Her Lone Wolves

by Diana Castle

  “And did it happen to cross either you or your brother's mind that maybe that would have been for the best?”

  Avery's eyes widened. “You don’t mean that.”

  “She's not Clan. That makes her a threat.”

  “She's just a woman, Everett. What kind of a threat can she be? And you've seen her. She’s pretty, isn’t she?”

  “No, she's not.”

  Avery looked at him as if he'd grown another head. “What?”

  “She's beautiful. And that makes her even more dangerous.”

  Avery shook his head. “I know you think it's best we keep to ourselves but—”

  Everett grabbed his arm and gripped it. “I don’t think it. I know it.”

  Avery grimaced. “Alright, alright. Let go.”

  Everett released his arm.

  “But keeping to ourselves doesn’t mean we have to commit murder,” Avery went on.

  Everett raised an eyebrow. “Murder? Who's talking about murder? If you'd left her where you found her she’d have died naturally.”

  “There’s nothing natural about freezing to death,” Avery replied, “And I refuse to believe you’re that cold-blooded.”

  “Oh, believe it, little brother,” a voice said from behind Everett. “You know how our Clan leader is. He always means what he says and says what he means.”

  Everett turned around. As always, the sight of the other Tanner twin never failed to cause his hackles to rise. Although Caleb and Avery were the same age and shared the same birth date, because Caleb had been born a few minutes earlier, he considered Avery his younger brother and treated him as such.

  “If he says we should have left that woman to die,” he went on as he stopped next to his twin, “trust me, he means it.”

  Everett glared at Caleb. “She's a threat. Pure and simple. If she should find out—”

  “But she won't,” Caleb sharply retorted. “Not unless you or my little brother gets it into your heads to shift in front of her.”

  “I wish you'd stop saying that,” Avery said.

  Caleb put on an exaggerated expression of innocence. “Saying what, little brother?”

  Avery gritted his teeth. “You know what. I'm only a few minutes younger. But you act as if you're years older than me.”

  “But I am.” Caleb grinned wickedly. “In so many ways.”

  Everett did not have time for the twins’ bickering. His concern, for the moment, was that naked woman in his bed.

  “Well, she’s here now,” he said. “We need to deal with that for the time being.”

  “I could kill her now if you want,” Caleb offered. “Problem solved. And we wouldn’t have to feed her.”

  Everett glanced sharply at him. He knew Caleb was only joking and that, more than likely, he was just mocking Everett for his having initially suggested she should have been left to die.

  “No, not until it’s absolutely necessary and we have no other choice.”

  Avery was about to protest, but Everett brusquely gestured for him to remain silent. He was alpha. It would be up to him to decide when and if the woman needed to die to protect their secret.

  “You sure she knows nothing of what we are?” he asked.

  Avery nodded. “She's only been here a few hours and she's been asleep the whole time. She's got this bump on her head. Probably happened when her car slid off. Her air bag had gone off too. I’m sure it kept her from sustaining even more injuries.”

  “How do you know she doesn't have a concussion?”

  Avery and Caleb both shrugged, their puzzled expressions indicating the thought had never crossed their minds.

  Great. However, Everett found himself thinking that if she did, in fact, have a concussion and if she didn't wake up from it....

  It was coldblooded of him, he knew, but the Clan came first. Or what was left of it.

  “Who took off her clothes?” he asked, recalling the sight of her naked body on the bed.

  “Oh, that honor fell to yours truly,” Caleb said with a sly grin. “Her clothes were all wet. The windshield had cracked and there was snow in the car.” He cocked his head at his twin and the folded clothes he was holding. “Suzie Homemaker over there got it into his head to wash and dry her clothes.”

  Avery glared at his brother. “That's not funny, Caleb. I swear, one day I’m going to—”

  “What? You’re going to do what?” When Avery remained silent, Caleb gave him a wolfish smile, his green eyes glittering dangerously. “Yeah, that’s just what I thought, little brother. You’re not going to do a goddamned thing.”

  “Stop it. Both of you.” Sometimes their constant bickering made Everett want to howl. Literally.

  He was about to go back into his bedroom. Then, reminded of how the woman had looked in his bed, so enticingly erotic, he looked darkly over at the twins.

  “I don't have to tell either of you not to touch her.” He focused his gaze on Caleb especially, who smiled lazily.

  “Why? You want to keep her all for yourself? That’s not Clan law. You fuck her, we all fuck her.”

  Everett went over until he was just a hairsbreadth away from Caleb.

  “What I want is to keep the Clan safe,” he said. “To do that I need the two of you to keep your wits about you and your dicks in your pants until she’s gone. Understand?”

  Caleb’s nostrils flared and he bared his teeth. For a moment, Everett wondered if he would choose this moment to make his move. To try and take over what remained of the Clan.

  “Moon's going to be full soon,” Avery said. “And with the way that snow's coming down, the pass off the mountain won't be near enough open to get her back to town before we Change.”

  “I'm aware of that,” Everett said through gritted teeth. He was still staring at Caleb, willing him to back off. Now was not the time for a Clan Challenge. Not with that woman in the house.

  Caleb finally lowered his eyes and stepped back.

