SEAL Wolf In Too Deep (22 page)

He began pulling off her hat and then crouched to unzip her boots. The sun was setting, washing the sky in pink and purple, and reflecting off the snow.

“We still have three more cottages on our list to check tonight after this one. We're not going home until we do,” she said, her voice ferocious.

“All right.”

They still had another mile hike to this cottage.

If they located Otis, they didn't know how this was going to end. Unless the guy had a heart condition, forcing him to have a heart attack wasn't going to happen. They wanted to turn his body over to Rowdy but make sure it looked like an accident. They didn't want to kill him as a wolf, which could provoke a wolf hunt.

Then Allan's phone buzzed. He finished helping Debbie undress, and she shifted almost immediately. He yanked out his phone and saw that it was Vaughn calling. Figuring the PI must have some news, Allan answered, “Yeah.”

“I've found Otis's stash in a storage unit in Bigfork.”

“Everything?”

“Hard to tell. Clothes—mostly the camo kind, ammo, a rifle and a Glock, personal stuff. Possibly the gun used in Sarah's murder.”

“Anything that might clue us in to where he is now?”

“No, but he's been here recently and he wasn't wearing hunter's camo scent. So I've got his scent. And I'm taking some of his T-shirts to share his scent with the pack.”

“Good. What about security cameras?”

“Yeah. Sending the pictures now. He was driving a black Jeep. We got a partial tag. Problem is we don't want the police to run him down.”

“Yeah, gotcha.”

“So we're having one of Hunter's police officers do the trick. Any progress there?”

“Just checking out four more cottages situated around twenty-two to twenty-five miles out from Van Lake.”

“How's Debbie doing?”

“She's a wolf.” Allan gathered up her clothes and tucked them in his backpack.

“Okay. Now that I've found his scent and that he was staying in Bigfork, I'll drop these off with Lori and Paul, and then I'm going to start checking into the places where he might be staying.”

“You don't think he's taken off?”

“Nope. Not when he's left so much of his weaponry here.”

“What about Franny?”

“Paul and Lori are there, providing additional protection.”

“All right. If you locate him, let me know.”

“Will do.”

As Allan and Debbie drew closer to the cabin, he noted no lights were on, but he smelled the faint odor of wood smoke. He didn't have to tell Debbie. She lifted her nose and took a whiff of the air and huffed a little, her body tense.

“Stay close,” he warned, his voice hushed.

Without warning, shots rang out from the direction of the cabin. Allan dove behind a tree as the rounds pelted the snow inches away. He glanced in Debbie's direction, but she had run off in a wide arc—and then headed toward the shooter.

Damn it to hell and back. He didn't want her shot. What if the resident was just a hunter? Using the cabin illegally, true, but not their killer?

“Police!” Allan called out to let him know what kind of trouble he could be in if he shot and killed him or his dive partner.

More shots were fired in his direction.

Screw this. He made a wide arc through the trees and around to avoid being shot. Either the shooter had night-vision goggles, or he was a wolf and could see well at dusk. He just hoped Debbie wouldn't get herself shot.

He wanted to yank out his phone and tell Paul they were going in to grab what could be their suspect, but he figured they were on their own right now. Certainly with Debbie up to who knew what, he had to act quickly to protect her and himself.

A screen door slammed and he assumed the shooter had left the cabin, not wanting to be caught inside.

As soon as he did and Allan bore down on the door, a wild growling—Debbie's wild growling—made Allan's blood run cold. It turned to ice when he heard a much larger wolf growl back.

The full moon of January—appropriately, the wolf moon—illuminated the trees and snow, some snowflakes sprinkling from the trees as the branches stirred in the breeze.

Then he saw them—a large tan wolf snarling at Debbie a short distance from the dark cabin, only the tiny glow of a fire inside.

He wanted to kill the bastard quickly with a well-aimed shot, but he couldn't, not with the way Debbie was tearing into the guy and the way he was tearing into her. Allan had to stop and strip, then shift. It was the only way to protect Debbie, who was attacking and not backing off. The wolf saw Allan then and tried to run, but Debbie pursued him, biting his tail, and he turned around to tackle her again. By then, Allan had shifted and was running full-out, because right this instant, Allan was in a killing mood. Nothing would stop him now.

He bit at the wolf in a vicious way, distracting him. He smelled Debbie's blood on him, and that incensed Allan all the more. His phone was vibrating in the pocket of his pants nearby, while Debbie bit again at the wolf's tail. Was the wolf Otis? They had no way of knowing at the moment.

