Untamed Wolf (5 page)

And those wolves might have died…
Tears clogged her throat, and she blinked rapidly. The mother had been so desperate, and the pup’s whining cut her to the core. The she-wolf would have done anything to save her pup—anything. A quiet knock on the door had her swiping at the moisture escaping from the corners of her eyes.

“Chrystal.” Dylan’s voice gentled to the same soft notes he’d complimented her with on saving the wolf. Closing her eyes, she basked in the illusion of acceptance. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine,” she lied, fighting the urge to sniffle and betray herself further. “I’ll be out in a moment, if you want to use the shower.”

“Uh huh.” Doubt seemed to echo in those two syllables and no light step warned her he’d taken her at her word. He hadn’t moved away. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Fine,” she lied again. The last thing she needed was for him to catch her weeping. She needed to change the subject. “How’s the mama wolf?”

A rasp of fabric on wood. Was he leaning on the door? “She’s all right. Exhausted and her back legs are still sketchy. But she was moving them, so we’re going to keep her comfortable. The pup is worn out, sound asleep with her mama. Mama’s watching me right now, but she’s relaxing.” His tone seemed to gentle even further. Unless she totally imagined it, he smiled at the wolf. At least she’d found something he liked.

Once she returned the towel to the rack, she finger combed her hair. The thick length took forever to dry on its own, but she didn’t see anything resembling a blow dryer. Pulling on the dark blue t-shirt, she paused to take a deep breath of his scent. Her first acquired shirt had carried hints of pine, cedar and snow—as he did. In the new shirt, she drowned in his aroma. How could someone be sweet and musky at the same time?

Her nose tingled as she sucked in a deep breath. Rubbing her cheek to her shoulder, she sighed at the softness. Would he notice if she stole this shirt, too? As before, he’d given her a pair of sweatpants to wear. She’d half pulled them on when she realized they weren’t pants but shorts—and they came to her mid-calf. Exactly how tiny was she compared to him?

Difficult to judge, when she tried to focus on anything other than him. After securing the drawstrings, she gathered her soaked clothing then opened the door. Dylan waited for her, and her gaze collided with his. Instead of anger or impatience, she found only quiet curiosity. “Better?”

“Much.” Taller than her by at least half a foot, she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze. His shoulders were massive, his chest equally so and very bare. He wore only a pair of denim jeans. Every muscle rippled as he folded his arms. Swallowing, she gave him a small smile. “Thank you,
again,
for the rescue. Am I in trouble?”

“Jury’s still out.” He plucked the soaking wet clothes from her hands. “Go sit by the fire. I’ll have food ready soon.” First, he went into the kitchen and she heard the splash of water. He took the time to wring out her clothes. When he returned, he hung them on the rack by the fire. She hadn’t moved away from the bathroom, and Dylan spared her a look as he hung each item of her clothing. With a sigh, he faced her. “I’m not going to bite you.”

“I know…but you’re bossy.” The accusation slipped out, and she winced. “And I’m really trying not to upset you or do anything that lands me in more hot water.”

The corner of his mouth kicked a little higher. “I’m making food. We have a fire, we’re
warm
and the storm outside is getting worse. You won’t be going to Three Rivers tonight. Make yourself comfortable.”

Her stomach bottomed out at his statement. Rushing across the room, she pulled open the heavy drape over the snow-frosted glass. The white blanket stretched from the yard onto the porch. She couldn’t even make out the steps—or the footprints they’d left when they entered. Drifts leaned against the side of the truck all the way to the driver’s side door.

The whole world had been transformed as though nature intended to erase any evidence of their presence. The flakes blowing down—and no doubt they blew—were fat and magical. She touched her fingers to the glass. Could she make this magical scene come to life…?

“Want your phone?” Dylan’s breath brushed against the back of her neck as he held her phone in front of her.

“Oh, yes!” Excitement thrummed in her belly. She threw him a grateful smile, ignoring the tingle when their fingers touched. Keeping the phone in the Ziploc bag during her hike protected it from moisture. The fact he had it meant he’d gone through her bag to fetch it. Of course, it had been in an outer pocket.
Oh, what does it matter?

