Call of the Wolf (13 page)

He moved toward her, looping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a light embrace. “That depends."

"On what?” Abby asked, struggling to ignore the distracting warmth that filled her.

His gaze flickered over her face. “On whether you intend to stick around long enough to find out."

The comment cooled her right down to complete sobriety.

She felt a little sick at the reminder, actually, realizing she'd managed to, mostly, put it out of her mind. “Do you think they care what I want?"

"I care.... “He flicked a glance at Cameron. “We care. Tell me what you want, Baby, and I'll make it happen."

Abby studied his face for any sign that he didn't really mean it, but he seemed deadly serious. It only made it worse, deepened the sense of despair that welled inside her. She wanted a life. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to have one, to have ordinary goals and expectations for each day. She didn't think she would ever have chosen a place like Ajax to live, but it had begun to have a lot of appeal for her ... even beyond it's sheriff and his military buddies. “You can't stop them,” she said finally. “There's no point in even thinking about what I want."

"You would be amazed at the things we can do,
chère
,” Cameron murmured.

* * * *

Leaving Adrian in possession of the living room, Jerico stalked angrily outside to try to cool off. After standing on Abby's front porch for a few minutes, glaring at nothing in particularly,
thinking
of nothing in particular, instead struggling with the violent urges churning through him, he finally trotted down the front steps and rounded the house toward the back. Barring the possibility of a solitary run through the woods, the cooling shade of her backyard beckoned.

He paced for a while, absorbing the relative peacefulness of his surroundings, tuning out the scents and sounds of a city around him. A run through the woods in wolf form would've been far more soothing, the possibility of a hunt and a kill would've gone even further toward calming his beast.

But Seth had strictly forbidden it and as much as that rankled when he'd gotten out of the habit of taking orders from anyone else, he still felt the attachment from his early years. He'd barely been eighteen when he'd landed in Seth's squad, but as full of piss and vinegar as he'd been, he'd instantly recognized Seth as Alpha. Whatever the others said, despite the fact that Seth wasn't much older than him and no higher in military rank, they had, too.

It was easier to fall back into the habit than it was to resist the instinct.

He wasn't particularly angry with Seth anyway. Despite his fury, he'd known Seth was right. Now wasn't the time, and challenging Cameron in front of Abby had been downright stupid.

It was probably pretty stupid to challenge him at all. He didn't miss much of being as strong as Seth, or as determined. He would probably have gotten his ass kicked if Cameron had taken him up on it.

It still made his blood boil that Cameron had considered breaking ranks and taking. He knew it was instinctive. Hell, they all felt it—the need burning in them to be done with dancing around it and mark her. It had been driving him crazy.

Her scent had intrigued before he'd ever set eyes on her, teasing his nostrils, curling lazily through him, and tying his balls in a knot. It was worse now, because he could also smell her desire.

Which was why he hadn't dared approach her. He wasn't sure he could stop. He was afraid he'd screw things up for everybody, not just himself.

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Chapter Nine

"You were out of line,” Seth growled as soon as he and Cameron had checked the perimeter and settled to watch, “and you fucking know it."

Cameron bristled instantly. “You heard. You know god's damned well I wasn't."

"Because you heard me when I arrived,” Seth said tightly. “If I hadn't, you would've marked her. Don't spin me any bullshit about just thinkin’ about it."

Cameron glared at Seth furiously for several moments and finally looked away. “I didn't,
mon ami
, whatever I thought about doin'."

"It's what you were considerin’ that's the fuckin’ issue,” Seth snarled.

"I need an outlet,” Cameron growled after a prolonged moment of silence. “We all do."

"You'll wait until the gatherin’ just like everybody else. You think you're the only one havin’ a problem? The moon's nearly full and the parish is overrun with Weres and Wolfen who've gathered specifically to find a mate. There's too many humans that also call this parish home for there not to be a problem if everyone doesn't control themselves. We run with the pack when the pack runs and not before. And when we meet for the choosin', we'll settle the issue of who claims her."

Cameron shook his head. “We don't even know that the council will recognize our challenge as a legitimate one. If they refuse to consider her, they won't."

"We're not without influence,” Seth said grimly. “The four of us represent four different territories ... and we won't be the only challengers."

Cameron sent him a sharp look. “There are others?"

