Wolf Hills (2 page)

“What’s wrong?” Carly’s soft voice penetrated the funk Sally had sunk into. Sally shook her head, surprised she’d let herself slip. It wasn’t like her to let her mind wander.

“Sorry. I was woolgathering.”

“Come on, Sal. This is me you’re talking to. What’s up with you? You don’t seem very happy.”

“Hey, just who’s the detective here?” Sally tried to lighten the mood with humor.

“It won’t work. I saw that look on your face. We’re going to talk about this again before you leave, but for now, why don’t you let Seth pour you another drink?” Carly crooked her finger in a very regal way that almost made Sally laugh. Who knew her shy little geek friend would find her mojo in the middle of nowhere among a group of freakishly attractive nerds?

A very handsome young man sidled up to them at Carly’s beckoning.

“What can I do for you, Mistress?”

Carly shot him a warning look that Sally didn’t miss. Oh, yes, there was something funny going on here. Sally decided to be more amused than alarmed. The alcohol she’d already consumed could have something to do with her mellow mood, of course.

“Detective Decker needs another drink. Why don’t you take her over to the bar and see what you can mix up?”

“As you wish.” Seth turned a downright wolfish grin on Sally. It would have been exciting if he weren’t so young. Too young for her, if truth be told, though he was one of the older folks in the room. It seemed like all of Carly’s new employees were still wet behind the ears.

Still, she let him take her arm and lead her to the other side of the large living room, where a fully stocked bar was tucked into one corner. He was polite enough and handsome as sin, but he just didn’t do anything for her. Although he was nice to look at. Definitely eye candy of the first order.

The selection of wines behind the bar was truly impressive. There was even a refrigerator-sized chiller with a frosted glass door just for the stuff. Sally recognized a few of the labels as coming from Atticus Maxwell’s winery and thought fondly of her friend Lissa, who had married the vintner not too long ago. She’d been to their house for drinks a few weeks back and was amazed by the opulent manor house and extensive vineyard. Marc LaTour and her friend Kelly had dropped by as well and the two blissfully happy couples had made Sally feel welcome. It had been a nice change from feeling like a third wheel among her police colleagues and their spouses.

Seth was good company. He teased her with a confidence you didn’t often find in someone his age while he mixed her drink of choice like an old pro. Not one for wine, she’d opted for a piña colada when Seth had offered to make a frozen one for her. She’d agreed more or less just to see if he could do it and he’d surprised her, drawing a crowd when the blender switched on.

A few of the other women were lining up for a slushy drink of their own when Sally noticed the front door open. Carly was there, greeting the most brutally handsome man Sally had ever seen. He reached out and grabbed her attention simply by entering the room. She knew she was staring, but was powerless to stop herself.

“Who is that?” she asked as Seth deposited the frosty glass full of frozen drink in her hand.

At her side, Seth visibly gulped. “That’s the Alpha.”

The man’s strong chin rose as he seemed to test the very air of the room. His gaze slid over everyone present before landing on Sally. Leaving a bemused Carly at the door, he strode forward.

“The what?” Sally’s attention was focused on the man striding across the room toward her. His gaze was locked on hers like a heat-seeking missile and the rest of the room faded into the background. His grace, his gaze, his utterly devastating presence mesmerized her.

Seth melted away, as did everyone else. This man commanded authority. He looked only a little older than the others, but he was miles distant from their callow youth. He’d seen things. Done things. Some things he probably wasn’t too proud of and some things that had changed him on a fundamental level. Sally didn’t know how she knew it, but her instincts were something she’d learned to trust in her years as a cop.

“You’re Sally.” His gravelly voice touched something deep inside her and made it hum as he stopped in front of her.

“And you are?” Challenge seemed to be the best way to handle this man who reeked of authority. She’d learned not to back down while working the streets, and the strategy had kept her alive and made her the most effective officer in her division.

