Rogue Wolf (16 page)

He squeezed her shoulders, his fingers digging into the band of tension knotting her muscles. She closed her eyes. Pulling away from the contact was her best course of action, but when he found a particularly tense spot, she had to swallow a groan. “When I mentioned humans, something upset you. If I give you my word I will hold nothing against the packs you protect, will you share it with me?”

“You can’t give me that promise, Salvatore.” She tipped her head to the side as he continued to massage the soreness from her left shoulder. The heat from his hands warmed the stiff muscles.

“Then you are concerned one of the packs is behind the disappearances?” Careful. Disciplined. Even. Alpha to his core, Salvatore maintained his control with a gracefulness she envied.

“Not exactly—ow…” She bit off an oath as he found a stubborn knot and then applied his knuckle to it. He braced her, keeping her still as he forced the recalcitrant muscle to release. The relief had her taking shallow breaths and she stumbled, staying upright only because he kept her there. “That hurt.”

“Better now?”

“Much.” But when his hand closed over her nape, fresh tension corded in her belly. When he continued the massage, using his strong fingertips, she did groan. “Okay, you want answers from me or you want to put me into a lovely coma?”

His lips were too close to her ear when he murmured, “Trust me, I will not let you collapse. You are aching all over and I can help with that,
bella
.”

A shiver raced over her skin. The word no tingled on the tip of her tongue, but the pressure was delicious. The bands of pain around her skull eased and her neck loosened. “I am trusting you,” she admitted.

“Thank you,
bella
,” he murmured, then pressed a kiss to her earlobe. It was a sweet moment, one not meant for erotic fantasies, and yet she couldn’t help the shudder the single kiss evoked. “Your trust is everything.”

The bold statement warmed her from head to toe. If she’d been in wolf form, she’d probably have thumped her tail with the sheer joy encapsulated in his statement. His fingers slid up to her scalp, the light scrape of his nails almost hypnotic in their potency. “Of all the packs reporting missing wolves, Willow Bend hasn’t reported any that we know of. Neither has Delta Crescent.” Word had come from the Yukon the day before. The Alpha said three of his youths had all gone south to Seattle and not returned. An Enforcer was already en route to track them. “But we know Delta Crescent is missing at least one.”

“Rayne’s brother and his girlfriend.” From the top of her scalp to her nape and back, the strokes smoothed away the jagged edges of her temper. The last thing she needed was to let him soothe her, yet it felt so damn good. The petting and the sharing…

“Yes, but Mason didn’t have any wolves to report. I know a wolf just moved back there from Sutter Butte, she added to their pack and his healer just mated to one of the Hunters...his second’s mate is a relative new addition as well. Willow Bend is growing, yet the other packs are suffering attrition.”

“Yet you hesitate to consider Mason behind any of the disappearances?” No judgment in his question.

Margo sighed. “Not hesitating at all. Mason’s
not
behind it. He’s an honorable guy and a good Alpha. He actually cares about his people…no my concern is not the Alpha of the pack or even the senior members. But the humans in the pack.”

“Humans?” He stilled. She’d caught him off guard. His hand on her shoulder tightened and his fingers threaded her hair before fisting it. The light tug had her turning slightly so she could meet his gaze. “What humans?”

“All packs have some humans or human alliances. Those trusted souls known to the packs or who know about the wolves.” Her mouth went dry at the glimmering gold of his eyes. “Willow Bend actually has human packmates. Families who’ve been adopted in or the children of packmates, who were raised within the pack, but never chose to be bitten.”

His brows knitted together. “Humans with knowledge of wolves can be a powerful adversary. We do not see humans as a threat as a general rule. They are slower, weaker, and have less profound senses.”

The way his gaze held hers captive erased her common sense. She wanted to tease the worry tightening his expression. Turning fully, she faced him and let him pull her closer so he could maintain his grip on her hair. At this distance, she had to tilt her chin to keep eye contact. “You sound as though you’ve had personal experience.”

