Accidentally Yours (Coyote Bluff Series Book 1)

by Lea Barrymire

  Ian could barely contain the need to dip his nose and bury his muzzle in the pink pussy millimeters from his face. He’d come back from relieving himself to find Cammie lost in thought. She’d sat on the steps, obviously waiting for his return. Fear and annoyance were thick on the slight breeze, making him want to sneeze. His wolf side wasn’t happy that she sat outside unprotected. The man side was thrilled she was naked under the robe. Both sides of his mind wanted nothing more than to take her inside and rub their combined scent all over her creamy skin.

  He had spent the last few hours going over all that he owed this female. According to pack law, if he’d still been part of a pack, he would owe her plenty. The Law of Debt would require him to acknowledge and pay her back in some fashion not only for saving his life, but also for bringing him into her home and tending to him while he was healing. Even with her being a human he still felt the need to repay her. But how?

  Even though he no longer answered to an Alpha he couldn’t wipe away his pack knowledge. It would be a grave error to ignore everything she’d done for him. His legs started shaking and he knew his strength was fading fast. His injuries were mending quickly, but he still felt like a freshly drowned pup.

  He lowered his rump to a step and rested his head on her thigh. A quiet sigh escaped his lips. Her fingers lazily stroked his fur and he would have purred if he were able. The feel of her light touch was soothing and arousing at the same time. He leaned his head into her hand, silently begging for more. He would be able to shift back to human form soon, but until then he would revel in the wolf. Enjoying the scents and sights through his animal was soothing.

  He’d spent way too much time in his human skin. Being a castaway and running from his old pack made shifting to animal form risky. He hadn’t let himself feel the pull of the forest for so long. Giving in tonight had been a mistake. He had known what would happen if some coyotes caught his scent, but the draw had been too much. His wolf had pressed too hard on his mind and, in a moment of weakness, he’d given in. The feel of the ground beneath his paws had been like coming home.

  Now though, he was paying for his moment of revelry. Now he owed this female. He feared that he’d brought his problems to her door as well. If the coyotes had caught her scent and found her, would they leave her alone because she was human?

  In his old pack he would have known the answer, but he didn’t trust the yippers. Perhaps he should finally approach the Alpha who controlled the town and ask that she be protected. He wouldn’t be able to do anything at all until he healed. It wasn’t going to be a hardship to hang out here with Cammie for another day. He could protect her, even with his injuries. That would be part one of his debt paid.

  The sound of a quiet sob pulled him from his thoughts. He hadn’t even noticed when she’d started crying, but now he felt the tremors running through her hand. He cocked his head slightly and caught a glimpse of tears sliding down her face. She had continued petting him even when her own pain was evident. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. He whined and rubbed his head on her thigh, trying to comfort her. He didn’t want to scare her, so he remained where he was.

  “I’m so stupid.” Her voice was quiet but he could hear the self-recrimination. “I don’t know why I stay with the guys I stay with. Maybe I wanted to get hurt.” She turned her head and stared into Ian’s eyes. The pain clouding her eyes was enough to make him hurt inside. He licked her hand as it stroked down his muzzle. She gave him a sad smile.

  “I just wanted someone to care for me, to keep me company. Was that too much to ask?” She sighed. “I’ve been so lonely since Daddy died. I guess I just grabbed onto the first man that showed any interest. Should’ve known I would find someone like him.”

  He watched her stare off into the trees. If she was talking about the person who’d caused her black eye he’d be having some words with the male.

  “I don’t know what I did in life to make Fate hate me so much. I’ve tried to be good. All I want is someone to share my life with. Ron obviously was a wrong choice, but shit,” she scoffed. “Don’t you think some warning should have gone off in my head? Female intuition? Something to warn me that he was a fucking abusive bastard?”

  They sat for a few moments, her deep in thought, his thoughts seething with vengeance. He swallowed a low growl that threatened to boil up his throat. He knew it would scare her, but his wolf was ready to track down the asshole and eat him. She moved slightly and he found her looking at him with a cute smile on her lips.

