Wild Nights with a Lone Wolf (14 page)

Ash blew hot air through his nostrils. Being in bed and unable to run, pace, or otherwise work out his frustrations with a full moon due that night was making him crazy. “Listen, I feel fine. I need to get out of here.”

“If you’re antsy I can sedate you.”

“No fucking drugs. I’ll behave.” He’d rather fidget than get knocked out.

Jett looked over the top of his GQ magazine. “Don’t believe him. Better give him the drugs. Give him the good stuff.”

Ash motioned to his brother. “Come here, I have something to tell you.”

“Hell no, I’m not buying that trick. I’m not twelve anymore.”

Ash’s nurse gave him the “I’m watching you” gesture and slipped out the door.

They raised their heads for a knock at the door. Kyle appeared with one of those clear hospital bags of his belongings clutched in his hands.

“Hey, Eagle Eye. Glad to see you’re still kicking.” Word was, Kyle had taken a bullet to the arm in all of the confusion. Ash appreciated the kid’s sacrifice. “They springing you?”

Kyle shrugged. “I’m springing myself. Insurance, you know? Just thought I’d say goodbye.”

“Knock, knock, motherfuckers.” Tiny Joe, Ash’s not-too-tiny night manager, strutted in, followed by Cleia, Sasha, and Danielle, three members of Ash’s evening staff, bearing flowers, a gift basket, and some ridiculous rainbow bear dressed in a One Direction T-shirt. He handed the bear to Kyle.

“Nice, man. Real nice.” Kyle handed the bear to Jett.

Jett stuck the bear back on Ash’s bed. “No way, brother. You’ll need this for when you’re crying yourself to sleep at night.”

“What’s this about crying?” Jett’s partner stuck his head in the door.

Ash groaned. “Really, guys?” If the room got any more crowded he was going to get another lecture from the floor nurse.

The guy shrugged. “They said you were awake. Thought I’d see if we could get a better description of this creature. Man, real fucked-up. Also, your sister-in-law still won’t eat, drink, or speak to anyone.”

“Let me see what I can work out with her,” Jett said.

Turned out Agent Fowler, whether he’d been a real-life Chupacabra or some other hybrid species of
were
, his motive hadn’t been illegal prostitution after all. Not that it wouldn’t have been bad enough. But he’d been trying to turn unwilling young women into whatever the fuck one of him was, selecting ones who he thought had the mythical latent gene, and biting them during the rising full moon. Ash hated to think how many had died, how many more had their lives irrevocably changed.

That was
if
turning humans into
weres
could even be more than legend. According to Jett, the evil fucker had been beaten to a pulp in the back of a transport van after capture, so it looked like they’d never know.

Detective Parker tapped his pen on a little notebook in his hand. “Well I should get back. Ash, if you think of anything more you can tell us about the weird monster guy you chose to tussle with, let us know.”

“Actually...” Ash’s head flopped against the pillow. Sherri. She’d known this guy somehow. Had faced him so fearlessly with a gun. She’d be the person to ask.

He thought about that date he’d promised her and wondered if he’d see her again. When he gazed up at the ceiling, her smell—that gorgeous scent Ash couldn’t erase from his memory—assailed his nostrils.

“Oh-kay, well it sure is a crowded house in here. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.” Sherri. Holy fuck, he wasn’t imagining things.

The object of Ash’s thoughts stood in the doorway. All the gawkers in the room had clammed up, staring at her like she was a circus act. “And apparently my showing up here is some kind of surprise...?” She waved her fingers like jazz-hands, showing a bandaged wrist that made Ash’s chest ache.

Damn, though, he liked it when she was funny. “Uh, everyone, this is Sherri. Sherri, this is everyone. You met my brother Jett, next to him is Kyle, who you also met before. They kinda helped save our asses.” He gave Jett—who’d always had some issue with Kyle beyond Ash’s garden-variety distaste of pack-groupies—a meaningful look. “Then we have Tiny Joe, who’s my manager at Howlers. These three lovely ladies help keep the customers happy, and that guy right next to you is looking for information about the weird-assed thing that mauled me.”

