Bitten by Treachery (Hadley Werewolves) (2 page)

The morning sun cast a glow on her blonde hair, the strands like white fire. He slightly leaned forward, watching her gait while she approached him. Even though he was downwind, she was clearly visible since the sun was to her back. She had soft curves and long legs. If anything stirred around her, she didn’t turn her head to notice. Every now and then though, she adjusted the black backpack on her shoulder.

While traveling as a rogue, Trenton had seen plenty of women moving on their own, strappy gals in biker gear to young runaways like this one with dust covering their worn jeans. She had to be twenty to twenty-five. Old enough to be on the road, but not scary enough looking to keep the roughnecks off her trail. Rogue werewolves without a pack to keep them in line would circle girls like her and torment them for miles. He’d been lonely, but never that desperate. Such actions disgusted him.

He started the car and drove over to her. Might as well say hello. She didn’t blink once when he pulled up beside her. “Good morning, miss.”

She tilted her chin his way. He stared at her light-brown eyes. Maybe they were hazel. “Hey.”

“Where you headed out here all alone?”

“The nearest town.” She kept walking, forcing him to drive to keep up. His gaze flitted to the sun-kissed skin peeking between the two open buttons on her shirt. A gentle breeze flowed through the car, bringing her scent to Trenton: feminine, soft, with a hint of orange. Something else was there. A new one he’d never smelled before. It was ever-so-faint, like an afterthought of perfume from the night before on a woman’s wrist.

“You mean Hadley?” he asked.

She nodded, the gesture barely perceptible.

His eyebrows lowered. Most folks didn’t go out strolling through the desert for shits and giggles. There was nothing for miles except for rock formations, dirt, and dust devils. Kyle had warned him to be vigilant with strangers coming to town. The last thing they needed was more trouble after burying their dead not too long ago.

“You got family here?” he asked.

She finally stopped to give him a stern eye. “Am I under arrest or something?” Her anger floated off her and hit his nose like chili peppers.

“No, miss.” He flashed a grin. “We had some trouble a few weeks ago and now we’re careful, is all.”

Damn, he was just doing his job, but he felt sort of bad for putting her on the spot. She had an easy way about her, like she didn’t have an ounce of menace.

When she didn’t say anything, he kept talking. “How about I give you a ride into town? No more questions.”

She stopped walking. “Just a ride?”

“There aren’t too many places to go in Hadley, but I’ll get you there.”

Before she reached for the door handle, she hesitated. Her fingertips twitched. What the hell was going through her head? She stared at him intently.

Finally, she opened the car door and got in. “Thanks.”

CHAPTER TWO

Flying into Hadley under the radar was pretty much useless, not when she was escorted into town in a police cruiser.

Charly settled into the worn seat. The patrol car wasn’t the newest. She’d seen plenty of them in Vegas after the blood demon attacked the coven and escaped into the neighborhood. She tried not to check out the cop, but it was rather hard. His lean body filled his seat in a good way. And damn it all to hell, he smelled good, too.

After she’d left the coven’s private compound, she rode on a few buses and walked when she had to. Her slow transformation into a werewolf had made it difficult to live in her skin.
Everything
had a new smell. Most folks had the rank odor of unwashed skin. Citrus fruits like lemons had a sharp, yet tart scent. Even something as simple as flowers had an overwhelming sweetness she’d never before experienced. She expected the cop to smell like sweat and washed clothes. Yet his scent, one of new leather and spicy cologne, flowed through her nostrils and ran up her inner thighs like a lover’s gentle finger.

Her scent, on the other hand, had to be masked. She couldn’t merely saunter into Hadley as a witch, so the coven had given her a cover she would never have willingly agreed to: Live as a werewolf and help them or die by treachery with her mother.
 

Charly focused on the road. She had a job to do. She didn’t have the time to check out the vermin locals.

“Do you have a particular place you want to go?” he asked offhand. “A motel or the local coffee shop?”

“Not really. Either is fine.” Why did she have to get a talkative one?

“You got a name?”

“Charly.”

“Full name or short for something? I’m Trenton.”

“It’s short for Charlene. Do I need to give you my last name, too?”

