She took a calming breath and continued. “They found out where we were living. When I got home from work, I found my mama’s body. I ran and they followed me here.”
“Why here?”
Cherise shrugged and answered Jacque’s question the same way she had when Cole had asked her. “Bad luck. Good luck. Instinct. I don’t really know.” She hated lying but had no other choice. She didn’t think telling them she’d dreamed she’d walked by a road sign and simple curiosity and a yearning deep within her had led her to their doorstep.
“Were there just three?” Jacque asked.
“Yes,” Cole replied. “But according to Cherise, they’ve got a truck stashed somewhere on the side of the road.”
Jacque rubbed his hand over his face. “This is the last thing we need,” he muttered. “We have enough problems without adding to them.”
Cherise stiffened, but Jacque wasn’t finished.
“Okay, let’s contain this thing. Gator and Louis, you two go with Cole. Dispose of the bodies. Then find that vehicle and get rid of it. Search it first. If they’ve got phones, I want them to go with the truck. If they’re being tracked, that will lead them away from here.”
All three men pushed away from the table. “We’ll take care of it,” Louis stated.
Cole brushed a hand across her head before he stood. It took all her willpower not to grab it and beg him not to leave her. “I should go and help too.” Anything to get her away from the terrifying alpha werewolf.
Cole shook his head. “You stay here where you’ll be safe.”
“Will I be safe?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Jacque prowled around the table to stand next to her. Cherise stood and faced him. When he lifted his hand to her face, she didn’t flinch. Cole stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. But Cherise didn’t take that as a sign of support, not when it came down to her or his alpha. She had no doubt Cole would side with his pack. And she couldn’t blame him for that.
“No one hurts a woman on our land,” Jacque stated. “Do you understand?”
She really didn’t, but she nodded anyway, not wanting to push her luck any more than she already had. Exhaustion and hunger were making it difficult for her to think straight.
“Cherise can stay here with us,” Gwen offered.
Cole shook his head before Cherise could reply. “I’m taking her to our place so she can rest,” Cole announced. Before she realized his intent, he scooped her into his arms and headed for the door.
“Put me down,” she demanded, totally embarrassed in front of all his pack.
“No.” He paused by the door, which Gator opened with a flourish and a slight bow. Jacque didn’t say a word, didn’t try to stop Cole.
Cherise really didn’t understand this pack at all. Since when did a pack member announce to the alpha and the rest of the pack what was going to happen in such a charged situation? It was all too much for her to process.
“Armand, you and Anny go and keep a watch on our guest.” That was the last thing she heard Jacque say as Cole carried her out of the cabin and down a walking path that wound through the woods.
Cole’s strong arms held her close and, if she was being honest, it felt really good to be there. For the first time in too many years to count, she felt safe. Her eyes started to flutter shut, but she forced them to open, wanting to see Cole’s home.
It came into view when he rounded a bend on the path. It was almost identical to the place they’d just left. The structure was a bungalow with a large porch that spanned the entire front of the building. The thick logs it was constructed out of gave it a sturdy appearance. It blended in nicely with the surroundings as though it belonged.
Cherise hadn’t had a real home in years. Not since she was a teenager happily living with her parents in Kentucky, when there had still been hope she’d be able to make the shift into her wolf. All the apartments she and her mother had lived in over the years were places to sleep and eat, always temporary.
She pushed away those sad thoughts, knowing if she didn’t, she’d end up in tears. And she couldn’t afford to show weakness. Yes, the Salvation Pack had shown her kindness thus far, but that could change in a split second. After all, wolves she’d known her whole life had killed both her parents and had planned to do the same to her in a heartbeat.
No, there was no one she could really trust. Trust was simply an illusion, a fairytale.
Cherise was very aware of Gator and Louis following Cole, along with Anny and Armand. It was like a parade, she thought and almost started to laugh. Great, now she was on the verge of totally losing it.
Cole shifted her weight when he reached the door and managed to open it with her still in his arms. The space was large and masculine with a few feminine touches. She could scent the other wolves who lived here, not surprised by the fact. Often families in wolf packs lived together under one roof. It was more unusual for a family to live by itself, as her parents had done.
Wolves were pack animals and craved social interaction with one another. That had added a layer of hardship to all these years on the run. Cherise and her mama had only had one another. Was it any wonder they’d grown as close as they had?
She sniffed again and frowned. Was that a cat she smelled? Surely she had to be mistaken. It might be a cliché, but wolves and cats did not get along.
Cole continued down a hallway to a bedroom. The scent permeating the space left little doubt that it was his room. He set her down just inside the door.
“The bathroom is right through there.” He pointed at a door just off to the left. “We all have our own so it’s private.” He walked to the closet, opened it and drew out a man’s shirt. “You can put this on after you shower.”
She took the shirt he handed to her and gripped it tight. “My knapsack.” She’d just left it at the other house. It had everything of value she owned. How could she have forgotten it?
Cherise started to bolt, but Cole stopped her. “Gator brought it. Don’t worry.”
As if on cue, the other man silently slid into the room, dropped her knapsack on the bed and just as quietly withdrew.