What he did know was the wolf wasn't calling a truce. He'd tried to run as a wolf. He had something to hide. Paul suspected the wolf was their man.

Debbie was still snarling and growling, and Allan prayed she hadn't been injured too badly.

The wolf he was tackling was growling just as ferociously as Debbie, but he wasn't able to overpower or outthink Allan. Not as a new wolf.

Instinctively, the wolf knew to go for the throat, but Allan kept indicating he was going one way and then sweeping back to tackle him another. That was why it was so important for wolves to learn to read body language. This wolf was still clueless. He hadn't played with another
lupus garou
, hadn't learned the techniques to use. But Debbie had. She knew what Allan was going to do and complemented his actions, move for move.

He couldn't have been more proud of her. Suddenly, as if the wolf figured he wasn't going to make it out of this alive and he would kill the easier prey, he swerved around to attack Debbie. She read the signs before he lunged. And so did Allan.

She yipped and bolted away from the wolf. Allan charged into him, his teeth sinking into the wolf's neck, breaking it with one killing bite.

The wolf sank into the snow, tree branch shadows cutting across him and weaving a web of darkness.

Allan and Debbie stood panting and watching him. They saw that he was no longer breathing and heard his heart stop beating. The wolf shifted to human, and though a beard covered his jaw, it was him—Otis, the man they'd tried to locate forever. Allan joined Debbie, smelling her blood and checking her over. She licked his muzzle, then motioned to the cabin with her head. He nodded and ran off to get to the field pack and his clothes resting on top of the snow. He shifted, dressed, and slung the bag over his shoulders, then headed for the cabin. She paced in front of the screen door. The man had cleared the step recently, or the door wouldn't have opened.

Allan opened the door for her, and she ran inside, smelling the scents like he was. She didn't seem to be injured badly, if the way she was moving about was any indication.

They found Otis's rifle, more silver rounds, camo, another Glock, hunter's spray, and enough canned food to last a couple of weeks. The cot had been slept on, the sheets and blankets not having been washed, from the smell of it, for eons.

Debbie paced, her wolf nails clicking on the wooden floor. Allan pulled out his phone, saw a missed call from Paul, and quickly called him back.

“We got him.” Allan gave Paul the coordinates. “Cliffs are nearby. Should we take him there and drop him off them? He died, a wolf checked him out, bit into him, and left him?”

“Yeah. Sounds good. If we don't report finding him, animals will feast off him. Vultures, what have you. How's Debbie?”

She was curled up by the fire, licking her leg.

“She's still a wolf, a few bites, but nothing serious. She's one hell of a wolf partner.”

She lifted her head and howled.

Paul laughed. “Good. You?”

“Same here. He's got more ammo, rifle, guns. Let's report the find in the storage facility, then we'll dump his body off the cliff. Maybe we can let someone find the rest of this stuff in another month when the owner comes for another hunting trip. Maybe at spring thaw someone will discover his remains down the mountainside. Or not.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“Okay, well, I'm out of here with the body. I'll call back in when that's done and let you know when we're on our way home.”

“Okay. I'll let everyone know the killer has been caught and his killing spree has ended.”

“Thanks. Out here.”

Allan looked down at Debbie. “Did you want to stay here, and when I'm done, I'll come back for you?”

She woofed and rose to her feet, then ran over to him. He took that as a no. They were in this together.

Never in a million years would Debbie have believed she'd be running alongside Allan as a wolf while he was carrying a dead, naked body. She hated that they couldn't tell Rowdy the case wasn't cold. That they'd solved it for him. She couldn't believe she had a mad-wolf self, but when the guy began shooting at her and Allan, and continued after Allan identified himself as with the police, she knew she had to help take him down in any way that she could. Since using a gun hadn't been an option, she had to use her wolf teeth.

He was too big, too powerful for her, but she'd hoped Allan could shoot him and that would be the end of it. He returned fire in self-defense. There were enough rounds fired at Allan and her to support their case. But killing him as a wolf screwed everything up. At one point, she had thought real wolves wouldn't matter to the
lupus garous
. But she could see they treasured them as much as they did their own wolf packs and would protect them at all costs by covering up a wolf killing.

She was glad she had turned into the wolf because she had managed to stop Otis in his flight from justice. She wouldn't have if she'd been running as a human.

Even though the bad guy was a bad guy, she still hated knowing he would be left for the scavengers to feed off instead of being turned in to the police. She realized it was for the best though.

