by Lacey Thorn
“Are you in pain?” The rough, deep whisper across her ear sent shivers through her. The fingers on her belly rubbed softly before patting then brushing along her body as he withdrew and unwrapped himself from her.
She automatically rolled to her back and looked up at him. Gray eyes. Gray eyes that edged toward silver. Gray. It hit her all at once. The phone call from her former boss and colleague. The naked man. The wolf. The ATV.
“Did I kill anyone?” she asked while her brain processed the man-to-wolf thing. She’d always believed shifters existed. Had been fascinated by the concept from the moment her father had shared stories of them with her. She’d gotten her love of wolves from her mother, but the rest was her dad’s influence. The stories and legends. They’d even taken a trip to Africa to track down one of the legends. It’d been one of the most amazing experiences of her life. She and her best friend, Abby Lane, had enjoyed every moment.
Abby had a legend of her own to track down, one about large cats and people who shifted into them. Africa had been an amazing place and a fount of information. They’d both gone their separate ways once they’d gotten back stateside. She really needed to reach out to Abby. Soon
“Are you hurting?” the one who’d been behind her asked. Derrick.
She glanced toward the man in the chair. He was leaning forward now, watching her closely. Cody.
“I saw you,” she whispered, facing Derrick again. “I saw you running. Watched you shift. I know what you are.”
Derrick grunted, appearing unhappy at her choice of phrase. “What I am?”
“A wolf. A beautiful gray wolf,” she told him, recalling him exactly at the moment he’d shifted.
He smiled but didn’t offer a denial or agreement. He simply watched her. Perhaps waiting to see what else she remembered.
“I was watching you and didn’t see the all-terrain chasing you. I clipped them, sent them spinning and me careening down the ravine into a tree.” She touched her bandaged side. The limb had come through the windshield and scraped her right side raw while her seatbelt kept her firmly locked in place. If Derrick and Cody hadn’t come along, she might still be in the Jeep.
“Did I kill anyone?” she asked again, needing to know.
Derrick shrugged. “No idea. We only checked on you.”
She couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. It reminded her she was in a room with two men she didn’t know. No, two shifters. She needed a minute to breathe and process that. Really process it.
“Lie still and let me check your side again,” Cody ordered as he moved to the bed and sat beside her.
She pushed away his hands and sat up, gaze bouncing back and forth between Cody and Derrick.
“I don’t need you to check on me. I’m fine,” she snapped. “Though I do need a restroom.”
“Through there.” Derrick pointed her toward the door to an attached bathroom. She ducked inside and took a few minutes to gather herself before making use of the facilities then washing her hands and splashing some water in her face. She took a couple of deep breaths, her brain still going over everything that had happened from the moment she’d first seen Derrick running across the road.
“You okay in there?” It was Derrick, sounding unhappy with how long she’d been out of his vision.
She pushed the door open and stepped out, almost colliding with both of them. She jerked her torso back then hissed at the pull in her side where the bandage was.
“Your side?” Cody asked, leaning close. “I should take a look.”
“I’m fine,” Jess snapped, feeling overwhelmed by them and their attentiveness.
“Let the—” Derrick began, but she cut him off.
“I’m a doctor, and I say I’m fine.” She reached up to rub her neck and let her gaze stay on Cody. “What type of sedative did you use on me?”
Derrick growled, and Cody shot him an irritated look.
“A mild one,” he replied.
“Which doesn’t explain why you’ve been out for so long,” Derrick snapped, making her pause as she processed that bit of information.
“Exactly how long have I been out?”
“Close to thirty-six hours,” Cody admitted.
That certainly explained her pressing need for the restroom earlier. Thirty-six hours? She’d been exhausted due to increased bouts of insomnia lately. She’d gone for her run. Done her errands. Witnessed something that had thrown her for a loop despite her desire to see it. Then she’d been involved in a wreck, where she may have killed another person then basically been kidnapped by two strangers who didn’t exactly feel like strangers.
