed on her.

  “Don’t you have anyone else you need to take care of?”

  He shook his head slowly. “I set up the picnic already, and everyone else is eating. I had to make sure you didn’t stroll too close to the edge of the mountain or anything.”

  Oh dear, it was hot up here, under the blazing heat of his stare.

  “If there’s a picnic, I guess I should go join them.”

  “I kept some out for us. We can eat here. Alone.”

  Pam concentrated hard. Okey dokey.

  They sat together, TJ pointing in various directions and naming the local mountaintops visible from their vantage point. Pam nibbled on her sandwich, all the while trying to think of a good excuse to bring up the aborted kiss from the other night. As in, maybe they should find a way and means to try it again.

  She’d never been so attracted to a man and so tongue-tied. There didn’t seem to be any
appropriate openings, and she wasn’t about to simply jump him.

  Well, not yet.

  “So, I was thinking.” TJ passed her a juice box, condensation beading its surface.

  “Dangerous thing to do.”

  He grinned. “I’d like to make it up to you, I mean, leaving you in the lurch the other day. I kinda hoped you would forgive me enough to accept a little peace offering.”

  Hmmm, bribery totally worked. “Like extra chocolate bars? Dark? I’d be willing to forgive just about anything for chocolate.”

  His laugh rolled over her as he grabbed his daypack.

  “That’s not the surprise, but I think I can still help you out.” He dug out a Ziploc bag and reached in for an extra-large foil-wrapped bar. “Oops, it’s too warm today to be hauling chocolate. Sorry.”

  He pulled one out. Chocolate oozed from the edges and ran down his fingers. Hello opportunity. She grabbed his hand.

  “No problem, I like it this way.”

  She brought his hand to her mouth and sucked one digit in, licking the warm melted gooeyness clean before moving to the next one. His breathing sped up and her pussy grew wet. Okay, she was over being mad and there had better be private rooms available wherever they were staying tonight.

  By the time she removed all traces of chocolate, she could barely breathe. He leaned toward her, his dark eyes fixing her in place as their lips touched.

  Bells rang. Cool, they weren’t even kissing and she heard bells.

  TJ pulled away with a sigh and her hopes faded. It was a real bell and it was moving closer. “There’s the signal to round everyone up and start the journey down the hill.” He stared at her lips. “Remember where we were…”

  Oh boy.

  Pam gathered her wits as best she could and scrambled to her feet. He aimed her in the right direction, and she shook her head as she hit the trail. Okay, he was fine enough looking, but she must have some kind of altitude fever. She watched him out of the corner of her eye until he caught her.