Covering my nose with a hand, I turned back to look at Jackson. “What is that smell?” I could identify most animals by scent alone, but I’d never smelled anything like this. It stung my lungs with acrid air, bringing tears to my eyes. The foul odor was strong enough that even a human would notice it.
Jackson sniffed and then covered his nose too. “Testosterone. Lots of testosterone.”
I raised my eyebrows at him, confused. “What does that mean?”
Cal walked out of the house, worry etched on his broad face as he caught the tail end of our conversation. “Rogue alpha.”
That meant something to Jackson because he went still as a corpse next to me. I had no idea what a rogue alpha was though and just looked at him with wide eyes, alarmed at his reaction. Behind my eyelids, my wolf stood ready to bolt. She knew something I didn’t.
“You sure about that?” Jackson said, his voice gruff with concern.
Cal nodded. “Yep. I got a call from the pack leader down by Nashville warning me about it. They lost some of their women last week. They tracked him until they lost his scent and he was heading our way.”
“You knew?” I gasped, offended at the idea of Cal not sharing this threat with the pack.
He held up a hand. “Hold your horses, wolf. They called me after I left your place this morning.” He kicked at the dirt and frowned. “Too bad they didn’t think to call sooner.”
We all looked at the house in silence.
“So, is Tonya...dead?” I choked on the last word. The thought horrified me.
Jackson pulled me into a one armed hug. “Only if she fought him too hard.”
“Nashville thinks he’s got a camp somewhere up here where he’s taking all the women.”
“What makes them think that?” I asked. Cal and Jackson seemed to have a better understanding of the situation than I did. I felt lost, like I’d forgotten to study for a final exam. Rogue alpha was an entirely new concept to me.
Cal heaved a tired sigh and rubbed his neck. “Some strange wolf bought a lot of camping supplies. He smelled the same as the trail they tracked.”
I furrowed my brow. “How would they know about the camping stuff?”
Cal pulled out his iPhone and tapped the touch screen. “The pack down there runs every hunting and camping franchise in Tennessee. They got wolves working in all the branches and they caught the guy on tape. Someone remembered the scent.” He held up his phone so we could see.
I leaned in and squinted my eyes. “Any idea who he is?” The picture wasn’t just small, but also of poor quality, probably retrieved from security cameras. It showed a tall, lean man wearing worn fatigues paired with combat boots. Dark hair hung down to his shoulders and a wiry black beard framed his face. Even in black and white, his eyes were wild and crazed. He looked like an off-the-grid militant. I could easily believe he’d gone off the deep end.
“None yet, but the police chief is looking for a match in the criminal databases.” Cal tapped his phone and the screen went dark.
Jackson began to take off his clothes. “Let’s track him. That scent is so strong, he can’t hide.”
“Not so fast, cowboy.” Cal held up a hand. “I called in our best trackers. Once they get here, we’ll go after him.”
Jackson paused, hand on his belt buckle. “He’s just getting further away. We need to move fast.”
Cal locked eyes with Jackson. “I know that and they’re coming just as soon as they secure their wives and children. We’re also setting up patrols around the city in case he pops up while we’re out tracking him. We don’t want to leave any easy targets behind.” When Jackson lowered his eyes in submission, Cal said, “Take Chloe home and make sure she’s got a gun. By the time you get back, we’ll be ready to hunt this rogue down.”
I shook my head. “Hey, I want to track with you.”
Jackson pulled his t-shirt back on. “You’re too new and exactly the kind of wolf this guy wants.”
I glared at him. “What kind of wolf is that?”
“An alpha’s mate,” Cal said quietly. “That’s what he’s looking for. Rogues want to start their own pack and they need a mate to do it.”
A chill went through me. “Why take Tonya then? Or any of the others?”
“Because he thinks they might be a match.” Cal whirled a finger by his ear. “Rogue alphas don’t play with a full deck.”
Jackson nodded his agreement. “It’s like ‘roid rage only worse.”
