Secret Seduction: BBW Werewolf Romance (Wolf Pack Protectors Book 1) (3 page)

Den? Oh God, the wolf. The floor swayed beneath her feet. The wolf man took a step forward, but she recoiled in fear. “Stay away from me.”

The corners of his mouth turned down. “I saved you from the human that was trying to kill you.”

A chill shimmied down the backs of her thighs. She held the tattered edges of her dress together in an effort to cover her exposed skin.

In a softer voice he said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Something in his tone made her want to trust him, but she knew better. To trust any strange man after the date from hell would be foolish.

“I want to go home.”

A soft feminine voice came from behind the man. “You’re not going anywhere, missy, at least not until tonight.”

A naked woman with long gray hair sidestepped the man. “I’m Akila and that’s Ryker. He found you last night and I patched you up.”

Diana averted her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Diana.”

“Good thing for you that hunter was a bad shot.”

“He wasn’t a hunter.”

Akila cocked an eyebrow. “Did you know him?”

“I was on a date.”

“Worst date ever, or was he your boyfriend?”

Ryker’s wandering gaze snapped to attention.

“He wasn’t my boyfriend, just a guy I met through an online dating site.”

“An online what?”

“I’m guessing you don’t have internet here.”

Akila gave her a blank look. “Nope.”

Ryker watched her with inquisitive brown eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder at his sudden interest. A dull ache curled in her belly. She was hungry, but for what? As tempted as she was to let her eyes roam lower, she forced herself to keep her head up.

“We can’t let you leave yet,” he said.

“Why not?”

“You know what we are.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “What do you mean?”

Ryker glowered at her. “You saw me shift.”

“I’m not sure what I saw,” she lied.

“You saw me shift from wolf to man.”

“No,” she whispered. “It’s impossible. Werewolves are just a myth.”

“We’ve been around for thousands of years, but humans are afraid of us. They like to pretend we don’t exist because the alternative is too frightening, which is why we can’t let you leave.”

“You can’t keep me a prisoner.”

The muscles in his face relaxed. “We won’t, but you won’t be allowed to leave until tonight. We can’t have your people finding our den and killing us.”

“I wouldn’t tell them, I swear.” She cringed realizing she’d said the exact same words to Zane.

“We can’t take that chance. We’ll take you back to town tonight when it’s dark. But for today, you’re going back to bed to rest.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand.

“This is not negotiable.”

Diana shot a hopeful look at Akila, but she nodded in agreement. “Come with me.”

Ryker stepped in front of the women, blocking their path. “I’ll take her.”

Akila cocked her head to one side as if she was considering something. “Let me know if you need anything.”

The muscle in his jaw quivered as he turned and disappeared into the darkened hallway. Diana hesitated. She could turn and run the opposite direction and hope to escape into the woods. But realistically, there was no way she could outrun a wolf, or even a man. She’d tried that last night and failed miserably. She sighed and scurried after him.

Back inside the room, she sat on the bed she’d woken up in. Ryker leaned against the far wall, one leg casually draped across the other.

The skittering in her stomach slowed. He hadn’t attacked her. In fact, he’d saved her and taken care of her wounds. She relaxed slightly. Maybe she could trust him, but that didn’t mean she wanted to spend the rest of the day looking over her shoulder.

She mustered up as much courage as she could and in a firm tone said, “If I’m stuck here until tonight, I’d rather be alone.”

“I was going to offer you some food, but suit yourself.” He brushed past her on the way to the door.

“Wait. I’m sorry. This is so surreal.” She grabbed his firm upper arm to stop him, but he yanked it away.

“If you want to be alone, I get it. I can send someone to check on you from time to time. Even if you don’t think you’re hungry, you’ve lost a lot of blood and need nourishment.”

She prided herself on not being a sniveling crybaby, but the compassion in his voice destroyed the last thread of control. She hung her head as a tear rolled down her cheek.

He mumbled something under his breath as he tried to draw her into his arms. She pushed away and turned her back on him. She didn’t need another man touching her right now. She sniffed back the flood of tears that her body threatened to unleash.