He chuckled, and she hated herself for liking the low timbre of his voice. “No need to get defensive. I’m just doing my job.”

She shrugged in response.

The sparse landscape of a few trees and endless sand went by much faster now. Much more welcome compared to her walk where everything looked the same. She’d gotten dirty, and now she was tired of drinking the bottled water the coven had left her with. She’d picked up some fruit juice at a truck stop, but over time, it had come to taste too sweet.

“How long have you been a werewolf?” he asked.

She fought the urge to squirm. Now
that
wasn’t a question she’d expected. After the last werewolf guard had died, her coven had been diligent to educate their members on werewolf behavior. She’d learned they were observant like natural wolves. Their hearing was acute, too.

“Not too long,” she managed.

“You smelled new.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “Hadley’s a safe place—for now anyway. All of the humans in town know about us. If you’re looking for a good home to build up roots, you made a good choice.”

“I was told about Hadley,” she said softly. “Most folks said it was good but there were some...”

“Problems?” he finished. “Yeah, some witch caused us some grief not too long ago. She’s gone now, though, so don’t worry.”

She forced herself to relax her grip on her backpack. “Witch, huh? Have you ever seen one up close?”

“Nope, but I know what I’d do if I ever saw one. I’d
kill
her.”

Charly’s stomach dropped. She switched her gaze to the rolling desert landscape and tried not to think about his words. His icy threat made her wary, but it was rather hard to ignore him and that bothered her the most. For now, she’d let herself be glad to be out of the late-September heat and inside an air-conditioned car. Even if it was a cop car. Trenton seemed relaxed in the driver’s seat. From a side-glance, she noted his long legs. Thick arms covered in a brown, cotton uniform. His brown hair was cropped short and flecked with dark blond. A hint of a five o’clock shadow darkened his chin and cheeks.

She’d never had a boyfriend before, just brief flings with men per the coven’s strict rules. According to the sisterhood, worthy men were paired with the higher-ranking sisters. By the time a mate was culled for someone like Charly, she’d probably get a picture of a man instead of a real one.

“Most men pollute our blood magic, Charly,” her mother always said. “They’re a waste and only meant for brief trysts.” In a blood witch’s world, magic equated to power. Power protected and fed the coven. Why stray to concentrate on something so fleeting as a man’s affections?

Trenton turned toward her and picked up the radio handle. She jumped a little, but he didn’t react, thank goodness. “Hey, Rhonda. I’m heading back into town to clock out.”

“Sounds good, Trenton,” the woman replied over the static. “You can’t keep working overtime.”

He grinned, and Charly found it hard not to be at least a little charmed by the dimple in his right cheek. “Sleep is overrated.”

He ended the chat with the dispatcher as they entered town. Hadley wasn’t like any desert small town she’d seen before. Quite different from the outskirts of Las Vegas where the coven hid away, but this place was special. Beyond hills to the east, the land was a mixture of greenery and brick buildings. A water tower extended to the sky with the word
Hadley
across the middle in stark white. There weren’t any subdivisions with rows of new homes and manicured lawns or fancy shopping centers. Every corner boasted small-town living. They drove past a grocery store, a bakery, and a two-story school.

Trenton finally broke the silence while she took it all in. “We’re almost to the motel.”

Charly peered out the window with interest.

“How much does it cost to stay there?” she asked.

“Not a lot. About forty bucks for two nights, last I heard.”

She had enough money to buy a hot meal and that was about it. After the long trip, she was lucky to have that much left. She sensed his gaze boring into her.

“You won’t be staying in any motel tonight.”

Fear slithered down her back.
Did he figure out what she was?
“I appreciate the ride and all, but you can take me to the coffee shop, and then I’ll walk to the motel.”

He shook his head. “It’s best I take you elsewhere.”

The minute Trenton said he wasn’t taking her to the motel, her heartbeat picked up like crazy. He heard the rush of her pulse. Her sweat smelled of fright. Her scent betrayed her a lot more than her body language. He snuck a glance at her, her profile striking, but she kept her gaze focused on the parade of dust-worn buildings beyond the car.

