Wolf Hills (6 page)

Her eyes widened, realizing he was a wolf. And wolves
ate
bunnies. At least she thought they did.

“Maybe we’ll skip the bunnies.”

He laughed outright at the look on her face and she decided retreat was the better part of valor. Sally headed toward the store, leaving him to follow behind. A quick scan of the layout told her where everything was. She walked over to the seed racks, quickly locating what she had in mind.

Within ten minutes they were out of the garden shop and on their way again. Jason took her on a short ride farther into town. He stopped in front of a restaurant that had a neon sign, unlit at this hour of the day, proclaiming it to be Wild Bob’s Steakhouse. She should have known a wolf would want meat for lunch.

“You’re not a vegetarian or anything?” Jason asked belatedly as he stowed their helmets for a second time.

“Nope. I like a good steak as much as the next carnivore.” She smiled as he opened the door for her to precede him into the restaurant. It was busy, filled with bustling noise that died down perceptibly as Jason walked in behind her.

He nodded to a few people and the noise resumed its normal level. The small pause told her a few things. For one, Jason was known here. She suspected more than a few of the patrons were shifters who knew damn well that Jason was the Alpha of the local wolf Pack. Some of them were probably part of his Pack.

She thought it significant that he’d taken her someplace where his people would see them together. She wasn’t sure what that meant in shifter circles, but she knew what it meant when a human man wanted his friends and colleagues to see you together. He was staking a claim.

Warmth flooded her at the thought. Even if it was only temporary, it was a nice, pseudo-Neanderthal touch. Sally was strong enough to admit there was a little bit of the cavewoman in her that enjoyed such a public declaration.

They were seated in a prime location near the rear of the restaurant, not too close to the kitchen, but along a wall where they had a view of almost the entire dining room. Judging by the clothing of the patrons, there was a sort of loose hierarchical order to the way they were seated. The men and a few women seated near their table all had a polished look about them. Many were visibly older than Jason, though still in good shape with the tall, lithe form she’d come to expect from the wolves she’d met the night before.

“Welcome, Mr. Moore,” said the hostess. She hesitated long enough before using Jason’s name that Sally would bet the girl had been about to call him Alpha—before Sally’s presence made her rethink which title to use.

“It’s okay, Cindy. This is Mistress Belakov’s friend from California. She knows about us.”

“Oh.” The girl’s face lit up as she smiled at Sally. “Welcome, Detective. My sister works for the Mistress. She told me about the party last night. Said the Mistress was really looking forward to your visit.”

Sally was surprised by the girl’s candor, but Jason’s indulgent smile set her at ease. Still, it wasn’t quite normal for Sally to have everyone know her business. As a police detective, she usually kept a much lower profile.

“Thanks,” Sally answered as Jason politely held her chair.

“Can I put in your drink order?” Cindy was all smiles for the Alpha as Jason seated himself. She handed each of them a menu. They ordered soft drinks and Cindy left.

Sally noted that Jason didn’t even glance at his menu before pushing it to the side of the table. Sally looked through hers, surprised to see there were no prices next to the selections.
Un
surprisingly, almost every choice was meat of some kind. Chicken, veal, mutton, even buffalo and ostrich meat was listed in various dishes.

“I had a buffalo burger once. They say the meat is leaner than beef and therefore better for you,” she observed, trying to make conversation. Jason was staring at her. She could feel it. Along with half of the other patrons of the restaurant.

“Do you like steak? How about filet mignon? Bob wraps it in bacon. Very tasty.”

“Sounds good, but…” She closed the menu and placed it on the table. “…there are no prices on this menu. And I know filet mignon is expensive in any restaurant.”

“Don’t worry. I invited you out, I chose the place. I’m paying for lunch. Have what you like. I can afford it.” She didn’t know what to say to that. “Besides, a Pack member owns this place. I eat here all the time. You won’t find a better filet mignon this side of the Mississippi.”

Outmaneuvered, she gave in. “All right. You’ve convinced me.”

“How do you want it cooked?” he asked, placing her menu atop his.

“Would it be rude to ask for well done?”

He laughed, catching her wry tone. “Not at all. Just because we’re wolves doesn’t mean we always eat our food raw. There are some compensations to this form. Opposable thumbs and the ability to manipulate a spatula are among them.” He opened and closed his hand, staring at it with humor before he turned that mischievous gaze back to her. “And we may have better senses of smell and hearing in our fur, but human taste buds are a bit different.”

When the waiter arrived, Jason placed their order. Sally marveled at the respect Jason commanded and his easy acceptance of the way the other Pack members treated him. Because she was with him, and the odd human in the place, she was getting some strange looks herself. She tried to ignore it, but the sense of being watched never quite faded all through their meal.

The filet mignon was everything Jason had promised and she turned out to be hungrier than she expected. They ate, enjoying each other’s company and talking about their respective lives. Mostly, she answered Jason’s questions about her work as a detective.

“You’re very good at interrogation,” she commented after a while, realizing that she was talking way more than he was.

“I can’t help it. You intrigue me.” He met her gaze over his glass as he took a sip.

“Now it’s your turn. Tell me about you and your Pack, if you can talk here.” She looked around, trying to gauge how private they were. Jason followed her gaze.

“Everyone in here is a shifter. Mostly wolves. A few other species over by the bar.”

“Other species?” Sally tried to glance at the bar unobtrusively.

“There are more than just wolves in the forest, sweetheart. Big cats, a few raptor breeds…many of the animal predators have shifter counterparts. Some are rarer than others. There are only a few bear shifters in this part of the country, for example. A family of them are sitting near the door, as it happens.”