She thumbed the screen on and found her camera app. The light outside continued to change, and it seemed each second the scene shifted. She angled the camera to take photo after photo.

A moment later, a hand clasped her shoulder. She jerked, since the contact startled her. Twilight fell over the yard, with the only snow visible thanks to the reflecting the light from the open window. Pivoting, she stared at Dylan. He’d pulled on a shirt, and his hair was freshly damp. He smelled delicious, all warm male, cedar, wood smoke, and snow.

When did he shower?

A small amused smile softened the line of his lips. “I made coffee and hot cocoa. I wasn’t sure which you’d prefer. I also have some great box dinners from home. Fancy some lasagna? I’ll give the steaks to Mama over there.”

Blinking slowly, Chrystal glanced at her phone, then at the wolves. Dylan had hauled a mattress near one side of the fire, then set Mama and her pup up with blankets and a makeshift wall. It kept the sleepy pup contained, and Mama didn’t seem to plan to go anywhere. Though she curled around her sleeping pup protectively, her eyes were half-lidded. Chrystal held no doubts about Mama’s awareness of them. She watched every move they made.

Calloused fingers caressed her cheek. The contact yanked her gaze to Dylan’s once more. “What?”

“Let’s focus on the here and now, all right?” Taking her arm, he tugged her away from the window and settled her into a seat near the fire. The heat seemed to balloon in the fire’s immediate vicinity and chased away a chill she hadn’t realized she experienced. Goosebumps prickled over her skin, and her nipples tightened. Still clutching her phone, she folded her arms in an attempt to hide the evidence of their stimulation. Of all times not to have a bra—well, she had a bra-cicle, but it wouldn’t help.

Her tormentor—no, her savior, as he’d been far kinder today than on any of their previous meetings—crouched and held a mug out to her. “Hot cocoa. We need to get some sugar and calories into you.”

Her focus? Before she could ask, he plucked the phone from her grasp to set it on the arm of the chair. Capturing her hand, he wrapped it around the mug which meant she only had one arm to shield the tips of her breasts, pointed against the fabric of his shirt. “Drink.” An order seemed to vibrate in the words. It rolled over her and her wolf roused. In her mind, she imagined her wolf as something like a sleepy dog most of the time. The animal raised its head, tilted it to the side and studied Dylan. Then she yawned, and her head drifted lower.

“Drink,” Dylan repeated, and all but helped her lift the mug to her lips. The first sweet taste of chocolate rolled over her tongue, and she sighed in pleasure. Before she knew it, she’d drunk the whole thing. Still licking her lips, she was almost disappointed at finishing the hot cocoa so swiftly.

Her bossy pants wolf had abandoned her, but she heard a microwave in the kitchen come on, then abruptly shut off as all the lights cut out.

“Ut-oh.”

“Don’t worry.” He strode past her and opened a door she hadn’t even noticed. A moment later, a low hum filled the room and Mama jerked her head higher, ears flicking toward Dylan.

“It’s okay, Mama,” Chrystal said, setting the mug aside and sliding forward. Even if the power stayed off, they had the fire. Cooking over an open flame was something she actually understood. Crazy as it sounded, she’d roasted a fair number of hot dogs that way.

Mama switched her attention to Chrystal, and her lips peeled back off her teeth. The snarl sent a swirl of panic into her belly, and Chrystal retreated. Why didn’t Mama like her?

“Enough of that.” Dylan cut between them, and Mama dropped her head to rest against her pup, but she didn’t stop glaring at Chrystal.

“Why does she like you and not me?” Her stomach punctuated the question with a violent growl and a pinching in her side hurt. The nervous flutters turned into full-blown anxiety.

“Because you’re scared of her. You being nervous is making her nervous.” He stroked a hand over her damp hair and gave it a light tug. “Now sit down before you fall. You’re starving. When was the last time you ate?” There was the bossy pants attitude and tone.

“Would you stop doing that?”

“Hmm?” Her demand didn’t slow him, quite the opposite. He all but deposited her back in the chair before vanishing into the kitchen.

“Stop—
ordering
me around.” Her wolf roused, and her voice rumbled.

“Well, well.” Dylan grinned as he returned with a steaming plate of lasagna. The scent of tomato sauce, meat and pasta wreathed the room. Her stomach went wild with gurgles and pops. “You do have claws. Nice show of teeth.”

