by Terry Spear
"Why's that?"
"Fewer clothes to remove." He grinned at her.
Her cheeks heated. She could just imagine he would be half-naked--no totally naked--all summer long. "As if it matters to you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She smiled. "I can imagine you don't wear much at all in the summer."
"You'd imagine right." He kissed her forehead and then unwrapped Tessa's injured foot. "I'll get some ice in the bucket for it."
He unlocked the adjoining door, then grabbed the bucket and headed for the door to the hallway. When he opened it, Leidolf had his hand raised, ready to knock. In the other hand, he was carrying a full ice bucket.
"For Tessa." He handed it to Hunter.
Feeling annoyingly humbled, Hunter gave him the empty one. "Order your meal yet?"
"Yeah, a rare steak. It's on it's way."
"Bring it over to our room when you get it." Hunter closed and locked the door, and then turned.
Tessa smiled at him.
"What?"
"Nothing, Hunter. Well, except you're a paragon of mixed messages. I can't understand why your people left you."
"They were mad about losing their homes in the forest. They have some notion that if they live in the city, or in the case of the others, down in the California vineyards, they'll avoid this tragedy again. It's understandable to an extent. But we've always lived on forested land. I can't imagine making do anywhere else. However, I don't begrudge them their choice. Pack members can leave any time they want."
"Except for Ashton, Rourke, or me."
"That's different. You're right. You'll need plenty of supervision for the first year at least."
"I don't like to be supervised, I can tell you that right now. I've always been responsible for my brother, the one in charge, the one who's had to deal with everything."
"Then it'll be a nice break for you." Hunter set the bucket of ice on the bedside table.
"I won't give up my independence, Hunter."
Someone knocked on the door. "Room service!"
Tessa folded her arms. "It's not something I do because I've had to. I'm wired that way. And not you or anyone else is going to take that away from me."
Hunter shook his head, grumbled something about another Meara under his breath, and opened the door. As soon as he did, he hesitated to let the man enter with the food. To Tessa's surprise, Hunter tried to shove the door closed in the man's face. But the metal cart blocked him and with a hard push, the server rammed it into Hunter's stomach.
He stumbled back, cursed, and tried to regain his footing.
But what happened next, chilled Tessa to the bone. Two wolves charged into the room, while the man with the cart brandished a large carving knife and taunted Hunter with it.
"Damn it to hell. They're royals," Hunter said.
The heavier-set wolf jumped onto the bed. Tessa grabbed one of her crutches. Swinging it at the wolf, she hit him in the side of the head with a whack. He yelped and jumped off the mattress and landed with a thud on the carpeted floor.
The other leapt up next, while Hunter seized hold of the food cart and rammed it into the knife-wielding menace. Tessa swung her crutch at the white-faced wolf, the one who had bitten Ashton, but he dodged her blow. And then he dove in again.
Unable to move the crutch fast enough, she dropped it and instinctively threw her hands to block him from ripping out her throat. She grabbed hold of his neck, his teeth snarling and snapping, but she was losing her grip.
Leidolf threw open the adjoining door when the wolf bit Tessa's arm. Hunter yanked the knife out of the gray's hand and plunged it into his neck.
For an instant, everyone seemed to stop in mid-motion. The man collapsed, holding his jugular, blood spilling all over the carpeted floor. The two wolves dashed out of the room. Hunter turned to Tessa.
Tears blurred her eyes and she held her bloodied arm.
He hurried to her and gave her good arm a squeeze. "I'll get a towel. Call 911, Leidolf."
"He's dead," Leidolf said, feeling the man's pulse.
Hunter let out his breath, grabbed a towel from the bathroom, and wrapped it around Tessa's arm. "Do you feel any differently?"
"Sick to my stomach." Tears trailed down her cheeks. "My arm hurts. And I twisted my ankle some more." But what distressed her the most was the sight of the dead man in their room. Why couldn't the men have left her alone?
Sirens sounded as emergency vehicles headed down the street toward the hotel.
"Guess someone else called the crisis in," Leidolf said. He pulled some yellowed newspaper clippings out of the man's pocket. "Are you sure you don't want to give her up to me?"
