by C. M. Owens
He smells damn good today. Like really good. Not at all like weed.
“Can I ask why you do the whole pot thing to such an extreme?” I ask after the uncomfortable silence stretches on.
He shrugs a shoulder. “Makes a living.”
When I just continue to blink, confused by the simplistic answer, he grins like he finds me amusing.
“Do you really want the sales pitch?” he quips.
“I’m seriously just trying to figure you out a little, since we keep spending time together. It helps to get an idea of how a person thinks when you’re trying to get to know them.”
His lips twitch, and it takes him a hesitant second to answer, but he finally does. “Ma’s family grew up with a canna lifestyle, and if you meet her again, she’ll give you conspiracy theories that involve the paper industry, destructive propaganda, and the truth behind the banning of weed. At the end of the day, it’s a natural plant that can help with stress, pain, and various other things. It can also be a safer recreational tool than alcohol or any other substance that gets easily abused. In other words, we don’t see anything wrong with it, and we’re not the kind to play by the rules just because we’re supposed to. Tomahawk thinks for itself, and we’re completely self-sufficient.”
So…an entire town of anarchists. Got it.
“A group of hippies teamed up with bootleggers and actually founded Tomahawk,” he adds, grinning over at me. “Pretty sure they were called heretics back then, though,” he adds. “Anyway, Ma was always a flower child, and Dad’s family grew up in Tomahawk, bootlegging during prohibition and MJ farming after alcohol went legal.”
“Are you really a Wild One? Because I doubt it’s anything like the Wild Ones in Gran’s shifter books, so I have no idea what that means in the real world,” I tell him absently, taking in the new scenery as we cut down an old, narrow road.
“It’s just some made-up, embarrassing, bullshit label the locals tagged us with a long time ago. I’m not wild at all. I’m as tame as they get,” he says smoothly, smirking for whatever reason as he shifts gears.
I can’t picture him being wild. He’s just so mild and calm. Other than the cougar and his family, he’s actually more normal than half the guys I meet. Well, aside from the fact he’s an herb farmer and dealer.
And aside from the fact he seems okay with hatchets flying at him.
“The Malones are proudest of being called Wild Ones. Kylie Malone especially. She’ll bring it up at every given opportunity, but that’s mostly because she always wanted to be the opposite of her momma. Don’t mention her mom. She’s a sore spot still,” he says.
He apparently feels more comfortable with this conversation.
“The Nickels have the attention span of a gnat. They’re loud, obnoxious, and they’ll annoy the hell out of you too,” he goes on.
“This is how you talk about your friends?” I muse.
“You should hear the shit they say about us,” he fires back, his lips curving in a grin, as though this is a good thing.
“The Vincents are backasswards and completely determined to be the most ridiculous out of the four corners. Don’t ask Lilah if she’s planning to have kids. I didn’t bring any helmets,” he adds with a straight face.
Alrighty then. I simply don’t know how to contend with this.
“Kylie will play up Tomahawk like it’s the greatest shit to ever exist—the whole family of Malones will—and there’s no better place in the world to live. If you get tired of it, ask her about her boots,” he states like he’s giving me advice.
I’m not sure why I smile. Maybe it’s because it’s not something I’m used to. He’s not talking bad about them. He’s pointing out their quirks and ways around them…
It’s sort of the way I am with Reese.
“Krysta is actually the most annoying of the girls for right now. Mostly because she can be really high-strung, but also because she pretends she’s not a virgin to a somewhat disturbing extreme. She got turned down a couple of times for being an immature, inexperienced virgin, and…we’re living with the consequences of an insecure Nickel right now. Go easy on her. She may snap at any given moment.”
I see him less like a drug dealer now that I’ve heard the ‘sales pitch.’ It’s not so much because of what he said, but because that’s how he genuinely feels. I can’t see too much fault with that, considering the things in my life that I’ve done wrong and found a way to justify just to keep from being burdened with regret.
