Wolf on the Hunt (11 page)

Louis stood silently beside her until the truck was gone. “Sorry about that,” he told her. “They said they were going to come over. I tried to discourage them, but Anny was determined to meet you.”

“Crap.” Gray slid down the door to sit on the porch and dropped the sketchbook and her phone beside her. “This is the woman’s home and I didn’t even ask her inside.” She’d made Anny stand on her own front lawn. Gray looked up at Louis. “I ruined two of her towels, her mop and a blanket,” she recited her list.

Louis sat down beside her and stretched his long legs out in front of him. He was fully dressed in jeans and a brown T-shirt that was stretched at the seams by his shoulders and biceps. Running shoes covered his feet. Clothing should have made him seem more civilized but instead had the opposite effect. It made her even more aware of his animalistic side.

He took her hand in his. “Anny won’t care about that.” His brown eyes twinkled. “I’ll tell her to bill me since it was my fault they were ruined.”

“How can you joke about that?” she demanded. “You were shot. You could have been killed.” And she’d never have met him. And that truly would have been a crime.

Louis shrugged. “
Chère
, someone is always trying to kill me.”

Gray was incredulous. “Is that supposed to reassure me? ’Cause it’s really not helping.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He nibbled on one of them with his sharp, white teeth. He was always touching her, and if she was being honest, she didn’t mind it in the least.

Once again, the fairy tale went through her head.

“What are you thinking?”

“Honestly?”

He nodded. “Honestly.”

“I’m thinking what big, sharp teeth you have.”

A slow smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “All the better to eat you with, my dear,” he teased. Then he leaned down and kissed her.

* * * * *

Jean Paul Dupointe turned the beer bottle slowly in his hands, ignoring the condensation that dripped from the glass. From his vantage point in the corner of the local bar, Salvation’s End, he watched the other patrons. More importantly, he listened.

Robert was getting restless. Not surprising since they’d been here for hours. His brother lacked patience, which was why he’d never be any more than a flunky for another wolf. Jean Paul had much bigger plans.

“Are we going soon?” Robert asked.

Jean Paul simply turned his head and stared until his brother stopped whining and shrank back into his chair. Then he focused his attention back on the room and listened to various snippets of conversation. Information was power, and he needed every scrap of it he could get.

“I’ll be back. Wait here.” Jean Paul stood and ambled to the bar. As much as Robert wanted to go, Jean Paul knew his brother wouldn’t leave his seat. His brother was good at following orders.

He ambled over the bar and leaned on the counter. The bartender was there in a flash. One thing he’d say about the place was that the service was good.

“Another round?” the man asked.

Jean Paul nodded. He could see the questions in the other man’s gaze and was surprised the bartender hadn’t asked him where he was from. It was obvious that everyone else in the bar knew one another, at least by sight. He and Robert were the only strangers.

He studied the older man, whose hair was silvered at the temples and pulled back into a tail at the base of his neck. He was fit and stood straight and tall even though Jean Paul put him at around sixty years old. He probably had his finger on the pulse of everything that went on in this town.

Two bottles of beer were placed in front of him and Jean Paul handed the man a twenty. While the bartender was making change, Jean Paul decided to go for the direct approach. “Was wondering if there’s anywhere to stay in these parts. My brother and I might like to do some hiking.”

The bartender handed him back his change, picked up a towel and rubbed a nonexistent stain from the top of the bar while he pondered Jean Paul’s question. “Not much. There’s a B&B in town.” He hesitated and then added, “But I don’t figure it’s your kind of place.”

Jean Paul nodded. “You figure right.” If there was one thing he knew, it was the power of silence and patience. He waited and let the long pause draw out.

The bartender cleared his throat. “You might want to try Mark Harrison. He’s the local realtor. If there’s anyone renting space around town, he’d know.”

Jean Paul picked up his beers and nodded his thanks. “I might just do that.”

He was about to walk away when the bartender spoke again. “Too bad you weren’t here a few days ago. He just rented a place to some artist from out west.”

“Is that so?” Jean Paul willed the man to keep talking.

“Sure is. Rented Anny Conrad’s place. Sad thing what happened to Miss Conrad.”

He cocked his head to one side. “What happened?”

“Well, seeing as you might be doing some hiking, I figure I should warn you that there might be a wolf around. At least that’s what some folks think.” The bartender draped his towel over his shoulder and leaned over the counter. “Personally, I think it’s a bunch of bull. Anny Conrad was attacked by a cougar or bear or wild dog. We ain’t seen wolves around these parts in my lifetime and longer.”

