Taken by the Wolf: Collection (6 page)

He looks really good in that sheriff’s uniform,
she thought.
Damn good.

Eva had never had a thing for men in uniform, but seeing a man with as much raw animal magnetism as Rowan in one began to change her mind. Everything about Rowan screamed leader, so it was shocking he wasn’t an alpha. He had one of the sternest voices she’d ever heard and something about that made her even wetter. She imagined him barking commands to her, ordering her to take off her clothes and lie down on the bed. She imagined he was very forceful in bed, a man who took control and manhandled his love interest. She had never been with a man who had his way in bed, they all just lay there and made her do all the work. It would be different with Rowan—he would be in control.

What am I thinking?
she thought, stepping away from the window.
He’s a fucking werewolf, and he’s holding me captive. I can’t sleep with that!

He wasn’t just holding her captive, he had claimed her. Something about his phrasing, the innate animalism of the phrase, sent her over the edge with arousal.

A sly smile crossed her face. Could she really masturbate here in someone else’s home? In her captor’s home?

She walked back to the bed, slipping her pants off as she crawled into it. She stared at the ceiling for several minutes, teasing her warm folds through her thin, cotton panties. Thoughts of Rowan ripping his uniform off and growling at her danced through her head. His body was amazing with clothes on, and she could only imagine the hard lines that mapped his body, forming each bulging muscle. It was too much—Eva couldn’t tease herself anymore. She started with one hand, squeezing one of her large breasts, the other hand slowly rolling down her stomach, finding its way to her panty line. Her fingers wedged their way under the band of her panties, aiming for the inviting warmth and wetness of her body. She was almost there, ready to release all her pent-up anger and frustration, when a booming knock caused her to sit straight up in fear. Someone was banging on her bedroom door, trying to get her attention.

She quickly ran to the window, looking out at the driveway. Rowan’s truck was gone. He had left while she lay in bed. Who could be at the door?

She quickly slid her pants on and tip-toed to the door, leaning against the frame. “Who is it?”

“My name is Rain,” the voice on the other side of the door said. “I live across the street. I’m in Rowan’s pack.”

Eva sighed and opened the door, banging the back of her head against the wall. After the stress of the last twelve hours she really needed that release.

The room instantly lit up as a tall, lean, muscular, black-haired beauty strutted in. She was wearing tight-fitting blue jeans that did nothing to hide the curve of her ass. Up top she wore a black tank top that showed off perfectly rounded shoulders and small but perky breasts. Her face made her body look average by comparison. She had large jade eyes that almost entranced you when you looked at them. They fit perfectly with her bright smile and long, thin face. If there was a dictionary definition for model, then Rain’s picture would be right next to it.

Why are all these werewolves so good looking?
Eva wondered. Even the rugged, feral-looking men of the council each had their own charm and appeal. She hadn’t seen a woman yet who didn’t look like she should be on a beach somewhere being photographed for
Sports Illustrated
, but Rain made them all look ugly in comparison.

“So you’re the famous Eva,” Rain said, her smile not going away.

“In the flesh,” Eva replied.

Normally a bombshell like Rain would intimidate Eva heavily, but she felt nothing but peace with her. There was something about this wolf, something calming. Eva couldn’t help but smile at her.

“I’m excited to show you around!” Rain said, stepping forward and pulling Eva into a tight embrace. She was strong, unnaturally strong, and Eva had trouble breathing in her grip.

“Ouch,” Eva said, feeling her back pop up and down like she was at the chiropractor.

“Oh, sorry,” Rain said, releasing her quickly. “I forget how delicate humans are.”

I’m not that delicate,
Eva thought.
I can change my own oil and a flat tire.

She just laughed, not sure what to say to the beautiful wolf.

“We have to get you some new clothes if you’re going to be staying here for a while,” Rain said. “Rowan’s old guest clothes just will not do.”

“That sounds good,” Eva said, before sheepishly looking at Rain. “But I have no money.”

“Honey, don’t you worry,” Rain said, holding up a VISA card. “I have Rowan’s credit card.”

A devilish smile crossed Eva’s lips; this was going to be fun.