Ryker spoke in a soothing voice. “You can trust me. If I’d wanted to kill you, I could have easily done it after you fainted.”

“That was so embarrassing.”

“It happens. Not everyone gets chased by a gun-wielding psycho and saved by a werewolf in one night.”

She smiled. He had a point.

He smoothed the unruly curls away from her face then gently rubbed her back. His smooth skin smelled like rain-washed pine. She didn’t push him away this time. Instead, she tilted her head up. Her cheek grazed the stubble on his chin. His lips were only inches from hers. But she couldn’t close the distance between them. She didn’t know anything about the wolf-man. For all she knew, he change back into a wolf and tear her throat out.

But the more she looked at him, the more she wondered if she could trust him. He had saved her from Zane. Why would he have done that if he’d wanted to kill her too?

Chapter 3

Ryker resisted the urge to nibble on the edge of her pouty bottom lip. His hands wrapped around the small of her back just above the tempting curve of her hips. Her eyes went wide as he pulled her against his body. She placed her palms on his chest as if ready to fight his advances, but she didn’t. Instead, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

The scent of her sticky skin intoxicated him. Pheromones radiated from her body, coaxing him into a state of arousal more intense than anything he’d felt in the last few years. After he’d lost Trista, he never imagined he’d ever feel anything for another woman. The disconcerting sensation struck him like a bolt of lightning.

He stepped back as if scalded. “You probably want to get cleaned up.”

Confusion marred her pretty features. A dark blush crept up her neck into her face. “I’d take a bath if you had one.”

He backed into the shadow of the doorway hoping she didn’t see how much he desired her. “I’ll have Leah come and take you to the river.”

“Thank you.” Her bold gaze traveled from his face down until it rested on his cock. She must have liked what she saw because she bit the edge of her lip in the most alluring way.

He pivoted and raced out of the chamber. He couldn’t risk staying another second, because at the slightest invitation, he would have laid her on the bed and done everything in his power to enflame and then soothe every inch of her.

At the fork in the tunnel, he turned left to get to Leah’s chamber. Most wolves preferred to live in the communal room, but Leah liked privacy. He didn’t blame her. Sometimes constantly having to make decisions for the pack weighed on him. When that happened, he needed time alone to think.

He poked his head behind the curtain. Leah lay on her pallet under a quilt of woven cotton. He hated to wake her up during the day because the wolves were nocturnal. But Diana needed a bath and he didn’t trust himself to take her to the river.

Leah rolled toward him and propped up on one elbow. Waves of thick chestnut hair dangled across her ultra-fit body. “Well, hello, sexy. I was wondering if you’d ever be back in my bed.”

He smiled. “As much as I’d love to crawl in there with you, I need your help with something.”

Her gaze traveled to his erection. She grinned. “Having a hard time with something?”

He chuckled. No wonder she thought he was there for sex. “Yes, but not with what you’re thinking.”

She tossed back the quilt, slid off the bed, then sauntered toward him. “How could you possibly know what I’m thinking?”

She reached for him, but he grabbed her wrists in a gentle but firm hold. “Last night I found a human in the woods. She was hurt so I brought her back here.”

“You did what?”

Ryker shifted from one foot to the other. “She would have died if I hadn’t brought her back.”

“Who else knows about this?”

“Only Akila, Alex, and now you.”

Leah clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “If you told Alex, everyone will find out. That boy couldn’t keep his mouth shut if his life depended on it.”

“He swore he wouldn’t say anything.” Ryker knew she was right, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now.

“Well, what’s done is done. What do you need me to do?”

“She needs a bath. I’d like you to take her to the river. Go upstream to the pool so the others don’t see her.”

“What was she doing in the woods?” Leah asked.

“Running from a lunatic with a gun.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Afraid not. The guy shot her but only hit her leg. She’s understandably on edge and I don’t know if other humans will be out searching for her, so I need you to be alert.”

“Where’s Tala? She’s alpha female and would be the best person to protect the human.”