“I... can probably help you there.” She looked around again, still seeming uncomfortable with entering the room.

“All right everyone, I’m gonna need a few minutes to talk to Sherri.”

Jett stood. “Aaand that’s our cue.” With that, he herded all the muttering and shuffling folks toward the door.

“Hey. Kyle.” Ash whistled, and waited for the kid to turn.

“Sir?”

“You ever need anything, a place to stay or whatever, you let me know. Okay?”

Kyle bowed his head and headed out of the door.

Ash pointed a finger at his brother, the last to leave. “Be nice.”

“I’m always nice.”

Ash threw a wadded up napkin, but it hit the closing door.

The click of Sherri’s heels on the floor sounded like the slowest thing ever while he waited for her to be by his side.

“So,” she said. She pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, but didn’t elaborate on her thoughts.

“So.” He agreed on the awkwardness, anyway.

She smoothed a hand over her lap and then reached over the bed rail to put the other hand on his. Her touch felt careful. After everything they’d been through, her hesitation didn’t sit right. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” she said. “I was worried.”

He tried to give her his biggest carefree grin, but the wounds on his face and neck pulled painfully. “Hey. It’s gonna take more than a little mythical psycho-beast to keep me down.”

She bit her lips together, but a hint of smile graced the corners of her mouth.

“Something’s got you worried. You do that thing where you bite your lips when you’re worried.”

She smiled for real this time. “A couple of crazy days together, and you know all my tells?”

“And nights.” He reached for her chin, urging her to look in his eyes. “Tell me.”

She dropped her shoulders. “When Jojo was dying, he croaked out this insane story that I shouldn’t trust you because you killed your mother. You’ve been above board with me as far as I know, but we also haven’t known each other long. I’ve had trouble getting what he said off my mind.”

He closed his eyes. “Yeah. Jett told me you’d asked. It’s a hard thing to speak about because part of me loves my father, but he wasn’t a good man. I told you my mom was human. She got ill and was in a world of pain, I think in part because of his neglect. Living so far away from other humans didn’t work out well for her, and then he broke pack law by leaving her for Jojo’s mother. Made her an outcast.

“She was hurting, Sherri. Miserable. It reached the point that no treatment worked, and nobody would associate with her. She couldn’t leave the house and she begged me to help her end things. Not Jett, because of his job. Had to be me.”

Sherri’s hand went over her mouth.

Ash drew a painful breath. “I’m not in that life anymore, but I had friends. I got her some strong pain meds. She went in her sleep.” He swiped at the moisture on his face. “I’m not proud, but I’m grateful her suffering ended.”

Sherri squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”

He managed to shrug. “The decision was hers. She took the pills herself, but I made it possible. If you’d seen her... I feel like I did what I had to.” He looked toward the stark, white wall, his heart breaking over the memory. “Listen, I understand now if you can’t see me again. I’d appreciate it if you could maybe not share what I said with anyone. Although, if you need to, I understand that, too.

A mighty
Kaboom
echoed in his ears while he waited for her reply.

Sherri shrugged her shoulders high up around her ears. “It’s in your past. I have no reason to tell anybody, even if I wanted to.” She leaned up closer to him. “As of this morning, I’m out of a job.”

Ash coughed. “They fired you?”

“I quit.” She smiled. “Sent in my resignation. It has come to my attention that my interests and those of the bureau are no longer aligned.” Her head went from one side to the other. “Well, that was the gist, anyway. I didn’t have a polite way to say ‘I’ve run into too many nut jobs.’”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I thought I might talk to your brother. See if I can get in with local PD.” She looked around. “I don’t know for sure. I have time to think. First, I think I’m going to go ahead and take that vacation time I’d planned. I need to de-stress.”

She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. “Besides, someone here owes me a date. I was thinking dinner. Maybe mini golf. I’ve never actually played.”