Cole cupped her face in his large hands. That easily, the rest of the world dropped away. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of things. You’re safe here.”
She wanted to believe him. Oh, how she wanted to believe.
He let out a huff of frustration when she didn’t say anything. “Get cleaned up and rest. You hardly ate any breakfast. If you’re hungry, there’s food in the kitchen. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Cherise tried to nod, but he was holding her face captive.
Cole suddenly swore and dipped his face toward her. Her eyes widened and her heart began to race. He was going to kiss her.
Then she couldn’t think at all as his lips touched her. The contact was light and brief, but the impact was like a nuclear explosion going off inside her. Every cell in her body burned, every instinct screamed for her to get closer. She wanted more.
For that reason alone, she stepped back, almost disappointed when he let her go.
“I’ll be back,” he promised again, and then he was gone, leaving her standing alone in his room.
She reached up and touched her fingers to her lips. What had she done?
Chapter Four
Cole stalked from the room and down the hallway. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Cherise. He wanted to go back, strip her torn and dirty clothes from her body and kiss every bruise, every mark that marred her soft skin. Then he wanted to put her in the shower and wash away the horrible memories of the morning.
His cock swelled and a fine sheen of sweat covered his body as his blood heated. What he really wanted was to bury his dick deep into Cherise’s sweet warmth, to slide into her slick channel and ride her until they both found release.
But there were bodies to dispose of and a truck to find. He couldn’t leave the others to clean up the mess. And Cherise
wouldn’t be safe as long as the remains of her attackers were still out there. Plus, there was the considerable problem of her not trusting him.
Armand and Anny were in the kitchen waiting for him. Anny smiled and handed him a wet, soapy cloth. “Thought you might like to clean up those injuries.”
“Thanks.” He should have thought of that himself, but his mind was consumed with the woman currently residing in his bedroom. Cole took the cloth and dragged it over his left arm and side and wiped away the dried blood. The gouges weren’t deep and had closed nicely.
Cole dumped the soiled cloth into the garbage. He grabbed his cell phone from the charger, shoved it into his back pocket and started toward the back door. Anny tentatively reached out and touched his arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll look after her for you.”
He stopped, took her hand in his and brought it to his lips in a rare display of affection. “Thank you.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “You’re welcome.”
Armand tossed him a clean T-shirt and Cole slipped it over his head. The two men shared a look and Cole knew his friend would protect Cherise for him. He shoved a pair of sneakers on his bare feet and forced himself to leave the cabin and the woman he wanted.
Gator and Louis were waiting in the yard for him. “I’ll go and take care of the bodies,” Cole told them. “You two start scouting for the truck.” If they split up, they’d get this incident put behind them more quickly.
Gator shook his head. “I’m going with you. Louis can start searching for the truck.”
Louis nodded. “I’m on it. I’ll call when I find something.” He patted his phone in his pocket and started down the path.
“We’ll join you as soon as we’re done,” Cole called after him.
Louis raised his hand and waved to let Cole know he’d heard him, but he kept going. Cole wasn’t as close to Louis as he was to Gator, but he trusted the wolf with his life. They’d been through many life-and-death battles together, and that tended to build the kind of trust most people couldn’t begin to understand. He knew Louis wouldn’t stop searching until he found the missing truck.
“Let’s go, mon ami.” Gator slapped Cole on the back and headed toward the woods at an easy lope. Cole joined him and the two men picked up the pace, racing across the forest floor in their human form.
Cole eased back when he reached the point where he’d first come across the trespassing werewolves. “Here is where I first saw them,” he told Gator.
His friend studied the area, his eyes sweeping high and low. “When we’re done with the bodies, we’ll return here and backtrack. If Louis hasn’t already found their truck by then, we should be able to.”
Cole nodded in agreement and the pair set out again. It didn’t take them long to reach the area where he’d dumped the bodies. Thankfully, the forest critters hadn’t disturbed the remains too badly yet.
Gator whistled low. “Three wolves. Not quite in their prime, but strong nonetheless.”
Cole shrugged. “They were bullies, not seasoned fighters. They were hunting a woman.” Not just any woman, but Cherise. There was something about her that tugged on his instincts in a way no other ever had.
He didn’t want to waste time thinking about the implications of his being that drawn to Cherise. He’d just met her this morning, and the only thing he knew about her was that she was a wolf who couldn’t shift and was in a whole lot of trouble. Neither of those facts did anything to lessen his growing need for her.
“Let’s get this done.” He didn’t like the idea of dead wolf carcasses simply lying around on their land. What if one of the locals strayed onto their property and came across them? The last thing the Salvation Pack needed was trouble with the town sheriff.
Cole hefted two wolves, one over each shoulder, while Gator grabbed the other. The smell wasn’t pleasant, but he ignored it and walked deeper into the woods. “There should be a good spot just beyond that hill.” Cole motioned to the area with his head. They’d all patrolled these woods many times and knew the land well.
Sure enough, several flat stones sat at the base of the hill on the far side. Cole dumped the bodies on top and waited until Gator got rid of his burden. Cole patted his pocket and realized he didn’t have anything to start a fire with.