Jean Paul felt like smiling. The man had no idea he was talking to a wolf. “What’s the artist’s name?”

The bartender pondered for a minute. “A color. Rose. No. Gray. That’s it. Gray…” The man tapped his finger against his chin. “Everson. Yeah, Gray Everson.”

Jean Paul nodded. “It is too bad she got the place before I did. I’ll check with that Harrison fellow.”

“If anyone can help you, he can.” The bartender left when another customer bellied up to the bar.

Jean Paul went back to the table and slid into his seat with his back to the wall. “Drink up. I need to do some research.” He pushed one of the drinks over to Robert, and his brother tipped it back and guzzled it in under twenty seconds. Their elevated metabolism meant it was almost impossible for them to get drunk. And it would take a hell of a lot more than this weak beer to do it.

He didn’t bother with his beer. He left it on the table, stood and walked away without a backward glance. His brother was right behind him. Jean Paul blinked when the light hit his eyes and waited for them to adjust. It was evening but the sun hadn’t set yet. Jean Paul slid into his truck, pulled out his phone and Googled the woman’s name.

“What are you looking for?”

“Not what,” he corrected. “Who. The woman who’s staying in the house we were at earlier today.”

Robert’s curiosity was peaked. “Who is she?”

“Artist lady.” Jean Paul clicked on a gallery link and gave a low whistle. “And it seems she likes wolves.” He turned the screen so his brother could see the painting of a wolf baying at the moon. “I think we need to go back and keep an eye on Gray Everson. If Louis is interested in her, that’s definitely something Pierre would want to know.”

He tucked his phone in his shirt pocket, started his vehicle and pulled out onto the road. His mind was already working hard, wondering how he could play the situation to his best advantage. He had no intentions of ending up like his predecessors—dead. No, Jean Paul planned to not only live, but also to thrive.

Chapter Eleven

Louis knew he was rushing things with Gray, but he couldn’t hold back the desperation pulsing through him. The sheer sense of fear he’d felt when Gator had called and told him Gray was probably going to bolt was something he’d never forget. Thankfully, he’d already been on his way over here when he’d gotten the call.

He brushed his lips over hers, and when she sucked in a breath, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. The taste of her, the heat, made him moan. He cupped her cheek and angled his head so he could penetrate deeper. Her hand came up to cover his, not to push him away, but to hold his touch closer.

The zipper of his jeans was threatening to burst under the pressure of his swollen cock. He came alive around Gray in a way he never had with any other woman. Rather than let it worry him, he reveled in it. He’d been cold for so long, locked in duty and loneliness.

She slid her tongue along his, teasing and touching. His balls pulled up so tight he thought they might be trying to climb into his body. He growled and lifted her off the porch and onto his lap.

A saner voice inside him warned they should take this inside. They were vulnerable out here. The more primitive part of him simply wanted to mark her with his touch, his kiss, so every other male would know she was already taken. Claimed.

Shadow was also nearby, lying on the porch watching them. He’d alert them if anyone came around. The wolf inside him was wary as well. Protective.

She was tall for a woman, but her weight felt unsubstantial on his lap. He pulled her close and broke out into a sweat when the side of her breast pushed against his chest. He hated that they were both wearing clothes. He wanted to feel her skin against skin.

Gray slid her hand up the front of his shirt. He welcomed the heat and pressure of her touch. She didn’t stop there and kept going until she was stroking his jaw, then his cheekbone and finally, she slipped her fingers into his hair. She fisted the strands and yanked him closer.

Louis wanted to howl with delight. He gave her everything he had, everything he was. He kissed her like she was the very breath in his lungs, the liquid to quench his thirst.

His balls ached, and he knew he’d disgrace himself if he didn’t stop soon. He was too on edge. The scent of her arousal was making him crazy. The urge to bite her, to mark her as his mate was almost overwhelming. And he knew she’d never forgive him if he did.

She knew nothing of their culture, of their ways.

That was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on his head. He forced himself to pull away from her. His lungs sucked in much-needed air. It comforted him somewhat that she was in as bad a shape as he was.

Gray’s eyes were huge, her pupils dilated. Her lips were moist and swollen from his kiss. Her chest moved up and down with each breath she gulped. He tried not to notice how the hard points of her nipples were visible through her thin tank top and bra.

He growled in frustration and lifted her off his lap before he did something she might regret. He scrambled to his feet and snarled in discomfort as his erection throbbed painfully. Gray looked confused, but it quickly faded and self-consciousness took its place. He growled in anger, hating himself for stopping even though he knew it was the right thing to do.

