Wolf in the Woods

by N. J. Walters

  It was difficult to believe Addie had run off with a human. It was totally out of character for the quiet, pretty wolf. She wasn’t the type to worry her folks or get into trouble. But Simon had no reason to lie to him.

  Which was why he was on his way to Orin Fuller’s home.

  Addie was a woman, not a child, but he was still worried. Maybe Simon had misunderstood the situation. He knew his pack members well, and that boy was a troublemaker to his core.

  Maybe she was seeing a human male. That didn’t set well with him. There were no outsiders in his pack. Wolves belonged with wolves, and humans with humans. Best case scenario, she’d spend a few days with the guy, come to her senses, and return home.

  Addie was young and restless because she wasn’t mated with a home and young of her own. She really needed to pick one of the eligible males in the pack and settle down. Maybe a day in Lexington doing some shopping would help. Even his wife liked to do that from time to time.

  Ryan shuddered, wondering why anyone would prefer to be in a crowded city over running wild in the woods. There was no accounting for people’s taste. But he kept his mouth shut when Massie announced she was taking a shopping expedition. Being mated all these years had taught him something about women.

  Thinking about his mate made him smile. He was indeed a blessed man. He had his Massie and his two sons, who’d both mated and had children of their own. He had his pack and their land. It had been quiet for years. He liked quiet.

  Orin Fuller was sitting on the steps of his porch as Ryan strolled up. “Afternoon, Orin.”

  He stood and nodded. “What brings you out this way?” He motioned to the steps and Ryan sat.

  “How is Addie?”

  Orin stiffened and didn’t retake his seat, which surprised him. There was something going on here, something he wanted to know.

  “She’s fine. Why do you ask? You’re not thinking about making her mate, are you?”

  Some folks might construe that as a challenge, but he saw it for what it was—a man’s fear for his daughter. Ryan had only had sons. That was much easier, in his opinion. But he had young granddaughters now, and had spent considerable time thinking about how he’d feel if someone tried to make them mate before they were ready.

  He didn’t like it. Not one bit. “No one is going to force Addie to do anything.”

  Orin’s shoulders slumped and he nodded. “Good. That’s good.”

  “But it’s something she needs to start seriously thinking about, and soon.” It was time. Her being single was creating tension among the unmated males. “Where is she?”

  His friend looked at the ground. He waited, knowing that silence could be an effective weapon.

  When Orin finally raised his head, there was pure torture in his eyes. “I don’t know. She called to say she was safe, but she left to go for a run yesterday and that’s the last I saw of her.”

  Simon had told him the truth. It also confirmed Orin and his mate were totally shocked by her actions. “No ideas why she left?” he prompted.

  “She’s not saying, but I’m thinking she maybe had trouble with one of the younger men.” He paused and peered out into the trees. “She says she met someone.”

  “Where in the hell would she meet someone? And a human, no less?”

  “A human?” Orin’s jaw tightened.

  “According to Simon, he saw her run off with a man she called Billy Gallagher.” This wasn’t good. Not at all. It would breed unrest in the pack if one of their eligible females ran off to be with a human. “I want to know where she is.”

  Orin nodded. “I want that, too.”

  Of course he did. He could be no happier about this than Ryan was. He went to the man and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll work this out.” Orin didn’t look convinced. “Keep me informed.”

  He headed home, wanting to talk with Massie as well as his sons. Over the years, he’d learned to gain their counsel before making any decisions. It hadn’t always been that way, but as he liked to put it, you could teach an old wolf a new trick.

  As he walked, he sensed someone watching. He hadn’t gotten to be alpha and stayed that way for so long by being stupid. He ignored whoever it was and kept walking.

  As it happened, his eldest son was also out for a stroll. “Seth.”

  “Hey, Daddy.”

  Once they were close, Ryan spoke under his breath. “Someone is trailing me. Find out who.” In a louder voice, he continued, “You coming for supper? Your momma is expecting you.”

  “On my way home to get my mate and the kids.” Seth hugged him and strolled off. He would circle around and find whoever was out there. His sons were the best trackers in the pack. He wanted to know why someone was so interested in his conversation with Orin Fuller.

  ****

  Simon slunk back into the woods. He’d hoped the alpha would call out Addie’s folks, maybe even fight her daddy, but no such luck. All they did was talk. And her daddy was clueless about where she was.

  He wasn’t surprised she’d called home, but it seemed she’d kept her mouth shut about the details. The older man wouldn’t lie to the alpha.

  Simon had expected her to ditch the human and run home to her folks last night. It’s what he would have done in her position. She didn’t have a job outside the pack or any money with her.

  The last thing he’d expected to find when he went looking for her was Billy alive and her running off with him. Did she think Billy’s pack would take her in? Maybe they would. They already had weak humans willingly in their midst.

  He wouldn’t stand for it and didn’t think Ryan would either. Addie belonged here. It was time for her to fulfill her obligations and mate. As far as he was concerned, if he caught her, she was fair game. He’d make her his, and there would be nothing her daddy or the alpha could say about it.