Great. Now I’m blurring all the lines for a guy I barely know.
“Why’d you save my life?” I ask him as I stare out the window at the quickly passing scenery, finding it a little difficult to ask that and look at him.
He snorts. “Seriously?” he scoffs.
Shaking my head, I realize what a stupid question that is to someone who risks their life just to pet a wild animal. Risking their life to save someone would seem simple enough, I suppose. Not to mention, Kai Wilder actually seems like a really decent guy, at the very core, anyway.
“Right. Right. Sorry,” I state quietly, eyes still on the window. “Where did you even come from? You were there so fast.”
“We watched you pulling that fawn out, and I could immediately tell it wasn’t going to end up good for you,” he adds. “We were all racing down that hillside, but you were clearly too distracted to notice. I even yelled at you, but you seemed oblivious. All’s well that ends well. I tracked down the fawn and tagged her that evening. She’ll never be shot unless an out-of-town poacher comes around. Cougar is too tame and has to be hand-fed. She doesn’t hunt very much at all, so it’ll likely be safe from her too.”
My head whirls around, and I eye him as he keeps his eyes trained on the road.
“Some people save cougars. Some save deer. I hunt to fill my fridge and freezer—not for sport. But I have a soft spot for cougars because of Cougar,” he tells me. “If it’s wearing one of my tags, no one from Tomahawk will ever kill it.”
My eyes stay on him, taking him in a little too brazenly. From his tempting lips to his broad shoulders…to his lap. Why am I staring at his lap? Why do I want to crawl in his lap just because he tagged Bambi to keep her safe?
It was a girl.
Why does knowing that make my heart turn to mush?
I really, really want to kiss him right now. Worse than I’ve ever wanted to kiss anyone. I’ve never been particularly boy crazy. I’ve never wanted to fling my panties at a man either. This is all so sudden, and I could really use Reese to walk me through these super confusing desires right now.
An image of me ripping open that flannel shirt pops into my mind. Flannel isn’t supposed to be so hot. Well, not in the sexy hot meaning of the word, anyway.
“Why is your face so red? You okay?” he asks with genuine concern.
I squeak out a sound as my eyes widen, and I jerk my gaze back to the window.
I never should have asked him anything. It’s made this unbearable ache start to form in some rather inconvenient places.
I’m embarrassed? Great. Now I seem like some innocent little girl instead of a twenty-six-year-old who has been around boys before. Sheesh.
I’m not innocent.
I’m not super experienced, but I’m damn sure not innocent.
“All good,” I assure him as I clear my throat. “Just nervous about meeting new people,” I add, since that’s sort of honest.
He pulls into a deep part of the woods after abruptly turning off the road, and I glance around at nothing but trees and snow.
“We gotta park here. It’s like a covert operation when we all meet up in one spot. Can’t be seen and all,” he states like that’s an explanation as he turns off the Jeep and hops out.
Okay then. Guess we’re hiking the rest of the way.
He stops just in front of me, turns his back to me, and squats.
“Hop on. You’re not wearing the right shoes to trek in snow,” he tells me.
I stare at the back of his head
like he’s lost his mind. He can’t walk in snow if I’m also on his back.
“The sooner the better. You’ve never seen the Vincents or Malones eat. There won’t be nothing left if we dally for too long,” he adds, glancing at me over his shoulder.
“I can walk,” I assure him as I side step him and move onto the road, finding tracks to walk in to make it easier.
My breath leaves me in a startled rush when I’m suddenly lifted and tossed over a shoulder that shouldn’t be so strong. He doesn’t look like he’s this strong, but he did pull me from the icy water with just one hand and carried me already.
“Fine. I’ll carry you this way then,” he says like he’s amused.
Resisting the stupid urge to grin over being manhandled, I say, “You win. I’ll ride your damn back.”
Wild Ones Tip #754
Never feed the Wild Ones. It’s hard to get rid of them once you do.
