To Tame His Mate (7 page)

“Hey, there.” Erik sat up and studied her for a moment, giving her an adorably cocky grin. “How’s the knee?”

“Much better.” Sarah had been so distracted by his exposed chest she’d temporarily forgotten her nudity. “You still willing to take me for that run you mentioned?”

“Absolutely.” He flashed another of his disarming smiles and rose from the bed. “I’ll go ahead and apologize now. But in my defense, it is morning and you are standing gloriously naked in front of me.”

Erik straightened, and Sarah got an eyeful—an impressive eyeful as his boxer briefs struggled to contain his thick erection. She quickly put a stranglehold on her libido and shifted, clearly surprising Erik, who froze.

“Well, I guess breakfast and conversation will have to wait then, huh?” He smiled teasingly and went to the door to open it for her.

He’d expected conversation? After just telling her she’d caused him to have a massive hard-on? Well, tough nuts, because her conversational skills had abandoned her, along with rational thought.

“I’m pleased to see my assumptions were correct,” Erik said.

Sarah cocked her head and regarded him for a moment.

“You are an absolutely stunning wolf.” He chuckled at her derisive snort and preceded her to the back door.

Once he closed it behind him, Erik shucked his shorts and shifted. The chocolate brown beast eyed her for a moment then gave a yip before bounding off the porch and across the yard. Sarah followed, hot on his heels.

* * * *

Erik sprinted through the early morning darkness, fully aware of the beautiful she-wolf at his flank. He felt her happiness and excitement mingling with his own and was glad they shared this love of running. Hell, he loved nothing more than cutting loose and running full tilt through the wilderness. The hunt was the real thrill, though.

Sarah darted off the path and chased a rabbit to its hole before trotting back to him. Her wolf’s coat was darker than her honey-blonde hair. The dark-caramel coloring was beautiful and held the promise of being amazing in the sunlight. Her amber eyes flashed like fire in the darkness, and Erik felt an answering burn shoot straight to his groin.

Eternally grateful she was downwind, he turned and took off again toward his destination. If he caught so much as a whiff of her delectable scent, his plan would be completely lost…along with his honorable intentions.

He led her to a clearing he knew she’d like. A plush blanket of grass led to a crystal-clear stream with a pebbled bottom that ran through the middle of the area and attracted plenty of wildlife. A large, rock formation near the water provided some shade during the hot summer months. This was his sanctuary. This was where he came to relax, to think and sometimes to hunt.

Sarah paused at the edge of the trees, and Erik felt how wary she was of the open space. Figuring that he’d go ahead and drink from the stream to show her it was safe, he started forward.

She gave a low growl, clearly making her disapproval of his actions known, but he simply gave her a playful chuff to let her know it was fine.

* * * *

Stupid ass!
she thought furiously. Didn’t he see the mountain lion on the other side of those large rocks? It was practically hidden and obviously in hunt mode, but jeez, this was Erik’s turf and he should know the kind of wildlife around here. Just the thought of that mangy cat mauling Erik’s wolf had her seeing red.

Sarah crept silently through the brush, keeping her eye on Erik and the overgrown cat stalking him until she came to the large rock formation. After a quick glance to make sure she was in the clear, she climbed the tall rocks as silently as possible. Once she reached the top, she crawled on her belly to the edge and peeked over. Sure enough, that arrogant feline was bracing itself to pounce.

Time for some fun
.

* * * *

Erik noticed a shift in Sarah, from apprehension to anger to excitement, and was momentarily confused until the rumble of a large cat reached his ears. He spun, hackles rising at the threat as he scanned for Sarah.

Where the hell had she gone? He could take little comfort in the fact that the big cat’s attention was on him when he wasn’t sure if Sarah was safe. He’d tussled with this cranky-ass kitty plenty of times, and it was usually a pissing contest of sorts, but the old bag-of-fur was a dirty fighter.

Erik found it strange that the old mountain lion had come this far into his territory, when every other time they’d met it was on the outskirts of his land while hunting. The somewhat glassy look in the cat’s golden eyes didn’t bode well either.

This was one sick kitty.

