Animal Behavior (11 page)

It seemed that each person had a fond memory to share about
John Chaney and their affection for him overwhelmed Gwen. More than once their stories
brought tears to her eyes.

When the last well-wisher had stepped away, Tiny gently
guided Gwen to the end of the driveway. “Sorry about that, ma’am. Like I said,
everyone really liked your granddaddy. We’re all very glad you’re here and if
you need anything—anything at all—don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll take care of
ya.”

* * * * *

Gwen left the garage sale empty-handed. She hadn’t even had
a chance to browse before getting sidetracked by her strange welcome to Talbot.
She’d been so confused by the episode that she nearly forgotten to stop at the
grocery store before returning home.

It wasn’t hard to find the market. It was on Main Street,
just half a block from Henry Waggner’s barber shop. Gwen rolled down the car
windows and told Jezebel to stay put. “I’ll just be a minute, Jez.”

John Chaney had left the pantry stocked with enough paper
products and canned goods to last a year, so she just picked up some dog food
and perishables. Gwen drove home trying to make sense of the impromptu memorial
service.

Before putting away the groceries, Gwen pulled off her shoes
and socks, unhooked her bra, yanked it through the armholes of her T-shirt and
tossed it in the hamper. She traded her jeans for a pair of baggy sweatpants
and swept her hair into a ponytail.

She tuned the radio to a classic rock station, then mixed
herself a rum and cola. The drink soothed her and, after pouring a second, she
looked at Jezebel over the rim of her glass. “Don’t judge, goofball. It’s been
a weird day.”

She seasoned a couple of chicken breasts, set them in the
oven to roast, and grabbed the colander from its hook above the sink to rinse
the lettuce and vegetables for her salad. As she cubed the cucumber and tomato,
she replayed the kind words she’d heard that morning.

John Chaney had been a good man—she knew that—but they’d
also said how important he’d been to the community. Their sentiments meant the
world to Gwen, but she sensed they had needed closure as well.

Her grandfather’s will had been very specific. He hadn’t
wanted a funeral. He’d prepaid for cremation and stipulated that the undertaker
was to row out to John’s favorite fishing hole and dump his ashes in the lake.
All the same, she felt certain that he would have loved to hear the impression
he’d left on this little town.

Gwen plucked a carrot out of the strainer and sliced it into
thin rounds. Jezebel must have smelled one of her favorite treats, because she
padded into the kitchen and sat at her mistress’s feet. Gwen tossed a orange
chunk in the air and the dog caught it before it hit the floor.

Jezebel’s tail thumped on the floor, then stopped suddenly.
The dog’s ears perked up and she trotted toward the front door. The fur along
her spine stood on end and an uncharacteristic growl rumbled in her chest. Gwen
tightened her grip on her knife and followed Jez.

Holding her breath, Gwen eased back the curtain covering the
glass in the front door. She exhaled with a huff when she saw the front of a
flannel shirt filling the pane.
Sergei.

She opened the door and the giant dipped his head to clear
the opening. Gwen noted that he was barefooted, one of his shirttails was
hanging out of his waistband and his wild mop of hair looked even more
disheveled than usual. When he said, “Hello friend,” she could smell alcohol on
his breath.

Jezebel’s ears were pulled back and her hackles were still
raised. Sergei glanced at her and the dog whined. “Do you need to go outside,
dog?” he asked. Jezebel slunk out the front door and he shut it behind her.

Sergei turned his attention back to Gwen. “I am told that
you met some of your new neighbors this afternoon. How did you find them?”

“I just took a left at the bottom of my driveway and
followed the garage-sale signs,” Gwen said.

Sergei’s brow furrowed. “No, I meant what did you think of
them?”

When Gwen winked, Sergei chuckled. “You are having a joke
with me.”

“Yes, I’m having a joke with you. They seemed very
nice…interesting. They all had very kind things to say about my grandfather.”

Sergei smiled. “He was a very special man. As you are
special, Gwen.”

He laid a big hand on Gwen’s shoulder and squeezed. When he
swept his gaze over her, she suddenly felt exposed without a bra on. She
couldn’t help but blush when her nipples perked up under the heat of his stare.

She took a step backward and crossed her arms over her
breasts. “So, how’d you know I’d been in town?”

