As he carried Cassidy to the truck, she barely woke, only snuggled into his arms. The fact she trusted him so soon touched his heart. He wanted to be everything she deserved in a mate. There was no denying Patrick’s feelings for the girl. He could see love in his eyes, even though he doubted the crazy wolf would admit to it.
Once at the truck, he used the emergency blankets to wrap around Cassidy. The keys were in the ignition, but Patrick was gone. As he drove out to the lot where they’d need to start their trek out to the remote cabin, he couldn’t help but scan the sides of the road. That Rockford wolf had saved him, and he felt indebted to him. He prayed to the gods that the loggers hadn’t found him in their hunt. Matthew would have his revenge on those crooked humans.
He let Cassidy sleep once arriving. She was a beauty. For hours, he was content to just sit there and watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest. He easily understood how his alpha fell in love with the girl. Garret, the stoic businessman who claimed he’d never settle down, had fallen hard for the brunette. Enough to keep her for the pack. Even now, Matthew could see the future when he looked at her.
“Wake up, little human.”
There were more provisions in the cabin than he remembered. Garret usually kept the place empty, a shelter from the elements and nothing more. He was able to start a fire in the woodstove, and create a makeshift bed from an assortment of blankets.
“Where am I?” She didn’t open her eyes to see the gentle cast of pink and red coloring the floor beneath the window. The sunrise was breathtaking this morning, the first since his captivity. He would never be so careless as to be captured alive again. He’d avoided a bear trap only to be ambushed and shot by a tranquilizer dart. When he was lucid enough during his captivity, he cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have scented those loggers long before they had a chance to snare him. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. And now he had a stronger reason to stay safe—Cassidy Lyons.
“You’re safe with me in Garret’s cabin. You need to eat.”
She made sounds of protest, twisting amongst the blankets. He brushed her hair from her face and sat on his heels to study her features. Matthew knew his alpha well, and he could see why he’d chosen Cassidy. She was a mix of sweet innocence and sensual fire, the perfect mix for a wolf-shifter mate. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d fit in as he did before. Had the pack moved on without him? Would they even want to share their prize?
“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re impossible.” He settled down on his side next to her. After more stirring, she peeked open her eyes. She saw him staring down at her and smiled. She had the prettiest lips.
“I don’t even remember coming here.”
“You were dead to the world and quite the load to carry through the forest,” he teased.
“I’m sorry. You should have woken me.”
He only shook his head. Carrying her made him feel connected—the warmth of her body, the feminine scent of her skin, and the steady beat of her heart.
“So…you still haven’t told me why you were out in the woods alone. It doesn’t seem like something my friends would allow.”
“Long story. Very long story.” She took a deep breath and then brought her forearm up to cover her eyes. “It started with me trying to find my half brother, the one I told you about.”
“Your brother is in Climax?”
“I’m not so sure anymore. He was here looking for me, but there doesn’t seem to be any sign left of him.” Matthew noted the pain in her voice. For whatever reason, she desperately wanted to find her brother. If he could make it so, he would. Matthew knew what it felt like to be an orphan, to not have family to support him. It was Garret who finally made him feel like he belonged in both the human and werewolf world. To live without a pack was a slow death sentence for a wolf-shifter. They all needed that bond, the camaraderie, and mental link. He’d excelled in his place on the Gregor Mining team since arriving and never looked back.
“I’ll help if I can.”
Her eyes seemed to clear, and she shifted to look at him, a slight smile on her lips. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m really glad you’re okay. You have no idea how happy Garret will be.”
“And you? What do you think about having a new man in your life? Is five a crowd?”
Now she laughed, rolling to her back. “I was expecting you. They certainly wouldn’t let me forget that they share their woman and hoped you’d return to claim me.”
“And? Are you disappointed?”
“No. You left me very satisfied.”
“That’s not what I mean.” He tilted her chin to the side so she’d look at him.
“Well…you’re more handsome than I expected, caring, and Garret thinks the world of you which says a lot to me.” Then she sat up, pulling her hair around to one side, sitting cross-legged. “Wait a minute. What about you? How do you feel coming home after everything you’ve been through just to have a strange woman thrust at you? I know you guys live differently than the norm, but don’t you want some say in who you spend the rest of your life with?”
