Cole pulled a red lighter out of his pocket and placed his hand on my shoulder. His touch was electric, exciting every cell in my body. I leaned into him, wanting more. He slid his hand slowly down my arm and rested it on my wrist. He lifted my arm forward, toward the hearth. I kept my eyes ahead, anticipating his next move. After placing the lighter in my hand, he guided our arms toward the waiting logs. “Next we light it up.”
Cole guided my thumb down the wheel of the lighter, igniting the flame. We set the pine straw ablaze, and I sank down onto my mate’s lap.
He wrapped his arms around me. I leaned my head back into his hard chest and turned to look up at the gorgeous man I loved. He met my gaze with his lips on mine, moving tenderly. We moved together as one, tasting each other, showing each other the love we shared.
“Mmmm. I’m about ready for bed,” I said.
“Soon,” Cole said. “But first, let me feed you.”
I wasn’t hungry, but I knew better than to try to convince my man that all I wanted to taste was him. He seemed to feel the need to feed me. I figured it was another wolf thing, and his food was always delicious.
He led me to the kitchen, and I leaned my back on the counter as I watched Cole work his culinary magic. “Eric tells me we were hired to landscape at your bar.”
“Picking flowers and planting has never been something I enjoyed or had an eye for,” he answered.
“Bullshit. You’re good at everything.” I had yet to see anything Cole couldn’t do better than most, except maybe sharing his feelings. But I was breaking into his shell, and he was worth the challenge.
“I’m glad you think so, but I can’t keep a cactus alive. No green thumb,” Cole said with a small smile.
“Really? I never would have guessed. With the whole wolf thing, I figured you were master of nature. Plants and animals bending to your will,” I teased.
“I can hold my own against man or beast, wolf or bear. But you have me beat with plants,” Cole said.
“Bears, huh? I don’t really see a lot of bears, but I’m sure your big, bad wolf could take down anything. And if you wanted me to spend more time around the bar, you could have just asked. I don’t believe you really care about flowers,” I said.
Cole didn't say anything, so I changed the subject. I didn’t want to ruin the mood by focusing on the last time I went to Sawtooth Den.
“So do you really love cooking? Or just cooking for me?” I smiled at Cole while I chopped the tomato into uneven wedges.
“Well, I cooked for myself while you were in Elkston, but it didn’t give me the same joy. I love watching you eat, and knowing that I’m giving you what you need,” he answered.
“Granola bars, ramen, and coffee are all I really need,” I teased. “But your food’s so much better. Which is why I eat so much. If you don’t watch out, I’m liable to get seriously fat if you keep cooking like this.”
“I love your curves. I don’t like when women look like teenage boys. You’re soft and feminine, exactly the way you should be. And I’ll love you just as much if you lose or gain weight. But if it’s up to me, then you keep every inch of that ass.” Cole gave my butt a squeeze as he walked by.
“So what’s next?” I asked, warily eying the tomato that I had sliced into jagged and uneven chunks. If Cole had done the cutting, it would have been perfect, each piece the same, but it was only a tomato and he didn’t seem to mind.
“Well, you could move all of your belongings in,” Cole suggested.
“Uh, I meant with the food,” I said. Somehow I could promise him forever, but actually moving in felt scary as hell.
Cole looked over my shoulder at the butchered fruit. “How about tearing lettuce?”
“Sure.” I walked over to the fridge and found a head of romaine. I pulled it out, walked back to my cutting station, and attempted even tears of lettuce.
“Really, Hailey. Are you having reservations about us?” Cole asked as he checked the food in the oven.
I set down the lettuce and turned to him, leaning back on the counter. “No, not about us. I feel like everything is going right with you. I just feel guilty coming home to Sawtooth Peaks and then splitting on Liv pretty much right away. We haven’t spent that much time together, and I can’t tell her anything about my new life with you. It’s hard.” I left out my fear over what had happened with Frank. Things were going too well for us. I was terrified someone would come and screw it up. That the Tribunal or the cops would take him away. That the guilt he carried was my fault, as were any consequences that were yet to come.