Chapter 15
AS SOON AS HUNTER SMELLED THE GRAY WHO'D BEEN wielding the dinner cart, he knew they were in for trouble. But he never expected the three brothers were royals.
"He might not have changed Tessa," Leidolf said, as Hunter paced in the jail cell across from him. "You can't worry about things you have no control over. Besides, she'll be all right anyway since there's no moon out tonight."
"What about the brothers of the gray I killed? What if they locate her?"
"The police said they'd watch her. So quit worrying."
Quit worrying. Like that was a possibility.
"When you called your lawyer, how long did he say it would take to get us out of here?" Hunter still couldn't believe the human police arrested them. It was clearly self-defense, but some witness, probably one of the brothers, had stated otherwise.
"Soon. Don't worry. My people will be at the hospital with Tessa and they'll take good care of her."
"Including the two bachelors who want her? Admit it, Leidolf. You want her. What were those newspaper clippings about? Anything important?"
"Yeah. One was a news story written in 1865 about a confrontation between Caleb McKnight and Seth Greystoke, stating Seth had stolen his gold."
"Caleb McKnight?" Hunter rubbed his chin, then swore. "Hell, that was the other man in the photo with Seth, my great-grandfather, and great uncle when they were panning for gold in California."
Leidolf leaned against the wall and peered out the bars at Hunter. "The other news article was written twelve years ago about a John Anderson who had killed Caleb McKnight in self-defense over a gold dispute. Said John's grandfather had stolen the gold from Caleb's grandfather. But of course, it would have been Caleb himself. Guess who he left behind? Three sons by the name of Yoloff, Ren, and Andreas."
Hunter shook his head. "The three brothers who have been stalking Tessa. So there was more to it than Yoloff just wanting Tessa for a mate. The possibility he'd get her land and the gold supposedly hidden somewhere on the property. How much you want to bet the other three grays are all tied into this?"
"They're a pack from La Grande. If they could get rid of you so the one could have your sister and your property, possibly have killed Bethany to have hers, and now are trying to take Tessa and consolidate her lands-- they'd have amassed quite a bit of expensive property. Not to mention the gold, wherever it is, and two females to add to their all-male pack."
The sound of footsteps distracted them, and Hunter let out his breath when he saw the guard walking toward them. It was about damned time. He didn't want Tessa alone without his protection for one more minute.
The guard unlocked Leidolf's cell. "You're free to go. The other one..." The hefty man shrugged. "Your lawyer said it'll take more time."
"Leidolf," Hunter roared. "What did you tell your lawyer?"
Leidolf waved at him as he headed down the hall with the guard. "We'll take good care of her until you're sprung."
Hell, Hunter should never have trusted a red pack leader. But he didn't have a gray lawyer in the area yet either. "I want to make a phone call!" he hollered to the guard as he led Leidolf out. "Now!"
Her skin frigid with fresh apprehension, Tessa sat in the waiting room of the hospital where she had gotten her ankle x-rayed earlier. After a couple o
f stitches, her arm was bandaged. She was beginning to look like Hunter after he fought his battles.
Supposedly, some of Leidolf's pack were coming to get her and watch over her until Leidolf and Hunter could come for her. Damned police! Why wouldn't they listen? Hunter killed the gray in self-defense!
But what if the people coming to get her were not Leidolf's people? What if it was her stalker pretending to be one of his pack members? She had no way of telling.
She closed her eyes as the pain in her ankle and arm intensified. Had she been turned? She didn't feel any differently. Wouldn't she feel like stripping off her clothes and turning into a wolf? But then again, Meara said there was no moon so they couldn't do that. Or maybe she wouldn't feel any different until then either. But her stalker and his one brother had turned into wolves. How?
The one whose leg had been broken was all healed up, too. Although she wasn't sure who was who.
"Miss?"
She opened her eyes and looked up at the fatherly looking cop, Allan Smith, his hair salt and pepper, his cheeks round and jovial, and his eyes the prettiest crystal green she had ever seen. Thankfully, he was guarding her until someone came for her. He handed her his cell phone.
