by Jane Jamison
She took in a few more bites, keeping quiet and hoping they’d get the hint that she didn’t want to talk any longer. At least, not about her safety. She’d moved closer to their home. For now, that was as far as she was willing to go. Yet as she reached for the glass of orange juice Shane had poured for her, she could tell they weren’t the type to take hints.
“At the very least, you should have a gun with you. A regular gun. Not a tranq gun,” stated Paul. “Plus, riding around on an ATV at night is dangerous. Hell, you almost—” He slammed his mouth shut, abruptly cutting off his sentence.
“First of all, I have a gun.” It was a white lie, one that would suggest she had another gun besides the tranquilizer rifle. “Second of all, I almost what?” Once again, she wondered if they’d been spying on her.
“A tranquilizing gun isn’t the kind of gun you need out here.” Shane shoveled more food onto his plate. “You need something to put an animal down for good, not just asleep.” He paused, his fork stuck in mid-air, his mouth parted. “I’m talking about shooting an animal if it attacks you. Not out of sport. You aren’t hunting innocent animals, are you?”
Innocent animals? The phrase sounded strange, but she understood what he meant. Besides, what could she tell them? That she was hunting her mother? “No. I’m not out to shoot any innocent animals. And, like I told you last night, I can take care of myself.”
She began eating faster, knowing she’d need to get out before the questions grew any more difficult to answer. Yet there it was again. The strange sensation she’d felt the night before. It had struck her as soon as she’d awakened and had grown stronger the moment she’d stepped into their house.
Somehow, she’d managed to convince herself that the sensation was a result of exhaustion or the excitement of meeting the men. But once she saw them again, she’d known it was something else, something more. She concentrated on the sensation, trying to understand it. She felt as though an electric eel had wrapped itself around her body and was sending currents through it. Yet, instead of being afraid, she found herself liking the feeling. Hell, even loving it. She didn’t need to understand the how or why of it to know the sensation had something to do with the men. Every time she looked at them, the feeling grew stronger, urging her to throw caution to the wind and ask them to take her. No, more than that. To beg them to take her.
“Naw. You’re hunting something all right. That much is obvious.” Paul leaned over the table toward her. “But what? What kind of animal are you planning on hunting down and taking alive?”
Suddenly, her appetite was gone. Although the sensation made her feel connected to them, drawn to them, their questions were making her uncomfortable. When would they stop asking questions? When would she have answers to her own questions? What if she gave into the sensation? Would offering herself to them make them shut up? Would indulging in the urge to have them make the feeling go away?
“We’re only trying to keep you safe. You know that, right?” asked Wick.
She met his gaze and wondered if they truly cared. Or were they only worried about the liability of her getting hurt while on their land? Strangely, she thought they did care. Did they feel something, too? Were they picking up on the strange vibe between them? Yet, if they had, why hadn’t they made a move?
She stood, suddenly needing to get away. They stood seconds later, ready to stop her. She held up her hands, palms out, warding them off. “This was a mistake.” Whether she meant coming to breakfast or staying close to the house, even she wasn’t sure. “Thank you for breakfast, but I have to go.”
“Tasha, don’t run off.” Shane was by her side faster than she’d have thought possible. “We promise not to ask any more questions. Stay. Eat. We’ll talk about whatever you want to. Or nothing at all.”
“No.” She shook her head even as she fought the compulsion to snag him by his shirt and tug his lips to hers. “This was a mistake,” she repeated. Fearing what she might do more than their reactions, she whirled around and rushed out of the house.
She knew they’d follow her. And, oddly, a part of her wanted them to. Yet instead of heading to her camper, she hopped on her ATV. Whichever man had taken it off the truck had left the keys in the ignition. With one glance back at them, she revved up the engine and took off.
* * * *
“Damn, guys, we sure fucked the hell out of that.” Not only was Wick angry at his brothers, he was angry at himself, too. They should’ve let her eat breakfast in peace. Instead, they’d pushed her too hard.
“Shut the hell up,” warned Paul.
“Hey, you two, there’s no use going at each other’s throats.” Shane ran a hand through his hair. “We need to figure this out. She’s hunting, but she’s not about to tell us what for. Our main priority now is to keep her safe until she feels comfortable enough to tell us what’s going on.”
“Fuck. This isn’t going down like it should.” Wick stalked toward their pickup then stalled. “Damn it. There’s no use taking off after her. She’d just get mad as hell about it.” Yet the urge to chase after their mate was strong. They couldn’t chase her as men, but should they chase her as wolves?
“You mean madder than she already is?” Paul glanced at the truck, probably thinking the same thing Wick was. “We don’t have a choice. Even as wolves, we couldn’t catch up with her now. Shit.”
Wick let out a low growl, barely keeping his wolf from rising to the surface. They’d finally found their mate, but she was putting herself at risk. Yet, instead of going after her, instead of running with her to make certain she was safe, he had to keep his head. He had to think like a man, not like a wolf. “It’s already tough going with her. What the hell’s going to happen when she finds out what we are?”