Cole closed the distance and pulled me tightly against him. I rested my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. He ran his fingers through my hair as he held me. “After the Tribunal finishes their investigation, you can tell Liv what you want. What you feel you need to tell her,” he said.
Need to tell her. I didn’t know what I should tell her. Even with Cole’s blessing, I didn’t know that it was the right thing to do. I trusted my sister, but it wasn’t my secret to share. And I didn’t think it would be smart to talk about Frank Wilson. Ever. If we were waiting for the Tribunal, I had time before I could say anything anyway, time to figure it out.
The oven beeped and Cole went to check the food. I put the lettuce and tomato on two plates. My sad little salad. I added dressing from the fridge in a hand-marked bottle that read Italian Dressing. “Did you make this?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m not much for the store bought stuff. It tastes better to make your own,” he answered.
“Of course you did.”
Cole just smiled at me, then pulled a deep, aluminum-covered pan out with an oven mitt and set it on the stove. He pulled open the corner of the foil, letting out a puff of steam. The divine smell of our dinner took over the room—herbs and beef. I watched as Cole cut the roast into slices. He plated the vegetables from the bottom of the pan, then the meat, and topped it all with the herbed sauce it had cooked in. We took our plates to the bar and sat side by side for our dinner.
I felt better about my salad once I tasted it with Cole’s dressing. He was right—way better than store-bought. The green beans, carrots, and potatoes were all delicious, but the beef was the best part. It was tender and full of flavor. I scarfed down every bite and sipped the red wine Cole paired with the meal. Cole watched me as I ate. His eyes were intense, like me forking food into my mouth was some sort of erotic show. I loved the way he appreciated the littlest things, the way he took care of me.
We washed the dishes together, then I led him upstairs to the bed I had been waiting to be in since I had left it in the morning.
Cole placed his hands around my waist and lifted me easily to his eye level. Keeping him close, I wrapped my legs around his back and pressed my soft body against his hard chest. Cole’s honey eyes sparkled as he looked deep into mine, showing me his need mirrored my own. Desperate to taste him, I pressed my lips to his. Our mouths moved together as one as Cole lowered me into the cherry sleigh bed we shared.
Chapter Four
Cole
Crack. Fire roared in the hearth, devouring the dead wood beneath it. Every snap reminded me of the neck I had held in my hands, how little pressure was required to snuff out his life. The small man had collapsed onto the floor, like his bones had been removed. With his eyes closed and his anger washed away, he looked at peace.
My chest was tight, heavy with the weight of the man I had killed with my own two hands. I stared into the flickering flames, hot like the fire that had burned the pine box. If anyone deserved an unmarked grave miles from people that cared for him, it was Frank Wilson, or so I told myself. He would have killed Hailey. He couldn’t be allowed near her again.
But no one deserved to be burned and buried in the woods. The scent of melting flesh still lingered in my nose when I looked at the flickering flames. It was worse when I closed my eyes. I watched over my mate from my place in our bed. Her chestnut hair was spread across the pillow, framing her heart-shaped face. Easy br
eaths escaped her slightly parted, full lips. Her naked breasts rose and fell gently beside me, fair skin exposed above the white down comforter over her waist. I took comfort in watching my mate at peace, admiring her natural beauty as she slept. Knowing her nightmares had stopped and that she wasn’t in danger any longer made it all worthwhile. With time, after the Therion Tribunal concluded its investigation, maybe I could sleep too.
Careful not to disturb Hailey, I inched the blankets off of my chest. I sat on the edge of the mattress, craving the freedom of letting the wolf inside me out, needing to get up and move. Feathery rug fibers tickled between my toes. I had chosen lush fabrics and a soft mattress for my mate. She deserved everything, and I knew she would feel more comfortable surrounded in luxury than she had on the floor. I enjoyed the comfort of the bedroom to a point, but it was no match for the scent of the forest in my nose and the feeling of the cold dirt under my paws.
After rising slowly, I walked silently out of the room and down the stairs toward the front door. If I remained close to the house, I could be sure Hailey was safe while I ran off some energy. As a wolf, my heightened senses would alert me to anyone—or anything—that approached.
