Wolf's Kingdom_COBRA Coalition

by Amber Ella Monroe

  “I didn’t want to bother you any longer.” It was a stupid idea. If she’d stayed in the cabin and accepted his help in the first place the wolf would have never attacked her. “Hey, don’t avoid the issue.” She moved aside so that he could exit the bathroom. “Show me how you shift.”

  “You don’t believe me. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “Do you realize how surreal this is? For you to tell someone, me, a regular person that you can change into a wolf?”

  “You didn’t actually see me shift?” He picked up the bowl of water by the foyer and continued into the kitchen. “As for you…do you know how surreal it was for me to witness a woman falling from a third story window of a history museum?”

  “I didn’t fall. I jumped.” Tamara pressed her lips together. “I was in trouble.”

  Devin dumped the water into the sink, then grabbed a tall glass and filled it with more tap water. “I figured that much. What were you running from?”

  She swallowed. “I’d rather not say.”

  He downed the entire glass of water and refilled it. “Do you know what kind of time people serve for breaking and entering?”

  Tamara met his eyes in challenge. “You have no idea what was at stake for me.”

  “I’m trying to understand.” He gulped down the entire glass of water again and searched her face. “Left something valuable in the museum? You needed some cash…? What was it? What would lead you to burglary?”

  “I’m not a thief.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I was running for my life.”

  “Who threatened your life?”

  She looked down at her toes. “My fiancé.”

  His attention dropped to her ring finger. “You’re engaged?”

  “Not anymore.” Arms still crossed, she slid her left hand under her arm. There wasn’t a ring. Brad had to pawn it to come up with the funds to buy a car several months ago. He’d promised to buy it back, but his promises weren’t worth much. “Ex-fiancé.”

  “Why would you run?”

  “I set him up. I botched his robbery attempt and ran.” She turned. “I needed a way to escape from him without being found.”

  “This seems to pain you. I’m sorry.”

  She could sense him close behind her. “I’m not the complete victim here. I let it get out of hand.”

  “Out of hand?” he asked.

  Tamara nodded. “It got worse before it ever got better.”

  Devin slid his fingers down her bare shoulder and turned her arm over. He inspected the bruise she’d received from Brad a couple of days before the museum break-in.

  “Is this what you are running from?” He spoke softly.

  She nodded. The sound of his voice soothed her, but still she wanted to cower in a corner from embarrassment. She was ashamed to have let the abuse happen to her.

  “You shouldn’t have to live in fear.” He let her hand drop to her side, but he did not let it go. “You have too much of a kind soul and are too beautiful of a woman to suffer such treatment.”

  Tamara wanted to fall into his chest to welcome a deeper embrace, but something warned her not to trust freely. Her body yearned to close the tiny space that kept them apart. She pulled her hand from his grasp and moved to stand next to the fireplace. Oddly, the heat from his body had been more comforting than the heat from the fire.

  “I can’t stay here long. One, I promised my counselor once I was safe that I would call her. And two, I don’t have any clothes.”

  “I have a cell phone. And I can get you some clothes.”

  She wrung her hands together, contemplating his offer. The longer she lay low, the more likely any case that had been brought up against her would have gone cold. What the passage of time did not guarantee was that Brad had finally been captured and locked up. Unless he had a backup plan for getting caught in the act of burglarizing the museum, there was no chance he could have escaped being surrounded by police. The only reason she was safe and sound was because of the wolf. Devin, her rescuer.

  “I must be a big inconvenience to you,” she mumbled.

  “No, you’re not,” he said. “I’ve committed to help you.”

  “You had plans before you even met me. I’ve done nothing but delay you.”

  “Acting without adequate planning would have been a disadvantage to me. Over the past several nights here, I had the chance to re-evaluate my choice. I will have to leave soon though…if I plan to help my people.”

  She turned to face him. “Your people?”

  He moved to stand by the sofa. “Sit with me.”

  Several moments passed while she waited patiently for him to speak. She lifted her gaze to meet his with question. Visions of his wolf flashed into her mind. “Tell me about this spirit of Caedmon.”

  “We’ve been around for hundreds of years. One of the oldest and most respected wolf packs in the United States. Those who are born with the spirit of Caedmon have the ability to shift into wolf form.”

  “Like you?” she asked when he paused.

  “Yes. We’ve since branched out into many smaller tribes. We are a very diverse pack. This is the result of a custom of accepting wolves from disbanded packs who wish to accept the spirit, culture, and laws of Caedmon. However, the pack is still led by those who are directly descended from the first line of Caedmon wolves.”

  “So, I assume that this is all kept secret…from non-wolves.”

  “It is forbidden to offer knowledge about our existence to outsiders.”

  She frowned. “But, you have told me…”

  He grinned. “I’ve always been the bad seed.”

  Tamara swallowed. “What happens to those who disobey the laws?”

  “The punishment depends on the severity of the offense.”

  She looked down at the patterns in the sofa. “I hope you are not punished because of me.”

  He grasped her elbow in a gesture of solace. “Don’t worry about me.”