Some kind of fire lit behind his eyes and a crooked grin forced one corner of his mouth upward. He seemed both amused and enticed by her challenge. He held out one hand, a dare of his own. As if he were daring her to touch him.

He’d soon learn she wouldn’t back down. Especially not from something as simple as a handshake. She reached out and took his hand in hers, giving him a firm grip, noting how he tempered his obvious strength so as not to hurt her. He was firm, but not hurtful. A coiled spring respectful of her more delicate flesh.

“Jason Moore, leader of this little Pack of wolves.” She liked the humor in his words, even as she wondered at their meaning.

“Sally Decker,” she returned his greeting automatically, enjoying the warm strength of his big hand enveloping hers.

“I know.” His smile deepened. Drat. Of course he’d known who she was. And now he knew just how off-balance she was too. All thoughts of embarrassment fled as she noted the slight dimple on the left side of his face. Wow. She hadn’t thought it was possible for him to get any more attractive. “Carly has talked about little else since she found out you were coming for a visit. You’re the fuzz.”

She laughed outright at one of the cutest of the nicknames for police officers. She’d always liked that one.

“Good thing you didn’t say I was a pig. I’ve shot men for less.” She was proud of her attempt at flirting. She didn’t often get a chance to try out her rusty interpersonal skills.

“Pigs are prey. That nickname would never work for you.” His words were oddly serious, his gaze intense, but the smile that hovered around his gorgeous lips made her heart beat faster.

“Glad you understand that.” She felt like she was playing with fire, verbally sparring with this man. She’d never wanted more to feel the burn. “Of course, I’ve never really understood where ‘fuzz’ came from. It makes me sound like dryer lint.”

He laughed at her small attempt at humor and she was glad she’d made the effort. His masculine chuckle sent shivers down her spine.

“Fuzz sounds furry and cute. Like a puppy. Small, but armed with sharp teeth and wild instincts.”

“Small?” She raised one eyebrow.

“I suppose you’re tall for a woman, but you’re definitely small compared to me.” He looked her up and down with a gaze that felt like a caress.

“Okay, I’ll give you that.” She glanced around the room, only just noticing that everyone was giving them a wide berth. There was an electricity in the air that hadn’t been there before Jason had arrived. Of course, it could just be her perception. It wasn’t often she was chatted up by an amazingly attractive man. And she still couldn’t figure out why everyone she’d met here was so fit and good looking.

“The same could be said for all the men in this room,” she observed. “Even the young, pimply ones. Are there steroids in the water here or something?”

“Or something.” He took the hand he was still holding and turned it over so that her hand rested on top of his. Tugging lightly, he pulled her toward a padded barstool that stood only a few feet away.

She sat at his urging, still holding his hand. The space was a little awkward. He hadn’t moved the stool far enough away from the bar’s edge and she had to move her knees apart a bit to catch her balance. The next thing she knew, he had moved to stand a bit closer, his muscular thighs touching the inside of her knee. It wasn’t completely improper. Not really. But he was a little too close for comfort. At least in a room full of strangers.

Make that a room full of strangers except for one close friend. Who was on her way over with a worried look on her face.

“Don’t look now, but the cavalry is on its way,” she whispered as she turned her gaze back to Jason. Man. He took her breath away every time she looked at him. She couldn’t ever remember having such an extreme reaction to a guy.

Surprisingly, Jason straightened and moved a few millimeters away, apparently waiting for Carly to arrive. The smile on his face was polite but the set of his jaw was predatory. An interesting, enticing combination.

“Mistress Belakov,” he began politely as Carly reached them. “It was good of you to invite us to your party.”

“I wasn’t sure you’d come, Alpha. Thanks for taking the time. It’s always nice to see you.”

Carly’s words were strange but polite. Still, there was an edge to her voice and a look in her eyes as she shot a glance toward Sally. Something was up. Then again, Sally had felt something was a little off from the moment she arrived. Carly was too much on edge.

