Right Wolf, Right Time

Cougar Falls - 6

by

Marie Harte

To everyone who asked for Monty’s story. This one’s for you.

Chapter One

Cougar Falls, Montana

Monty GrayClaw’s heart raced and his palms sweated. Years spent in captivity paled next to the dread spreading like a toxin through his system.

A wolf in human clothing, Monty should have felt far more confident than he did. He was Ac-taw, a born Shifter who could take the form of the noblest creature on the planet—a gray wolf of estimable grace, power and control. Yet he trembled. Hell. He couldn’t screw this up, not if he wanted to remain sane. One false step would be the end of him.

He glanced over his shoulder, expecting a trap. It was too quiet, too easy. All the months of lying in wait, the subtle stalking, being patient while his prey turned ripe for the plucking…it boiled down to how he maneuvered tonight.

The moon shone brightly overhead, the sweet smells of pine and rosemary making the cool, late-August air crisp with flavor, but not sharp enough to hide the creature moving within the antiquated Victorian still in sad need of repair.

Monty tightened his grip and swore when he cut himself. The scent of blood would carry. Damn it. He’d been waiting so long. He needed to act now. But what if he’d read the signs wrong? He’d already tried twice and had been rebuffed. What if he screwed up and set himself back even further? He couldn’t go through this again. Not after all his preparation, the sleepless nights, the new interference from the Gray Wolf Order…

A sound—footsteps—froze him in place as the scent of his prey approached. Creaks and groans of aging wood grew louder until only a solid plank of oak separated them. He tightened his grip, bore down on his nerves and readied to spring as the door slowly creaked open.

He moved before he could think about what the hell he was doing and stuck out his arm.

“Hello? Monty?” Sophie Tanner, the prettiest she-wolf Monty had ever seen and the star of his nightly fantasies, brightened like a sunbeam as she blinked at him. “Flowers. For me?” She gushed over the crumpled bouquet still extended in her direction. “Oh, you’re bleeding.”

The stupid roses had thorns. Trust Rachel, his pride leader’s female, to grow flowers with teeth. Friggin’ cats.

“Come in here and let me have a look.” She took the bouquet from him and led him into her kitchen.

He followed like a docile lamb, willing to do whatever it took to get her hands on him again.

Oh man, he wanted this woman bad. His stomach did somersaults whenever he was around her and his tongue ignored his brain. He’d been unable to ask her out on a date for fear of being rejected again. Him, Monty friggin’ GrayClaw, denied—the thought boggled the mind. It would have been funny if he hadn’t already sensed she was and would be the most important thing in his life. Knowing she had a history almost as rough as his own had slowed his pursuit way down. But Christ on a crutch, Monty was no saint, and waiting two years for her to get settled into town and over her fear of male Ac-taw had worn thin.

The woman needed to overcome her past and deal with him. Tonight. Right now. Before he lost his nerve and bolted for the door. Fuck. Maybe it wasn’t the right time after all…

“Shit.” He swore as cold water stung his scarred palm. Hell, he was marked up like a chew toy. He hoped she didn’t mind a few abrasions…scars…whip marks.

“Big baby,” she teased, a blush on her cheeks. Her gray eyes gleamed like diamonds against skin that saw the sun often. She’d braided her long brown hair down her back, and that thick stuff teased him with images of what it would look like soft around her shoulders and curled around those tantalizing breasts. Not too big, not too small, just perfect to put his hands around…

She gave a polite cough and he brought his head up with a snap, flushing with guilt when she gave him a look.

“I, er, thanks for the water.”

Sophie pried the thorn out of his hand. In a soft voice, she said, “I’m glad you came over. You said you might stop by, but you always…” She cleared her throat and patted his palm with a towel. “The flowers are beautiful.”

Crumpled and smashed, but if she liked them, who was he to say differently? He grinned. “Sure thing. Pretty flowers for a pretty girl.”

His pridemates would have laughed their asses off at the lame compliment. Grady and Dean, cat pranksters and ladies’ men during their bachelor days, would have tried to work the she-wolf out of her panties on the first date. But Monty wanted more from the gentle wolf than a quick tumble. He wanted kisses and hugs, tenderness, pups…

“Are you okay?” She pressed her small hand to his forehead and he fought not to groan. “You feel hot to me.”

As usual around this particular female, he was hard as a rock and caught between wanting to bend her over for a thorough fuck and defending her from the world—including himself.

The protector, as usual, won out. Monty leaned back, away from her touch, and forced another smile, glad for the jeans that kept him in check. He’d have zipper marks on his dick when he got home, but being around his girl was worth it. Slow and gentle would win the race, or so he kept telling himself.

“I always run hot.” Around you. “I’m good. We going out to dinner, then?” Their first official date. He’d been hanging around her for months. Lending support, just being there, waiting for her to need him. He’d gone so far as to attack a few bears when they’d roughhoused in her grocery store and broken her arm back in March. Accident or not, they’d hurt Sophie and put his animal spirit into a frenzy. His wolf reacting so violently only reaffirmed what he’d already known—Sophie was his.

“I was kind of thinking we could eat here, if that’s okay.” So shy, she ducked her head away after asking.

Monty loved everything about her. That shyness, her soft hands, the way she skirted trouble if she could avoid it. Unlike the sly cats and foxes he lived with in the pride, Sophie didn’t ask for problems. The cats lived to antagonize. The Bermin sisters were as bad about mouthing off when they felt the need. And the foxes had a way of causing innocent mischief that somehow landed trouble at his door. He couldn’t shake the feeling one of the female foxes had sabotaged his last card game. And though Monty sincerely loved his pride leader’s woman, Rachel was pushy, no two ways about it.

So unlike his Sophie. She took his lead when they talked, and if he wished at times she would be a bit more assertive, he also liked the fact she wanted to please. The woman knew her own mind—she just needed patience, kindness and an understanding mate. Monty prayed he could be that wolf, because he didn’t plan on letting anyone else lay claim to her. Sophie Tanner belonged to him, and in time, he’d show her the way.

Sophie smiled at Monty, loving the way he looked at her as if he couldn’t wait to eat her right up. Then, as always, he masked his hunger with a tepid smile and pretended to be sweetness and light. As if she couldn’t see the wild wolf within the quiet man.

Of all the wolves she’d met in her lifetime, she’d never been so taken, so immediately intrigued, as she was with Montgomery GrayClaw. There was an injured fierceness in him that spoke to her on another level. Her animal spirit, the wolf within her, recognized his pain because Sophie had suffered its like. For years she’d thought herself half crazy, able to sense things normal people couldn’t. And her uncle and cousins, her guardians after the death of her parents, had been nothing better than lowdown killers. They took sheer joy in slaughtering innocent life.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to ignore the gruesome pictures that would no doubt haunt her tonight. Lately, she’d had a feeling trouble was coming. Not just to town, but for her specifically.

“Sophie?” Monty stared at her as if he could see inside her.

Not wanting anyone to ever get that far into her mind, she shook her head and gave him a warm smile. “I found a terrific slab of meat at the store. I had Benji cut something special for you.”

Their butcher had a crush on her, but the older bear also had an on-again, off-again relationship with a raptor nearing seventy-five, a few years his junior. Sophie didn’t consider him a threat on any level, for which she was grateful. Lately, the wolves circling her gave her the shivers. Talk about feeling like a piece of meat…

“Benji’s a good guy. For a bear.” Monty nodded. “He likes to pretend to save the good cuts for the cats, but whenever I do the shopping, I bring back better meats than Dean or Grady.” Dean and Grady Chastell, Monty’s pridemates, were younger brothers to the pride leader, Monty’s best friend, Burke. Monty, a wolf, lived with a pride of cats, foxes and a bear. How odd, and how very fitting for the wolf she constantly thought about. He was different, like her. Just another way they fit.

“You probably get the better stuff because you’re one of the few men who never flirted with Benji’s niece. He’s pretty protective of Juneau.”

Monty blinked but said nothing. Why did his silence make her feel like she had her information wrong?

“What can I help you with?” he asked and hustled her into the kitchen. To take her mind off the fact he might have slept with the pretty Kodiak or because he didn’t want her asking questions?

Like he really had to worry about that. As much as Sophie wished she could be more self-confident, like her friends Julia and Gabby, she couldn’t quite work the words past her stiff lips. A lifetime of keeping her thoughts to herself and staying out of sight didn’t go away just because she’d found her place in Cougar Falls. Her last two and a half years had been ideal, but they didn’t make the previous twenty-four fade away.

Now if only a sexy wolf with a hard stare and a mouth to kill for would make a move and distract her. He still gripped her shoulders with a firmness she’d dreamed about. Monty had a bad habit of being too hands-off.

“What can I help you with, Sophie?” he asked again.

“Um, you can make the salad.”

To his credit, he didn’t make a face at the thought of eating rabbit food—what the other wolves usually called the veggie aisle in the store.

While he rinsed the lettuce and cut up some vegetables, they made small talk about the latest tour group he’d taken through Big Mountain, and what they anticipated for the coming months. He worked for Chastell Tours, the pride’s touring company located in Whitefish. She envied him his ability to labor alongside humans without fear, but she preferred Cougar Falls, where only other Ac-taw could visit the town. The magical totem that protected the Ac-taw would keep her uncle from ever finding her. She prayed.

Annoyed to find herself thinking about him again, she focused instead on Monty. What must it be like to live with cats, foxes and bears? She stayed on the outskirts of wolf society, content to associate with other wolves from a distance. But Monty openly preferred non-wolves to the order. She envied his confident dismissal, especially the way he dealt with disapproval from Rafe, the Gray Wolf alpha.

She wished she could be as firm in her decision to remain apart. More like Monty, except not so careful all the time. Frankly, she grew tired of waiting for him to take control of what she hoped might be a burgeoning relationship. She wished she had the guts to plaster herself against his incredible body. He had scars—a lot of them—and from what she’d gathered, Ac-taw rarely scarred unless they’d been through serious damage. His marks were a testament to his strength and made her want him all the more.

Heck, she’d love to kiss him until she forgot her own name.

With a subtlety she’d mastered long ago, she watched him work, absorbing the grace of his long-fingered hands, the flex and play of his broad back and thickly muscled arms. The man had a tapered waist she was dying to measure, and an impressive ass she’d giggled about over mojitos with her friends a time or two.

“Where should I put all this?” He showed her the colander full of wet lettuce alongside a cutting board full of carrots, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes—enough to feed an army.

She bit her lip and hoped he hadn’t seen her ogling his butt. “The, ah, that bowl up there.” She pointed to a shelf above him, wondering how he thought they’d eat all that salad.

Forget the lettuce, Monty. Kiss me. Touch me with the passion you’re hiding all the time.

He turned with the ceramic bowl in hand and froze. “Sophie?” He didn’t blink as he watched her.

Good Lord, he’d probably smelled her arousal. She felt like an idiot. She watched enough X-rated movies to know how the professionals handled this sort of thing. The telling music, the nudity, weird scenarios and all the female howling while partners pleasured one another all over the place—Sophie knew the score. But she didn’t have the experience, let alone double D-size breasts or thighs that could spread like a wishbone, to take on Monty. And as much as he looked like sex on a stick, this particular wolf spooked if she walked too near.

She sighed. “Thanks, Monty. I’ll get the steaks.” She stuck her head in the refrigerator and tried to pull herself together while she searched for the meat. She knew she only had herself to blame for Monty’s distance.

When she’d first arrived in Cougar Falls, she’d been in shock and terrified of herself and everyone around her. Living without knowing what she really was, and whom she’d been living with for so long, had devastated her. Theo Sheridan had saved her life and her sanity. She owed him, big time. But the stubborn man refused to accept her gratitude—a lot like the wolf in her kitchen, so close and yet so far away from her.

As she withdrew the meat and stuck it on a broiler pan, Monty dumped the salad fixings in the bowl and propped his back against the counter.

“Problem?” she asked.

“Nope. I just like to watch you work.”

Stupid heat once again rushed to her cheeks, and she shoved the broiler pan into the oven while he studied her. With comments like that, he had to like her, didn’t he? He’d even serenaded her at the pride a few weeks ago, where she often went for some girl time and a movie with her friends. For some odd reason, Monty seemed fascinated by Scooby Doo. Months ago, she’d found a stuffed dog on her front porch wearing a bandana of his, his scent layered over the stuffed toy. She’d thought maybe he’d finally ask her out.

And nothing.

Still, she’d loved it, and she slept with the thing nightly. That was as much action as she wanted from any male, stuffed or real, unless Monty was prepared to give her something else. She desired him, but she worried she wanted more than he did. When she’d first arrived to town, he’d asked her to coffee a time or two, but she’d been too scared of her own shadow to accept. Months had gone by, and he’d never asked again.

She’d tried to deepen their friendship with a few hints, but he’d never acted on any of her invitations to join her. Instead he offered friendship without strings, which she’d appreciated. At first. Now she wanted a closer relationship. But how to get Monty to see that? Because if he didn’t think of her in a romantic sense, she’d feel worse than stupid. She’d be devastated.

A glance at him made her jumpy. The dang man made her feel like prey. If he’d try to kiss her or be a bit clearer about his intentions, she’d find it easier to be open about what she wanted.

Gabby had flat-out told her she’d never reel in a male as strong as Monty if she couldn’t talk about her needs, a problem the feline had recently gone through when dealing with Grady, her new mate.

Sophie was good at learning from other people’s mistakes. She herself didn’t have an exciting social life, and she had next to zero sexual experience. One kiss in her entire twenty-six years. And that by a man she’d then—

Inwardly, she cringed. She wouldn’t think about that now. Like Theo had repeatedly told her, she had to stop blaming herself for the past and look to the future. One she very much wanted to share with Monty.

She took a deep breath and resolved to let him know how she felt. She could do it. Many of the men in town called her pretty. The gray wolves were constantly coming by the grocery store. She’d been asked out on more dates than she knew what to do with, but she’d been holding out for a particular wolf, one with an icy blue-gray stare that for some reason made her hot whenever he turned it on her.

“What’s that look?” Monty asked, his gaze narrowed.

To her excited surprise, he lingered on her mouth before pulling that mask back over his face.

She parted her lips to speak, to tell him what she wanted—for him to make her a woman. To show her what loving could be like. To finally take that step and end the naughty fantasies she’d never before experienced outside of her secret movie stash.

He took a step closer. “Sophie?” His voice sounded low, growly, as if his wolf had taken a step with him.

And then a familiar song sounded from outside her house, and the moment was lost. More references to a cartoon dog and his mystery-solving friends sung by cats sadly out of tune.

She should have been angrier about the interruption, but the cowardly woman inside her knew relief. She could once again hide from the predator waiting to pounce. That and she felt a nervous laugh coming out at the astonished, then resigned, look on his face.

“And before you ask, no, I didn’t do this. Wooing you with a cartoon character had never been my plan.” Monty pinched the bridge of his nose and headed for the front door. Over his shoulder, he muttered, “I’ll be right back,” and left, closing the door quietly in his wake.

Wooing her? Did he mean it, or was he referring to the pride’s many pranks at his expense? She heard snarls and hisses and much laughter from voices she recognized as belonging to Monty’s pridemates. A wolf among cats. It still sounded funny every time she considered his home. She shook her head and listened to the three of them growling at each other. Grady and Dean always treated her with respect and a wary distance she appreciated. Unlike Monty, she imagined they saw the killer in her eyes. They knew not to underestimate her.

But Monty only saw what he wanted to see. She hoped like hell she could keep that veil between her life now and the one she’d escaped. Because if anyone here knew what she’d once done, her safe haven in Cougar Falls would disappear. And then she’d be right back where she’d started—on the run and facing sure death at the hands of Hunters.

Monty returned shortly. His hair looked a little mussed and his shirt had come untucked. He never looked better to her than he did when rumpled.

Unable to help herself, Sophie stepped close and ran her fingers over his forehead. A bold move, but he didn’t push her away. She tucked his long black-and-gray bangs behind his ears. His shaggy, shoulder-length hair always looked in need of a cut, but she liked it that way. Oh my God, I’m touching Monty GrayClaw.

He caught her hand in his and cupped it against his cheek. Then he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. When he opened them, she saw his wolf staring at her for a split second before he disappeared. Her wolf inwardly whined to join him, but Sophie wouldn’t go where she hadn’t been invited. She simply wasn’t made that way.

When Monty released her hand, she dropped it to her side.

He blew out a breath. “How about that steak you promised me? I worked up an appetite.”

“Kicking cat butt can do that.”

He laughed. “Yeah, it can.”

They settled into dinner at her table, where she’d dithered for an hour before he’d arrived. Afraid he might get the right idea and know how much she desired to increase the intimacy between them, she’d stashed the candles. Instead, she used a vase as the centerpiece, where she’d put the flowers he’d brought her.

The raggedly things looked right between them. A gesture of Monty’s affection…and not just politeness, she hoped.

“This is the best meal I’ve had in months. Don’t tell Rachel this, but the woman isn’t the best cook. Maggie’s not bad.” Joel’s—the bear’s—wife. “But dessert’s her thing.”

“What about the other cats?”

“Dean and Grady act like they’re all thumbs anytime anyone mentions cooking, and their mates are just as bad. The foxes help if asked, but Rachel’s pretty territorial. She doesn’t want Burke screwing up her kitchen, so it’s pretty much just her and Maggie. The Miami cats are hopeless.” He meant the other female cats that had recently joined the pride. Their brother had apparently left, according to town gossip.

“What’s it like with so many cats there now? It used to just be the Chastells. Now you have four more women.” Females living close to Monty. She didn’t like that. Not one bit.

“Three, actually. Joy is still down in Miami.” He frowned. “But none of her sisters have heard from her in a while. I think there’s more trouble brewing than we know about.”

She paused. Trouble and Monty seemed to go hand in hand. “Will they need your help?” From what she knew about Monty, he could track anything anywhere. Even the gray wolf alpha turned to him when real trouble hit close to home.

“Maybe. I’m pride. Whatever’s needed, I’ll do. Even if the Miami cats are slow to settle in, they’re family.”

“Oh, right.” Being an outsider, she wasn’t used to belonging. The order allowed her latitude because she still had issues with other wolves. But she knew the time was coming when they’d insist she start looking for a mate. With the low number of she-wolves in town, Sophie brought more than just another Shifter to Cougar Falls. She brought the possibility of a new generation of wolves with her.

Her gaze caught Monty’s. What would it be like to belong to someone who had that sense of loyalty? Who would always have her back and make sure she never wanted for anything?

“Can I help you clear the table?” Monty was moving before she could answer.

She refused to let him do any dishes. Instead, she sliced him up a plate of his favorite dessert—New York-style cheesecake with cherries on top.

“Man, Sophie. You are the absolute best.”

Monty ate up half the pie, and she wrapped the rest for him to take home. They adjourned to the living room and shared the couch, though he took one end and she the other. They watched a few sitcoms as the evening turned into night.

She had hopes, though his gaze continued to stray toward the clock in her living room. The silence between them grew strained while her need to kiss him grew stronger. Her wolf badgered her to take what she wanted, telling her that she’d waited for him long enough.

But when she tried to breach the distance between them, Monty shot off the couch as if he’d been prodded with a branding iron.

“Damn. It’s getting late. I’d best be going.”

Of course he had to be going. Every time she gathered her courage to blurt out how she felt, he left. The mixed signals baffled her. Did he like her or not? Because right now, he definitely put out stay away vibes.

“Don’t forget your pie.”

He smiled. “Like I could forget that.”

While he moved to the kitchen to retrieve it, she acted like the perfect hostess and waited for him by the front door. “Thanks for coming over, Monty. It meant a lot to me.”

“Me too, Soph.” The gravity of his response surprised her.

“Monty?”

Then he kissed her on the forehead and left before she could blink. She said good night to his back and shut the door, left alone to dirty dishes, a rerun of Jeopardy and a lonely heart once more.

Chapter Two

Monty spent the next two days cursing his idiocy. Sophie had been so sweet sitting on that couch. He’d smelled her need. For the first time, he’d been close to claiming her, and she’d been receptive. No trace of fear. Maybe a little nervousness, but she’d been hot for him.

But had he made his move? No. Worried she might freak if he pounced the way he wanted to, he’d watched a fucking sitcom, made small talk—small talk—and left with a dessert he should have been eating off her navel.

He groaned to himself and rerouted the Gandersons around a fallen tree. “This way, folks. I’m going to show you to your campsite. I’ll be back to collect you in a week.”

The Gandersons, an extended family out for a fun gathering, nodded and thanked him. They would spend a week roughing it at one of Chastell Tours’ nicer camping spots.

He left the family and walked a mile or so before ditching his clothes by a familiar storage area, where he bagged his things and hid them under a rock that made a perfect hideaway. He keyed his radio. “Dean? You there?”

“No, it’s me.” Grady. “Go ahead, wolfie. Or should I say Scooby?”

Monty gritted his teeth while the moron snickered. “Dumbass. I’m letting you know I’m done with the Gandersons. I’m roaming for a few days. I’ll be back Wednesday. I’m not taking my radio, so you’ve got the group at the Vista site.”

“Roger that. Have a nice run. I’ll keep an eye out for those wolves circling Sophie.”

“Yeah, you do that.”

Grady continued to poke at him, not realizing how hard it was for Monty to give Sophie the distance she needed. But now that the order was taking a keen interest in her, Monty thought he might have to speed things up a bit. Dinner at her place had been great. Maybe he’d try a night out on the town, to show others she belonged to him. It was a big step, but he didn’t think a simple date would freak her out too much.

And hell, he’d make sure to move the rest of their get-togethers to public places. He’d been a heartbeat from throwing her down and fucking her in her doorway. That kiss to her forehead had been crazy sexy. A simple, harmless kiss, and he’d raced home and jerked off twice before he could relax enough to sleep.

Sophie’s well-being came first with him. Or it had, until this clusterfuck. A week ago, Hunters had kidnapped Dean and his mate and nearly killed them. On the order’s territory. The gray wolves hadn’t had any luck finding the Hunters yet. But Monty knew one of the Hunters—the one he sought—wouldn’t have gone far.

Trying to find that sadistic asshole sucked up his free time when he should have been putting the full-court press on Sophie. He couldn’t tell the others why he really hunted the man, or that he still believed Ted Norris was in the vicinity. The psychopath and Monty shared a history, one he didn’t want anyone to know about. The shame of his time in captivity burned like acid in his gut, and he wanted nothing more than to bury the feeling…right alongside Norris’s dead body.

With a snarl, Monty shifted into his wolf and darted into the forest, his nose to the ground as he moved. The feel of fur and claws and fangs reassured him. He relished the thick earth under his paws, the soft moss that tickled his whiskers and the pungent aroma of deer musk covering a nearby patch of bushes. No human scent remained other than what clung to Monty from Lou Ganderson’s handshake.

He continued to jog, settling into the rhythm nature had intended—the predator merged with the forest, seeking out prey.

Ted Norris was a big man, still muscular despite more than five decades of life no doubt spent brutalizing Ac-taw. He had a quickness and strength that surpassed a normal human’s, but his mass would ensure he left footprints in the soil. He’d never had much of a scent, just an odd staleness tinged with the rot of evil. Monty would know him anywhere. If only he could get a bead on the prick.

The thought of Norris anywhere near Sophie put his hackles up, and he shared his wolf’s angry growl as he wandered through the wilderness.

Three days later, just as he finished covering the northeastern quadrant of his latest foray, a familiar—and unwelcome—scent struck. He quickly lifted his head and relaxed, wanting to appear normal. Well, as normal as Monty ever looked.

“Well, well. If it isn’t our favorite outcast.” A large, white wolf grinned at him. Axel Jagerson communicated in the way of the Ac-taw, using a telepathic connection that existed between Shifters with close ties, or in close proximity.

He typically ignored the pack, but Axel wasn’t a wolf to ignore. The big bastard had to be the largest wolf Monty had ever seen. And the alpha at his side, though a smaller giant, commanded attention just by breathing. Rafe Sheridan had an aura and energy that screamed leader.

Too bad Monty had never been content to follow.

“Monty. Out again, eh?” Rafe’s golden eyes narrowed. “Find anything interesting?”

The wolves had been extra sharp with their patrols, trying to rout the Hunters they hadn’t already disposed of last week. The men who liked to hunt Ac-taw were a savvy enemy, but nothing a pack of wolves couldn’t put down. Usually. Except they didn’t know what Ted Norris could do. Not like Monty did.

“Not yet.”

“Keep looking.”

“Um, yeah. That’s what you asked me to do.” More like told him to do, but Monty only followed Burke’s orders, because he respected and loved his best friend and pride leader. Rafe annoyed the shit out of him with all that posturing and alpha crap.

Axel growled. “What do you think you’ll find that we haven’t? It’s been over a week. We’ve seen no sign of them. I’ve smelled nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Surprised you can smell anything with your nose buried so far up Rafe’s ass.”

Axel lunged and Monty dodged out of the way with a playful bark.