"Hunter Greymere wants to talk to you."
She grabbed the phone and tried to steady her voice before she spoke. "Hunter, where are you?"
"Jail, still. I can only make a quick phone call. Leidolf's on his way there to pick you up. His people will be there soon also. I may be here for a while, unless I can get hold of someone on my own to get me out."
"You killed the man in self-defense."
"I know, but I'm not sure what Leidolf told his lawyer. In any event, I'm going to need help getting out. Meara's number is 431-110-5629. Don't go with Leidolf. Tessa, I've got to go."
"No, wait!"
The phone died. She felt like her lifeline had just been ripped away from her. "How can I get Hunter out of jail? He's innocent," she said to the cop.
"I've got a friend I can call." He winked, then punched in the number. Holding the phone to his ear, he waited for someone to answer and said to Tessa, "I don't think the wolf turned you."
Tessa closed her gaping mouth.
He smiled. "You didn't know I'm one, and if you'd been changed, you would."
"Are... are you a gray or a red?"
"Gray. I don't know Hunter or Leidolf either, but I wouldn't let a red have a gray's selected mate." He paused. "Hey, Charlie? It's Allan Smith. Got a problem. Need to get a gray out of jail who was defending his chosen mate. Another gray was killed in the fight. The name's Hunter Greymere. No, not from around here. Alpha leader from the coast." He chuckled. "It gets worse. A red alpha leader from Portland is trying to claim her for his own. You ever hear about the gray devil wolf, Seth Greystoke? Hell, his grandson claims the little lady is his distant cousin, and he wants her."
The cop looked at Tessa and smiled. "No, human still," he said into the phone, then laughed. "Yeah, I'd say she'd be worth it, but then you'd have three alpha leaders at your throat. Better leave her well enough alone. Hurry it up though. I'll conveniently tuck Miss Tessa Anderson away somewhere safe at the hospital. Call me when you have Hunter released. Well, you owe me for getting your brother off for drunk driving--how many times? And you know me--I'm a sucker for beautiful, redheaded damsels in distress." He chuckled. "Talk later."
He clicked off the phone, lifted his nose and sniffed the air. "Shit. They're coming." He lifted Tessa up and hurried down the hall.
"Who?" Tessa whispered. "The reds or the brothers of the gray Hunter had to kill?"
Hunter wasn't often impressed with bureaucracy when he had to deal with it, but whatever Tessa had done had worked. And he was damned proud of her.
He considered the cop as he drove him to the hospital, who looked like he was suffering from ulcers or a very bad day, older man, graying temples, sandy brows, very big scowl.
"When will we get there?"
"Ten minutes." The cop glanced at him with a frown splitting his forehead in two. "What? You want me to run the sirens, too? Who the hell are you? The judge rarely changes his mind on a case. But just like that, one call and you've got half the force hopping."
"I acted in self-defense when the man came at me with a knife. But I guess it pays to have friends in high places in any event. Been a cop long?"
The man smiled as if reminiscing about the good old days. "Texas Ranger when the first unit was formed. Worked my way west into this lawless territory in the early ages. Changed my name numerous times, retired several times, had to 'die' a number of times to keep up appearances. But yeah, I've been one of the good guys for a few years. What about you?"
"In the army for a number of years, different sides, different countries, different wars, time periods, trained in some of the more specialized forces later, Navy SEALs for one."
"No shit?" The cop shook his head. "I always wanted to be one of those." His face turned stern again. "So how come you have to change the woman? Judge says she's one of us, kind of."
"Long story, major nightmare."
"Too bad. It's better when you both are willing. Happened to me, too, though."
"What happened?"
"She's still giving me grief." The cop gave Hunter a smirk. "As soon as they allowed women on the force, she became a cop also. Said she wanted to see what I did all day. But don't you believe it. She just wants to make sure I don't turn another woman."
"How long have you been together?"
