by Bethany Shaw
“It was fun,” he agreed.
“Maybe we can do something else again soon,” Nora asked, biting her lip. Her stomach fluttered and she held her breath as she waited for his reply. Please say yes, she thought.
“As long as Juarez’s men stay out of sight it shouldn’t be a problem. If things intensify again we’ll need to stay on the ranch,” Daniel explained.
Nora laughed and Daniel turned to her with a frown. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, holding up her hand. “It’s just, this is all so new to me. Until last night, it was kind of like being on a vacation. I guess it’s hard to remember that there is a threat out there when you don’t see it.”
“It’s there, and Juarez is coming,” Daniel warned.
“What’s being done to stop it?”
“We have installed an electric fence around it. I believe they were finishing it up today and turning it on. Anyone who touches it will be electrocuted. It should take out several of Juarez’s men before they figure a way around it. Other than that, I’m not sure. Devon and Gene only tell me what they need to. I’m just a regular member of the pack.”
“You might be just a member of the pack, but I’ve seen you fight. You’re pretty good. I meant to ask,” Nora started fidgeting with her fingers. “Your tattoo, does it mean something?”
Daniel’s hand went to his shoulder. “It’s the symbol for forgiveness. I’ve done a lot of things, seen a lot of things that I could have—should have stopped.”
Nora trailed a hand up to her hair, winding it around her finger. She didn’t know what to say to him. What could she say without sounding rude or condescending?
“You have any tattoos?” Daniel inquired.
“No. I’ve been poked with too many needles already. I would never subject myself to that willingly.” Nora’s mouth popped open. Why did I just say that?
“I thought you weren’t sick?” Daniel asked his eyes roaming over her.
Nora wrapped her arms around herself and turned to the window. “I’m not.”
“I just wondered.“
“I’m fine,” she snapped. If he finds out your history, there is no way he is going to keep training with you. Not to mention, whatever was happening between the two of them would immediately cease. He’ll treat you different—they all will. She reminded herself.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said.
Nora laughed and gritted her teeth. Sure, it didn’t matter until he saw the scar, or learned how close to death she’d nearly come. Then it would change.
Daniel was quiet for a long moment and Nora sighed. His fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly. His hand flexed beneath the circle, and his steely gaze stared out the window. He turned down the drive and drove around back, returning the car to its parking spot.
The wolf frowned, hitting his hand against the wheel before grabbing his shake and climbing out. Nora hurriedly opened her door. She’d upset him. The last thing she wanted was for them to part on bad terms.
“I had fun today,” she gushed in one breath.
“Okay,” he said, drawing the word out.
“I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“Didn’t seem that way,” Daniel stated. He lifted his vanilla milk shake to his lips and took a long swig of it.
“I’m sorry. I like spending time with you and I had a lot of fun today.” She looked down, trailing her foot through the dirt. “I’d like to hangout again. If you want to?”
“I’m not used to girls like you. To nice women. Hell, I’m not used to people wanting to spend time with me,” Daniel growled, scratching the back of his head.
Nora met his eyes. “There’s like a million people here,” she hesitated.
“Yeah, but I’m not really friends with any of them. I don’t fit in here,” he said, motioning with his arms. “I don’t really know what it is that you want here, Nora.”
Nora crossed her arms over her chest, watching him. She thought back and realized she’d never seen him talking to anyone. Sure, he’d been fighting in the barn the other night, but that wasn’t the same as hanging with a friend. April’s words rang in her head and she realized that maybe he just didn’t know what he was doing. Maybe this whole friends and more thing was something new to him.
“We could do something tomorrow. More training?” he offered, coming to stand in front of her.
“Could we go someplace else besides the barn?” Nora wondered.
“Sure. I know it gets kind of stuffy in there. It’d just be me and you,” Daniel explained.
Nora smiled, looking up into his warm emerald eyes. Her breath hitched, and her feet moved forward, closing the small gap between them. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” She reached up and trailed her fingers down his cheek. His stubble burned against the pads, and she shuddered imagining how it would feel against her lips.
“Sounds good,” Daniel murmured. His hand lifted up, and his rough, calloused hand cupped her chin.
Nora’s tongue darted out, wetting her dry lips. Her eyes stared at Daniel’s mouth. Instinctively, she leaned forward, until the wolf’s breath mingled with hers. Nora’s eyes fluttered closed, and she could taste vanilla on Daniel’s lips as their mouths met.
His hand slipped over her cheek, tangling in her hair. Nora leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him. His chest pressed against hers and he grunted as his tongue slipped between her lips and danced along hers.
Nora pulled back her lips swollen from the kiss. She traced her fingers over her mouth, the kiss still lingering. Grinning, she met Daniel’s eyes.
“So I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” she took a step back.
“Yeah,” Daniel grinned.
Chapter Ten
Nora placed the butt of the rifle against her shoulder and closed one eye. With her open eye, she zeroed in on her target. The silver can set atop a fence post. Aside from the brown wooden fence, tall grass surrounded them. The target shouldn’t be hard to hit—she hoped. At least there weren’t any distractions. The day was quiet except for a few animals rustling through the brush in the distance.
