Their Forever Home (8 page)

“We don’t know anything about it, and I’m not willing to risk your safety with it. I’m going to try to get closer so I can shoo him away. If it goes I’ll leave it at that, but if it turns to growl, I’m shooting it.”

Vella curled her fingers in the animal’s fur. She didn’t want Lance to shoot it. Before she allowed that, she’d draw him outside herself. The wolf or dog suddenly lunged to its feet and growled low and deep. Lance was moving closer to them.

“Wait, Lance. Let me try something,” she said.

“Don’t…” But she was already on her knees, wrapping an arm around the creature’s neck.

“Easy there, doggie, or whatever you are. This is Lance. He’s a friend of mine.” Vella held out the other hand and reached for Lance’s hand.

“What are you doing?” Lance asked. He held out his hand despite the thing growling a bit louder.

Vella was impressed that Lance wasn’t flinching at the sound of the fierce growl less than a yard from him. She managed to reach his hand and curled her fingers around his. Then she inched closer, pulling the animal with her until, if he stretched out his neck, he’d be able to sniff Lance’s fingers—or bite them off. She was counting on the first option. Lance probably was, too.

The wolf looked up at her then slowly stretched out and sniffed at first hers then Lance’s entwined fingers. It looked at her again, then Lance. To her relief, the wolf licked their joined hands then walked closer and rubbed his head beneath their clasped fingers. She released Lance’s hand so he could run it down the animal’s fur. She smiled at him when he did, and the wolf sat then lay down between them.

“Hell. I can just hear Carver when he gets back. He’s going to tear me a new one over this.” Lance didn’t sound too worried though. Instead, he scratched behind the animal’s ears and smiled at Vella.

“Sorry about the stew. Did you get any at all?”

“I’d already eaten. I was just keeping it warm for you when you woke up,” he said.

“You had to have gotten up early to find it, kill it, dress it, and then cook it.”

“Oh, Carver killed it and dressed it. Left it for me to cook though. He isn’t much of a cook.” Lance made a gagging face that had to be exaggerated. Surely the man’s cooking skills weren’t that bad.

The wolf whined as he looked up at Lance’s terrible expression. Vella laughed and ruffled the animal’s fur. Lance stopped playing around and did the same. Their fingers brushed, and without the tension of trying to get the wolf to accept Lance, the touch was much more intimate and personal. All of her girly bits tightened, heated, and grew wet. She couldn’t believe how wet her pussy was just from that light touch. She pulled back and busied herself gathering the dishes.

“I’ll get those. You don’t need to go outside away from the heat yet. I think the wolf or big-assed dog will keep you safe while I’m gone.”

“But you just got back. You can do them later. Sit by the fire and warm up some first. Your fingers were like ice cubes,” she said, feeling suddenly shy.

Vella quickly lowered her eyes when Lance’s grew dark with desire. She couldn’t mistake that look if she wanted to. Neither could she act on it—at least not yet. She needed to know more about the two men before she gave herself to either one of them. Maybe she was old-fashioned considering how things were in their new world these days, but falling into bed with one man was bad enough. She had the feeling it would be with two, which was twice as bad.

“I’ll sit with you for a few more minutes, and then I need to wash these up so I can be here when Carver gets back. We don’t know how he’ll react to the mutt and how the mutt will react to him. He’s a bit more, um, dominant than I am. If this really is a wolf or wolf hybrid, it won’t like being challenged. Carver will definitely challenge it.” Lance looked between them at the now-dozing animal.

She had no doubt he wasn’t completely asleep. He’d be aware of everything going on around him despite his eyes being closed. Animals had that built-in sixth or seventh sense where danger could be around.

“How long do you think it will be before he makes it back?” she asked. She was pretty sure it was close to one in the afternoon now.

“I figure another four, maybe five hours. It all depends on how many of the houses he has to search to find something close enough to your size that it will be comfortable to you. Plus, he’s going to look for another pair of boots. He said one of yours had a hole in the toe.”