“She’s with the tracking party.” His patience was wearing thin. As the beta female, Leah had a little more leeway to question him, but not much.

As if sensing the change in his mood, she said, “No problem. Is she in your chamber?”

Her territorial tone surprised him. Was she jealous of Diana? She’d be gone from the den that night, so Leah didn’t have anything to worry about.

He decided to ignore the loaded undertone of the questions and responded in a neutral voice. “She’s in Akila’s chambers.”

Leah flashed a seductive smile. “I’m always happy to do anything you need.”

He had no doubt about that. In the months after he’d lost Trista, he’d accepted the comfort of her body. He admired her intelligence but she wasn’t his mate. He needed a mate who could match his dominant position. Someone who could take on the position of alpha female and help oversee the pack.

“When you’re done at the river, bring her back to my chamber.”

Her smile faltered but she nodded. “Will do.”

“Thank you.”

He left the room and made his way toward the entrance to the cave. The closer he got to the light, the more he wanted to run. The tension in his body needed to be released.

Sunlight streamed through the branches of the pine trees. He inhaled the fresh air. So pure and clean. He couldn’t understand why humans insisted in living in disgusting, smelly cities.

When he shifted, he welcomed the painful crack of his bones as they elongated and stretched. Fur grew to cover his body. The canine teeth he used to rip prey apart extended.

He loved this form. It was far more comfortable and practical than the human form. He almost wished he’d been born pure wolf. But he learned never to curse his body. There was no use in fretting over something you couldn’t change. It wasted energy which could be used for other things, like running.

He raced into the forest. His paws pounded the ground as he accelerated to full speed. Wind whipped through his fur as he jumped over small boulders. Pure joy flowed through him. Even though he was alpha, he needed time to himself. Time away from the pack helped him clear his mind and relax.

As he rounded the great white oak and turned toward the meadow where he found Diana, he realized he couldn’t rest yet. Now was the perfect time to track the man with the gun.

***

Diana paced the length of the room. She’d almost kissed the werewolf. What the hell had she been thinking? Yes, he was virile in a barely domesticated kind of way, but still. She’d never been so reckless. Instead of feeling terrified by the situation, she’d turned into a hormonal schoolgirl. Nearly getting killed by Zane had clearly clouded her judgment. She’d need to be more careful until the wolves took her back to Full Moon Bay.

She glanced up at the hole in the roof. Judging by the angle of the sun, it couldn’t be much past noon. She still had to wait at least another six to eight hours.

“Hello.”

Diana jumped and turned toward the sound. A lithe woman entered the chamber. Apparently everyone walked around naked here.

The woman was a few inches taller than her, maybe five foot nine. Diana tried not to stare, but she couldn’t look away. The woman’s caramel skin radiated health. Wavy chestnut-colored hair swept down her back, ending just above her waist. She had the body of a marathon runner, tight, sleek and without an ounce of fat. She probably could have outrun Zane without breaking a sweat.

“I’m Leah. Ryker sent me to take you to the river for a bath.” She scrunched up her nose. “I can see why.”

Diana bristled. What did they expect? She’d outrun a madman and slept in a cave overnight. Of course she smelled terrible.

Diana asked. “How far is the river from here?”

“About a half a mile. Far enough to keep any predators away, but close enough for us to gather water and bathe. Let’s get going. I don’t like to get burnt and the sun’s already directly overhead.”

Diana followed her along the dark corridor. It only took about a minute to get to the entrance of the cave. She would have tried to escape if she’d known how close it was to the room they held her in.

Leah led her into the forest. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Diana.”

“Ah, lady of the hunt.”

“More like lady of the hunted,” Diana grumbled.

“Ryker told me about that. What happened?”

Diana told her about the disastrous date and explained how she ended up in the meadow. She ended by saying, “And then a wolf scared him off.”

Leah walked alongside her. “You mean Ryker.”

“Well yes, but he’s a wolf.”

“He’s not a wild animal.” Leah smirked. “Well, sometimes he is.”

Heat crept up Diana’s face. God she wished she didn’t blush so easily.