“Dickhead.” Axel showed his teeth.

“Calm down.” Rafe grinned. He never seemed anything but amused by Monty’s resistance. “After all, we have Monty to thank. His persistence out here is keeping the town safe. And it’s good when our people feel safe. Makes them happy. Makes me happy.”

Rafe and Axel shared a look. When Axel chuckled, Monty’s hackles raised. One of the few blond wolves in the order, Rafe’s beta pissed him off only slightly less than Rafe did. Just Monty’s luck the pair had decided to hunt in this particular area today. But at least that meant Sophie wasn’t being bothered by the obnoxious males.

“Glad you’re giddy with joy. I’m busy.” He started to go around the pair and stopped. “What the hell are you up to?” he asked Rafe.

“Nothing. Just going hunting with my beta. Keeping in shape and staying strong.”

Axel laughed again and sat on his haunches. He looked like three fucking wolves all shoved into one great white pelt. “Yeah. Gotta keep fit for his date tomorrow night.”

Rafe nodded. “A pretty little she-wolf I’ve been keeping my eye on.”

Monty’s swallowed hard, hoping against hope he assumed incorrectly. “Sophie’s going out with you?”

“Yep. It’s time I took a mate. Not too many she-wolves around. Not ones that aren’t feral, anyway.” They all grimaced at the thought of the many Ac-taw living as animals in Glacier National Forest. Rafe’s battle to lead the gray wolves had ended with him as alpha, but he had a long way to go before stabilizing the order. The few civilized wolves in town were a far cry from the wild ones roaming the mountains.

“I thought a bunch of females were migrating up from the South. Evening out our numbers.” No way had Sophie agreed to a date with Rafe. She barely tolerated Monty without flinching.

Rafe shrugged. “I won’t chance female lives until it’s safe for them to be here. They aren’t coming until the order’s cohesive.”

“Cohesive means together. A unit.” Axel spoke slowly.

“Please. You’re educating me?” What was it with people always trying to explain large words to him? He didn’t think it was funny when his pridemates did it, and Axel, even less. He turned back to Rafe. “Sophie’s mine. You can’t have her.” There. He’d said it. A verbal claim of intent.

Rafe sniffed. “I don’t smell a mating or her scent anywhere on you. And she doesn’t seem to know she’s yours.”

“We just had dinner Friday night.”

“If it went that well, why did she agree to a date with me?”

Monty couldn’t answer that and frankly didn’t care. “The point is, she’s mine.”

“When she says it, I’ll believe it. Until then, happy hunting. Come on, Axel. Let’s leave Monty to his delusions.”

With all politeness, Axel explained, “Delusions are false beliefs held with absolute conviction, and normally pathological in nature. Meaning you have a mental illness. Or, so you can understand, you’re fucking crazy.”

Monty roared and attacked the bigger male, uncaring that he’d no doubt lose to the giant wolf. While Axel played with him, Rafe sat by wearing a large smile and watched.

Half an hour later, Monty limped through the woods, cursing the gray order left and right. He possessed a quick wit, fast reflexes and the ability to withstand a good pounding. He’d taken more than his share of licks over the years and had the scars to prove it. But Christ, he’d never beaten Axel in a fight, fair or otherwise. No one had. Rafe had a good wolf at his back. Now if he could just keep the rest of the wild wolves in line, the order might amount to more than a group of hairy thugs who killed Hunters and terrified the townspeople.

He groaned and cursed Rafe again. Truth to tell, Sheridan wasn’t a bad guy, but no way in hell would he treat Sophie the way she deserved. Sheridan would run rings around her. It was obvious he’d overwhelm her. Delicate Sophie needed a man who could appreciate her strengths and support her weaknesses.

And just like that, he understood why she’d agreed to go out with the alpha. Of course. She’d been afraid to say no to Rafe. Her alpha requested her time, and like a good wolf, she agreed.

Or she’d finally gotten over her fear of Ac-taw men. Her response to Monty the other night might not have been for him specifically, but for any available male wolf. Hell. Was she going into heat?

Frantic to get back and put his claim on her before anyone else could, he turned and started to head back when he caught a rotting stench light on the wind. Norris. He had to follow it, had to see if it would lead him to his adversary. But that might mean days of tracking, preparation, the possibility of injury, even death.

Sophie would be fair game tomorrow night.

His enemy or his mate?

Grumbling under his breath, he shifted to human and back again to speed his healing. It was chancy, since so much shifting tired him out, but at least he could move whole and hearty. Then he hurried after Norris’s scent. He’d get as close as he could without engaging, then head back to town. He had a date to stop and a woman to pursue. Sophie had to be ready for him, because they’d both run out of time. An alpha with mating on his mind always made for complications. And this particular alpha planned on mating Monty’s girl.

Thursday afternoon, Sophie cupped the hot cup of coffee in her hands as she sat with Gabby and Julia at the catamount ranch. Gabby’s cabin was a cute little place devoid of clutter. So homey and comfortable, unlike the old house Sophie lived in.

“Are you sure a man lives here with you?” she teased.

Gabby eyes lit with mischief, the fox and cat spirits within her clear to see. “I only had to threaten to throw out his favorite boots after tripping over them four times. Voila! They’re either in the closet or on his feet.”

“Nice.” Julia nodded. The sisters looked alike, despite Julia’s bigger baby belly and more petite frame. Their fiery red hair lent itself to a beautiful reddish coat when they took their animal forms. “Ty is kind of a slob, but only in the bedroom.”

“Is that a euphemism for something I don’t want to know about?” Gabby cringed.

Julia blushed. “No, you idiot. He leaves his dirty clothes on the floor. I cannot get that man to use a hamper.”

“Oh. Good. I worried you wanted to share again. It was all well and good until you married him. Now it’s just weird.” Gabby grimaced. “Ty is cute and all, but really, he’s going to be the father of my niece.”

“Nephew. Shut up.” Julia laughed. “Sophie doesn’t mind a little frank talk, do you?”

Considering Julia had gotten her hooked on her late-night hobby, she had to answer, “No.” She wanted to share in their laughter, but nerves stopped her. She fidgeted, wondering how to tell her friends what she’d done.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Julia leaned closer.

Sophie had to talk or she’d explode. “I have a date tonight.”

Gabby patted her shoulder. “Way to go. It took a while, but Monty finally saw the light. About time.”

“With Rafe Sheridan.”

The sisters froze.

“What’s that?” Julia asked.

Sophie groaned. “I didn’t mean to. He saw me in town and cornered me. Before I knew it, I was agreeing to a date with the alpha.” She shivered. “He’s really powerful. All that energy practically sizzles when he’s close.”

Gabby gasped. “Did he threaten you into it?”

“No, no. Nothing like that. Rafe is actually a really nice man. Like Theo.”

“Theo?”

“His brother.” Seeing their confusion, she added, “Oh right. You guys don’t hang around the order much.”

Julia shook her head. “No one does. When Dylan was in charge, chaos reigned. It was like a zoo up there, except no gamekeepers. Gerald had more work bailing wolves out of jail than we knew what to do with.” Gerald, a silver fox, was also one of the premier lawyers in town, and Julia’s boss. “I’m telling you, Ac-taw and humans alike went missing in those woods. Ty looked into it but could never prove Dylan’s Dogs, as Dylan like to call his hit squad, were guilty.”

“Then Rafe battled for leadership and won. Ever since he’s been in charge, things have been quieter.” Gabby gave a lusty sigh. “You have to admit, Rafe is hot.”

“Gabby.” Julia frowned.

“Hey, I’m mated, not dead. Of course, Monty’s much better-looking. He’s part of the pride, so I’m biased.” Gabby winked. “Besides, he’s had a thing for Soph forever.”

“He has not.” Sophie blushed. “He’s always been nice, but at dinner Friday night, he couldn’t sit far enough away from me. I thought maybe something would happen between us, and then Grady and Dean showed up singing ‘Scooby Doo.’ It went downhill from there.”

Julia choked on her water.

Gabby scowled. “I told Grady to make sure Dean left you alone. Then he went over there too?”

“Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like Monty did anything more than kiss my forehead. Oh, and he helped make salad and tried to do my dishes. He’s a nice guy.”

“Ouch. Nice. That hurts.” Julia flinched. “But maybe he didn’t know you were interested.”

“He had to know.” Sophie had been eager, aroused and ready for him. She swore he’d scented her need a few times that night. She’d seen the hunger in his eyes. Or had she just imagined what she wanted to see? “He never acted on it. And he hasn’t called since our date. That was nearly a week ago. Even though I wasn’t sure about it, I think tonight will be good for me. Rafe won’t push. I can trust him.” Or so she kept telling herself.

Overwhelming and powerful, Rafe Sheridan could crush her easily. But from all she’d seen and heard about the man, he protected those under his charge. Since she’d recently joined the order, he’d been nothing but polite and courteous. But his eyes didn’t lie. The man wanted her. The question then became, did she want him back?

“If you trust him, I trust him.” Julia lent her support, as always. “Besides, if he steps wrong, Ty will take care of him. Alpha or not, Rafe can’t avoid my mate. Ty’s the law.”

Gabby snorted. “Smug much? Just remember—your husband may be the sheriff, but he’s not the boss of me. Bad enough he tried to protect me from my own mate, but now that I’m expecting, he’s as bad as Grady.”

“What can I say? Ty’s like a sow with her cubs when it comes to kits.” Julia smiled, and Sophie envied her friend the love she shared with her mate. “But Sophie…”

The sisters regarded her with twin expressions of concern.

“Are you sure you want to go out with Rafe?” Gabby asked.

No. “Yes. If Monty doesn’t want me, at least Rafe does. And he’s nice enough that I could…” She paused, needing to share with her best friends but not sure they would understand.

“What, Soph?” Julia touched her hand and smiled kindly. “Tell us.”

Her friends. Women who’d seen danger and heartache. Ac-taw who had survived and helped her because they liked her. Because they accepted her for who she was. Her friends meant the world to her, and she needed their opinion. Badly.

“I’m tired of waiting,” she blurted.

“Waiting?” Gabby asked.

“For sex. I want to be with a man.” There. She’d said it.

Gabby stared. “Are you telling me you’re a virgin?”

“Why not yell it to the world?” Julia muttered. “Think about it, Gabby. Sophie was raised not knowing she was Ac-taw. She didn’t want men, not after being around her family.”

Julia knew some, but not all, of Sophie’s past. Sophie had skimmed over much, saying only that she’d come from an abusive home life. Theo, bless him, had promised not to share what he knew with anyone. Not the council, not the sheriff, not even Rafe.

“True. But you’ve been here more than two years.” Gabby looked amazed. “No one in all that time?”

“No.”

“And you’re what? Twenty-five?”

“Twenty-six,” Sophie corrected. “I have needs. Not to be too graphic, but both of you are pregnant, so you obviously know what I’m talking about.”

They nodded.

“Lately, I feel urges. I know actual wolves and Ac-taw aren’t the same. Wolves go into heat in late winter, once a year.” It was so embarrassing to talk about this, but freeing as well. Her friends wouldn’t judge, and they had a lot of information she needed to know but was afraid to ask others. “But this last year, I’ve felt this intense need every few months. Does that mean I’ll only want to have sex a few times a year?” Because lately, she’d really wanted to have sex with Monty. She thought about it a lot. Too much.

“I don’t think so.” Julia paused. “I’m not a wolf, but I do know we Shifters are alike. Our animals may be different, but our basic physiology is the same. It sounds like you’re going into heat once every few months. That’s when you’re most likely to get pregnant.”

“But you can have sex whenever you want it.” Gabby amended, “Or whenever you nab a wolf inclined to meet you halfway. Monty’s an idiot.”

“Rafe isn’t.” Julia’s gaze narrowed. “He might know you’re in heat, Sophie. You need to be careful around him. Unless you want to mate the alpha and have a few kids? You did say he’s a nice guy. He’s certainly attractive, in a wolfish kind of way.”

“No.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, sure, he’s handsome. But I’m not ready for permanence. I’m still getting a handle on shifting and being wolf. No mating, not yet.” At least, not with Rafe. Maybe she could wrap her mind around sex with a male other than Monty, though. He’d been the star of her fantasies for so long, she’d probably talked herself into deeper feelings for the male. “I’m just confused. I really thought Monty liked me.”

Gabby nodded. “He does.”

“Does he?” Julia asked. “He’s had plenty of time to ask her out since she’s been here. Granted, her first few months she acted like a scared rabbit if a man walked too close.”

“Thanks,” Sophie said drily.

“But it’s been two years already. One date in all that time? And then he has her alone in her house, and the best he can come up with is a kiss on the forehead after a rousing night of TV?”

“We watched Seinfeld,” Sophie elaborated, feeling miserable. “I wanted him. A lot.” She started to get mad, which surprised her. “A lot of desire for that gray wolf. In return, he teased and joked and kissed my freakin’ forehead.” Sophie took a grip on her rage and slowly, patiently dispersed the feeling of animal anger building within. She didn’t do well with rage. Her temper had a habit of spiraling out of control, and it made her feel like she belonged with the family she’d left long ago.

She took a deep breath and let it out before continuing, “I don’t want to lose Monty’s friendship. He’s been good to me. He defended me from those bears horsing around in the grocery. Remember that?”

“Oh yeah, a few months ago, when you broke your arm.” Julia nodded.

“Monty went to jail for me. He threw those bears out of the store and helped me. And he’s always been there to lend a hand or a smile. It’s not his fault he’s not interested.” She blinked to hold back tears. “But I can’t wait anymore. I’m twenty-six. I’m Ac-taw. I’m wolf.” Saying it empowered her. “I’m a virgin who doesn’t want to be one anymore. I have a date with a handsome, sexy wolf tonight. Dinner and a movie.”

“And maybe some fun after.” Gabby nodded. “You don’t have to have sex to play, you know. Why not? Try him out. Hell, maybe if Monty realizes you’re not going to sit around waiting for him, he’ll get off his ass and do something about it,” she ended in a louder voice.

Sophie blinked. “Why are you shouting?”

“Because I’m tired of moronic men.” Gabby took a sip of lemonade and slammed it on the table. “Now let’s talk about something else. Something much more interesting than wolves. No offense, Sophie.”

“None taken.” Sophie grinned. Her friends stood by her. They didn’t judge, didn’t make fun, and empathized. Relief eased the tension in her body, and she eagerly listened as Gabby practically bounced in her seat with excitement.

“Did you guys hear about the fight in the diner yesterday?”

“Who now?” Julia sighed.

“A few silver foxes took exception to raptors dating members of the clan.”

“Really?”

Sophie found the silver foxes’ passion fascinating. She had a hard time imagining men fighting over her. Quiet little Sophie. Sure, the wolves in town liked the look of her, but none of them really wanted her. They just desired a wolf to mate. “Men fighting over women. Typical.”

“Not the men, the women.” Gabby grinned. “Those silver fox bitches are pissed that Gerald, who’s one of the finest single foxes around, has been dating a few birds. The purists in the clan can’t handle it.” She snickered. Since she’d been ousted from her old clan for being a hybrid fox/cat, she had a right to be annoyed.

“So who started it?” Sophie wanted to know.

A noise outside diverted her attention, but before she could investigate, Gabby launched into some entertaining gossip. Sophie sat enthralled, listening to tales of women with bigger problems than her own. She might be a virgin, but she had her dignity. Her frustrated, lonely, heartsick dignity.

“Holy shit. We have to tell Monty,” Grady said in a low voice as soon as he and Ty were out of earshot of the cabin. He knew Gabby had scented him. Since becoming pregnant, her sense of smell was off the charts. She hadn’t needed to yell about Monty’s idiocy, though. He totally knew his friend had been fucking up with Sophie, but not to this extent.

“No way am I getting in the middle of this.” Ty shook his head and tried to pull out of Grady’s grasp. “Let go, cat.”

“Come on, Sheriff. You’ve got to have something to nail Sheridan on. The mangy wolf is always causing trouble.”

Ty sighed. “Actually, it’s Dean and Monty causing most of the trouble.”

“Bullshit. The gray wolves started it.”

Ty cocked his hat back. “I don’t give a shit who started it. All I know is every time I need to clean up some mess involving the wolves, Dean and Monty aren’t too far off. The wolves end up smelling like roses while our pridemates look guiltier than sin. I mean, damn. Can’t Dean at least try to not get caught? I thought he was smarter than that. Monty, I’m not so sure about. I think he’s one wolf born for trouble.”

“Yeah.” Grady growled low. “But he’s family—pride. No way in hell does it sit right some shaggy dog gets my buddy’s girl. Monty’s into Sophie, big time. If you won’t help—”

“Nothing legally I can do.”

“Then I’ll grab Dean and Burke. Between the three of us, we’ll come up with something.”

“God help us. Cats plotting without a fox’s brain to back them up.” Ty looked up at the sky and groaned. “Oh hell, wait up. I’m coming with you.”

Chapter Three

Sophie smiled at Rafe over the table. The raptor-run restaurant catered to a more discreet, upper-class crowd. Which made her wonder what the heck she was doing there. She’d let Rafe order for her, since he clearly knew his wines better than she did. He paired their venison with an aged Bordeaux. To her surprise, she liked the meal. As much as she liked her companion.

For all that Rafe could be dominant, he’d pulled back on his aggressive tendencies and treated her with a gentle courtesy that had her warming up to the man. Not once did he bully or push her into anything. From walking with her from her house to the nearby restaurant to letting her choose the movie they’d see after dinner, he’d been the perfect partner on this clear, cool evening.

The waiter took away their plates. “Dessert?”

Rafe cocked an eyebrow. “Sophie? Up to you, sweetheart.”

She flushed. Sweetheart. Okay, so she was a sucker for romance. The unbidden thought that the wrong man was calling her pet names intruded, and she brushed it away, annoyed with Monty all over again. “Um, the flan?”

Rafe nodded to the waiter, who left to place the order. “Sophie, thanks for coming out with me tonight.”

“Sure. This has been fun.”

He smiled. Oh, wow. Gabby had called it. Rafe had looks and a presence that screamed sexy. Short black hair framed a face fierce with power. His blue eyes were darker than Monty’s, but just as dangerous. He never looked like less than the predator he was. Odd how on Monty that dangerous mien worked, yet on Rafe, that feral quality scared her.

As if sensing her distress, he relaxed and forced a smile. “I know this probably isn’t the place to say this, but I want you to know how glad I am you joined the order. Your first year in Cougar Falls was a challenge, from what I hear. I would have eased your entry into all this, but I was busy.”

Busy kicking Dylan Seaver out of the alpha position. And good riddance. She’d been scared of her own shadow most of the time, and dealing with the wolves of the old order had made her transition into Cougar Falls even harder. “Thanks to the town council, I didn’t have to rush to join a clan.” In Cougar Falls, an Ac-taw without a clan didn’t belong. He or she could visit but not stay. Sophie’s circumstances had been unusual.

“And I don’t imagine joining Dylan’s gang would have been inviting.” He grimaced. “I’m just sorry I wasn’t here sooner to set things right. The things he’s done to our wolves…”

The look in his eyes had her leaning back, away from all that rage. The second she did it, she felt stupid.

He unclenched his hand on his napkin and let out a breath. “I’m sorry. When I think about how many lives he’s ruined, it enrages my wolf. But I’d never harm you, Sophie. You can believe that.” He reached across the table and put his hand over hers.

The warmth of his palm soothed her brief worry, as did the touch and acceptance of her alpha. For all that Sophie was new to being wolf, the animal spirit residing within her knew how to behave around others of her kind.

The lines around Rafe’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “So tell me how you like living in the house.”

“It’s big.” And drafty. “Homey.”

“It’s haunted.” His eyes twinkled. “Or so we liked to tell everyone when we were growing up there. Anyone who had the fortitude to spend a night over had immediate ‘cool’ status.”

“You grew up there? Theo never mentioned that.”

“Theo doesn’t mention anything unless it’s pulled out of him,” Rafe grumbled.

“He’s been good to me.” He’d never judged her. Not even knowing where she’d come from.

“We’re not here to talk about my brother.” His fingers moved over her knuckles. Her wolf shifted inside her, pacing in confusion. He felt right, but he didn’t smell right. Not exactly.

She wanted to pull her hand away without seeming obvious. She didn’t want to out-and-out reject Rafe in front of the other diners, who continued to watch them with interest. But she didn’t know if allowing him to touch her was wise.

“Well, hey there, Sophie.” Dean Chastell beamed at her as he stood next to her table with his new mate in tow. “You know Stacey, my mate.”

The beautiful blonde raised a brow. “The town isn’t that big, Dean. Of course she knows who I am.” Stacey gave her a genuine grin, one laced with amusement. “Hi, Sophie.” Her smile died when she spotted Rafe. “Sheridan.”

Rafe squeezed Sophie’s hand before he pulled away. “Cats out for a night of fun. How nice.” He didn’t sound pleased.

“How about we join you.” Dean didn’t ask. Before Sophie knew it, he’d pulled up a chair for himself and one for Stacey.

“So. Does this place have anything good?” Stacey asked. “I’ve only eaten at the Fox’s Henhouse. The diner is good, but it’s diner food,” she said with a disdain only someone so pampered and beautiful might master.

Dean leaned back and nodded. “Love that chow. Eggs and bacon. Wonder what we can get here wrapped in pig fat?”

“Dean, really.” Stacey glared at him. “Have a little couth.” She waved over a passing waiter and ordered them rare steaks.

Rafe just stared at them. Sophie felt more and more uncomfortable. Would Rafe make a scene? She hated being the center of attention. Even here, in a place she considered fairly safe, she didn’t want to be noticed.

Their waiter returned with her dessert, flummoxed to see Stacey and Dean. “Here you go.” He put the dessert in front of Sophie and gave her one of the spoons. He held the other in his hand, glancing from Rafe to their new guests. “Should I bring more silverware?”

“Don’t bother.” Rafe frowned at Dean and ignored Stacey. “Shouldn’t you be making amends to one of my wolves? I’m surprised to see you out and about when Ivan still hasn’t had his apology.”

“For what?” Sophie asked, clearly out of the loop.

Stacey answered, “Apparently, Ivan was being an ass. So Dean shaved him bald. A silver fox got him drunk and painted a target on his head. Then the raptors started dropping things on him, betting on who could hit the bull’s eye, and—”

Rafe cut her off while Dean snickered. “He damaged my wolf’s pride and has yet to make restitution. That’s a pretty serious offense.”

Sophie took note of his somber tone.

Dean stiffened. “Yeah? Well the only reason I shaved his stupid head is because he was threatening to come over to the pride and deal with a few of our new members in a way I don’t think they’d appreciate.” He glanced at Stacey.

“He talked about messing with my sisters?” she asked with a scowl she turned on Rafe. “I thought he was just screwing with you guys. But my family? That’s a whole different story.”

Dean held up a hand. “Wait a minute. It’s okay for that idiot to malign my brothers, but not your sisters?”

Sophie looked back and forth from Stacey to Dean as they argued.

Rafe’s anger shimmered into annoyance, the musky scent of his rage now tempered with a light waft of humor. It still amazed Sophie she could understand so much more about other Ac-taw by using more than just her eyes and ears. Rafe didn’t wear an expression, but his scent gave away his mood.

“Sophie and I have plans. But please, you two kids enjoy yourselves.” He stood and she quickly stood with him, not wanting this to turn into a brawl.

“Yeah. In fact, enjoy my flan.” She pushed the dessert to Stacey, who took it without fuss.

The woman tried a bite. “Hey, that’s good,” she said, interrupting Dean in the middle of an argument about his superior genetics. “They have just the right amount of caramel drizzled over the custard.”

Rafe grabbed Sophie’s hand and pulled her with him toward the exit. Once there, he stopped and said to the maitre d’, “The Chastell party kindly offered to pay for our dinner.”

“Very good, sir.” The raptor bowed and moved ahead of them to open the door. “I hope you enjoyed the meal. Have a pleasant evening.”

Sophie followed Rafe outside, amused he’d stuck Dean with the bill. She wondered what Monty would think of his antics.

Stop thinking about him! Her wolf whined deep inside her, and she hushed the foolish animal. She shivered as the wind whipped around them.

“Cold?” Rafe tugged her against his side and shared his heat.

“Wow. You’re warm.”

“I’m even better when clothes aren’t in the way,” he murmured and nuzzled her cheek.

She froze, not having expected anything so forward so fast. Then she remembered what she’d been taking notes on last night. If she wanted to experience the same sexual games she’d dreamed about for months, she’d have to open up to heavy petting and kissing, at the least.

Forcing herself to accept his touch, she snuggled closer and focused on his heat, and not the firm hand caressing her shoulder.

Across the street behind the window in the coffee shop, Monty fought not to tear the curtains framing the large window and jump through glass to rescue Sophie. How the hell could she let that bastard maul her on a public sidewalk?

“Dean apparently struck out.” Grady shook his head and watched as Rafe and Sophie strolled toward the movie theater. “Let’s hope Ty and Burke have better luck.”

