Seduced by the Wolf

Chapter 12

Cassie's own heart skipped a couple of beats as she stared at Leidolf standing in the open doorway of his bedroom, his fist raised, ready to rap on the door. He looked from Laney to Cassie, who still stood in the middle of his bedroom floor--totally aware she was naked except for the bandage over her shoulder and feeling way too vulnerable. Too late to hide her nakedness or her unnatural reaction. Which would be a sure indication she was a loner... and didn't live with a pack.

Wearing a pair of jeans, rugged hiking boots, and a soft, fuzzy flannel shirt, Leidolf was gorgeous in a dangerous, feral sort of way and taller than most red males she'd encountered. His chestnut hair, tinged red, had been ruffled by the wind, making him look wild and untamable. His darkened eyes held hers captive for a moment, like a wolf would challenge her, watching to see if she'd back down. The same way he had done when he saw her at the lake.

Was she alpha enough? That's what he was trying to determine. Or at least she thought so. She'd lived longer with real wolves than with her own kind, so she wasn't really experienced in dealing with a lusty alpha male lupus garou who was interested in her. Still, he had the same alpha male posturing.

His gaze roamed lower, all the way down her naked body, as if he was looking over his ultimate conquest. She glared at him and folded her arms across her chest, which sent another stab of pain into her shoulder. She winced, although she attempted to hide her discomfort. "I'm not looking for a mate, if you want to know my status."

His eyes flicked back to hers. She had a job to do--and mixing it up with a red lupus garou alpha leader and joining a pack were not in the plans.

Then his stern expression softened. "Where is your family, Cassie?"

"My family was killed," she said, not having told anyone the truth for many years. Saying it still hurt.

His expression turned sympathetic; she'd rather he was scowling at her. Much easier to deal with someone who was annoyed with her than someone who was tugging at her heartstrings.

"You said they had died. Did you mean your family?" he ventured.

Died? She frowned at him. She was certain she hadn't told him her life's story when she'd been out of it. "I don't remember what I said to you. It must have been the drugs."

He looked skeptical. Then he cocked a brow heavenward. "You don't have a mate." She'd stated she wasn't looking for one, but that wouldn't make any difference to him as long as she didn't already have one.

"No, I don't. Like I said, I'm not looking for one." She reiterated her stance because he seemed to need to hear it again, although she didn't sound as firm in her resolve as she meant to.

He smiled deeply, his eyes devilishly speculating. He bowed his head slightly, his tone nurturing when he said, "If you're feeling well enough and desire something to eat, you can join us in the den." The way he spoke wasn't an offer, but rather a command. His gaze slid over her again, this time in a languorous manner, as if she was there for his viewing pleasure. "I recommend you dress first. My bachelor males might get a little restless at the sight of you."

As if he wasn't the one who was restless at the sight of her!

"She said she's from a pack in the redwoods of California," Laney offered, her brows raised a little.

Did Laney know something about the pack living there, or was she just suspicious of Cassie's story?

Leidolf's eyes rounded as he looked from Laney to Cassie. "The California redwoods? Really. And your pack leader's name?"

Cassie ground her teeth and then attempted a smile. Leidolf probably didn't know a pack that far away from his own territory. Most leaders wouldn't. So it was a bluff on his part, she was certain. "Harold Wilden."

"Really. I thought the leader of the redwood area was a gray pack leader."

Her lips parted in surprise. "Uhm, yes, a gray." Hell, a gray pack lived there?

"Wilden's a red's last name. Hunter Greymere was the leader in that area until a fire forced his pack to move north. He took over his uncle's cabin resort along the Oregon coast. One of his grays actually joined my pack."

Oh, that's how Leidolf knew about them. Great. "Well, a little more south of the redwoods," Cassie amended.

"Ah. A red pack."

"Yes."

"The leader by the name of Wilden." His eyes sparkled in the low light of the room, and he shifted his attention to Laney. "We'll see you both in a few minutes." He spoke as if he was leaving Cassie in Laney's charge, and Cassie stiffened a bit.

No one was in charge of her. Not when she'd been a loner all these years and did just fine on her own.

"She's hurting," Laney said, telling on her.

Cassie wasn't about to take anything for the pain. Not when it would make it more difficult for her to return to the forest.

Leidolf frowned. "We have pain medication."

"No, I'm fine." Cassie tried to sound convincing, but she saw the look in Leidolf's eyes. He knew she needed something for the pain, but she wasn't going for it. And he knew why.

Then he inclined his head toward Cassie, his eyes spearing her with a look that said he wanted her and she was already his, so get used to the idea. "Just to let you know my status, I am looking for a mate." He bowed his head a little, punctuating his remark.

The way he said it, he acted as though she was available just for him anyway. He was so arrogant! The last time she had put up with a male that had wanted her like that, he hadn't been half as egotistical, or half as hot, either. And she definitely hadn't felt anything for him. Leidolf? He was real trouble, triggering needs she didn't even want to consider. More than just feeling the physical needs, though, she didn't want to deal with the emotional baggage. She'd always worked extra hard to avoid feeling anything for her kind because it brought back memories of what she'd lost.

Leidolf was undoing that resolve.