Paul’s eyes were flecked with amber, showing his wolf fighting to take control. “Maybe we should tie her up before we tell her?”
Wick lifted an eyebrow. “Seriously? You want to win her heart by treating her like a prisoner?”
Fangs peeked out from between his brother’s lips. “No. Of course not. Still…” He let out a low, irritated grow. “But, damn it, we don’t want her running off.”
“Let’s do this the right way. We figure out what she’s doing, and then, once that part’s settled, we tell her she’s our mate. We give the connection between us time to work. Then we tell her what we are.”
Wick couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, that’ll be easy.”
“Maybe not easy, but well worth it,” challenged Paul.
“And in the meantime, we have to hope she doesn’t get hurt.” For one of the very few times in his life, Wick felt helpless.
“Well, this fuckin’ blows.” Shane kicked his boot into the dirt.
What else could they do? “Yeah, bro. That about sums it up.” It was a long shot, but it was their only chance. “Fuck this. I’m going after her. One way or another, I’ll find her.”
Chapter Three
The wind blew through Tasha’s hair as she sped down the back road. She was upset, and she was angry, but it wasn’t only because of what the men had said. More of her anger came from the fact that she couldn’t deny that they were right. What business did she have riding around in the middle of nowhere? She’d taken a crash course on learning to drive the ATV. Then another hurried lesson on learning to shoot the tranquilizer gun. If statistics were correct, she’d end up shooting herself or someone else instead of her mother. Plus, she couldn’t deny that she didn’t know much about being in the wilderness. She was a city girl just as the men had said. What little she knew about hunting and camping came from her research on the Internet.
But what was she supposed to do? Just pick up and leave her mother behind? Even though there was a huge rift between her and her mother, she couldn’t make herself turn her back on her. How could she when there were people after her mother? Her mother had given her the tracking device for a reason. The reason she’d given had been for Tasha to find her body, but Tasha wasn’t willing to wait for that outcom
e.
Who was chasing her mother? Who were the men in the alley? So far she hadn’t seen any sign of them since coming to Forever, but would that last? And were they the only ones her mother was running from?
The men were right. But that didn’t change the fact that she had to find her mother first. Once she did, she’d make her mother tell her the complete truth.
From what she’d read about the chupacabra, the creature didn’t go around biting people and changing them. The most horrifying fact about them was that they drained the blood from their victims like canine vampires. Yet even that wasn’t a confirmed fact. Misinformation and misunderstanding swirled around the chupacabra. Most wouldn’t even admit they existed. Yet she knew the truth. She’d seen her mother transform into one of them.
She didn’t hear the phone call over the roar of the vehicle, but she felt the vibration against her hip. Slowing down, she steered over to the side of the road then pulled the phone out of her pocket.
The caller ID said it was a private name. She answered, her hand shaking. “Mom? Is that you?”
She waited, her breath held. If her mother had a phone and was calling, then that meant she was back in human form. Was she camped nearby? “Mom?” Soon enough, however, she realized that the call had already ended. She stared at the phone, willing her mother—providing the call had truly been from her mother—to call back. Her heart sank as the phone remained silent.
Then the tweet announcing a text came. Her heart picked up speed.
Go home.
It’s her.
Tasha gripped the phone tightly. It had to be her mother. She texted back as fast as she could.
Where are you?
It’s too dangerous for you here. Go home.
Her thumbs flew over the keys. Tell me where you are. I can help you.
You weren’t supposed to come. Not yet. Not until…go home. Now. Please.
Who are those men? Who’s after you?
Men who want to hurt me.
Because of what you are?
Yes.
Then don’t change again.
Go home.
Come home with me. I’ll keep you safe.
You can’t. Please. Go home. I never should have involved you.
But you did, so let me help.
No. Go home. I love you.
Tell me where you are. We’ll find a way.
She waited and waited some more, but no answer came. “No, Mom. Don’t stop.” Yet the phone remained mute.
She sat down on the ATV, the strength in her legs suddenly gone. Glancing around, she wondered, not for the first time, if she was making a mistake. But leaving her mother behind was something she couldn’t do.
If only I had someone to help me.
Her thoughts turned to the men at the ranch. If anyone could find her mother, she bet they could. Did she dare ask them? Would they believe her? And if they found out about her mother, could she trust them to keep her secret?
* * * *
Wick wasn’t about to give up. If luck was with him, he’d hear the ATV and pick up her trail. Sitting back and doing nothing wasn’t his way.
Wick’s front paws hit the ground minutes before his brothers had finished shifting. He pounded after Tasha, fearing the way she’d barreled out of there. The girl could drive an ATV, but that didn’t mean she knew how to control it going at breakneck speed. They could’ve hopped into the pickup and chased after her, and maybe even caught up with her, but then she would’ve known they were on her tail. Chasing her as wolves would be easier and faster as they zipped over the countryside, leaving the man-made trails behind. Hopefully, he’d cut across the right path and find her.