  Plan set, he loaded some supplies aboard his truck and headed out. No one would miss him. And if they did, they’d assume he was out running or hunting. He was confident he’d find Billy’s pack fairly quickly. After all, he had a starting point—Salvation, North Carolina.

  He was too busy thinking about Addie to notice there was someone watching him.

  Chapter Seven

  Billy was warm and cozy. The heat of the sun warming his face told him it was morning. He loved using the sunrise as an alarm clock. It sure as heck beat some loud beeping noise any day of the week.

  He usually woke energized and ready to start the day. His mother always told him it was because he slept like the dead and always had. It still took a lot to wake him during the night. But this morning, he wanted to linger.

  He was … content. Not a feeling he’d had much lately.

  The bed dipped slightly, and he realized he wasn’t alone. That surprised him. He’d been camping, hadn’t he?

  As though a switch had been flicked, his memories came pouring back. Addie. It was Addie in his arms. He could scent her now. And wasn’t that a kick. She smelled sweet and woodsy. And after sleeping in his arms, she was covered in his scent. He liked that.

  He also caught the faint tinge of blood and antiseptic and sweat.

  That wasn’t nearly as pleasurable.

  He opened his eyes and blinked. Yup, he was home. He hadn’t dreamed that part. But why was the sun streaming into the room? It had been afternoon when they’d arrived, hadn’t it?

  When she changed positions again, he became very aware of her hand on his bare chest and her thigh thrown over his. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. He hadn’t meant to wake her, but her eyelids fluttered open. Then she blinked and sat upright in the bed, a frown chasing away her smile. “You’re awake.”

  “Yup. And you’re still here.” That had been his biggest worry—that she would somehow slip away. The thought of her being on her own with Simon still out there chilled his blood.

  Content all was well, he closed his eyes and sighed.

  “Don’t go back to sleep.”

&n
bsp; His eyes popped open in response to her fear, his entire being on alert. Something primal stirred deep within him. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’ve been out for hours and hours.” She glanced at the clock. “Almost twenty.”

  No wonder she sounded scared. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep that long.”

  “Your momma has been worried sick about you. Everyone has,” she added.

  He eased upright and tentatively rolled his shoulders. The injured one hurt slightly, but all things considered, he was doing great. Had Addie been with him this entire time?

  She was still wearing the shirt he’d given her. Her hair was bedraggled and smelled earthy, like the water from the stream.

  She squirmed slightly under his perusal and tugged at the shirt. “I need to shower and find some clothes.”

  Damn, he hadn’t meant to make her self-conscious. He pressed his hand against the side of her face and shook his head. “You’re beautiful.” He leaned forward, giving her time to object. When she didn’t, he gave a sigh of relief just before their mouths touched.

  She made a small sound of pleasure and deepened the kiss. Their lips melded. Hers were sweet and soft and welcoming. He’d kissed his fair share of women, but none of his experiences had prepared him for this.

  He wanted to eat her up.

  But even with need clawing at him, he kept it light, let her take the lead. That was important. He never wanted her to feel trapped or pressured.

  When she parted her lips, he groaned and took the silent invitation, delving inside. She tasted like heaven, like Addie, like his.

  He wanted a hundred mornings like this. No, make that a thousand. More. He wanted to wake with her in his bed, in his arms, as the sun streamed in on them every morning for the rest of his life.

  When it came to important decisions, he wasn’t an impulsive man, preferring to take his time and figure things out, but this didn’t feel impulsive. It felt necessary and right.

  He had no idea what Addie was thinking. Sure she was attracted to him, but that didn’t mean she’d want to stay and explore the possibilities. She’d run from one wolf to keep from being mated. What made him think he was any different, especially since he was now at least partly wolf?

  He licked the inside of her mouth, capturing her groan of pleasure. When she returned the caress, every muscle in his body tightened. His cock pressed against his jeans, trying to escape the tight confines.

  Oh yeah, he wanted her in every way a man could want a woman, but most of all, he wanted her love.

  Considering the length of time they’d known each other, it was a shocker. But they’d been through more in that amount of time than most couples faced over the course of years together. He knew who she was at her core. He admired her strength and compassion. He loved her body and was attracted to her.

  He almost laughed. Yeah, he was attracted, as in he was going to come if he didn’t stop kissing her. He was so close to the edge it was crazy.

  But he kept on kissing her, not wanting this moment to end. It was special. The rest of his pack would be waiting, needing to talk about what happened, to reassure themselves he was okay.

  He was surprised no one had intruded.

  It was with great reluctance that he released her. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. It took every ounce of strength he possessed not to tumble her back onto the bed, remove the shirt she wore, and make love to her.

  But he had to be smart and take his time, not do anything to make her feel rushed or trapped. Time was his ally.

  “Wow.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Oh yeah, wow.” Addie really packed a punch.

  She scrambled out of bed or tried to. He caught her hand and stopped her. “Everything will be okay,” he promised. He had no idea how he would make it happen, only that he would.

  ****

  She wanted to lick her lips. Awake and alert, Billy Gallagher was one smokin’ hot male. And he was no longer fully human. Her wolf sensed it. She sensed it.