“Yeah, let’s hope,” Monty growled, aching to sink his teeth into Sheridan’s throat.

Grady slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, buddy. We have your back. But the rest is up to you. You want to claim her? You better move fast. From what I heard, she’s tired of waiting on your ass.”

And that’s what truly burned him. Monty had been thoughtful, caring, gentle—all for a she-wolf who didn’t seem to appreciate his kindness. Hell, he could have muscled in and had her wet and wanting after their first meeting. He’d sensed their instant connection. But had he? No. He’d been worried about her state of mind, nervous about adding to her fear of wolves and men in particular. And for all his effort, the woman had the nerve to go out with Rafe fucking Sheridan.

He growled again.

“Dude, ease up.” Grady looked over his shoulder and waved at the patrons frowning at them. “Come on. Have the Chastells ever not annoyed the gray wolves?”

Monty drew a few deep breaths to calm down. He tempered his impatience. Hell, if the cats couldn’t shake the leech off Sophie, he’d simply break the man in two. Then he’d deal with the little she-wolf.

“Come on. Time for the next part of Ty’s master plan. Fox thinks he knows best…” Grady continued muttering under his breath.

They left the coffee shop and trailed Sophie until a large pain in Monty’s ass broke from the shadows and blocked their way. Behind him stood four more gray wolves. They certainly had presence. The wolves stood a head taller than most Ac-taw to begin with. Most of his kind were brawny and thick. Dense muscle, sharp teeth and deadly claws, when shifted, kept Cougar Falls safe when the wolves weren’t ripping up the town and its inhabitants in turf wars.

Now they stood between him and Sophie.

The mean grin Axel gave him brought out his wolf, eager for payback. “Fancy meeting you on the street, Monty. Out for a stroll with your boyfriend?”

The other wolves snickered.

Grady laughed as well. “Good one. Didn’t know you dogs had a sense of humor.”

They bristled. Wolves hated to be confused with domesticated canines. Monty didn’t like it either, but he could appreciate the general insult. It certainly scored with Axel.

“Look, Chastell. This is between us and GrayClaw. Move it along before I have to hurt you.” He looked more than up for it.

Grady backed away, his hands in the air. “You won’t get any trouble from me.” He shrugged. “I can’t speak for the others, though. For some odd reason, they seem to like the dumb wolf.”

“Hey.” Monty glared, then grinned as the scent of felines accompanied the shift of the wind. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Stacey, Dean and two of Stacey’s sisters, Melissa and Amy. Normally one cat could take on a pair of wolves with ease. Male lions were bad enough. But the females didn’t take kindly to anyone messing with what they considered theirs. At all.

“Oh hell. Hiding behind a bunch of women?” Axel sneered at him.

Monty nodded. “You bet your ass. You might have taken me in a fight, but I dare you to tackle any of them.”

Axel cursed him and took a step forward. Then Amy and Melissa were suddenly in front of Monty, nudging him behind them.

He wanted the fight, but he wanted Sophie more. So he left the cats to battle the wolves and entered an alleyway to circle behind the buildings. With the theater taken care of, he’d lie in wait back at Sophie’s. He had to hand it to Grady—the cat had left little to chance. Now if Ty could sabotage Rafe and Sophie’s romance under the big screen, Monty wouldn’t have to break the cat into tiny pieces.

Either way, Monty wasn’t going home tonight without Sophie.

Sophie settled next to Rafe in the crowded theater. There weren’t many seats available, but she and Rafe had been lucky enough to score some toward the middle, with the row behind them only half full. Darkness settled as the advertisements began, and the rest of the Ac-taw milling about took their seats.

Rafe held a box of popcorn out to her, but she was too jittery and nervous to eat, still unsure about him. The woman didn’t know what to make of him, but her wolf was warming to him by degrees. She sniffed and rubbed, constantly moving Sophie’s hands or shoulders to brush against him before Sophie could control herself.

“Sorry,” she repeated for the fifth time, hoping she didn’t look as embarrassed as she felt. Thank goodness for dimmed lighting.

“No problem. I like you touching me,” he rumbled, again inviting her to move closer. He entwined his hand with hers and held them over the arm of the seat—the lone barrier separating them. She thought she’d scented his arousal a time or two. But he’d laid his jacket over his lap, so she couldn’t tell if he truly desired her or just liked the contact.

Wolves needed touch. She’d always been a demonstrative person and now knew why. Her uncle and cousins had abhorred her affection, and she’d spent much of her youth alone and lonely while surrounded by family. Here, with people she was still getting to know, Ac-taw of all shapes and sizes greeted her with warmth. They touched, they shook hands and they hugged. The female cats and foxes in the pride were especially open with their affection, and she wondered again what they might think of her notion to join them.

Not that she minded the wolves, but her good friends lived together at the catamount ranch. They allowed anyone they liked to join the pride, and they seemed to like her. There she’d feel less burdened to mate. Julia had mentioned how the ranch suited her and her family, and how great it would be if Sophie joined them. There she might fit in being herself, with people who knew the real her.

“You okay? You’re awfully tense.” Rafe leaned closer as the previews ended and brushed his lips across her cheek. He whispered, “Want to go somewhere else for a while?”

He nipped her earlobe and she nearly shot out of her chair. A part of her liked the playful bite, but another part of her wanted to gouge out his eyes for attempting to mark her in any way.

He chuckled. “I knew you had a mean streak buried under all that nice. I like it.”

How did he know what she’d been thinking? Had he smelled her anger? Seen it in her eyes?

An oath sounded behind them, followed by a plaintive grumble. “Hey. I can’t see.”

Oh no. She knew that voice. A glance over her shoulder showed her Burke Chastell and Rachel, his mate, had taken the empty seats directly behind them. The two scowled at Rafe, then turned winsome smiles on Sophie. Their expressions were so in sync they made her laugh.

“Hey, Sophie. Nice to see you here.” Rachel glanced from her to Rafe and made a small O. “Sorry, Rafe. I thought you were someone else.”

“Really? Like who?”

“Ivan. But that can’t be right. He’s bald now, isn’t he?” Burke answered.

Rachel nodded. To her credit, she didn’t smile. “I heard that it’s taking a while for that ratty nest he called hair to grow back. But hey, the target on his head has faded.”

Rafe growled low, the vibrations a warning.

Burke chuckled. “Come off it. He had it coming to him. You don’t insult the pride’s females in front of pride members. That’d be like me telling everyone what a lapdog your albino wolf is. I mean, the last time we tangled, I threw Axel into the bushes and he scraped his head, then went whining back to you about how mean we are. But really, I was just playing. He looked big enough to handle the confrontation.”

Rafe turned fully around and glared. She could feel his anger like pinpricks against her skin. Odd. She’d never before felt his rage, though she’d smelled it. Her wolf didn’t like it, and she leaned away from him. Thankfully, the seat next to her remained empty.

“Look, Chastell. I don’t want to do this here with Sophie and your mate present. But anytime you want to play, you let me know. Name the place and time, and I’m there.”

Rachel grinned and poked her mate in the side. “I told you he wasn’t a wimp. And here you thought he’d be too afraid to meet you outside his territory.”

“Um, Rachel—” Sophie tried to diffuse the tension.

Then the sheriff interrupted from behind the Chastells. “Hey. Would you folks keep it down? The movie started, and I’m missing it. Shut up already.”

Burke muttered something under his breath that had Rachel laughing and Ty calling him a horse’s ass.

Rafe reluctantly turned back around. She saw claw marks against the wooden arm of the chair between them. “Sorry, Sophie.” He managed a grin. “You sure you want to see this?”

Stay here, where Burke would no doubt continue to screw with Rafe and annoy him to the point of violence, or leave and be with Rafe all by herself? She had no doubt he intended to take things a step further with her. Should she? She wanted to, badly. But she still hadn’t made her mind up about him. Maybe a kiss or two would help her. Not here, but in the privacy of her own home.

“Rafe, I—”

Burke swore and leaned forward again. “You tell that wolf behind me that if he kicks my seat one more time, I’m going to tear him a new one, Sheridan.”

Rafe snarled and turned around. He stood and grabbed Burke by the front of his shirt. A bad mistake. Burke retaliated by putting his large hand around Rafe’s neck.

“That’s it.” Sheriff Roderick said something in a low voice to the wolf, who sunk in his chair. Then the sheriff vaulted a row and appeared next to Burke. He urged both men to back away. With the limited space in the theater, he didn’t have much to work with. But miraculously, Burke left in a snit, Rachel following with a worried expression. She bumped into him when he stopped suddenly and turned to gather her to him, much to the annoyance of a group of raptors, whose feet he stepped on and whose view he blocked.

“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to get out of control.” He rubbed her swollen belly, reminding one and all that pregnant females should never be in harm’s way.

“Hell,” Rafe muttered. In a louder voice, he apologized to Rachel. “Sorry, Rachel. Your mate is a pain in the ass, but I didn’t mean to get rough with you so close.”

“What the hell? Can we please see the movie?” A few golden eagles swore and one snapped, “Fucking cats.”

“Watch your mouth,” Rafe growled. “There are ladies present.”

The birds said something that sounded uncomplimentary, but they didn’t say anything else off-color.

“You know, if the bears were in charge, this wouldn’t be an issue,” a bear yelled from the front. “Quit catering to the cats, Roderick.”

“Run for sheriff come January, Marcus,” Ty yelled back. “Everyone else who wants to add their two cents, don’t. Shut up and watch the friggin’ movie.” To Burke and Rachel, he warned, “You’re banned from the movies for a month.”

“Rafe,” Rachel whined.

“Both of you. I heard what you said to Rafe, Rachel. No point denying it. You’re trying to stir trouble. And don’t even think that cute face or baby belly is going to save you. Out.”

The cats slunk out of the theater. Sophie stared wide-eyed at Ty. He’d rarely used that voice, and never at his pride leader, that she knew of. According to Julia, he and Burke were friends. What would tonight mean for the pride? Would Ty be in trouble for showing Burke and Rachel the door? Would Julia be in trouble because of her mate’s actions? Speaking of which… She didn’t see Julia with him. What was he doing at the movies without his mate? The pair were inseparable unless Ty was on duty.

He winked at her and took Burke’s seat. Directly behind Rafe.

Her date gave Ty a dubious look but said nothing more.

Sophie sighed, pleased and irritated. Pleased because her romantic night with Rafe had been ruined, and irritated for the same reason. Would he want to come home with her after the movie, or would he seek retribution against the pride for tonight’s drama? Was it a big deal, or had she made more out of the altercation than it warranted?

She didn’t like conflict and never had. Working to hide her unease, she stilled her trembling hands and placed them on her lap.

Rafe reached for her hand and gripped it in his—not hard, but enough to get her attention. Then they watched the rest of the movie together with a tension that refused to abate.

After it ended and they left to walk her home, she tried to think of how to end the evening on a peaceful note.

“Did you like it? Not all that fuss before the picture, but the movie itself?” Rafe asked.

At the moment, she couldn’t remember much of anything she’d seen. Sophie had spent her time trying to figure out how to handle an annoyed alpha.

“Y-yeah. It was funny.”

He gave her an odd look, and she suddenly recalled the plot.

“I mean, sad that she died at the end.” Her cheeks felt hot. “Funny as in, funny how life throws you curveballs sometimes.”

“I get that.” Rafe walked her up the stairs of her porch and stood with her at her front door. Nosey neighbors would be able to see them from across the street, but the few trees and tall bushes around her house gave her a sense of privacy many in town lacked. “This isn’t how I envisioned ending tonight.” He stroked her cheek.

She turned in to the touch, her wolf needing comfort.

“You’re so beautiful. So soft.” Rafe moved closer. The light above them gave his face sinister shadows, but the desire in his eyes didn’t scare her. Not now. Her wolf forced her to angle up for his kiss, curious and hungry.

His lips met hers. Pleasant, warm, but not tingly. He didn’t make her breathless, the way just watching Monty move did. And he didn’t turn her wolf into a quivering mess of desire. She had no urge to submit. Only to please her alpha, so she kissed him back. The bulge between his legs intrigued her. Holy hell, but she’d made a man hard and hungry. Sophie Tanner finally had a chance to feel like a real woman.

He groaned and drew her closer to deepen the intimacy when his pocket vibrated.

He broke the kiss and swore under his breath. In a raspy voice, he apologized. “Shoot. Sorry, honey. I have to take this.” He stepped away and barked, “Yeah?”

After a few moments, during which Sophie caught the words fucking cats, jail and Axel, Rafe turned to her with murder in his eyes.

She instinctively shrank back.

He reached for her, then let his hand fall to his side. “I’m sorry. Apparently a few of my pack met with the pride and all hell broke loose downtown. Now I have to go bail Axel out of jail.” His eyes flashed. “Do me a favor. If you see Monty GrayClaw, tell him I want to talk to him.”

“M-Monty?” She forced herself not to flinch when he drew a finger down her cheek again. It took her wolf a few moments to settle down, but her animal spirit finally relaxed.

“Never mind. I had a good time tonight. Before all those cats interfered.” He snorted. “He’s a smart one, I’ll give him that.”

“Rafe?”

He had the sense to kiss her on the lips—not the forehead—and wished her a goodnight.

To her surprising relief, he made no mention of a second date.

Chapter Four

Sophie unlocked her door, stepped through, and closed and locked it behind her. Baffled by what should have been a night to end all nights, she touched her lips, bemused that her wolf felt nothing more than calm about that kiss.

“He liked me, though. I felt it.” His erection proved she held some sort of attraction for the opposite sex. Or had he sensed what Gabby had called her heat? Sophie didn’t feel aroused. She had liked the kiss, though. Touching his lips, feeling Rafe’s body pressed to hers, had made her feel not so alone, a part of something more.

As she hung up her jacket in the closet and toed off her shoes, she wondered.

Being a member of the Gray Wolf Order hadn’t given her the same sense of belonging. But in Rafe’s arms, she’d felt cared for, if only for a little bit. Still, she’d expected to get carried away with lust. The adult movies that so intrigued her always showed the woman crying out for more. Sophie had been fine with Rafe leaving.

Acting, she thought, wishing she knew what to expect from real life. She was too embarrassed to ask Julia or Gabby what their sex lives were like. She knew they loved their mates, but the physical aspect of mating captivated her. She wanted so badly to experience the same relief from her hungers that other women did. Hungers that grew stronger with each passing month. She almost wished she could go back to seeing men as nothing more than problems, oppressive jerks out to keep her from truly living.

Stomping up the stairs and into her bedroom, she muttered a few insults against Monty, Rafe and men in general.

The scent of rage and male and wolf hit her too late.

Before she could turn and run, something huge and furious picked her up and tossed her onto her bed.

She tried to shriek, but a large, familiar hand covered her mouth. She froze and garbled, “Monty?” against his palm. She licked his flesh, and the salty taste of him woke her wolf from the sensual slumber she’d been in since the last time she’d seen him.

“Rafe fucking Sheridan?” He sniffed her all over, centering on her neck and lips. “You let that asshole kiss you?”

Still shocked that Monty was here, in her bedroom, covering her like a blanket, Sophie blinked up at him, speechless.

“He’s not for you. I am.” Monty kissed her before she could question him. And between one breath and the next, she lost her ever-loving mind.

Monty couldn’t stop his wolf. Not this time. The scent of another male on Sophie drove him insane. Just as soon as he claimed her, he was going to kill that son of a bitch, alpha or no alpha.

But damn, Sophie knew how to kiss. She tasted like warm brown sugar, so sweet and rich. Her lips were tentative at first, but as he slaked his hunger with her mouth, she returned the gesture while her hot little hands touched his chest and arms.

“God, yeah. Oh fuck.” Monty nipped her lower lip and put his mouth over her pulse, licking and sucking her flesh to make a mark. Mine, his wolf snarled, but he teethed her with a gentleness at odds with his violent frustration as Monty continued to work his mate into a state of arousal.

Her breasts pressed against him, her belly rubbing his erection with each gyration of his hips. The woman smelled so fucking ripe.

He had to have her.

He pulled away and looked down into her aroused, confused gaze.

“Monty? Why did you stop?”

The growl poured out of him, an aggressive response he couldn’t help. “Time to get undressed, baby. Time to stop dancing around this. I’m going to fuck you, take that sweet pussy and ass, and own you.”

“Sw-sweet pussy? Ass?” she squeaked, her eyes round. “But I’m— Can I— Will it hurt?”

His eyes narrowed. She didn’t look upset or afraid, and she hadn’t protested. She looked excited. And new. Grady had told him earlier about the conversation he’d overheard, but Monty thought Grady had misunderstood. Oh Christ, she couldn’t be saying… “You ever had sex, Sophie?”

The blush on her cheeks turned him on like nothing else. A fucking virgin, in this day and age. His to possess. Only his.

He sucked in a breath and let it out in a shaky sigh. “Then we do this a different way.”

“We do?” She kept looking at his mouth, and he wondered if she had the same fantasies he did when he looked at her. Monty envisioned her lips wrapped around his cock. Did she ever wonder about him eating her out?

“Yeah, we do.” His voice sounded hoarse, but he didn’t care. He literally hurt from wanting to take his mate. With shaking hands, he took off her blouse, socks and pants. She wore a lacy red thong and bra—one transparent enough to show her hard nipples.

Monty didn’t hesitate. He sucked one through the sheer fabric, gratified when she cried out his name and clutched his head to her chest. She tightened her hands on his hair when he sucked hard, but she didn’t push him away. Instead, her scent intensified.

“Oh my God. That feels so good.” She moaned when he shifted to her other nipple and gave it the same treatment. “I’m so wet.”

Now he groaned. Like he needed to hear it. He could smell it, was drowning in her perfume, that sultry scent that beckoned him to end this and fuck her until neither of them could move.

He continued to kiss and tease her while he fiddled with her bra. When he finally released it, he leaned back and stared at the roundest, most perfect breasts he’d ever seen. He wanted to fuck them, to suck them—hell, anything and everything. But her pussy beckoned. When he moved from her to hurry out of his clothes, he noted the darkened, damp fabric between her slender thighs.

“You’re so big,” she said, her voice husky.

He stared down at himself and wondered if he scared her. The quiet she-wolf he’d been hard for during the last two years was a virgin, and she had to handle him. Not a tender lover, but a ravaging beast with a blemished body, worn down from an enemy that never stopped coming. A lover who’d just had his woman kissed by another man.

Infuriated all over again, he snarled and ripped her panties from her. After tossing the sodden garment over his shoulder, he shoved her legs apart and pushed his face into her pussy.

“Monty.”

He licked and shuddered, lightheaded with her taste. Damn, but she was better than anything he’d ever had. Her hands stroked over his shoulders and up his neck to his head. She clenched his hair tight, the bite of her grip more than satisfying while she keened and moaned.

He delved into her honey, lapping up her arousal like a thirsting man. He sucked and tongued her clit, then slowly put his finger at her entrance.

“Oh yes, please. Oh yes,” she moaned and thrust against his face.

As he moved his finger inside her, she clenched tight and cried out, coming into his mouth.

A rush of her hit his tongue, and he worked the rest of his finger inside her. No doubt about it, even as slick as she was, she’d be a tight fit. And if he didn’t put his dick inside her soon, he’d spill over her bedspread.

On fire to have her, Monty gave her one last lick and rose over her. He didn’t give her time to react, only to feel as he nudged her thighs wider and positioned his cock at her entrance.

“Watch me take you,” he growled.

She blinked and looked between them. “Okay,” she rasped, still dazed from her orgasm.

Monty didn’t bother with a condom. Ac-taw couldn’t catch disease, and though pregnancy was a possibility, he couldn’t stop himself. Instinct rode him too hard, and he prayed she wouldn’t be upset after.

He pushed in with a steady thrust, past the slick walls clenching him tight. “Oh yeah. God, Sophie. You feel so incredible. So hot. Suck me deeper, baby. More.”

He continued to move until he seated himself fully, his balls against her ass.

“I feel so full.”

He loved the wonder he saw in her light gray eyes, bright with passion.

“And you’re gonna get fuller in just a minute.” He pulled back and jerked when her hands clenched his waist.

“No,” she protested. “Don’t leave me.”

“Never,” he promised, meaning it. “Let me love you, Sophie. Watch me.”

This time she stared into his eyes while he stared into hers. Fucking her so slowly, he thrust in and out, taking her with a torturous, drawn-out pace that only increased his desire.

She was getting there again, he could tell. Her cheeks were flushed, her nipples were tight and her breathing grew erratic.

“Bring yourself off. Touch your clit, baby.” He increased his pace, no longer able to last.

Sophie, to his surprise, didn’t balk. She didn’t act shy or protest. His mate reached between them when he eased up and rubbed her little clit.

The sensual action broke him, and he slammed into her. Harder and deeper, hoping against hope he wasn’t hurting her. But from her breathy moans and pleas for more, he didn’t think she minded.

“Here I come. Oh fuck.” He couldn’t hold back anymore. When she jerked under him and moaned his name, he exploded.

His orgasm rushed through him with the force of a tidal wave. The upheaval stole his breath, his seed, his ability to do more than pump inside his mate. He shuddered and gripped her hips while he poured into her, their scents merging and clinging, the mating taking root.

She had her hands on his forearms, and he realized he’d somehow raised himself up while he remained locked inside her. When he’d given her his last bit of seed, he regretfully withdrew. But he had to see. He pushed her legs wider and stared at the evidence of their joining. A bit trickled out, and he cupped her, wanting to keep it all in.

“Monty.” She smiled and looked at him with love in her eyes. Or so he hoped. He just prayed he’d made her first time something special—and that she wouldn’t shit a brick when she realized she was indeed in heat, and he’d left enough of himself inside her to repopulate the order.

Sophie had a hard time thinking. Period. Monty had made love to her. The right wolf. Finally. She stretched, aware he had his hand between her legs, pressing his palm against her sensitive nub. Monty had sucked her nipples, her clitoris, and he’d pushed that fat cock inside her. Oh my God. This had been a million times better than any orgasm she’d ever given herself. Better than any of her adult movies. Better than her books.

“I love sex,” she said bluntly, and when he laughed, she thought it the most beautiful sound in the world.

He slowly withdrew his hand and stared down at it. Then he wiped his palm over her belly. Their scents had merged; she couldn’t tell them apart. “We smell good,” she whispered.

“We do.” He lay down next to her and turned her onto her side to face him. “You okay?”

She looked down between them, then back up at him to see his frown. “What?”

“You’re not bleeding, but you were a virgin. You were too tight to be anything else,” he said to forestall the argument she might have made.

“Well, yeah. I said I am. Was.” She blushed. “I, um, you’re not the first thing that’s been inside me.”

He blinked at her. After a moment, he smiled. And that smile grew. “Kinky little thing, eh? You like toys?”

Did she. She had a drawer full of them. “Maybe.”

“You knew what to do with me.” His smile faded. “How much experience have you actually had?”

“Well, I kissed a man. Two men,” she corrected, remembering Rafe. “Three if you count yourself. That’s pretty much it.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, then frowned. “That’s it?”

“Yeah. Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“Are you kidding? Give me a few minutes and we’ll go again.”

“Really?” She perked up. Though she’d started to tire from all the tension and the incredible orgasms Monty had given her, she suddenly was raring to go again.

“But this time I want to use a toy on you.”

She blushed. “But I don’t need a toy. I have you now.”

He chuckled and drew circles on her belly with a rough finger. “Yeah, you do. And I finally have you. But there are things I want to show you. Ways to make the pleasure last.”

She swallowed hard, and his eyes darkened. The ice-blue gaze of a wolf sighting his prey. “Oh yeah. We’re going to cover swallowing too. I want those soft lips wrapped around my dick.”

Her womb clenched at the thought. Arousal returned in a rush. “You never talked to me like that before.”

“Honey, I’ve wanted you from day one. But I heard you’d had a rough time. I didn’t want to scare you.” He grimaced. “And then you let Sheridan kiss you?”

She winced. “Well, I wanted you, but you didn’t seem to want me, or so I thought.”

“You thought wrong.”

“I know.” She grinned.

“I almost waited too long to claim you.” He grabbed her chin and held her still while he stared into her eyes. “You know you’re mine now, right?”

She nodded. “Yours. Yes.” She wasn’t sure yet how she felt about that. On some level, she’d always known Monty would be hers. Or at least, she’d hoped. Her wolf was in love. Utter, canine, slobbery love. But Sophie wasn’t as quick to accept. “Mostly yours,” she added.

“There’s no ‘mostly’ about this claiming,” Monty growled.

Unlike her fear at Rafe’s growl, Monty’s turned her on.

“There you go. You want it. You want me, don’t you, Sophie?” He kissed her, and she realized he hadn’t kissed her since before he’d gone down on her.

She tasted herself on his lips.

“See how good you taste?” he rasped. “All sweet and spicy on my tongue. I want to eat you again. But this time I want you to suck me too.”

“Oh wow.” Her first sixty-nine. Sophie couldn’t wait.