His brothers had to be thinking the same thing. Something wasn’t right, and they were bound and determined to figure what out what that something was. As they’d questioned her, he’d sensed her tenseness and had smelled the anxiety flowing off her. She was afraid of something, yet he didn’t think she was afraid for herself. But then, if not for herself, then who? A man? His gut twisted thinking about the possibility. But if it wasn’t a man, then who?
Paul raced past him, followed on his heels by Shane. Wick wouldn’t let them get ahead of him. He concentrated on putting his paws in the right place and letting his wolf run free. His mate, their mate, needed them, and nothing and no one would get in their way to help her.
* * * *
By the time Tasha had made it home, she’d been exhausted. She’d driven farther than she ever had, yet had come up empty once again. The house had been dark, the men obviously gone somewhere, by the time she’d stumbled into her camper and fallen into her bed. She’d been too exhausted to care that she hadn’t gotten to see them again.
Yet that was probably a good thing. No doubt, they would have started questioning her more.
But now, fresh from a morning shower, she was eager to see them. She’d nix the questions fast enough. Besides, she had the feeling that they’d gotten the hint to stop prying from her abrupt departure yesterday.
She yearned to see them. Not that she’d ever let them know. A woman had to have some pride. Keeping them guessing would be a good thing. After all, she felt a little ridiculous, having run off the way she had. Why compound that feeling by drooling over them?
She stepped out of the camper and looked around. She could hear them, but she couldn’t see them. From the distance, between sounds, she could tell they weren’t together in one spot.
“Take it easy. No one’s going to hurt you.”
At first, she thought Shane must’ve been talking to her. The sound of his voice soothed her. Then, once she’d figured out that he wasn’t talking to her, she was disappointed. His voice was like velvet and filled with a warm richness that consoled her, comforted her, and make her feel safe even as it turned her on. Was he talking to another woman? She fisted her hands at the thought.
She strode toward the sound, all the while preparing herself to find him with someone else. Jealousy hit her even harder, and she tried to force it away. If he was with a woman, what could she do? Pretend a casualness she didn’t feel? Or turn around and stalk off? It wasn’t as though she could accuse him of anything. After all, what right did she have getting jealous? She didn’t even know the man. Yet there it was, the green-eyed monster alive and well, churning in her stomach.
She rounded the corner and entered the barn. Forgetting her reasoning, she was ready with heated words on the tip of her tongue, ready to chastise him for being with someone else. Then she saw the object of his soothing vocal caresses.
Shane’s green eyes met hers. “Hey, darlin’, how are you doing this morning?”
Not for the first time since meeting him, she felt ridiculous. Ridiculous and horny as hell. She came to a stop, all too aware that she’d been jealous of a horse.
He frowned when she didn’t answer. “Are you all right?”
Irritation for getting jealous transferred to him. She fisted her hands, ready to blast him.
Why didn’t you follow me? Why didn’t you chase after me and bring me back? Don’t you give a damn?
Thankfully, she kept the questions to herself. She had no right, much less a reason, to expect Shane or the other men to care. Why she was upset that they didn’t care was beyond her. “I’m fine. I just—”
“You just what?”
Strangely, she had a feeling that he knew exactly what she’d almost said. That she’d wanted to tell him to touch her like that, to talk sweetly to her. She broke her gaze from his. “Nothing.” She jerked her chin toward the horse. “And who’s this?”
Pride brightened his expression. “This is my favorite female in the whole world. This is Shania Twain.”
She laughed. “Shania Twain? Like the country singer?”
He shrugged, the corners of his mouth lifting. “What can I say? I had a crush on Shania. For a while, I named all the horses after my favorite country singers. We used to own Garth, Reba, and three little fillies named after The Dixie C
hicks.”
“Seriously?”
He placed a palm over his heart. “I cannot tell a lie. Yeah. I know it was silly, but what the hell? It was fun.”
“Can I pet her?” She’d never been much of a country girl. Had, in fact, never done much outside the city.
“’Course you can. Don’t worry. She’s gentle.”
At that moment, Tasha couldn’t have told anyone who she was more intrigued with, the horse or the man. Strangely, right then, it didn’t matter. She came toward the horse and slowly lifted her hand. Taking a moment to make sure the animal was all right with her movements, she gently stroked its neck. “She’s so soft.”
“Most beautiful females are.”
His hand took hers, startling her. Again, their gazes met and locked. The strange feeling she’d felt before revved up even more, speeding faster and wilder. She didn’t understand it, but she loved it all the same. It was like a drug she was already hooked on.
“Try here.” He moved her hand to the horse’s muzzle.
Only the sweet softness of the horse could’ve broken the spell his eyes held on her. “Oooh,” she murmured. “I’ve never felt anything so soft.”
“It’s something, isn’t it?”
A yearning in his tone had her looking up once again, searching his face. She wanted to reach out and stroke his cheek as she’d done the horses’. “Shania is a good name for her. She has the same hair color. But can she sing?”
His chuckle warmed her. “That’s a good one.”
“How many horses do you have?”
“Do you really want to know? Or are there better questions you should be asking?”
She jerked her hand away from the horse, suddenly wary. “I don’t know what you mean.”