“You’re cute,” he said. She had no idea how enamored he was with her. Shifters were unlike humans in matters of love. Wolf-shifters relied on chemistry and instinct when choosing a mate. The woman who carried a certain scent would call out to the pack as a whole as if the gods themselves had chosen her for them. It was the same way with Cassidy. He just knew. His wolf knew. She was his and he wouldn’t let her go. Unlike the human world, he didn’t need a dozen dates to confirm his feelings. Matthew just wanted to claim what he already considered his.
“Stop that.” She swatted him. “I’m serious.”
He cupped her face and kissed her lips. She looked adorable when flustered. “You’re my prize. Something to soften the hard feelings I had after escaping.”
“They really kept you in a cage? Are you going to contact the police?”
“We have a more self-help justice system in Climax.”
“What? Vigilante justice? I’ve already had more than enough to worry about with Garret running off in the middle of the night trying to find you. I don’t want you doing anything dumb. Let the police deal with those criminals. They deserve to spend a long time behind bars.”
He wouldn’t argue with her. When she looked up at him with those big, blue eyes he couldn’t refuse her. But life in Climax was not like anything she’d ever known. Wolves didn’t run to police, not that there were many around to start with. They handled threats head-on with claws, teeth, and intimidation.
“Don’t worry yourself.” He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her soft skin. “When I speak with Garret, we’ll make things right. I promise.”
He’d make sure his alpha did the right thing and marked the human as theirs. It gave him a complex knowing she wasn’t officially claimed for his pack. He’d also tell Garret to teach her their ways, introduce her to their wolves. It was only a matter of time until she found out or became suspicious. Matthew wasn’t exactly the best at keeping secrets.
“It will be nice having you at the mine. I hear you’re the best machine operator Gregor has.”
“I’m the best at a lot of things.” He smirked when she blushed. The girl was an enigma—one moment completely wanton, the next blushing like a virgin.
“I’ll bet you are.” She reached out and ran her hand over his chest, nibbling her lower lip. “Aren’t you cold?”
He had to control the need to force her to the wooden floor and fuck her all over again. She must be sore, and he didn’t want her to think he only wanted her for sex. Their relationship started with sex and needed to develop into something rich and lasting. He could feel her lust, see it in her eyes, scent it in the air. But he’d behave and resist. The next time he enjoyed her body it would be with Garret.
* * * *
Cassidy enjoyed talking with Matthew. He had a deep, rich voice, and his eyes were so beautiful she could stare at his face a
ll day. The longer they spent together the more she wanted him—body and mind. When he didn’t reciprocate her advances, it only made her more anxious to have him.
“So what do you do at the mine?”
“I’m the new dispatcher. But Garret still hasn’t shown me everything. Life has been crazy lately.”
“I’d be happy to teach you,” he said. “I’ll even show you the inside of my mining excavator.” Nobody knew how to use the machine except Matthew. It was one of the reasons production had been so affected since his disappearance, and why Garret suspected the men from the Rockford Mine when Matthew went missing. Now they were all proved wrong, so maybe there could be some semblance of peace around Climax, at least between the two mines and maybe even the hunters.
“I’ve never been in it. It’s so big.”
He licked his lips, his head tilted. God, the man has broad shoulders. He draped one arm over the knee of his bent-up leg, assessing her. “I’ve always wanted to christen my truck…with my woman.”
“Oh?”
“Is that too improper for you, Cassidy? Would you have a problem with sitting on my cock while I’m in the driver’s seat of my excavator?”
Her pussy began to throb, her nipples tingling as they tightened. She had a wicked imagination and Matthew insisted on fueling it.
“I guess we’ll have to see.” It wasn’t easy to tease when she wanted to scream yes, yes, yes.
The door to the cabin burst open. Patrick scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on the two on them sitting near the woodstove.
“Patrick,” she said, happy to see her rugged-looking Viking. He brought the fresh pine scent from the outdoors rushing in.
“Where’s Garret?” asked Matthew, getting to his feet. He wore a pair of Garret’s low-rise Wranglers, worn around the knees and ass. She couldn’t look away as he walked over to the door. He must have haphazardly dressed her when she slept. She was wearing some of the clothes she’d left at the cottage on her last visit, a T-shirt and old blue jeans.