She sighed. She’d been ignoring that little irritant in hopes she would be able to make it all the way there before it got to be a problem. Going through houses wasn’t her favorite thing to do. There was too big of a chance someone would catch her that way. When she had to have shelter because of rain or even snow, she’d checked the place for everything possible she might could use and still be able to carry it in her pack.

“I hate that I lost my pack. It’s causing you and Carver to lose a lot of time. I don’t like being a hindrance to anyone,” she confessed. “It makes me feel guilty even though I’m not entirely to blame.”

“You’re not to blame at all, Vella. You were trying to survive. The only other choice you had from what you told us was to surrender to them, which would have been stupid and dangerous. Jumping in that swollen stream was the only other logical choice.” Lance smiled at her. She watched as he absently scratched the wolf’s fur as they stared at each other.

“Are we going to head toward Yellowstone tomorrow?” she asked. “I hate to wait any longer with it threatening snow.”

“I don’t know. We’ll talk with Carver about it when he gets back. He may need a day to rest, and I’m really not convinced you’re well enough to travel yet. It’s only been one day since you’ve been awake enough to move around well.” Lance got to his feet. “I’m going to go clean up the dishes. I’m taking one of the guns with me in case I run across another squirrel or even a rabbit. Just so you don’t panic if you hear a shot.”

“Be careful, Lance.” She said it without even thinking but knew it was the right thing to say when his smile brightened.

Vella settled so that her back was against the cave wall and closed her eyes. She felt the wolf stand up, shake, then settle down again with his head and one paw in her lap. She cracked one eyelid and smiled to see him resting. His warmth seeped into her as her lap cradled his head. She hoped Carver would be okay with the animal. She liked him and hoped he would stick around.

Deep inside, she hoped the guys would stick around, too. She was pretty sure they would, but one thing the last few years had taught Vella was never to count your chickens before they hatched. Once they hatched, it still wasn’t any guarantee they’d stay in the barnyard either.

“I’d kind of like it if they would, fella,” she said, stroking the big animal’s head. “They’re nice, strong, and will be good providers.”

She smiled to herself, but continued talking to the wolf in her lap. He seemed to be a good listener, and she hadn’t really had anyone to talk to in several long months. Lance and Carver had been the first ones she’d come across that she didn’t believe might be dangerous since she’d first escaped the commune.

Love should fit in there someplace, but maybe her brother had been right. Maybe love could come later with the right person or persons. Maybe it wasn’t essential that she be in love with them before she made a decision on staying with them as their woman, as long as she was sure she would be safe. But how would she know if she was safe if she didn’t know that they loved her?

“I guess I don’t. I suppose I have to trust my instincts and step out on faith, huh, boy?” She smiled at the oblivious mongrel before leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

Thoughts of what it would be like to be kissed by Carver while Lance sucked on her nipples soon had her uncomfortably warm with a need to change her panties to a dry pair. Since she didn’t know when either of the men would show back up, Vella decided to wait and pray she didn’t leave a wet spot on the blankets. She couldn’t remember ever being this turned-on by just thinking about a man before. Maybe it was because she was imagining two men and not just one.

It really didn’t matter. Vella was anxious for both of them to return. She had a funny feeling in her chest that worried her. Something was going to happen. The big dog, or wolf, or whatever it was, felt it, too. He whined as he sat up, staring out the front of the cave. His whine turned into a low growl, and a shadow fell over part of the opening, making her wish Lance had built the fire back up before he’d gone. The crunch of a stick just outside the entrance caused her to jerk, unsettling the big animal next to her. He put himself between her and the cave’s entrance, but not before she saw someone peek inside, leading with his gun.

Carver was pretty pleased with himself. He’d managed to find everything on his mental list plus some at the first house he stopped. It was deep in the woods off of two secondary roads, so no one had found it to scavenge yet. The only unpleasant part had been burying the remains of the two people he had found in one of the beds. He figured them to be husband and wife, but since there was nothing left but bones and tattered material, he wasn’t positive.