After leaving Otis in the wilderness, Allan and Debbie headed back to where they had left their vehicle. Allan was quiet, and she wished he'd talk to her—not that she could respond much as a wolf. She finally woofed at him.

He smiled down at her and ran his gloved hand over her head.

“Sorry, gathering wool again. I hope that what we did worked. That if anyone's up here, either the snow will have fallen again and covered up the fight and our walk toward the cliff, or everything will have melted off and left no trails behind.”

She woofed in agreement.

“You did a hell of a job back there.”

She growled a little. She'd do it again in a heartbeat to protect her…mate. She'd mated with him, sure, but this was the first time she'd actually thought of him as her mate and not her lover, her friend, confidant, dive partner, and the one she dearly loved.

Her phone vibrated in the field pack. He pulled it off his shoulders as they continued to trudge through the snow, keeping to the same path they had used to get there. He found her phone in her pants pocket and said, “Hell, it's Rowdy.”

She nodded.

“I wonder if he's been told already about the find at the storage unit.”

When they reached the car, Allan unlocked the door and opened it for her, but as soon as she jumped in, she bit at the field pack as he tried to drop it on the floor. She was ready to shift again. She sighed. She hoped she would have better control over this soon.

Allan closed her door and got in on the driver's side while he watched her shift and begin to get dressed. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I can dress while you drive.”

“What are you going to say to Rowdy?”

“Depends on what he says first.” She sighed again and pulled her sweater over her head.

He glanced at her again. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I could snuggle with you in bed, as a wolf if I have to, for a week. But only until I have more control over the shifting for the rest of the month.”

“Next phase of the new moon, we're only going to have fun.”

She smiled at him. “You know what? Being with you is all the fun I need.”

He chuckled. “Even when I'm being my mad-wolf self?”

“I was so thankful you had one. Me too.”

“So about the rest of the schedule…I guess we can fit it all in the next time.”

She pulled out the list and examined it studiously.

“Well? Where did you want to go next?”

“I know it's not on the list,” she said, reaching over and running her hand over his thigh. “But I thought we might return to the cabin for a week of hibernation during the full moon.”

He raised his brows. “So you
did
want to sleep some.”

“Ha! No way. I need me some wolf loving.”

Fully dressed, she pulled out her cell phone. “Wait. If Rowdy figured out where I called him from, he could come to see why we were out here.” She was about ready to tuck her phone away when she had another thought. “I'll wait to call him from the cabin. But you said you'd talk to Paul. I'll call for us.”

“Good thinking.”

“Paul? We're on our way home.”

“Helluva job, Debbie. Welcome to the pack.”

* * *

When they arrived home, Allan was concerned about how she was feeling, emotionally and physically. She loved him for being so sensitive.

“I have to admit, this whole situation is disturbing, but I can see how important it is to keep our kind secret. Wish me luck when I call Rowdy.”

“Should we have a fire after showering or—”

“I'm all for going to bed after we take a shower together.” With great reluctance, she called Rowdy, grateful that the case was solved to their satisfaction, even if it wasn't for Rowdy. “Hey,” she said as Allan helped her out of her parka.

“Hey. I'm at the storage unit where the weapons and such were found. Is that Vaughn Greystoke another wolf?”

She just sighed. “I guess just about
everyone
is.”

“Not me.”

“Except for you.”

“They've run ballistics on the rifle. It's not the one that was used to shoot you and Tara.”

She hadn't thought he even knew about Tara. Just that she had been shot. “No? I thought Vaughn believed it was Otis's.”

“It is. It was registered to him. But it's not the one he used in the shootings.”

“Ah, okay. Well, I thought you might have had it all tied up.”

“I need Otis's body first.”

She didn't say anything for a moment as Allan helped her out of her boots.

“You still there?”

“Yeah. Well, Vaughn said that the surveillance showed the kind of vehicle he was driving. Did you put an APB out on it?”

“Yeah. But I have a feeling in my bones that he's no longer among the living.”

“You mean like a sixth sense?”

“Yeah, you know me and my paranormal musings. Anyway, yeah, like a sixth sense.”

“You think maybe a hunter got him?”

“I 'spect we'll be finding him come spring, if not sooner, wearing a few predatory bite marks. Nothing ominous—just a hazard of running around in the wilderness in the dead of winter when on the…lam.”

“So you're no longer worried about him?”

“Are you?”

“Not when you're on the case.”

Rowdy sighed. “Are you really doing okay?”

“Yeah.” She was naked now and so was Allan, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead, cheeks, and chin. “I'm fine. Thanks, Rowdy, for everything.”

She swore Rowdy knew the truth. But why let Allan and his pack know it? Why not pretend they didn't exist? He didn't seem to fear that they might turn him or eliminate him.

“I've been hearing you're marrying one of them,” Rowdy said.

“Ah, Allan. Yeah. I finally caught my man.”

“Well, more power to you. You can't say I didn't try to save you, but I figured once he wanted you, it was like a dog with a—”

She cleared her throat.

He didn't finish what he was going to say.

“Allan says it takes one to know one. Are you sure you're not one of them?” Debbie asked.

“Not yet. But I imagine that it's coming.”

“You don't mind?”

“It's either that or end up like that poor fool.”

“He murdered innocent people. And you would never do what he did.”

“You think? It's hard to say. If I saw one of them killing another, I don't know. Whole different world out there.”

“Well, all I know is Allan's the right one for me.”

“What about our Friday night pizza?”

“Maybe once a month now. We have some newlywed time to nurture.”

“No pizza night during the full moon though, right?” Rowdy asked.

“Only if you like living dangerously,” Debbie said and kissed Allan on his throat. She was certain Rowdy was taking notes. New moon—no wolf change.

“You're on. Usual time? I'll be there,” Rowdy said.

Then they ended the call.

“What's up?” Allan asked, pulling her toward the shower.

“He knows. Or at least he suspects. I think he believes we're the good guys though.”

“Well, we are.”

“Is it wise to keep meeting with him?” she asked.

“Yeah, it is. If only to ensure he knows we're just average folks like everybody else when we're not wearing our wolf coats.”

“And so we can keep up on what he's thinking or doing with regard to our kind?”

“Absolutely. Vaughn said to watch out for Rowdy. He believes he's sitting on the fence—he can either try to prove we exist or join us. So we've got to prove we're worth joining.”

“Or just turn him against his will.”

“If we have to, but it would be a whole lot better if we could make him one of us because he wants it.”

“But you can't tell him we're werewolves for real.”

“No. That's the problem. Once that's done, he doesn't have a choice.”

She nodded. “Thank you for loving me, Allan, and for having a pack who cared enough about the two of us that we could be together as wolf mates, even if they didn't know how it would work out between us.”

“I was angry to begin with, afraid of how you'd feel. On the other hand, I wanted you for a mate and I'm glad you've found a family with us. With me. I can't tell you enough how much I love you.”

“In your every action, you've shown me. I was so stuck on you before I learned what you were, but you know what?” She pulled him into a warm embrace and kissed him. “That's what intrigued me the most about you. Here I thought it was just because you were a SEAL.”

He smiled down and kissed her right back. “You have to know you've made me the happiest wolf in the world.” Then he took her into the shower, the one where she had sat as a wild wolf watching him soap that hard body of his, only this time
she
was soaping that hard body of his.

Allan knew beyond a doubt that when he'd gone diving for trouble, he'd gotten lots more than that—one human turned wolf, his dive partner, the love of his life, his wolf mate. Nothing could be better than that. He couldn't have asked for a better teammate for making sure the good guys came out on top.

She was everything he needed in a mate, wolf or otherwise. And he couldn't have loved her any more than he did as she began to soap his body while he soaped hers.

Debbie had thought she loved Allan the most for his mutual appreciation of diving. But it was so much more than that. He'd opened up a whole new world for her, and she was actually looking forward to a whole lot of wolf play inside the cottage and out. She'd actually missed being a wolf during the phase of the new moon, and she was ready to take advantage of both worlds now.

“Do you ever wonder what would have happened between us if I hadn't been turned?”

“I believe what was meant to be would be. And we were meant to be together.”

She rubbed her soapy body against his. “I think you're right. Rowdy would have convinced me of what you were eventually, and I would have made you bite me.”

Allan smiled at her. “Would you have been as growly about the shifting then?”

“Absolutely. I probably still will be when it happens and I don't want it to. Just so you know, if we have babies before I've got the shifting under control—”

“I'll be there to take care of it. You've got me and a whole pack to help out.” He was silent for a moment, and then he said, “You're already pregnant?”

She let out her breath. “You never know.”

He smiled, looking perfectly pleased with the notion.

She sighed. “I should have known how much trouble you could be.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her mouth soundly. “Ditto, partner. We make a helluva team.”

Order Terry Spear's sixth book
in the Silver Town Wolf series

Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply

On sale May 2016