The lion was crouched, ready to spring, when a blur of blonde fur dove onto its back. Sarah clamped her jaws into its neck as it bucked then rolled in its attempts to disengage her.

Erik stood frozen for a moment in utter shock. Sarah was having the time of her life! He sensed how much she enjoyed the fight, how much
fun
she was having, but this cat was clearly sick, possibly even rabid.

Was she insane?

Probably, but damn, she was beautiful in action. Seeing all that lean muscle bunching and straining under her caramel fur while she clung to the cat’s back was like watching some sort of lethal dance.

She was smart enough to know if she lost her grip then she’d lose her advantage. Erik simply sat on his haunches, tongue lolling out to the side and enjoyed the show. He felt her amusement up until the cat managed to smash them into the rocks, and her muffled yelp spurred him into action.

She nearly released the big cat. He sensed her pain, was sure it centered mostly in her ribs, and Erik knew her grip would suffer. Sarah tightened her jaws and gave a little shake and, when the beast threw its head back to roar in pain, Erik shot forward to sink his teeth into the exposed throat.

Warm blood sprayed as he tore a slab of flesh free. He watched a shocked expression flash through the feline’s eyes before it finally collapsed to the ground.

Erik moved to Sarah’s side as she stared at the still form before her. The guilt and remorse that he felt from her was surprising considering the attack she’d launched. She gave him a quick sideways glance before walking over to the stream with her tail low and her head down.

Upon reaching the waters edge, she sat, shifted to human and pulled her knees to her chest. Erik did the same, settling next to her on the cold bank.

“You don’t need to feel guilty, Sarah.”

“I just wanted to scare it into leaving,” she murmured. “That mountain lion should have bolted once it knew two wolves were here, but it didn’t.” She was upset, and Erik knew she wasn’t aware of the cat’s condition.

“He was sick, Sarah,” he explained. “I’ve scrapped with him several times, but always on the outskirts of my property. He’s never ventured this far into my land.”

Sarah shivered in the chilly fall air, and Erik put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and lending her his warmth. “Just because he came into your territory, it doesn’t mean he was sick,” she argued.

“You didn’t see his eyes. They were glazed and unfocused, not to mention the fact that every other time we’ve encountered each other it’s been a direct challenge. This time, he was actually hunting, with me as his prey.” As he shook his head in disbelief, he felt her irritation rising.

“If you’d been paying attention, this whole thing could have been avoided,” she snarled.

“Excuse me?” She was mad at
him?

“I growled at you! I tried to warn you, and you practically laughed at me before going out in the open.” Sarah was almost seething. He felt her emotions reaching a boiling point. “I spotted that damn cat when you were halfway across the field, but I knew we were being watched. I felt it like an itch on the back of my neck. For God’s sake, I thought that fucking feline was about to maul you!”

“So you came to my rescue?” He smiled at her. “You had me scared for a second there, too, you know? I couldn’t find you and then I felt your excitement. You were actually having fun.”

Sarah blushed. “I like a good fight every once in a while. I crave it.”

“Well, next time, just let me know, and I’ll let you have a go at Abraham. He could stand having his ass kicked every so often. Keeps him humble.”

Sarah just chuckled, but as she glanced back at the deceased cat, she grew somber again. “I guess it was a good thing. If he was sick, he could have infected other animals. We can’t leave him here, though.”

“No, we can’t risk other animals feeding off of him. Let’s run to the house then we can come back on my four-wheeler to bury him.”

Chapter Seven

Several days had passed since Sarah had come to stay with Erik, and every one of them had been absolutely perfect.
He
was perfect—perfectly polite, respectful, generous, caring and affectionate.

It was his affectionate side she enjoyed the most. He touched her often, just a fleeting brush against her body, or a hand at the small of her back. He’d often smooth her hair from her face, as well, and allow his fingers to linger at her cheek before pulling away.

Sarah knew he was trying to respect her wishes and not crowd her, but she wanted to kiss him again in the worst way. Her only problem was that she didn’t know how to initiate things on her own. And that was why she was heading into town for a drink with Stephanie.