  “So you came back to me. Want some breakfast or a late night snack? I should name you, huh? I bet your owner is frantic that you didn’t come home. I’ll have Margie ask around tomorrow and see if anyone is looking for you.” She stood and a moan vibrated in her chest. Her movements were slow and the smell of pain oozed from her pores. Ian stood as well and would have laughed if he could.

  The two of them walked with the same slow gait, the one that announces in wincing glory that they were suffering right down to the bone. They limped into the house and he paused at the doorway between the laundry room and kitchen. Did she want him to follow her? He didn’t want to frighten her by going farther into the house. When she turned and grinned at him he thought he’d melt into a puddle. He knew she was only seeing the animal, but that smile was beautiful. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.

  “Come on, you can come into the house. If you were going to eat me you would have done it already.”

  She turned to the fridge and the view of her legs peeking from the bottom of her robe had him panting. She was gorgeous. Her shape was perfect, round and soft. He had to turn from the view in case she bent over to get something. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop the need to bury his nose in her crotch if she offered her fine ass to him.

  The kitchen was larger than he would have expected in the cabin. It was built of rough-cut lumber, stained dark and glossy with varnish. Cammie was either a minimalist when it came to decorating or she hadn’t been there long. Other than the ticking rooster clock on the far wall there were no decorations. He’d expected hearts or flowers and was almost disappointed that he couldn’t glean more information from her home.

  “How about an omelet? I’m hungry enough to eat one and Margie did tell me you can eat eggs.” Ian found it comforting and amusing that she continued to talk to him as if he should be able to understand. He knew she’d be blushing and embarrassed if she knew he actually could.

  Like a good puppy he sat just outside her work area and cocked his head sideways. He hoped the look conveyed enough interest that she would keep chatting.

  “I haven’t made an omelet in a long time. They used to be the only thing Daddy could eat.” The pain in her voice made him whimper. He watched her take a deep breath and could almost feel her burying the emotions. “Okay, so I’ve got cheddar cheese, mushrooms and a few pieces of sausage left over from dinner the other night. That should make us a couple fine dishes, don’t you think?”

  He gave in and lay on the hardwood floor, too tired to keep himself sitting. He closed his eyes and listened to the female bustle around the kitchen. She hummed lightly under her breath as she mixed the eggs. He stifled a grin, afraid the teeth would scare her if she looked over at him. He hadn’t felt so comfortable around anyone in a long time. He wondered if it would be the same in his human skin.

  “Okay, sweetie, your food is ready.” She reached down and placed a heaping plate of eggs and cheese on the floor in front of his nose. The smell was enough to make his stomach try to crawl out his throat to get to the food. He didn’t realize he was so hungry until he was within inhaling distance. He looked up into her face for a moment, and when she nodded he gave in. The first mouthful was hot and filling. The second was salty and soft. The third one finally had taste.

  She’d given him sausage and cheese in his eggs. Why that touched him was a mystery to him. Maybe it was the fact that she was up in the middle of the night, cooking and serving food to a wounded animal. She was
sore and hurting but she still felt the need to take care of him. In this form he was nothing but an injured animal to her. How much better would she treat him if he was in human form?

  He ate every molecule of the eggs, licking the plate clean. He laughed in his head at the thought that he was acting more dog-like than he ever remembered behaving. Maybe it was because it was expected of him? Would she find it strange for an animal to leave crumbs on the plate? Or that he could carry the plate to the sink in his teeth?

  To keep himself from causing her concern, he left the plate where it was on the floor. He felt bad when she grimaced as she bent down to pick it up. Although the move gave him a fantastic view of her creamy skin as her robe opened slightly at the neck. Soft mounds peeked through the opening and he swallowed a growl of appreciation. He wanted to see the pink nipples hidden within the material. He had a driving passion to taste the alabaster skin he could see. She smelled like peaches and cream. He licked his jowls just to make sure he wasn’t drooling. He might take on a few traits of his canine cousins, but drooling was something he refused to do.