No sense in arguing when he handed her the large bowl and a fork. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He stood like a silent sentinel until she shoveled three or four bites in. No sooner did she try one mouthful than she was desperate for another. Approval radiated off of him. By the time she scraped the bottom of the bowl, he chuckled. “We have more.” He held out his hand and waited for her to hand it to him rather than pluck it from her fingers.

Glancing at him, she opened her mouth to thank him again when she focused on the red welts and broken skin along his neck and disappearing beneath the shirt. “What happened?”

“She clawed me,” he said with a dismissive shrug. “I’ll heal. Do you want more?”

“Yes, please.” Even she heard the note of strength in her voice. Her wolf perked higher, studying both Dylan and the room. She could feel her peeking out of her eyes and sweeping her attention over the male. Then remembering she still held the bowl, she offered it to him awkwardly. “I’m not sure why I’m being so scatterbrained. I’m not usually this disjointed.”

He didn’t respond immediately, disappearing into the small room that made up the kitchen. When he returned, he carried two bowls both full to the brim. After passing one to her, he took a seat on the hearth between her and Mama. Her wolf settled and the last vestiges of anxiety drifted away. Mama’s eyes closed—finally—and she stopped glaring.

“How long were you a Lone Wolf?” Dylan asked. The question floored her, and she took a bite of food to avoid answering. He devoured a bite of his own before adding, “I know it’s a rude question, but you seem to have forgotten the most common rules of life in the open…and I’m having trouble imagining you without a pack.” Almost below his breath, he said, “Or why anyone would let someone so fragile go Lone Wolf.”

Anger speared her. No one had given her a choice before her sixteenth birthday. Who the hell was he to judge? Sitting a little straighter, she glared at him. “I’m not fragile. I’ve survived for years on my own, and I don’t need you coming down on me about how I survived, Mr. Bossy Pants. I’ve lived through worse, despite whatever dumbass rule you’re accusing me of breaking…or maybe I just like breaking the rules.” Not really, but it sounded good.

“Uh huh.” Disbelief occupied every syllable. “Sweetheart, when you let yourself get so hungry, your wolf stops responding—it’s a problem. We need a
lot
of calories to get through a day, and this is the second time I’ve seen you floundering from hunger. You forget where you are, you get caught up in the most mundane of things and your wolf drifts further. Sometimes wolves who let themselves starve die, because they forget to have a will to live much less fight.”

Shock slapped her.
What?

Utterly serious, Dylan stared at her. “When
was
the last time you ate?”

She wanted to argue with him, but she couldn’t remember.

“Exactly.” Anger and something more vibrated in the word. “Eat every bite, then you can have some more cocoa. You eat until you’re full. I have plenty of food.”

“I can’t—” Wow, he wanted to feed her until she was full. She was used to eating what she needed to get by. Nothing more, and sometimes—too many times—a lot less. “I can’t put you out that way.”

His growl sent a frisson of panic and more sensuous racing through her blood. One look at his golden glare and her wolf’s hackles rose, but neither she nor her wolf liked their chances against the ferociousness in his eyes. Power seemed to pulse around him.

“Or I can be a gracious guest, and just say thank you.” Retreat proved to be the best option. His snarl vanished, and his face relaxed. His kind expression and soft blue eyes provided succor to her apprehension. “So—thank you?”

“You’re very welcome.” He took a bite of his, then reached over to stroke Mama’s head, the slow caress of his hand mirrored in action what she’d experienced when he’d run his fingers through her hair. Mama settled, her eyes slitting in calm bliss and she dozed.

Had Dylan soothed her the same way? When the weight of his watchful gaze roamed over her, she took another bite. She far preferred his favor to his growl. The heat between her thighs, however, made her question the assessment.

Maybe she liked his growl, too.

Daring a look at him while he seemed distracted by his food was a mistake. His nostrils flared and the tingling in her middle had her sex clenching.

Oh.

She liked him.
That
could be a problem.