He reached down, grabbed her hands and yanked her to her feet. “We should go inside.” He looked over his shoulder as a sense of unease assailed him. “Now.”

She didn’t ask any questions. She bent down and picked up her things, opened the door and called for Shadow. The second the dog was inside, she followed with him right behind her. “Did you hear anyone? Sense anything?” she asked. She set her sketchbook and phone on the table just inside the door. Then she peeked out the living room window, searching the trees beyond the yard.

He closed the door and shook his head. “No, but we need to be more careful.”

Her cheeks flushed the most perfect shade of pink, and she turned aside and headed to the kitchen. “I was being careful before you arrived,” she muttered. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water. She put one on the counter and pushed it in his direction. Then she opened the other one and took a large swallow.

Several locks of her hair had escaped her high ponytail and fell to her shoulders in a tight swirl. He loved her curly hair. The thick locks seemed to have a life of their own. He wanted to see it all tumbling wild and free around her shoulders. He had a feeling she didn’t let it down very often. Gray kept a tight rein on herself, only letting go when she forgot herself in her passion. She was already pulling her defenses around herself. It was both fascinating and frustrating to watch.

“I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay here,” he told her. She stiffened and her shoulders straightened. He could almost hear her marshalling her reasons to stay, so he hit her with his biggest fear. “If my enemies find out I was here, that you helped me at all, they’ll kill you.”

Gray was glad she’d already swallowed the water she’d gulped or she probably would have choked on it. She put the bottle down and gripped the edge of the counter for support. “Your enemies.”

“I told you there were people trying to kill me,
chère
,” he reminded her.

“So now you have two groups trying to hurt you.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “And because of you, I’m on both their radars. Great. Just great.” She wished she could recall her words when she saw the stricken expression on his face, but that wouldn’t make them any less true.

“
Oui
.” He narrowed his eyes and he seemed to grow even larger. A trick of the eyes for sure, but intimidating all the same. “I won’t let any of them hurt you.”

His accent seemed to deepen the more upset he became. “You might not be able to stop them.” He couldn’t be around her all the time. And what about when she went home?

Gray chewed on her bottom lip. “I really need to leave.” If she left Salvation, the hunters would lose interest and his former pack might never learn she’d had contact with Louis or any of the others.

“Even if you do leave,” he pointed out, “it won’t change the fact that you’re a half-breed. It’s a miracle you haven’t been discovered up until now.” He came to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

She sighed and leaned back against his chest. One of his arms lay across her collarbone and the other around her waist. He rubbed his chin against her hair. It surprised her just how right, how comfortable she felt with him. In spite of all the problems he’d brought her way, her body welcomed his every touch.

“This isn’t smart.” If he stayed around much longer, they were going to end up in bed together. Gray wasn’t about to lie to herself, not about that. The physical attraction between them snapped and sizzled whenever they were in the same room together.

She ached to feel him skin to skin, to have his hands and lips gliding over her. And in return, she wanted to do the same. Her fingers curled over his wrist where it rested against her waist.

He nuzzled her neck, finding the most sensitive part where her nape and shoulder met and he lightly nipped it. Her pussy clenched and her panties were getting wetter by the second. He skimmed his lips over her ear and his breath was hot against the sensitive whorls. “I think you’re perfect,” he whispered.

Goose bumps rose on her arms and she shivered.

Louis slowly turned her so she was facing him. Pure desire was etched on his face. His big hands slid over her waist, up her sides and around to cup her breasts. She tried to speak but it came out as a moan, her words totally incoherent. She heard Shadow amble away, his toenails clicking against the hardwood.

Her dog trusted Louis. That, in and of itself, was impressive.

She trusted him too, which should have been impossible on such short acquaintance. Granted, they’d been through a lot together in that time. Life-and-death situations tended to bring people closer in a faster amount of time.

“You’re thinking too much.” He swirled his thumbs over her distended nipples, drawing another moan from her. Her breasts had never been this sensitive before.

Louis slid one of his hands low and then slipped it beneath the hem of her shirt. His callused fingertips skated over her skin. She shivered as a jolt of longing speared through her.

Gray caught her breath as he traced the edge of the cotton bra that covered her before he pushed it out of the way. Flesh met flesh, and she sucked in a breath as he touched her bare breast.

Common sense fled beneath the powerful onslaught of feelings that bombarded her. Maybe it was because she’d been alone for so long. Perhaps it was the part of the wolf he said resided inside her asserting itself. Gray suspected it was both those things. More importantly, it was the man himself.