“But first, explain this date with Sheridan and what happened tonight. In detail,” he demanded. He rolled her onto her back and straddled her waist in a flash. With his arms across his chest and his disapproving glare, he looked like a raging conqueror out for vengeance. And Sophie, kinky, wacky Sophie, fell in love with her bad boy, mate and all-around troublemaking gray wolf.

Monty didn’t know what he’d said, but Sophie had a gooey look on her face. “What?”

Fascinated, he watched the woman he’d always considered somewhat shy and hesitant wrap her hand around his slick, growing cock. After coming so hard, he needed time to recover. But her small fingers were making it difficult to remember anything but how good she felt surrounding him.

“Rafe asked me out. He’s my alpha. I had to say yes.”

“I knew it.” He sucked in a breath when she fondled his balls.

“You are so beautiful. These are soft, but hard too.” She cupped him, measuring and stroking as she worked him to full arousal once more. “I know men like to have their balls sucked. Do you?”

The words balls and sucked out of her innocent mouth turned him on like crazy.

“By you, hell yeah.” He wanted her mouth on him in the worst way. But… His wolf nudged him to scoot closer to her mouth while the man wanted answers. Then more sex.

“Rafe was nice. He kissed me outside.”

Fury added firmness to his arousal, the combination of anger and lust quickening his desire.

“The kiss felt warm, soothing. Not like this.” She glided her hands up and down his shaft and toyed with his slit.

He arched into her touch on a groan. It took discipline not to give in to her handjob. Christ, for a novice, the woman had mad skills. “How…does this…make you feel?”

“Tingly. Aroused. Like I’m going to explode if I don’t have you inside me.”

He stared down at her flushed face and the braid of mink-dark hair curled around her left breast. “Take your hair down. I want to see it spread out. Then when I’m fucking your mouth, I want you to run that hair around my sac. Let me feel it while I shoot down your throat.”

Where the license to talk dirty had come from, he had no idea. But his ex-virgin of a mate smelled better and better with each line.

“Just wait.” He cupped her breasts, loving how she fit his palms. Not too big or too small. “Wait ’til I’m fucking your tits. You want me to come over your lips? Or maybe I’ll just get hard enough to empty inside your pussy again?”

“Or maybe you can come on my tongue,” she murmured. “I like when they do that. It’s weirdly sexy to me.”

He froze. “When who does what?”

Sophie stilled.

He asked again, this time putting a hand at her throat while the other one remained on her breast. Holy shit, the woman was creaming hard. She liked the rough stuff, his quiet, lovely little Sophie. And he was hard enough to split nails.

“I have a slight problem.” She spoke so softly he had to lean closer to hear. To test her, he tightened his hands at her breast and throat. In no danger of harming her in the slightest, he added to the pressure to remind her who was in charge.

Again, a waft of pure need washed over her. Her wolf glinted in her eyes, ferocious and hungry. Talk about the perfect woman. He almost found himself not caring that she might have had other guys come on her tongue.

“I watch dirty movies a lot. And in them, the guy always pulls out and comes in the girl’s mouth. Well, not all the time. But that seems to be pretty popular.”

He just stared at her. “You watch porn?”

She flushed, as if more embarrassed to be caught enjoying porn than being naked and gripping his cock. “I like to think of it as adult entertainment. Porn sounds so dirty.”

“But you like dirty.” She did. And he loved her more every second. “My hand around your throat is getting you hot, isn’t it? Thoughts of me coming over your tits or face is sexy, right?”

“Monty.” Still flushed, but more aroused, Sophie cupped his balls and licked her lips.

“God, you were made for me. You know that?”

She blinked up at him. “You think?”

He pinched her nipple and watched her eyes glaze over. “I know.” He moved back, pulling himself away from her, and propped her up on her pillow, so that her head was back against the headboard. “That’s good. Now open up.” He straddled her waist again, but in this position, his cock met her lips with ease. “I want you to suck me until I tell you to stop.”

She opened her mouth, her hair spilling over her shoulders and breasts, her mouth glistening with saliva, her scent musky with need.

“Now, baby. Open wider.” He put himself at her lips and inched inside.

Her lips felt like heaven, so soft yet firm, slick and hot. He couldn’t help pumping, the sight of her like a dream come true.

“You don’t know how often I jacked off to this image. I used to come hard, thoughts of fucking your sweet mouth enough to get me off in like two seconds.” He moaned and widened his stance when she cupped his balls. “Yeah, baby. Rub ’em. Harder.”

When she did, a spurt of precum hit her tongue.

“See how hard you make me? You are so fucking sexy. It was so tough to give you space. I wanted you to want me back, not be afraid of me.”

He fucked her mouth while he spoke, giving her the fantasy he couldn’t shake. “I want to watch you lick me down. But you want a sixty-nine first, don’t you?”

She nodded enthusiastically and sucked harder.

“No, stop.” He nearly came. “I don’t want to fill your mouth. Not yet. I left you all wet.” He waited for the shock to set in, but she let him slide from her mouth and smiled.

“I like it. I like you inside me.”

He heard the wolf in her answer, and his approved. “Good. Because we’re not doing condoms.”

She shook her head.

“And if you’re pregnant, so much the better.” Should he tell her how much he loved her now? No. He wanted to give her the romance, but tonight was all about dirty, sexy fucking. A treat for his sexually starved mate. The poor thing.

He grinned. “Man. I never imagined tonight would happen like this. You are awesome, you know that?”

She smiled back, and he wanted to think he saw her heart in her eyes. That the love he felt was so full because some of it was a reflection of what she felt. He knew so much about her. Her likes and dislikes, her styles in fashion and décor, how she preferred banana to strawberry and couldn’t stand peanuts. But this intimacy between them he couldn’t have imagined.

Monty moved back and lay down. Then he motioned for her to come over him. “Turn around and put that perfect mouth around my cock. Yeah, that’s it.” He groaned when she engulfed him. “This won’t last long. Shit.” He arched his hips when she grazed her teeth along the underside of his crown. “Now put that pussy over my mouth. I need to lick that cream. Oh yeah. You are wet, aren’t you?”

He loved their combined scent, but it was her need that pulled at him. His wolf circled inside him, needing to feel it. Monty licked her and sucked her. He slid his finger inside her, then added another. And when she increased her fervor, mouthing his cock like a pro, he slicked his pinky through her juices and rimmed her asshole.

She moaned and took him to the back of her throat, gagging as she did so.

He held on hard to stop from coming. Monty pulled back from her clit. “Go easy, baby. Don’t hurt yourself.” But his frisky mate did it again. At first awkward, it didn’t take her long to master the art of deep-throating.

She pulled away to say, “I practiced on a banana. Well, a condom-covered one. I wanted to be ready for you.”

For me, or for someone else, he wanted to ask. But she resumed her feast, and he could no longer think. He gave himself up to instinct as he layered another scent marker over her, pleased as hell when she gave her own right back. He licked and sucked and fingered her, playing with her pussy and ass until she came over his tongue.

As she shivered and released, she sucked him like a Hoover. And when she tightened her hand around his balls and hollowed her cheeks again, he jetted down her throat. The orgasm swept his emotions up as well, and he swirled about in a haze of love and contentment he’d never felt before.

Sophie finished swallowing him down and let him fall from her mouth at the same time he pushed her up from his lips. The mating scent permeated her room.

“God, you were so hard.” She turned around and accepted the tug of his hand to lie on top of him.

“So were you. A firm little clit under my tongue. Man, I love the way you taste.”

She rubbed her cheek against his chest, and he could almost see her blushing.

“So you’re okay with this? With us, Sophie?”

“Oh yeah.”

Monty felt her sigh through to his bones. “Good. Me too.”

“Me too,” she repeated, then yawned.

His mate. His future. And, God willing, his pup growing inside her even now. Monty closed his eyes and fell asleep, happiness not only in his reach, but in his arms.

Chapter Five

Ted Norris sighed as he hunkered down, studying the mess of tracks that the rain had partially wiped away. A noise nearby caught his attention, and without moving more than his hand clutching a knife, he noted the baby rabbit darting across the forest floor. Poor thing, looking lost, too young to be without its mother.

Ted flung the knife and skewered the rabbit into the ground, right again with the world. Predator hunting prey. The strong triumphing over the weak, as it should be.

“Dad—”

The glare he sent his oldest had Brett correcting himself. “Ted, this isn’t getting us anywhere. You need to heal. We can only avoid the wolves so long before they find us. The mountains just aren’t that big to these fuckers.”

Brett had a point. Still. “What have I always told you? You don’t let the world know your weaknesses, boy. There’s no father and son out there. No friends. Hunters hunt, and sometimes we die,” he ended on a growl, remembering the half dozen in his last Hunting expedition that he’d lost. Damn fine men, a victim to the unnatural shapeshifters tainting the righteous man’s world.

His son didn’t flinch. A definite improvement. “Boy? I’m thirty-five years old. And I’ve killed my share of freaks, same as you.”

Ted snorted. “Your point?”

“I’m a Hunter. I know when to cut my losses, regroup and start fresh. I know how to be smart. You taught me that.” Brett frowned and gripped the sling of his rifle. “We need to get back so you can heal. You favor your left side, and your face looks infected. Charlie’s home manning the store, and all’s quiet there. But last I talked to him, he said a buddy of his ran into a few dickhead cats sniffing around. Could make problems for us if others find out.”

Ted nodded. Working alongside their normal prey to get a shot at finding a Shifter hot spot had been genius, but his community wasn’t known for wheeling and dealing. A big reason why so many of his friends were dying. They stuck to tradition, going for the big kill. But times had changed. Technology could be useful, and so could allies in strange places. Imagine Hunters making friends with shapeshifters. It wasn’t done.

Then again, Ted hadn’t ever intended to make good on his pledge of alliance. He’d planned to use the cats, then skin them alive, one by one.

“I had him, you know.” Ted stood and retrieved his knife. He wiped blood on a bed of moss and stuck the knife back in its sheath around his thigh. “Demon was there.”

Demon—the cold-blooded Shifter he’d never broken, not in the six blessed years he’d held on to the creature. That monster wolf had fought and killed more Shifters and Hunters than any other Ac-taw Ted had ever owned. Demon had been a favorite in the pits and Ted’s personal pride and joy. And then the fucker managed to escape, taking out two of Ted’s best friends in the process.

“It wasn’t him.” Brett shook his head. “Bill was there, and he told me what he saw. Nothing special, just more of the same animals. Demon’s dead. I killed him myself.”

“Bullshit. You barely nicked him that night he took off. And Bill doesn’t know what he saw. He was too busy trying to save his own ass.”

“And yours.”

“So what? I was this close to having Demon once again. My pet wolf. And then we were overrun.” He’d been so close to success. Working with shapeshifters from Florida had been the key. A spat with some of their own kind in Montana had resulted in an unlikely partnership with Ted. In the process, he’d actually managed to get his hands on not one, but two cats in the mountains of Glacier National Forest.

The male had been a problem. He was vicious, even half-dead. But the female held promise. Young, beautiful and cold. She’d tried to play him, as if Ted hadn’t known her agenda from the start. He had to appreciate her intelligence, though. She would have made him some real money in the animal trade, but then the shit hit the fan and his group had been overrun with Ac-taw. He’d lost control of the situation, only to watch Demon appear as if out of nowhere. Like a vision, the wolf had raced into the fracas and stood protectively over the half-dead cat.

“I’ll never forget his eyes,” Ted murmured. Part ice-blue, part gray, and so beautifully furious as he’d stared at Ted with festering hate.

Something in Ted responded to that level of intensity—a challenge that put his back up. No matter how many Shifters he’d killed during his fifty-nine years, he’d never met an animal he wanted to master like he did Demon. And master he had. For six fulfilling years he’d beaten and whipped his wolf. Forced fights in the pits, mental manipulations, more beatings. He’d allowed the wolf to become close to a few of his own kind, only to kill those same friends later, to prove to Demon that he owned him. They’d been the champions of every Hunter’s Folly for all six years.

No matter what Ted threw at him, the wolf never faltered. He never submitted or showed a hint of his belly.

Ted understood that kind of fortitude. It intrigued him on every level, because he lived it day in and day out. He wanted Demon back, and he’d get him. But not today, apparently.

“Your infection actually isn’t that bad,” Brett murmured. “Maybe your super immune system just needed time to kick in.”

Ted fingered his cheek, where the flap of skin torn by a pissed-off cougar had just started to heal, a little more than a week after his ordeal. “Fucking cat thought he had me ’til I turned the tables. I would have killed him if Bill hadn’t dragged me back.”

“To hear him tell it, he saved you from another attack.”

“Maybe.”

“Look. If you really saw Demon, you know where to find him. But trawling through the woods while evading patrolling wolves isn’t working. We’re outnumbered here.” Brett paused and said what Ted knew he’d bring up. The little shit mentioned her at least once a day. “Besides, maybe we’ll find new leads on Sophie. Matt said he learned a few things on his last hunt. Said he’d tell us when we all got home.”

“Sophie.” His sweet little niece. So pretty and innocent. She’d been his pride and joy until she’d turned on him. But then, he’d known it was coming. He’d done all he could, but the girl’s wolf wouldn’t stay down. She didn’t have the power in her to keep it buried. Keep it tight.

His belly coiled in familiar anticipation, and he tamped down the wild energy. Controlled it.

“Ted?”

Ted sighed. “We go home. For now. Spray some more of that mist on me. I can smell myself coming back.” He and Brett covered themselves once more in Hunter’s mist, a spray that camouflaged their scents and made it possible to walk undetected through Ac-taw lands.

He might be leaving, but he wasn’t finished. As he moved, he thought about Demon and Sophie, and what their lives might be like without him. Sophie had been gone for more than two years, and Demon close to six. He wondered if they knew of each other. Wouldn’t that be a kick? He almost smiled, but the hollow in his chest wouldn’t let him. It made him sad, that he couldn’t share in their experiences. But perhaps this had all been a test, to see if he had the discipline and tenacity to persevere. He’d done what he’d needed with his sister. Could he do the same for his niece?

A thought came to mind, one that involved Demon, and he knew how to handle Sophie. He’d find her again, because he could sense her near. She was out here, a prize to be won after he triumphed over the wolf. It was a test, and he planned to succeed. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—fail. With a new spring in his step, he hurried through the woods, suddenly eager to get home and hear what Matt had to say.

Sophie smiled at the last customer and closed the grocery for the night. The others had already finished up and gone home. With Lucy available to work overtime for the next few days, Sophie would have all her free time to deal with the randy wolf waiting for her right outside the front doors.

He waved and motioned to the back of the store.

She nodded and walked through to the back to meet him.

Monty GrayClaw. My lover. And just maybe, my mate.

She couldn’t stop blushing. The whole day had felt unreal. Customers commented on how pretty she looked. Their knowing glances made it more than evident they knew she wore Monty’s scent.

The few wolves who’d visited had glared like thunderclouds, but not one of them had said an unkind word. Rafe’s interference, no doubt. She didn’t think Monty’s warnings would do anything to deter the rough-and-tumble gray wolves from pestering her.

She met Monty at the back, past the storage area and offices, and waited for him to join her before closing and locking the door behind him. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into a warm embrace.

“I missed you today.” He nuzzled her neck and sighed. Then he nipped her and she yelped in surprise. “Sorry. I don’t like the fact there’s nothing here. Your neck is as smooth as glass.”

“I heal fast.” Stupid. Of course he knew that. They all healed fast.

“I know, but fact is, I didn’t mark you hard enough because I didn’t want to hurt you. But I want everyone to know where you belong. With me.”

She chuckled. “You sound way too satisfied about that.”

“Hell, yeah.” He moved behind her, and she felt his arousal against the small of her back.

“Wow. You really did miss me.” Was it stupid of her to be flattered and excited about his hard-on?

Instead of answering her, Monty shoved her up against the door.

“Monty?”

His hands went to the front of her jeans. “Don’t move.” His raspy breath and the roughness with which he handled her immediately made her wet. “Oh yeah.” He groaned as he unfastened her jeans and shoved them and her underwear down.

Manhandling her into position, Monty had her bent over, her hips back and her feet as wide apart as the bunched jeans around her knees would let her.

“M-Monty?”

“Yeah. That’s nice.”

Before she could ask what that meant, something thick pushed between her legs. He thrust hard into her, shoving through her slick heat in one smooth rush.

“Oh God. Monty. I missed you today too.” She jerked and nearly lost her balance when he started fucking her with brutal strokes, shoving so deep inside her she swore she felt him touch her womb.

“That’s it. Bet you thought about fucking at work, didn’t you, my dirty little wolf?”

She flushed again, embarrassed yet turned on that Monty liked her perverted ways. She never should have told him she watched naughty movies. But then, if she hadn’t, maybe he wouldn’t do things like this to her. Fucking her against the back door of the grocery. It was so unprofessional.

The thought made her want to giggle, but Monty’s cock wouldn’t let her do anything but sigh as he took her.

“I want you to come, baby. All over me.” Monty grabbed her hips and inched her back, lifting her off her feet. The new angle of penetration did something funny to her insides, as each time he thrust, he lit prickles of pleasure throughout her entire body. “Rub your clit. Get yourself off. I want us to come together.”

She hitched a breath but didn’t falter. Feeling the swollen nub, she rubbed her fingers over it and moaned, the lust building like a frenzy. Monty continued to hammer harder, and the dual sensation of being filled and masturbating for him torched her orgasm into a full flame.

She cried out as she came, and he gripped her hips tighter and shoved forward once more before stilling with a groan.

“Oh fuck. Yeah, baby. That’s it.”

They remained locked together, their bodies connected, their animal spirits meshing more with each joining.

After a moment, he eased out of her. “Hold on.”

She felt his hand between her legs.

“I came prepared this time.” He chuckled and wiped her with a handkerchief. “Man, I love filling you up.”

She hadn’t detected a change in her scent—well, apart from smelling like Monty. So she didn’t think she’d conceived yet. She didn’t think it was wrong of her to want his child, to dream about home and hearth with a wild wolf. But she couldn’t quite silence the part of her that didn’t think she deserved it.

“Sophie? You okay?” He put her clothing to rights and turned her around to face him. “I wasn’t too rough, was I?”

“You were perfect.” She hugged him, listening to his racing heart. “You’re perfect for me.”

He chuckled and relaxed, hugging her back. “I actually came to walk you home, but this was a chance I couldn’t pass up. I’m going to fuck you all over town. Before you know it, you’ll have enough experience to rival your movies.”

She squeezed him and he laughed harder. “I wish I hadn’t told you about that.”

He looked down at her, and the affection she saw on his face stole her breath. “I’m just teasing you. I have a pretty healthy sex drive. Don’t think we’re not going to be going at it a lot. I was a little worried I might be too much for you, and I’m more than happy that’s not the case.” He kissed her. “You don’t need to be embarrassed about anything, Soph. Not even about me.”

She blinked. “Why would I be embarrassed about you?”

“I’m a wolf who belongs to a feline pride. I’m not handsome, glamorous or rich. I work for a touring company, and I happen to like it.” He paused. “And sometimes I hunt humans.”

She’d known all that, but hearing him say that last part unnerved her. Memories of her past swarmed, though she tried to ignore them.

“Yeah. That’s hard to accept, I know.” He cupped her cheeks. “But honey, I’ll protect you first and always. I’ll never let anyone get to you. And I help keep the town safe. I’m not a murderer or anything.” He scoffed, but she heard his worry that she might think him a monster.

“I never thought you were,” she said firmly and nudged his hands away so she could cup his cheeks. “I just hope I’m enough for you.”

“Of course you—”

“Think about it. I’m not like other wolves. I’m not that aggressive. I’m not comfortable with my animal spirit.” It hurt to say, but she wanted to be honest. Well, as honest as she ever planned to be. “And I didn’t even know who I was until a few years ago. I have a high school diploma, and I manage the town’s grocery. I might someday want to go to school for something, but I don’t know. I like the store. I’m a simple girl. I’ve only shifted into my wolf a few times, and it’s still scary to me.”

“I don’t care.”

She continued. “I’m not a seamstress or an Internet genius or a rich clothing designer.” Not like the women of the catamount pride. “I’m just me.”

“That’s all I ever wanted,” he said softly. “Just you.”

They smiled at each other. Monty helped her lock up and they left hand in hand.

The next week was the best in Sophie’s life. She and Monty played together. They did normal things at her home, spending their time apart from the rest of the world while they learned more about one another. Monty liked adventure movies while she liked romantic comedies. They both enjoyed a good steak, but then again, they were wolves, so no surprise there. He liked watching her dress as much as undress, and he especially liked brushing her hair, which turned her on all the way to her toes.

For a gruff, scarred and battered wolf, he was so gentle with her…when not fucking her into exhaustion. Only when he kissed her with tenderness or slowed down enough to stare into her eyes while they climaxed did he call it making love.

To Sophie, anytime with Monty was lovemaking. The more time they spent together, the more time she wanted to be with him. He made her laugh without trying. All the stories he told of his life in the pride warmed her from the inside out, showing her a man who valued family and close ties. He missed his father, who’d died in the old pack wars before she’d come to Cougar Falls. The cats he now called blood seemed like a bunch of characters. And she liked that he had a tight relationship with them. Monty had been good friends with Burke for years, both before and after he’d come back to town. To hear Monty tell it, he only tolerated Grady and Dean. Yet he talked about them like they were the brothers he’d never had.

She’d danced close to his past once and only once, but he’d shut down so fast and turned so cold she’d immediately backed off. Heck, she didn’t want to talk about her history either. But she couldn’t help her curiosity. What little she knew about his time away from his current life could fill a thimble. He’d spent his life in the wolf order until he turned nineteen, and then he vanished. He’d apparently worked with other orders around the country, tracking and killing Hunters for the past few years until he’d returned to Cougar Falls a few months before she’d arrived. A large block of unaccounted time had never been answered for, that she knew of.

Even Julia and Gabby had remarked about how their mysterious pridemate refused to discuss his years away from the town. They said it gave him more appeal, but Sophie saw nothing but pain in his hidden past. A pain she owned as well and refused to face.

The only fly in the ointment, as far as she could tell, was a growing fear that danger pressed closer. If her uncle ever found her, if the others knew where she’d come from and what she’d done… They’d kick her out of town before she could say boo. And then she’d be on the run from the sociopaths she called family.

She shivered, and Monty clutched her hand tighter while he stared down at his cards. Time ticked away in her kitchen as they spent the rest of their Saturday together, before the big dinner.

“You know, we don’t have to rush this. We can have dinner at the pride some other time.”

She wished that was all she feared. Sophie took a deep breath and let it, and all her tension, release. She smiled at her mate, pleased that her wolf had fully accepted him. Their scents merged, even though Sophie still had reservations. More about being worthy of a strong wolf like Monty than any perceived weakness of his. “I’m good. I’m a little nervous, but I want them to know you’re mine.” She said that with a straight face. Her words weren’t loud, but by the smile on his face, she knew they didn’t have to be.

“Awesome. Oh, and Uno.”

She drew another card and watched him win. Again. “I still think you’re cheating.”

“Prove it.” He winked.

She laughed and tossed down her cards. They took his truck to the pride, a few miles from town. The sky grew darker earlier as autumn approached, but she let the cool air into the truck, keeping the window down. She loved the wind through her hair, the freedom to be herself and not worry about punishments or castigation.

“You’re beautiful.”

She turned to stare at her wolf. “So are you.”

He frowned. “Me? I’m all beat up. You. You’re glowing.”

“I’m not pregnant.”

“Not that kind of glowing.” He chuckled. “Would it bother you if I said I was disappointed?”

She bit her lip. “No.”

“Man, I love when you do that. Turn all shy and shit.”

She couldn’t help laughing, especially when he seemed to realize what he’d said.

“Hell. Look, it’s too late. I mated you. You can’t turn away because I’m not that smooth with the ladies.”

The thought made her wolf growl low in her breast. “I don’t want you smooth with the ladies.”

He blinked at her before looking back at the road. “Damn. I think you just growled at me. Hey, no problem, honey. Point taken. I’m a one-woman wolf.” He grabbed her jean-clad thigh and squeezed. “But the same goes for you. No alpha wolf or any other wolf in your future. No man, period.”

She sighed. “Honestly, Monty. You don’t have to worry about that. They only ever wanted me because I’m wolf, anyway.”

“You keep telling yourself that. Yeah. You’re stone ugly and have a body like a Mack truck. And you smell terrible, not like fresh lilies at all.” He shook his head. “So sad that I’m stuck with such an ugly mate, but what can I do? I feel so sorry for you.”

“Oh stop it.” He could make her feel so good without even trying. She blushed, pleased he liked the look and smell of her. She never would have imagined how important scent would be, but she lived with the knowledge that scent meant everything to her wolf.

The truck turned off onto a dirt road, and they drove half a mile before coming upon a large main house surrounded by flowers and landscaped shrubbery. Joel and Maggie kept the place in top shape. Burke ran Chastell Tours from the main house and maintained order at the pride. His brothers worked for the touring company with Monty, while Rachel worked for herself doing Internet stuff Sophie didn’t understand. The foxes and cats also living at the Catamount Ranch all did their own thing. Everyone pulled their fair share and seemed to like living together. Several individual cabins beyond the main house showed the growing pride.

