by Gale Stanley
Tanner cleared his throat. “Hey, navigator,” he grumbled, “are you sure we’re going the right way?”
“My internal GPS says we are, and it’s never wrong.” Even though it doesn’t have much to go on. There was no real road, more like a byway, and not a tire tread to mark the way. Kate and Shiloh must have used a shortcut to get around because this wasn’t their route.
At last Gage scented her, faint but detectable. Tanner crested a low range of hills, and Gage spied the house below them, dead center in a clearing surrounded by leafless trees and dry grasses. “Will you look at that? This has to be the worst drought we’ve had since we settled here.”
Tanner stopped the truck. “I don’t like it, Gage, not one little bit. They say the lake levels are so low right now, you can see tree stumps out in the middle of the water and no rain in sight.”
“We’re more likely to see smoke from wildfires than rain,” Gage said softly. He looked at the puny tufts of green poking through the dirt and felt a thrill of fear run down his spine. He didn’t scare easy, but fire terrified him. Since the great fire sixteen years ago, he couldn’t sit by a campfire without feeling anxious.
“I hear ya. Worst-case scenario, we’ll evacuate.”
“And go where? Conditions are bad all over—”
Tanner squeezed his shoulder so hard Gage feared he would leave fingerprints. “Well, that answers one question. She’s home, all right.”
“So I see.” Gage’s wolf wanted to sit up and howl at the sight of Kate in her little cutoff shorts. Tanner was right—she needed a wolf, or two, and they were just the men for the job. He wanted those mile-long legs wrapped around his waist while he pumped his seed inside her, staking his claim.
“Okay, baby, put that wolfish charm to good use.” Tanner had a hand poised over the ignition, but Gage stopped him. “Let’s walk. I don’t want to spook her.”
Tanner shrugged. “If you think so.”
“I don’t know what to think. I’m going on instinct here.” Despite the AC, his sweat-soaked T-shirt stuck to his body. Unbelievably, he felt as nervous as a pup on his first date. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and got out of the truck.
The she-wolf’s house was constructed of hand-hewn logs, and Gage wondered if the cowboy had built it himself. A lot of love had gone into the building, but it wasn’t a luxurious lifestyle by any means. Still, it was a manner of living that a wolf would prefer, especially one who wanted to hide. Halfway down the low ridge, Gage stopped abruptly. He felt like an intruder, as if he were poking into a private life better left untouched.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Let’s get this over with.”
* * * *
Kate had come outside for a breath of air, but there was no relief from the blistering heat. She lifted the hem of her tank top to wipe the sweat dripping down her face. Then, hands on hips, she looked around the property, but there was not even a shade tree to take refuge under for a few minutes. She and Shiloh weren’t farmers, but she liked greenery around her. Must be the wolf in me. But with the drought so bad, the grounds and greenery were too parched to survive. Conditions had gotten so bad, forest managers had imposed campfire restrictions, and smoking was prohibited except inside buildings and vehicles. Campers couldn’t even take a motor vehicle off the road. Who’d want to camp in this weather, anyway?
Guess we should have installed AC. The fans didn’t do much but push around the hot air. When Shiloh built the house, he’d assured Kate over and over he would add on to it later. Whatever you need, baby, just let me know. Then he got more popular on the rodeo circuit and started traveling all the time.
So the house was pretty much the way it had been when Shi first built it. He didn’t believe her when she insisted she loved living small, but it was true. She could clean her eight hundred square feet in no time at all, and they didn’t have to spend a lot on furniture or maintenance. The living area had a lot of built-ins and comfy overstuffed chairs. There was no dining room, and the kitchen island served as their table as well as work space. Shiloh had built the bedroom and bath large with plenty of closet space, and there was a small laundry room with a back door. As far as she was concerned, the house was absolutely perfect—except for the lack of AC.
If only the rest of her life were as perfect. Lately she’d been feeling really down. She had a great guy, but he was always on the road, and she spent most of her time alone. Plus, Shi had his own secret life, and their infrequent couplings were lacking in passion. She needed something he couldn’t provide, and her lackluster performance in the bedroom didn’t light his fire. They were some pair. Somebody needed to light a match under them.
At first she’d been content, but as time went by, she started craving more—more companionship, more sex, more people like herself…No wonder she’d found herself attracted to the two strangers. They were like her.
All night she’d lain awake thinking about Shi with those two men, wondering what they were doing, imagining them in bed together, picturing those three naked, sweaty bodies fucking each other. She had never been jealous a day in her life, but here she was lusting after two strangers and angry with Shi because he was doing what she wanted to do. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit it wasn’t Shi she was angry at, but herself. Why didn’t she go last night? Shi would have been shocked, but not that shocked. He knew she needed more—he just didn’t know what more she needed. She hadn’t known either, until these men showed up.
Fear held her back. She wanted to talk to Gage and Tanner, but she had no idea what their motives were. She had grown used to living, hiding really, among the humans. So far she’d been safe, and she thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie. Her wolf scared her. Her strong physical attraction to the Lycans scared her. God, she hated herself for being so scared all the time.