“This is a small community. Word travels fast.”

Gwen nodded then led the way back to the kitchen. “Join me
for dinner? Nothing fancy, just chicken and a salad, maybe a little wine.”

“It would be my great pleasure,” he said, raising one shaggy
eyebrow.

Gwen had grown accustomed to the Russian’s formal style of
speech. She wasn’t, however, used to the hint of flirtation she thought she
detected now.

She inclined her head toward the wine rack. “The chicken
won’t be done for a while. I have some of that wonderful cheese of yours in the
fridge. Maybe you could choose a little fruit of the vine to go with it.”

While Gwen set the table, Sergei chose a bottle of pinot
noir, poured them each a glass then joined her in the kitchen. The two leaned
back against the countertop and Sergei raised his glass. “To community,” he
toasted.

“To community,” Gwen repeated and took a sip. The flavors of
black cherry and berries exploded on her tongue. “Oh Sergei, this is
fantastic!”

“Perhaps it could be a bit more chilled, but sometimes I am
impatient.”

Gwen shrugged. “Tastes perfect to me. You have excellent
taste.”

He bowed his head slightly then locked his gaze on Gwen. “I
may live the simple life of a farmer, but I insist on the best in all things.”

The emphasis he put on
all things
, was unmistakable.
He had not looked away from her and his stare was unnerving. When he reached
out and brushed her forearm with the backs of his fingers, her spine tingled.

Gwen’s mouth went dry and she took a healthy slug from her
glass. “Let’s have some of that wonderful cheese to go with this wine,” she
said, moving toward the table.

Sergei caught her wrist in his massive hand and the tingle
moved from her spine to the dampening spot between her legs. Her reaction was a
heady combination of fear and desire. He smiled down at her as if he could
sense her excitement, then gave her wrist a squeeze before releasing her.

Snagging the bottle from the countertop, Sergei recorked it
and set it in the refrigerator. “Let’s chill the rest of the bottle for a
moment and let the cheese warm on the table. We will enjoy each other’s company
while we wait, no?”

His dark-brown eyes seemed to flash with a golden light and
Gwen felt mesmerized by his stare.

Sergei the giant was an incredible specimen. His stature was
just part of the allure. He had a presence about him—a kind of calm authority
that was incredibly attractive. And that accent! Everything about this man was
exotic and Gwen had the sudden overwhelming urge to become a bit more worldly.

They were both unattached and Gwen hadn’t been with a
man—not counting the near-miss with Alex—for far too long. She rolled back her
shoulders, pushing out her breasts, and cocked her head. “What did you have in
mind…to pass the time while we wait, I mean?”

One corner of his mouth jerked upward and it was obvious
that he’d read her meaning loud and clear. When he reached out and stroked her
cheek, she leaned into his huge hand.

“So lovely,” he whispered. “May I kiss you, Gwen Chaney?”

The timbre of his deep voice sent vibrations through her
body. The sensation settled between Gwen’s legs and a flood of cream soaked her
panties. Though her body responded, her tongue seemed paralyzed. She could only
manage a single nod in answer to his question.

He needed no more permission. Sergei pulled her to him and
crushed his mouth against hers. Gwen felt possessed by this huge man and she
moaned against his lips. He slid his hand under her shirt and palmed her aching
breast. Snaking his other hand down the front of her sweatpants, Sergei
massaged her pussy and slid his long, thick fingers into her.

Gwen jerked her mouth from his and buried her face in the
side of his neck. “God, that feels so fucking good!”

Her reaction seemed to spur him on and he plunged deeper
into her wet folds.

Shocked by how quickly she’d responded to his touch, Gwen
stripped off her T-shirt, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips
to his ear. “Sergei, I’m going to come,” she panted.

“Yes, come for me!” he commanded.

His words were her undoing and she bucked against him. She
clung to his big body as the orgasm ripped through her.

Before she could catch her breath, he yanked one of her
hands from his neck and flattened her palm against his crotch. She sighed at
the huge hardness behind his jeans.

“Do you feel what you do to me? Do you want that big cock
inside you?” he growled in her ear.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Wrapping his hands around her thighs, he lifted her, turned
and set her on the counter. He yanked down her sweatpants and forced open her
knees. “I will fill up your sweet cunt and then you will be mine!”