Chapter 8

Rowan stomped back to his office, unable to see straight due to anger. He was protecting Eva’s life, wasn’t that enough? Instead he had to give up some of his hard-earned money to make her happy.

He’d run into Rain as he was leaving and given had her the directive handed down by Aster. He told Rain to take Eva shopping, but of course Rain was broke so he had to give up his credit card. Eden would’ve been the safer choice to show Eva around, she was much older and more mature than the young wolf, but he was strapped for time and Rain was right there getting her mail.

“You doing okay boss?” a voice asked from the doorway. Rowan had been leaning back in his chair, his eyes closed, so he hadn’t heard the young deputy entering his office.

“I’m fine, Jeremiah,” he said, looking up at his second in command. They were two of the four wolves that made up the police force in Bucklin. Of course they were just the public face of the force: each pack had several enforcers who could be called on to defend the town if need be. The head alpha was above all else, then there was the alpha council, then the head enforcer, which was Rowan, and then the enforcers.

“You look beat,” Jeremiah said, taking a seat in front of Rowan’s desk.

He studied the young man. He’d never liking how hard Jeremiah tried to look human. Most wolves let their hair grow long and wild, and had almost a feral look to them. Jeremiah preferred to keep himself clean-cut, with hair parted on the side. He was as close to looking human as any wolf could, which helped him when dealing with any humans who caused problems in Bucklin. Usually Rowan and his other deputies’ intimidated lawbreakers, but Jeremiah was very good at defusing the situation and sending them away happier than when the problems had started.

“I
am
beat,” Rowan said.

“Why?”

Rowan gave him a sharp look. The deputy was a curious one. He was always prying into Rowan’s personal life, even though Rowan liked to keep that as private as possible.

“Just council business,” Rowan said.

“Is it because of the human?” Jeremiah asked.

“How would you know about that?” Rowan asked. Jeremiah was a member of the Skyvale pack, but there was no way Hawk would let anything that had go on today slip.

“There are rumors flying all over town,” Jeremiah said eagerly. “Some say they saw her at your house and others say they saw her in your truck going to meet the council.”

“Son of a bitch, why does everyone have to yap so much?” Rowan said, covering his face. This was not going to be easy. He wanted to keep Eva as anonymous as possible until the Satan’s Angels problem blew over. Not a lot happened in Bucklin these days, so must have been exciting to see the head enforcer taking on a new mate, especially a human one.

“Is it true?” Jeremiah asked. “Have you taken a human as your mate?”

“Not exactly,” Rowan said. “Listen, Jeremiah there’s a lot at play I can’t tell you about right now. Things are going to get hairy, so just be ready.”

“I’m always ready, sir,” Jeremiah said.

He was too young to have played a part in the last incident with Satan’s Angels, so he had no idea what was coming.

Rowan narrowed his eyes and smirked at the young wolf. “So you say.”

* * *

“I love your car,” Eva said, admiring Rain’s bright blue 2013 Camaro. “It’s such a beautiful color.”

“Just like your eyes,” Rain said.

Eva’s face flushed: she wasn’t used to this many compliments. Rain was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen in person, and she’d done nothing but compliment Eva the entire drive.

“These old things?” she asked, trying to be funny.

Rain didn’t get her humor. “They’re amazing. I’m sure Rowan just loves them.”

“Sure he does,” Eva said, looking at the floorboard. She could see the way the older wolf looked at her, the way his eyes admired her body and locked onto her own eyes. But that didn’t mean anything; plenty of men had wanted to sleep with her and nothing more. She had long legs, a round ass and big breasts, and men definitely wanted to sleep with her, but they never wanted more. Even Jason had only initially thought of her as a one night stand before he started to grow attached. Rowan was protecting her because he felt like he had to; he didn’t actually believe the stuff about claiming her or her being his mate. The mate terminology creeped her out anyway... but the “claimed” part was kind of a turn-on.

“You don’t agree?” Rain asked.

“I don’t know,” Eva said. “I don’t really know him.”

“Who does?” Rain said.

“What do you mean?” Eva asked.

“Rowan’s a hard guy to figure out. I’ve known him my whole life and I barely know him. He’s pretty much second in command to my pack and I think I know Aster better than him, and I only see Aster once in a blue moon.”

