Forbidden Attraction (3 page)

Grabbing hold of the slightly amusing thought, she held on to it so that her temper wouldn’t flare again. She stepped out into the cold, this time feeling it chill her to the bone as she searched up and down the street. Now to find a store willing to let her use a phone.

Halfway up the block, she glanced inside the large windows of a fabric store.

Several older humans browsed, but they didn’t catch her eye. A young bitch standing behind an old lady looked her way when Heidi searched the store.

She sucked in a breath. Nibbling her lower lip, she entered the store, immediately surrounded by the smell of artificial vanilla.

Nothing bugged her more than appearing hesitant. It was a sign of weakness—

something her sire hounded into his entire den when she was still a cub.

She walked up to the dark-skinned Malta werewolf bitch. “I’m not sure if you remember me,” she whispered, making sure no humans were in earshot before speaking.

“Of course I do.” The female cocked her head, sniffing the air and giving Heidi an assessing look. “I can’t say that I remember your name though.”

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Forbidden Attraction

The older bitch turned around, putting the fabric she examined down on the table.

She stared at Heidi while sniffing the air and then covering her heart with her hand, as if realizing what Heidi was proved too much for her.

“What is this?” she demanded, turning her attention to the younger bitch. “You consort with
lunewulfs
?”

“Mom, this is the bitch who helped Erin Anthony when the
lunewulfs
abducted her,” the female whispered. “You’ve raised me well enough not to judge a werewolf by the color of their fur.” She patted her mother’s shoulder and then stared at Heidi with black eyes that pierced right into her. “You’re in trouble?”

Heidi’s stomach twisted. The way the female searched Heidi’s eyes, not looking anywhere else, bugged her for some reason. But Heidi needed help. Showing any aggravation right now would look bad. She sucked in a breath, hating how she had to humble herself in front of these two Malta bitches. The fragranced air and pungent odor of stuffed emotions reminded her of how many humans surrounded them.

She spoke quietly, keeping her attention on the young Malta female in front of her.

“My name is Heidi Lutgard and my car won’t start. I don’t have a signal on my cell phone and wondered if either of you had a phone that I could use so I could contact someone in my pack to come help me.”

“I’m Rosa Anthony and this is my mother, Maria,” the bitch said, her scent friendly in spite of the cutting look her mother quickly gave her.

“You would get so friendly with a
lunewulf
?” Maria hissed under her breath. “Do we look like mechanics?”

“I’ll be right back, Mom. Don’t go anywhere.”

The older bitch clucked her tongue. “Now I’m on a leash. Don’t take too long. And what are you going to do?”

Rosa touched her mother’s shoulder. “If her car won’t start, we aren’t leaving her in this town full of humans. Remember, she helped Juan’s mate once.”

“Don’t be gone long.” Maria turned her back on both of them, dismissing them and focusing on her fabric.

“Where is your car?” Rosa asked once they were outside on the sidewalk.

“I really appreciate this.” Heidi pointed up the street. “I’m just half a block up, parked in front of the computer store. Do you have jumper cables? If you do, I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

Rosa pulled her own cell out of her purse. Her dark eyes watched the street and her skin was a smooth caramel shade. Thick, long black hair tumbled over her shoulders.

She wasn’t much taller than Heidi, which would make her small for a Malta werewolf.

But it was her scent, relaxed and comfortable, that made it a bit easier to trust her.

“We don’t have cables.” She handed the cell phone to Heidi. “Make your call.”

At that moment, Heidi almost kicked herself when it dawned on her how she judged the two bitches, knowing she wouldn’t have approached them had she spotted 13

Lorie O’Clare

them and not had an emergency. Moments ago, she cursed the humans for their prejudice toward her—for their implication that the two mountains next to each other right outside Cuchara were territory for the Malta and the
lunewulfs
together. She’d thought even less of the humans for their ignorance in thinking that the werewolves were the same. Yet here she stood, reacting the same way toward a breed her kind despised. Obviously not all Malta werewolves lacked integrity like the rumors suggested.