Chapter 9
PIPER
*******
“I’m not having any damn babies, Aunt Penny! I want to enjoy my married life,” the one they call Lilah is shouting at the woman who is following her around with pregnancy tests.
“But pregnancy is good for the skin!” the woman argues…
“Is that true?” Reese whispers to me.
“Does it matter?” I whisper back, trying to take in all the chaos all around me, but struggling to do so.
Hale, Kai, and two others are engaged in some heated argument about who ate the last brownie someone brought for Lilah’s husband’s brother…
Deacon. His name’s Deacon. And Lilah’s husband is Benson. I think. There were some quick, sloppy introductions made.
Krysta and Nila keep staring at us.
“Those are some pretty clothes,” Krysta finally says…to Reese…since I’m wearing Kai’s sweatshirt for the second day in a row. I’m pathetic, and now everyone sees it. “What size are you?”
Clearing my throat, I pick at the top of my knee-high boot, unsure if I should answer. She’s the one who was chasing Deacon in the street like a crazy person…
“Stop making my date uncomfortable,” Kai snaps at them.
“Yeah, you cockblock him, and he’ll make your lives hell,” Kai’s bald brother says to me, winking like we’re on the same team or something.
Hunter? Is that his name? Or is that one Shade? I can’t remember. The introductions were just so lazy and quick.
I don’t know what’s going on anymore.
“Don’t say that shit. You’ll scare her off. She’s fancy,” Kai gripes.
Kai shoves at him, and the brother shoves back. The next thing I know, they drop to the floor and start all out wrestling, grunting, and cursing each other until the brother screams uncle.
“We’re not in Kansas anymore, sister dear,” Reese quips.
The doorbell rings, and suddenly half the Wild Ones leap into closets, or cover up with a big blanket, or do something else to hide themselves away. This is the fourth time this has happened.
Apparently, there’s a rule that only two families can be in the same place at the same time…unless there’s a sanctioned event? I don’t know. I just don’t know.
Deacon sighs as he goes to the door, massaging his temples, as his twin brother smirks and acts entirely too amused. The door swings open, and Reese and I peer around at the timid girl who is nervously holding up a pan of some sort.
“I made you something. I hope you like it,” she tells him so sweetly.
Awe. This one is way more adorable than the other three who stopped by in very seductive clothing. But why do all these girls keep bringing him food?
“Thank you,” he states with as much courtesy as he can seem to muster. “But as I’ve already said a few times now, I’m not looking to date anyone.”
I spot Nila wrangling Krysta down, covering her mouth with both of her hands, as she pins her in some crazy position. Her legs must have an iron grip of some sort.
Krysta looks ready to tear out someone’s eyeballs.
I…don’t know. I genuinely don’t know. I’ve started sounding redundant and repetitive and redundant some more at this point.
I almost wish I did know.
They all act like they love and hate each other. Just as they act like they love and hate the town. None of it makes sense.
The door shuts, and Deacon sighs again as he holds out the pan of brownies.
“Now you can all quit fighting over it,” Deacon tells them very blandly, as if he’s over it.
Hale practically tackles Kai at the waist, holding him back.
“Go, Killian!” Hale shouts.
Killian snatches the brownies from Deacon as he runs with them, already shoving one in his mouth.
Nila releases Krysta, as Kai slugs Hale in the side, and takes off after Killian.
“Do you want my vagina ruined?” Lilah shouts at her aunt.
“I don’t care about your vagina! I want babies! Give me babies before that girl Kai picked up beats you to it! Look at her hips,” she says very loudly, pointing at me.
Reese smothers a laugh as my eyes widen.
Lilah looks me over, frowning.
“What about her hips?” she asks too calmly.
Can I hide too? I feel like that would be great right now.
“Those are some child-bearing hips. She’s gonna get that baby out quicker than you if you keep on dallying,” her aunt drones on.
Reese hands me alcohol of some sort. I don’t care what it is. With great appreciation, I start chugging the fruity concoction.
