Caged Heat (Black Meadow Pack) (2 page)

Sam sat there, frozen in place, watching them mull over the implications of fighting a losing battle. She, on the other hand, was just happy to be home, back to the place she’d always wanted to return to. After years of volunteering for her grandmother’s favorite charity, she had no real income to call her own.

As one group, the relatives stood to depart the room. More than a few sniffed and muttered under their breaths while others ignored her and marched out.

Juan Junior stopped in front of her on his way to the door with his wife Marcia. Junior’s large belly hung over his belt. His dark face was still crimson from anger and probably high blood pressure. For a man in his early forties she’d swear he was a heart attack waiting to happen. And with his white beard, he looked like a seething version of Saint Nick.

She lifted a brow and stood her ground. He always acted as if he were better than her and bullied her for most of her youth. Anger simmered in her blood.

“You got something you want to say to me, Junior?” Juan Junior was the biggest jerk in Black Meadows, but she wasn’t intimidated. She’d grown thick skin around her family and had learned to push back.

“This isn’t over,
prima
.” His hillbilly drawl went against his sad attempt at trying to look like a businessman.

“Oh, I think it is,
primo
.” She curled her hands into fists on her lap. “Ginny’s will, all three versions, have spoken. Enjoy your inheritance, and try not to waste it in one day.”

She winked. Juan Junior growled. He turned and tugged Marcia out of the meeting room.

She sat there, trying to calm the disappointment and anger being around the family filled her with. Her heart jumped in her chest when Jonas pulled a chair, yanking her out of her momentary break. He sat down in front of her, sighing as he lowered his body onto the wooden, padded chair.

“I can see you’re exhausted, so I want you to go home, rest, and if you have any questions, give me a call.” He patted the hand she’d laid over one of her knees. “Ginny was a great woman. She loved you and always mentioned how proud she was you’d grown up to be different than all her other children and grandchildren.”

She cleared her throat. It was hard to blink away the tears that gathered in her eyes every time she thought of her Grandmother Ginny. The last time she’d spoken to her, Ginny had been happy and excited that Sam was coming home soon. It was difficult to know she’d missed out on her dear grandma’s last moments. Pain and pressure squeezed at her heart. If only she’d known, she’d have returned sooner.

“Thanks, Jonas. I loved her…a lot.” Her voice wobbled. Ginny had been the only mother she’d ever known. She swallowed against the knot in her throat.

“I know, dear. She wanted you to have her house. And she made me promise to tell you that if you were to run into any trouble, you should call on your neighbor. I have his information around here somewhere. Give me a moment to get it for you—”

She cut him off with a negative shake of her head. “Leave it. I need some sleep, or I’m going to pass out on the floor.”

“I’ll come by and visit you in a few days. Bring any papers that are relevant for you to keep. You should consider finding a lawyer.”

She stood, her muscles screaming from exhaustion, grabbed her bags, and followed Jonas to the door. “If you were good enough for Grandma Ginny, you’re good enough for me.”

Once again she hauled her luggage while dragging her tired body out of the room.

Outside the hotel, she stopped a taxi and gave him her address. As soon as she got to the house, she dropped her bags in the living room and walked up to her bedroom. The room was still clean and tidy, just as she’d left it before her first trip five years ago. After four years in Somalia and one in Brazil, she was finally home. Ginny had been happy to endorse the charity and support Sam’s commitment to volunteering. When she’d told her grandmother she was going to teach children in the jungle how to read, Ginny had doubled the donations for that program.

She stripped off her travel clothes and opted for a shower. The next day would be soon enough to decide what the information Jonas had given her meant. When the warm spray kissed her skin, she closed her eyes and sighed. Her thoughts drifted back to the last thing she’d done in Brazil. She’d been witness to a wedding. A man and a woman over a decade younger than Sam’s twenty-seven years were joined in marriage. The couple had been so happy, and exchanges of animals and other gifts had taken place.

At that moment, she focused on the fact that she’d been alone for a really long time. Her last relationship had been years back when she’d dated another teaching volunteer in Somalia. He decided to cut his time there, and they knew their casual relationship was over. She had stayed, and he never asked her to go with him.