“My place is back behind the house. I’ll show you my big old bed later.” He parked the truck and wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Come on. Everyone’s dying to tease me about you. Just remember, they’re family. So if I kick the shit—ah, crap out of Dean or Grady, just go with it.”

“Okay.” She left the truck with him and accepted the hand he held out to her. “But no mention of Scooby, right?”

“I hate that friggin’ mutt. No Mystery Machine, Scooby Doo, or other cartoon canine references. Remember, Sophie. We’re wolves, the cream of the crop. The cats just think they own the world. We actually run things.”

“And the foxes, what about us?” came a voice from behind them.

Sophie turned to see Sheriff Ty Roderick, Julia’s husband, standing with his arms crossed over his chest and his lips quirked in amusement.

“You’re the tiny predators we pity, because your brains are barely larger than your tails.”

“Not bad, wolf. You’re managing your insults better. Not great, but better.” Ty tipped his Stetson at Sophie. “Howdy, sweet thing.” He somehow managed to get between Monty and Sophie and escorted her inside the house. She heard Monty muttering obscenities behind him.

Ty stepped with her into the open living room and said in a booming voice, “Sophie’s here.”

Everyone rushed into the living room at once, and Sophie gripped Ty’s arm.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, but then Monty was there, sheltering her in his strong arms.

She felt like an idiot for being afraid. Julia was her best friend, Gabby too. These cats and foxes and bears were Monty’s family. But she’d never liked being crowded, and she still couldn’t be around too many men at one time without tensing.

The things her cousins and their friends had liked to do when her uncle was away… She’d never been a fan of sex before Monty, and she had plenty of reason to dislike what she’d witnessed.

Burke shoved the others out of the way and smiled wide. “Well, now. Sophie. How are you?” He pulled her with him toward the center couch and took the glass of wine Rachel handed him without breaking stride. “This is for you. Julia said you like a good Zinfandel.”

She blinked. “Um, thanks.” She glanced around and saw Monty trying to push his way past the congratulations of Joel, Grady and Dean.

Monty forcibly shoved Dean aside and glared. But when his gaze met hers, he rolled his eyes. “Welcome to the nuthouse. Hey Gabby, grab me a beer, would you? A large one.”

Chapter Six

Monty did his best not to growl every time one of his dickhead pridemates touched his mate. The cats had become touchy-feely all of a sudden, and the females acted no better. The cats questioned her like it was the inquisition, although he now knew a helluva lot more about his pretty little mate than he had before. The important things he’d always known, but the minutiae had escaped him.

They sat around the large dining table, feasting on chicken. Yard bird. Eh. He preferred a good rare steak. He smiled, realizing Sophie did too. He knew enough about her, and he liked their similarities. Hell, right now he could tell she’d rather be anywhere but here. Just like him. Yet another thing they had in common.

“I still don’t understand how you can live in that great big house. You say your alpha’s brother owns it?” Stacey had no problem asking nosy questions.

Dean winked at him.

“Um, yeah.” Sophie snuck a glance at him before turning her attention back to Stacey. “Theo kind of introduced me to Cougar Falls. He actually owns the grocery store, but he’s never in town, so he told me I could run it if I wanted.” She shrugged and stuck her fork into a hunk of chicken. “I like it.”

Stacey raised a perfect blond brow. “Really? The local grocery store?”

Monty didn’t like her tone, and then Gabby stepped in. “I like it too. It has a homey, small-town feel, and if you think about it, without the town store, we’d have to shop in Whitefish for supplies.”

The women shivered.

“What’s wrong with Whitefish?” Burke sounded offended. “Chastell Tours is there.”

“Yes, dear, it is.” Rachel’s wifely tone made Sophie smile.

Monty smiled with her.

“Rachel…” Burke frowned at her. “You can’t use being pregnant as an excuse to be snarky forever.”

Ty leaned toward Sophie and whispered in a loud voice, “Snarky. I taught him that. Big word for a little brain, you know.”

Sophie enjoyed the interplay until Burke shot Ty a glare, and she automatically tensed when the pride leader growled, “Keep it up and I’ll use your bones for toothpicks, fox.” Burke’s scowl unnerved her, but she felt Monty’s hand on her leg under the table and eased.

God, I am such a moron. Relax, damn it!

The others didn’t seem to notice her distress, and the remainder of the dinner focused on the other members of the pride, enough that she finally felt like one of the crowd instead of the main attraction. Quiet Joel started talking about his vegetables and didn’t stop. He’d just gathered beets, broccoli and cabbage and anticipated a heaping of carrots in another week or so. The man had shoulders as big as a football field, but whenever he glanced at his wife, his entire mien softened.

Sophie liked him instinctively. Though she’d been to the pride often enough, she normally spent her time with her fox friends at their respective cabins. A few movie nights at the house had been spent with other women. This huge dinner with everyone was a first for her, and it definitely showed her who was who.

Ty played peacemaker throughout the meal, at times baiting and at other times easing tempers while Julia encouraged him. Sly foxes. Gabby and Grady spent most of their time staring at each other, the newly mated couple still enrapt in each other. For all that Dean and Stacey had just committed to each other, the pair acted like an old married couple that had that sexual spark zinging between them. She found them amusing, though she kept a slight distance from Stacey. Sophie could clearly see the predator in the blonde’s cool blue eyes.

She also liked the way Monty acted among his friends. He seemed more at ease here than he acted in town. Not so guarded, and he teased the female cats from the old Miami pride, treating them like bothersome sisters. Family, not potential sexual partners. Good. His attitude soothed her wolf, and she found herself easing into the pride’s rhythm. The teasing and laughter made her feel like part of something bigger, and without thinking about it, she took Monty’s hand in hers and smiled, feeling so much love for her mate she could taste it.

He clutched her hand tightly in his and leaned in for a kiss. The soft, possessive gesture made her sigh, because her wolf rolled over and howled with delight. He’d acknowledged her openly in front of the pack with that simple peck. His wolf. Her wolf. Together.

Not pack, pride, she corrected her animal spirit, then froze when she realized the room had gone quiet.

Monty kept her hand in his and kissed her again. He winked at her and turned to the gathering. “I have an announcement to make.”

“About frickin’ time,” Grady muttered.

Gabby elbowed him and huffed.

“No shit.” Dean received a slap upside the head from Joel. “Ow. Why is everyone always hitting me?”

“Maybe because you’re an idiot?” Grady offered.

Gabby groaned. “Would you two shut up? I’m sorry for them. Sincerely. Go ahead, Monty.”

“You two cats are a major pain in my ass,” he snapped, then turned to Sophie with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, honey.” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, I have something to say.”

“So talk already. Christ,” Dean grumbled and dodged another slap aimed for his head.

Monty continued. “As you know, I’ve been waiting for the right time to approach Sophie, so I could do what I’ve been dying to since I first saw her. Sophie and I have mated.”

Not that she didn’t already know that, but from what she’d been told, claiming a mate in front of witnesses was as good as throwing on rings and saying “I do.”

The others cheered and congratulated them. And somehow dinner turned into a party full of booze, dancing and laughter.

Sophie had a terrific time swinging around in the arms of her wolf. Monty had sidestepped a bunch of questions about their future and where they might live, saying only that he and Sophie were still discussing things, which of course they hadn’t yet.

But even that didn’t faze her. She had the mate of her dreams, Ac-taw who knew her, liked her and accepted her. The future she’d always wanted seemed right here, right now. Hers to keep. Yet that niggling worry remained. What would they think if they knew the real her? Worse, what would Monty think? She didn’t like the vague anxiety that wouldn’t go away, so she decided to ignore it. She’d hold on to tonight, and as she swung in Monty’s arms, she made a memory. His face, that smile, those eyes—she’d cherish him forever. She only prayed she could keep the man himself, and not a lot of bittersweet memories to keep her warm at night.

Monty thought the night had gone off without a hitch…if it weren’t for the shadows he could see in his mate’s eyes. He had a feeling he’d pushed too hard too soon, but fuck it all, he needed his pack—pride—to know his mate. His wolf wanted validation, acknowledgement and a nod from his alpha.

Burke had taken him aside earlier and congratulated him wholeheartedly. “You lucked out, you mangy mutt. I don’t know what she sees in you, but don’t fuck it up.”

“Thanks, Burke,” he’d drawled back. “That’s really uplifting.”

Burke had laughed, swung Sophie around for a dance, and then handed her winded and wild-eyed back to Monty.

But now, as he and Sophie stood in front of his cabin, nerves struck again. What if she felt pressure and not the vast love he felt? What if she didn’t actually want all this cloying belonging, used to being alone for so long? Hell, he’d gone through the same emotions upon returning to town. A lone wolf thrust back into Ac-taw society. The order had been a nightmare and Burke his saving grace. But he knew Burke. The cat gave him whatever space he needed to roam. What did Sophie need?

He pulled her with him inside his place, glad he’d had the foresight to ask Rachel to help him straighten up. Rather, he’d asked Rachel to have cleaning people out to his place. They’d done a bang-up job. The bad food smell and dirty clothes all over the floor had vanished. The small two-bedroom cabin smelled fresh, like lemons. The rustic furniture gleamed with polish, and his crap had been neatly organized into stacks of stuff—books and women magazines he’d purchased to understand Sophie, a few spare parts for his truck, some sporting equipment and ammo.

Sophie took it all in as he tried to find the right words to say what was on his mind. Finally, unable to think of a good way to say it, he simply asked, “Is this a mistake?”

She turned around, wide eyes on him. “What?”

“Us. Do you think we’re a mistake? I can smell your worry. What the hell’s wrong? It was too much, right? Too many people.” He wanted to hear a yes, so he’d know he wasn’t the problem.

She remained quiet long enough to worry him.

“Sophie?” Should he tell her how he felt about her? Would she believe him now, or would she think he said the L word to convince her to stay with him? Shit. He hated not knowing how to deal with her this way. He could handle sex and the happy crap, but Monty normally dealt with conflict by killing it or beating it up.

“It’s not you, Monty. Or your friends. They’re great.” She took a deep breath, and to his horror, he heard it hitch. “It’s all so terrific. I’m just afraid it will go away.”

She looked up at him and her eyes glinted like diamonds. The sheen of tears literally hurt him smack dab in the heart.

“Aw, baby. Don’t cry. Please.” He took her in his arms and hugged her, rocking her against him. “If you tell me what’s wrong, I’ll fix it. Is this about me pushing you to shift so we can run together?” It still bothered him he hadn’t seen Sophie’s wolf. The woman had a problem with her animal spirit made flesh, but she was working on it. Or so Gabby had told him the other day when he’d asked her. Sophie, stubborn as a mule, didn’t like talking about her problems. And since he was the same way, he figured he had little room to judge. When the woman felt ready to run with him, she would. Or so he hoped.

“You can’t fix the past, Monty. I wish you could.”

He felt himself tense. “My past or yours?”

“Either. Both. Does it matter? We never talk about it, and I don’t want to talk about it. I’m just afraid…”

“I don’t know what happened to you. And until you’re ready to tell me, if you ever are, I don’t care. I want you for you, baby. What happened made you who you are. It’s a part of you, and it doesn’t matter to me. You matter, Sophie Tanner.” He swallowed hard and reached for his back pocket. He withdrew a small box—it had cost him two months’ pay and a lot of ribbing from annoying cats. But when he’d seen the stone downtown, he’d known it would look right around her neck. A diamond pendant she could slip on and off when not in wolf form. “I want to marry you.” Shit. He was supposed to ask.

He wanted to go to one knee, but she had a death grip on his arms, so he cleared his throat and pulled back enough to open the box and put it under her nose. “If you’ll have me, I’d be honored if you’d wear this.” Close enough to asking, he figured.

She blinked at the necklace, then at him. “You want me to marry you?” she whispered.

“Yes,” he whispered back, on edge. His wolf paced, not liking this reversal in the way things should be. He’d mated the female already. What the hell did he need a wedding and human ceremony for?

“You don’t care about before? About where I was before, I mean?” she asked, and she sounded so hopeful his heart hurt for her.

“No, baby. I don’t care about your past, only our present and future. Marry me, Sophie. I can’t promise you Paris in a Learjet, but I can promise I’ll love you.” He let out a breath, realizing he’d never said it before. And neither had she. “I love you,” he repeated.

She didn’t say anything. And then she plastered herself to his chest and kissed the breath out of him. “I love you so much.” She was laughing and crying and planting kisses all over his face. And before he knew it, they were somehow naked in his bed, his necklace around her throat, making love like two halves of a whole.

He pushed while she pulled. Their lips and bodies met, magnets of affection connected in the deepest of places. His animal spirit curled around hers and protected, offering everything for her to take. When her spirit accepted his gift, he sighed into her and gave his essence, his soul, to his other half.

She arched into his touch and sighed his name, and as he poured his seed into her with a moan and a plea, she took him in her arms and gave him the haven he’d needed for far too long.

The next two weeks passed in bliss. They’d decided to move her out of Theo’s old house and into his cabin. She had no furniture, only clothing and a few odds and ends to take with her, which he found distressing. Sophie needed girlie things, and he set about trying to fill his house with stuff she liked. Flowers, fancy tea pots and lingerie to suit his bride-to-be. So okay, the lacey crap was more for him than her, but it made her happy.

And hel-lo, but his woman had the sweetest pussy he’d ever had the pleasure of licking, sucking and eating. She wanted sex as much, if not more, than he did. He was in heaven.

She made no more mention of whatever troubled her, and he refused to pry. He wanted nothing to mar his bright future. He tried to put Norris out of his mind, satisfied the order could do its damn job and protect the town. Even Rafe’s brief talk hadn’t elicited any anger. The gray wolf had bumped into him on the street, warned him to protect Sophie and treat her right, then moved on as if he’d never tried to take the woman for his own. Not the actions of a man pining for a lost mate.

Satisfied Sheridan had never intended more than a physical joining, Monty’s wolf eased, especially since the bastard had never and would never lay a paw on Sophie Tanner, soon to be Sophie GrayClaw.

Just the thought of marrying his girl made him smile.

“Oh hell. Another dopey dog fantasy? Did I come at a bad time?” Miles Bermin, a cat Monty had prayed he’d seen the last of, had apparently returned from Florida. He walked into Chastell Tours like he owned it and took a seat across from the desk Monty currently worked behind.

“Well, well. The Sunshine state’s big bad kitty’s come back. What’s wrong, Miles? They mean to you down South? Need to come back so we can save your ass yet again?” Monty put just enough sneer in the insult to be effective, and the annoyance in the other male’s face pleased the hell out of him.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” The admission came as a hiss.

Monty was floored. “Come again?” It hadn’t escaped him that he’d deliberately steered clear of Hunter talk while courting Sophie. This new together time with her had to be cherished, and he refused to consider death and killing while cementing his ties to his mate.

“Look, wolf. I’ve looked everywhere I possibly can. She’s got to be here.”

“What?” Monty glanced around. Dean and Grady had to be setting him up. No way Miles there’s a permanent stick up my designer ass Bermin was actually asking him for help. Voluntarily.

“It’s Joy. Ever since we left a month ago, she’s been here and gone. And by here, I mean in Miami, and by gone, I mean she checks in by phone, but that’s it. She says she’s finding herself, but after that mess with Stacey and not capturing all the Hunters involved in the kidnapping, I’m worried she’s in danger.”

“And Quince?” The Florida cat had purportedly been working with rogue Ac-taw and maybe Hunters. Yet evidence had proven he’d been trying to take down the rogues all along. Maybe.

Miles’s lips thinned. “He’s gone too. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, and you’re the best tracker I know. Hell, everyone I asked for help recommended you. When it comes to Hunters, you’re the expert.”

A fact he hated. “Yeah, well, I’m mated now. I’m hanging it up.” He didn’t like the look on Miles’s face. As much as the cat plain irritated him, Monty felt for the guy. “Shit. You sure Joy is in trouble and not fucking with you? This is Joy we’re talking about.” He paused. “You see Burke yet?”

“Yes and no. I know Joy can be a handful.”

Monty snorted. The she-devil caused trouble like Dean on a bad day. And she was pretty, so she got out of it as much as she was in it.

Miles continued, “Last she and I spoke, she told me she was coming back to Cougar Falls to sort things out. That was three days ago. I haven’t heard from her since. I haven’t been to town yet to see Burke, but I’ve kept in touch on the phone. He has no idea where she is either, and he mentioned I should talk to you. That you were looking into the Hunter problem.” Miles met his gaze, and the worry there touched a chord in Monty. “Look. I know you and I don’t exactly get along. I’m not asking you to involve yourself in this for me. But for Joy. She’s innocent beneath all that trickery. And Hunters—”

“You don’t have to tell me about Hunters,” he interrupted. He felt sick to his stomach, imagining her in the hands of someone like Norris. Letting someone else deal with the prick wouldn’t work anyway. Before long, Sophie would want to leave town for one reason or another, and Monty would freak out that she might be in danger, that Norris was still looking for him. Might as well face it head-on.

“Hell. I’ve put this off anyway. We’ve been looking for the Hunters that got away that day, after they grabbed Stacey and Dean. The order took out five of them since you left. The last one went down a few days ago. No word of their ringleader yet.” No Ted Norris. “But that doesn’t mean he’s involved in Joy’s disappearance.”

“And it doesn’t mean he’s not. Miami is in a shit sandwich, everyone jockeying to be pride leader. Joy’s better off up here in town. But I can’t find her, Quince is suddenly missing and there are stirrings in Tennessee that some big Hunter’s Folly is going down.”

Monty paled. Hunter’s Folly was what those murderous dickheads called their main fighting event. The ultimate challenge where Hunter owners pitted their enslaved Ac-taw against one another, a death match to end all death matches. He rubbed his wrist, fingering the silvery scar left by a cougar’s sharp teeth.

“Look. I’ll dig into it. Tennessee, you said?”

Miles shook his head. “That’s where I heard the rumor, but the Folly is supposedly going down outside of Kalispell real soon. Funny thing, them having the festivities in Montana so close, don’t you think?”

Ted Norris sat at the center of this Hunter’s Folly. Monty could feel it in his bones.

“You told anyone else about this?” He stood, already planning what to do and say to Sophie to explain his coming absence. He didn’t want to leave her, but if Norris was indeed up to his old tricks, he’d take down Sophie, the pride and anyone else Monty deemed important in his life. Monty needed to take the fight to him.

Miles stood with him. “Not yet. After meeting with you, I’m going to see Burke and the town council. They need to be informed about this possible threat.”

“Good.” Monty moved to the door then stopped. He turned and stared Miles in the eye. “I’m going to settle this. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the Hunters for good this time.” Norris had to die. “I’m not sure they’re behind Joy being missing, but if they are, I’ll find her.”

“That’s all I can ask.” Miles stuck out his hand.

“Hell. Do I have to shake it?”

Miles cracked a smile. “Quit whining, wolf. And hey, look at it this way. I hear you’re planning to get married to that pretty she-wolf you mated. In lieu of owing you a favor—God forbid—I’m hiring you to look into this Folly thing. Ten grand to cover your time and expenses.”

Monty blinked. “Ten grand?”

“Yep.” Miles smirked. “Do I need to count out the zeroes for you?”

Monty snarled at Miles as he left, but he couldn’t stop thinking. Ten thousand dollars could buy Sophie a lot of shit she probably needed. They could put an addition on the cabin, though she seemed to think it was big enough. Or he could throw her a huge wedding. Not that he needed money to go after pricks like Norris, but if Miles was offering, he’d sure as shit take the money. And it wasn’t a handout, considering when Monty did catch Norris, he’d be in for the fight of his life.

He locked up the shop, left Whitefish behind and returned home, determined to make things right with Sophie before he sought out and destroyed his enemy. He only hoped that once he told her his story, she’d understand why he had to put their future in jeopardy.

Arriving home to the smell of a thick, hearty stew and his mate, Monty took in the scene and smiled. She stood behind the kitchen counter stirring something, her grin wide and welcoming when she saw him.

“There you are. I was getting worried.” Sophie looked pretty as a picture with her long brown hair down and her eyes crinkled in a smile. Her lips parted, and he hurried to take advantage with a kiss before he realized what little she wore underneath her oversized apron.

“Good Christ.” He blinked and stared down at the gaping fabric. Two perfect breasts with two tight little nipples poked the coarse material. He looked further down and noticed high heels accentuating her sexy legs.

“There’s a scene we haven’t played out yet,” she murmured and ran her hands over his chest. As usual, he didn’t need to work to get hard for his mate. Just scenting her aroused him. But this, an apron, a thong and heels?

“Hold on,” he said in a hoarse voice. He fumbled for his cell phone and called Burke. “I talked to Bermin. I’m on it tomorrow. I’ll see you then, and not before. Tonight is mine.”

Burke understood. Thank God. Because Monty had a hard time functioning when Sophie smiled shyly at him and grabbed him by the collar. Then she backed into the cabin, toward the bedroom, and pulled him in.

Lit candles gave the room a romantic glow. A fat dildo, tub of lube and towel on the nightstand had his heart racing. He’d been preparing her for a while. Would she let him take her ass tonight? He wanted to, but he questioned himself. Did he have the right to roll around in the sack without telling her he’d be leaving tomorrow, and why?

“No thinking, wolf of mine.” She yanked his shirt over his head and off him and tossed it to the side. Then she untied the apron she wore and let it fall to the floor.

The thong barely covered her sweet pussy, and Monty could smell her creaming for him. She moved to the bed and sat back, propped on her hands. Sophie spread her thighs and raised her knees, bringing attention to her shapely calves accented by those fuck-me heels.

“I want you to eat me up, my big bad wolf.” She batted her lashes, and Monty hurried to join her and dropped to his knees like a stone.

It always amazed him that his normally quiet little she-wolf could be so hedonistic and free with him. “You are the absolute best. Mate. Ever.”

Her laugh turned into a groan when Monty ran his thumbs up and down the inside of her thighs. “You’re slick, baby. That pretty pussy is making your thighs so wet.” He leaned close and inhaled, surprised his tongue wasn’t hanging out as he panted. Shit, he was harder than steel.

“I want your mouth on me.”

He swore and spread her thighs wider. Then he leaned close and shoved his face into her pussy. He licked her through the silky thong, loving her response. She gripped his hair tight and wrapped her legs around his torso, her heels digging into his back. So fucking sexy.

Then Monty shoved aside her thong and licked her, and he lost himself in the love of his mate.

Chapter Seven

Sophie was in heaven. She and Monty had been playing kinkier and sexier games for days, and she’d finally decided to finish what he’d started. She knew he wanted the same, and all the teasing he’d done had whetted her appetite for more. Since first making love to Monty, she’d developed a healthy drive for sex with her mate. It didn’t matter that she already knew where he liked to be touched or kissed. She constantly sought more ways to fulfill her naughty fantasies.

For so many years, she’d been pent up and repressed. But not now, not with the perfect man kneeling between her legs and bringing her to bliss with his godly mouth.

“Monty, yes,” she moaned and clutched his hair, loving how he alternated nips and licks over her clit.

He growled as he ate her up, and she couldn’t help herself from falling over the edge as she came over his lips.

“That’s it, baby. You’re beautiful.” He continued to kiss her, over her thighs and mound. And then he turned her over, onto her belly, and slid her thong off. “The heels stay on. Fuck, Soph. That’s sexy.”

“Mmm.” She floated on a cloud of bliss, her wolf lolling in contentment as Monty’s scent and touch filtered through her mind and spirit. Her mate protected while offering pleasure, and that seductive gift she’d never take for granted. “Now what, Monty?” She glanced over her shoulder and watched him strip to nothing.

Every scar and line on his muscular body told a story. He’d been through a lot, but he hadn’t turned into a monster. Strength and integrity couldn’t be beaten out of a man like Monty GrayClaw, but she didn’t know how far his loyalty would extend. Monty loved Sophie Tanner, the reserved yet kinky she-wolf he knew in Cougar Falls. From what she knew about his hostility toward Hunters, he’d never be able to love a woman raised alongside them.

“I hate that, Sophie.” He leaned over her, his stomach touching her back, so that he covered her like a blanket. “I don’t like that fear. I won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you.”

She turned and kissed his cheek. “I know. I want this. I want you.”

His breathing was uneven, and she wriggled against him, feeling his erection like a steel bar against her ass. “You have no idea how much I want to fuck you here.” He teased her, sliding between her butt cheeks. “I want to watch myself take you, to slide inside you. That’s so fucking hot.”

Sophie let him prod her up onto the bed and onto her hands and knees. Then he circled to the bedstand.

“Pay attention, mate.” He used the lube to grease his growing cock, oiling himself all over. “See how thick I am? I’m going to shove this deep inside your ass.” He smiled, the wolf very close to the surface. “I can smell your readiness. When you’re aroused, you smell muskier, sweeter. It’s not just your cum, but that need spiking the air.”

