Wolf on Board (Wolves of Willow Bend Book 14) (6 page)

“I appreciate that; I just hate that they are a necessity. If the human laws allowed them to handle abusers the way we do, they wouldn’t need them.” A growl underscored every word he spoke.

Mimi focused on him. The lackadaisical, laidback wolf she’d had coffee with and found stalking her transformed. His eyes narrowed. His jaw tightened. Even the sweet, sea breeze mingling with the woods in his scent diminished, growing chillier, mintier and deeper pine.

Willow Bend had a human population within the pack, from humans who mated in to full families who remained loyal to the pack whether they took the bite or not. “Humans aren’t the same as us. Some are, but not all. Their laws are complicated and take time…”

“And they can’t always read intentions or truth telling, I know.” Jake wiped his mouth with a napkin then took a long pull of beer. “We can’t always tell those intentions either, no matter how keen our senses.” An unexpected sadness seemed to creep over him. “You ever think we trust our so-called instincts too much?”

She had enough on her plate to store and eat later, and she was full so she ignored the food for the moment and rested her elbows on the counter. Studying his expression, she considered her answer. “We’re wolves. What would we be without our instincts?”

“Ignorance could be bliss.” He didn’t sound as if he believed it though.

“Did you know the traitor in your pack?” It was an awkward question. The answer was none of her business, but the wolf sitting opposite her didn’t glare or growl at her inquiry.

“Marco Renaldi.” The name didn’t mean much to her. Owen had described the scene of Marco’s attempt on Brett, the gunshots, even the way Gillian distracted the mad wolf so Owen and finally Brett could execute him. Jake drained his beer and, without asking him if he wanted another, she retrieved a fresh one from the fridge and held it out to him. He gave her a half-smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He hadn’t answered her question directly. Then again maybe he didn’t need to. “Sorry if I’m prying.”

“It’s all right. I knew Marco. He’d been vetting me for Hunter training.” His mouth twisted on the last bitter note. “Something was off about him. Hell, he was insane. We all know that now.”

But Jake hadn’t known it then. Mimi’s heart ached for him. “Your Alpha didn’t know.”

“Yeah, that’s a comfort.” A muscle ticked in his cheek. “Brett didn’t spend every day for four months with him prior to the murders…”

“And if he didn’t believe anything he did was wrong or, worse, that he had a right to do those things, then there’s an excellent chance he would have no scent markers to betray him.” At least on this subject, she could offer some comfort.

“You can’t know that.” He twisted the top off the bottle and pushed away from the bar. “Not that it matters. He was a fruit loop, the pack suffered, and I left. No more drama.”

“Actually, I
can
know that. Scent markers are body chemistry. They are triggered by hormone releases within the body, hormones which are dictated to by brain chemistry. When the scent markers aren’t there, it’s typically because something is wrong with that wolf’s brain, not your nose.” For a split second, the sharpness in his scent dissolved into something more hopeful then the mint drowned it out. So, his anger and self-loathing manifested in mint.
Good to know.
“You can’t scent what isn’t present. Most wolves are mentally balanced. We are not as prone to the illnesses which plague our human brethren, but that doesn’t make us immune. We live longer. We heal faster. We’re stronger. We move quicker. We change into animals, and we appreciate the hunt. It gives us any number of advantages—our nature tends to take out the crazier and more reckless among us. But crazy comes in all shapes and sizes. No matter what you think…what that wolf did wasn’t your fault, and you weren’t the only wolf who didn’t see him for who he was or what he’d done.”

“The impossible becomes reality when we believe in it…”

“It’s not impossible, Jake. And I can prove it.”

For the first time since the subject came up, real hope flared in his eyes. “How?”

She glanced at her food. “Go take a shower in my guest room while I clean up, and we’re going to need to take a ride. You game?”

He frowned slowly, then gave her a sidelong look. “Are you just trying to get rid of me?”

“By inviting you to take a shower then go for a ride with me? What do you think I’m going to do, drop you off in the mountains and abandon you?”

“I don’t know. Are you?”

Mimi didn’t even try to hide the roll of her eyes. “No, dumbass. I’m going to prove the scent markers to you, but you need to clean up and so do I. I also need to let Mitch know where we’re going so he doesn’t freak if he doesn’t find us locked down. Now go shower, and change your clothes and, for God’s sake, put on a damn shirt.”