  It seemed as though the Caedmon culture he talked of was a serious one. A real one. With people that shifted into wolf form just like he could. They had real laws, and he’d disobeyed one of them. For some reason, she did worry about him. She’d practically encouraged him to tell her a secret that he was bound to keep to himself.

  They’d have to part soon, and she had a feeling that she’d never be able to forget Devin. The man who was also a wolf.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Snow fell so furiously that it came down in a white haze outside the window. The temperatures had once again dipped below freezing with what Tamara suspected was the worst of the storm. Devin had even said he hadn’t seen this coming.

  Fire crackled and danced in the fireplace. Every so often, a log would break apart, and the flames would spark and pop as it settled in place again. It reminded her of the sounds of Christmas alongside her family. Sitting here like this with Devin made her realize that she missed moments like those.

  Tamara folded her legs under her and scooped up another spoonful of soup. The hearty combination of chicken, noodles, and vegetables filled her up and warmed her insides on this freezing cold night. She’d never met a man who could cook and always thought that finding one was like discovering a needle in a haystack. Was it just by happenstance that she’d finally come across one?

  She stole another glance at Devin who sat beside her, bent over the coffee table peering at some complex drawings. Every so often, he would mumble something to himself.

  “Does Montana get this much snow?” She didn’t want to seem like a nuisance, but hearing the casual sound of his voice always seemed to calm her.

  He nodded. “A lot more than this. I’m quite used to it.”

  She glanced down at the pencil drawings and shadings. “What are you drawing?”

  “An idea for an expansion of this cabin. It’s outdated. Too small, and needs a lot of work.”

  She glanced at every corner of the room. It was small, but for its size it served the purpose. “Outdated? Well, how
old is it?”

  “Thirty, maybe forty years old. It was my mother’s. She lived here for a very short time.” He didn’t look up from the drawing.

  “Is your mother…Caedmon?”

  “Was. She’s dead.”

  There was no emotion in his voice, and she wondered if he’d suppressed them.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “She followed her mate to the grave.”

  “Excuse me?” Had she heard him correctly?

  “Wolves mate for life. In Caedmon culture, if the mating is a true one, when a wolf’s mate dies, the other soon follows.”

  “From doing some research on wolf behavior in college, I learned that they mated for life. It’s romantic…and sad at the same time.”

  “How many bathrooms?” He looked down at his sketch again.

  His change of subject suddenly caught her off guard. “What?”

  “How many bathrooms would you want in your dream home?”

  Tamara smiled. “My dream home? Hmmm…never thought about it.” She set the bowl on the table and peered at the drawing with him. “A huge master bath with Jacuzzi tub, separate toilet and shower. The works. A half bathroom downstairs for guests. I’d want at least two bathrooms upstairs with one of the bedrooms having its own.”

  “Uh-hmm.” He scribbled some notes on a separate notepad. “Sounds like five bedrooms total then?”

  “Exactly. I’m not big on mansions, but I grew up in a family where we were taught to make people feel at home. My parents had dinner parties all the time. The guest list was always large.”

  “And they don’t anymore?”

  “If they were alive, they would. They were involved in a terrible boating accident.” At the time, they’d been on a month long vacation, and had died doing what they loved. The grieving process for her was long and difficult.

  “That’s unfortunate.”

  “Do you build homes all the time?”

  “I make my living doing this. I have a construction business in Montana,” he said.

  “How long have you lived in Montana?”

  “Five years.” The muscles on his forearms moved lithely as he sketched on the pad.

  It was long enough to call Montana home, yet she wondered what would make him return to Virginia after five years and refer to it as his home. Was it part of the Caedmon culture? Was he forced to return? What was at stake? Whatever business he needed to leave to tend to seemed serious enough.

  “The other wolf…the one you were fighting with…is it Caedmon?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did it want to kill me?” Had Devin not come when he did, she probably would not be alive.

  “It didn’t want to kill you,” he said. “These forests are Caedmon territory. In its eyes, you were a trespasser…as well as an unaccompanied female.”

  “Then, I really need to leave, huh? Before the other wolves find out. I don’t—”

  “You will do no such thing,” he said quickly. “You are under my protection. You will find safety, but you will not find it alone.”

  His declaration was firm, as if there was no room for discussion. He was no stranger to giving orders. It was the very thing she was running away from now. Devin had good intentions, but was this hint of dominance a glimpse into whom he really was?

  “I don’t want to be a burden or the reason you receive reprimand from your pack, neither do I want to feel like a prisoner in your home,” she said, then picked up her empty bowl and walked to the kitchen.

  She risked her life for the chance to make her own decisions again. There was no way in hell she would let yet another man make them for her. The reality was that a world of difference existed between Devin and Brad. She saw the honesty in Devin’s eyes, and the virtue in his demeanor. There should have been no comparison to Brad, but she had to be careful. Things weren’t always what they seemed. She’d been burned once before…

  A heated body brushed across her side. The bowl slipped from Tamara’s fingers and hit the bottom of the sink. From the way her core warmed when he drew nearer, there was no mistake that it was Devin.