“But if he catches your scent, Chloe, he’d do anything to have you,” Cal added.
I frowned. “I still don’t get it.”
“Not every wolf can lead a pack, right?” Cal asked. At my nod, he continued, “Well, not every wolf can mate with an alpha. You’re special, my dear, but you haven’t come into your full power yet. Your wolf is still growing and that makes you vulnerable.”
I snorted in disbelief. The still growing thing made sense. It seemed every week I had more strength or speed. But special? Yeah, right.
Cal chuckled at my reaction and patted my shoulder. Jackson glared at me though and I just rolled my eyes. There he went again, trying to control me. Lucky for him he was so hot and spectacular in bed. Otherwise I would’ve never had a thing to do with him. My wolf took issue with that thought and gave a soft growl that reverberated through my mind.
Don’t sass me, I thought at her.
She tossed her head and refused to look at me. Typical bitch, except for the part where she lived in my brain.
“Come on,” I said walking over to the truck’s passenger door. “If you’re taking me back home, let’s go.” I still wasn’t convinced this rogue alpha guy would be so interested in me, but if Cal was concerned, so was I.
Chapter Seven
Tension filled the ride back to Jackson’s house. It irked me to be left out. As for Jackson, well, I couldn’t say for sure what he thought, but the way he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel along with the clench of his jaw painted a portrait of a man on edge.
Our ranch sat closer to Huntsville’s center than Tonya’s house. Not quite in town, but not too far away from it either. It only took us a few minutes to reach the long drive leading up to his ranch house. Gravel spit under the tires and the shadows of the pine trees lining the driveway swallowed his pick-up truck whole.
“You know how to use a gun?” he asked as he parked the truck.
“My Daddy taught me to shoot when I was nine,” I said, the bittersweet memory of that day bringing a fleeting smile to my lips. My parents had been gone for a long time now, but I never stopped missing them.
“How good a shot are you?”
I paused in the process of unbuckling my seatbelt. “Good enough.” The truth was I hadn’t taken out my gun in years. If not for my Daddy, I might have never picked up one. Now I was grateful for his tutelage while also wishing I’d paid more attention.
Jackson stepped out of the truck and, ever the gentleman, came around to open my door. “You don’t sound certain.”
I shrugged as I slid out of my seat. The driveway gravel crunched under my feet. “I can hit a target. It’s just been a while.” I looked up at him and my heart stuttered. The mid-morning sun filtered down through the pine trees and streaked his dark hair with light. His hazel eyes reflected the rich green of the trees around us. He was magnificently handsome and I sometimes still couldn’t believe he was mine.
I reached out and touched his cheek. Forgetting my earlier irritation with him down at Tonya’s house, I said, “What did I do to deserve you?”
He turned his face into my palm and kissed me. “I think that’s my question to ask.” There was a forlorn note in his voice that gave me pause.
“Everything okay?” Jackson was more prone to over confidence than a crisis of one.
He pulled me close and sank his nose into my neck, inhaling my scent. His hands drifted to my backside and squeezed. I cradled him against me, giving in to the strong instinct to comfort him.
&nbs
p; “Talk to me, Jacks,” I whispered.
He groaned. “I’m an idiot, Clo.”
“What?”
He lifted his head, but wouldn’t meet my eyes. “You saw me. I was ready to run off.”
“So?” I’d felt the same urge.
“I would have left you behind.” He cupped my face in his hands. “The most precious thing in my life is you and I didn’t even think to protect you.” He let me go and abruptly stepped back, running a hand through his hair, a look of anguish on his face. “And Cal had a plan. A good plan. I had,” he paused to kick the gravel, “nothing but dumb instinct.”
“I had the same instinct, Jacks,” I said.
“You’re not supposed to lead the pack.” He glowered at me, but I knew he was more angry with himself than me.
