Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack) (27 page)

Epilogue

Rina reached in the back of the truck to retrieve another basket of flowers. Sage was right. The bouquets really did sell well at the Saturday market.

“Let me have that.” He reached around her, hefted the basket from the truck, and placed it on the makeshift table he’d set up in front of the tailgate. “You’re supposed to be resting.” He pointed at the lawn chair he’d set up for her.

“I want to help.” The market was vibrant and full of people buying and selling. She’d wandered around earlier and bought a jar of local honey. She couldn’t wait to try it.

“I know you do, baby.” He touched the top of her head and allowed his hand to skate down her spine. “But you were severely injured less than a week ago.” It was a reminder that she wasn’t already supposed to be healed.

“Right.” She sat back down in the chair and waved at him. “Back to work. I’ll just enjoy the view.”

And it was a great view. Sage was wearing faded blue jeans that clung to his butt and thighs and a crisp white T-shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and tight abs. Oh, yeah. The view was just fine.

Sue was working the other end of the table doing a brisk business with her sachets and soaps. Sylvie had given them two quilts and some table runners to try to sell as well. Cole’s mama had sent along several dozen bottles of jam that were almost already gone. Rina closed her eyes and enjoyed the sunshine on her face.

“You’re looking better.”

Rina opened her eyes to find Sheriff Dohner standing on the opposite side of their table. “I am doing better.” She glanced at Sage, who was watching the exchange as he served a customer. “Sage is taking good care of me.”

“I imagine he is. You just don’t try to do too much too soon.”

She held her empty hands out in front of me. “I have orders to sit here and not lift anything heavier than an ice cold drink.”

Sheriff Dohner chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds about right to me.”

Sage handed a customer back her change and then ambled over. “Everything okay here?”

The sheriff nodded. “Just checking on Miss Matheson.”

Sage dropped his hand on her shoulder. “She’ll soon be Mrs. Gallagher.”

“That so? Well, congratulations to you both.” He leaned in closer. “Thought you’d like to know Johnny Bellamy was transferred out of here this morning. He’s headed to a psychiatric hospital for testing and evaluation. That will decide what happens to him.”

Rina felt a weight tumble from her shoulders. “That’s wonderful news.”

“Thanks for letting us know.” Sage held out his hand and the sheriff shook it.

“Glad to be able to give you some good news.” He tipped his hat. “I’ll be seeing you.”

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Rina was itching to help but knew she couldn’t be seen doing too much. There were too many people watching. She comforted herself with the promise that within a few weeks she’d be able to do pretty much anything without having anyone question her health.

During a short lull, Sage crouched by her chair and took one of her hands in his. “I know this is tough on you.”

She shook her head. “No, this is heaven. Yes, I want to help, but I’m so happy just to be here.”

He leaned in and rubbed noses with her before dropping a quick kiss on her lips.

“Do you think Reece will be back soon?” She knew he was already missing his twin.

Sage shrugged. “I’m really not sure. Maybe.” He absently rubbed his chest. “I have a feeling maybe sooner than expected.” Then he frowned at what he’d said.

“What do you feel?” The connection between the two men fascinated her.

“I’m not sure. Just a sense of anticipation.” He patted her arm. “I’ve got to get back to work. We’ll start shutting things down in an hour. Maybe sooner.”

“Go on. I’m fine.” And she was. For the first time in her life, she had a place that would never be taken from her. She and Sage belonged together.

She closed her eyes and wished that Reece and her brother would be as lucky as she was in this very moment.

* * * * *

Reece stood at his apartment window and stared out at the city. He lived in an older building, not quite derelict, but it hadn’t yet been reclaimed and made trendy. It suited him. He didn’t really live here. It was simply a place to sleep and had been for years.

He was getting restless.

The urge to pack it all in and head back to Salvation was overwhelming. The endless grind and noise of the traffic hurt his sensitive ears. And the stench. Some days it was enough to turn his stomach, especially given his job. He spent a lot of time in the back alleys wading through blood, guts, and vomit.

But he was meant to be here.

He’d had a dream when he was a teenager. It hadn’t been long or filled with details. All he remembered was that he’d been living in this city and was here for a purpose. He didn’t really believe in prophetic dreams, but he hadn’t been able to shake that one. When he’d decided to leave the pack for a few years and strike out on his own, he’d ended up training to be a police officer and finally moving here.

He sighed and turned away. He was off duty today, but he was restless. He hated downtime. It gave him too much time to think.

Swearing, he stalked into the bedroom and pulled on his weapon harness. He checked his gun and grabbed his badge. He was better off at work than just sitting around here staring at the walls and going stir crazy. He slipped a light summer jacket on to cover his weapon and headed out.

As he locked his front door, he paused and cocked his head to one side. He listened but heard nothing. He reached out for his twin but felt only contentment there.

Something was coming. He didn’t know what it was, but it was his reason for being here. He knew it in his gut. His wolf was restless, pacing inside him.