"You didn't think our interest would go unnoticed,” Seth said with disgust. “Yeah, there'll be others. I've already had two other Wolfen and three Weres approach me and demand to know why we were keepin’ her under wraps if we're considerin’ her as a possible mate. The council's heard. I got a call today from one of the members askin’ me if the rumors were true."

"Julie,” Cameron said with disgust.

Seth shrugged. “Probably. They would've had to find out sooner or later, but I'd counted on later—at the meet, where we could force the decision on them. I don't think Beth Parker has a problem with it,” he added dryly. “If I didn't know better, I'd think the woman had a mean streak a mile wide. You can bet your ass she didn't miss a thing when you and Adrian and Jerico went in to high alert as soon as you saw her. That's why she sent me over to ask her to supper. She wanted to check her out and see if Abby had as potent effect on the others."

"Well, fuck!” Cameron growled. “As if we didn't have a big enough mess as it is! We have to tell her, Seth. We can't spring it on Abby at the last minute. You can bet it'll be a hell of a lot bigger jolt to her than it would've been to the council."

Seth shook his head. “We can't afford to tell her until we're more certain that she would accept us. You and I both know that humans outside the community don't believe we exist and wouldn't believe it if Abby tried to spread it around, but the council doesn't see it that way and it's expressly forbidden—for good reason. If it got around, we'd have a war on our hands and nobody wants it to come down to that—we'd all be losers because we all have friends in the human community."

"I smell her desire every time I'm near her,” Cameron said. “Hell, I don't even have to get close. I can smell it on her when any of you get near her. It's drivin’ me crazy. She'll accept us."

Seth glared at him in disgust. “You know the effect Wolfen and Weres have on human women—when they don't
know
. She can't help it when we're givin’ off such strong pheromones, but that doesn't mean she
really
wants me, or you, or any of the others. This isn't about fuckin', Cam. It
might
break her trust when she finds out we didn't tell her what we are, but it'll sure as fuck break it if we take her first and
then
tell her."

"So we just wait?” Cameron growled.

"We wait,” Seth said grimly. “And we all toe the line, includin’ you, until I'm sure enough that she's open to acceptance."

"And figure out a way to tell her,” Cameron said dryly.

Seth uttered a disgusted breath. “Yeah, and until I figure out how to tell her."

"She's going to freak,
mon ami
!” Cameron said. “They always do."

"As long as she doesn't freak and run, I can handle it."

* * * *

"I told Mrs. Caruthers I'd help man one of the school booths when the Festival starts tomorrow,” Abby said, staring out the window at the passing scenery instead of looking at Seth. It was odd that she hadn't particularly wanted anything to do with the festival when the principal had asked her, and yet, as soon as she was reminded that the Feds were probably going to move her, she felt like she was missing out. In retrospect, she realized it was the beginning of something, not just a chore, but budding acceptance, the possibility of becoming part of a community, that appealed to her.

Granted, she'd felt pretty contemptuous of the little community when she'd arrived. Maybe she still would've felt that way if not for Seth and the others. Maybe she
still
would when the dust settled if she stayed, but she wanted a chance at ‘normal.’ The Feds didn't want to plant her in any city of any size, which meant she'd be looking at yet another Ajax if she was moved. That being the case, Ajax at least had something going for it that no other place would have.

No other place would have Seth.

Not that she thought she could count on having Seth, regardless of the seductive comments he'd made to the contrary. She supposed that could be his brand of seduction. He didn't strike her as the kind of man who made a practice of throwing out promises they didn't mean just to get in a girl's pants, but that didn't mean he wasn't. It wasn't as if she really knew him very well, regardless of the fact that they'd been thrown together by circumstances that had made her feel as if she'd known him a lot longer.

It was sort of like speed dating, she thought wryly. She'd probably spent more time with Seth—with all of them—in the past several days than she'd spent with any guy she'd ever dated. She supposed it wasn't any wonder she felt like she'd known them a long time.

The really irritating thing about it was that she hadn't been intimate with any of the four. Ordinarily, she knew by the end of a first date whether she was interested in ‘getting to know them better’ usually a lot sooner than that, but certainly by the end of their first outing together—in which case there was no second or third date. When it was iffy, a second date was called for to make up her mind, but if she went on a third...?

She'd known inside of five minutes, with all of them that she was wide open to taking it to the next level, and
still
nothing had happened beyond them teasing her until she felt like she was on some super sex drug.