This time, he did grin. Discomfort be damned. “You still want to go out?”

Sherri smiled. “Hey, we almost got fake wolf-married. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

He chuckled. “I’m stuck in here a couple more days. I hope you’ll wait for me.” He threaded his fingers through hers. Glory fucking hallelujah. She was staying. She’d come back for him. She wanted to be with him more, even after everything they’d been through together. Or maybe even because of it. Could he still blame the rising full moon on the storm of hope and excitement inside him?

She grinned. “You better heal fast. That brother of yours is very handsome.”

“You’re not at all his type, I’m afraid.”

She rolled her eyes. “Then I suppose I’ll have to hold out for the top dog.”

“You’re very generous,” Ash growled.

“Well, you did rescue me from my crazy fake in-laws.”

“I know how to go the extra mile for my woman’s needs.”

That one made her cheeks get all red. “You certainly do.” Her face took on a serious expression. The heat of her palm caressed his cheek. “I really was afraid I’d lost you. I’m so relieved you’re going to be okay.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” He managed to get his hand behind her neck. She had her hair up again today, clipped back in an elegant twist. It made her neck look long and even more graceful. He pulled her forward, touching his lips to her forehead and nose. “Is it wrong that I’m already looking forward to getting you naked again?”

She laughed. “Since you’re stuck here a couple more days, how about we start with visiting hours tomorrow? I can bring you some OJ and a classier grade of broth.”

Their tongues had a tentative meeting when they kissed. Something sweet that gave Ash hope. “I knew I liked you,” he murmured.

“I knew I liked you too,” she said. “So. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow.” He kissed her again. “Next week. Every day. I was dumb enough to let you walk away before. I’m not making that mistake again.”

Her smile was wide when she pulled away. “Every day, huh? I kinda like the way that sounds.”

Ash’s chest tightened. “I’m serious, Sherri. I know the full moon can make us a little hot-headed, but it doesn’t make me a liar. I love your spirit, and I loved this crazy ride with you, in spite of the blood and the bullshit. For the first time in my life I feel like I’m ready for something real, and I want it with you.”

Her forehead wrinkled. “You really think that can work? You didn’t exactly give glowing reviews on the human-werewolf relationship success rate.”

“It’s not done much. It’d take trust, something I don’t think my parents had.” Ash smoothed the lines in her brow with his thumb. “I think we’ve got an excellent foundation, after all we’ve been through. There may be discrimination or isolation, but I can tell you’re tough enough to hang through the bullshit.”

“Ash, I came back because I wanted to be with you. I’m up for the challenge. Anyway, you’re not fooling me. You may have left your pack but you’re no lone wolf. You have your brother and a business, and all these people who were here to see you when I arrived. You’ve got family, and I think you’re capable of a lot of love. I like that you are.”

Ash grinned. “You got me. So are you interested in being one of my people even though you’ve busted my loner image? I know I’m already falling for you.”

She laughed, and then her lips brushed his. “I know I’m falling for you, too. It’s crazy. I didn’t think I’d be ready, but I am,” she said. “After the things I’ve seen? Life’s too short to wait. I want something real with you, too.”

THE END

Thank you for taking the time to read Wild Nights with a Lone Wolf (Lone Wolf #1)! Reviews help readers and authors alike! I appreciate any and all honest reviews.

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Next in the Lone Wolf series: Wicked Days with a Lone Wolf

King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn, Book One)

Prince of Power (Chronicles of Yavn, Book Two)

Hunter by Night (Chronicles of Yavn, Book Three)

One Week (HaleStorm, Book One)

Scribbling Women Anthology

Wicked Days with a Lone Wolf

E
lisabeth Staab loves passionate stories and happy endings. Her books have been called “sexually charged,” “action-packed,” and “gloriously snarky.” When not writing romance about vampires and werewolves and CEOs (oh, my!), she enjoys date night with her husband, reading Harry Potter with her kids, and marathoning her favorite books or TV series. Find out more at
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