She blew out a deep breath and rubbed her temple with her fingers.
“Do you want anything for the headache?” Cody asked. “I can get you something.”
“I’m not sure I can trust you. You lied to me then drugged me.” She glanced around the room. “I think I should add kidnapping to that, which gives you the perfect trifecta.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Cody said, but Derrick let out a bark of laughter, his unrepentant grin giving him a boyish look.
“Are you a medical doctor?” Cody asked.
“I have multiple doctorates,” Jess informed him.
“Do any of them end with an M.D.?” Cody questioned with a lifted brow.
“Multiple degrees, huh?” Derrick sounded impressed. “In what?”
“Biochemistry, physiology, animal biology, and zoology.” She paused for a moment, debating with herself before finally adding, “I specialized in canis lupus.”
Cody appeared to hold a mental debate with himself. “Of course, you did. That’s just fucking perfect. Too perfect.” Before she could question the comment, he stood and held out his hand. “Come with me for a minute.”
“Where are you taking her?” Derrick demanded.
“Where?” Jess questioned at the same time. She couldn’t shake the feeling Cody wanted to test her on something.
“You know what we are. I’m not going to waste my time trying to convince you otherwise. Especially since we could really use your expertise.”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” Jess said, taking his extended hand.
Cody grasped her palm against his and tugged her to him, leaning down to snap his teeth in front of her face. “Fair warning. Wolves tend to bite back.”
“Cody.” Derrick’s voice held a growl, but it was Jess who laughed this time.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Now, what do you need my expertise on?”
“This way,” Cody said, pulling her from the room behind him, Derrick close on her heels. “One of our pack got hit with a dart. It was laced with a sedative, muscle relaxer, and anti-shift serum. Normal stuff for a group of hunters tracking us. Given time, that all wears off. But there was something else in this one. It’s something I can’t put my fingers on. And it’s not wearing off. Our friend is getting worse.”
Hunters using drugged darts? What the hell! There weren’t actual people hunting them. Were there? That would be ludicrous. Inhumane. Horrifying.
“Did you take blood samples?” she asked.
“Several right after it happened,” Cody answered. “I didn’t notice anything at first. But Michael complained of an ache under his skin. Something didn’t feel right. I took more blood. An anomaly showed up that time. One I’ve been trying to isolate.”
“Fever? Chills? Any nausea or vomiting? Rash or bruising at point of contact?” She fired off the questions as they walked, already thinking of what she needed to run, things to look for. “I’ll want to run some tests. I’ll need some equipment. I’ve got some stuff back at the cabin. But I’ll need more.”
“We have everything needed,” Derrick said from behind her, his palm covering the small of her back.
It was disconcerting how perfect it felt to hold Cody’s hand while Derrick had his hand touching her too. Two men. Strangers essentially. Yet she felt as if she’d follow them anywhere. She almost snorted aloud. That was exactly what she was current
ly doing, following them deeper into wherever they were taking her. She had no idea what awaited her.
Cody led them down a long hallway, down a set of stairs then into another room. Two men were already there. One sat in a chair. He had black hair shaved close to his head and deep-brown, soulful eyes. He stood when they entered, his gaze skimming over her from head to toe then back up to lock his eyes with hers.
“She’s awake,” he said, and she nodded, holding her hand out.
“Jess Mueller. Nice to meet you.”
He took her hand and used it to tug her closer, bringing the back of her fingers to his mouth. He brushed his lips over her skin. “Adrian Bronzen. Pleasure to meet you.”
He fascinated her, and she was startled by the same pull of attraction as what she felt for Derrick and Cody. What was the matter with her that she was attracted to three guys? Lord help her, her hormones were in overdrive. She was so wet her panties were drenched. Adrian inhaled, and his lids dropped low over his eyes, ruddy color staining his dark cheeks. These men couldn’t smell her. That would be too weird. She refused to ask, tugging her hand away and walking toward the bed and the fourth man in it.