Reece just wanted whatever it was to happen so he could deal with it and move home. He was tired of the city. Jaded and worn out. He needed the sunshine and clean air of Salvation to heal his wounded soul.

He ignored the peeling paint on the walls and the stench of fried onions that permeated the hallway and silently stalked down the stairs. Yeah, he needed to be at work. Anything to keep busy.

About the Author

Once upon a time, N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years.

She gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel and life would never be the same.

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

N.J. enjoys hearing from readers, and she can be reached at
[email protected]
. You can check out her web site at
www.njwalters.com
.

Look for these titles by N.J. Walters

Now Available:

Ja
mesville Series

Discovering Dani

The Way Home

The Return of Patrick O’Rourke

The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke

A Le
gal Affair

By the Book

Past Promises

Legacy Series

Alexandra’s Legacy

Isaiah’s Haven

Legacy Found

Quinn’s Quest

Finding Chrissten

Damek’s Redemption

Craig’s Heart

Spells, Secrets and Seduction Series

A Touch of Magick

Dreams of Seduction

Love in Flames

Hades’ Carnival Series

Night of the Tiger

Mark of the Bear

Pride of the Lion

Howl of the Wolf

Heart of the Serpent

Flame of the Phoenix

Lure of the Jaguar

Salvation Pack Series

Wolf at the Door

Wolf in her Bed

Wolf on the Run

Wolf from the Past

Wolf on the Hunt

Wolf on a Mission

Coming Soon:

Salvation Pack Series

Wolf in her Soul

Wolf of her Own

Don’t miss the other titles in N.J. Walters’ Salvation Pack Series!

When love runs wild, there are no limits.

Salvation Pack,
Book 6

Full-blooded werewolf Elias Gallagher, sole guardian of his half-breed teenage nephews, is all too aware that the world is not a safe place for a werewolf on his own. Doubly so for half-breeds.

He brings his nephews to North Carolina to check out the Salvation Pack’s openness to half-breeds. He never expected to find a mate—the fully human mother of a young boy—while there.

After enduring one tragedy after another over the past two years, Sue Walsh is focused solely on earning a living and raising her five-year-old son. With her ex suddenly demanding custody, the last complication she wants or needs is an attraction to a ruggedly handsome stranger.

But the sexual pull between them is too strong to be denied. And when there’s trouble with the local hunters, Elias will do whatever it takes to protect the people he loves. Even if it means revealing his biggest secret.

Warning: This book will make your heart pound with excitement, your body sizzle with anticipation and your toes curl with satisfaction. The power of love will make you believe anything is possible.

In the hunt for love, there’s no going halfway.

Salvation Pack
, Book 5

Drawn to Salvation by her passion for nature, Gray Everson’s looking forward to some peace and quiet to work on her paintings. She didn’t expect hunters shooting up the forest around the cabin she rented. And she certainly didn’t expect to find a wounded wolf.

It’s only after Gray sends the hunters packing that she realizes the creature hidden in her cabin is no ordinary wolf. He’s a ruggedly handsome man with an extraordinary ability Gray thought only existed in fiction.

Louis LaForge has given up on finding a mate and channels all his energy into protecting his pack. But his instant attraction to a skittish artist is more than simple lust. There’s something about Gray he just can’t put his finger on—until he gets close enough to touch her.

Louis is sure of what he wants, but pushing Gray too far, too fast is risky. The hunters aren’t going away peacefully, and Louis’s former pack is coming for him. When the final battle comes, there will be only one way to protect everyone he loves.

Warning: Contains an artist who has a secret even she doesn’t know she’s hiding, and a werewolf who’s resigned to being lonely—until she fills his life with vibrant color.

Don’t miss these other titles by N.J. Walters

To win the battle for his soul, he may have to sacrifice the woman who set him free.

Hades’ Carnival,
Book 1

Aimee Horner lives and breathes her career as a graphic novel illustrator, but she never expected it would invade her dreams. In recent months, worsening nightmares have pulled her into the darkest corners of Hell.

On a rare night out with friends at a traveling carnival, she finds herself strangely drawn to an abandoned carousel adorned with vividly exotic animals. One steed, a massive white tiger, is a temptation she can’t resist. The moment she climbs upon him, her world changes forever.

More than five thousand years ago, Roric and his fellow shapeshifting warriors were imprisoned in their animal forms, a last-ditch effort by the goddess they served to save them from the horrors of Hell.

With one special woman’s touch, he has a chance at freedom and redemption—but the clock is ticking. If he is still alive in twenty-four hours, the spell will be broken, and Hell will have no claim on his soul. The only hitch is his blazing attraction to Aimee. If only he could trust that she isn’t merely a distraction sent by Hades—luscious bait to lure him from his mission.

Warning: This book contains an ancient curse, an imprisoned goddess, a graphic artist and the hot shapeshifting immortal warrior who turns her life upside down while they battle Hades and his minions for their immortal souls. There is also plenty of hot sex between the heroine and her hot, shapeshifting warrior. Just saying.