Digging the grave and settling them into it had taken time and soured his mood at first, but he couldn’t leave them there like that. He was taking their things, so the least he could do was give them a semi-proper burial.

He’d located three backpacks in good shape and filled all of them with clothes that looked to have been made for Vella. To his surprise, there had been a stockpile of lotions, shampoo, and soaps that all smelled good but weren’t loud. He added those to his pile, along with a small nail kit and some hair things.

By the time he’d stuffed all three of the packs, Carver was sure he’d gotten everything she would need for a while. He tied the shoestrings of the boots he found her and looped them around his neck. He hooked one backpack to another and struggled into it before pulling on the third one in front. He carried the rifle in his hand, and the pistol was between his abdomen and the pack just in case.

It looked like if nothing came up, even with the extra weight on him, he’d be able to make it back around two or three. He’d gotten a good start that morning before the sun had even come up. When he’d gone out to relieve himself, the squirrel had been an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. After he’d skinned it and left it in a pot for Lance to cook, Carver had grabbed his weapons and started out at an easy jog.

Now he was on the way back, and he felt good about what he’d accomplished. If he were lucky, there would be some squirrel stew left when he got back. He’d chewed on jerky off and on all day, but a hot bowl of the stew would go down really good. It wasn’t foot-stomping cold right now, but it was pretty nippy out.

As he hiked down the first road, a noise to his left stopped him in his tracks as a huge buck slipped out of the woods to his left and slowly made its way across the road to the other side. Not long after it disappeared into the tree line on the opposite side of the road, two doe bounded out after him. If he’d been hunting, that would have made a major dent in their food needs for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately there was no way he could field dress and cart out even the smallest of the two does with what he already had to carry.

There will be other deer. I can hunt while we’re on the move. I don’t need to take the time it would take to dress it out anyway.

Suddenly he felt like he needed to be back already. Urgency rolled through him like a tidal wave. One thing Carver had learned through experience while with the MC back home—never discount an urge to do something or be somewhere. As sure as he had, someone paid with their life. After the second time he’d felt that need burning in his gut, and one of the prospects and the ole lady he was supposed to protect were kidnapped by a rival gang, Carver never ignored it again. They tortured and killed them before anyone could stop it. He wasn’t about to ignore that feeling now.

He picked up his pace, taking shortcuts instead of the easier roadways. Time wasn’t a kind mistress. She’d screw you any way she could. That’s why he risked falling when he walked along a narrow bank next to the still-swollen stream, and why he continued through the woods despite the obvious signs scratched high up on tree trunks that said a dominant male bear hunted there.

When the terrain allowed, he jogged. When it didn’t, he pushed it to the limit anyway. He needed to get there where he could protect Vella—and Lance. Neither of them was able to handle what he could. Lance just wasn’t vicious enough, and Vella was still recovering from nearly dying.

It had hit him while he’d been searching for clothes that would fit her. He really liked her, and he couldn’t argue that the sexual attraction was there as well. He could easily see himself falling for her. He could also see her round with his child, but he didn’t really believe it would happen, despite his ability to picture her as a part of his life. Once she found out he’d once been a bondsman, she’d curse him to the farthest reaches of the earth. Men like him had killed her brother. He couldn’t let himself forget that.

It doesn’t matter how much I want her now and will probably want her even more by the time we make it to the new community. It won’t matter because I will have to tell her how I’d been part of the brotherhood who’d taken her brother from her. Full disclosure and all that bullshit. If I don’t come clean with her and somehow Lance and I manage to make her our woman, one day in the future it will come out. She will hate me even more for keeping it from her—for lying to her.

Nope. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t tell her yet, though. First he had to make sure she made it to their destination safely. He wouldn’t risk her being so angry and disgusted with him that she ran off. The least he could do for her was to keep her safe when men like him had taken her protector from her.

The closer he got to the cave where he’d left them, the better he felt with his ability to handle whatever was eating at him. Every step took him even closer, settling the sick feeling in his gut just a little more. The burning in his soul cooled a bit as he was able to actually see the rocks that formed the base of the mountain where their cave lay hidden.