  “Okay, sweetie. Let’s get some more sleep. You seem to be doing okay, so I’m not going to give you more pain medication. I think I need a few more ibuprofen though. My face hurts.” She continued talking as she washed their dishes and straightened the kitchen. “Let’s get you back to the laundry room.”

  She walked toward the door. He didn’t want to sleep out there. He wanted to be close to her. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her. If he couldn’t cuddle her and ease her pain as a man, at least he could comfort her in his wolf form. He sat in the middle of the kitchen floor and cocked his head, whimpering lightly. See, I can beg, even in this form.

  “Come on. Out you go.” She turned to look at him expectantly. The small furrow in her brow was adorable. She waved at him like she was directing traffic. “Come on. You need to go back out here.” She stood watching him for a few moments and then started to look at him with something close to frustration. Her foot started tapping the floor and her hands propped on her hips.

  “I probably should give you a name, don’t you think? I mean, I’m sure you have a name, but how else am I going to train you to listen to me?” Contemplation played across her face and he sat looking at her. He wanted to laugh at the way she treated him, but he was sure the growling bark that was his animal-laugh would scare her. Instead he tilted his head in anticipation, interested to see what names she came up with.

  “Let’s see. I could go with something as simple as Wolfie, although that is sort of unimaginative. How about Jacob or Seth? They are famous wolves, right?” He couldn’t help the sneezing cough that came out his snout as he tried to cover up his laugh. Naming him after werewolves was quite amusing. He whined slightly to try and dissuade her from naming him after those characters.

  She laughed. “No? You don’t like those names? How about Titan? I just read a story about Titan in one of my romance novels.” She looked at him, almost as if she was waiting for a response. It seemed like she knew he understood her. He tilted his head slightly and grinned, hoping she’d take that as a yes. She nodded, either accepting his behavior as an answer or just making her mind up. “Okay, Titan it is. That’s what I’m going to call you until we find your owner.”

  With the name picked, he stood and walked slowly to the foot of the stairs, sat and turned what he hoped were puppy-eyes at her. He even wagged his tail a little. He normally didn’t do cute, but he’d employ every option he could to get upstairs with her. You are falling for her, idiot, and she thinks you’re a dog. He heaved a sigh and cringed at the pull in his ribs. He was mending, but was definitely going to be sore for another day or so. He would attempt to shift to human form later, maybe after she fell asleep.

  Staying in wolf form was preferred anyway. The animal dealt with pain and discomfort so much better than his human skin would. He snorted. He really didn’t think Cammie would take it well if he suddenly was a naked male, staring longingly at her in the middle of her kitchen. Ian watched her irritation with a silent chuckle.

  She was a strong female to deal with everything she had since he ran into her car, and she still was going strong. He didn’t know too many women who would take in a wounded animal they thought was a wolf and treat it with such care. Fear no longer tainted her scent at all. The only thing he could smell on her was pain and irritation.

  “You can’t come upstairs with me, Titan. You could eat me or something, and then what? Who’d make you more eggs later? Come on, come out into the laundry room for me.”

  He turned and started up the stairs, grinning at the cusses she let rip behind him. She may look all sweet and soft, but she had quite the vocabulary. He followed her scent up the stairs and through a door into her room. It looked much more feminine than the downstairs, but it still was decorated in dark, rich colors.

  He stalked around, sucking deep lungsful of air into his chest. He couldn’t scent another male on anything. For some reason that eased his mind. He’d known that she’d been seeing someone, knew that the asshole hit her and caused the fresh injuries on her. Knowing that she didn’t allow the male into her bed made his wolf happy. She was still unclaimed.

  “What are you doing in here? Out. Now. You can’t be in here. There is no way I can sleep knowing you’re here.” Her anger was still tempered with a softness he wasn’t used to. She stood in the doorway watching him, with concern in her eyes. “Titan, out. You can stay in the hallway if you want to be up here, but that’s it.”