“Neither are you. Not yet.” I crossed my arms and leaned against the truck. “Why do you think Cal includes you on everything? So you can learn how to lead.” The alpha had Jackson working at all hours, trying to teach him everything he could. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
In response, his body slammed into mine, shoving me against the cold metal of his pick-up. I raised my hands to push him back, surprised by his sudden movement, but he captured my hands and pinned them at my sides. The human side of me wanted to fight and resist, but my wolf quivered, utterly charmed at the dominant display. When he claimed my mouth in a crush of soft lips and the scrub of unshaved facial hair, a wet heat pooled between my legs.
That’s how crazy strong the attraction was between us. Danger surrounded the pack, but we couldn’t keep our hands of each other. If that didn’t define ‘crazy in love’ I didn’t know what did.
“Don’t you need to go?” I asked in a soft voice.
His teeth nipped my neck, adding a new mark to the one he’d planted the night before. “You always come first, Clo.”
“But Cal--” I started. He should go, I knew it, but I didn’t want him to. I wanted him to finish what he’d started. My core was already melting in anticipation.
Jackson put a finger to my lips. “Shush. We have a few minutes.”
Then he kissed me until I melted. Before I knew it, he pulled off my clothes right there in the driveway and I helped him. Once I was naked, he undid his pants.
“Should we...” I nodded toward the house. A bed would certainly be more comfortable. It would be warmer too, although I found I didn’t mind the cool air when my blood ran so hot with desire.
Jackson shook his head and turned me so I faced the truck. With two rough hands he yanked my hips back. “I need you now, Clo.” He entered me then, his length thrusting into me with no preamble. I was wet, but tight which made for pleasure edged in pain.
I gasped as he forced himself into my core and even pushed back in an effort to take more of him faster. When he had buried himself completely inside, I wanted to throw my head back in a howl of triumph. Preferring to be discreet--howls could be heard for miles--I settled for a soft yelp.
His hands ran up my back and around my rib cage to tease the tips of my breasts.
“Jackson,” I keened. Pleasure burst inside me, popping like so many bubbles all over my body.
“Yes, baby. Say my name.”
“Jackson,” I said again, my voice ragged. What I wouldn’t do for the things this man did to me.
He rewarded me by squeezing and twisting my nipples. Not too hard, but just enough to make my stomach clench. The pressure of the building orgasm ratcheted up a notch. I could tell it wouldn’t be long before I exploded.
My hands scrabbled on the hood of the truck, searching for something to hold onto. Jackson’s fingers dug into my hips, trying to steady me. My thighs began to shake and my knees went weak. He was so big it felt like he took up all the space inside me. There was nothing but him; he was the sun and my body a planet in his thrall.
My climax started in my stomach and then surged up to my nipples, tightening them into hard points. From there, it washed down to my core where it took on an electric quality that raced over me like a lightning strike.
I bit back scream after scream, only allowing muffled yowls to escape. Jackson continued to stroke me with his hard length and my body kept bursting with new orgasms. Finally when I was sure I would lose my mind if the pleasure didn’t stop soon, he gave a hoarse cry. His cock danced inside me and then he went still, sagging against me.
After a while, a howl I recognized as Cal sounded in the distance. It was the call to hunt. I stood up and reluctantly pushed Jackson away. “You’d better go.”
He nodded and threw his head back to launch a howl of his own, one filled with triumph. He’d claimed his mate and he wanted the world to know. There was no mistaking that tone.
I blushed and shook my head, mortified. “Come on, Jackson. You’re embarrassing me.” Shifting made it impractical to be puritanical about naked skin, but wolves were private about sex. At least in Hunstville. Jackson’s howl would broadcast our intimate moment across the little valley that housed our pack. Everyone within city limits would know just exactly what we’d been doing. Knowing how many of the women disapproved of me made it all the worse.
Jackson pulled on his clothes and managed to look repentant. “Sorry, Clo. It just slipped out.”
“Everyone knows we’re together, but what we do alone should be private.”