A flash of a smile softened his mouth then he raised his bottle to her in a quiet salute. “Yes, ma’am. Right away, ma’am.” He strolled toward the French doors then paused and glanced back at her. “You do promise to not take advantage of me, right?”

She considered a whole host of answers before she retrieved his empty bottle and dirty plate, but she simply smiled. “Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.”

Jake paused, his expression almost comical in its confusion. “Huh.” He stayed there a moment longer, then headed out—presumably to his van to retrieve a change of clothes.

Mimi shook her head and turned to the sink. Hopefully she knew what she was doing…or maybe she did want to take advantage of him.

There are worse things I could do. This trip is about experimenting, right?

T
wo hours later
, Jake studied the landscape beyond the windows of Mimi’s toy car. The mini cooper seemed adorable when he met her. After spending the last thirty miles in her vehicle in stop and go traffic until they’d finally out distanced the townies and hit a stretch of freeway angling toward Garrapata State Park, he’d changed his mind. It was a coffin on wheels, designed to torture him. He’d put the seat all the way back, yet he still couldn’t stretch out his legs.

“Where are we going?” It wasn’t the first time he’d asked the question.

“Not far from the beach.” The vagueness in her response didn’t offer much in the way of comfort. A small smile played around the corners of her mouth.

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Am I?” Challenge, not relish, ignited in her tone. She spared him a sidelong glance and raised an eyebrow. The sweetness of her scent permeated the tiny vehicle, but he couldn’t detect any notes of deception or malice.

“I don’t know.” What did he know about Mimi Chase? She was a Willow Bend wolf. The younger sister of Owen Chase, a Hunter Jake only knew in passing from his time in the Hudson River during the insanity Marco generated as he murdered his way through Jake’s pack. Knowing one family member didn’t mean diddly squat about knowing another.

“You’re nervous.” Her soft voice rolled over him like a caress, and his spine stiffened.

“I am not.” The protest burst out of him. At her giggle, he scowled.

“You’re lying.”

Folding his arms, he focused his glare at the passing scenery. “You’re having too much fun at my expense.”

A light hand came to rest on his thigh. The weight soothed and aggravated him in equal measures. “Jake, I’m trying to show you that scent markers are wholly dependent on the person’s brain chemistry. What is my scent telling you?”

Irritated, he reached to remove her hand when the sweetness of vanilla and sugar enveloped him. Clean, fresh and wholly honest. “That you’re a sexy wolf, but you know that.” He peeled her fingers off of him and returned her hand to the steering wheel. The touch of her skin was electric, a connection he found himself craving the moment he released her.

Instead of tormenting him further, she said nothing and Jake ground his teeth together to keep the apology he wanted to utter locked inside. Anger welled deep in his gut. Anger and something more primal. He
liked
Mimi. He’d wanted to have fun with her. Maybe they could have shared a quick roll in the hay or the bed—definitely not the sand. Sand itched. Everywhere.

He took a deep breath, then forced himself to breathe through his mouth. If not, he’d drown in the sweet scent of female. Clenching his fist, he concentrated on leashing the wild urges rippling beneath the surface. Had it really only been a few hours since he’d caught her in the street, a growl in her throat with her wolf bleeding into her eyes? Hadn’t they had fun?

When the hell had he exchanged fun for drama?

The car slammed to a halt and jerked him out of his musings. Mimi didn’t say a word, simply put the vehicle in park and turned off the engine before exiting the car. It took him a moment longer to register she’d pulled into a remote parking area surrounded by trees. The whiff of air she’d let into the vehicle promised him a dense population of redwoods. Beneath it…he thought there might be a hint of salt water and lichen.

Unlocking himself from the seatbelt, he tried to fist his temper in both hands before he ripped the car door off. Once outside the car, he caught his breath. The air was cooler. She’d taken them toward the mountains. Rain kissed the land around him, dampness clinging to some of the bushes and turning the soil dark and rich. The sun had begun its descent, leaving them in twilight emphasized by the shadow of the forest.

“Why are we here?” Around them, very little moved and the road they’d traveled didn’t boast any other vehicles.

She paused a dozen steps away near a trailhead and glanced at him. “To go for a run and to talk…and to prove to you what your nose is telling you.”

What his nose was telling him? Was she mocking him now? “I thought you wanted to show me that I didn’t screw up with Marco.” It came out far more petulant than he intended. Hell, he didn’t even like saying Marco’s name.

“I do,” she said, her voice gentle and carrying an invitation. Extending her hand to him, she curled her fingers. “You’re not trusting your wolf and that’s worse than running away from your pack.”