“I grew up in the rubble after The Great War devastated my country. I saw the aftermath and then survived the assault from both Mussolini forces in country and the Allies assault to defeat them during the second war.” The starkness in his eyes punched her. “Humans may be weak, but they wield powerful weapons. A bomb can kill wolf even more efficiently than tooth and claw.”

Pressing her hand to his chest, she curled her fingers into his shirt. Aching for the loss in his voice, she wanted to comfort him. “I’m sorry.”

The corners of his mouth tipped upward. “You have nothing to be sorry about. Though I lived through it, and rose to take over when our Alpha died to such a bomb, I did not consider the human element either. We should talk to Mason.”

A willingness to talk, acceptance of elements beyond his control, and his adaptation to an ever-changing situation were all magnificent qualities demonstrated by the wolf before her. “We’re about a twelve hour drive from Willow Bend proper.” Though she didn’t say it aloud, the last thing she wanted was another day in the car. She loved her Charger, but she really was beginning to hate being stuck in the vehicle.

“We are not getting back in the car.” The order should have irked her, yet all she experienced was relief. “We still have food from our last stop, yes?”

More burgers. She made a face. “Yes.”

His soft chuckle feathered over her and she bit the inside of her lip. “I’m tired of them as well. But we have an available house right here with the furniture still inside. If we open all the windows, we can air out the bleach smell while we go for a run. What do you think?”

“We’re an hour behind them. If we stop…”

“We’re behind them, and they have to know we’re in pursuit or they wouldn’t make sure they took this time.” He stroked his thumb over her lip. “You’ve shifted every night, but you have to run. I haven’t shifted since I arrived. Let’s go. Maybe we’ll find trace scents further away they didn’t think to disguise, or maybe we’ll just stretch our legs and hunt. You can’t tell me some venison or rabbit doesn’t sound infinitely preferable to those hamburgers.”

Her stomach made a noisy growl, answering for her. Rather than make a fool out of herself, she eased out of his arms. Though his mouth tightened briefly, he released her. “I’ll call Mason, get the wheels rolling on that one, and check in with Julian…” They couldn’t forget their hunt altogether. “Then, yes, I would very much like to run and to hunt.” Maybe it would burn off the violent need he kindled within her.

His smile threatened to stop her heart. “Go ahead. I’ll check the area for your safety first. Then I will guard you while you shift.”

“And who guards you?” She extracted her cell phone from her pocket.

His eyes twinkled as he tugged his shirt over his head and revealed the broad expanse of his tanned chest. “I trust you to watch over me carefully,
bella
.”

For a moment she forgot how to breathe. He stripped out of his clothes and she still had the phone in her hand. The sunlight dappled his skin, warming it to a fine sheen and her gaze dropped to his waist. His cock jutted out proud and strong. He made no move to hide his erection, and why should he?

He was a fine looking man. Torn between duty and lust, she forced herself to hit the speed dial for Mason. Getting only his voicemail, she left him a message to check on his humans and a short statement on why. During her call, Salvatore gave into his shift and she straightened, scanning the perimeter with all her senses. A wolf mid-shift was susceptible to attack and interference, especially in their exposed locale.

Ending the call, she waited for him to finish. He shifted faster than anyone she’d ever seen. His wolf was black and with silver tips on his fur—exquisite and huge. He outweighed her and then some. Broad haunches and powerful legs ending in wicked claws promised a dangerous fight were someone willing to dare his wrath.

“Wow.” She exhaled the word and he raised his head. The golden eyes were also ringed by pure silver. Captivating.

His mouth opened to show her powerful white teeth and he padded toward her. Her wolf went still at his approach, and she marveled at the grace in his formidable form. Power seemed to crackle with every step. He dropped to his haunches, sitting before her. She knelt, then lowered her gaze to his claws. No fear crawled through her veins, though the last thing she wanted to do was piss him off. He whuffled at her hair and when she glanced up, he licked her face.

“Hey!” She cracked up, laughter flowing out of that tension in her stomach. “No tongue.”

A soft bark which might have been laughter, then he rose and shook before giving her an implacable look. It needed no translation. He wanted her to change and do it now.

