Wolf Next Door (9 page)

Desire sparkled in her eyes, and she eased away from his hand on her neck. Eased, not jerked and then to his shock, she caught his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “Paying it forward…”

With a bounce to her step, she retreated into the house and he stared after her. Groaning, he eased his cock’s position in his jeans. The zipper was leaving a damn imprint on it. He blew out a breath.

She’d kissed him.

Let him kiss her.

His wolf wanted to howl, but the man…the man remained cautious.

Optimistic, but cautious.

One kiss did not years of misunderstanding unravel, but dear God, what he wouldn’t give for her to be late so he could extract another one.

T
he paintball explosion
turned a half dozen wolves damn near neon pink. She’d jerked at the sound. Even expecting the noise didn’t make it any easier. Ty stood a few feet away from the culprits, laughing his ass off at them. The males were all between the ages of ten and twelve. They looked horrible—and the pink would stain their skin when they shifted unless they managed to get it off their fur.

All day long, she’d watched Tyler direct the kids toward the obstacles—how to hammer the wood into place and where to get the nails in so unwary feet weren’t caught or harmed. Some of the boys wanted to roughhouse, but he cut back on their attitude and directed them without ever getting physical.

It was a revelation. She had a rough idea of how to work construction, but ended up spending most of her time watching. With compassion and firmness, he kept them focused on the tasks at hand. No way he’d missed the older boys setting up the paintballs and the trigger to detonate them. They’d done the deed when he’d been inspecting the rope wall.

Every wolf spent time on four legs and two, trying to compete on the obstacle tourneys. With age, they increased in difficulty. Sometimes wolves could find themselves in tricky situations, especially in a world where humans had camera phones and urban sprawl continued to devour the natural landscape they preferred.

Building the obstacle courses encouraged community involvement at a young age as well as cooperation. She’d done the same thing in school, as had Ty. Making the troublemakers trip their own trap, however, was absolute genius. Clapping her hands and laughing, she caught her breath when he swept his gaze over her. Her pulse jackhammered and her wolf wanted to bounce out and play, to chase him over the obstacles and then turn tail and see if he would chase her.

He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she laughed all over again. Ty was having nearly as much fun as the kids. No wonder he liked this job. Odd, she’d always thought he’d go into engineering. It was what he loved to do when they were younger—figure out how things were built so he could make them better. Why hadn’t he gotten a degree in it?

Or had he? Her smile faded. She really didn’t know him anymore. Continually defying her expectations, he kept getting under her guard. The kiss comment earlier, the cookies, getting her permission to roam, and then bringing her here to work with the kids. She really liked the man Ty had grown up to be. Warmth swept over her and she blew out a breath. It was like she could breathe and relax and…

“You really have some fucking balls, showing up here.”

Tension corded her spine, and she angled her head to face Ranae. Ty’s younger sister stood four feet away, downwind, and so distracted by watching Tyler with the kids, Claire failed to notice her approach.

Idiot.
Forcing her muscles to loosen, she met and held Ranae’s gaze. The power she’d unleashed on her mother was there, all bottled up and contained again. The animosity, however, soured the air around her.

“Hello, Ranae,” she said, keeping her tone amicable. Barely in her twenties, the youngest Buckley sibling would be a beautiful woman when she matured. The cold fury in her eyes promised a heavy retribution.

“Don’t say hi to me. Why the hell are you here, Claire? Why are you fucking with his head again?” Anger spit from every syllable. “He was in a good place. My whole family was. We got A.J. back, Tyler was healing—he had a chance to really get over you, and then you waltz back in here like you have a right.” Venom thickened on the last words. “Now my brothers are barely speaking to each other, and you’re sitting here like some fucking queen waiting for him to, what? Be your lapdog again?”

She could answer the questions in a lot of different ways. Violence was one. Challenge seemed to vibrate from Ranae’s core. If she’d been in wolf form, her teeth would have been bared, her ears pinned and she’d be snarling—not that she was much better in human form. Claire’s own wolf had gone silent, watchful and ready to defend.

Violence, however, was out of the question. She was Ty’s sister, no matter how bitchy or badly she behaved. That left Claire with two options, and when one behaved like a child, one didn’t get rewarded with anything resembling truth, so she settled for, “It’s none of your business, Ranae.”

Proud of her cool, even tone, Claire kept a careful watch on the younger wolf. The sounds from the course faded. Ranae’s swift pulse and harsh indrawn breath were warning signs. Her aggression perfumed the air.