Gwen looked down and watched him open his jeans. She licked
her lips at the sight of his beautiful cock.

It was impossibly long and thick and tipped with a deeply
colored head the size of a plum.

The juices dripped from her folds and her nipples tingled as
they puckered into tight peaks. “Sergei, I…” She started to protest, but knew
she didn’t want to. The thought of that huge rod stretching her wide as it
pushed into her elicited a shuddering moan. “Yes,” she whispered.

The look in his eyes changed quickly from lust to something
much more menacing.
Hunger
, she thought. Fear crashed over her like an
icy wave. She bent her arms and flattened her palms against his chest. She
tried to push him off her, but he was too big, so strong. He pressed another
ravenous kiss over her mouth and seemed to feed on her squirming and muffled
protests. He shoved a hand between her thighs and roughly kneaded the fleshy
mound.

Gwen was terrified and suddenly angry. She redoubled her
efforts to push him away. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she bit down
hard until she could taste his blood. He jerked his head back and roared—no,
howled
in pain. She spat out his blood and watched in horror as his face began to
change. His jaw bulged and then grew outward into a snout. Long, sharp teeth
erupted through the gums and his ears moved up the side of his head and
developed sharp peaks. Her own voice seemed far off as she cried, “No! God NO!”
over and over again. She beat her fists against any part of his body she could
reach.

He refocused his attention on her with a snarl. “You will be
my
mate! No other shall have you!” he roared. His voice was unnaturally
deep and gravelly.

Outside the cabin, Jezebel was barking madly and scratching
at the door. Gwen’s screams were now mingled with sobs as she tried to make
sense of the hell she found herself in. She wanted to close her eyes, but
couldn’t tear her gaze from the beast who loomed above her. The werewolf
wrapped a clawed hand around its hard shaft and forced open her legs and was
readying to plunge inside her when a loud
crack
caused them both to turn
toward the door.

At the sound of the front door being bashed in, Sergei wheeled
around and fastened his jeans. Jezebel’s frantic barks were joined by another
dog and a weird snarling so otherworldly that Gwen scrambled into the far
corner of the kitchen and covered her ears.

She slid to the floor, drew up her knees and stared
wide-eyed as Jezebel and Alex’s black Lab rushed in with hackles raised and
teeth bared. Behind them stood a seething, copper-colored werewolf. His eyes
flashed and his fangs snapped at the air.

Alex
? As if it had heard her silent question, the
werewolf turned his attention to Gwen and held out its paw, as if directing her
to take cover. Gwen pressed her body farther into the corner and tried to
shield herself from the melee.

Sergei moved to advance on Alex and the dogs lunged, each
sinking its teeth into the dark werewolf’s corded calves. Sergei threw back his
head and howled then swatted at the dogs, sending them sprawling into opposite
corners. They quickly found their feet and began circling him again. Sergei
hurtled himself at Alex and the two tumbled into the living room. They rolled
and tussled across the worn wood planks, growling and biting and clawing at one
another. The dogs followed with Gwen close behind.

Bob leaped on the dark monster’s back and latched onto his
neck. Sergei separated himself from Alex and groped behind him trying to
dislodge the Lab. Jezebel took the opening and sank her teeth into the werewolf’s
wrist. Sergei sent the golden retriever flying with a jerk of his enormous
forearm. She landed hard against the kitchen cabinets and crumpled into a
lifeless heap on the floor. Sergei turned his attention to the dog on his back.
He gathered Bob’s scruff in his claws and heaved the growling animal to the
floor. Bob was still and quiet.

Alex attacked. He lunged at Sergei, knocking him from his
feet until he was laid out on his back in front of the fireplace. Alex pounced
and bit into the flesh under the dark werewolf’s upper arm and was splattered
with a gush of blood from the brachial artery. Gwen flattened herself against
the wall and watched open-mouthed as the gaping wound healed itself.

A black blur was all she could make out as Sergei sprang to
his feet and wrapped a huge claw-tipped hand around Alex’s throat. The much
larger beast easily lifted Alex from the floor and held him out at the length
of his long arm. Alex grasped at the wrist and kicked wildly. The giant’s reach
was too great. Gwen saw the copper beast’s movements began to slow. Sergei
turned his body and dashed Alex’s head against the stone fireplace.