He gave a slow nod. “I understand, but think about it another way. Now the girls giving you trouble know you belong to me. They mess with you, they mess with me.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see if that helps or hinders.” I yanked my t-shirt over my head, deciding not to bother with the bra just then. With Jackson on his way out, I needed to get inside and dig out my gun. Moving with quick efficiency I put on my panties followed by my jeans. Jackson gave me a quick hug then, nuzzling his face deep into my neck.
“Be safe, Clo,” he murmured.
“You too.” I sank my nose into his neck and sucked in his scent. Jackson always smelled like pine and fresh soap. Now that I’d caught a whiff pure testosterone at Tonya’s house, I could pick up that undertone in his musk as well.
Becoming a wolf made scent my second language. I’d been barely literate when I first changed, but had rapidly acquired new smells, filing them away in the back of my mind for future reference. The longer I was a wolf, the better I could pick up subtle background scents.
He pulled back, holding me by the shoulders, his gaze searching my face. “A rogue alpha isn’t human or wolf, he’s just a monster. Shoot first, okay?”
I nodded as he jumped into his truck and waved as he drove off. Alone, the chill of winter crept over my skin like phantom fingers. I shivered and hugged myself suddenly feeling vulnerable. With a start, I realized I’d come to rely on Jackson’s presence to steady me. He helped me make sense of being a wolf.
Without him did I even know who I was?
Chapter Eight
The silence of being alone made me jumpy. Every sound put me on high alert. Nothing like having a violent kidnapper on the loose. I busied myself with some cleaning and laundry, trying not to worry about Jackson. Dinner was a frozen Lean Cuisine with a side salad. The whole day, I kept an ear out for any howls from Jackson or other pack members.
Once, I spotted one of the wolves patrolling Huntsville’s perimeter. From the markings on his fur and the faint whiff of oil and gas mixed with his musk, I recognized him as Robert. He was in his early thirties and he worked as a mechanic at the gas station. I gave him a friendly wave and put out a bowl of water for him, which he slurped up in short order. Then, with a nod to me, he melted back into the trees to continue his patrol.
Darkness came like a bad omen. The growing shadows made me nervous. Wolves can see pretty well in the dark, better than a human, but nowhere near as well as a cat or owl. We could be snuck up on, assuming our more sensitive noses didn’t catch the scent first.
The blind spot made me jumpy. Jackson was out there somewhere and so was the rogue wolf. I took small comfo
rt in the fact that the rogue’s scent was so strong, there was almost no way he could catch any of us unawares. The scent was like a sledgehammer to the nose, but, even so, I worried. To calm my jangling nerves, I popped some popcorn and put in a movie.
Up in the mountains, the internet connection wasn’t reliable enough for a Netflix subscription so we relied on DVDs. While I preferred comedies or romance, Jackson liked action movies, and, since I hadn’t unpacked all my stuff yet, I went with Diehard. At least Bruce Willis had some funny lines.
A loud knock on the door sounded after the opening credits. It startled me so badly, I almost choked on the popcorn. Muting the TV, I strained to hear who was there. There’d been no car--I wouldn’t have missed the sound of tires crunching on the gravel drive.
“Who’s there?” I called out, hand going to my gun. I sniffed the air, but, to my relief, I didn’t catch the rogue’s scent.
“Mara and Sara,” came a thin voice.
“Jackson sent us here,” added another voice, this one smaller as if from a young child.
Wary, I opened the front door to see two scrawny little girls on my doorstep. Their thin coats were worn and too small. Underneath, I caught a glimpse of equally worn clothes. The taller of the two looked to be about twelve and the other was maybe eight. They both had long blonde hair that needed combing and wide blue eyes that looked to me like they’d seen more than they should. Even though I didn’t know them, my heart went out to the girls based on their appearance alone. Someone wasn’t taking care of them very well.
The taller one gave a tentative smile as if unsure of her reception. “I’m Mara and this is Sara.” Her little sister lifted a hand in greeting.
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