Reddish brown hair lay in curls around a sun-bronzed face that appeared young and boyish in sleep. A sheet rested low on his abdomen, leaving a naked chest and damn near perfect abs on display. Fuck her. Four. She was equally attracted to four men. Wolves?
“Are you all wolves?” she asked, and her question seemed to hang in the air for a moment before one of them finally answered.
“Yes.” It was Derrick, his body heat close behind her.
She’d known. Or hoped. She’d believed for the longest time they existed. Because of that, she’d researched, planned and explored every clue and crumb of information she could find. She’d gone on trip after trip to hunt down legends and myths. God, she wished her mother was here. And her father. She couldn’t wait to share this discovery with him.
“This is Michael,” Cody told her.
“He’s the one who was hit?” she asked.
“Yes,” Adrian answered, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was an edge of guilt in the other man.
She reached out to touch a mark on Michael’s exposed skin. It was up high toward the shoulder. Was that where he’d been hit by the fucking dart? She brushed a finger across the spot then watched almost in slow motion as tanned fingers snagged her wrist. A startled gasp left her lips as she clashed gazes with Michael. Brown eyes so light they almost seemed golden captivated her. His lips tipped up at the corners, then she was airborne. Her back hit the mattress, jarring her side and drawing a hiss from her lips. Lips he immediately captured and claimed. His tongue dove deep, tangling with hers. She was just beginning to engage in the kiss when he was suddenly gone.
There was a crash as he flew across the room, and Derrick filled her vision. A very pissed off Derrick. He roared in rage, his gaze fixed on Michael, and she automatically leaned forward to reach for Derrick, wanting to sooth the beast he morphed into. Adrian edged closer toward her while Cody moved between Derrick and Michael.
“What the hell was that?” Jess questioned, drawing Derrick’s attention to her as she rose to her knees on the mattress to face him. “I thought he was your friend.”
Derrick seemed to have trouble getting his jaw to work so Cody answered for him.
“Michael grabbed you and forced himself on you.”
She shook her head, making sure she met all of their gazes as she did. “No, he didn’t.”
“He hurt you,” Adrian said. “We heard your hiss of pain.”
“No, I’m fine,” Jess tried to assure them.
“Don’t lie,” Derrick managed to snarl.
Jess pushed against his chest to get him to move as she gained her feet and stood before him, feet planted firmly apart before she thumped her fist against his unyielding chest.
“I don’t lie,” she snapped. “He might have caught me by surprise with the sudden movement, but I was as involved in that kiss as he was when you decided to toss your friend against the wall.”
He growled, and she slapped her hand against him again as she growled back.
“You might not want to push him right now,” Adrian warned while Cody watched them closely.
“Why? You think he’s going to hurt me? Toss me against the wall in a rage?” she fired out.
“I’d never hurt you.” Derrick’s chest practically vibrated with anger.
“I know that,” Jess replied softly then shook her head. “I don’t know how I know that, but I’m not going to question it. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know I don’t like what I just witnessed in this room.”
“It’s my fault,” Michael said as he came to his feet. She could see he was restless. It was the way he constantly clenched his fingers then shook them loose. The way he kept shrugging his shoulders and rolling his neck back and forth. The way he shuffled his feet. Something else was there, too.
“No, it’s not,” she challenged and moved to put distance between her and the four of them. She was tired, which was laughable considering she’d slept for thirty-six hours. She suspected her body was still recovering from everything that had happened, including whatever sedative Cody had introduced to her system. “I’m a grown woman. I make my choices, and if I hadn’t wanted your kiss, you would have known it.”
Derrick growled, and she flipped her gaze to him.
“I’m not sure what proprietary claim you think you have, but I make my own choices, Derrick.” She paused and gave a bark of laughter that had them all watching her curiously. “I have no idea why I’m reacting to all of you the way I am. It literally makes no sense. Maybe, it’s some type of wolfy pheromones you’re putting out.”