The insult in the last sentence irked him. Ignoring her extended hand, he glared. “Are you calling me a coward?”

Dropping her extended hand, she rested it on her hip instead. The tilt of her chin and her raised eyebrows challenged him. “Did I use the word coward?”

“No, but…”

“Look, pretty boy, you were following me. You wanted my attention. Now you have it. Are you really going to let your apprehension keep you from discovering what I might be able to help you with?”

After blowing out a long breath, Jake raked a hand through his hair. “Fuck me.” Agitation riddled him, and he wanted to punch something.

“Interesting offer, but you do need to work on your delivery.” The smile flirting beneath her words softened her expression briefly before she sobered. “Jake, I’m not trying to mess with your head. Trust your wolf. Does it say I am friend or foe?”

His wolf pawed at him, demanding action. “You’re not my enemy.” It came out grudging, more because of his wolf’s impatience for his silence than anything else. “I’m not entirely sure why I thought letting you drag me out here was a good idea.”

“It could be that you like my ass.” The dry delivery combined with her bland expression punctured the turmoil rioting through him.

“I do like your ass, but that’s not the only thing I like about you.” Thrusting both hands through his hair, he pushed the length off his face. Maybe he had been spending way too much time wandering away and on his own. “Okay, can we press rewind to a few minutes before we got here, then pretend we just arrived?”

Mimi squinted at him then shrugged and skipped back to the car. “Welcome to the state park. I know there’s a lot more around here including Big Sur, but this is the first one I came to about a week ago. I went hiking up there.” She pointed. “It’s pretty and isolated and apparently a difficult hike. I didn’t run into a lot of people.”

“It’s a good place for a run.” He expanded her implication to the full thought.

“It could be,” she said, shrugging. “Or we could just go for a hike. At least here we don’t have to look over our shoulders or worry about who might pull in. Unless you know this area like the back of your hand, sneaking up on someone will be hard.”

Appreciating her efforts to return them to a sense of normalcy, Jake slid his hands into his pockets and paced around the vehicle to join her. “I’ve been here a time or two.” It wasn’t his favorite of the parks. “There’s better hiking farther into Big Sur.”

“Well, next time, I’ll let you pick the destination. Deal?”

Next time?
He liked the sound of that. “Okay. Sounds good. Now, if you want to hike…I’ll listen to you talk about scent markers and why you think I couldn’t figure out Marco.”

“You sure?” She bumped her shoulder into his arm.

Exhaling, he nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m sure. Besides, I have this feeling you know what you’re talking about and…even if you don’t, you’re damn pretty when you do talk.”

“Wow, not sure whether I should feel complimented or annoyed.”

Lighthearted finally, Jake grinned. “Welcome to my world.”

M
imi glanced
over her shoulder as she continued her ascent of the rocky incline. Jake followed her easily, his physical prowess clear despite his projected lazy attitude. She’d pushed him earlier, a fierce nudge when she’d scented his retreat. Funny how easygoing he’d been at the house and on the beach, then how swiftly he’d withdrawn once they were on the road. She couldn’t put her finger on the specifics, yet she and her wolf were in full agreement. Whatever bothered Jake, it went deeper than the criminal activities of the wolf who’d done damage to his pack.

After his smartass remark by the car, he hadn’t said much, seemingly content to follow her as she climbed, hiked, and led the way. The air turned cooler, the earlier rain bringing the temperature down. California was weird that way; days could be hot and sunny while the nights were cooler. One of the other students in her cooking class told her the Santa Ana winds changed it further when they blew in…sometimes hotter, sometimes cooler.

The weather shifts confused her wolf, but intrigued the woman. They hadn’t had cause to take advantage of their new terrain and go for a real run. As they crested the rise, she caught a glimpse of the ocean. It rolled in fierce—all gray sea and white foamy crests sluicing over the rocks. It wasn’t a particularly pretty stretch of beach, but she liked the way the sea caressed it. The air turned cooler yet and, farther out to sea, lightning sparked against the sky.

Darkening skies deepened the inky color of the sky and the water. The setting sun should have turned the horizon red and orange, but all she could see was the oncoming storm. “Do you believe in omens?”

“What?” he panted out the word, the warmth of him pausing just behind her.

“Do you believe in omens? Horoscopes? Soothsaying? Premonitions?” When he said nothing, she grinned and added, “What about ghosts?”