She flushed. She knew he could smell her, but that he could read her so easily embarrassed her. “I want you.”

“Good. Because I want you too.” He finally released his grip on himself and wiped his hands on the towel she’d laid on the bedstand. “I’m going to go slow. You tell me if it hurts, and I’ll ease up. But not forever. I’m fucking that ass tonight, baby.”

She loved his dirty talk, and he knew it. “Yes.”

He joined her on the bed and moved behind her. But instead of putting himself inside her, he spread her knees and planted a kiss on the small of her back. “So sexy.” His kisses moved over her ass and down the backs of her thighs, ratcheting her tension. “You have a terrific ass. I dream about it.”

“Just my ass?” she teased, surprised to feel breathless and needy, wanting him to touch her again. She’d just come, but his caresses made her ache for more.

“And your pussy. Those tits. That hot little mouth,” he said between kisses back up to her ass. He spread her cheeks and did something he hadn’t done before. He licked her hole, teasing the sensitive rim with his tongue.

The odd tingling raced through her and made her shiver.

He groaned and licked her some more, shoving his tongue deeper.

So dirty, so taboo, at least to Sophie’s sheltered world. But it felt good, knowing Monty was showing her the way to new pleasures.

As he explored, her need for fulfillment grew. She rocked with each press of his tongue, wanting him inside her.

“Please. Take me, Monty.”

“What’s that?” he asked as he kissed her ass again. “Tell me exactly what you want.”

She blushed, but she knew he’d demand until he got what he wanted. His powerful nature in bed made her hot. “I want you to fuck my ass.”

“Hard.”

“Yes, hard,” she repeated, gratified when he finally knelt between her legs and spread her ass with his hands.

The tip of him rested at her anus, and she shifted her hips, wanting more.

“Wait.” He snapped the word, gripping her hips tight enough to bruise.

Knowing he was close to losing his control pleased the hell out of her. Quiet Sophie Tanner got to Monty like no one else could, or so he constantly told her. And knowing she brought this particular wolf pleasure made her love him all the more.

Monty inched inside her anal passage. He was large, and it took him a few moments to ease past her sphincter, but she’d had practice, and she knew how to lessen the burden of his entry. She pushed out as he entered, and soon he was deeper inside her. Not all the way, but enough that was new to her.

“Christ. You’re so fucking hot,” Monty moaned and clutched her hips. “You are so pretty, Sophie. So beautiful taking me this way.”

“More.”

“Hell, yeah. Let me give it all to you.” He continued to push, slowly, filling her until she couldn’t stand the wait any longer.

“All of you, Monty. Right now.”

He slammed the rest of the way inside her and stilled, his balls against her ass. “Yeah, that’s it. Oh yeah. You are so tight. This is incredible. Almost as good as that pussy of yours,” he teased, his voice thick. “Now hold on. I’m going to pull back in a minute.”

She adjusted to him inside her, uncomfortable but getting used to his fit. He’d love to hear how much bigger he was than the plugs they’d previously used. But right now she concentrated on the picture they must make, of Monty fully joined to her, his large cock inside her ass. She liked the image and quivered under him, submitting as both woman and wolf.

“Sophie.” He sighed. “I love you so much.” He hugged her as he bent over and managed to feel even bigger inside her. “I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”

“That’s so romantic.” She felt a tear slide down her cheek. “But I can’t tell any of my friends you said that while fucking my ass.”

He snorted and inched out of her, the burn making her hiss.

“Easy, baby. Yeah, not the best time to get all emotional, eh?” He chuckled. “But damn, it felt right to me.” He withdrew a bit more. “Now I’m going to push back inside you.”

He slid back in, then out. Little pulses that grew faster as his breathing increased. “I want this to last, but I don’t know if I can. I can still taste you on my lips,” he rasped. “Still feel you all around me. We fit. And your ass is a goddamn glove around my cock. I need to come. Need to mark you everywhere,” he growled.

She bumped back against him with each push, in tune with their rhythm. It aroused her again, but she knew she couldn’t get to orgasm before him. “Come inside me. Fill me up, mate,” she urged and moaned, clutching the sheets.

“Yes, yes. Oh fuck. Baby, I’m coming,” he warned before he slammed deep inside her and stilled, groaning as he climaxed.

She could only be glad he didn’t knot like a real wolf, because he felt huge enough inside her.

“Touch yourself,” he whispered. “Fuck. Come, baby. Tighten around me again.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She started rubbing her clit, surprised to find herself so near the edge. But Monty didn’t seem to lessen in size inside of her, and the fullness there, the idea she’d had anal sex, that he remained within her, added to her excitement.

“That’s it. Rub it harder. Yeah, baby. Come. I want you to flood me with your scent.” He scratched her hips and ground against her ass. “Fuck, yeah.”

She lost it and came, crying out his name as she shook and clenched around him.

“Sophie. Sophie, baby.” He kept groaning as he rubbed himself against her, and when she’d finally wound down, she felt like a big wet noodle, limp and boneless.

Monty slowly withdrew, and she shook, a bundle of nerves. He wiped her ass with the towel then left the bed.

“I’ll be right back.”

She heard the water in the bathroom turn on and off. Moments later, Monty returned with a warm, wet washcloth and small pan of soapy water. He cleaned her with gentle strokes, taking his time to see to her tender ass. He set the pan and washcloth aside and dried her off.

After joining her on the bed, he took her in his arms and kissed her.

“Hmm,” she murmured. “You smell like soap.”

“Better that than ass.”

She flushed. “Monty.”

He laughed. “I’m just teasing you. I love the way you smell, baby.” He nuzzled her nose. “But I’m here to protect you, to keep you safe from everything I can.” He paused. “Including me.”

“What does that mean?”

He sighed. “It means I love you. And I’m leaving tomorrow.”

She leaned up and shoved him underneath her on the bed. Raised up on her arms over him, she demanded to know where he thought he was going.

“I told you I had a past as messed up as yours. And no, we never talk about it.”

Nervous about how much he might want to share, she stopped him. “We don’t have to talk about it. Like you said, the past is the past. I love you for all of you, who you are now.”

“I know,” he said softly and rubbed her arms. He forced her to lie on her side facing him while he explained. “I’m good at tracking. Always have been. And after my time with Hunters, I became especially good at it.” He cleared his throat. “When I was nineteen, I was a cocky little bastard. Thought I knew everything. Didn’t want to waste my whole life in Cougar Falls without seeing the real world. I ignored my dad and my friends and set out for an adventure. Except I got as far as Tennessee and hit a wall.”

She tensed. “Tennessee?” Where her uncle lived.

“Yeah. Ran into a bad, bad thing, Soph. Hunter hell.” He sighed. “I was stuck fighting other Ac-taw, Hunters, and trying to survive for six long years in a tiny cell that about had me losing my mind. An evil guy grabbed onto me and wouldn’t let me go. Ted Norris. I’ll never forget him. He chained me up like a dog and made me fight for him. I was his prized pet. He called me Demon—”

“—Demon. That fucking wolf will think twice before he pulls that again.” Uncle Ted motioned to her cousins to clear the barn, and Sophie didn’t know what to think. She held a tray of sweet tea and glasses, confused. The barn was in shambles, and to her surprise, what looked like a wooden door in the floor was wide open. In the floor?

“Uncle Ted?”

He turned to her, and in his eyes she saw the monster she tried to pretend didn’t exist. “Hey, honey. Having a problem with the wildlife. Killed our chickens.” His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t see anything strange out there, did you?”

“N-no.” She trembled and the tray in her hands shook. “I just finished my homework and thought you might be thirsty. So I b-brought you some tea.” She swallowed hard, looking around. “What happened?”

He regarded her for a moment, and again she had the sense he’d know if she lied. She’d told the truth. Tenth grade algebra annoyed the heck out of her, but Uncle Ted demanded perfection in his student. He’d been homeschooling her for the past five years, ever since he’d taken her in when her parents died. She still feared him, big bad Uncle Ted who had no problem beating men until they bled. Her cousins too. No one was safe from his temper, so she did her best to remain small, quiet, invisible.

She’d thought bringing him something to drink would erase her snooping into his office the other day. She couldn’t be sure, but she swore he knew she’d been there, as if he could smell her whereabouts at all times. To hear him tell it, he would do anything for his beloved sister’s daughter. He kept the boys away, made sure she had a roof over her head and food on the table. And after beating her that once, he’d never laid a finger on her again.

He scared the ever-loving crap out of her.

“Wolves, Sophie. They somehow found our barn and made a mess. Killed Scottie and Bernard too.”

She stared in horror. “Scottie?” Her favorite dog, the German Shepherd who’d taken to her right off. Bernard guarded the barn from predators—a rangier mutt, he was her cousin Brett’s pride and joy.

Tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Oh, honey. I’m sorry you had to hear it like this.”

As he said it, he stepped aside, and she saw a mangled body of fur and blood by the tractor. Good God, she could see part of Scottie’s skull and an eyeball hanging out of it.

She dropped the tray, turned and threw up, shivering and in shock.

“Good. Get it out.” Her uncle turned and barked at Brett, “Take Sophie in the house, then get your brothers and the neighbors. We need to clean this up. Almost broke away that time.” But he sounded excited, not upset, and she didn’t want to know any more. Because a part of her had wondered about the hay scattered over the uneven floor in the corner—hay that couldn’t quite conceal that door in the floor. Better to know nothing. Better to stay away, quiet. Far, far from danger.

“Sophie? Honey, I’m okay. It’s in the past.” Monty looked at her with concern and wiped away her tears.

Oh God. Her uncle had imprisoned Monty. For six years.

“Wh-what did he do to you?” she whispered.

He glanced at his chest, where she saw the faded but still visible scars from events past. “He hurt me whenever he could. Tried to break me. I fought a lot in the pits, hellholes he reserved for Ac-taw to fight each other. Didn’t matter if we didn’t want to fight. He or his buddies would shoot one of us if we didn’t do the job ourselves. Only one animal ever left the pits alive at a time. He killed a lot of friends of mine.” Monty grew quiet. “There’s something really wrong about that man. More than him being a Hunter. He never seemed to age. Not even when I saw him a few weeks ago after seven years of being gone.”

“What?” She sat up. “What are you saying? He’s here?”

“Easy. He has no way of knowing where we are. Cougar Falls has the totem. We’re protected.” Only Ac-taw could see Cougar Falls under the totem’s protection. But that didn’t relieve her. “Norris is still Hunting. The fu—friggin’ psycho kidnapped Stacey and Dean a few weeks ago.”

When the cats had been taken by Hunters, it had been big news in town. “That was him? The same man who tortured you? T-Ted Norris?”

“The same. Talk about coincidence.” He snorted. “He saw me during the rescue. He knows I’m near, and he won’t stop until he finds me. Bastard had a hard-on for me I never understood.”

But Sophie knew. She’d overheard her uncle talk about that Demon for years, the one that eventually got away. To him, Monty presented the ultimate challenge. And her uncle could never walk away from the urge to dominate. Monty had outsmarted the great Ted Norris. He’d be nothing more than a trophy to be mounted to Uncle Ted’s wall, not a wolf that had defeated the “best Hunter to have ever lived.”

“But I don’t understand. Why do you have to go after him?” Why couldn’t they live in peace in Cougar Falls, where he couldn’t find them? Let someone else from the order hunt him down.

“Rumor has it he’s setting up a new fighting pit. A Hunter’s Folly, they call them.”

She remembered celebrating Hunter’s Folly each year, a special time, her uncle had called it, when he and his friends gathered to see each other again and talk about old times. She felt sick, recalling how she’d joined in the laughter and cooked to her heart’s content for the yearly occasions.

“Don’t go. Please,” she begged. “Stay here with me.”

Monty’s expression softened. He stroked her cheek. “I can’t. Joy Bermin, Miles’s sister? She’s missing. Miles thinks she might be in trouble. And honey, I live and work in Whitefish, outside of Cougar Falls. I can’t hide here in town forever, hoping Norris leaves. He’s an evil man, Soph. I can’t let him keep on hunting and killing our kind.”

Our kind. What would he think if he knew she was more than Ac-taw, but a direct relation to that evil? She shivered, wondering how her happiness had turned sour so quickly.

“Sophie, it’s okay. I’ll come back. I promise.”

She shook her head and threw herself into his arms. “I don’t want you to go. I love you, Monty. He’s a bad man. Can’t you just leave him alone?”

He pushed her from him and looked into her eyes. She thought she saw disappointment there. “I couldn’t live with myself if I hid out here while he killed more Ac-taw. He has to be stopped. A man like him won’t quit until he’s dead.”

She knew he was right, but the hollow in her gut tore at her. Monty might die. Her uncle could kill him, and that would happen after Ted finished torturing him to within an inch of his life. Her wolf growled in her breast.

“Yeah, there she is.” Monty chuckled. “You never let your wolf out to play, but when I sense her, she’s got my back.”

Sophie felt immediate shame. For all that they’d mated, she had yet to run with the man she loved or show him her wolf. “I’m sorry.” For being less than you deserve. For bringing this danger to your door. For so much I can’t say.

“It’s okay. When I get back, we’ll take it slow, and we’ll run together when you’re ready.”

God, how could he be so understanding?

“A better mate would take care of you. I should have run with you before, and now it might be too late.” She sniffed and wiped away more tears. What if her uncle had been nosing around because he’d been following Sophie’s trail? What if he’d happened upon Stacey and Dean while looking for his wayward niece?

Jesus, she hadn’t thought about that possibility. Guilt ate at her. She’d brought danger to the people she loved. Some bad karma for not doing more to help the battered Ac-taw when she’d had the chance.

“Sophie, stop. You’re pulling my heart out. That fear and grief is so bitter on your skin. I’m not gonna die, I swear. I’m taking some wolves from the order with me, wolves I know and trust. We’ll come back, hopefully not with Joy. I still don’t think Norris has her. Her disappearance doesn’t feel right. But I know he won’t rest until we meet up again.”

“Why you?” Why not me, she wanted to say.

“Because that’s who I am. I protect those I love, and like it or not, I—we—are part of the pride.”

She flushed. “I like the pride. I just don’t want you in danger.” She swallowed hard, calling on her courage. “I could help.”

He didn’t immediately laugh, which spoke well for him. “You can help by being safe. Knowing you’re protected will keep my mind free to deal with the devil.”

“I can shoot,” she said fast to get it out. “I grew up with firearms. I’m a crack shot.” An ace, truth be told. Though she hadn’t shot a rifle in a few months, she kept in practice. She’d need little time to get right back into the swing of things.

“A crack shot, eh?” He curled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Tell me more.”

She wanted to, to unburden herself, finally, and tell the whole sordid mess of her life. Yet she worried she’d distract Monty from his mission. And—honesty compelled her to admit—she was afraid he’d no longer want her if he knew the truth.

When she continued to remain silent, Monty hugged her tight. “Tell you what, mate. Why don’t we spend the rest of the night together, loving each other? Tomorrow will come soon enough.”

Wanting nothing more than to please her mate, Sophie kissed him. She touched him. She hugged him. Before she knew it, they were making love and giving to one another.

But in the back of her mind, she worried, because she knew better. Her uncle’s words returned to her, and they’d never been truer: the past never stays buried, not unless you dig the grave yourself.

Chapter Eight

Monty had been gone for three days with no word, and Sophie was losing her mind. She couldn’t think, couldn’t eat, and refused to talk to Julia or Gabby about it, avoiding them by working overtime at the grocery store. But she couldn’t face her lonely house anymore. To stay near Monty, to breathe in his scent, she slept in his big bed each night, crying and missing him as she imagined her uncle and cousins carving him up.

She’d seen enough during her years to make her more than wary of men. Her cousins had brutalized women and men she now knew to be Ac-taw, but they’d done it when their uncle had been away. Ted Norris didn’t subscribe to sexual urges. The man had been a monk in all the time she’d spent around him. He reveled in violence and brutality, but her cousins liked it all. And the dirtier the better.

Nightmare images of Monty being tortured refused to leave her, and her wolf was constantly on edge, turning at the smallest scent or sound.

Footsteps nearing the house had her reaching for Monty’s favorite knife, the one he’d left with her for protection, as if she’d need it with the pride always underfoot. Julia and Gabby were bad enough, but they must have told their mates of their worry, who in turn told Burke, because he stood outside the front door, waiting.

“Sophie, I’m coming in. We need to talk.”

She didn’t unlock it, but she apparently didn’t need to. She heard Burke sigh and fiddle with the door. In moments he entered with a grim look on his face.

She paced, anxious and ill at ease. Though she’d promised herself to Monty, she wasn’t exactly comfortable with the other pride males, and not in a place she considered her own den. Den? Her wolf intruded on her thoughts more and more, and she’d let the creature, because she wanted to be more like Monty—a man at peace with himself.

But her man belonged to the pride. She didn’t, and Burke wasn’t a wolf.

She stood with her back to the sink counter, her grip on the knife’s hilt, and watched warily as he stopped inside the doorway.

“I’m going to sit over here, okay?” He moved to the couch and sat, leaving her a clear path to the door should she need to leave in a hurry.

Too tense to feel ashamed for needing the avenue of escape, she asked him the question she knew he held an answer to. “Any news?”

“Yes.” Burke wore his worry in his golden eyes, and she wanted to howl. “One of the wolves reported back. They found some Hunters in the woods, but the Hunters were prepared. Two wolves are dead, the other seven were taken. No further word from any of them. They’ve vanished.”

Her worst fear come to light.

“Now don’t worry, we’ll—”

“Don’t tell me not to worry,” she growled. “He’s my mate.”

“Yeah, and he’s part of my pride,” Burke growled back and stood.

She automatically retreated and felt immediate shame. Monty deserved so much more than her. Weak, pathetic. She was everything her uncle and cousins had called her. And worse, because she’d never done the right thing when she had the chance, preferring to live in denial.

But she could fix that now.

“Damn it, Sophie. I’m not going to hurt you. Hell, I want to help you. The order’s lighting out in a few hours, when it turns darkest. We’re going to get him back.”

“Who’s we, exactly?” she asked as she plotted.

“The order, Sheridan and his wolves. Soon as he has a direct fix, I’ll join him. We know the bastards are somewhere south of Kalispell, closer to Flathead Lake. But we can’t nail the exact location. Not yet.”

“You can’t go with them.” Something about Flathead Lake sparked her memory. “You have to protect the pride.”

He grimaced. “I’m pride leader. I make my own decisions,” he reminded her in a firm but gentle voice. “Rachel understands.”

For his friend, he’d leave his pregnant mate behind and go into danger. Could Sophie do less for her mate? The love of her life? Fear of her uncle and cousins had blinded her to so much for so long. Because of them, she’d denied her wolf, her very self. And now because of them, she might lose a love worth fighting for.

Time to stop being so Sophie-like and man up. Wolf up, her animal spirit corrected, and she embraced the idea.

She let the tears flow. “I’m sorry, Burke. I’m just so worried.” She sniffed a few times, pouring it on thicker. Not that she had to pad her worry, but she’d finally worked up the courage to do something and she needed to get away from the pride and their protective instincts.

“I know, honey. I understand.” He gave her a sympathetic nod. “Want me to get Julia or Gabby for you?”

“No. Not now. I think I just need to sleep on it, you know?” She bit her lip. “Would it be okay if I went home to my house? It’s where Monty and I first… Ah, where he first told me he loved me. And I want to be closer to him. Sounds silly, but…” She held on to the pendant he’d given her, relying on it for strength.

“No, no.” He looked relieved. “I’ll have Grady drive you home.”

“I’m okay. I want to drive my car. And I live in town, so it’s not like I have to worry about being attacked by Hunters.” Not like Monty.

“Yeah, but you’re under my protection. Monty entrusted me with your welfare, honey. You mean the world to him.”

Her eyes welled again.

“Shit. I mean,” Burke paused, looking helpless. “Go ahead home. I’ll follow, just to see that you get in safe. Okay?”

“Sure.” She caught her breath and grabbed her purse and keys. “Can we go now?”

“Yeah. Meet me at the main house.”

She drove to the main house and waited while Burke hustled into his truck. As promised, he followed her home. She waved at him and watched him drive away, knowing she had a small window of time to do what needed to be done. Burke would have someone sit outside the house for her protection. Not that she needed it, but because he’d promised Monty to protect her.

She hurried into her basement and retrieved the duffel she hadn’t looked at since Theo had brought her to Cougar Falls.

Taking a deep breath, she called on her courage and made the call that would end her life in Cougar Falls. A half an hour later, a knock sounded at the door. She glanced at the bag on the table and knew the time had come.

She rose and answered it. Axel and Rafe entered. Alone.

“Thank you for coming,” she said quietly.

Axel nodded and glanced around. “You by yourself?”

“I think one of the pride is watching the house.”

“Melissa’s out front,” Rafe added. “A few of my wolves are distracting her while we discuss what the hell you’re up to.”

She blinked away useless tears. God, she hadn’t cried so much since she’d left the frickin’ homestead with Theo years ago. “I know how to get Monty and the others back.”

Axel and Rafe exchanged a glance before Rafe said, “No.”

“I’m worth more to the Hunters than you know.”

Axel frowned, but Rafe’s expression didn’t change. “I know more than you think. And the answer is still no,” he denied softly.

“Rafe?” Axel asked.

“I’m Ted Norris’s niece,” she said out loud. “The big bad Hunter killing Ac-taw? I’m his blood. Call and ask Theo. He’ll tell you.”

Axel swore.

Rafe shrugged. “He already told me years ago. I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself to that monster to rescue anyone.”

“I’m not going to sacrifice myself. I’m going in as bait while you and your wolves get ready to take his Hunters out for good. I’ll distract him for you.”

“Sophie—”

She approached him, ignoring Axel’s tension. “Rafe, I have to. Monty’s my mate. We bonded.” She started to cry again. Damn it. “I spent my entire life growing up under my uncle’s thumb. I didn’t do enough before.”

“Theo said you did plenty.” Rafe shook his head. “You saved his life.”

“But I should have saved a lot more.” She didn’t look away from her alpha, even when his powerful glare ordered her to submit. “I can do this, Rafe. Please. I have to do this or I won’t survive.” Not without Monty, not without doing what I should have done so long ago.

He softened. She could see it. Apparently so could Axel.

“Hell, no, Rafe. You can’t let her go in there. Not around those fuckers.”

“And you can’t tell me what to do,” Rafe growled in a low rumble.

Axel glanced down but didn’t relent. “She shouldn’t go.” He looked up at her. “Even if she is part of this mess. She’s breeding.”

Sophie started. “I’m not pregnant.”

Rafe blinked at her. “She’s not—is she?”

Axel nodded. “It’s really subtle, but it’s there. Happened recently.”

She colored.

Axel’s grin widened. “Yeah.” He touched his nose. “This thing never lies. You’re going to be having a pup in nine months.” His smile died. “So no way you can be anywhere near Norris. He’ll kill you, or worse. Think about your mate, Sophie. Your baby.”

Now more than ever, she had to help Monty. “I am.” She turned a pleading gaze back to Rafe. “When I left my uncle, it was after years of living with him, knowing he was bad but not how bad. He hunted and he killed. But they were just wild animals stealing our chickens or cows. So I told myself. But I think I always knew.”

“Sophie, don’t.” Rafe tried to stop her.

“I saw him kill one of us. A man who’d been so nice to me. My uncle shot him right between the eyes in the middle of his change. And then I knew what he’d been doing all those years. To all those people.” She blinked back her tears, using her pain to bolster her resolve. “Theo helped me escape as much as I helped him. And now my uncle is doing it again, hurting Ac-taw. But this time it’s because of me.”

“No, it’s because he’s a sick fuck,” Axel interrupted. “Honey, you can’t go up against him. From everything we’ve heard, he’s not right in the head.”

“He’s Ac-taw,” she whispered, suddenly putting the pieces together.

“What?” Rafe stared at her, hard.

“He has to be. Monty said he never seems to change, and when I thought about it, I realized he never has, not in twenty-six years. He’s the same man he’s always been. Strong, and he can see, hear and smell things normal humans can’t. He’s like me, and he doesn’t shift. Ever.”

“Well, that would make him a nutjob of the first order.” Axel nodded. “Never feeling his wolf, all that anger and ferocity balled up in a human body? Bound to make him psycho.”

Rafe studied her. “Tell me everything you know about your uncle. Everything. Axel, get on the horn. I want eyes on the last known location we had for him.”

“I think I know where he might be going.” She hoped. It was a long shot, but she remembered the many places her uncle had traveled to, often because she’d handled the logistics for his trips while her cousins, who’d been supposed to organize them, had been too busy having fun in the barn, doing thing she hadn’t wanted to know about.

She told Axel what she knew, and he quickly relayed the information over his cell phone. Then she told Rafe about her uncle.

The telling took a good hour, and she felt mentally exhausted at the end. “So, you see, I have to go. I can’t live with myself if I don’t do what I can for my mate. I have to.” Then she let her wolf come to the fore. “And I’m going to rescue him.”