A wooden board creaked as I stepped onto the porch. I took a deep breath of cold, refreshing night air. The breeze carried hints of pine, dirt, and the night as it prickled my human skin. A raccoon scurried on the forest floor, and white-tailed jackrabbits slept under a bush. The dark, starry sky was clear above the trees as the crescent moon lit the forest below.
I let go of my control and allowed myself to be the animal I needed to be. My bones cracked painfully, echoing in the quiet forest. Human memories, sadness, and regret faded to the back of my mind as I basked in the release of the change. Fur sprouted all over my body, warming my skin. The sweet scent of my mate still clung to me as my face extended and my hands shrunk.
As a massive black wolf, I took off at full speed. The wind pressed against my fur as my huge paws pounded the pine needle-covered ground. I stayed close to the house, unwilling to leave Hailey’s proximity. Car-sized rocks in shades of burnt-orange and silver decorated the landscape I used as my playground. I wove between tree trunks and leaped over chasms separating rocks. The tension in my muscles lessened as I relaxed and focused on the motion. A majestic great horned owl swooped down and picked a gray mouse off of the forest floor. It flew back up above the treetops in a flash. I ran after the owl, following its path above me as I moved along the ground, enjoying the company of the silent predator. When my companion settled into a treetop to eat his meal, I decided it was time to go back. Maybe I would be exhausted enough to get an hour or two of sleep before the sun rose.
A familiar scent traveled across the breeze as I padded up to the decking by my front door. Harkins, my long-lost enforcer. I shifted back to my human form, back to responsibility. After days of being missing, he would not be bringing me good news. The last thing I needed was more shit to deal with. But at least he was still alive. I went in to put on some clothes while I waited for Harkins.
I dressed myself in jeans and a white t-shirt as I listened to the approach of the familiar 1972 Chevy. Flames roared in the hearth while I sat and waited for the rumble of the truck’s engine to cease. When I heard the bang of the truck’s door, I stood in the doorway to my home and waited to greet my friend.
By the look of him, I knew I was lucky that Harkins had made it back at all.
“Harkins, you look like hell. Please, come in.” I stepped back and held out a hand, gesturing for him to enter.
His left leg dragged while we walked silently to the kitchen, where Harkins sank onto a bar stool. He clung tightly to a cardboard box like it held everything he owned. Dried blood was crusted to his hairline, adhering to his short brown locks. One eye was swollen completely shut by inflated black and purple skin. Thick red lines crossed down the length of his square face, likely claw marks from a day or so before, based on his accelerated healing rate. His filthy black t-shirt and tattered jeans were likely the same clothes that he had been wearing when he disappeared. With his thick beard and wide frame, he reminded me of a wounded grizzly.
I pulled two bottles of beer from the fridge and popped off the caps, placing one on the counter in front of Harkins. With the way he looked, I knew we would both need a drink for this conversation.
Harkins tipped back the bottle and poured its contents down his throat in one endless swig. Impressive. “Another,” he said through his teeth, holding tight to the box in his lap.
I obliged and waited. The second bottle went down slower than the first. After drinking half, Harkins spoke. He sounded exhausted, and his voice was solemn.
“Heard from Derek, one I sent for Garret. He’s solid, one of my best. He called, said to meet ’im at the cave down outside Ellistown. Figured it wasn’t too far into valley territory, and I trusted ’im.” Taking a last swig, and downing the beer, Harkins set the second empty bottle next to the first.
“Another?” I asked.
“Nah. After I finish,” he answered. “Went down, left my truck on our side, and found Derek. He was in the cave, on the ground in human form. Hands were zip-tied. Feet too. Face was bashed in, chest torn up. Teeth and claw marks looked like wolves. He was a good man.”
“Yeah, he was.” I didn’t know Derek well, but Harkins trusted him. Derek was a big man, and a sizable wolf. He wouldn’t have gone down easily. He left behind a mate and a set of twins who looked just like him. The part that disturbed me most was that he was tied and murdered as a man. No shifter with any honor would treat another that way. First the wolf that attacked the men in the woods, then the one that attacked Hailey, and now this. Even if I went in today to try to reason with these assholes, there wouldn’t be any way to keep the Tribunal out of it. It had become too big.