O
utside
, the wind’s howl increased in volume. Mama lifted her head from her wiggling pup. The cub didn’t seem any worse for wear. Crouching close, Dylan stroked between Mama’s ears then down her side to her flank. Her back legs stretched, then she snapped her teeth toward his fingers—a warning. Dylan rubbed her ears. “I know, Mama. You don’t want to be bothered. Stand up for me in a bit and show me those legs still work.”

He’d call Emma as soon as the phones could get a signal. The landline was down, too. Probably lost the phone when the power cut out. The generator let them use some of the appliances. Mama ate two of the raw steaks happily. Her satisfaction seemed nearly as deep as Chrystal’s after the latter finished the rest of the lasagna and a half a box of ladyfingers. He’d been looking forward to the cookies, but Chrystal needed the sugar and calories more. Speaking of his other guest…

He rose and returned to the bedroll he’d made for her by the fire. Curled on her side with her back to the heat, she slept soundly—and deeply. Not even a flicker of movement behind her eyelids betrayed dreaming.

Her wolf was a terrible liar, so he didn’t worry about her trying to fake a snooze to get the drop on him. Hell, he didn’t worry about her trying to get the drop on him. Her utter lack of aggression puzzled him. Most wolves had some bite to them, even if only enough to keep others from steamrolling them. Not Chrystal.

Crouching, he tugged the blanket over her. The cabin was warm enough, and he had plenty of wood. The whir and whistle of the wind as it struck the walls and swarmed around them served as a constant background noise. The snowstorm had elevated to pure blizzard. They’d have a good three or four feet before it ended, if he had to guess. It would take longer to excavate the truck, then more to attach the plow to make their way to the main roads.

Chrystal’s nose wrinkled, and her hand gave a little jerk. A near sub-vocal whine escaped her, and the sound yanked at his heart. “Shh,” he murmured, settling his hand against her hair. “You’re safe.” Her tension vanished, and the taut line between her brows eased. His little pain in the ass was a study in contradictions. Neither he nor his wolf could quite get a fix on her.

The fact that she’d let herself starve irked him on a primitive level. Wolves needed sustenance. If they went too hungry, they ran the risk of drifting—as she had—or worse, going feral. Both were dangerous states. In the former case, treacherous to the wolf; in the latter, to everyone else. Even if the weather had been clear, he’d have found a reason to keep her at the cabin until he’d fed her belly full.

Why she let herself starve was more troubling. His assignment had been to monitor the border, coordinating in part with the Willow Bend Hunter—Collin—who’d been assigned to act as one of the five watchdogs within Three Rivers proper until Luciana got her pack together. They’d lost some wolves—a handful left Three Rivers in the immediate weeks following the Alpha meeting.

Enforcers retrieved them all. Some choose to return to the packs of their origin, while others applied for Lone Wolf status once more. Blanket forgiveness had been offered to these wolves, but they were all on probation. Collin’s last report indicated the pack thrived, at least on the surface. They dedicated efforts to fixing the town they’d purchased, refurbishing their homes and getting businesses open and operational. Considerably smaller than all the other packs, Three Rivers didn’t have the financial resources or the manpower of Willow Bend. Still, their wolves shouldn’t be starving.

Leaving her to sleep, he checked his cell phone. No signal. Another circuit of the cabin showed it locked up tight. Satisfied with the security, he added another log to the fire. He turned off the generator to conserve power, then set an alarm on his phone. If he slept in shifts, he could keep the fire going for Chrystal and Mama. The pup made a little mewling noise, and Mama licked his head a couple of times. Their wild cousins might not turn into humans, but they handled disquieted wolves the same way—touch comfort.

Pulling a blanket up, he settled on the floor next to Chrystal’s pallet, placing himself squarely between her and Mama as well as the door. Stretching, he checked the claw marks on his chest. They’d all scabbed over. The cold water took most of the sting out of them, and the shallow slashes would heal in a couple of days even if he didn’t shift. Settling onto his back, he turned his phone to vibrate. No sense in disturbing the ladies if he didn’t have to.

Closing his eyes, he let sleep carry him away. Chrystal’s cry cut through his dreams and galvanized him to his feet. Mama made it to her feet a second behind him. Like Dylan, she faced the door. After exchanging a quick look with the wolf, he glanced at Chrystal. She’d kicked away her blankets and perspiration dotted her face.