Sadness and longing enveloped her, making her almost shiver with the intensity of emotions. She donned her short-and-tank-top pajamas and threw herself onto the bed. She missed her grandmother, and her family hated her because her mother had been the black sheep. Since she had no romantic ties, she was well and truly alone. After seeing so many children and helping care for them, she realized she wanted a family of her own. What was she doing?

She sighed and pushed away the depression. This was not the time for a pity party. She hadn’t met any men in the jungles of Brazil, but she was back in civilization now. The town of Black Meadows wasn’t very big. Still, she could always call on her best friend to help her meet some people. Yes, it would work. All she had to do was try and get out there, socialize, and something might flourish. But first, she needed to polish her social skills, and Natalia would help her.

As if summoned by her thoughts, her cell phone rang, and a photo of Natalia’s smiling face filled the screen. She placed the phone to her ear and opened a window to allow the air to circulate. While it didn’t smell bad, there was staleness inside the bedroom she needed to get rid of.

“Hey, Nat.” Exhaustion pulled at her, but if she ignored her best friend she’d never hear the end of it.

“Sam, I’m so sorry I couldn’t get you at the airport. I was stuck in a meeting out of town, but I’ll come see you as soon as I get back the day after tomorrow.” Natalia’s soft voice was clear across the line.

Sam sighed. “It’s all right. I’m about to get some sleep. I’ve been traveling for twenty-four hours, and I’m exhausted.”

“I’m sorry,
chica
. Give me a call as soon as you wake up. There are things I need to fill you in on. You’ve missed out on a lot while you were gone. Have you seen your neighbor yet?” Nat’s voice sounded excited.

Sam yawned. Now that she’d taken a shower she felt ready to drop. “No. I just got back from seeing the lawyer and was about to fall into bed when you called.”

“Call me after you speak to him!” Nat’s enthusiasm traveled through the line. “Anyway, get some rest. I’ll talk to you later. I’m glad you’re back safe, Sam.
Te extrañe
. I missed you a lot. Video conferencing once a month is not the same as having you here.”

“I know. I’m glad I’m back. I’ll call you later.” She shut off the phone and fell into an exhausted and blissful sleep.

* * *

She was back. Her sexy scent drifted out the open window and burrowed into Riel’s heart, making him want to howl. After five long years waiting for her to return, she was finally back. Samira. His mate.

“Yo, Ry. You still on this planet with us?” Troy’s voice broke though his thoughts.

Riel turned back to Troy, who sat around the pool with the rest of their friends, enforcers for the Black Meadows pack.

“Ry? You OK?” Kane puckered his brow. He glanced up at the window Riel had been watching, then sniffed and widened his eyes. “Is that Samira Suarez? I haven’t seen her since she was here that summer after she came home from college.”

Riel wanted to run over to her house and take her. She was his. She didn’t know it when she left, but she belonged to him. It didn’t matter that she was human. His wolf wanted her and had been waiting patiently for her return. No longer. He nodded and fisted his hands. “Yes.”

Kane studied him, lifting his brows with curiosity. “What are you going to do about her? She’s always been very shy of shifters. I’d swear she’s afraid of our kind.”

Riel knew it probably had to do with her mother. Samira’s family was one of the few that knew about them, because Sam’s mother had been friendly with wolf shifters before she’d died. “I’ll have to give her time to get to know me.” How the hell he was going to do that, he had no clue.

Kane laughed. “I remember the first time you tried to talk to her. She took off before you got to say a word.”

“She was young and shy,” Riel grumbled.

Kane continued to laugh.

Troy strode up to them. “Are we talking about Sexy Sam Suarez?”

Riel growled at Troy for the “Sexy Sam” remark. He’d had to endure their teasing since they’d realized he was infatuated with her. More like puppy love in the first degree. At least neither of them had tried to date her, or he would’ve had to kill them. Sam was his.

Kane sipped his beer. “Uh-huh. Remember the second time he tried to talk to her?”

“Do I? She had just come home from college. Riel, that time you got two words in before she took off like a bat out of hell, didn’t you?” Troy joked.

Riel sighed. They were having fun at his expense, and he didn’t like it one bit. “It was a busy time in her life. She was going off to volunteer in Somalia.”