  “What if she does find out?” Avery said, the relief on his face evident. He’d been witness to too many of these abortive challenges on Caleb’s part to Everett’s authority. “What if she does discover what we are?”

  “Then we kill her, Everett said flatly.

  Caleb slowly shook his head. “You really are a heartless bastard.”

  “I do what I must to protect the Clan.”

  “The Clan.” Caleb sneered. “We're all that's left of it. Thanks to you.”

  A shard of pain stabbed Everett’s chest. Caleb never failed to take advantage of any opportunity to remind him of that. Of his monumental failure as Clan leader. This near empty house wasn’t testament enough. Rooms that should have been filled with others of their kind but were not. No, Caleb had to constantly rub it in.

  “Give those to me,” Everett said, indicating the folded clothes Avery held. “As soon as the storm lets up and the pass is clear, she's gone. Understood?”

  Avery and Caleb both nodded.

  “But if she does find out about us—” he added.

  He let the rest of his sentence hang ominously.

  Avery and Caleb exchanged glances but said nothing. Which was as it should be. There was nothing to say. He was leader. He was alpha. His word was the only word.

  He entered the bedroom.

  Chapter Three

  When Everett entered his bedroom, he was surprised to see that the woman was awake. She was sitting up with the bed covers pulled up to her chin. He found himself already missing the sight of those big, luscious breasts.

  He frowned. How long had she been awake? Had she heard any of what had transpired between him and the twins?

  She continued to stare warily at him. Her eyes were a bluish-gray. Or maybe a grayish blue. It was hard to tell from where he stood.

  “Who are you? What do you want?” she asked.

  Although he could smell her fear, her voice was steady. He had to admire her courage.

  “Since you're in my house and in my bed,” he said, closing the doo
r behind him, “I think it should be me asking the questions. Agreed?”

  She shook her head, her tangled, blonde hair swinging about her slender shoulders. “No, I don't agree. I want to know who you are, what I'm doing here and where my clothes are.”

  He moved towards the bed and stopped until he was just a couple of steps away. The woman's body language indicated she wanted to run, but naked as she was, he figured she knew that would put her in an even more vulnerable position. Plus she’d have to get past him to get to the door.

  “I've got your clothes here,” he said, indicating the neatly folded stack in the crook of his arm.

  Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What are you doing with them?”

  “I wasn't doing anything with them except bringing them to you. Avery washed 'em for you.”

  Everett placed the clothes, which consisted of a pair of jeans, a blue cotton shirt, socks, a pair of pink underwear and a matching lacy bra, on a nightstand next to the bed.

  The woman followed his every move as if he were some kind of poisonous snake.

  “Who’s Avery?” she asked once he moved back away from the bed.

  “He lives here with me. Along with his brother.”

  Her eyes widened. “His brother? There are three of you here?”

  He nodded.

  She licked her lips. He assumed it was a gesture of nervousness, but it made her full, pink mouth very inviting and, despite himself, he couldn’t help imagining that mouth snug around his cock.

  “How did I get here?”

  “Avery and Caleb found you in your car. It had slid off the road. They're the ones who brought you here.”

  “I see. Did they bring my cell phone?”

  Everett shrugged.

  “Well, if you could just let me use yours, I'll contact someone in town to come and get me and my car.”

  “Don't have a cell phone.”

  She blinked. “What? Do you have a land line then?”

  “Nope.”

  “But you must have some way of contacting someone.” The tone of her voice was so incredulous it was almost funny.

  Everett released a breath. “No, I don’t have any way of contacting anyone.”

  “My cell phone was in my bag. If they didn’t bring it with them, then it’s still in the car. Maybe you or one of the others could go get it.”

  There was a distinct sound of desperation in her voice now. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. She was alone in a house with three strange men. A part of him hated to have to keep telling her he couldn’t help her, but even if she could leave, she wasn’t going anywhere until he knew just how much she’d heard of the conversation in the hall.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “But the blizzard’s too bad now for anyone to go out in it. And even if you did have your phone, there’s no reception way up here.”

  She released an exasperated breath. “Fine. Then take me to town.”

  “Didn’t you hear me? It’s too bad out there. I got no way of getting you to town. The blizzard will have snowed in the pass out of the mountains. Could be days, even weeks, before it's clear enough to travel down it.”

  Frustration shadowed her eyes and she lowered her head as if in defeat. He found himself actually feeling sorry for her. Then, as if she’d made some kind of decision, she squared her shoulders, lifted her head and looked over at him.

  “What’s your name?” she asked, her voice now strong and steady. He sensed that she had no intention on being anyone’s victim. She had no idea what he wanted from her, but whatever it was he could see in her eyes she’d fight him or anyone else tooth and nail before she’d willingly give it up.

  “Everett McKinnon. And you are?”

  “Jane Evans.”

  “You're not too familiar with these parts, are you?”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Anybody who was wouldn't have been up in the mountains with a blizzard coming on.”

  “I didn't know it was going to turn into a blizzard.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “What were you doing up here anyway?”

  She was staring at him and he realized that, big and muscular as he was, crossing his arms only made them look bigger.