Kate smelled the exhaust before she spotted the dust cloud over the rise. It was hot as hell, but a chill ran down her spine, and a flicker of warning froze her to the spot. Few people came out here.
The pickup stopped at the top of the rise, and Kate’s pulse raced. It was them, coming to her almost as if they knew what she was thinking. She watched the two men start down the hill, and she considered making a run for it, then changed her mind. They were wolf, and if they wanted her that bad, they would chase her down. No, she would stand her ground and find out once and for all what they wanted. Better to do it now, when Shi wasn’t home. Shi? Oh my God, did they tell him who they really were? No, they couldn’t have.
Kate looked from one to the other as they got closer. Dressed in T-shirts and cutoffs, they were modern-day gods, tall and bronzed by the sun. A sheen of sweat accentuated powerful muscles as if they’d oiled themselves for a photo shoot. Her breath caught in her throat. No cover model could compare with their reality. Unmistakable animal lust radiated from every pore, and her body responded in kind. They looked their fill, too. Gage focused on her legs while Tanner’s admiring gaze settled on her breasts. When his eyes met hers, his lips twitched in amusement, not at all contrite. A smile touched her own lips, and she hid it, wanting him to think she was offended even though she wasn’t. Maybe she was crazy, but she liked his eyes on her.
Then she glanced at Gage. He smiled shyly, and his face flushed. It could have been from the sun, but she didn’t think so. It was endearing, and she smiled back.
Tanner hung back. Gage came a little closer but not much. “We just want to talk to you.” He put his hands out as if in surrender. “In our world we recognize our own by chemical signature. Yours is unmistakable and you must recognize our scent as well. We’re like you. We would never hurt you.” His voice, slightly hoarse, rumbled through her body, calming her wolf.
She nodded. Why had she ever thought she was afraid of them? Right now she wanted nothing more than to get to know these men who were like her.
Gage seemed to relax and started walking over to her. At the look in her eyes, he stopped, confused.
&nb
sp; She couldn’t help the nervous tremors shaking her body or the intense way she looked at him, but it wasn’t apprehension running through her veins. Her shorts were damp with arousal, and the pleasurable throbbing between her thighs could only mean one thing—her wolf wanted to mate.
Chapter Seven
Gage stood stock-still, waiting for Kate to make the next move. He had gotten the distinct impression that she wanted to talk, but as soon as he tried to come close, she started shaking. The woman sent mixed signals, but the unmistakable scent of her arousal told him she still wanted them as much as they wanted her. Just knowing she wanted to mate was bad enough, but the heady perfume her body released was seeping into every pore. He was ready to mount her here and now, like the wolf he was.
That was it. She’d sensed his wolf on the edge, and it shook her up. After all, they were strangers, big, intimidating strangers. He looked back at Tanner, ready to tell him to back off, but his lover, apparently sensing Kate’s anxiety on his own, stood stock-still behind him.
Whatever connection he had with Kate, Tanner seemed to share it, just as Gage had shared the attraction Tanner felt for Shiloh. Complicated beyond belief, he had no idea how to handle this situation.
His relationship with Tanner had always been pretty straightforward. Sex, companionship, love, all the right ingredients were there. Sometimes they shared sex with others, but not the deep, emotional love they shared with each other. Now his feelings for two strangers were threatening to grow as strong as his feelings for Tanner. Tanner felt the same, but what about Kate and Shiloh? The emotional roller coaster was confusing and wonderful—as long as no one got hurt.
Minutes passed, and Kate stood there biting her lip. How could he convince her they meant her no harm? “Kate?”
She flinched and looked up.
“I swear to Kweo, we won’t hurt you.” At the mention of their god, Kate’s eyes widened, and Gage pressed on. “I promise we won’t touch you or shift to wolf.”
A war seemed to be going on inside her. Gage waited to see which side would win out.
* * * *
Kate didn’t want to be wolf.
Kate wanted to be wolf.
Two sides of the same coin. Years ago she had put her past behind her. After she ran away, she’d been positive she would never see one of her own kind again, and she hadn’t. Totally on her own, she knew being wolf was dangerous. On four feet she’d be hunted, either by those who thought she was a real wolf or those who knew she wasn’t and thought they could use her for their own purpose. She never shifted again, forcing herself to adjust to the human world.
Always on the run, always moving further away from the East Coast, she’d lived off the streets, finally ending up in Texas, where she found a small, cheap apartment and a job in a diner. That’s where she met Shiloh. He ate there often, and they seemed to hit it off. On a slow night, she opened up a little, making up a story about leaving an abusive boyfriend.
His reaction surprised her. He’d turned red and pounded a fist on the table, attracting unwanted attention from the other customers. Suddenly he became her white knight, wanting to find this guy and teach him a lesson. Embarrassed, she started to walk away, and he apologized, telling her his father had beaten him and his mother for years. By the time he’d grown to a size and an age where he could fight back, the old man had died. He never got the revenge he craved, but he took care of his mother until she remarried and he moved out. He had a good life now, living in Texas, traveling the rodeo circuit, and trying to make a name for himself. But he could not get past his abusive childhood.