“Okay, you two.” Sally tugged her hand free from Jason’s, hoping to clear her head a bit. He backed off, thankfully. “What’s going on here? You’ve been acting strange since the moment I got here, Carl. And why do you call him Alpha? What is that, a title or something? And why are people calling you Mistress? Has your new hubby gotten you into a BDSM community or something? What gives?”

“And what exactly do you know about BDSM, Sally?” Jason posed the question with a definite devilish gleam in his eye.

“I’m a cop, Jason. Not a nun.” She tapped him on the shoulder, pushing him another few millimeters away. She needed the space if she was going to think clearly. “Nice attempt at distraction, by the way, but I’m not giving up. I want answers.”

“And I have a lot to tell you,” Carly inserted, drawing her attention. “This isn’t the best time for it, however. A lot has happened since I last saw you. Some of it, you’re going to have a hard time accepting.”

“Dude! You can’t say something like that and then tell me I have to wait to hear your big, mysterious explanation.”

“She’s got you there, Mistress.” Jason tipped his drink to Carly with a saucy grin.

“You’re not helping, Jason,” Carly shot back.

“Perhaps I can assist.” Dmitri had arrived soundlessly, putting one brawny arm around his wife’s shoulders from behind, pulling her back to his front lovingly.

Carly rolled her eyes. “I wanted to talk to her alone. You know that.”

“I know, my love.” He bent his head to place a kiss on the crown of Carly’s head. “But the more I think about it, the more I believe it would be better if she were presented with proof of your claims right away rather than spend unnecessary time thinking you had lost your mind.”

“It’s like pulling off a Band-Aid. All at once is better than a little at a time,” Jason agreed.

“Figures you men would stick together,” Carly sighed. “How do you want to do this?”

“I could always strip and shift for her.” Jason’s hands went to his belt buckle as his smile went up another notch.

“Don’t you dare.” Carly stopped him with her tone.

“Just trying to be helpful.” Jason held up his hands, palms outward. His innocent act was almost humorous. Sally would have laughed if she wasn’t so ticked by the idea that Carly and this new crowd of hers were hiding things from her.

“The Alpha is right about one thing. Quick is better,” Dmitri agreed. “Sally, I am a vampire, as is Carly, now. I had to change her in order to save her life, but I knew she was my mate from the moment we made love. It is our way.” He shrugged his elegant shoulders. “I can see you don’t believe me, but you will.” He closed his mouth then opened it again. Where before he’d had normal teeth, he now had fangs. Sharp, dangerous looking fangs.

“Holy shit,” Sally whispered into the sudden silence around them.

Chapter Two

“It’s all right, Sal,” Carly lisped through a set of fangs of her own. Sally did a double take. No shit, they both had fangs. Ohmigod. Was this some kind of joke? “You’re safe with us. We are mates and that means we only like to bite each other now.” Carly actually giggled, gazing up at her husband mischievously. Damn.

Sally looked around at the rest of the partygoers. None of them had sprouted fangs yet. Thank goodness.

“What about them?” Sally motioned to the room in general.

“Members of my Pack,” Jason added, drawing her attention. He tipped his imaginary hat to her. “I’m the Alpha wolf of this Pack. When Carly moved her computer business here, she was good enough to employ a few of our more educated youngsters.”

“Wolf Pack? Is that like a club or something?”

Dmitri tried and failed to stifle his laughter.

“Perhaps I should clarify. I’m the leader of the local
werewolf
Pack.” He emphasized the word.

“You’ve got to be kidding. Vampires and werewolves? Nice practical joke, Carl. Now knock it off.” She said it with a smile, mostly because she didn’t know what to think. Could they really be telling the truth?

“It’s not a joke, Sal.” Carly’s whispered words and worried look made Sally’s stomach clench. She wasn’t kidding around. Before her eyes, Carly’s fangs shrank back to normal teeth. “Dmitri is the Master Vampire of this area and since we mated, I’ve become the Mistress. That’s why the kids who work for me keep calling me that. They still haven’t broken the habit, even though I keep telling them not to stand on formality with me.”