  She visibly swallowed. “I'm a photographer.” Then her eyes widened. “Oh, no, my bag. My camera’s in it along with all my equipment. Are you sure those men didn’t bring it with them when they found me?”

  “They didn’t mention it but I’ll ask ‘em.”

  She sighed and rubbed her forehead. Her other hand still clutched the bed covers around her naked breasts.

  “Are you alright?” he asked. “You hit your head when your car crashed.”

  She gingerly touched the bruise on the side of her head. “Yes, I’m fine. I just want to go home.” She said the last so softly, if it hadn’t been for the fact he had excellent hearing, he wouldn’t have heard her.

  She looked over at him, her eyes now pleading. “Are you absolutely sure there's no way I can get back to town? Don't you have some kind of vehicle that can make it down that pass?”

  “No, I don’t.” He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't believe him. But he had no reason to lie. He wanted her away from here as much as she wanted to get away.

  “How long do you think I'll be trapped here?”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Trapped?”

  “Stuck then.”

  He shrugged. “A week. Maybe more. Depends on the storm and how much snow falls.”

  “I have a life I need to get back to. Now.”

  “There’s not much I can do about that.”

  She must have heard the annoyed edge in his voice because a frown creased her forehead. “You don't want me here.”

  “No, I don't,” he said flatly.

  Her full lips firmed. “Then we’re in agreement, Mr. McKinnon, because I don't want to be here either.”

  A smile hovered around his mouth but he quickly crushed it. He had to remember. She was trouble and she was danger.

  “Once you've got your clothes on, I'll take you to your room.”

  “My room?” She glanced around her. “But I thought—”

  “This is my room,” he said gruffly. “I have no idea why those two put you in here. There are guestrooms at the end of the hall. You can sleep in one of those. And you don't have to worry none. I told them not to bother you. There’s a lock on the door if that'll make you feel safer.”

  “I wasn't worried about that.”

  She was lying. She’d be a fool not to worry. Avery would do as Everett had ordered and keep away from her. Maybe. It had been a long time since any of them had been with a woman. As for Caleb, Everett had seen the lustful look in his eyes. Ever since he'd grown into his oats, he'd defied Everett one way or another. He did it when he was human and most especially when they ran with the wolves.

  One day, Everett knew, Caleb would finally make the Challenge to become the Clan's leader, and when that day came Everett would have to kill him. The thought brought both bitter anger and sadness to his heart because then there’d be only him and Avery, and he doubted Avery would stay if Everett wound up killing his twin.

  Pulling himself out of his dark thoughts, he looked over at Jane. She was staring at him. And, although he was sure he’d only imagined it, he thought he saw pity in her eyes.

  “You hungry?”

  Before she could answer, her stomach growled. Loudly. She gave him a shy smile, which was as sweet as it was unexpected. He almost returned her smile, but got hold of himself before he did.

  “We eat in an hour.” His voice was rougher than he’d intended, but she’d caught him off guard with that smile. “Get dressed.”

  Her smile disappeared. “Is that an order?”

  “Yes, it’s an order. Because while you're here, you'll do as I say. Everyone who lives under this roof does as I say. Understood?”

  She lifted a slender eyebrow but said nothing. He left the room, closing the door
behind him. Then he leaned against it, releasing a long, slow breath as he pushed the intoxicating scent of her cunt out of his lungs. He groaned.

  God, it had been so long since he'd been with a woman.

  Even now his cock was rigid with his need. He gritted his teeth. It was taking all his willpower not to go back inside that room, throw himself onto her naked body, thrust his dick in her hot, sweet pussy and fuck her to one shattering climax after another.

  But he wouldn't. He couldn’t. That was the danger. Avery was right. It was near to the full moon. The urge to Change would soon be upon him and the twins. They’d have no choice but to shift, but the days before the moon was full, and it grew bigger and bigger in the sky, the need to mate was strongest, and now with a young, desirable and, based on her scent, fertile female in the house, he and the twins would be hard-pressed to resist her.

  But resist her they must. Because if she were to find out what he, Avery and Caleb really were, the last remaining members of the werewolf Clan that had once thrived in these mountains, Everett would have no choice but to kill her.

  Caleb might want to keep her, but Everett wasn’t going to let that happen. She wasn’t Clan. Even a female who was Clan was trouble enough, as had been the case with Naomi. A human female would be trouble on a scale Everett was not prepared to deal with.

  He pushed away from the door and headed down the hall to prepare one of the guestrooms. The sooner Jane Rivers was gone, the better.

  For him and for her.

  Chapter Four

  Jane checked herself out in the full-length mirror. Jeans, shirt, socks, and boots. Nothing fancy but, for now, they were all the clothes she had. She'd been wearing them when she'd gone up into the mountains. The rest of her clothes were in her room at the hotel in town. She wondered if anyone had noticed she hadn't returned. If so, had they notified the authorities? Were people even now searching for her?

  She nervously ran her hands down the front of her jeans. Her clothes had been washed, dried and neatly ironed.

  Even her underwear.

  She couldn't imagine Everett McKinnon doing such a thing. It had to have been one of the other two men he said lived here with him.