Leah glanced at her. “He’s handsome, isn’t he?”

“I hadn’t really noticed,” she lied.

“Mm-hmm.” Leah arched a skeptical eyebrow.

“I mean, he does have a nice body... but wait, why are we even talking about this? Are you his wife?”

Leah threw back her head and laughed. “No. Not even close. I’ve mated with him in the past, but just to scratch an itch. Ryker’s the alpha of the Silver Creek Pack, our pack. He probably won’t marry. Most alphas don’t, after all. Why should they when they can have any female in the pack anytime they want?”

“What if the female doesn’t want to sleep with him?”

“Ryker would never take a woman against her will. You don’t become alpha without respecting all of the members in your pack. The position is mutually agreed upon.”

Intrigued, Diana asked, “Do you vote or hold elections?”

“No, nothing like that. Once someone becomes alpha, they hold the position for life. When they die, the new alpha is someone everyone would assume would take over as leader. Most of the time it’s the beta of the group.”

“What’s a beta?”

“Second-in-command. If Ryker were to leave to go on a hunt, the beta, Trent in our case, would take over until Ryker returned.”

Diana was silent as she processed this information. What an interesting social structure. She wondered how well it actually worked. What would stop a beta from trying to overthrow an alpha?

“We’re almost there,” Leah said.

“Do you think it’s okay to get in the river with the scab on my leg?”

Leah stopped and leaned down. “Let me see.”

Diana gingerly peeled the bandage off. “I just can’t believe how fast it’s healing.”

“Akila has some magical herbal stuff she puts on wounds. No one knows where she goes to harvest the plants, but some of the wolves think she’s more witch than wolf.”

“I can see why.”

Leah skipped ahead. “There it is.”

Just beyond the trees, the river glistened in the sun. Diana listened to the rushing river gurgling over rocks. Excited by the prospect of getting clean, she increased her pace. Once they hit the beach, hot sand squished through her toes. She mewled with pleasure.

Across the river, a sheer mountain blocked the sun from half of the beach. She covered her eyes with one hand and looked up at the rocky cliffs.

Leah jumped into the water and splashed around. “Come in, the water’s perfect.”

Diana stuck a toe in the water then recoiled. “It’s freezing.”

“You’ll get used to it once you get in.”

Diana debated whether or not to get in while still wearing her tattered dress. She hadn’t thought to ask if they had any clothes she could borrow.

A large fallen tree stump lay across the beach. She could wash the dress after she bathed, then let it dry before putting it back on.

Leah ducked her head underwater. Diana took the opportunity to strip off the filthy dress and hang it on the lone branch protruding from the stump.

She crossed her arms over her breasts and rushed into the river. The icy water took her breath away. She gasped.

Leah snickered. “Stick your head under. You’ll get used to it faster.”

Diana counted to three then ducked her head under the water. When she surfaced, she sputtered and spit water out of her mouth.

“There you go.”

“I’m going to turn into a Popsicle.”

“What I wouldn’t give for one of those.”

“You’ve had Popsicles before?”

Leah grinned. “Yep. My favorite flavor is cherry. That’s all I ate during the summer when I was a kid.”

“How did you get…wait, were you always a…” Her voice trailed off.

“Werewolf? It’s okay to say it. I’m not ashamed of it. I was born human.”

“How did you become a werewolf?” Diana asked.

“When I was sixteen, I took a walk in the woods and met the sexiest guy I’d ever seen. He was bathing in the river. I just walked over and started talking to him.”

“That was brave.”

“Or stupid. I got lucky in this case.”

“Did he turn you into a werewolf?”

“Not at first. I didn’t even know Stryde was a wolf until one day when I followed him. He wouldn’t tell me where he lived so I tracked him back to the den. He shifted to his wolf form just inside the entrance. I was fascinated. I stepped out of the woods and that’s when he saw me. He shifted back and warned me that I couldn’t go into the den. He said he was sorry that he hadn’t told me the truth, but by then it was too late. I was completely in love.” Leah smiled at the memory.