They’d spoken on the phone several times over the last week. It turned out Stephanie was just as attracted to Abraham as he was to her. She was a little apprehensive about his size and the fact he rarely smiled, but still, she was more than willing to go on a double date with Sarah and Erik.

They were meeting at the little bar on the edge of town called the Suds Bucket, and the guys were supposed to come by in about an hour. This gave the girls time to chat and for Stephanie to ask any questions without the guys being around.

Sarah pulled up in Erik’s truck and parked. Stephanie was just getting out of her little red car, and the two met at the front of the bar.

“Hey! How’s it been going?” Sarah asked.

“It’s been good. With flu season starting, I’m staying pretty busy at the clinic, but I’m glad to have a night out.” Stephanie glanced around the parking lot.

“Are you looking for someone?” Sarah asked. “The guys won’t be here for at least thirty minutes or so.”

“No, I’m just taking in my surroundings.”

Sarah let the lie pass. She could tell by Stephanie’s scent that the woman was nervous, but it could have been because this was her first date with Abraham.

“Well, let’s go find ourselves a table.”

As they opened the doors, the noise level multiplied at least ten times. Laughter, loud drunken voices and music created a near deafening roar inside the small establishment, and Sarah loved it. She was used to being in bars since that’s where she’d hung out while waiting to hear word about any upcoming fights.

Tonight, however, she wasn’t looking for a fight. But judging by the lust-filled looks directed their way, she might just get one anyway.

“Hey, beautiful.” The slurred endearment came from a fairly nice-looking man with absolutely horrible breath. “You wanna have a drink?”

“No, thanks,” she replied as she steered Stephanie toward an empty table she spotted in the corner.

“Your loss, honey,” he yelled.

Once they were seated, a waitress came and took their orders then returned with their drinks in record time. Sarah nursed her beer while Stephanie worked on her margarita.

“So, tell me about Abraham.”

Sarah shrugged. “What do you want to know?” He had given her some information about himself and answered her questions for just this reason, so that she could provide information to Stephanie.

“What does he do for a living?”

“He was a Navy SEAL until a shot took out his knee, but now, he does freelance investigative work, usually only when he gets bored, though. He’s made some good investments, so work isn’t a big concern for him.” Sarah took another pull from her bottle and watched as a pair of locals seemed to be gearing up to approach the table. “We’re about to have company.”

Stephanie stiffened and tried to look casual as she glanced around. “Are the guys here?”

“Not the ones we’re waiting on,” Sarah chuckled, “There are a couple of locals that have been eyeing us since we sat down. They’ll probably gather enough courage to come over here shortly.”

“Oh.” Stephanie looked nervous, and Sarah was getting suspicious. She’d been running and hiding long enough that she knew the signs.

“Stephanie, I need you to answer something for me and give me an honest answer. I’ll know if you’re lying to me.”

“Sure.”

“Who are you running from?”

Stephanie’s eyes rounded, and Sarah knew she’d hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately, their admirers finally gathered their guts enough to head over.

“We’ll finish this conversation in a minute.”

Stephanie merely nodded.

“Hey there, ladies.”

“Hey, yourself,” Sarah replied.

“You know,” the scraggly blond began, “you’re so cute. You remind me of my pinky toe.”

A startled laugh escaped Stephanie. Sarah simply replied, “And why is that?”

“Because, eventually, I’m going to bang you up against every piece of furniture in my place.”

Of all the nerve!
Sarah was just about to deck his sorry ass when a bottle smashed into the side of his jaw, laying him out flat on the sticky bar floor.

Stephanie was on her feet, panting and still clutching the neck of the bottle. His friend was just pulling back his arm to swing, when Sarah gave him her ol’ one-two combo—one to the nuts and two to the face.

Nighty, night.

The next thing she knew, she and Stephanie were in a mess of angry drunks. Sarah wasn’t sure if Stephanie was able to fight or not, but she seemed to be holding her own…at least until the cops showed up.

Within moments, the place was swarming with uniforms. Damn small towns. Everything was so compact, it took no time at all to get anywhere. Which meant that their guys should be arriving soon, too.