Frowning, he checked the fire. It had banked some. Though it felt as if he’d just closed his eyes, at least an hour had passed. The room was comfortable, but not too hot. Placing his palm against her forehead, he earned another moan from her. Her skin was scorching, as though she ran a fever.
What the hell?
Sweat soaked her borrowed shirt and she writhed, muscles jerking and pulsing.

She’s shifting.
Pulling his hand away, he put a hand toward Mama who’d begun to growl. “Stay there.” One moment Chrystal writhed, then the next she jerked upright. The shift took her hard. Skin and muscle slid, twisting as her bones snapped. The shirt got in her way and she let out a cry, her dark eyes flashing pure gold. Seizing the shirt with both hands, he split it in half, careful not to touch her shifting skin. Too much damage could be inflicted.

The process seemed to hang on forever, and his teeth clamped together at the stress and strain of transformation. Most wolves shifted on pure instinct alone, the agony and ecstasy twining together as they let their other half out. The only wolves he knew had a really difficult time at first were…

Son of a bitch.
Turned wolves struggled until they learned and usually they relied on their mates to guide them through the worst of it. Their mates
and
their Alpha. Cold fury flooded him, but her soft cries turned strident as her body finally gave in. The shorts didn’t seem to hamper her as much, but he ripped them off anyway. Finally the black and white wolf sat panting before him. Soft melted gold eyes glazed over as she stared at him. Very little humanity reflected in the depths of her eyes. Mama snarled and Dylan caught her mid-lunge. Scruffing her, he blocked her access to Chrystal even as the smaller wolf scrambled away and cowered.

“No, Mama.” Happy that she seemed to have her back legs beneath her, but not thrilled with her territorial reaction, Dylan fixed her with a look. Mama couldn’t hold his gaze. When she tucked her tail and dropped her head, he knew he’d won the match.

After settling her back into her bed, he turned in search of Chrystal. She’d wedged herself between the desk and a cabinet. Sour notes of panic and terror twined together in her scent. Crouching, he caught her rolling eyes and gave her a small smile of encouragement. “Hey there, beautiful. It’s okay. No one will hurt you.”

Her claws scrabbled against the hard wood as she tried to back further into the corner. Two options were open to him—he could coax her out or order her. She responded to him, and he was definitely more dominant than her. But something had scared her, scared her so badly that she’d changed in her sleep. If he were a gambling man, he’d bet Chrystal was still asleep and her wolf ran on autopilot.

Sitting, Dylan crisscrossed his legs and rested his arms on his knees. It was as close to unthreatening as he could get. “All right, beautiful. You had a nightmare, I’m guessing. Those aren’t fun. You can stay over there if you want, but you’re going to get cold. We have a nice warm spot here, by the fire.”

Instead of backing away, she stared at him.

“Not biting are we?” Keeping his tone light, he grinned. “C’mon, that was funny. Don’t tell me you lack a sense of humor, gorgeous. It would break my heart.”

Her ears perked forward, and her head canted to the side. He had her attention at least.

“The way I see it, you need to laugh more. Life is too full of real troubles to not hold onto the funny ones when they happen. For example, you hanging from a cliff to take pictures of the sun through water? That’s pretty cool.” Course lying to her wasn’t, so he added. “Insane. Foolhardy. Dangerous, but, still kind of cool. My mother is a lot like you.” A fact he’d become reacquainted with over the last week. “She has projects and stuff she gets caught up in. She forgets things, because her devotion to her current work is so profound.”

Huh.

“Is that why you keep forgetting about the border, sweetheart?” No answer save for tilting her head in the other direction. “Oh, you want an example? Well let’s see…when I was ten, we were assigned to year groups based on skillset. I was already a talented tracker, but they wanted to test us. One of the tests you take is being dropped into unfamiliar territory, then given something to find. You can do it human or you can do it wolf or you can use both. What they’re looking for is proficiency…makes sense. Anyway, a Hunter named Zane handled the first round of testing. He picked me up from our place and gave me a ride in, then I went to the assigned area. Now here is where it gets tricky. I wasn’t worried about finding the object they wanted me to locate…a teddy bear, in case you’re wondering…and I know you were.”