Glumly, she supposed it was for the best given that she probably wasn't going to be around long enough to pursue anything to its natural course. It was almost worse, though, to think she was going to be looking back with deep regret that she hadn't at least pursued what she could, while she could, as it would be to be haunted by what might have been.

"Do you want to?” Seth asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Momentarily confused by the correlation between his question and her thoughts, she turned her head to stare at him blankly.

"Take part in the festival?” he prompted.

"I don't mind,” she said.

"That's not what I asked."

She looked away again. “It almost seems pointless, really ... under the circumstances. I was actually kind of looking forward to it,” she said a little wistfully.

He reached across the space that separated them, grasped her hand and squeezed it lightly. “Then don't let your doubts spoil it. Enjoy it."

Abby smiled wanly. “I didn't used to be such a pessimist,” she said wryly. “I didn't used to be scared of my own shadow, as far as that goes."

"He took a lot of things away from you, Abby,” Seth said gently, “but he didn't take away who you are."

Abby grimaced. She wasn't so sure of that. She hardly knew the person she'd become. Maybe she'd always been who she was now and she just hadn't known it because she'd been sheltered? She'd felt like she could deal with anything before, handle any situation. Now she felt lost and vulnerable and useless.

Actually, not so much as she had, she realized. She knew she had Seth to thank for gaining control of her classroom, but since she had, she'd begun to feel more like her old self, like she knew what she was doing and she could do it well. “Whatever happens next ... thank you."

Seth lifted a dark brow, taking his eyes from the road long enough to flick a questioning glance at her.

"For everything, really, but especially for helping me out with the kids. I felt so overwhelmed that first day, so completely out of my depth. Now I feel like I can handle it. It's weird, because I certainly never thought about teaching, but I think I could get to like it ... if I got the chance."

"You'll have the chance,” Seth said implacably.

* * * *

It took Abby a few minutes to actually identify the feeling that thrummed through her as she entered the parish fair grounds and looked around at the people milling around and the festooned booths filled with everything imaginable. The sights, the smells of all sorts of tempting food cooking, the happy chatter of people greeting people and excited squeals of children took her back to her own childhood visits to the fair. A warming tide of happiness and excitement flooded her as she looked around expectantly.

She hadn't been around so many people at one time in forever and she hadn't been around so many people bent on enjoying themselves in a good bit longer than that.

She glanced at Jerico, who'd picked her up from the school and driven her over. He blushed when she smiled at him, looked torn between doubt and pleasure—as if he wasn't entirely sure if the smile was meant for him. His bashfulness brought out the urge to tease him, to flirt outrageously just to see him blush again—because he was so cute when he blushed. “I'm supposed to work at booth forty-seven. Any idea where that is?"

A look surprise flitted across his features and then amusement gleamed in his eyes briefly before some thought wiped it from his mind. “Does Seth know?"

Abby blinked at him, mystified for a moment, but feeling the beginnings of resentment as it occurred to her that he was asking if she'd cleared it with Seth. It was almost annoying to realize she actually had. “Where the booth is, you mean?” she asked, irritated enough to pretend she'd misunderstood. “I don't know, but since he isn't here I don't suppose it would be much help if he did. I'm sure I can find it."

Jerico caught up to her as she stalked away from him, settling one hand lightly but almost possessively along her hip. “He's here—patrolling with his men. Pretty much everybody is. The booth's this way,” he finished, guiding her in a tight turn toward the row of booths on the outer edge.

Abby couldn't decide for a few moments whether she was mollified or not, but she discovered she couldn't hold on to her anger in the face of the anticipation throbbing through her as they threaded their way through the throngs of people, and she caught glimpses of booths displaying their wares.

Glancing at her watch, she saw she didn't really have time to explore, but Mrs. Caruthers had said she only needed to stay until six and that Ms. Yancy and Ms. Caudle would take over until nine. She'd have hours to explore after she finished—days, actually, if she saw enough of interest to come back.

The antique furniture booth was a definite, she decided when she caught a glimpse of a tall, elaborately carved headboard that looked to be made of cherry or mahogany. Next to it, or maybe a part of the same proprietor's wares, was a booth filled with antique house wares that looked to have everything from fine china to porcelain chamber pots, silver soup tureens to brass spittoons.

The booth Jerico led her to was about a quarter of the way down.

Seth, Cameron, and Adrian, she saw, stood next to it, talking to her booth mate, Ms. Summers, who'd already arrived.

