Call of the Wilds (6 page)

“She’s just scared.” He spoke to Karin, but his eyes fixed on the extraordinary creature in front of him. “She probably associates you with the cage.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Karin said in a shaky voice. “Let’s give her some space.”

“We’ll get you out of that cage yet, girl,” he said soothingly. When he turned away, the wolf whimpered, and he stopped in his tracks. He turned back and stared at her. Something about her eyes caught his attention.

“Something wrong?”

“No.” But he couldn’t shake the weird feeling this was no ordinary wolf. Her eyes shone with intelligence, and she was pure black. Not another color marred her coat. If he didn’t know better...

“Coffee’s in my office.”

“Lead the way.” He didn’t drink much coffee, but if it meant more time with Karin, he’d make an exception.

He planted himself on the extra chair by Karin’s desk and watched her make the coffee.

“You look pretty in pink. You should wear it more often.”

“Oh. Uh. Thank you.”

The compliment seemed to take her by surprise, like she didn’t get too many. Hard to believe. She deserved a lot more.

“Any idea where your resident rogue came from?”

“I have no idea, and it worries me. The landowners are right. How can I be sure there aren’t more out there?”

“Canines can travel long distances in a short period of time. She could have come from anywhere.”

“You’re right. She’s not tagged, and I contacted other refuges to see if they’re missing any animals, but we drew a blank. We may never know for sure.”

“What will happen to her?”

“If she’s healthy, and I can prove she didn’t attack the hiker, I’d like to integrate her into the pack.”

“It won’t be easy. You may have another alpha female there.”

“I’d like the chance to try. How do you take your coffee?”

“Black, two sugars.”

She poured them each a mug and sat behind the desk. Tongue-tied, she stirred her coffee continuously even though she drank it black. “I didn’t mean to be short with you, but an alpha can get aggressive if you interrupt his mating.”

“Is that right?” His mouth twitched with amusement.

“I’m not kidding. The last thing I need now is for someone else to get hurt by one of the wolves.”

“You’re right. It was stupid of me.” He plastered a serious look on his face. “The building was locked, but I saw the ATV and figured you were with the pack. I didn’t think. I was so anxious to see you again I couldn’t wait for you to come on out.”

Her eyes widened, and her face darkened to match her blouse. She looked so cute in her embarrassment, he suppressed a grin. Over the rich warm aroma of coffee, he caught the scent of peaches and aroused woman. Most men relied on words and visuals to know what their woman wanted, but his keen sense of smell told him the whole story. It pleased him. What man doesn’t feel a smug satisfaction knowing his woman desires him? Not that she was his woman. Still, it was flattering.

“Well, no harm done,” she stammered.

“It won’t happen again.”

“I should probably check your nose and get back to work.”

Disappointed, he watched her play with the coffee stirrer for a few seconds, then put his cup down. “Sure, I don’t want to hold you up.”

She leaned over the desk. Just a little farther and he could nibble on the soft flesh of her neck.

“It looks good, better than I expected. I don’t think you need that X-ray after all.”

“I told you I heal fast.”

She didn’t touch him, and she kept the desk between them. Good idea. If they ended up in the bathroom again, he’d have her undressed and straddling his lap so fast she’d be scared senseless. And she deserved better, a lover who would take his time and worship every part of her body. And that was not him. No, he’d been stupid to come back. No point making it worse by starting something he couldn’t finish.

Chapter Seven

“This press conference is coming to you live from the office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Byron Fossick.”

“Finally.”

“Shut your trap, Glenn. I can’t hear.” Frank threw the deputy a dirty look and turned the radio up

“…using dental X-rays, we were able to identify the remains discovered in Black Wolf Gorge as those of Samuel Cooper of Pittsburgh. The body was discovered early Friday morning by a park ranger after Cooper’s companions reported him missing. The area has since been closed to the public. Time of death is judged to be between three and five p.m. on Thursday. Due to the condition of the body, there’s doubt as to the specific injury that caused the death. Further studies are being conducted, and on completion, an autopsy report will be released. That’s all I have at this time.”

“I expected a little more help from Fossick.” Frank’s mood nosedived like a commuter plane out of gas. “He knows damn well it was a wolf. That left-wing asshole won’t commit to anything he’s so afraid of offending his constituents. This thing will drag on forever.” He scowled and ran a hand through his crew cut.

“Don’t be so sure.”

“What do you know that I don’t?”

“Let’s hear the rest of the broadcast.” Glenn spoke with confidence.

“The medical examiner’s press conference brings no closure to the black wolf kill—”

“The black wolf kill?” Frank almost fell off his chair.

“Adds a nice touch, don’t you think?” Glenn said proudly.

“But, according to an anonymous source, Samuel Cooper’s tragic death was definitely due to a wolf attack. The cordial relationship between conservationists and ranchers in Black Wolf Gorge may come to an end after all the facts of this brutal attack come to light. According to our source, teeth marks were present in the skull, and the body had been torn apart and shredded with multiple claw marks. Parts of the body had been eaten—”

Frank snorted. “Who the hell is the anonymous source?”