“I feel like nobody’s ever told him no.”

Rain laughed. “Nobody does, not even Aster.”

“Isn’t Aster his boss?” Eva asked.

“I wouldn’t really call him his boss,” Rain said, pulling the car up in front of a boutique close to where Eva was sure City Hall had been earlier.

“I’m so confused by your town,” Eva said, feeling lost again.

“Well, here’s an easy way to think about it,” Rain said. “Aster is mayor and the others are the town council. They also play the role of treasurer and such. Rowan is sheriff and he has several deputies.”

“That helps,” Eva said. “But that means Aster is still over Rowan.”

“Yes,” Rain said. “But they’re the same age and have been at this for a long time. When Aster took control of the pack, Rowan was right there with him. To be honest, either one of them could have been alpha. I just don’t think it appealed to Rowan.”

“Interesting,” Eva said, rubbing her chin. The mystery that was Rowan Phoenix was starting to come into focus, but just a little bit: overall the picture was still blurry.

“Let’s get you something that will show off those legs,” Rain said, jumping out of the car. “It’s almost summertime.”

Eva didn’t wear skirts or dresses too often, since her legs were thick, like a softball catcher’s. Some men liked it, but Eva didn’t. Maybe Rowan would think differently, but did it matter? He obviously didn’t have much experience with humans and he didn’t know how to deal with them—he treated her like she was one of his pack members, expected to fall in line with a snap of his fingers.

Her thoughts were putting her into a sour mood as Rain yanked items off the rack, tossing them into Eva’s arms.

“And try this one on!” she said. “Oh, this is cute, you would look gorgeous in it! How about this one? No, that’s not your color, but we can try!”

In the end, it took Eva over an hour to try on everything Rain had thrown at her. Like part of a movie, she would try on the outfit and then exit the fitting room, where Rain sat waiting to give her approval or disapproval.

Finally they checked out, three hundred and forty seven dollars later, with four skirts, two pairs of pants, a pair of flats, a pair of heels and seven new tops.

“Is he going to freak out when he sees this bill?” Eva asked as they loaded bags into the car.

“He’s got so much money he doesn’t know what to do with it,” Rain said casually.

“He does?” Eva asked. She hadn’t thought being a small town sheriff would pay much.

“It’s all pack money,” Rain said. “All of the packs are filthy rich. They own the entire town, plus they have a vampire that makes great investments on behalf of the pack.”

“Vampire?” Eva asked, for the second time today.

“Vampires are great with money,” Rain said, giving Eva a look as if she should have known that. “Most major investment bankers and stock brokers are vampires.”

“I don’t know how much you know living here in Bucklin, but the rest of the world doesn’t exactly know you guys exist,” Eva said.

“I know,” Rain said, frowning. “I guess I forget that sometimes. I’ve gotten in trouble for trying to pick up some of the human men who come to town.”

“You get in trouble for that?”

“Of course we do. We’re supposed to keep our existence secret.”

“Then why did Rowan bring me here?” Eva asked. She was beginning to feel the buildings close in again, trapping her. Was Rowan going to let her go home after they dealt with the bikers. or was she trapped here, since she knew their secret?

“You’d have to ask him that,” Rain said, frowning even harder this time. “It doesn’t seem like a wise move on his part. I guess he likes you.”

“Well, if he’d just talk to me,” Eva said.

“The quickest way to a werewolf’s heart is through his pants and stomach,” Rain said. “Haven’t you ever heard the old saying: at our heart we’re just animals who do what nature intends—eat, sleep and reproduce.”

“No, I must have missed that one when I was reading my big book of quotes,” Eva said, giggling.

“I have a plan,” Rain said, winking at Eva.

Chapter 9

Rowan pulled into his driveway close to dusk. It had been a hell of a day. He’d barely had time to think after his conversation with Jeremiah before he was speeding out to the outskirts of town to keep an Oakdale rancher from killing a couple of Red Moon pups who had been having sex in his crops.

Most of the Oakdale pack lived on the outskirts of town, preferring to be close to nature, and they were intensely private. Signs were posted over most of their farms and ranches promising that trespassers would be shot. It had been one of the kids who texted his mom as he hid under a tractor from the angry rancher.