Abby jolted to a halt as she dragged her gaze from the group and looked at the huge banner that backed the booth. Decorated with bright red cutouts shaped like hearts in various sizes and cupids with bows and arrows, the lettering proclaimed it as the kissing booth, one dollar per smooch. After staring at the banner in disbelief for several moments, Abby finally glanced toward the men standing at one end again. All three of them had noticed her and were looking at her with a mixture of amusement and something else that made the blood sing in her veins. She glanced up at Jerico and saw a similar expression on his face.

So much for thinking it was an elaborate joke with her as the victim!

A
kissing
booth! Good god! She'd heard about them from her grandmother, but...

"Looks like you already have a few customers,” Jerico said straight-faced, though laughter danced in his eyes.

Feeling her face heat with uncomfortable warmth, struggling to pretend she'd known all along, Abby pulled away from him and headed toward the booth. Elaine Summers lifted a folding section of the counter that formed the outer edge of the booth for her to enter. “There's cold water in the cooler there,” Elaine informed her as Abby stepped through and she closed the counter behind her. “Looks you might need it to wet the old whistle. You can put your things in the chair there. I don't think we're going to get much of a chance to sit down."

Abby felt her blush deepen despite every effort to act unconcerned as she situated her purse and the stack of papers she'd brought with her to look over—she thought—while she wasn't busy. When she straightened and turned around, she saw that Seth was standing at the counter. His lips curled in a slow grin.

Trying to hide just how self-conscious she was, Abby moved to the counter. “Can I help you, sir?"

His grin broadened as he reached up and pulled a bill from his shirt pocket and laid it on the counter. Abby followed the movement, her eyes widening until they were nearly popping from her head as she saw what he'd laid on the counter—a hundred dollar bill. She sent a quick look up at him.

"I'll take five now,” he murmured, “and leave the rest on account."

Abby looked down at the bill again a little dazedly. “On a account?” she asked hoarsely.

"On account of I'd rather collect the rest in a less public place."

Picking the bill up, she glanced at Elaine but discovered she was already occupied with her first customer. There was a large pickle jar on the counter, though, that already had one bill dropped into it. Dropping the bill into the jar, Abby turned to discover Seth had planted his hands on the counter and leaned toward her. Glancing down, she discovered his big hands all but obliterated any view of the hand prints that had been drawn on the countertop.

Heated excitement washed through her, but her stomach was jumping with nerves, too, as she leaned toward him, uncertain of what to expect or what she was expected to do. Surely, she thought, regardless of the sign, nothing more was expected than a platonic peck?

It was so very public!

She discovered when she'd leaned close enough to press her lips lightly to Seth's, though, that the moment she drew near enough to feel the aura of his essence enveloping her the rest of the world faded away. She held her lips pressed to his for a handful of thundering heartbeats and eased slightly away, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. His eyes had darkened, sending heat spiraling through her.

"One,” he murmured huskily.

Abby swallowed, the sound loud in her ears. Closing the faint distance between them again, she offered her lips on a breath of a sigh. He melded his lips more firmly against hers that time, sucking lightly at them. Her head swam with the sensations racing through her. Instinctively, she reached out to brace herself and found her fingers closing around the hard muscles of his upper arms.

Her eyelids felt heavy and unresponsive as she eased away from him the second time and sucked in a reviving breath to try to chase the dizziness away. There was no longer a hint of amusement in his expression, she saw through the veil of her lashes. His face was taut with the need gleaming in his eyes. The look sent a rush of fire through her that demolished the little benefit she'd gained from sucking in a breath of air. She felt her nipples harden to tight little points, pressing against the knit bra she wore until it felt as if the blood rushing to them was backing up in her entire breasts. They felt heavy with the flush of blood.

Dragging in a shaky breath, Abby moved closer again. He leaned closer, as well, covering her mouth, sucking lightly at her and then stroking his tongue along her lower lip. She parted her lips at Seth's questing touch, clinging to his arms more tightly as he thrust his tongue into her mouth and the headiness became more pronounced with the onslaught to her senses of his taste and the faintly rough texture of his tongue against her own. Thoroughly enthralled, she lingered, relishing the stroke of his tongue along hers, the excitement that washed through her as his taste and scent invaded her fully.

"I lost count,” she whispered dizzily when she finally eased away from him.

A wolfish grin abruptly curled his lips. “That was one."