  Ian plopped his butt on the floor next to her bed, grinning at her, and slowly lowered himself to the floor. He huffed a breath of contentment when his head hit his paws. He turned his head just enough to look up at her. He watched emotions play across her face and found himself hoping she’d allow him to stay right there on her floor.

  She muttered to herself and slowly entered the room, watching him warily. Her fear made him want to sneeze. The scent was thick and ugly, but she wasn’t too afraid. He waited her out, watching her move around the room.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to do this. Sleeping with a wolf in my bedroom? Really, Cammie, you are so stupid.” She huffed around her room, pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed. Indecision played across her face as she studied him. “Fine. But, you aren’t to hurt me, got it? If you kill me I’m going to be pissed.”

  He chuffed low in his chest, a sound he meant to be soothing. She looked at him, startled for a moment, but then laughed. The sound of it washed over him, tickling his spine. She moved to the other side of the bed and he listened to her pull back the covers and drop her robe. He could see it pooled on the floor when he peeked under the frame.

  The soft sound of her sliding into bed was erotic enough that he almost shifted. She sighed deeply, humming slightly as she burrowed under the covers. How he wanted to be in there with her. He stopped short. Oh, you’ve got it bad, pup.

  He settled down, listening to her breathing slow. Once he was healed he wanted to meet Cammie in human form, maybe ask her out on a date. He could actually talk to her then, maybe hold her hand. His mind started playing through possible date locations as he listened to her finally fall asleep. He closed his eyes and grinned to himself. He’d never slept in someone else’s house in wolf form before, but he liked it in her home.

  Chapter Five

  Cammie looked around and marveled at the forest. It was nearly dark. She could barely see the remnants of the pink sunset through the bare limbs. Shadows had formed under the trees and undergrowth, making the edges of the clearing look sinister. The smell of fall permeated the heavy air. She loved the smell of dried leaves. There was something sweet to the scent that tickled her nose and brought her a smile.

  She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. She couldn’t remember what she was doing out there, but it was too nice to worry. She loved nighttime. Loved the quiet, the sense of the world going to sleep. Every breath she took calmed her. She’d felt edgy, anxious a
few moment before, but the night blanketed her in its soft silence.

  The sound of something approaching gave her a spike of adrenaline. When she turned to leave she looked down and noticed she was barefooted and wearing her favorite spring dress. The flowing skirt whipped around her legs, caressing her naked skin. What the hell am I doing outside in this dress and with no shoes?

  Her thoughts were fuzzy as she tried to think through that question. It wasn’t like her to go outside without shoes. It should be too cold for her to wear the spaghetti strap dress in fall, but the slight breeze on her shoulders was warm, like a summer night. She turned in time to watch her wolf enter the clearing.

  Maybe she’d gone on a walk with him? No, that didn’t feel right. Perhaps she’d chased him out into the woods because he was still hurt. That didn’t really feel right either, but she couldn’t remember how she’d managed to wander so far from her home. Her feet should hurt from the sticks and roots she would have stepped on, but she felt nothing. No pain at all.

  He watched her with that predatory stare that sent instinctual fear coursing through her. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t hurt her, but she didn’t want to bank on that thought. He looked better, though.

  Her mind glazed over for a moment. It was like thinking through cotton, or a pond of water. Each thought was slow to form, lazily winding through her brain. It would surge and ebb with a pattern she couldn’t grasp. She would be worried about it if she could keep that idea long enough to concentrate on it.

  A noise snapped her from her haze. Her wolf had approached her on silent feet. She hadn’t even noticed him coming closer. Cammie shook her head to dispel the muddled feeling but it did nothing but make her dizzy. She should be terrified, at least a little scared perhaps, but nothing changed. She watched the animal take two more steps toward her. His nose pressed against her leg, cold and wet. At least she could feel external things. His fur rubbed against her calf as he sank to the ground.