Kate told him how lucky he was to have his mother as long as he did. She admitted her family was dead and she had no one. Shiloh took her under his wing, and grateful, she allowed him to get closer, but he never tried to have sex with her. At first she thought he was going slow because he thought she’d been abused, but finally he admitted he preferred men. She didn’t mind. She cared for him, but sex was the furthest thing from her mind.
Shi had found some cheap land in New Mexico. He planned to settle there and build a house. He asked Kate to go with him. Stunned, she accepted. Shi could be trusted, he liked her for herself, and if all he wanted was a friend and a pretend fiancée, that was fine with her. They were good together, loved each other in their own way. Sometimes they made love, but their relationship went way beyond the physical. She would do anything for him.
Now these two men had come into her life, and she realized how much she longed to know more about her ancestry. Sixteen years ago, when Kweo abandoned her people, she lost her faith. Were these men still believers? Had they found something or someone who had restored their faith? But how could she talk to them when she was more human than wolf?
Ten years since she’d shifted. Ten years! She’d forgotten how to let out her wolf, and the thought of trying scared her to death. Terrified of her own spirit self, she feared it was too late to embrace her heritage. What if she shifted and couldn’t shift back, got stuck inside her fur forever? A little voice whispered in her head, Do you want to be stuck inside your human skin forever?
If only she’d had her real parents longer. There’d been no one to guide her, to reassure her and be there to lead her through the changes that puberty brought. All that had been denied her when her family was killed. And now she felt stupid and childish. How could she admit to these men that she wasn’t afraid of them? It was herself she feared, the wild creature inside her who right this very minute wanted to be set free and fucked senseless.
Sometimes fear could be a good thing, making a person careful and keeping them safe, but mostly it had crippled her, emotionally and spiritually, even physically. How long would she let it control her life, keeping her a prisoner inside this human flesh?
Suddenly she thought about a day, long years ago, when she’d been bullied by the older kids and ran home crying because she’d been afraid of them. Her mother had comforted her with words she was too young to appreciate at the time. “Courage is not the absence of fear but the means to overcome what scares you.”
She’d done it once before, overcame her fear, ran away, and somehow made a life for herself. But it’s not the life you were meant to have. Find your courage again. Own it. Use it.
For years she had ignored her own needs, settled for a life that made her feel resentful and dead inside. More than anything, she wanted to find her own true path, whatever it might be.
Kate looked from Gage to Tanner and back to Gage. “Come inside. I’ll get you something to drink, and we can talk there.”
Chapter Eight
“Sit.” Kate waved at the old plaid overstuffed couch. “We never installed air-conditioning, but the fan is better than nothing. What can I get you to drink?”
“Just water,” both men answered in unison.
Kate nodded and headed into the small kitchen. She took bottles of water from the fridge and held them against her burning face. What am I doing? Wrapping composure around her like a blanket, she walked back with the water.
She handed a bottle to Gage, and as he grasped her hand, she felt ambushed by an intense, intoxicating connection that went straight to her core. A high like no other, it could also prove to be her death spiral. It’s only strong animal lust, nothing more. She could tell herself that, but her wolf was having none of it. Somehow it knew that a brief sexual encounter and a parting of ways would not suffice here. If they pursued this attraction, once would not be enough.
He thanked her and retrieved his hand and the bottle. She was careful not to touch Tanner when she handed him the water.
The men took big swallows from the bottles. Kate watched Gage’s throat work as he drank. Why did everything about these men fascinate her? Concentrate, Kate.
She tore her gaze from his throat and mouth. “Why are you here?”
Both men looked up in surprise. Gage smiled wryly. “Why are you here?”
Kate shook her head, clearly agitated. “I asked you first. Please, I n
eed an answer.”
The men exchanged a look and seemed to wordlessly agree on something. Tanner cleared his throat. “We live here.” He grinned broadly. “I dragged Gage to the rodeo, to see Shiloh, in fact, and we were shocked to find you, a she-wolf, living only a short distance from us.”
“So you found me by chance?”
“Yes.” Gage’s brow furrowed. “Did you think we were stalking you?”
Kate pressed her palms to her eyes. “I wasn’t sure.”
“Who are you afraid of, Kate?” Tanner asked her. “We need to know. Whoever it is might come after us.”
Kate shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She told them her story and watched their reactions carefully.
By the time she finished, Tanner was clenching his fists, and Gage, unable to sit still, paced her small living room, red-faced and angry. He came and stood in front of her. “Do you realize that man who took you might have been the one who killed our families? We need to find him. He has to be punished.”
Kate flinched, afraid of his temper. “They could be dead by now.”
“You don’t know that. Tell me everything you remember. An address, a street…”
She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth. “I was only a child. They didn’t tell me anything.”
Tanner came over and put a hand on Gage’s arm. “You’re scaring her.” He smiled at Kate. “And he told me to behave.”
Gage got to his knees in front of her and took her hands. “I’m so sorry for scaring you, for what you went through, for everything. Forgive me.”
His scent tantalized her, and she didn’t want to let go. She squeezed his hands. “There’s nothing to forgive. We’ve all suffered.”
“Not like you. At least we grew up with our own kind. We had each other, an Alpha who took care of us.”
“There’s more of you? Of us?” Kate whispered.