Sally looked at the table he gestured toward and saw a very normal-looking man and woman with a small child sitting in a booster seat. The kid was eating with his hands and as she watched, one hand partially shifted to a furry paw complete with sharp claws. The mother noticed and corrected the child with a smile, and the hand returned to human shape and color, the claws retracting into human nails.

“The children shift at such a young age? Must be hard to keep track of the little buggers.”

Jason laughed outright at her calm observation. “You’ve got that right. But only a few species start shifting that young. Bears are among the most magical of shifters. Their kids go furry from almost the very beginning, according to what I’ve heard. Among wolves, the first shift usually coincides with puberty. All those raging hormones seem to trigger our inner wolf. Or not.” He shrugged and took another sip of his drink. “Occasionally a child born of the Pack won’t have the ability to shift. It happens. We try to keep those members in the Pack now, whereas in the past, many Alphas demanded such children be shunned.” He frowned at that idea. “I don’t hold with that. If you’re born to the Pack, you shouldn’t be forced to leave it for any reason. Not to mention the fact that even a non-shifting child carries the genes and could potentially have a child with the ability.” He gestured toward her as he picked up his fork again. “You might’ve picked up your shifter blood from just such a circumstance.”

There was a collective breath taken by most of those around them, clearly listening in. Wolf hearing was as good as he’d claimed. She made a point to remember that their conversation could be heard several tables away.

“Thanks for sharing that little tidbit. But you might want to say it louder next time. I don’t think the people sitting at the bar heard you.” She saluted him with her fork before digging in for the last remaining bits of beef on her plate. Jason chuckled again as he finished his steak. “Glad you find this amusing.”

“Oh, honey, you have no idea.” He wiped his mouth with the napkin and sat back in his chair, watching her.

Uncomfortable with his regard, she looked around the room. “Nice place. Do you bring all the tourists here?”

 
“I picked this place for lunch because the food is good, I knew we could talk relatively freely, and I like to throw business Bob’s way.”

“How come?”

“Wild Bob really used to be wild. He ran up in the hills with the timber wolves. Real wolves, not shifters,” he clarified. “His mate died and he sought solace in the hills. Sometimes it helps to get away from it all for a while and stay in our fur. Bob came back to us a few years ago and it was rough for him at first. He’s doing well now though, and I like to drop in when I’m in town. A good Alpha supports his Pack members.” Jason rose as he looked toward the kitchen door. “Speak of the devil. Here comes Bob.”

Jason shook hands with a giant of a man who wore a spotless white apron around his waist. It seemed a little incongruous with the idea that he’d been cooking in the back, but Sally saw how respectful Wild Bob was toward his Alpha. He’d probably put on a new apron before coming out to greet Jason.

Sally smiled when Jason introduced her and shook hands with the big man. He had that wounded look in his eyes that she equated with many victims of violent crimes where loved ones had been killed. She’d seen it before. That look that said something was broken deep inside that would never be whole again and her heart went out to them every time, though she did her best to maintain a professional distance.

She wasn’t on the job now. She returned Bob’s greeting with more warmth than she could have shown to a victim back home. She complimented his cooking and his establishment as effusively as she could. Bob responded to her overture and chatted in friendly tones for a few minutes before heading back to the kitchen after thanking her and the Alpha for dropping by.

Jason settled the bill and they were on their way a few minutes later. She’d learned a lot from the stop and had an absolutely delicious meal in the process. She climbed behind Jason and snuggled up to his back with a drowsy sort of satisfaction. After only two trips riding behind him, she already felt as if she belonged there, putting her life in his hands, trusting his skill and wrapping her body around his from behind.

“Comfortable?” he asked before he started the engine.

“Mmm. Food coma is setting in. I never eat such a big lunch back home.”

“Ah. I think I know just what you need.” He took off without further ado and headed out of the city.

They rode along, the wind whipping at her face and around her body, except for where she was shielded by his big, warm frame. He was her safe harbor in the maelstrom. She was mellow enough from the good meal to relax and enjoy the speed and skill he demonstrated on the back country roads as they climbed higher into the foothills. She recognized most of the roads from the trip out but where he should probably have turned to take her back to Dmitri and Carly’s, he took another path.

She noted the scenery flying past with interest but not alarm. He would keep her safe. She didn’t know why she trusted this man so completely on such short acquaintance, she only knew she could. Perhaps it was the way he treated and was respected by his Pack members. Perhaps it was some innate instinct of her own that told her, after watching him interact with people last night and again this morning, that he could be trusted not to harm her. It might be a cop thing. Or it might be some sort of instinctual werewolf thing she’d been born with—though she still wasn’t sure she believed him about that.

He slowed the bike and turned off road, creeping along the grass at a slow pace until he entered a wooded area and slowed even more. They continued along for a few moments until the woods suddenly gave way to an enchanted glade, complete with a small waterfall that was only a few feet high, but absolutely lovely.

Jason stopped the bike and waited while she hopped off first. Sally was enthusiastically looking around at the scenery, her breath almost taken away by the natural beauty of the place. A brook leapt over an outcropping of rocks, tinkling merrily as it sped away downhill after collecting in a small pool beneath the waterfall.

“What do you think?” Jason asked in a hushed voice as he came up beside her on silent feet.

“It’s gorgeous,” she replied without taking her eyes off the beauty of nature.

“I’m glad you like it. Thought you might.” She turned at his softly spoken words to catch the look of satisfaction on his face as he watched her watching the waterfall.

“Did you? Take a lot of
chiquitas
up here, eh?” She was suddenly in a playful mood and felt like teasing him.

“Would you believe me if I said you were the first?” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.

“That innocent look may work on some people, but not on a hardened police detective like me.” She rolled her eyes at his expression, smiling all the while.