“Who do you think it is?” Glenn’s grin left no room for doubt.

“It’s a damn good idea, but we still can’t kill the wolf until we get the go-ahead from the Wildlife Service. Can you afford a fifty-thousand dollar fine or a year in prison or both? And you’d lose your hunting permits besides.”

“Shit!” Glenn spat. “Are we gonna let the goddamn bureaucracy and red tape run our lives?”

“No, but this has to be handled right.”

“What if we could come up with some real proof that these predators don’t belong here?”

“Glenn, either you’re a lot smarter than I give you credit for or dumb as shit. Are you suggesting we come up with another body?”

“Wouldn’t hurt. As long as it’s not mine.” Glenn gave him a conspiratorial smile. “Or yours. What if the wolf gets loose?”

“I’m listening.”

“Suppose we go out looking for her and catch her making a meal of somebody’s cattle.”

“What if she decides to make a meal of you? You gonna sacrifice yourself for the good of the community?” Frank chortled.

“Give me a little credit, chief.” He sat forward, his expression serious. “We drug her so we can move her, feed her somebody’s calf, and shoot her out in the gorge.”

“What if she kills you before I can shoot her?”

“She won’t get the chance. If we say she attacked, who’s gonna question us?”

“The timing is good.” Frank rubbed his temples thoughtfully. “The anonymous source already stirred the pot. If we get some animal do-gooders out here, we can blame them, say they let the wolf go.”

“I got a better idea. Why not pin it on our wolf-loving refuge manager? We can send her packing and get someone in there who will have our best interests at heart.”

“No, you leave Karin out of this,” he warned. “If no outsiders show up, I have somebody else in mind.”

“Suit yourself.” Glenn winked and gave him a knowing smirk.

He ignored the theatrics. “We have to make it look like a break-in, and maybe we should starve her for a day or two before we provide her some livestock. But then we need someplace to keep her.”

“I got the perfect place. My daddy’s old hunting cabin hasn’t been used for years.”

“I like it.” Frank unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of twenty-year-old single malt scotch. “Let’s drink on it.”

* * * *

The loft usually provided a respite. Today it was anything but. A king-sized bed was meant to be shared, but not with the big hybrid sleeping next to him. Malcolm’s mind was on Karin and the way her hands felt on his face. Closeted together in the miniscule refuge bathroom had been an exercise in control. It had been so long since anyone touched him in such a caring way he could almost believe she meant it. If someone had asked him two days ago, he would have said he didn’t want or need that kind of concern. He took care of himself. Now he had to admit he liked the attention, liked it a lot.

He’d like other kinds of attention as well. Seeing Karin again had only increased his desire and fueled his imagination. Images of him and Karin entwined in every conceivable position passed through his mind in an erotic slideshow. Frustration and pent-up lust made him think with his cock instead of his head. He felt twitchy and hot, his skin too tight for his body, like he’d been covered in plastic wrap and microwaved.

He walked out on the second story deck to cool off. Fifty acres surrounded him, heavily treed and all his, bought cheap years ago. He had a real need for seclusion, and his property was far enough away to discourage visitors. His closest neighbors were deer, coyotes, and squirrels. Normally, he loved the solitude, but today he wished he had someone to share his million-dollar view.

He needed some female company. Hell, he needed sex. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman. Just being near an attractive female had him behaving out of character and panting like a randy wolf. He needed to play—just not with Karin. As much as he’d like to fuck her, it would be a huge mistake. The sheriff acted as if he owned her. He might as well hang a No Trespassing sign around her neck. He already had a spot on Frank’s shit list. He did not want to head for first place, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. There’d be no Get Out of Jail Free card for him.

Not that Karin wasn’t worth it. Her curvy body was made for him. She sent mixed signals, but this morning the unmistakable scent of her arousal told him she wanted it as much as he did. Her heady perfume penetrated every pore in his body until he wanted to mount her in the habitat like any other aroused alpha ready to mate. Just knowing she wanted him nearly drove him out of his mind. She’d gotten under his skin just as surely as if a mad scientist had spliced her genes with his. It was never a good idea to get close to anybody. Losing a loved one hurt too much. Whoa! He was not in love with Karin, not even close.

Desperate to get his mind off the little wildlife manager, he decided to go out. He hated bars, but he needed to get out of the house and needed to meet a woman who wanted the same thing he did, a night of quick, anonymous sex, no strings attached.

He headed for the shower. The size of his bathroom made him feel more alone than ever. It was obscene for one person to have a glass block shower for two, a large Jacuzzi, and a double sink. But then he had gone overboard with the entire house, the furniture too. The work kept him occupied for years. He was good with his hands, and it was a labor of love. When he finished, he sold some of his handcrafted furniture on the Internet. He created each piece with meticulous care and people ate it up. Now he had a business that earned him real money. He didn’t want for anything—not material things anyway.