“Let me get your clothes,” she told him, buying herself a scant few seconds. She put away her phone—after sending a quick text to Julian rather than calling him. Storing their things in the car, she stripped her clothes, then hid the keys before giving into her own shift under the watchful, protective gaze of the silver tipped Alpha.

Once on four legs, she shook and stretched. It felt good to be outside and ready to run. Stealing a glance at the fierce wolf watching over her she found him waiting. Dignity abandoned, he pounced forward and his tail wagged, then he darted away and she streaked after him into the underbrush.

If he wanted to play then, by God, they would play.

They ran for hours. The sun set during their sport. Salvatore surprised her. Though his every movement carried an element of intensity, he barreled into her, flipped her over and nipped at her tail then bolted away. When she did the same to him, pouncing or sliding beneath him to escape, he romped in return. A part of her forgot they were supposed to be checking for a scent trail.

Most of her forgot everything except the wolf bounding next to her. When he whuffed a command for silence, she dropped to her belly and waited—he’d scented the stag before she did. Once the smell had been caught, however, she was ready to hunt. By unspoken agreement, they split apart. She was smaller than him, but more agile, and she went after the stag’s feet and drove him toward Salvatore.

The black wolf startled the buck and he whirled. She had to spin to avoid being trampled or, worse, gored by his powerful rack. Wrenching herself away from the buck’s reach, she continued a full circle then joined Salvatore as he took out one of the legs and she the other. When the buck fell, the Alpha tore out his throat, a swift end for the once proud creature.

When their bellies were full, they dragged the remaining carcass off into the brush for scavengers. Once finished, Margo followed the scent of running water and they both plunged into the cool creek. The refreshing drink and bath led to more romping. Shaking the moisture from her fur as she trotted onto shore, she sidestepped an equally soaked Salvatore as he trailed her—but instead of giving her space he pounced forward, then shook, soaking her all over again.

Laughter bubbled through her and came out in a series of yips and barks. She nipped his jaw and he rolled her over, pinning her. He nuzzled her throat once and his powerful jaws closed lightly on her fur only to release her. When he sprinted, she rushed after him.

They threaded the woods, racing the wind and each other in a wide circuit until they burst back into the clearing with the house and her car. He slowed and she flopped into the grass, panting. Rolling onto her back, she rubbed her spine against the alternately soft and prickling growth. Pure, clean exhaustion filled her. No worries about missing wolves or the dance of power—just lupine companionship and the rush of the wind through her fur.

Settling next to her, Salvatore nudged her nose and she batted at his jaw with her paw. No more running, no more chasing. She just wanted to relax. He whuffled at her, then nudged her nose with his again. She sneezed and rolled onto her belly to glare at him.

Implacable will struck her as their gazes collided. She was too far away, and he wanted her to come to him. Dropping her head she scooted forward on her belly until her nose touched his. The power crackling over her passed then his head settled atop hers. Margo’s eyes drifted half-closed as her ears flicked to the sounds coming alive around them.

Night birds called. Insects clicked. The breeze ruffled the leaves. Salvatore’s scent filled her lungs. Even this close to the bleached interiors, her nose didn’t burn. Power poured over her and she felt the command as much as sensed it. He’d lifted his head and he changed, fur receding as his body reshaped until the man knelt above her rather than the wolf.

A warm hand stroked down her spine, and she kept her eyes half closed. There was a bliss in his petting her. Though shifting each evening forced him to keep his distance, he’d not allowed her much. When she slept, it was with his hands in her fur. More than once she’d woken to find her head pillowed on his chest, the steady thud of his heart beneath her.

“Thank you,
bella
.” His soft murmur stroked her as easily as his hand. “Rest a little longer. I’ll open the windows.” Then his touch retreated as he rose. She’d forgotten all about the windows. Not Salvatore, he’d take care of it. He was a man of his word.

A shudder of longing rippled over her and Margo sighed. When he went home, she would miss this—miss him. Growling, she raised her head. Melancholy stretched inside of her. The life of an Enforcer was one of freedom and responsibility. Missing him was an extension of her responsibility to him.

Liar.
The word drifted from the back of her mind and she didn’t deny it.