Rafe just watched her, then smiled. “I knew you had the wolf in you, Sophie. You just needed an excuse to let her out.” He sighed. “You know Monty is going to be pissed as hell when this is all over.”

“If he wants anything to do with me anymore.”

Rafe shook his head. “Honey, if GrayClaw is so big an asshole that he can’t see what a gem you truly are, you have a place in the order. Don’t you worry.”

But she did worry. Because she now had not only a mate worth saving, but a tiny baby needing the protection of a mother and father—an Ac-taw not so screwed up that he couldn’t teach her baby how to live with the wolf instead of struggling against it for so many years.

Lost in contemplation, she didn’t hear Rafe until he repeated himself. “Oh, and Sophie?” She glanced up to see Axel standing over her with a resigned look on his face.

He sighed. “Rafe, do I have to?”

Rafe snarled. “Do it.”

“But—”

“Do it.” Rafe turned to her. “You’ll thank me when it’s over.”

Before she could question him, Axel’s large fist struck her cheek. Then she saw black.

She woke minutes later, spurred by her wolf. Rafe’s and Axel’s voices faded as the front door creaked closed. The wolf whined and snapped at her to shake it off and wake the hell up. Sophie moaned and rubbed her throbbing jaw.

I cannot believe he struck a pregnant woman! She was so telling Monty about this when she saw him next. If she saw him alive again, and if he would care. She sat up in her bed and pushed her covers aside. The idiot wolves had knocked her out and then tucked her in bed. She stopped moving when she heard movement and quickly lay back down and feigned sleep again.

She smelled cat and wolf.

“Monty is going to be unhappy when he hears about this.” She recognized Melissa’s voice.

“Nah, not if no one tells him,” offered the deep voice of one of the gray wolves. “Besides, we’re keeping her safe. He’ll thank us.” Dirk, she thought. Or Dave. Or Dick.

Annoyed with men all over again, she waited until the pair stepped away from the door and moved back downstairs. Great. Now she had a cat and a wolf as babysitters. Her duffel bag was nowhere in sight. Yet…

She slowly left her bed, well aware of how to move without making a sound. She searched her closet and retrieved her rifle, the one she’d won contests with. Hunter contests, unbeknownst to her. She took it and a bag of ammunition and made a plan.

Ten minutes later after a very brisk run in human form, she stood outside Monty’s cabin in the shadows, making sure she was alone. Nothing stirred and no one moved. She went inside and grabbed his keys, then used them before she lost her nerve. Sophie quickly texted Rafe to beware hidden traps. It was the best she could do under the circumstances. Then she muted her phone and tucked it into her backpack. She was twenty minutes outside of Cougar Falls, on her way to Kalispell, when her cell phone vibrated. She didn’t answer.

She had a very important place to be, and she had to get there before the wolves did in order to prevent a bloodbath. Simply put, she’d told Axel and Rafe where her uncle might have relocated, but she hadn’t thought to warn them of his safeguards until now. If she knew her uncle, and she did, he’d have wired the perimeter of his camp with booby traps, the way he had around the farm back in Tennessee.

Now it was up to her to get to Monty. And fast.

Per Monty’s GPS, she arrived a few miles outside of his camp and parked under a copse of trees. The moon remained behind a bank of clouds, and with no wind on the horizon, she didn’t have a spotlight on her as she moved through the forest, attuned to foreign sights and sounds. Her wolf whined at her to be set free, but Sophie needed hands for her rifle. For the first time in a long time, she openly communicated with her animal spirit, using the wolf’s senses and sharing her concerns.

No longer not allowed to be anything but herself, she embraced her twin soul and felt stronger because of it. When she came upon the first tripwire, she disarmed it and looked for a second trap to follow.

There. She cut it and continued, deactivating a half dozen more booby traps along the way. She could only be thankful Rafe and his wolves hadn’t arrived. A few of them would have been dead by now, she was sure of it. Her uncle didn’t mess around with defense.

Allowing herself the time, she sent another harried text to Rafe’s cell phone with her exact location.

As she moved, she kept her eyes open for the right tree. Within sight of the camp, of course, but tall. She found it another half mile to the west of her current position. After tightening the straps of her backpack and securing the rifle against her chest, she climbed. She made it twenty-five feet and settled in the crook of a thick branch. Then she took her ammunition and clips and set them close. She unwound her rifle and scope and took aim on the campfire.

She didn’t see her uncle, but then, she hadn’t expected to. She saw her cousin Charley looking as dopey and mean as usual. Not the brains of the outfit, which explained his position at the campfire, as a decoy. A few other inexperienced Hunters patrolled the outer edge of the small camp. A solid two dozen men. Hunters tended to be sexist. They considered women good for nothing but having babies. Nope. Not a woman in sight.

The Folly would be underground, through a makeshift hole against the side of a massive boulder that led down into a large underground cavern her uncle had expanded into his own personal hideaway years ago.

Sophie couldn’t believe she was up in a tree with a loaded rifle. She’d never done anything so risky before. But for Monty, she had to try. And then she heard them. The sound of footfalls, the four-footed kind.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She’d never intentionally killed a person before, but she knew Monty and the others depended on her to survive.

“We’re here.” Rafe’s voice.

“Come on out, Shifter. We’ve been waiting.” That was Matt, her middle cousin. A rapist and murderer. She could only be glad she’d never been left alone with him, or she feared what he might have done. He had a sickness as bad as her uncle’s, and she knew he’d kill the wolves of the order without thinking twice. “You don’t come into the light, I off your friends. Starting with this one.” He nodded and her cousin Charley moved into the light holding a bloodied man by the collar. He’d been shot in both legs and could barely stand on his own.

She recognized him. It was James, a gray wolf who always had a ready smile for her when he’d stopped by the store.

She felt sick.

Rafe took a step, and she heard the telltale click of safeties. She zeroed in on sound and saw sharpshooters lined up in the woods behind the campfire, giving them perfect vision while hiding them from the wolves. Without thinking, she shot, rapid-fire, at the threat.

Rafe and the wolves in the woods took cover. Hunters returned fire at the wolves and at her. Then more shots came from Rafe’s side of the woods. The gunfire died and the wolves entered the campsite, killing the remaining stragglers until no one else moved.

The chaos stopped as suddenly as it had started and Sophie stared at close to forty wolves all over the place. Good Lord. Rafe had brought an army with him. She hustled down the tree with her gear and stopped when everyone turned to face her.

“Fuck it all, you’re not supposed to be here,” a large white wolf sent her, his teeth stained red as he joined Rafe, now in wolf form. The pack often communicated telepathically, and Sophie had no problem understanding them.

She swallowed hard at the carnage around her. She’d actually killed people. No, not people. Murdering Hunters who would have killed your pack, the wolf reminded her. She tried not to find pleasure in the coppery scent of blood so near. “Someone had to save you from your own foolishness. Why didn’t you take me with you? If I hadn’t been here, you’d be dead now.”

“So you disarmed the traps in the woods. Nice job,” another wolf said as he sidled next to Rafe. She looked at him with wolf eyes and inhaled.

“Mitch?”

“Hey, Sophie. Nice shooting.” He chuffed at her with approval.

“Save it. Where do we go now?” Rafe growled at her.

“I go in there,” she whispered and pointed her rifle toward a dark passage away from the campfire. “You need to wait. They heard the shots, they know we’re here. Just give me a little time. When they come running out, take them here and at the back. Let me show you.”

“No way in hell.” Rafe nudged her behind him and Axel took up the rear. “Shift into your wolf.”

“No.”

“Then you stay here.”

“I can shoot faster than you can attack. And Monty’s in there.” She yanked on his tail. “Rafe, please.”

He stopped still, his fur bristled.

“I know these people and this place,” she murmured. “You have to trust me.”

“Come on, Rafe.” To her surprise, Axel agreed. “She took care of the traps and the shooters in the bushes. We don’t have time to argue. Let her go—we’ll wait. If she’s not out, we go in anyway.”

Rafe snarled at her. “Shit. Well, hurry up. Axel’s going with you. That’s non-negotiable. I’m giving you two a ten minute head start, no more.”

It would have to be enough. Sophie nodded. She showed Mitch and a few others the hideaway’s hidden back exit before returning to the front, where Rafe and Axel sat with their heads cocked. The other wolves had scattered around the camp, keeping to the dark and blending with their environment. The savvy canine hunters would give the humans a true challenge this time.

Axel reported, “A few guards several meters from the entrance. I smell gun oil, carbon. Rifles, maybe a pistol or two.”

She nodded and checked her weapon, reloaded it, and set her mental guards for stealth mode. She couldn’t worry about the morality of it all. Not now. She had to concentrate on saving Monty. The Hunters normally had orders to kill Ac-taw on sight. She would do the same to them.

“Be careful.” Rafe licked her hand as she passed.

She nodded and entered the cave, her rifle at the ready. Her first shot sounded overly loud to her enhanced hearing. But the ones that followed bothered her less and less, especially with Axel’s encouragement.

It was the absence of smell that alerted her to move back. And just in time. A bullet shattered the rock wall where her head had been.

“Not her, you idiot.” Uncle Ted’s booming voice still had the ability to unnerve her.

“I’ll circle around,” Axel said and slid into a crevice she hadn’t noticed.

Then arms appeared out of nowhere and hauled her inside a place she could only describe as Monty’s Hunter hell.

Chapter Nine

Monty glared at the bastards on either side of him. Fucking Norris was taking no chances of him escaping this time. Their guns were trained on him and the leather collar bolted to his neck was attached to not one, but two iron chains affixed to stone walls.

The place looked like a reject from a backwoods horror movie. Dead bodies were piled up in corners, some human, some not. He’d seen and heard men fucking during the night, when Norris steered clear of the pit. Monty had been kept in a solitary cell that made him want to scream. Ever since his time with Norris, he couldn’t stand small spaces. But the wolves with him who’d survived had it worse, crammed into a tiny cell barely big enough to sit in without touching something vile.

God, the smells. Death and rot and evil. The noxious return of Hunter’s Folly. Blood, guts and entrails had a particular odor when combined, and fuck if it didn’t make him want to vomit. He’d been forced to watch cats and coyotes scrapping for two straight days. They were saving the wolves, apparently, and he had a bad feeling he knew why.

Sheridan would come after his wolves. So would Burke. God willing, Sophie would stay home. He wondered if his little mate would try to come after him. She worried, he knew that. And she’d offered to help him, but he couldn’t see her tromping through the woods with a gun, looking to shoot Norris. He was a bit disappointed she wasn’t stronger about all this, then swore at himself for wanting her to be something she wasn’t.

Sophie loved him. That was all that mattered.

He glanced at his captors and curled his lip. After three days of shitty food, little water and more than his share of punches, kicks and bruises, he felt more than ready to get to work and annihilate Hunters. Hell, none of this would have been an issue if a dickhead alpha wanna-be hadn’t fucked up their stealth attack.

The wolf had jumped into the middle of everything after following them from a distance. Instead of ordering the idiot to go back, Monty had stupidly agreed to let him stay, thinking the gray wolf only wanted in on some Hunter action. He’d had no idea the guy planned on using their supposed victory as ammo against Rafe, to take over the order. Rafe really needed to work on his leadership, something Monty would be happy to discuss with him when, not if, he returned.

Monty should have been hip-deep in Hunter carcasses, but instead he watched Ted Norris laugh and drink with his old buddies, nearly fifty fucked-up men who thought killing an entertaining way to spend the weekend.

The fear he’d expected at being so close to Norris had come back, but with it was a distinct separation of self. Monty felt his unease and this time embraced it. There was no shame in wanting to give evil some distance. To his surprise, Norris watched him with clear satisfaction, but the man had yet to directly speak to him. He spoke of him, of his demon wolf finally returned. Like Monty was his fucking lost pet.

All around him lanterns flickered as the oil began to run out. Men refilled them, and Monty put his time in this place at close to the fourth day. Down here he couldn’t see daylight, so he judged time by the lantern refills. The fights continued in the center of the main cavern, which he could no longer see from this position, high up on a ledge and back from the main cavern. Dug ten feet deep, a pit twenty feet by forty feet allowed combatant Ac-taw room to maul one another. He knew it was only a matter of time before he joined them. But he had no intention of killing his kind, not with Norris so close.

The bastard raised his head and looked straight at Monty across fifty feet of space. Light gray eyes pierced the gloom, until it was just Monty and Norris with nothing between them but hate and revenge.

Norris grinned, showing flat white teeth. The man looked clean, and a good twenty years younger than he should have. Monty had been puzzling over Norris’s health. Even five weeks later, Burke’s brutal bite into Norris’s cheek should have left some scar. Yet nothing marred the guy’s face.

Norris winked at him and whispered, obviously knowing Monty would hear, “Soon, Demon. We’re just waiting for the fun to really get started.”

Monty’s heart raced. The man next to him kicked him in the side, and he felt his bruised rib literally crack. Fucker.

He snarled and snapped and managed to draw blood before the other guy smacked him in the head with the butt of his rifle.

Monty saw stars and shook his head before he realized the crowd had gone quiet.

“That’s gunshots.” One of the dozens of Hunters present frowned at the corridor directly behind Norris. There was only one way in and one way out, that Monty knew of. “Want me to send my guys out?”

“No, no. My boys are out there.” Matt and Charley, but Brett, the big bastard who’d kicked Monty, stood next to him. Norris’s favorite son, and the first one Monty planned on killing.

More gunfire and the familiar snarl of wolves. The other Ac-taw in the cages built into the walls started howling, spitting and snarling.

“Shut up!” Norris fired his pistol into the ceiling, but it was his inhuman growl that caught Monty’s attention. Damn it all if the guy didn’t sound almost wolf-like.

An odd notion crossed his mind, but more gunfire distracted him.

“Dave, go take care of that, would you?” Norris motioned to the corridor.

Three men raced behind Dave to obey Norris, their guns at the ready.

Shots followed. Norris turned to see something, and then he shouted, “Not her, you idiot.” Norris’s wide smile worried him.

Shit. If the older guy was happy, trouble surely would follow.

And it did. In the form of Monty’s mate.

“Honey, I’m so happy to see you.” Norris grabbed Sophie in his muscular arms and hugged her tight, ignoring her struggles.

That the bastard seemed to know her increased Monty’s unease, but he kept himself and his wolf stock-still. Norris kept on eye on him, as if waiting for a reaction. Monty had played this game for years. He refused to give him one.

“Get off me!” Sophie managed to connect with Norris’s mouth, drawing blood.

The others around them froze.

Norris chuckled and wiped his mouth clean while easily restraining Sophie. “Now is that any way to talk to your uncle? I was worried about you when you left with those wolves. But now I know you were just setting them up. Bringing me my Demon, weren’t you, honey?” He sounded overjoyed.

At mention of his Demon, Sophie looked all around and stopped when she saw him.

Wait a minute. Uncle? Sophie’s uncle was Ted Norris? Demon. He’d told her his name, but she’d already known it? He had more questions than answers, but the misery, not fear, in Sophie’s eyes took him aback. Even from far away he could sense her guilt. The bottom dropped out from his world.

His mate, the woman he’d loved with every fiber of his being, had sold him out.

Norris started laughing so hard he cried. “Oh honey. You done good. Brought me my wolf and an invite into that special town in one big fall, didn’t you? How many did you bring with you? Sixty? A hundred?” He turned to the crowd. “Fellas, we’re having a Folly to end all Follies! Extinction’s come to Cougar Falls!”

The men around him cheered and toasted to success.

“What are you talking about?” She tried to pull from his meaty grip, but Norris wouldn’t let her go.

If she didn’t stop, she’d bruise. Monty wanted to tell her to be careful, and then he wondered why he should care, if she’d set him up. Ted Norris’s niece. So why was she here, looking so sad and scared? None of this made sense. Had she been that great an actress she’d fooled the entire town for two fucking years, pretending to be scared while drawing them to their doom? But she was Ac-taw, and Ted’s niece…

Monty had been right. Norris wasn’t human. But he hadn’t shifted either. What the fuck?

“That group you have outside is just in time for the biggest Hunt ever. Thanks, girlie. Brett, come greet your cousin. She smells so good.” Norris winked at Monty. “Just as pretty as a peach too.” Brett left Monty with the other guard, a stunned smile on his face.

Norris knew Monty had mated her. The bastard taunted him with it. Terrific. Now he’d no doubt torture her to goad Monty into doing his bidding. But it wouldn’t work. First, Monty didn’t think he’d actually hurt his own blood. Nor would Monty care, not if Sophie had been so callous as to turn on her own kind. On him.

She frantically tugged on her wrist until Norris twisted and snapped it. Her howl of pain provoked a reaction Monty couldn’t help, and he turned on the guard holding a gun on him and snapped through his wrist with his teeth, feeling the bullet pass through the back of his neck. The sting hurt, but it was minor. He continued to tear and tug until the wrist gave way.

The chain didn’t allow him much movement, but he kept his focus on the Hunter by his side, not stopping until the fucker died.

Sophie screamed as her uncle pushed her into the pit with the rabid cats who’d paused in their fight with one another.

“Let’s see how much you’ve learned, little girl. Is scared little Sophie ready to take her rightful place yet? You ready to come home?”

Brett blinked at his father in shock. “Ted. That’s Sophie!”

“She’s just an animal whore, boy.” Ted shook his head. “She made her choice.” He turned to Monty. “But she did her job. Brought you to me like I told her to. Too bad she couldn’t keep her legs closed. Just like her momma, God rest her soul.”

The cats snarled and hissed, and Monty’s heart almost stopped, fear for his mate overtaking all sense. He strained and pulled, but he couldn’t tell what was happening in the pit.

He heard louder noises from outside, more guns, wolves growling, and what sounded like vehicles moving in. Large trucks?

Yet he couldn’t take his gaze from the pit, where Sophie had fallen. The screech of a pissed-off cat boiled his blood, and when she cried out for Monty, he saw red. His mate, trapped in this place with his enemy, when he’d promised he’d protect her. He felt the pain stab him deep where his spirit bled. He had to go to her.

Then he noted Norris’s crafty smile.

Or did he? Was Sophie Monty’s or not? They’d bonded. He loved her, she loved him. So why hadn’t she said anything when he’d told her the name of the man he tracked?

He wanted badly to trust, but years with Norris had taught him to count on nothing and no one but himself. Ac-taw would turn on one another in a heartbeat. Monty had only himself to rely on to get out of this mess, to protect the town. Norris was definitely up to no good.

Brett stopped by his father’s side, his face expressionless. “A whore?”

“Yes.”

“Well, damn.” Brett didn’t say anymore. And he didn’t have to.

Ted slapped him on the back. “Good man. Stay strong. Now let’s see what the girl can do.” He faced Monty. “What do you say, Demon? Think your whore can best two feral cats? And these lions have claws, boy. They hate humans.” He peered into the pit. “Well get to it, pussies. Cleave the girl in two and you might live to see another day.”

Monty needed her to shift, and he barked at her to do so, furious he couldn’t trust his instincts, which told him to save her, no questions asked.

More feline yowling and snarling, then nothing, and Monty wished to hell he could see. Whatever happened had to be good, though, because Norris started frowning. Explosions sounded from outside, and the Hunters looked nervous. Norris lifted his pistol and aimed at the pit, ready to fire.

Monty’s whole life flashed before his eyes, and he pulled on his collar hard enough to choke himself.

Before Norris could fire, a huge white wolf knocked him on his ass.

Axel?

“Sophie, get your ass out of there. And bring the cats,” Axel roared.

Monty stared, wide-eyed, as Ted shot at Axel and screamed at Brett to move with him. Hunters started firing at anything with fur, but not as many had their guns with them as they might have liked. They’d been ready to watch Shifters rip each other apart, not actually fight them off themselves. The booze they’d imbibed didn’t help them either.

As Norris crossed toward Monty, Monty knew he had to take a chance. Though vulnerable, he allowed himself to shift, hoping somehow he might slip out of his collar while mid-transformation.

Before he could manage it, Norris reached him, and Monty settled back into his wolf. He lunged and caught Brett’s leg. He refused to let go, even while the man screamed and Ted struck at his jaw again and again.

He blacked out.

When he came to, he saw the woods around him in a blur as he bounced in the open back of a Jeep barreling away from the camp. Sophie. Where is Sophie?

“Fucking professionals, my ass,” Norris snarled. “How hard is it to spray Hunter’s mist? You tranq the wolves and move in on them. Jesus. We should have had enough for three more follies this year. Instead the camp’s a mess and we took massive casualties. What a cluster.”

Brett remained quiet a moment before he asked quietly, “Charley and Matt? What about them, Dad?”

Ted smacked him, the slap loud in the night. “It’s Ted, you moron. Your brothers were perverted, unclean filth. Matt fucked those animals. Male or female didn’t seem to matter. And Charley was less than useless. They played bait, and they managed to screw even that up. Matt should have radioed to let me know when to set off the traps. He’s dead? Good. It’s more than he deserved.”

Brett raged at his father, his attack unexpected. The Jeep bobbed all over the place, but Monty couldn’t move, still chained, this time to the frame of the vehicle.

Until it overturned.

Sophie was as frantic to get far away from the cats growling at her as she was to rescue Monty. God, the look he’d given her, the hurt and anger. She hoped she could make things right before she died, at least.

One of the cats raked claws across her back, and it took her mind from the throbbing ache of her wrist. Enraged at being stuck down here while the chaos above them continued, her mate at risk, she turned and snapped back at them. Without thinking, she let her wolf take charge.

In seconds she felt herself leave her flesh, the bright feel of warmth and earth and life so freeing, and then she fell back into bone and skin again, but this time it was covered with fur as she wriggled out of her clothes.

“Cut it out,” she tried to yell and instead barked at the cats.

They stared at her in surprise.

One of them prodded at her mind, but she refused to let him in, not used to accepting the unfamiliar mental touch of an unknown feline.

She shook her head and winced when she put pressure on her front left paw. Her back still stung, but not as badly now. Then Axel shoved his snout over the rim of the pit.

“Hey, you three. You want to stay in here and provide fun times for these fuckers, or would you rather kill a few and get the hell out?”

The cats glanced at each other, then leapt out of the pit with ease. Sophie tried, but her paw hampered her.

Axel scowled and his ears flattened. “Just hold on.” The noise, bullets and chaos above her grew louder. Then the end of a rope smacked her in the nose.

“Ow.”

Axel grinned. “Man, you are in so much trouble when Rafe sees what happened. Quit whining and grab on with your teeth. I’ll pull you out, little wolf.”

She wasn’t as concerned with Rafe as she was Monty. She bit hard and used the rope to get out of the pit. Finally. A glance around her showed Ac-taw fighting Hunters all over the place.

“He’s gone with Norris. Come on.” Axel stayed by her, his large bulk easily batting Hunters and Shifters out of their way as they worked toward the other end of the corridor, to the back exit. “Norris went this way.”

They exited and met a dozen angry wolves growling with warning. When they spotted Axel they immediately subsided and wagged their tails.

“Where’s Rafe?” Axel asked.

Sophie ignored him and limped forward as fast as she could. She caught the tail end of a vehicle and Monty’s scent as it left the compound. Though close to tears from her wounds and her worry, she refused to quit. Her wolf was a lot stronger than she’d thought.

I’m sorry I kept you down for so long, she told her animal spirit, feeling both the same yet apart from her animal half. It confused her and felt right all at the same time.

Just don’t do it anymore. We’re better together, the wolf responded. Then the creature urged her to hurry up, because the Jeep grew smaller as it moved into the forest. Sophie watched with horror as it turned too fast and simply disappeared. The sound of it bumping and rolling caused her to panic.

Monty hadn’t looked well before, and who knew what condition he lay in with her uncle behind the wheel. She hurried and felt them before she saw them, wolves at her sides, her back and pulling in front of her.

“Come on,” Rafe said as he joined them. “Your mate just went over the mountain.”

Sophie ran harder, ignoring the pain of her wrist with her wolf’s support, and rushed to the edge. She wasn’t careful and slid nearly the whole way to the bottom. Lifting her nose, she sought Monty’s scent and found him wobbling on his feet as he approached her uncle.

Ted Norris had broken his leg. She could see the bone protruding through his flesh. But that didn’t slow the man much. To her amazement, he held a gun aimed at Monty. Brett lay on his side some distance from the vehicle, unmoving.

“Stop, you fucking beast. I’ve won.” Ted’s gaze scanned the approaching wolves and lit up when he caught sight of Sophie. “Come here, niece.”

Sophie limped forward, appearing weaker than she was on her wolf’s advice. Shifting had partially healed her wrist. A good thing to know.

“How’s that wrist, hmm?”

Monty didn’t speak to her. He waited by her side when she reached him, but he didn’t say a word, mentally or otherwise, and her heart broke.

She needed to talk to her uncle, to distract him. So she told her wolf to wait and shifted back into her human form. Her uncle blinked, his eyes wide, and stared.

