Call of the Wilds (5 page)

It started up immediately. Good old Frank. He probably worked on it half the night and then spent the other half convincing Glenn to follow him so he could drop it off. Frank never apologized for anything. Instead, he made nice gestures, and if they weren’t accepted, he acted like a spoiled child. Anger welled up just thinking about his shitty attitude yesterday, but she shook it off. She would accept his peace offering and forgive him. The man had a lot on his plate, the safety of the community, the bad publicity and the coming race for mayor. Several influential people had urged him to run, but if this situation didn’t get resolved to their liking, he could kiss his chances goodbye.

She parked at the refuge and walked to the wolf habitat. The walkthrough gave her a chance to check the physical condition of the pack as well as the condition of the fencing. The six-acre enclosure had double fencing with an overhang and footing so the wolves couldn’t climb or dig their way out. Every wolf in the pack wore a radio collar. Despite all the precautions, the community still feared them. Their alarm was unwarranted. The wolves needed the protection, not the humans.

They needed a lot of other things too. Her wish list went on and on and on—new buckets and splash tubs, a pond and landscaping, remote cameras, new medical equipment. The bad economy hurt all the wildlife refuges. If they had the same visibility as the national parks, they might get more funding. Public use like camping and hiking meant more money from the feds. It wasn’t fair, but she couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

No money meant no new hires, and fear would keep the volunteers away. She had been hoping for some young volunteers to change the water buckets and tackle the never-ending job of filling the holes. No sooner did they fill one than a wolf dug it out again. Still they had to keep at it. A wolf suffered a broken leg recently because the park service employees who helped maintain the refuge couldn’t keep up. She had no idea how she would get everything done.

Beowulf, the pack alpha, lounged near the water trough while his mate slept close by. He raised his head as if he knew she watched him. Karin hated the intruding metal between them, preferring her visit to be up close and personal. As soon as she stepped through the gate, Bo got to his feet. He eyed the sleeping Lyka, then approached, his powerful legs and gigantic feet propelling him toward her in a smooth loping gait. She crouched before he could knock her down, and he washed her face with his long sandpaper tongue.

Maybe I should have brought the Y pole in with me. Apparently I’m in danger of being licked to death
.

Bo danced around, then signaled playtime by lowering his front legs flat on the ground and raising his rear. When he rolled over in the grass for belly rubs, she could swear he grinned at her. But one low-key
whuff
from his awakening mate and he took off, seemingly embarrassed to be caught cavorting like a hundred-sixty pound pup. Evidently Lyka had other plans for the big alpha. She rose and nibbled at him, then mouthed his muzzle. He sniffed, and his tongue flicked in and out, testing the air. Surprised, she watched the courtship progress. It was a little late in the year. Generally mating occurred between January and April, but obviously these two didn’t care. If their cycle veered off track, so be it. She would not complain. It would be wonderful to have pups around. Lyka pawed at Bo. He snapped at her and moved back.

“I wouldn’t play hard to get.”

“What the—” The harsh retort froze on her lips when she turned and saw Malcolm’s large, heavily muscled body behind her.

“Uh, sorry, doc. Did I scare you?”

It wasn’t fear turning her legs to jelly. Just hearing his husky rumble made her weak in the knees. He stood much too close for comfort, and that look on his face…Damn, it conveyed the same feral expression she saw on Beowulf. The man was infuriating, but her heart did a cartwheel.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on a person.” She turned her attention back to the wolves, all too aware of his presence behind her. His body radiated warmth like the sun, and she fought an urge to back up and bask in it. She wanted to rub up against him like an animal in heat and find out if he was aroused as she was. It scared the hell out of her, but at the same time, it excited her. Thank God he couldn’t read her mind.

Cool it, girl. You don’t know this guy from Adam. He could be a serial killer.

She didn’t believe it for a minute, but he could be playing her, acting like Mr. Nice Guy so he could get in her pants. She didn’t believe that either. No man risked a broken nose for the slim chance of fucking a woman he didn’t even know. Instinct told her to trust him, and what choice did she have? She couldn’t fight chemistry. Wondering how long she could hold out against his electromagnetic pull, she forced herself to step away before she did something stupid. The days when she could date and fall into bed with a guy without being scared to death were over. She envied her wolves for their uncomplicated sex.

Chapter Six

Lyka’s entrancing dance didn’t sway Beowulf. His macho bearing shouted
I’m in charge here. We’ll do this when I’m ready.
Shaking his head and wagging his tail like a frisky dog, he approached Lyka and took a playful nip at her face. She became more flirtatious, whining and pushing her rump against his.

“Canine desire is pretty strong.” Malcolm resisted the urge to move closer and reveal his own canine desire. Karin was already as skittish as a newborn colt. He didn’t want to scare her, but watching his animal brethren awakened his inner wolf and stirred him to action.

She just looked so damn cute today, all girly in pink, and those tight jeans just about did him in. And she smelled like a sweet, juicy Georgia peach, ripe and just waiting for him to take a bite.