The soft breeze blew loose strands of hair into her mouth. Ignoring the locks, she focused on her mission—hit the can. Curling her pointer finger around the trigger, she sucked in a long breath and pulled.
The gun banged loudly in her ear and she gritted her teeth. In the blink of an eye, the metal can sitting on the fence post flung backwards, flying into the tall yellowish-green grass.
“Good job,” Lark encouraged, clapping her hands together. “You’re a quick learner.”
“I can’t believe I hit that,” Nora grinned, setting the safety and lowering the gun.
“Once you get the hang of aiming the rest is easy. You’ll pick up speed as you go. Next, we’ll work on moving targets. The nice thing about semi-automatic rifles is they reload for you and hold a fair amount of bullets, so you can shoot quickly.”
Nora shuddered at the thought. If an attack did happen again, she would be shooting at wolves—people. “How do you do it? Shoot someone I mean?” Nora hesitated turning to look at the blonde. The question had been bothering her for a while, and she had her doubts on whether or not she could actually do it or not.
Lark sighed and shook her head. “Sarah and I used to go hunting with my dad before he passed. My dad thought it was important that both his girls were familiar with guns. I’ve been around guns my whole life so I’m comfortable with them. I just...” she paused and bit her lip. “These guys kidnapped Sarah, they kidnapped me. Gene’s dad, Rick, and his brother, Preston are dead because of these men. If we don’t stop them, they will capture us and they’ll make us...sex slaves—breeders. I won’t live like that. I won’t let Sarah live that life. It’s the same as a soldier going out and taking out the enemy. When it comes down to it, it’s you or them.”
Nora ran her fingers along the smooth finish of the gun. “I’m afraid I’ll freeze up.”
“You won’t. Instinct kicks in. When someone�
�s attacking you, or someone you love, rage—a need to protect overtakes you,” Lark explained. “To be honest, I didn’t think I could either. A few months ago, I was attacked in my shop. They were going to take me and do God knows what. I reacted out of sheer force of will and I stabbed a man. I didn’t even think about what I was doing. It just happened.” Lark shook her head and sighed.
“Human or wolf it’s our natural instinct to survive,” a familiar male voice piped up from behind them.
Nora spun around to meet Daniel’s familiar gaze. He was shirtless and the dark wash jeans he wore clung to his hips, showing off his rugged muscles. “Hey,” Nora grinned, her face flushing as she met Daniel’s gaze. Butterflies fluttered in her belly, and she licked her lips, recalling their kiss last night.
“I came by your room to see you, and April said you were out here with Lark,” Daniel replied, tucking his hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
“We were just finishing up. She’s a good shot. Between the guns and your training, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Lark said, disarming her gun and putting it into a large blue bag.
“I hope everyone here can fend for themselves,” Daniel said.
Nora handed her rifle to Lark.
“What are you two getting up to today? Are you leaving again?” Lark asked, looking to Nora, then Daniel.
“Probably not,” Daniel grumbled. He ran a hand through his dark hair, mussing the short strands.
“You know Devon was just blowing smoke last night. I’m sure you know what you are doing,” Lark said, zipping the bag up. She stood up and hoisted the bag on her shoulder.
“Not everyone shares your sentiment,” Daniel mentioned.
Nora frowned. Had something happened after they came back last night? Did Daniel get in trouble for their...date? She wondered.
“I’m aware. Speaking of,” she nodded toward Devon, who was approaching them. “I should get going. Nora, I’ll meet with you tomorrow afternoon same time as today if you want?” Lark offered.
“Sure. I’d like that,” Nora nodded.
“Nice talking to you,” Lark said as she started toward Devon.
Nora waited for Lark to get out of earshot. “Did you get in trouble because we went off the ranch yesterday?” Nora asked, guilt tugging at her.
“It’s nothing. Dev will find something to gripe about one way or another no matter what I do.”
“Have you ever tried to work it out?” Nora asked.
“I deserve it,” he said matter-of-factly. “When we were back in Guymon, I did a lot of bad things. Some of them to him,” Daniel explained.
“I don’t picture you doing anything too bad,” Nora smiled, peering up at him through her lashes. He was too nice to have done anything too horrible.
Daniel shifted on his feet and looked away. “You don’t really know me that well. I’ve done things that would appall you.”
“Did you want to do them?” Nora whispered. She held her breath waiting for his answer.
“No!” Daniel responded instantly, a disgusted tone to his voice.
“Then why did you?” Nora asked curiously.
“My dad. He wasn’t the type of man you said no to without repercussions.” Daniel licked his lips and looked around the meadow.
“Then it sounds like you were both victims,” Nora offered. She hesitated before taking a step forward and entwining her fingers with his. His hand was warm in hers and she smiled when he gave her a gentle squeeze.
“Why don’t we take a walk. There’s a well-worn path through the woods where a lot of the guys like to run. It’s quiet this time of day since most of the guys are working on the new house. We have practice tonight with the group, and I don’t want to wear you out too much.” Daniel gave a gentle tug on her arm and she followed after him.