She’d come there to fight.

And she needs to leave really disappointed.

“The hell it’s not.” Stalking forward, Ranae invaded her space. Claire rose to her feet. No way in hell would be she keep her head below hers nor allow her the advantage of looming over her. “He’s
my
brother. You’re just the bitch who left.”

“Yes, I am.” Lifting her chin, she kept her breathing even. Fight or flight increased adrenaline and gave them strength, but it also hampered judgment. Cool thinking saved her life more often than brute strength. “I’m also the girl who came home. None of that has anything to do with you.”

Ranae shoved her, and the impact of her hand slammed into Claire’s shoulder. She rocked in place, but didn’t retreat or give her an inch. Clasping her hands behind her back, Claire focused on not retaliating.

“What? Too much of a coward to fight for him? Or are you waiting for someone else to rescue you and give you a reason to leave him?” Ranae struck again, only this time, Claire dodged and Ranae’s fist flew past her and the rest of her followed. She tripped over the risers and cracked her knee into the edge of one.

Pivoting on the bench seat, Claire faced her again. Her nails were digging into her own palms. Muscles coiled, she saw the move coming and leapt over the leg striking for hers. Clearing Ranae, she landed on the other side of her prone figure and whirled to face her again.

With a roar, Ranae lunged and Claire danced backwards, avoiding every telegraphed strike which only infuriated Ranae more. She couldn’t hurt Claire if she couldn’t touch her, and Claire had no intention of letting her land a blow.

The playful noises ceased and a shout echoed from across the field. She didn’t have time to see Ty’s reaction. The intensity and ferocity of Ranae’s attack escalated, and she’d danced all the way to the end of the bleachers. She’d have to leap and land without striking out at his sister if she wanted to keep her from touching her…

Hands still behind her back, she executed the flip. Ranae, it seemed, learned from her earlier failures and went low. She caught Claire’s leg. Twisting and landing on her side, Claire rolled and made it back to her feet before Ranae could stomp her.

Whirling, she narrowly avoided another fist to the head when the sound of running feet pounding the ground from behind sent her wolf into overdrive. Staying human was now imperative, since her wolf wanted out. Too many threats from too many sides.

A woman streaked past Claire and slammed into Ranae. One minute Ty’s sister was lunging at Claire, the next she fended off a very angry, athletic woman with dark skin and one hell of a mouth.

“What—”
Slap
. “The fuck—”
Slap.
“Do you think—”
Slap.
“You’re doing?”

Alexis Huston—no, Alexis Clayborne—had always had a temper. Claire hadn’t seen her in years, but she’d always like the human girl. But nothing human slowed down her strikes. Mated to Mason and a wolf in her own right, she pounded Ranae with a fury that had Claire backing up another step to avoid the fracas.

Ty arrived at her side and slid a half-inch in front of her. His scent was a riot of emotions—worry, anger, and, at the moment, fear.

Ranae ducked under Alexis’ next strike and caught the woman in an uppercut. Claire’s teeth ached in sympathy, but Alexis didn’t even seem to blink. She belted Ranae with a full fist and both women sported bloody noses when a voice rocked over the field. “Enough!”

Crap.

What Claire failed to do and Alexis hadn’t managed, Mason accomplished in two syllables. Ranae stopped fighting and whirled to face their alpha. His power swept over the field and Claire didn’t dare breathe. One day of freedom, and she’d blown it.

A warm hand covered hers and she glanced up to find Ty looking at her—not Mason or Ranae or Alexis. Concern etched across his eyes. Unclenching her fists, she let Ty take her hand in his, and he drew it from behind her back. Her palms were bloody from her claws, all extended. With a gentleness that nearly stopped her heart, he pressed his lips to the wounds and then caught her other hand to lave the same treatment on it.

“Claire didn’t do a damn thing. Ranae came out here spoiling for a fight.” Alexis huffed. “I saw everything—”

“I know,” Mason’s soft words penetrated Claire’s haze of staring into Ty’s eyes, and she dragged her attention to where the alpha stood between the two women. He cupped his wife’s face and sighed. “You just had to get involved.”

“Hell yes. I hate bullies.” The last she directed right at Ranae. “And I thought a whole lot better of you than I do right now.”

“Shh,” Mason ran a finger over Alexis’ lower lip. “If you’ll allow me, mate.”

She grinned and bit his finger, and Claire glanced at Ty. He continued to cradle her hands, but his attention was on his sister. She stood alone, panting and bleeding, with her gaze down. Raw fury left her face mottled and tears mingled with the blood running down her chin.