Rosa searched Heidi’s expression, frowning as if she resented Heidi’s thoughts.

Shit. This bitch didn’t have the ability to read minds, did she? Heidi believed a lot of what she heard about Malta werewolves. Many of them had powers to do things other werewolves couldn’t. A previous pack leader had tampered with their race overseas.

Malta werewolves weren’t trusted and were considered quite dangerous because of these strange powers. Heidi had heard that they could read minds and make strange things happen. They were a bewitched race.

Rosa twisted her mouth and chewed her lower lip, looking as if she might say something but instead looked away from Heidi and stared across the street.

Heidi punched in the number to her parent’s den. No one would be at her own den, an empty house now, which was something she refused to regret.

No one answered. Grimacing, she ended the call and then punched in Steve’s new number. Again, no one answered. Snow blew around them, flakes getting larger and falling faster while the two of them stood there. Two human males walked past them, giving the two of them a quick once-over that turned Heidi’s stomach. Getting stuck in this town would be bad.

“You can’t reach anyone?” Rosa scowled at the worsening weather. “If my mother wasn’t with me, I’d give you a ride to your den.”

Heidi understood. She searched the bitch’s face, stunned at the generous offer.

“You can’t do that,” she whispered, shaking her head. “You’re being very kind, but I couldn’t guarantee your safety if you entered my territory.”

“I might be a female, but I can take care of myself.” When Rosa smiled, her white teeth against her dark skin showed off how pretty she was.

She took her phone and made a call. Heidi’s ears tickled when the phone rang on the other end.

“Dimitri?” Rosa asked, focusing on the ground. “This is Rosa and we’re in Cuchara.”

A few snowflakes fluttered in the air between them. A cold breeze blew Rosa’s hair behind her shoulders and she snuggled into her coat. Heidi did the same, easily smelling the bitch’s emotions change. Her expression didn’t hide her quick frustration, and as if she sensed being analyzed, she turned her back on Heidi, snapping at whoever she spoke to on the phone.

Heidi fought the urge to simply thank the bitch for her time and take on her predicament without any help. Something told her the werewolf on the other end of the 14

Forbidden Attraction

line didn’t like hearing that Rosa had ventured into the human town. If Heidi had a werewolf to answer to, she probably would be getting the same treatment. Which was why she was a single bitch. She hated being yelled at just because she wanted alone time and believed herself to be a grown bitch who could take care of herself and do what the fuck she wanted when she wanted to do it.

Rosa hung up her phone and shoved it into her pocket. “Some of my pack will come and help you get back to your territory. It will take them about thirty minutes.

You might as well stay with us until they get here.”

More than anything, she wanted to tell the bitch she’d wait in her car. But she could hardly be rude, or defiant, to another female who’d just offered her help. Resigning herself to the fact that she’d have to submit and obey Rosa’s wishes, she nodded.

“I appreciate the help.”

A few minutes later, Heidi leaned against the building by her car while the bitch stood with her and her mother sat in her own warm car. When a new truck pulled into the stall, Heidi stared at three large werewolves who climbed out. They were huge—

easily over six feet—broad-shouldered and all wearing black leather. That with their dark skin and shiny black hair that flowed straight past their collars made the three werewolves look like some dangerous trio right out of a movie. She gulped, filling her lungs with icy cold air. Never in her life had she seen such deadly and powerful-looking werewolves.

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Lorie O’Clare

“This is the bitch?” one of them asked in a dangerous sounding baritone.

Chills rushed over Heidi, and it wasn’t from the cold.

“She helped save Erin. You remember her, don’t you?” Rosa asked.

The werewolf’s expression didn’t change. Instead, he glanced around them. “Where is her car?”

“Right here.” Heidi cursed her suddenly wobbly knees when she moved around the large males to her car.

“Pop the hood.” One of the other werewolves put his hand on her car.

Heidi did as she was told and then sat in her driver’s seat, turning the key when instructed. After several attempts, it still wouldn’t start. Snowflakes clung to the males’

straight black hair while they leaned over her engine, talking among themselves. She got out of the car, unable to stop herself from getting a better view of their hard-packed bodies.