“She’s not going to get pregnant. Kai said he hasn’t even hit first base yet,” Lilah tells her aunt, while I inwardly die a little at how very much personal information just gets passed around without warning.
“Doesn’t matter. Those Wilders go after what they want. Hell, look at the Nickels. Krysta may even get preggers before you,” Penny continues, sounding extremely pissed off about this.
Krysta shoots a wicked grin toward Deacon, who loosens his collar, clears his throat, and deliberately avoids meeting her gaze.
“He’s coming around. He can’t withstand my feminine wiles forever,” Krysta tells the room.
Benson smiles around the rim of the bottle of beer he’s drinking from, eyeing his brother with a lot of amusement.
“You warned me. I didn’t listen,” Deacon says as he stands and walks out.
Benson laughs under his breath, still drinking his beer as though this is all normal. Those brothers seem to be the calmest, most rational of the bunch.
“You’re not from here, are you?” Reese surmises, eyes on Benson.
“Not originally, but I got sucked in. Careful. It’s easier to do than you realize. It’s a different way of life, but it’s also a more genuine group of people, for the most part,” he tells us, ducking as Hale leaps over the couch, narrowly evading Kai and another Wilder boy.
I should learn what name goes with who. There were just so many, and I didn’t know who was who until the evening continued to…turn into this sort of mayhem.
“What about Hale?! He’s got a girlfriend now! Get on her ass about giving you babies,” Lilah shouts very abruptly.
Something wet slaps my cheek, and I realize it’s from Reese spewing her drink against my face when she hears that.
I’m smiling, even though I’m a little grossed out and wiping my face off. It’s nice to see it turn around on her after she’s been enjoying my moment in the hot seat.
As if all the attention turns to her, Penny grins broadly. “Say, you’re actually a very pretty girl.” Her smile falls. “Are you a little screwed up in the head or something? Why’re you with Hale?”
“I heard that!” Hale calls from somewhere upstairs now.
Reese swallows thickly.
“I’m a fucking catch,” Hale adds.
When Reese grins and struggles to wipe it away, Penny and Lilah’s eyes widen in unison.
“She actually likes him!” Lilah shouts, po
inting a finger at my sister like it’s an accusation.
“I’m going to get babies from Hale!” Penny exclaims, spinning a circle and shouting in celebration.
A snort slips out of me as I work damn hard to muffle my laughter, while Reese turns about four shades paler.
Lilah wipes her forehead as though in relief, while Penny comes to sit down next to Reese, devoting all her attention to her.
“So what sort of family history do you have? Everyone got all their fingers and toes?” Penny asks, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen as though they’ve materialized from thin air.
“I-uh-I-uh,” Reese stammers, casting a helpless look toward me.
I let her sink, pretending I don’t know her anymore, and leaving her to fend for herself. That’s what she gets. She got us into all of this by wanting a hot mountain man for the stay.
There really is baby fever going on in this town…
“So your grandma owned the cabin on the Wilder side of the lake,” Benson states, looking at me, while Reese tries to let Penny down gently.
“You knew her?” I ask, my interest perking up.
He shakes his head. “Not really. She kept to herself most of the time. She only came to town to people watch, and she got a little aggressive toward anyone who tried to speak to her. She preferred isolation.”
I nod, considering it looks like she was pretty much a dedicated hermit, judging by both her homes. This one has more of her personality in it than the other one did.
Kylie Malone is sliding down the bannister as Wild Child starts to play, and she hops down, dancing and singing every single word. Her boyfriend or fiancé or whatever he is just pulls her to him, smiling like he’s loving every second of it.
A somewhat wistful sigh escapes me. I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy look at me like he’s looking at her.
“That’s Liam. He’s already got a girl. Kylie will claw your eyeballs out of their sockets if you think about it,” Lilah says as she takes a seat on the other side of me.
Shock hits me, and I blink like I’m guilty for a second, when I’m not. “That’s not what—”