Gator shook his head. “I got it.” He pulled out a pack of matches, lit one and tossed it onto the top of the pile.
The flame sputtered and almost went out. Then it surged upward, a bright-blue light that consumed fur and skin. Cole watched, feeling nothing as he watched the first body light up. A funeral pyre was never a pleasant thing to watch or smell, but the two of them stood there as the flames consumed the bodies one by one.
Werewolf bodies burned fast and quite completely. Their physiology was different from that of a human. Even if they’d left the bodies, they would have disintegrated within a couple of days, leaving no trace. The same genetics that allowed their bodies to heal rapidly also destroyed their physical forms quickly after death.
But this way was quicker. Fire was something they all treated with respect. The blaze quickly died as the fuel was burned up, leaving nothing but rock for it to feed off. Even when it sputtered out and there was nothing but ash left, they both waited.
Finally, when not even one ember remained, Cole was satisfied the job was complete. Gator hunted up a branch from a pine tree and swept the ashes off the rock, scattering them to the winds.
“Let’s go find the truck.” They hadn’t heard from Louis yet, but cell reception wasn’t always the best. Cole was anxious to find the abandoned vehicle and deal with that problem. Only once Cherise’s safety was assured could he go home to her.
The fact that he was even having thoughts like that about her should worry him. Strangely enough, it didn’t. Deep in his soul, Cole knew Cherise belonged to him.
Gator was unusually silent as they backtracked to where they could follow the men’s tracks. Cole glanced at his friend. “You got something to say?”
Gator flashed him a smile and shook his head. “Non, I don’t have a death wish.” He ducked when Cole took a half-hearted swipe at him.
“Death wish, my ass,” Cole muttered. He was both amused and irritated by his friend. Gator often had that effect on people.
“You’re in way over your head, my friend. I see the signs.”
Cole sighed and raked his fingers through his shaggy blond hair, knowing Gator was right. “There’s something about her.” He shook his head, not quite knowing how to explain what it was about Cherise that drew him. Her courage, certainly. Her looks spoke for themselves. A man would have to be dead not to notice those long, shapely legs and athletic build. Her determination to build a better life. Her loyalty to her mama. All those things and more combined to make him want her.
Gator slapped him on the back. The force of the blow would have downed a lesser wolf. It didn’t even budge Cole. He turned and glared at his friend who simply laughed. “She is yours, and that is all that matters.”
Leave it to Gator to sum things up so succinctly. Cherise was his and, for that reason alone, his pack would protect her, no questions asked. Cole’s chest swelled with pride. He’d always known he’d made the right decision leaving the Louisiana Pack behind, but today he was proud to be a part of the Salvation Pack. They were building something different here, or at least they were trying to. If only other packs would leave them in peace.
“It won’t be easy,” Gator pointed out. “That woman will not trust easily.”
Now that was an understatement if Cole had ever heard one.
Gator paused and cautiously added. “Then there is the added fact she can’t shift.”
Cole knew there would be many problems to deal with, not the least of which was that there might still be some of her former pack members searching for her. But he could only deal with one problem at a time, and right now the biggest one was finding that truck.
Gator’s phone rang and he pluc
ked it from his pocket. “Yes.”
Cole tried to focus on the conversation on the other end, but it was over before he heard much. “What’s Louis found?”
The phone was slipped back into Gator’s pocket. “He’s found the truck. I need to go back to the cabin, get one of our vehicles and meet him. He’ll drive their ride and I’ll follow to bring him home when it’s taken care of.”
Usually, Cole would have nothing to do with an operation that dealt in stolen cars, none of them would, but at times like these it was useful to know certain people. And not that he could cast stones. He’d killed three men today. Yes, they were murderous werewolves, but that didn’t change what he’d done to them.
“I’m going to follow their path out to make sure they didn’t leave anything behind,” Cole told Gator. Better safe than sorry.
Gator nodded. “Head back to the cabin when you’re finished. Louis and I will be back later today. It’s only a two-hour run. If we don’t encounter any problems, we should be there and back home again in time for supper.” Then his friend was gone, running swiftly through the woods.
Once again, Cole was struck by how lucky he was to have such good friends. No, not friends, but brothers. Considering the pack they’d all grown up in, it was a wonder any of them trusted one another. They had Jacque to thank for that. And Louis. Their example of friendship and brotherhood had given him and the others hope that they could build something different, something more than a brutally oppressive life in the pack they’d been born into.
He shook himself and bent all his tracking skills on the path in front of him. It was easy for him to trace it all the way to the roadside. The three male wolves hadn’t bothered to even try to hide their trail. But it still took him over an hour to work his way through the woods. He took his time, wanting to make certain he missed nothing and destroyed their tracks.
When he was satisfied there was nothing left to mark the passing of the three male werewolves onto Salvation Pack territory, he walked up onto the side of the rural road that led to their land. Gator and Louis were long gone, and only tire tracks remained in the dirt. Cole took the time to scuff them all out.
Wolf on the Run: Salvation Pack, Book 3 Page 4