Another grin because the wolf eased forward a scant inch or so, but her ears were focused on him, listening to every word.

“I could do that in my sleep. What did bother me, however, was when I realized my mom hadn’t come out of her studio in a couple of days before I left. That was so normal, I didn’t really think about it until later, but I used to make sandwiches and leave them for her if she was working on something, usually in between keeping track of my siblings.” He’d been so damn excited about getting to run with real Hunters, he’d completely forgotten how long his mother was up there. “Anyway, I needed to go home and check on her
and
I needed to find the teddy bear. So I stripped my clothes, hid them in a tree, shifted and found the teddy bear as fast as I could. Once I knew right where it was, I took off for home. I figured most of the kids would take some time to find their items, so I had a little leeway. What I didn’t realize was how far away I was, but it didn’t matter, not even in unfamiliar territory. I backtracked the landmarks and scents I’d picked out on my way in. Took me the better part of half a day to get home. But I made it, got her sandwiches ready, delivered them and saw her bite into one before I headed back.”

God, he’d been exhausted, yet his relief at making sure Mom ate assuaged his tired. Chrystal eased forward another step. “Getting back to the tracking area proved a little harder and took a lot longer.” Hell, it had been after sundown when he made his way back. He figured they either had search parties out looking for him, or they were waiting to drop him in with the dunce wolves who didn’t have any talent. Not that he knew any, but a whole day to find a teddy bear? Would take a special kind of dumb to not be able to find such an easy target.

“Then a really funny thing happened, I found where the teddy bear had been. Emphasis on
had
because it was gone. All of a sudden, I’m sick to my stomach. I’ve been running all day, I’m tired, and I made sure my siblings had food and my mom had food and I forgot to eat food.” Cause, he was ten and invincible. Or stupid.
Take your pick.
“The easy to locate bear was gone, so did someone else find it? Had the test been a challenge and a race?”

He hadn’t thought about that story in years. Disappointed didn’t begin to cover the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. A big part of him wanted to curl up on the spot and cry. He’d found the damn thing, but then he’d lost it because he’d forgotten to do one job before he left home.

Chrystal whined and eased forward again. Leaving her hiding hole, she crossed the floor until she was a foot away. Concern radiated from her.

Playing it cool was the way to go. “So what happened? Well, I sat there, all upset because the bear was gone, when I caught the faintest hint of the scent I’d been sent to track. I followed it. I’m thinking, maybe if one of the other kids took it, I could steal it back. Maybe they found it and got lost. I’m all excited, because I found it so easily the first time. I must have crisscrossed the woods a dozen times before I found where the crossover scent was, and it led me out of the woods and to the edge of this little creek—where the Hunter who’d picked me up and a dozen others waited.”

The panic swelling in his chest at the sight of all of them—he’d been certain he was dead meat. So many powerful wolves, all sitting or standing, waiting for him. One by one they began to applaud. “And there they are and they are all clapping. I can’t figure out why. Then three wolves streak out of the woods behind me—each one carrying a teddy bear.”

Directly in front of him, Chrystal sat with her tongue lolled out.

“Every single one scented exactly the same. Turns out, I had a tracker of my own, who’d seen every step I took, followed me home and back. Every trail I followed was one of those bears.” Dylan chuckled. “They were impressed. Not only did I pass, I was the best in my year group, hands down. Zane—the Hunter who picked me up—offered to apprentice me the same day. I made him a deal. I wanted to do it, but I wanted to look after my mom, too.” Zane had also had a discussion with his parents, too. One Dylan hadn’t been privy to for several years. They’d been chastised for relying on the ten year old, and his parents started setting alarms to remind them to do things like eat and feed their kids.

With one paw, she tapped his leg.

“Hmm?” He smiled at her. “Oh, what did Zane say? He said yes. Then for the next ten years, every summer, I spent it with Zane on one of his routes. I stayed home the other nine months and worked on exercises, then three months with him till I turned twenty. That’s when I officially took on my training.” Finished faster than any other wolf, too. Even Owen whose father
was
a Hunter. A point of pride for Dylan, though he didn’t brag about it or drive the point home to others. If he’d been willing, he’d have graduated far sooner. But his parents needed him, as did his brother and sisters.