Louis LaForge was an undeniable force of nature. Strong, proud and powerful.

She could either walk away now or she could reach out and grab hold of this incredible feeling and see where it led her. Sex between them would be off the charts. She sensed that in the way only a woman could.

Her brain dictated she should leave. In her heart, she knew she’d always regret it if she didn’t make love with him at least one time.

Her chest ached at the thought of their time together ending, and they’d known each other for less than a day. How much worse would it be later? Sanity threatened, but then he kissed her and it was lost beneath the wave of heat that seeped through her limbs, making them almost liquid.

Gray shoved her hands beneath his shirt and found firm skin over rock-hard muscle. He sucked in a breath as she teased the hair on his chest and stroked his flat nipples. Louis jerked away from her long enough to rip his shirt over his head and toss it away.

She almost purred with pleasure when he lifted her hands and put them back on his chest. “Touch me,” he commanded. So she did.

She’d never seen anything like him. He was strong without being muscle-bound. She knew he could move fast when he needed to. Louis wasn’t human. He was more than that. He was a werewolf.

That gave her pause.

Gray looked up at him. He was about a half foot taller than her but seemed so much bigger. She should be terrified of him, given what he was, but she wasn’t.

“I want you.” His words fell between them like a challenge. A muscle twitched beneath his eye, but he stood as still as stone.

This was it. The moment of truth. Walk away or go forward. There was no in-between. Gray had felt like a misfit her entire life. She’d always been apart from the people around them. The world seemed almost too vibrant at times. Loud noises overwhelmed her.

She was part werewolf. She swallowed heavily as she finally let that sink in. The only person she’d ever connected to so quickly was the man standing in front of her. This might be her only chance to discover who and what she really was.

Louis covered her hands with his and pressed them flat against his chest. Then he lifted them to his lips and planted a kiss in the center of each palm. “I’m a bastard for pushing you.” He briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them the heat was banked. It was still there, but she could tell he had it more under control.

The more primitive part of her didn’t like that. She wanted him out of control. Did she really hope he’d seduce her and take the choice away from her? That wasn’t fair to either of them.

She pulled away from him and he let her go, as she’d known he would. Louis wanted her, he made no secret of that fact, was rather blatant about it. She liked his honesty. She also knew he wouldn’t take what wasn’t offered to him. She was as safe as she wanted to be.

As much as she wanted him, she knew she wasn’t ready. Not yet. “I—” She broke off, not quite knowing how to put her thoughts in any kind of order.

“It’s okay,
chère
,” he assured her.

Louis knew he needed some distance from Gray even though every cell in his body urged him to stay. “I’m going to scout the area. I won’t be far.” He didn’t want her to think he was abandoning her.

She wrapped her arms over her chest and looked away. “Sure.”

Frustration ate at him. He didn’t know what was the right thing to do. He grabbed her and planted a hot, hard kiss on her lips. She tasted so damn sweet. He wanted to strip her tank top and bra away and feel her taut nipples against his chest.

He growled and jerked away before he could follow through on his urges. Her arousal tickled his nose, but there was also a layer of unease beneath it. Louis knew he had to back off or he’d lose her for sure.

That thought was all he needed for him to master his wayward body. He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “You don’t worry about anything,” he promised. “I’ll keep you safe.” His voice was husky and rough.

Gray’s eyes were huge and her cheeks flushed the palest pink. “I’m fine.” She licked her lips and his cock jerked in reaction.

He wondered how often she’d said those two words over the course of her lifetime. They came so easily to her lips. He knew better. Could see the confusion and questions in her eyes.

“You’re better than fine. You’re something very special, Gray Everson.” Louis spun around and headed toward the door.

“Louis.”

He stopped but didn’t turn around.

“I’m sorry,” she began.

He shook his head. “You don’t ever have to apologize for doing what’s right for you. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard.” He glanced over his shoulder. She looked so alone he almost went back to her. The only thing stopping him was he knew they’d end up in bed if he went anywhere near her, and the last thing he ever wanted was for her to have regrets. “I’ll be right outside.”

He walked out and breathed in the evening air. It had cooled off slightly and the sun would soon be lost from view behind the mountains in the distance. Louis wanted to shift and run, but that wasn’t going to happen. He had no idea if there were any hunters out there.

He walked off the porch and seamlessly slid into the surrounding forest. Keeping to a circular path, he widened it with each rotation he made around the house. He could see easily through the growing dusk. All the animals were behaving normally, or at least they were until they scented him. Then they either froze or skittered away. He ignored them and searched for bigger prey.