“I never get tired of seeing that.” He tightened his grip on the gun, his aim now on her and not Monty. “You move, wolf, I blow her in two.”

Monty didn’t flinch. A glance at him showed his ice-blue eyes locked in fury on Ted Norris. His enemy. Her uncle.

She wanted to cry.

“Cover yourself, girl.” Her uncle tossed his jacket at her, and she hurried to put it on.

“Why? Why do you hide who you are?” she asked him softly. “Why did you make me hide who I was?” She’d never known. Her parents had never told her, and then they’d died and left her with her mother’s brother.

“You’re human. That beast is weakness, girl. You had so much potential.” Ted shook his head, but the gun remained steady. “If you work hard, if you have discipline, you can chain it, use it. I’m stronger and faster. I heal and don’t feel pain. I don’t have outside needs. Just food and water and exercise to tame the beast inside.”

“Restrain the beast, you mean.” Sophie wanted to understand. “You killed innocent people, Uncle Ted.” She recalled the Ac-taw who’d been so kind to her, the Shifter who’d given her her first kiss, shot through the head by her uncle.

“Not people. Animals. Monsters.” His gray eyes, so like hers, darkened. “Your mother knew better. She should have listened when I told her. But like you, she chose an animal over her own kind. I tried to ignore them, but she wouldn’t go away. She came back to see Mother, and she brought him. A wolf. And you.” He looked at her, and she wished she could call it love. But fanaticism stared back at her. “You were so pretty, so quiet. And I thought you might have a chance at a normal life. So I took care of them and brought you to my home.”

She blinked. “What?” She took a step closer, ignoring Monty when he nudged her side to stop. “Took care how?”

“With a silver bullet. How else do you kill a wolf?” Ted smiled. Nothing sane left to the man.

The wolves around them waited, on edge. But Ted looked at nothing but Sophie. “I thought you’d beaten it. You didn’t ask questions. You never talked out of turn. A good girl, until you started collecting those damn rabbits.”

“You told me th-the wolves ate them.”

“Yeah. And you had your vengeance, didn’t you? You tasted the rapture of a clean kill.”

“I shot him.” She nodded, remembering the fear and hatred, seeing the wolf covered in blood over the cage where her beloved pets, her only friends, had been. And she knew. “It was you. You killed the rabbits. You made me—” Kill a wolf who wasn’t a wolf.

She wanted to be sick, but her anger grew. And she let it. No longer afraid of the rages of her animal, she fostered it.

Monty chose to speak. “Let it go, Sophie. Step back. He wants you to attack. He’s waiting to pull the trigger.”

She ignored him. “You’re a cheat and a liar.”

Ted’s eyes widened.

“Sophie, shut the fuck up. You made this mess, now let me get us out of it. Or are you trying to kill me after all?” Monty’s scorn hurt, but she couldn’t stop. Not after learning her entire life had been a product of her uncle’s fear and bigotry.

“A coward afraid of his own shadow. Yeah, I’d know,” she sneered. “Because that’s what you made me into. You captured creatures better and stronger than you, jealous because they could be what you weren’t.”

“That’s not true.” Ted glared. “I’m pure, I’m strong. They’re weak. Stupid beasts.”

“Yeah, well this stupid beast escaped.” She pointed at her chest. “And your stupid Demon, just a dumb animal, evaded you for six fucking years.” Her voice continued to rise as she stepped closer, ignoring Monty’s warning to stop. “You’re nothing. Not a man, not a beast, just a scared little shit afraid of his own shadow,” she shrieked.

Ted shot her right before Monty attacked. Just like that. She hadn’t expected it. But then, she hadn’t expected any of this.

Wolves came out of the treeline and jumped him, but not before Monty had sunk his teeth into Ted’s neck and ripped out his throat.

She caught snippets of it, but the pain at her side overcame her intention to watch the bastard bleed to death. He’d taken so much from her. Her parents, her wolf, and now, Monty.

Her mate would never forgive her for lying to him, for being a part of Ted Norris, a man he hated, and with good reason.

Coward that she was, she wanted to succumb to the darkness taking her under and ignore her inner wolf once more as she wallowed in grief. But the wolf prodded. No. Shift back. Hurry. Think of the pup. Do it for him. For me.

Sophie struggled through the black dotting her vision. Monty glared at her, no trace of love in his face, and she knew she’d lost him. She couldn’t smell anything but her uncle’s rot and blood. But worry for her baby overwhelmed her, and with a burst of energy she hadn’t known she possessed, she shifted back into her wolf, the pain lessening with the change.

“Good. Thank God.” Axel leaned close, but Monty shoved him aside, again a man, one wearing enough bruises to add to an already impressive collection of scars.

“That was the dumbest, stupidest, most half-assed plan I’ve ever seen in my life. You are a fucking lunatic.” He gently lifted her—a full wolf—in his arms and carried her away.

Nothing in him yielded, but she hadn’t expected him to. Not after the truth came out. She closed her eyes, still in love and reveling in the scent of her mate, and drifted to sleep.

Chapter Ten

“If you try to tell me what to do one more time, I’m going to rip your goddamn head off,” Monty growled into Rafe Sheridan’s ugly face. He was the last person he wanted to see out at Whitefish, where he’d hoped for some privacy for a change. “I know she’s fucking feral. Why do you think I’ve been trying to catch her, asshole?”

Burke sighed. “Sorry, Rafe. He’s a little touchy about Sophie.”

Monty spun on his heel and glared at his pride leader. “And I sure as shit don’t need you talking for me. What?” he snapped at Ty, Grady, Dean and Joel, who just had to be involved to show pride solidarity. “And what the hell are you guys doing here? I’m working.”

They didn’t have a client booked for a week, and everyone knew it.

“I still say you should just grab her by the tail and haul her pretty butt back to the ranch.” Dean’s oh-so-helpful comments weren’t helping.

“She’s breeding. You don’t do that to a female who’s carrying,” Grady chided. “Drug her with something nontoxic to the kid, then drag her back.”

“That’s brilliant.” Axel snorted. “You are such an idiot. He’s mated?” he asked of the gathered crowd.

“Believe it.” Burke shrugged. “But I don’t think she loves him for his brain.”

Grady looked wounded. “Hey.”

“Who the hell invited you?” Monty barked at Axel. He hadn’t asked for this interference—from anyone. Hell, his pride was making it worse. For two months, his mate—his pregnant mate—had been avoiding not only him, but everyone. From not turning wolf to fully embracing her animal side, Sophie had taken to living in the mountains up at Glacier National Park, a wolf twenty-four seven.

“I invited myself.” Axel sniffed, the huge-ass wolf appearing both annoyed and offended at the same time. “I like Sophie. She dug your ass out of trouble, let me tell you. And she’s an expert shot with that rifle of hers.”

“True.” Rafe smiled. “She’s more than worthy to be an alpha’s mate. I don’t care whose pup she carries. We’re claiming her.”

Everyone paused.

“What?” Dean asked. “Who’s we?”

“Me and Axel. With so few she-wolves to mate, we’re making a new policy. Two males for every female. So far, the females seem to like it.” Rafe shrugged.

Monty couldn’t trust himself to speak.

Burke started laughing, and Joel, damn his huge ass, joined him.

“That’s rich. Two men to one woman.” Joel shook his head. “You wolves constantly amuse me.”

“You mean amaze you,” Axel interjected.

“No, I mean amuse.”

Axel glared at the bear, who didn’t bat an eye. They stood at roughly the same height, each super large and loaded with testosterone. Joel was easygoing, but get him riled and watch out.

“She’s not mating anyone,” Monty exploded. “Sophie has a mate. Me!”

“Then claim her, dumbass.” Rafe glared at him with disgust. “What the hell are you waiting for? She thinks you hate her.”

“What?” He blinked. After she’d come home, she wouldn’t talk to him or look at him. She’d moved out of his cabin and refused to see him, so he’d thought the worst.

His fear and inaction had led to her injuries. If he hadn’t been so damned scared of Ted Norris and hunted the man down to begin with, none of this would have happened. He rubbed his neck, at the latest scar that would refuse to heal, courtesy of the screws Norris’s thugs had dug into his neck to keep the collar on during his incarceration.

Rafe sighed, and Monty dropped his hand, hoping he hadn’t been so obvious.

But Christ, he felt so guilty for failing his mate. She’d had her wrist broken and she’d been shot. That she’d kept the baby—his baby—spoke to her inner strength, not his. He didn’t believe she’d wanted to lie about her relationship to her uncle, and in retrospect understood her need to distance herself from that family. But the lies still hurt.

“Guys, give me a minute with the dumbass, would you?” Rafe said to the others.

Burke met his gaze and nodded. “Come on.” The pride slowly filed out.

“You too.” Rafe nodded at Axel. “And leave the bear alone.”

“Hell. You’re no fun, Rafe.”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep the big ears away, would you? I know they’re going to try to listen at the door.”

“Fuck. Fine,” Axel snarled and left. Outside, his voice could be heard nagging the other Ac-taw to move along.

Rafe sighed again.

“You should have that asthma taken care of.”

“Monty, give it a rest. Your mate needs you. She’s scared and hurt. She’s all alone.”

“What the hell do you know about it?” Monty paced, feeling the walls of his last sanctuary closing in on him. To say his nightmares had been off the charts lately due to being locked up at the Folly was an understatement. Apart from his mate, his wolf was going nuts.

“I know what it was like for you with Norris,” Rafe said quietly. “My brother spent some time there, and everyone used to talk about Demon, the wolf that got away. Sophie had a hard time too. You need to talk to her about it.”

“She won’t talk to me.”

“Make her,” Rafe growled. “Why are you really not going after her? Don’t you want her anymore?”

“I fucking love her. Okay?” Monty ran his hands through his hair. “But I put her in that danger. Norris was after me. She nearly died.” He felt shaky and uneven. His wolf didn’t know where to go, what to do. He only knew his mate didn’t want him, and it hurt so bad, he wanted to lie down and die.

He hadn’t felt Rafe move, and then the bastard was just there, putting his arms around him. He struggled, not ready to be touched again, not after all he’d done to his mate. “Easy, Monty. It’s okay. Just relax.” The soothing lull of the alpha’s power washed over him in a crushing wave of calm that had him relaxing for the first time in weeks. “Sophie loves you, and she needs you. Let go of your pride and find her before some other wolf snaps her up. No, not me.” He hugged Monty harder to stifle his elbows. Rafe chuckled. “I have a few female wolves looking after the ferals in the mountains. I keep track. Sophie’s still pack, and I’m still her alpha. I could be yours too,” he offered.

Monty didn’t know. He loved Burke and the guys. Sophie’s best friends lived on the ranch. But Burke hadn’t affected him like this, calming him. Rafe had some weird mojo Monty wasn’t sure he liked.

“It’s up to you. The offer’s there. Just…don’t tell Axel if you decide not to join. He’s already a pain in my ass,” Rafe muttered.

Monty laughed, and Rafe let him go.

Then Monty warned, “You say one word about that hug, I’ll deny it.”

The horror on Rafe’s face told him the secret would remain between them.

“Good.” When Rafe just looked at him, he swore. “Well, shit.”

“Well what?” Rafe waited.

“I want to see her, more than anything. But I don’t think she wants to see me.” And it hurt.

“You need to talk to her, man. Fear is keeping you apart. Fear of rejection. I get it. But it’s her fear you need to work on. Look at what it’s done to her wolf.”

Monty knew. Poor Sophie had spent so long repressing herself. After being reminded of Ted and his family again, he could only imagine what her life had been like growing up.

“Fine. I’ll go see her.”

Rafe pulled out a slip of paper with coordinates and slapped it against Monty’s chest. “Her den. But you didn’t get that from me, and you know nothing about my eyes in the forest. Then again, any tracker worth his salt could find her up there.” Rafe’s eyes narrowed.

“I know where she is. I just… I’ll go see her. Okay?”

Now eager, Monty wanted nothing more than to escape the office and run to his mate on four feet.

“Good. Go.”

Monty headed for the door. “I am. And stop telling me what to do.”

Rafe groaned. “Right. You’re never joining the order. I get it.”

Monty flashed him a grin and left. He had a mate to win.

It took him a few days to figure out how best to get her to talk to him. She hunkered down in that cave, and anytime he or anyone else ventured close, she lost it, snarling and snapping those teeth as if she meant to kill. Her eyes glowed like beacons from hell. He liked the thought of his pretty wolf so lethal.

He left her a set of earrings she ignored.

He tried a book, a painting and a few of his lady magazines. Still nothing.

Then, using his head, he retrieved a pretty red scarf from his truck, all soft and fuzzy to the touch. He waited for a few hours, thinking she’d reject it too, when she tiptoed out of her cave. She smelled him on it, obviously, but she took it into her den anyway.

Encouraged, he spent the next few days leaving her treats. A dead squirrel, a few packs of steak, because hell, he wanted her to eat right. But he refrained from rabbits, conscious of what her uncle had once done.

She took his offerings, and he watched from afar as she came out of the den to claim them. Her wolf was so pretty. Soft and gray, like her eyes, but patterned to blend in with the snow and dark trees all around them. The weather in the mountains reminded him that winter would reach them all too soon. October had already neared its end. Time passed too quickly for recriminations and what-ifs.

God, in just another seven months, he’d have a kid.

The wooing shit was great, but he had little patience for it. The next time he left her something, he waited close by, downwind. When she trotted out to grab it, he slid inside the den and hid, away from her neat little bed of blankets and his scarf. It felt much warmer, and safer, and he could see why she liked it in here.

She trotted in with a pack of chicken he hadn’t removed from the Styrofoam. When she saw him, she froze.

She looked so damn cute, her teeth wrapped around the meat, her thick fur bristling with warning. But those eyes, they looked bright and sad.

He shifted back, wanting to tell her out loud how he felt. “I’m sorry. And I love you.”

She didn’t move.

He shivered, no longer covered in fur, but he didn’t want to spook her. “I was an idiot for not coming sooner. But I was hurt you didn’t tell me about Ted.”

She blinked at him and dropped the food. But she didn’t leave, and she didn’t speak.

He continued, “But more than anything, I was mad at myself, because all of this was my fault.”

Sophie sat on her haunches and watched him, and he smelled their shared grief.

“I want to hug you, to hold you. I should have gone after Norris a long time ago.” He didn’t want to, but he needed to tell her the truth. “I was afraid,” he said softly, not meeting her gaze. “He messed me up. A lot. And I didn’t ever want to see him again. Then when I ran into him with Dean and Stacey, I felt that terror, and I shook with it. I was weak, and because of that weakness, you were almost killed.” God, it hurt to say. The shame nearly overwhelmed him.

And then he felt her nose against his shoulder, and she licked him. She was so close he couldn’t help but hug her, praying she could forgive him when he still couldn’t forgive himself.

“God, Sophie. He killed and hurt so many people I cared for. When I saw him with you, when he did that to your wrist, I wanted to kill him. And then you put yourself between him and me. You taunted him.” He grabbed her by the ruff of her neck and stared into her eyes, furious his were welling with tears. “He shot you.” Monty rubbed her belly, where the bullet had passed through, conscious his child now sat somewhere inside her there. “My mate. The one person I’d swore I’d never let come to harm. And he nearly killed you while I stood by. Helpless.”

A bright light sparkled, and he felt her fur recede as warmth trickled over his fingers. Then smooth flesh was under his hands, and he hugged her tight.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She kept apologizing while she sobbed and held on to him like her life depended on it. “It was all my fault. He was looking for me. He wanted to hurt me, and he got to you through me.”

“Honey, no.” Monty forced her to pull back. Her hair looked a little longer, her eyes impossibly gray. “You grew up with that bastard, but none of it was your fault. He killed your parents. Not you.” He understood what Rafe had been talking about when he noted her deep grief that continued to grow. “Hell, Sophie. You’re not that dumb.”

She blinked at him through tears. “What?”

“You can’t possibly think you’re the reason Ted Norris went apeshit? He killed your parents, his own kids, and more Ac-taw than I want to think about. The guy refused his wolf. You know what that can do to a person.”

She tentatively nodded. “My wolf used to make me so angry growing up. But Uncle—Ted—would force me to bury it. To be sweet and nice. A coward,” she whispered. More tears poured down her cheeks. “I could have saved your friends. Even you. But I didn’t.”

“So you knew I was down there, under that barn of his he used to brag about?”

“Well, no, but I—”

“And did you laugh and enjoy the pit fights? Did you name me Demon? Did you tell him when I tried to escape the first time?”

“N-no. Of course not. I would have—”

“You would have died. Your uncle was a psychopath. He enjoyed killing. And I guarantee, if I hadn’t ripped his throat out,” he said, enjoying the remembrance, “he would have killed you, me and anyone else he could get his hands on. He was made wrong, Sophie. And that’s not on you or me or anyone but him.”

“But I’m his niece. What if I’m wrong too?” She sounded so forlorn.

He started laughing.

“It’s not funny.” She finally looked angry with him.

“You’re a drama queen! I knew it. Had to be something wrong with you. You cook like a dream, actually like me and you’re into porn. You have the sweetest body I’ve ever seen, and you’re nice. So there we go. You’re melodramatic. But that’s okay. I can handle that.”

She just stared at him before a slow smile worked over her lips. She snickered, then laughed harder, her tears drying up, and thank God, because she killed him when she cried.

“Sophie, I love you. I miss you every second you’re not with me. And if I have to listen to the pride telling me what to do and how I went wrong anymore, I’m going to lose my mind and murder them all in their sleep. Even Rachel.”

“Rachel too, huh?”

“Burke’s mate is pretty and may seem nice, but she’s almost wolf-like when she gets the notion in her head a woman’s been mistreated.”

“But you—”

“Let pride and my own issues keep us apart. You’re not to blame for any of it. No,” he forestalled her objection. “I get why you didn’t tell me about Dickhead being your uncle. I really do.”

“O-okay.” She grew quiet, and he grabbed a blanket from her pile and wrapped it around them to still his chattering teeth.

“What now? I can see you’re thinking, and it can’t be good.”

She tried to smile but failed. “Where will we go?”

“Um, I was thinking of expanding the cabin, now that we’ll have another mouth to feed.” He rubbed her belly, still in awe of the life they’d created.

“But people know. I can’t go back there.”

“To the pride?”

She glared. “You know what I’m talking about. To Cougar Falls.”

“Again with delusions of grandeur. I hate to break it to you, but only a few wolves heard what you and Ted talked about before I killed him. With my bare paws and teeth, I might remind you.”

“Quit bragging.” But he’d gotten her to smile for a second time.

“Honey, you helped bring down one of the biggest Hunter’s Follies in years. You’re a celebrity. And this scary feral mystique you have going is attracting all kind of wolf attention we don’t want. Did you know Rafe is instituting some foolish threesome thing with the order? Imagine one girl and two guys trying to live like a unit.” He scoffed.

“Hmm. Really?” She seemed lighter now.

“No way. Uh-uh. You’re mine and only mine. I’m not sharing you with another guy.”

“How about just his cock?”

She threw him with the frank talk, and the sly woman knew it. Especially because he continued to grow thicker and longer beneath her curvy little derriere.

“Sophie,” he growled. “So are you coming back with me or what? Because if not, move over. This den is big enough for both of us and a little one.”

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nuzzled his nose. “I love you so much. Are you sure, Monty?”

“Sure about what?” he muttered, positioning her hips over him so he could better…appreciate…her curves.

“About me. Us. Living in town as a couple.” She paused, toying with his hair, and he had to fight not to howl and shove into her in one hot push.

“Sophie, I claimed you. You’re mine. I love you, and the whole town loves you. Ben at the grocery store is beside himself missing you. The bears don’t know what to do with you not helping them out at the store, and the wolves are tired of driving by and not being able to ogle the sexiest she-wolf in town. Put me out of my misery and marry me already.” He reached for his jeans and swore. “Shit. I forgot your necklace—you know, the one you left behind at my place?” He’d thought he’d died a thousand times that day, seeing her rejection up close in that pendant left on his dresser.

“I didn’t want to give it back.” Her big gray eyes seemed so sad. “But I didn’t think you wanted me wearing it.”

“You thought wrong.” Period. End of discussion.

Her slow smile lit up his world. “Really?”

“Hell yeah. Are you deaf, woman? I said you’re mine. And that’s final.”

He moved her over him and let her slide down his erection, gratified at how hot and wet she was.

“Monty,” she sighed and sank over him. “Oh, I missed you. You have no idea how much.”

“I’ve been replaying your favorite movies at home, over and over, imaging the many ways I’d discipline you when you came home. So yeah, I know.”

She laughed, then groaned when he controlled her hips, making her ride him. “It’s not just sex, you big bad wolf. I miss your humor and how sexy you are when you come. Okay, that’s the sex.” She kissed him, lingering over his lips and teasing his tongue. “But I miss so much more. Your strength, your scent. How happy you make me just by being you.”

“Shit, baby. You’re gonna make me cry. And a guy should never cry when he’s making love.” He pumped harder and reached between them.

The moment he grazed her clit, she came, squeezing him tight and shattering his less than stellar control.

“Fuck, Sophie,” he moaned and filled her, the scent of them layering over each other again. Finally. He let it last, kissing her and loving her all over again. Slower, faster, whatever she wanted, so long as she came with him. He wanted nothing between them but love, acceptance and truth. As they shared their joy, their animal spirits entwined, never to be parted again.

After their second explosive climax, he kissed her while they relaxed. He sucked at her breasts, wondering how big they’d grow during her pregnancy.

“Have I told you yet how excited I am about our kid?”

“Our kid. Sounds tough. Good thing he’s a boy.”

He paused and leaned up to look at her. “A boy?”

“Wow, Monty. I didn’t know your voice could get that high.” She winked at him.

He wrapped her hair around his finger, taken with her softness. “A boy. You’re sure?”

“My wolf is.” She brought him close for another kiss. “And she thinks you’re super sexy.”

He grinned. “Yeah? Well, she’s right. I am.” His lips lost the smile, but he felt his wild wolf staring at her with joy. “I’ll make a good father, Sophie. I swear, I’ll provide for you and the boy. Always.”

“And the girl? She’ll come next, right?”

He kissed her. “Only if you promise to get to MacKneely and Her Kneeling Ways, Volume Four. She’s got some great stuff where she deep-throats without gagging. You can do it, I just know you can.”

“Pervert.” She pinched his nipple. “But we have to go back to town for that.”

“Back to our pride.” He ran his hands through her hair, envisioning her before a fire, her hair spread out underneath her like a silken pillow. “Everyone misses you. I love you. And I can’t live without you. Please come back with me.”

“So no living with the Gray Wolf Order?”

“Can you see me living under Rafe’s command?”

She sighed. “No. But I do like him. As a man, not my man. See the difference? I like Axel too, even though he hit me—”

“He what?” Monty started to rise but she grabbed onto him.

Instead of slowing him down, he stood with her attached to him like a magnet.

“Wow. You’re strong.”

“That bastard hit you?”

“Your eyes are starting to grow a little wild. It was barely a tap, and he did it because Rafe told him to.”

“What?”

She swore. “Damn. Look, they were trying to keep me safe in Cougar Falls, away from my uncle. But I wanted to rescue you. Can’t you understand the reasoning behind it?”

“Well, yeah. I guess.” He rubbed her back and held her tight. “But I’m still going to punch Axel for it. When he least suspects it.” Man, he couldn’t wait to feed that snow-white wolf his fist.

“Okay then.”

“Yeah.”

“Right.”

“So…” He started to stir against her again. Two long months without his mate had been difficult to handle. Sexually, he’d been beyond miserable.

“I guess we have to get back to the pride, then.”

“We do.” He swallowed hard when her hand curled around his cock.

She smiled and eased her legs down. Then she slowly knelt before him and cupped his balls. “Volume Four, hmm?”

“Oh yeah.” He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes when her mouth moved over him. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

She left him long enough to answer, “Yes. And we’re running together right after I demonstrate Volume Four.”

“I love your wolf, so beautiful and wild.” He paused, enrapt in her clever hands and tongue and hoping she wouldn’t freak out about this. “You know, we still haven’t mated as wolves.” He sensed her wolf’s ears perk.

She stopped sucking again. Unfortunately. “As wolves?”

He gently nudged her aside and shifted, then waited for her to do the same. Her gray eyes blinked at him and she cocked her head. “As wolves.”

He wagged his tail. “Hell, yeah. Baby, just you wait.”

She didn’t have long. And she didn’t have long again before they reached his truck. Monty was her wolf, her mate. And he intended to love her as much as he inhumanly, and humanly, could.

He hugged her after they’d changed back to their human forms and dressed. In the truck, he smiled at her and flipped on the heater. They turned toward town, toward home. “You know, Soph. When the right wolf comes calling, the smart wolf says yes.”

She grabbed his hand and held it to her heart.

“And you, my love, are nothing less than brilliant.”

Content

Right Wolf, Right Time
Cougar Falls - 6
by
Marie Harte

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten