Espino, Stacey - Surrounded by Wolves [Wolves of Climax 1] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (3 page)

She drove slowly up the last stretch of road. Garret said she wouldn’t miss the house, but all she drove past before hitting the cliffs was an old prospector’s cabin that looked ready to collapse in on itself. A sudden enlightenment nearly stopped her heart. She shifted into reverse and sped backward until she hit the cabin again. Cassie double-checked her paperwork and the numbers on the house and property marker. Sure enough, the oversized outhouse was her inheritance. She’d uprooted her entire life, quit her job, given up her apartment, and withdrew all her meager savings to come northward to bigger and better things. But all she had was a job she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to handle and a piece-of-shit cabin that looked uninhabitable.

Rather than have a mini breakdown in the middle of the deserted road, she pulled into the driveway. Cassidy cut the engine and stepped out onto the gravel drive. She could hear wildlife in the trees around her, squirrels scampering in the branches, birds singing, and chipmunks scurrying in the underbrush. They were probably laughing at her and her joke of a house. She did a brief assessment of the perimeter. At least the glass windows weren’t broken, but that was the only positive she could find. It seemed the forest was trying to reclaim the home, vines and foliage taking over the property. She dug in her purse for the key the lawyer gave her. The cool metal in her palm brought back memories of the many nights she could barely sleep, anticipating seeing her own house for the first time. All her expectations were now dashed.
How much longer must I be tested?

She stepped up onto the small wooden porch, her footsteps creaking on the aged wooden boards. All the while she was mentally tallying up the damage, trying to visualize the place with repairs done. She could imagine rocking leisurely on the porch in the evenings, a hot coffee and romance novel in hand. There was no turning back now, no matter how dire her situation appeared. She’d have to put on her big-girl panties and prepare for a lot of elbow grease. Sitting in her car and having a full-blown pity party wouldn’t help her situation.

The inside of the house made things worse. There wasn’t a stitch of furniture besides an old wooden table and one mismatched chair. Just clearing her throat created an echo in the empty cabin. It was tiny, just the one room…and no indoor bathroom, she soon discovered.
Motherfucker.
The lawyer led her to believe she was moving into an older, but solid, furnished home. She sat on that lonely chair and took in deep breaths, over and over. Where was her fucking apple pie? “Think positive, Cassidy,” she repeated to herself. At least there was a refrigerator and kitchenette. She could use her savings to buy a pull-out sofa, some paint, and cleaning supplies. Obviously her biggest goal would be getting a rough-in for an indoor bathroom, but that would cost money she didn’t have yet.

Cassidy left the house in search of an outhouse. There had to be one nearby, and although terrified to discover the condition of the outdoor bathroom, she had to check it out and assess the damage. It was deeper in the woods than she expected, making any nighttime trips to the john out of the question. When she opened the door, the whiny hinges made the birds in the overhead trees take flight. The forest had tried to conquer the toilet as well. She tugged at the vines, deciding she may as well get started clearing out some of the vegetation in her way. Once she began, she couldn’t stop.

Hours passed like minutes as she went on a cleaning binge. She had some Mr. Clean and bleach in her car and found an old corn broom in the kitchenette. By the time she was done, the inside of the house was aired out and dust-free, the porch and outside perimeter free of noxious weeds. She was exhausted once day started drifting into twilight.

Climax had nothing more than a diner and general store, and they were hours from the larger towns that had retail centers, motels, and government services. She should have done more research rather than taking a blind leap of faith. Tonight she’d have to sleep on a folded comforter on the floor. She had no other options, but expected to sleep like the dead after all her hard work.

Once she stopped moving about, the silence was deafening. She’d never considered the isolation factor, or the feeling of insecurity being all alone in the forest without even a telephone. She expected a small town with humble neighbors. Fear crept into her system as the forest canopy began to create shadows around her. She packed up her efforts for the night, locked her car, and then barricaded herself into the cabin. All the contents from her backseat and trunk had already been carted inside which gave her a little sense of home. Her pillows, blankets, a few mementos, and her teddy bear collection. After setting up a makeshift pallet, she made sure she had her flashlight and matches within reach. There were only two lights in the cabin, one in the main living area, with a burnt bulb, and one in the kitchen. If she heard a noise, she wanted to have a source of immediate illumination. As for protection, she only had a cast-iron frying pan, which she also set near her pallet on the floor.

She cuddled up under her blankets. There was a fireplace, but with no cut wood, she couldn’t even attempt a fire tonight. The coolness from the floorboards and general evening chill made her shiver. This was not how she anticipated spending her first night as a homeowner. She wanted to cry. The tears clogged her throat and pricked at her eyes. It was as if fate was toying with her, constantly dangling happiness just out of reach. How much was she expected to endure in her life when she’d already been fighting since childhood?

Sleep began to pull her out of consciousness. It had been a busy day and the last few hours filled with backbreaking labor. The howl of several wolves snapped her back into full alertness. Wolves? She hadn’t even considered being surrounded by dangerous animals, but she should have being so deep in the BC wilderness. Back home the worst animals to contend with were raccoons and skunks. A shiver of fear trickled down her spine. She hugged her teddy bear harder and shimmied further under the covers, like a child hiding from nightmares. Only her fears were all too real, and no knight in shining armor scoured the forest in search of her on his white stallion. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Three

“Good morning.” Evan emerged from the forest behind the old Graymont cabin. He’d enjoyed a good run last night, a treat after being refused the luxury for weeks. Even in wolf form, all he could hear were his pack mates’ thoughts centered around Cassidy Lyons. He knew the color of her hair, the scent of her skin, and shape of her lips before even seeing her up close. It was difficult to disguise emotion when in their animal skin. Last night had been the first time he realized their alpha desired her as well, even though he reprimanded Travis and Patrick for their blatant unholy interest in the new dispatcher.

She was stacking small boulders in a ring, probably trying to construct a fire pit. When he spoke, she dropped the rock she held and whirled around. “Who are you? I mean…good morning.” He had to remind himself that human women were delicate, easily spooked, and not accustomed to having strange men appear out of the forest. Still, she didn’t cower. Although her hair was dishevelled, up in a messy ponytail, and she wore a stained T-shirt and faded blue jeans, he could still see her appeal, and scent it.

“Sorry if I startled you. I was off on my morning hike and thought I’d come and welcome you properly. I’ll be working with you at Gregor Mining.”

“Oh, of course.” She wiped her hand on her jeans and reached out to shake his. He didn’t want her hand, but the whole woman. “I’m Cassidy Lyons.”

“Evan.” He looked around the property after shaking her hand. “It’s just you out here? The place needs a lot of work.” He may be considered the lowest in the pack for his unquestioning devotion to his alpha, but he could physically outdo the other three men if he wanted to. His strength could aid this damsel in distress, now looking up at him with a mix of caution and curiosity.

“It certainly wasn’t what I expected. But I’ll make it work.”

“What’re you working on now?” He nodded to the stone pit.

She smirked, squatting down to arrange the stones. “When I was younger, there was this one place I stayed that had a fire pit. We’d roast marshmallows and tell scary stories. It’s one of my happier memories growing up, so I thought I’d re-create it the best I could.”

He already liked this girl. “Anything I can do to help?”

Cassidy laughed. “There’s too much. I wouldn’t know where to start.” She stood up. “It’s my fault for not coming better prepared. Thanks for asking though.”

He wasn’t going to leave without doing something. The woodpile on the side of the house was down to the last few cut logs. He picked up the rusty-bladed axe leaning against the side of the home and swung it up over his shoulder. There was an endless supply of deadwood to choose from living in the wilderness. He started walking back out to the forest behind the house. “It wouldn’t be gentlemanly of me to leave without at least making sure you had wood for a fire. It’ll only take me a little while, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

* * * *

She watched the broad-shouldered blond disappear into the brushwood. He didn’t intimidate her despite his size. There was a calmness about him that settled her nerves as soon as he spoke. It was nice to see another person after the long night of listening to those godforsaken wolves howling and rooting around her little wooden house. Until the light of day gave her renewed strength and optimism, she swore she’d stay holed up in the house until someone came to rescue her.

Evan returned a while later dragging a massive downed log like a regular lumberjack. She wasn’t sure how on earth he’d moved it at all. Once he dropped it down, the earth trembled.

“Wow, I guess having a man around is useful after all,” she teased.

Cassidy tried to budge it with her foot, but couldn’t even make it wobble. Evan’s male power enamored her at once. She settled onto a tree stump nearby to watch the man in action.

“I’ll set you up for half the upcoming winter. At least that’ll be one less thing for you to worry about.” He began swinging the axe, his shirt tightening across his back, revealing sculpted muscles. After cutting each section free, he’d rearrange the wood before continuing to create smaller logs. She’d easily be able to cart them into the house and fit them into the airtight fireplace. He didn’t even know her, but went to so much trouble to offer a helping hand. Maybe all small-town men were friendly and helpful…and droolworthy.

A vehicle slowly crawled along the gravel drive as Evan continued with his cutting. She turned to find a white pickup truck with the Gregor Mining logo on the side. The foreman, Garret, stepped out. He looked even more striking than yesterday, his dark hair slightly damp and pushed casually off his face.

“I came to check on how you were getting along out here.” He walked toward her, but stopped when he noticed the other man. “That you, Evan?”

He stopped chopping wood and wiped his face with the bottom of his T-shirt, briefly revealing chiseled abs. “Just helping out the lady.”

Garret looked like he wanted to argue with his friend, but instead turned his attention to her. “How was your first night?”

She saw no point in lying. “It was terrifying. There were wolves. Real wolves. They came right up to house. I didn’t get a wink of sleep.” He studied her face, no doubt finding the dark circles and bags to prove her story true.

“Evan, go find out if Patrick or Travis know anything about wolves in the area.” His tone didn’t leave room for argument, but she was still surprised when Evan dropped the axe on the woodpile and disappeared into the forest without a word. He didn’t look like the kind of man to take direction from anyone. She wanted to at least say thank you for all he’d done to help, but he was long gone before she could speak.

“It’s okay. I’m sure it’s a normal part of life living this isolated. It’ll just take some getting used to.”

“Not all wolves are created equal. Some won’t cause you any trouble, but others should be avoided.” He licked his lips—thick, kissable lips. “Have you ever seen one up close?”

“One what?”

“Wolf.”

She shook her head. “Just in pictures and movies. I’m sure I wouldn’t want to meet one face-to-face.”

His body was close to hers. These men knew nothing about personal space, but she wasn’t going to complain. He smelled good, like musk and man. “I couldn’t stop thinking of you last night. Or the rude way I acted.” Her heart immediately started to pound. Was it her imagination or had his voice suddenly taken on a lower, husky quality? “I knew the Graymont place was in rough shape, but assumed you did, too. Were you cold during the night?”

Cassidy swallowed hard. “A bit…”

“Evan was cutting wood. You didn’t have a fire going last night?”

“I’m from the city. I didn’t think of things like wood stoves, chilly nights, or even realize the house wasn’t furnished.”

“I wish you would have called me, Cassie. I would have made sure you were safe and warm.” Her nickname on his lips lit up her body from the inside out. The way he spoke made her think of anything but firewood. She was certain that Garret could heat her up without any help from the wood stove. “Maybe you should stay with some of my men tonight. At least until you can prepare your house properly.”

Cassidy wondered why he didn’t offer her the chance to stay with him. Did he live with another woman? “I’ll be fine.” As much as Garret’s crew was to die for, she wasn’t ready to play sleepover, even if it meant no wolves outside her windows and a warm bed.
I won’t die without sex,
she repeated in her head, finding difficulty believing it.