Mason hadn’t looked at her, not once. Instead, he checked the damage done to his mate. “So, what did Claire do that you felt the need to defend yourself, Ranae?” His deceptively soft tone was the only thing that kept Claire’s outrage at the unfair charge at bay.

Ty tensed, but she threaded her fingers through his and leaned into him. He hadn’t involved himself yet, and she didn’t think he should. His muscles jerked beneath her cheek then, tugging his hands from hers, he enfolded her in his arms. The close quarters didn’t threaten. If anything, it wrapped her in comfort. Closing her eyes, she pressed closer to his chest and slid her arms around his waist.

Her wolf sagged. She’d done it. She’d avoided the fight and hadn’t hurt his sister. Every moment that fight dragged on, she’d been in danger of losing her precarious place.

Ty’s worth losing a fight. Losing face.
She’d bleed for him.

“She came home,” Ranae said, but the heat in her voice diminished. “She’s hurting my family.”

“Is she?” Mason’s attention turned in her direction, she could swear the air around her turned electric.

“Claire didn’t do a damn thing wrong other than not knocking your teeth out, Ranae.” Tyler growled. The rumble of it vibrated beneath her ear. “Trust me, she’s more than capable. You had no business attacking her.”

“Interesting,” was Mason’s only comment. “Your brother doesn’t look all that harmed. My mate, on the other hand, is bleeding.”

“She started it—” Ranae’s protest died swiftly.

Lifting her head, Claire glanced over at them. Mason’s expression had gone from patient to dangerous. “Be very careful about lying to me. You came here for a fight. You’ve been in a mood for days, and now you’ve gone too far. A.J. warned you two days ago.”

He had?

Even Tyler seemed surprised.

“But you chose to ignore the warning. Now you attacked someone unprovoked and continued to try and fight even when she didn’t offer you a fight in response.” Power threaded his words and Claire’s wolf studied the alpha. In Sutter Butte, this much power promised a swift and bloody end to the disagreement. “You will report to Owen tomorrow morning. He’s in Kincaid with Gillian, so you’ll need to get moving if you want to be there on time. You’ll go by foot. You won’t shift. You won’t shift again until I give you permission.”

Alexis’ eyebrows rose at that one. “When you get there, Owen will have work for you. Don’t set foot in Willow Bend proper again until he says you can.”

“Mason—” Shock and pain twisted Ranae’s face, and she took a step toward him.

“You’re still here,” Mason said casually. “Are you challenging me, Ranae?”

She swallowed hard, then shook her head. With one last dirty look at Claire, she took off running.

A tremble went through her. Because of her, Ranae had been all but banished. The Buckleys would never forgive her. Ty would—Mason turned to face her, and he folded his arms. Releasing Tyler, she tried to turn and face Mason, but Ty slid an arm around her and pulled her into his side. He didn’t get in front of her, but faced Mason at her side.

“She didn’t do anything wrong,” he began.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Save me the mate defense.” Mason cut a hand through the air then thrust his fingers through his hair. “You, Ms. Webster, are a genuine pain in the ass…but a talented one.”

Shock held her tongue.

Alexis grinned. “Did you see the way she did that flip? Hands behind her back and everything. I was impressed.” Though she was behind Mason, she peeked around him and winked. “You totally have to show me how to do that. I’ve got speed on my side, but I lack finesse.”

“Lexi.” Exasperation resounded in the two syllables. “Do you mind?”

“Nope. Go back to being Mr. Alpha Badass. I don’t mind at all.” Her grin was so at odds with her bloody lip that Claire was hard-pressed not to laugh.

Shaking his head, Mason glanced from Claire to Ty then back again. “You did really well. I’m very impressed with your restraint.”

Relief let her breathe again. “I gave you my word,” she said. Even with Linc, her only goal had been to get away, not to harm. Ranae was younger and slower. Not hitting her was the better option.

“You did.” Mason scratched his jaw, then look at Tyler. “Have you decided?”

“I want her home.” He squeezed her hand. “Whether she’s with me or not, Willow Bend is her home.”

Claire twisted to look up at Ty. He met her gaze and smiled. Was he serious?

“Yes, I mean it,” he told her. “You
belong
here. I know you don’t trust it yet, but the first chance you had, you came back. I get that now. I won’t stand in your way. All I want is to have a chance to see you, spend time with you, and get to know you again.”