Another splinter of lightning forked and arced down to the water. “Is this a real question? Or are you trying to lull me to prove some other weird point about scent markers?”

“A, they aren’t weird points.” Miffed, she didn’t bother to disguise her reaction. “B, I’m asking a real question…one I’d like an answer to.”

“Do I believe in omens?” Jake repeated her question aloud. “No. Not particularly. Don’t believe much in any gods or supernatural beings, either. I believe in what I can see, touch, hear, and taste. Sometimes I don’t even believe in those.”

Did he hear the innate sadness under his words? The laughing tease covered a multitude of sins, or maybe he preferred the superficial to the rest?
Bigger question, why do I care so much?
She’d been the one to protest him following her around and trying to make contact. Lone Wolves were not meant to do more than be alone, living their lives in pursuit of whatever primal demand drove them away from their packs in the first place.

“Why not?” With a glance, she tried to absorb the line of his profile, the distance in his gold rimmed eyes and the way his jaw flexed as though he chewed on his words before speaking them.

“Why should I?” Point. Counterpoint. “Faith is belief in spite of a lack of tangible evidence.”

“Sometimes, we believe in our alphas though.”

“That’s not the same thing. We can feel the pack; we can feel our alpha. There’s a connection here.” He touched a fist to his chest. “Not sure when we form it…maybe it starts with our family and immediate siblings, then it spreads to our friends and our neighbors and eventually stretches to the whole of the pack as we grow and find our own place among them. Either way, I know when my alpha speaks, I feel it in my soul. And I know that when we bleed…” His voice trailed off and Jake sighed, the weight of the world echoing in that long and lonely sound. “He bleeds, too. When we walk away, he feels the loss. We’re greater together than we are apart. These are all things I can see and I can feel. The other stuff? It’s all ways to explain what can’t be explained. You know, I see tragedies on the news and the humans talk about God’s will. Hell, my mom talked about it. That we can’t always know what God’s plan is or the gods for those who believe in multiples. They pray together because it fosters a sense of belonging, but we don’t need to pretend to belong. We know where we are, and we know loss… and I hate discussions like this.”

“You don’t like to talk about esoteric points and faith to define why you feel about things the way you do?” Yep, she was poking the bear—or wolf, in this case.

“No. It’s fucking depressing. I have enough to be depressed about in my life. I don’t need to try and grasp the greater universe or why shit happens. People suck, that’s why shit happens. People like Marco who fucking crave power…or maybe he was as insane, as you suggested earlier. Maybe that’s why we didn’t scent his crazy on him. You have to be fucking whacked to kill a healer…to attack a second one, and to go after the masses with a gun, much less try to kill the alpha.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “The biggest problem I have with all of it is I want to hate the son of a bitch, but a rational part of me doesn’t. It wants to understand him, and then the wolf in me just wants to kill him.”

Tasting the confusion tangling in his scent, Mimi turned and pressed a hand to his chest. The wind tugged at her hair and carried the salt of the ocean mingling with rain and more than one layer of ozone. The storm coming at them moved swiftly. They’d be soaked before they got back to her car. But her wolf agreed with her, it was important to help the man before them. “That’s a normal reaction,” she promised him. “A healthy one. You are responding as a brother, a son, and a packmate. We’re hardwired—we who respond to situations where we are needed. We protect our vulnerable. We razz each other, pit ourselves against each other so we can drive ourselves to be better. We believe in the law of the fittest, but we don’t leave those who are weaker or needier behind.”

Taking a deep breath, she considered all the changes of the last few years.

“We’re wolves…we like order. We like to know who is in charge and who they are in charge of. We love to know who protects us and who we protect. What that wolf did to your pack, he did to all of you. He disturbed the order of your lives and a part of you would have helped him if you’d understood he needed help, but the other part of you…” She spread her fingers, feeling the steady thud of his heart beneath her fingers. “He would have cracked him open like an egg to keep him from hurting those you would have protected.”

His nostrils flared, and the lightning flashed illuminating the tears on his cheeks. Understanding his pride had been battered enough, she said nothing about the tears and instead wrapped her arms around him. A hug offered solidarity, support and in their case—the comfort of contact. The stiffness of his body eased beneath her grip, and with thunder rippling overhead, his arms came around her as well. The fierceness of his grip squeezed the air from her lungs, but she pressed her ear to his chest and listened to the race of his heart as the pounding slowed to a steadier, quieter beat.