“Problem.” Patrick grabbed Matthew’s arm and pulled him outside the cabin. She got up, wanting to hear what had happened, but he closed the door. Her heart rate picked up. She didn’t like the sense of urgency in Patrick’s voice.
She pushed open the wooden door. “What’s wrong? Where’s Garret, Evan, and Travis?”
He stood there for the longest time, his face stoic, not saying a word. Finally, Matthew stalked off, cursing under his breath.
“I couldn’t find them. I spoke with Ryder. Apparently Garret’s out for blood, convinced the Rockfords killed Matthew.”
“Why does he think that?”
“After they kidnapped you, he thinks they’re capable of anything.”
She swore her heart stopped. “Can’t you find him? Tell him we have Matthew with us?” Cassidy was desperate for the two men to reunite, to get life back in order for the six of them. All she wanted was peace, a family of her own, true love. She’d finally found that with her men but now her entire world was in jeopardy once again.
“Ryder’s gone after them. They’ve got their missing man back, but Corbin doesn’t know that, just as Garret doesn’t know we have Matthew.”
“So he’ll find them. He’ll tell them and they’ll all come home?”
He scrubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “They’ve gone deep into the old forests, up into the mountains. There are thousands of acres out there. They could be anywhere.”
She began to panic. It seemed she was destined to lose everything good in her life. What did they plan to do out in the wilderness? Kill each other with their bare hands? It was illogical and drove her mad. “Call search and rescue!”
“Nobody would send a helicopter out here for that. Climax isn’t high on the government spending list, Cassidy.”
She didn’t want to hear any more. Patrick seemed to have given the other three men up for dead. She was angry, seething, also terrified to her core.
After trudging through the forest for a few minutes, desperate to be alone with her thoughts, she found Matthew sitting on a downed log. Moss had nearly claimed the bark. It was a virtual fairy tale around them. The blue sky peeked down through the mess of leaves in the forest canopy. At any other time she’d savor the sights, sounds, and smells around her—not now.
“Hey,” she said. Matthew was leaning over his knees, his face buried in his palms.
He looked up, his green eyes glistening. “It’s all my fault,” he said. “They’re doing this because of me.”
“No.” She stepped over the thick vegetation and sat beside him. “They love you. Don’t blame yourself.”
“I’m just so fucking tired. I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
She stroked his bare back, still warm despite the chill in the shadow of the trees.
“My body will need time to recuperate, to regain the fat and muscle I lost. I need to be at my peak now, so I can fight for my pack.”
“Fight? No!” She wouldn’t lose him again. Why did men have to think like animals? This was as far from civilized living she’d ever come. “It’s my fault, Matthew, not yours. If I hadn’t gone in search of my brother, Scott, I wouldn’t have been tricked by Corbin, and we’d all be at the mine now, not a worry in the world.”
She had his attention now. He twisted to face her, collecting both her wrists in a fist. “Look at me!” he demanded. “Garret’s kept a lot from you. I don’t know why, but it’s not my place to question him. But we’re different, Cassidy. We fight for what we believe in, protect what we love with our lives. Our passions rule us, not our pocketbooks or reputations.”
He held her firm when she struggled. “So what? That’s it? We just wait and see if he returns?”
“The choice is yours, little human. Patrick and I will leave immediately and do our best to track them down. Or we can stay here with you.”
How could she send him away? He’d just come home. But she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if Garret, Evan, and Travis never returned to her. No matter what she chose, the decision was going to break her heart.
End of Book 3: Matthew’s Return
To be continued in
Book 4: Taming Travis
WWW.STACEYESPINO.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stacey Espino resides in beautiful Ontario, Canada where she is busy raising her five school-aged children. She loves being a Canadian, but could do without the brutal winters. She enjoys writing erotic romance that will have you squirming in your seat. From hardcore cowboys to alpha shifters, she has you covered! Stacey also writes alternative M/M romance as Winona Wilder.
Also by Stacey Espino
Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Wolves of Climax 1:
Surrounded by Wolves
Siren LoveXtreme Forever: Wolves of Climax 2:
Garret’s Domination
For all other titles, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/stacey-espino
For titles by Stacey Espino writing as
Winona Wilder, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/winona-wilder
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Matthew's Return [Wolves of Climax 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever - Serialized) Page 8