“Untied the poor bastard and put ’im on my shoulders. Figured Layla deserved the chance to give ’im a proper burial,” Harkins continued. “Carried ’im two miles back to the Chevy, and found five assholes waiting.”
“Anyone you recognized?” I asked.
“No, but the bastards broke my leg and took me back to Crazy Eyes himself. Guy was damn near as big as you. Big yellow beard, an’ one eye missing. Boss is held up in Ellistown. Saw some faces there that I knew. Town’s gone to shit. Wolves walked in the streets, humans all ran off or in hiding. They built a wall outta wood and metal. Tore it right off the houses. Stratton Walker’s head sat on a post at the gate. Crazy Eyes seems to be held up in the old Mayor’s house, center o’ town.”
Holy shit, I thought, and took a swig of my beer. The situation was so much worse than I had thought. I was in way over my head. It wasn’t just a few assholes causing trouble, it was the subjugation of an entire town, the destruction of a decent pack. I looked to my friend and said, “I wonder how the Tribunal hasn’t heard about this.”
“Don’t know. Saw Stratton Walker’s mate. Girl’s thin, looks defeated. Crazy Eyes has her in some sort o’ prom dress or somethin’. Her brother was hangin’ around her. Lots o’ other she-wolves lookin’ as miserable as Stratton’s mate, but with bruises. Didn’t know any o’ the enforcers.”
“So did Crazy Eyes talk to you?” I asked.
“Yeah, sent a message.” Harkins set his cardboard box up on the countertop. “Says his name is Dashiell, an’ to give this to you.”
I looked at the battered box that Harkins had been clinging too, the gift of a mad man. The way Dashiell had treated my men was message enough, so what else would a man I had never met send? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. A thin, red fluid soaked the bottom of the cardboard, and it reeked of death, of what smelled like a dead animal. I lifted the weathered flaps of the worn, brown box open and looked inside.
“Shit,” I said. “I’m going to need another drink.”
Chapter Five
Cole
As the thrum of the roaring engine faded in the distance, I walked up the stairs to check on Hailey. I found my mate co
ntent in our bed, hugging my pillow. She looked so peaceful while she slept, with lips curved up slightly on the sides. Maybe she was dreaming about me. I pulled the soft, down comforter over her bare shoulders and kissed the top of her head. My Hailey smelled like vanilla and like me, exactly the way she should.
“I love you, Hailey,” I whispered.
Before I left, I grabbed a paper and pen. It was difficult to figure out what to say. Though I had warned her that I may have to travel unexpectedly or deal with undesirable situations, I didn’t want to leave her side. Hearing it and accepting the idea was easier than living with it when it happened. When she woke, I wouldn’t be here. I hated that. It wouldn’t last though, and I would be with her again. Unfortunately, this meeting couldn’t wait. I left a note for Hailey on the counter, and put on my jacket and shoes. My chest tightened as I locked the deadbolt.
Around the side of the house, my bike waited for me in the garage. Few days remained before snow would force me to drive the truck everywhere I needed to go. I could smell it in the air—winter was coming. After pulling the bike out of its place, I was sure to lock the garage door. With the house secure, I straddled my Harley and left to deal with the shitstorm that loomed.
Brisk wind washed over me as I rode through the woods, my headlight guiding me through the darkness. Daylight would break before the meeting ended. Sleep wasn’t likely anyway, but I wished I was in bed with Hailey. It was harder to leave knowing that Crazy Eyes, Dashiell, targeted me as his enemy. If anyone knew I had mated Hailey, it would put a bull’s-eye on her head as well. It wouldn’t matter that I wasn’t alpha; Dashiell had specifically called me out. I rode along the curving path through the dense forest and onto the road to town.
Light escaped the windows of Sawtooth Den in a town otherwise still asleep. Street lamps lit the small yards of the Victorian homes and storefronts that lined Main Street in a rainbow of hues. The colors were subdued in the black of night, and the dark windows of the town were a reminder that it wasn’t late evening or early morning, but the dead of night.
Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set Page 15