  She held her breath, but did not turn around.

  His hands came around her to grab the bowl in the sink, and he pressed his chest against her back. “Don’t fear me,” he whispered into her hair.

  She shivered, but it wasn’t from fear or the cold.

  Devin picked up the dishtowel and began to wash the bowl, leaving her no choice but to look. When he was done, he placed the dish on the drying rack. He took her hand and led her to turn around.

  Her gaze was level with his chest, until he tilted her chin gently with a finger.

  “Look at me, Tamara. Are you afraid of me?”

  “No,” she whispered.

  “The tension in your body tells me otherwise.”

  How could she have forgotten they were pressed so closely together? His spicy scent drifted under her nose, mesmerizing her. It was familiar to her, yet it wasn’t a scent she’d known anywhere else but with him.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know you.”

  He closed his eyes. “Why do you smell so good?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your smell? Are you wearing perfume?”

  She swallowed. “No, I don’t have any. Did you forget? You brought me here with only the clothes on my back.”

  He took a deep breath and moved closer, positioning his nose against one side of her neck. At the same moment he brushed his face against her neck, her body became pliant in his arms.

  “There is a strong urge to protect you,” he said.

  “Devin…” she said in a husky voice, riddled with confusion.

  Had the cabin not been so quiet, she probably would have missed the low growl he gave in answer. His gestures were affectionate. As he nuzzled the crevice of her neck, her legs turned to putty.

  Suddenly, Devin broke away and this time he stared at her in confusion. His quick actions startled her and she clutched at the counters behind her for support.

  “I must bring in more firewood.” He backed away. “I’ll go no further than the barn.”

  And with that, he was gone, leaving her alone and puzzled in the cabin.

  After pacing the cabin about a dozen times with Devin’s cell phone in hand, Tamara settled down on the couch and dialed her counselor.

  The line rang four times before Selene picked up. “Selene speaking.”

  “It’s Tamara.”

  “Tam! No way.” There was rustling on the other end that sounded a lot like she was driving at top speed with the windows down. “You scared the bat shit out of me! Where are you? You’ve been reported missing by the police. Brad and his crew are in jail locked up. They have him held without bond on a half a dozen felony counts, a slew of misdemeanors, and a possible manslaughter charge. I’ve got my manager all over my ass for losing contact with you. Dude, are you okay? There’s a—”

  “Whoa, Selene. I’m okay.” She laughed nervously into the phone. She’d always known Selene to have an entire conversation without taking one breath.

  Selene exhaled loudly on the other end. “So glad to hear that. I’ve been worried sick. Give me your location. Where are you?”

  “I can’t…” Tamara looked at the door where she knew Devin sat within earshot on the porch. “…I can’t give you my location.”

  “What? Why not? Don’t do this again,” Selene said, firmly.

  “I’m safe. I promise you that.”

  “Are you sure? You sound unsure.”

  “I only called to let you know that I was okay,” Tamara said.

  “Who are you with? Family?”

  Leave it to Selene to give the third degree. “No, I’m…with a friend.”

  “A guy friend?”

  When Tamara didn’t say anything, the counselor spoke again. “Look, Tamara, you don’t have to make big decisions now. We can help you. Remember what I told you about how we can create a new identity for you. There would
be no charge to you. You don’t have to do this alone. There’s a fresh start waiting for you. You just have to act.”

  A fresh start? Would that choice hold all the answers? It would ensure that Brad never made contact with her again, but would it erase the years of abuse? Would it give her back the civilized life that she used to have?

  “I’m still weighing my options,” Tamara said. “I’ve found a place where I can lay low for a while.”

  “There will be no charges against you. We work closely with the authorities. They know what kind of situation you were in.”

  “It’s not that. I’d turn myself in if I have to. I just want a breather from all of this, you know?”

  “How long have you known this guy friend?”

  There was no reason to give this woman a heart attack by revealing to her that she’d only known Devin for less than a week. “Look, Selene, I’ve got to go.”

  “Wait!”

  “Yes?”

  “The offer is always open. Keep in touch. Please.”

  Tamara sighed.

  “Okay? Okay? Say okay.”

  “Okay.” She glanced out toward the door where Devin sat. “Thank you, Selene. For everything that you have done to help me. You were a true friend throughout the process, and will always be.”

  “Tamara…”

  Tamara ended the call before she changed her mind.

  “The snow is clearing out again.” Devin joined her at the kitchen sink, where she washed the last of the dinner plates.

  When the second snowstorm hit less than a day after the first one, it had caught him off guard. He should have sensed it coming, but his mind had been wandering on other distractions and problems.

  Her movements grew slower as she raised her gaze to meet his. “And you have to leave soon…I know.”

  Something akin to guilt filled his heart. It was an odd gut feeling that he hadn’t experienced in a long time. “Time is of essence.”

  The eve of the Blue Moon was near. If he was not there to cast a vote against his cousin’s claim to take over the pack, he would be devastated if his lack of action led to their demise because of it.