His eyebrows lowered. Had something bad happened to her on the road? That was one of the problems with being rogue. It was every man and woman for themselves. For the ones without a pack, any creature or wayward human were threats. She crossed her arms, probably trying to come off as tough, but underneath, she was panicked.

As a cop, he should’ve questioned her to see where she’d come from and what plans she had in Hadley. But she’d open up soon enough, and some part of him hoped she might stick around a while. Especially since there wasn’t much action around here. To the women in town he was considered the new meat, ready for consumption. After the horrible attack from the witch, a few of the remaining females had been eager for his company after so many males had died. Most had expected him to quickly take a mate. As if it was his duty. Trenton didn’t see it that way. A part of him still roamed in the desert, alone. As to whether he’d find the right woman to bring him home, he hadn’t found her yet and wasn’t sure he ever would.

The drive remained quiet as Main Street turned to side roads. The bustle of town quieted to an occasional walker or a child riding a bike. Peace had returned to Hadley again. Trenton pulled up a long, stone driveway to a two-story brick house. The home had been recently updated, thanks to his boss’ diligent care. Once Kyle returned to Hadley with his mate Emma, he’d settled here. Trenton had good memories of visiting over a year ago and sitting on Kyle’s porch. At first, he’d been aloof, but Kyle was a good man. Whether they talked or had a few beers and ate burgers off the grill, this place had pleasant vibes and bringing Charly here was the best option. Emma and Kyle would take good care of her.

On the front porch, he spied a young woman perched on the swing, her face visible through the thorny rose bushes along the trestles. A wide grin spread along her face as she watched him approach. She leaped off the seat, her black hair bouncing around her.

Trenton parked in the back. The empty lots right outside of town had plenty of space. Emma and Kyle had a few acres to claim as their own.

Emma’s college-bound sister, Meg, strolled up to his rolled-down window and peered inside. “Who’s this?”

Charly stiffened, but her facial expression remained the same, thoughtful.

“This is Charly. She’s a new wolf that I picked up right outside of town,” he replied. “Seemed best to bring her here.”

Meg was all smiles as she leaned into the car for a better look. “Your timing is good, Charly. My sister’s making fried chicken for lunch. I’m guessing it’s been a while since you’ve eaten much. You hungry?”

The answer to Meg’s question came as a quiet growl from Charly stomach.
 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Meg said with a chuckle.

Trenton climbed out of the car and went around to the other side where he opened Charly’s door. He walked toward the porch, listening to Meg chatter while Charly trailed after them. Meg floated back a bit to twine her arm around Charly’s. “C’mon. We don’t
bite
.”

“Thanks.” Confidence lined her response this time.

“Let me introduce you to Emma, and then I gotta go check out at work,” Trenton said.

They headed inside, and Trenton followed his nose to the scents of food wafting through the house. Emma’s kitchen had to be one of the most cluttered in Hadley. Not that she cared. She worked full-time at the bank and usually brushed away offers from anyone for a hand. “If you pick up something, I’ll never find it,” she’d snap.

Apparently, Meg didn’t mind. She freed herself from Charly’s arm and walked around the mess in the kitchen. The young woman even tried to steal a piece of chicken cooling in a basket on the counter. She got a growl from her sister. “You’re not a pup anymore, Megan.”

“Don’t you need a tester to make sure it tastes good?”

Emma quirked a right eyebrow at her younger sister. The two had a close resemblance, only differing in the lines of worry along Em’s face. Emma had been through a great deal over the past few weeks rebuilding Hadley.

“Excuse my sister. We’re still working on her home training,” Emma said to Charly and then smirked at the snort from Meg. “I’m Emma Parker. Welcome to Hadley.” She extended a hand, and Charly reached out to shake it. He expected a quick handshake, but Emma lingered on the hold. Her gaze wandered over Charly, just long enough for Trenton to hold his breath. The inner workings of the females in the pack wasn’t his thing, but once in a while he suspected they assessed each other. They cataloged strengths and weaknesses all the time. A look was more than enough for him to know whether another male was more dominant, but women were more subtle and relied on actual touch.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Charly Benoit,” she said quietly.