Cody snorted while Adrian laughed aloud.
“Wolfy pheromones?” Michael parroted. “Sorry, honey. No such thing.”
“Well, there’s something going on with the four of you. This isn’t normal for me.”
“This?” Derrick questioned.
She shook her head, refusing to give voice to the sexual desire she felt for four men, four wolves. What was wrong with her? She needed to get control of herself, which meant she needed some time alone. Her side ached, and she now sported a full-blown headache that pounded at her temples. Probably courtesy of Cody’s magic needle.
“Did I see my bag in your room earlier?” she asked Derrick.
“I grabbed it from the Jeep for you,” Cody informed her.
“Thank you. I’d really like a shower, something for my headache, and…” She paused to laugh. “As ludicrous as it seems, some rest.”
“I’ll show you to a room,” Adrian offered, which made Michael growl.
“I’ve got it,” Cody stated. “I’ll get you something for the headache, as well.”
“No, thank you,” she told him. “No offense, but I think it was the last thing you gave me that caused the headache to begin with.”
Cody growled. “I didn’t have a choice. We needed to move quickly, and given your condition, there was no way to do that without causing you pain.”
She nodded. “I’m trying to understand that. I’m sure I will once you all tell me what’s going on. I’ll have so many questions. I just need a little longer to let my body deal with…everything it’s been through.”
“I’ll show you back to the room.” Derrick crossed his arms over his chest as if daring her to tell him no. She didn’t miss the glare he sent toward Cody nor the expression on Cody’s face.
She moved toward the door. There was no missing the way Michael’s light brown eyes tracked her every movement while something between a growl and a snarl rumbled in his chest. She’d never felt more like prey to a hungry wolf. There was definitely something going on there. She had every expectation of figuring it out. Once she could think clearly.
“I’m capable of finding the room without any of you helping me, and I’d appreciate a little time to myself. I think the four of you could use a mome
nt or ten to figure out what’s going on with you.” She turned back to Derrick. “I know it’s your room, and I appreciate you letting me use it. I’m asking that you give me some space for a little bit. We’ll talk after I’ve rested. Please.”
“Alphas aren’t good at taking orders,” Derrick warned.
“That’s too bad,” Jess snapped. “Because I’ll only ask nicely once.”
She didn’t wait for a reply or another argument or anything else from them. She turned and went back the way they’d come, easily finding her way back to Derrick’s room. Sometimes, a lifetime of hoping and dreaming couldn’t prepare a person for the reality of their greatest wish. She blamed it on the wreck, the post-wreck shock, and whatever drug lingered in her system. She’d shower, put salve on her side, take something for her head, and catch some natural sleep so she could focus on the present with a clear head.
Cody’s earlier threat that she’d wake up in her bed thinking they were a dream still lingered in her mind and perpetuated a fear she couldn’t quite shake. No matter what they might think, she’d never forget them. She’d finally found her wolves. There was no way she’d walk away. Willingly or not.
Chapter Five
“She’s got you in knots,” Cody said once Jess had left the room.
Adrian snorted. “She’s got all three of you in knots, and I’m thinking I might not be far behind.”
“She’s mine,” Derrick rumbled, and Michael growled. “I saw her first.”
Cody did laugh at that. “This isn’t kindergarten. You don’t get to call dibs.”
“Agreed,” Michael snapped.
“What’s going on with you?” Derrick moved toward Michael, and Cody felt the need to step between them again.
“Cool off,” he ordered. “Both of you.”
“Michael?” Adrian asked, and they all watched as Michael paced the length of the wall, shaking his arms out, rolling his shoulders, then rolling his head back and forth.
“I don’t know. I feel…” He stopped, shaking his head again as he paused and bounced on his toes. “Like I’m crawling out of my skin. Like I need a good, hard run in my wolf skin.” His gaze bounced toward the door Jess had exited through. “Or a good, hard fuck.”