Abby felt her lips curling in response as she leaned in to kiss him again. “Cheat,” she murmured without heat, nipping at his lips this time to soften the blow of her insult.

He captured her nibbling lips beneath his own, his mouth abruptly demanding as it moved over hers and he plunged his tongue into her mouth, raking it possessively along her own, sucking at her tongue hungrily. Abby lost all the starch in her knees, lost the tone in her muscles, lost her equilibrium, and any awareness of her surroundings. He caught her abruptly as she swayed, breaking the kiss.

Fire blazed in his eyes as he studied her face, his breath puffing against her face in ragged pants. “I think I'm going to have to stop now,” he muttered.

Abby managed to get her eyes open with an effort. “Was that five?” she asked a little dazedly.

"Baby, I can't take five,” Seth growled in a voice that rumbled with a mixture of amusement and barely checked desire.

Abby smiled at him a little drunkenly, struggling to regain control of her own senses. Luckily, he held her up until she'd managed to lock her knees and regain a little of her equilibrium. Reluctance wafted through her as she finally straightened away from him, resisting the urge to fan herself with an effort as he straightened and stepped away. Still smiling at him a little foolishly, she finally dragged her gaze from him.

Her eyes widened when she discovered Cameron standing where Seth had stood only moments before. Behind him, stood Adrian, and behind him, Jerico. “Just a moment,” she said hoarsely, turning around to look for the water. Grabbing a bottle from the cooler with a shaky hand, she struggled with the twist top for a moment and finally managed to get it open.

"Good thing they brought water, huh?” Elaine said with amusement as she grabbed a bottle for herself. “My, it is a
hot
day!"

Abby nearly snorted the gulp of water she'd taken. Coughing up the water she'd inhaled, she took another long draught and glanced around surreptitiously. “Oh my fucking god!” she whispered when she saw the men lined up at the booth, and then shot a guilty glance at Elaine.

Elaine nearly snorted her own water. “Don't
do
that when I'm drinking!” she said, trying to cough and laugh at the same time.

Girding herself, Abby moved back to the front of the booth. Cameron eyed her with amusement. “You might want to hold on to that bottle of water,
chère
,” he murmured, pulling a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and laying in on the counter. “I'm thinkin’ I'll take five now and leave the rest on account, as well."

Abby's eyes bulged as she stared at the bill. “Oh ... my ... goodness!” she managed, taking the bill and turning to throw it in the jar.

Elaine met her gaze as she dropped another bill in herself. “I think the school's going to be pleased with our fund raiser,” she murmured, winking at Abby.

She managed to minimize Cameron's impact on her by placing two light kisses on each corner of his mouth and a third dead center. He caught her dead on with the fourth, rattling her as thoroughly as Seth had and then compounding it with annihilation on the fifth.

"I think I might have to sit down for just a minute. The heat...” she muttered faintly, fanning herself when he finally straightened away from her. “I'm feeling a little lightheaded."

"Only a little,
chère
?” Cameron asked in a low, gruff voice. “I'm crushed. I'll have to try harder when I come back to collect the rest."

"Water!” she said dizzily when she'd stared blankly at the hundred dollar bill Adrian planted on the counter top for several moments. Turning away, she wobbled a little unsteadily toward the cooler. She lingered over the cooler, sipping the water instead of gulping it, trying to cool down. It occurred to her that it might be more effective if she poured it over her head, but she didn't want to make it
that
obvious that she was nearing melt down.

Either she'd forgotten just how good Adrian was, or the discovery directly afterwards that Seth and Cameron had seen the whole thing had upstaged that first kiss in her memory, or he was in fine form. By the time he got to five, he was having to hold her up and both of them were shaking so badly she might have been embarrassed if she'd been in any condition to notice the audience they had.

"Short break!” she gasped unsteadily when she looked up and Jerico smiled at her a little crookedly.

Grabbing a bottle of water, she examined the banner and finally untied the corner and slipped behind it. Elaine joined her after a moment, looking as flushed and dizzy as she felt. “We should've put the chairs back here,” Elaine muttered, pouring water in her palm and patting it against her cheeks.

"My god! Is it always this hot here this time of year?” Abby whispered, splashing water over her face and neck without regard for dampening her dress.

Elaine snickered. “Only during the festival."

A little cooler from the water, slightly more composed, Abby headed back out to the front of the booth after a few moments, feeling a good bit relieved that it was Jerico waiting on her.
Him
, she was sure she could handle without passing out.