His whole body vibrated with tension. The temptation to rub his growing erection against Karin’s curvy little butt increased alarmingly the longer he stood behind her. Coming here today was definitely a mistake. He didn’t need to come back. His nose healed just fine, so fine it might make her suspicious. He just couldn’t stay away. She intrigued him. Not only did he want to fuck her, he actually enjoyed being around her. When was the last time he’d been able to joke around with a woman, with anyone for that matter? There was only Ralf, and one-sided conversations weren’t very stimulating.

“And how would you know?” She looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

“My own wolf is pretty horny right now.”

“You own a wolf?”

He laughed at her shocked expression. In the past few days, he’d become a tease and a flirt. He felt like a kid again. “A hybrid.”

“You surprise me,” she said, shaking her head.

“I don’t tell many people about Ralf. Wolves aren’t popular around here, even half wolves.”

“Don’t I know it. Your secret is safe with me.”

Too bad he couldn’t trust her with a few more secrets. He jammed the brakes on that line of thinking. Sometimes he forgot she belonged to the human race and not his.

They both turned as Bo let out a territorial howl and mounted his mate.

“Lucky bastard.” Malcolm worked hard to suppress his own howl. Having a mate was fundamental to his people’s existence, an instinct as natural as breathing. He’d known who his mate would be before they reached puberty. She’d been his childhood friend, his lover, and then his wife. Mia had been gone for fifteen years, and he still missed her. He could count on two hands the number of women he’d had since, one night stands, women he’d never have to see again. Suddenly he wanted more.

“Shush!” Karin put a finger to her lips, calling attention to a mouth he wanted very much to taste. “Don’t interrupt them.”

“I wouldn’t think of it.”

She glared at him, and he smiled back. He sniffed the air. She could feign anger as much as she wanted, but he smelled arousal on her as thick as his own.

Claim! Her! Now!

His wolf told him to take what he wanted. He fought the urge to grab her, strip her bare, and mount her right here and now. He wanted to hear her beg him to fuck her and then scream his name when he took her over the edge, marked her, and made her his. Just the kind of twisted thinking that would get him into big trouble. It took every bit of his resolve to keep still.

Whoa, buddy, stop acting like the Big, Bad Wolf. This is Karin, not some bitch in heat.

A little harmless flirting didn’t mean anything, but he couldn’t let it get out of hand. Things would get way too complicated. Karin was a keeper, not a one night stand, and he didn’t do relationships, not with a human woman.

His sister married a human, and her mistake destroyed their Lycan community. Generations of his people had made their home in the Pine Barrens, more than a million rural acres in New Jersey. When human settlers arrived, the Lycans kept their distance.

Everything changed when his sister decided their home schools weren’t good enough for her. She begged and pleaded until their parents allowed her to attend school in the city. When she eloped with a boyfriend, they should have disowned her, but instead they welcomed the newlyweds back and gave them a home. His sister had taken her husband into her confidence, and the elders felt it best to keep him close.

But his sworn brother’s fragile ego was easily bruised, and soon the young couple were arguing constantly. When he left her, the family trusted him not to reveal their secrets.

A week later, Malcolm woke in the middle of the night to smoke and flames. He and his mate shifted and ran. If they hadn’t been separated in the smoke and chaos, if he hadn’t been caught in a leghold trap…

By the time he shifted back to his human form and freed himself it was too late to save anyone. If any Lycans survived, he’d never found them.

The fire burned for six days and consumed thousands of acres. Forest fires were common in the Pine Barrens. Officials blamed extremely dry conditions and high winds, while locals blamed the Jersey Devil. Traps lining the perimeter and the bullet-ridden bodies of wolves told the story. The only demon responsible was his brother-in-law.

Eventually he got his revenge, but it hadn’t meant a damn thing. Killing his sworn-brother didn’t bring back his family.

“Earth to Malcolm,” Karin snapped. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Ah, sorry.” He buried the memories and forced a smile. “You were a lot friendlier yesterday when you asked me to come back.”

“Not to the enclosure.”

“They don’t seem to mind.”

“Okay, you got me there.” She returned his smile with one of her own. “Let’s go back to the refuge. I’ll take a look at your nose and make you some coffee.”

“Mind if I visit your other patient? I’d like to take a look at the terrifying beast everyone is so afraid of.”

“I guess it would be okay.” She frowned.

“What’s the problem?”

“She’s testy, doesn’t want me near her.”

“I’ll be careful,” he assured her.

Karin unlocked the front door and led him through the reception area. The large treatment room contained cages along the back wall for recovering animals. The black wolf occupied the biggest one, but it was no substitute for the freedom of the outdoors. His wolf howled in silent sympathy.

“She’s a beauty.” He walked toward the cage slowly so as not to scare her.

“Just don’t get too close,” Karin cautioned

“She looks gentle as a pup.”

“Looks can be deceiving, and we’re still not sure about rabies.”

“I’m a carnivore, but if this wolf is sick, I’ll give up meat.” He put a hand on the cage and let her get familiar with his scent.

“I don’t believe she’s a threat either, but it’s a safe bet for me because I’m already a vegetarian.”

“I should have known.” He laughed.

“I guess she’s calmed down some.” Karin joined him at the side of the cage. The wolf turned its amber eyes on her and growled. Karin gasped and drew back.