  Her attraction to him was getting out of control. She couldn’t let it happen. It was too dangerous to both of them.

  “I need to get cleaned up. I’m sure your family has a lot of questions. I’ll answer what I can before I leave.”

  “There’s no rush, is there?” Totally relaxed, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “You’re welcome to stay.”

  That was a huge assumption on his part. She figured his pack would be happy to see the back of her now that he was awake and well. “I’ve brought nothing but trouble,” she reminded him.

  “None of that was your fault. I chose to get involved.” While that was true, she’d put herself in the precarious position in the first place. Not on purpose, but there was no changing the facts.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” She hated sounding pitiful.

  “What do you want to do?” He tugged her closer so they were both sitting on the bed with his arm around her shoulders.

  She shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. I can’t stay here.”

  “Why not?”

  Surely he understood all the ramifications of her staying, but if he didn’t, she’d gladly point them out. “First off, you have no idea if you’re a full werewolf now or some version of half-breed.”

  “So?” He stretched his arms over his head, momentarily distracting her with the rippling muscles in his arms and chest.

  He was surprisingly nonchalant about the entire thing. She couldn’t tell if he truly felt that way or if he was trying to keep her from worrying. Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

  “If I stay, Simon or someone from my pack will eventually show up. What happened is not going to just go away.”

  Whatever she did would impact her parents. She was damned no matter what she did. Going home to her pack meant she was consigning herself to never see Billy again, to most likely eventually mating with some wolf in her pack. Staying here meant Billy and his pack would be under attack from Simon, maybe from her entire pack.

  He held her hand in his, but she didn’t feel trapped like she normally did when a male wolf touched her. Just the opposite. She wanted to curl up in his arms and stay there. That was very out of character. She’d always been fiercely independent.

  One step at a time. “I need to shower.” She was grubby and didn’t smell the best. Nothing but absolute exhaustion could have allowed her to fall into bed alongside him without getting cleaned up first.

  She pushed herself up off the bed. “Can I borrow something to wear?”

  When he tried to tug her back down beside him, she took a step away, ignoring the way his eyes narrowed. “There’ve been people in and out checking on you. I’m surprised no one has knocked on the door.” But they would. And she wanted to be ready in case they decided it was time for her to leave.

  She was kinda surprised she hadn’t already been sent on her way, but they’d left her and Billy alone. Maybe they thought he’d heal better with her nearby.

  But he was back on his feet now.

  He raked his free hand through his hair and yawned. His hair was so light and his eyes a beautiful blue, unlike most of the dark-haired, dark-eyed men of her pack. He was strong without being bulky, but there was no escaping the width of his shoulders, the ripple of his biceps, and the delineated lines of his abs. The scruff of a beard on his face only added to his appeal.

  She wanted to run her hands all over him, exploring every hard inch. Warmth spread through her body, pooling between her thighs.

  Her gaze flowed over him, stopping when she got to his lower half. He was still wearing his jeans, but they did little to hide the outline of his arousal. She could smell it, too, the change in his body chemistry.

  It belatedly occurred to her that he could now smell the changes in her body as well. She tensed, waiting for him to say something, but he just nodded. “Okay,” he readily agreed. “I need to get cleaned up, too.”

  The bedroom door suddenly opened, and his momma wa
lked in. “You’re awake.” She hurried to the bed with her arms open. “My baby.” She practically fell into his arms, hugging him so tight it brought tears to Addie’s eyes.

  “Hey, Mom.” He kissed the top of her head. “Everything is okay. I’m fine.” Most men she knew would have been embarrassed by the emotional display and intimacy in front of her, but not Billy. He returned her hug just as fiercely. There was a deep bond there. “I’m too ornery to die just because some wolf bit me.”

  His mother laughed, but Addie knew better. He was protecting Sue. They both knew he had died for a short time. She’d never forget that moment, not as long as she lived. God knows she didn’t want to keep reliving that particular memory, but it was indelibly stamped on her brain.

  Sue pulled back and ran her hands over his face, as if reassuring herself that he was indeed awake and alert. Then she gingerly touched the wound on his neck. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

  He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “It’s over and I’m home,” he reminded her.

  Wanting to give them some private time, Addie slipped into the bathroom, slid the door shut, and leaned against it. There was a tightness in her chest and she rubbed at the ache. Her parents loved her. She didn’t doubt that, but Sue had defied all logic and given up her entire way of life to embrace that of her mate. And she’d brought her son into their world. How much courage and trust had it taken? Now she had to accept that he was no longer fully human.

  “How are you feeling, son?” Since there was no soundproofing between the bathroom and bedroom, Addie heard Elias’s voice. They were a close-knit family. She put her hand on the wooden panel separating them—lost and alone.

  Feeling almost like a voyeur, she stepped away from the door and stared at herself in the mirror. Yup, her appearance was as bad as she’d thought.

  Turning away from the bedraggled image, she cranked the taps in the shower. After discarding the shirt she’d worn for so long, she stepped beneath the hot spray and sighed with relief. The water rained down on her head, washing away the fear and dirt, as well as Billy’s scent and her arousal.