Troy slapped Riel on the shoulder. “I know. The funniest part was how you tried to puff your chest out like a Big Bad Wolf, but that didn’t help you at all. It seems to me you’re going to have to tie the woman down if you ever hope to get a full sentence in around her.”

Riel groaned when Sam’s scent filled his lungs. His cock hardened with just a whiff of her. He wanted her. No, he needed her. He marched back to the loungers and dropped on one of them. It was late afternoon, and he wished his usual gathering with his friends was already over. He needed time to think, to decide on how to approach Sam without scaring her into leaving again.

Kane grinned. He sat on another lounger, leaned back, and folded his arms behind his head. “Hey, maybe tying her up isn’t such a bad idea. Some women are into that. Shit, some women beg me to tie them up.”

Troy smirked. He sat on one of the stools by the outdoor bar, stretching his legs and leaning back on the counter. A bucket with ice and cold beers sat on the surface. He shoved his hand into the ice and pulled out a wet beer bottle. “Yeah most of them are also in heat, dumbass. You know when the heat strikes they get so horny they’d hump a cactus in desperation. This is a human female. Although, I have to say she’s got a fantastic body, all lush. Those curves that make men drool, and she smells great.” He sniffed. “Almost like one of ours when in heat.”

Riel growled and jerked up in his seat. His animal hadn’t liked another male talking about his woman. Claws pushed out of his fingers, and his canines lengthened. He eyed Troy as if he were a new threat.

“Relax, Ry.” Troy lifted his hands in surrender. “I am only commenting on her scent because humans don’t normally smell so…hot.”

Riel blinked through the red haze of anger covering his vision. Rage pounded in his blood, jerking the wolf under the skin to break out. He clenched his jaw hard and spoke through gritted teeth. “She’s been in the jungle and through hell for a year. I don’t want to hear another word on how hot you think she smells.”

Troy opened his mouth to speak. “Ry—”

“Fucking A! I haven’t even seen her yet, and I’m losing my mind.” He groaned, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

Kane threw a burger bun and hit Troy on the face. “Troy, you idiot. Can’t you see Ry’s not in the mood for your jokes. Look at him. He’s hanging on to his skin by a thread.”

Riel blinked, drawing deep breaths into his lungs. “It’s OK.”

Troy shook his head and stood. He brought Riel a beer. “Sorry, man. I didn’t mean any disrespect. We’ve known she’s yours since the moment you saw her.”

Riel sighed. She was the one that didn’t know they belonged together. He’d been too concerned with scaring her in the past to try and push speaking to her or asking her out. She’d appeared so alone and vulnerable that he’d felt instantly protective over her.

Kane strode to the grill with purpose. He took the cooked meat off the fire, placing it in one of the large, covered platters. He prepared a burger and sat back down. Then he smirked at Troy. “What? Oh, was I supposed make one for you? Get your ass up and get it. Do I look like Mr. Belvedere or the housekeeper to you?”

Troy chuckled and threw the burger bun back at Kane. “Ry, you’re starting to remind me of Chase when Sophia had the twins.”

Riel laughed at that. Their alpha had turned into a softie around his wife. Whatever Sophia wanted, she got. It had been two years since they’d had to fight off hyena shifters trying to get their hands on Sophia’s research. When Sophia had the twins, Chase had turned into the ultimate protector. No one got near his wife or kids without calling him first. Sophia had smacked Chase upside the head a few times when the guys showed up with a gift for the newborns and he complained because they hadn’t called ahead.

“I don’t think anyone can ever be as paranoid as Chase,” Kane said between bites.

Riel picked up his beer bottle from the stone-paved floor, took a swig, and thought of Chase’s position. Two children and a mate. The alpha had the ultimate blessing and knew it. No wonder he was so overprotective of his family.

Troy sat and bit into the burger he’d put together. After swallowing, he turned his attention to Riel. “Ry, what’s going on with Sam Suarez? Why is she back this time? Shouldn’t she be off volunteering in some country filled with mosquitoes, anacondas, and piranhas?”

Riel wished he knew. After Ginny passed, the house had been locked for two weeks. The old woman had been amazing. She’d known how he felt about Sam and had asked him to wait. She promised that Sam would return to him. And now she had, but for how long?