Daniel led her into the thick foliage of the trees. Birds chirped above them and wildlife scurried across the dirt floor. The leaves were just beginning to change, some of them taking on a slight yellowish-red color.
“I cannot believe how big the property is here,” Nora admired, glancing around their surroundings.
“You grew up in the city?” he guessed.
“Yeah. Apartment complex. My parents moved me around a lot, usually whenever they couldn’t afford to make the rent. I got my first stable home when they left me with my grandma for good. I was ten. She had a little house in a small suburb of Oxford, Mississippi,” Nora sighed.
“I’ve always been a country boy.”
“There is definitely an allure to it,” Nora said, motioning with her free hand to the trees. “It’s so quiet and peaceful. I’m not sure I could go back to the hustle and bustle of the city life now.”
“So you don’t miss the city?”
Nora frowned as if she were thinking about it. “No, I guess I don’t. I mean, you kind of tune out the ambulances and fire trucks in the middle of the night when you’re used to hearing them. I’m not sure I’d still be able to do that.”
“It is quiet here. Come on, there is a stream up ahead. We can sit down and talk.” Her fingers squeezed his hand tighter as he led the way.
***
Fernando Juarez leaned back in his armchair as his phone vibrated on top of the desk. He tapped his finger on the phone, contemplating whether to answer or not. The girl, Maddie, was compromised, but he wondered if there were still a chance he could get through to her on some level. Not to mention, the Harris’ didn’t know that he knew that she was compromised. Perhaps he could use their eavesdropping to his advantage.
“Maddie,” he crooned into the phone. What could it hurt to speak to the girl? He wasn’t stupid enough to give anything away—at least not anything he didn’t want to, he reasoned.
“Hi,” the girl answered, meekly.
“It’s always good to hear from you, Maddie,” he smiled into the phone, in hopes he would reassure the girl.
“When are you coming to get me?” the girl asked, her voice barely a whisper. “I think people are getting suspicious of me.”
“I will come for you soon, child,” he promised. He smoothed a hand over his chin. “Before we take the ranch, it is important that we amass the proper army to ensure our victory.” Juarez smiled, hoping the alpha on the other end was beginning to squirm. Numbers didn’t matter to him—he already had a large army. It was all about strategy. He wanted the Harris’ to know fear, for Natalia to know fear.
“Don’t you already have a large army?” Maddie’s soft voice asked.
“I do. But the Harris’ have particularly been a thorn in my side. They killed my son. Did you know that Maddie?” he asked, swallowing thickly. His son, his heir, was dead because of Natalia. They were going to pay for Luis’ death.
“No,” she gasped, her voice catching. “I’m so sorry.”
Fernando smiled, sighing heavily into the phone. If only there were a way to contact her without listening ears. “Me too. All I’ve ever wanted was to have my family and the Harris’ took it from me.”
Maddie remained silent. Her quiet breath the only indication that she remained on the line.
Fernando trailed his fingers along the wood grains of his desk. A plan formed in his mind. Perhaps he could figure out a way to get her alone. “I spoke with my grandson about you. He is very interested in meeting you.”
“He is?” she asked, surprise evident in her tone.
“Yes. He is here with me now. Perhaps we could set up a time for the two of you to meet.”
“I’m not allowed out by myself. No one is,” Maddie said.
“I imagine not. Don’t others leave the ranch, though? Maybe you could go to The Cookie Jar with Lark or to the store the next time?” If he could get a phone to the girl and talk to her in private, he could get a much better idea of where her allegiances lay. Perhaps even get insider information too.
“They do, but I’d have to see about going with them,” Maddie said after a long moment. “I’ve never asked before wouldn’t t
hey be suspicious?”
“I understand, and I don’t want to put you in any danger, child” he assured. “But, haven’t you been stuck in close quarters for quite some time? Perhaps you’d like to get out and see your surroundings a little,” he suggested. When she didn’t reply, he continued, “See what you can do and call me tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“Take care, Maddie. I hope to see you real soon,” he purred. The line went dead and he set his phone back on the desk. He needed someone on the inside—needed to know what they were planning.
***
Gene looked around the room, meeting each person’s eyes before taking a seat at the front of the desk. He laced his fingers together and leaned forward.
“I appreciate everyone coming on such short notice,” he started. “As you all know, Maddie has been talking to Fernando Juarez with our consent. Talia, Dev, Lark, and myself have come up with a tentative plan to help take out some of his forces. During Maddie’s talk with Juarez this afternoon, a situation presented itself that I think we can use to our benefit.”
“What do you need me to do?” April asked, immediately.
“Dev and I want to make it clear that you are under no obligation to accept this job. It will be dangerous,” Gene warned.
“Juarez and his men murdered my family. I want justice,” April hissed.
Gene nodded at the Bayou packs alpha’s youngest daughter. He could understand the rage brewing inside of her. These men had taken his family too. His father and Preston both rested in the ground because of them.
“Lark and I will be heading up this task,” Devon spoke up. “We will be going to a pack in New Mexico. We have reason to believe that Juarez may be keeping reserves there until he is ready to attack us.”
“The Luna’s,” Claire interrupted.