"Ninety-eight years and counting." The cop pulled into the back of the hospital. "Let me call Allan Smith. He's a buddy of mine who's taking care of the little lady." He punched in some buttons on the phone and said, "Hey, Caruthers here. You got her?" He looked at Hunter. "The guy's here with me. He's a Navy SEAL. Yeah, that's why he got the jump on the gray with the knife. I'm sending him in the back way. The reds are there?" He smiled. "I'll tell him. Gotta go. See you this weekend to go fishing?" He laughed. "Okay, when it warms up a bit."
Caruthers shut off his phone. "Take the back stairs, third floor, Room 301. Let me tell you, pal, if I had it to do all over again, I'd turn my Greta in a heartbeat. There aren't enough females in the world to go around. Sometimes we've just got to take a chance and hope for the best."
Allan Smith tucked his phone into his belt. "I'll wait in the hall for your mate. All my best to you, young lady." The cop left Tessa alone and closed the door.
Sitting in a vinyl chair, she clenched and unclenched her hand. Now what would they do? She didn't think Hunter would want to return to the hotel. Not after the killing there. She sure didn't want to go there either. She shuddered. The look of death on the gray's face would haunt her forever.
"You must be Hunter Greymere," Allan said beyond the door.
Her heart gave a jump to hear that he'd arrived, and although she was relieved he found her before anyone else did, her stomach fluttered with apprehension.
"I'd claim her nice and official-like to set things straight with the red and before some distant relation tries to take her home with him, if I were you. The other gray didn't change her, by the way."
"Thanks, officer, for the advice, and the news," Hunter said, his voice gruff.
"Navy SEAL, eh? The guy must have been crazy to mess with you. I'll be right here, so take all the time you need."
Now that he had his memories back, had Hunter remembered truly being a Navy SEAL? It definitely suited his character. Or was he continuing the tale, enjoying it too much to give it up?
"Thanks." Hunter opened the door, closed it behind him, stalked across the floor to join her, looking like a warrior with a mission, his harsh expression a mixture of sternness and worry, and she had an inkling he intended to turn her. She definitely had mixed emotions about the whole thing.
"Navy SEAL? You really were one?" she whispered, raising her hands to offer herself to him, to take the plunge, to become something she couldn't begin to imagine being. Part of her welcomed the chang
e, the chance to be with the man who heated her blood like no other had ever done, yet part of her wanted to remain as she was, still wanting Hunter for her own, but without the life-altering change.
"Yeah. You were right all along, Tessa honey. Meeting on the beach like we did was... karma. Although if I'd been more with it, I would have acted a lot more like one of the SEALs."
Her mouth slightly gaped. "How could you have been a SEAL as a werewolf?"
"We can be anything we want, if we're so inclined and have the aptitude." He winked at her and the sexy look slid a volley of heat through her.
And then she gave him a half smile. "Wonder what your SEAL friends would have thought if they'd known how we met."
"They would've been cursing my fortune that a beautiful woman had come to rescue me and not them." He lifted her from the chair, hugged her to his chest, tighter than need be as if he'd feared losing her and wanted to prove to himself she was all his--which suited her just fine--then carried her to the bed. "We've got to talk."
Talk? She felt the tension in his muscles, saw the way his eyes darkened with need, smelled the subtle change in him, indicating he was becoming aroused. She wanted him with all her heart. So why didn't his heated embrace make her melt against him? She stiffened instead, unable to hide a nagging concern. What if he changed her, then gave her to a beta wolf? "You don't think I'm enough of an alpha."
"You're an alpha all right. After you clobbered that gray with the fireplace tongs and tonight again with your crutch?" He gave her a small smile, set her on the bed, and tucked some of her hair behind her ear with a tender touch. "A beta female would have tucked tail and run. With your sprained ankle, if you'd been a beta, you would have easily given up. I saw you trying to keep Yoloff from biting you. If I could have, I would have ended his miserable life, too."
Hunter's fingers shifted to the buttons on her blouse, his urgent struggle making her smile.
But she still had to know--was he defying Devlyn? Taking her for his own? What were his intentions? Yet even so, she didn't stop him. She couldn't. Whenever he wanted her, she had no power to hinder him, just as she had no control over her own craving to have him. "I thought we were going to talk."