One of them looked up, catching her almost drooling over so much forbidden muscle.

“Where is your mate?” he asked.

The male next to him gave him a quick glance, which he ignored.

“I don’t have one.” She stared into black eyes hooded by long, dark lashes.

Her insides quickened. Damn, he was fucking hot!

“Your pack allows unmated bitches to travel alone?” He raised an eyebrow, challenging her integrity.

She put her hands on her hips, daring him to think she’d put out for any werewolf who looked at her the way he did right now.

“It wasn’t supposed to be that long of an outing.” She let him smell her anger and he straightened, looking for a moment like putting her in her place appealed to him.

The werewolf next to him also straightened and rubbed his hands together. “My bet is she needs a new battery.”

“Do you have money for one?” the werewolf who’d just challenged her asked.

She had the credit card her pack leader had given her to buy the ink cartridge.

She’d have to deal with Bob later and agree to pay him back for the unexpected charge.

“Yes,” she said.

They pulled her battery out of her car and one of the werewolves quickly issued orders, which no one questioned. Maybe he was their pack leader.

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Forbidden Attraction

“Nicolo. Take the
lunewulf
bitch and find a parts store. Josie and I will stay here with Rosa and Maria.”

Nicolo nodded, grabbing the battery and heading toward their truck. His legs were long and thick, roped muscle twisting against his jeans. Straight black hair reached the end of his coat collar and the thickness in his shoulders showed how strong he must be.

In spite of the cold wind whipping around them, heat poured over her insides.

These were dangerous werewolves, feared and hated by most breeds on the planet.

A mixture of trepidation and excitement made her insides tingle as she followed him to the truck. Leave it to her to be turned on by someone she definitely couldn’t have.

“I really appreciate this,” she mumbled, situating herself next to him in the cab of the truck.

“Your tires aren’t good for this kind of weather.” He didn’t look at her but stared ahead, his long, dark fingers wrapping around the steering wheel.

“Thanks for the update.” Maybe she didn’t have the best car in the world, but it was all hers.

“And you have the money to buy this battery?” His expression offered no sign of what he thought. But his scent swarmed around her—the smell of a dominating male, confident and sure of his next move.

Something told her he’d get pissed faster if he smelled a lie on her. She licked her lips, wishing her heart would quit pounding in her chest. “I have our pack’s credit card,” she confessed. “I’m supposed to be getting office supplies.”

He pursed his lips. She stared at his strong jawline and the thickness of his neck.

With the way his hair fell, straight and ending before it reached his shoulders, she bet it would be soft and thick if she ran her fingers through it.

“Maybe you should contact your pack leader for authorization.”

“Maybe I should just tell him later.” She already had approval to sign on the card.

He searched the stores as they drove down the street but turned his head to give her a quick, assessing look. “Don’t get yourself into trouble that you can’t handle,” he growled.

“Is there something here I can’t handle?” Her heart swelled to her throat when he cocked his head and looked at her.

“I’m sure there is,” he mumbled and then looked back to the road.

“You think?” she said too quickly. Did she have a death wish trying to take on this Malta werewolf?

Nicolo’s grin made her heart race so hard she almost hyperventilated. Damn good thing they pulled in front of an auto parts store. She jumped out, sucking in the freezing air and feeling it sizzle against her suddenly too hot body. Nicolo carried the battery as he sauntered around the front of the truck. Heidi joined him on the sidewalk, already covered with freshly fallen snow. She looked up in time to see the “open” sign on the door get flipped over so that it said “closed”.

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Lorie O’Clare

Nicolo growled and the human behind the glass door backed up quickly and disappeared into the depths of the store.

“I should have stayed in the truck.” Heidi tried to stuff her frustration.

“Why do you say that?”

“The humans wouldn’t wait on me at the office supplies store either.”

“And you think they would serve a Malta werewolf over a
lunewulf
?”

“I doubt they know the difference.”

He held the battery like it weighed nothing while his gaze dropped slowly down her body. “I’m sure they can tell the difference.”