And then the physical side of the equation created more punishment. Her nipples tingled beneath her arms, traitors, and she had the unfathomable urge to either throw him on the bed and make him show her just what he had in mind to do with her--or strangle him. She tried to convince herself that strangling him was preferable. It wasn't working.

He seemed a little hesitant to leave and shoved his hands into his pockets, the all-powerful alpha male now appearing a little unsure of himself, which made her feel somewhat uptight. Even Laney looked a little apprehensive, as if she didn't know what to do.

Then Leidolf directed his question at Laney. "Can you leave us alone for a moment?"

She glanced back at Cassie, almost as if she wanted to stay and chaperone, but she quickly bowed her head to Leidolf and left the room, closing the door behind her. Leidolf pulled the fuzzy, brown blanket off the recliner and wrapped it around Cassie in such a protective, endearing way that tears formed in her eyes. Damn it.

He led her to the bed and sat her down, then knelt beside her and took her hands in his. "Cassie, you were pretty out of it when I talked with you earlier. I asked if you would like to stay with our pack. No strings attached. Just join us. Get to know us. And--"

She attempted a sincere smile when she was really trying to hide her true feelings. Hell, she ought to just come clean. Although if she did, he would think he had more leverage.

"But I have a pack." Which, in a way, she did. Although not just one, several. Except the wolves couldn't shape-shift. "I want to thank you and your people for your generosity in taking care of me, but I really have business to attend to. So if Laney could drive me back to the forest and drop me off, I'd be forever grateful."

Leidolf gave a conceited half smile, not buying into her story or her request. "Laney must have told you what's happening in the forest right now. With hunters crawling all over the place? The police? Reporters? Not only that, but you're still injured. And it wouldn't do to let you return there and get yourself into more trouble." He swept away a curl of hair tickling her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her lips, and she knew he wanted to kiss her.

And damn it, she wanted him to!

A little voice nagged at her to do it, just because she was dying to feel what it would be like to be kissed by the alpha pack leader. It wouldn't mean anything, she assured herself. Just a kiss. Her lips feeling dry as sand, she licked them. His mouth curved up a hint, and his gaze refocused on hers. Then he took her hand and kissed it, as if he were a proper English gentleman coming to call.

That's not what she had in mind! He rose, continued to watch her, and hollered, "Laney!"

The door immediately opened. Cassie figured the woman had been glued to it while trying to hear what was going on.

"Yes?" Laney asked, as if she were completely above suspicion.

"Get Cassie something to wear so she can join us for dinner." Then he bowed his head slightly to Cassie, turned around, and left the room.

Cassie immediately got up from the bed, the blanket still wrapped around her as she stared at the departing alpha leader.

That was it? That was the only kind of a kiss he was going to bestow upon her?

As soon as he shut the door behind him, Cassie switched her attention to Laney, whose expression was one of refrained amusement.

"Clothes?" Cassie asked in a sweetly innocent voice that sounded way too calculating to her ears. And keys to a fast getaway car? Before she changed her mind and decided to stay.

Laney's smile grew. "Sure. My things might be a bit big for you, but I may have something that's a little snug on me. My home is across the compound, but it shouldn't take me too long to drive over there, grab a couple of items, and return."

Cassie gave her a camera smile back, but she recognized that the woman wanted her to stay with the pack. Probably to satisfy the alpha leader's needs. A cold beer and a good woman could do wonders for an alpha male's disposition. So much the better for his pack members. And with fewer females in most packs, she imagined Laney would have loved another woman to talk to.

While she waited for Laney, Cassie quickly noted a messy pile of papers sitting on a desk next to a computer on the other side of the room, a brown leather couch in a sitting area, and an empty bookshelf. She raised her brows. Not a reader? Then she saw a book opened on top of the desk. Wondering what would appeal to Leidolf when he had no other books, she peered a little closer and saw the biographical page of Julia Wildthorn, the red lupus garou romance writer, and a colorful photo of the pretty redhead. Probably doctored with the miracles of photo-reworking programs.

She scowled. Hell, here he was acting like he wanted Cassie, while he had been ogling the picture of a romance author? And as evidenced by no other books in the room, he didn't even read? Maybe he had read Julia Wildthorn's book. Probably all her books, so he could tell her how much he loved her work, whether he did or not.

Then Cassie saw his desktop calendar and edged a little closer to take a peek. A cleanly handwritten note on Saturday boldly proclaimed: Book signing, 2-4 p.m., Julia, Powell's.

Cassie scowled even further. Julia: first-name basis. So how many red females was he chasing? He'd acted like Cassie was the only one for him, and in reality he had a bevy of red females waiting in the wings? Then she growled under her breath, more peeved at herself for caring than for being irritated with him. He was a male lupus garou after all. So what was her excuse?

Her attention switched to the velvet comforter on the king-sized bed, rumpled now after she'd tossed and turned there, and the patio doors leading outside where the sky was dark. She glanced at the bedside clock. Half past ten. A good time to search for the she-wolf and her pups and learn what happened to Alex.

Laney cleared her throat and Cassie's heart skipped a beat. She'd thought the woman had already left. Paused at the door, Laney had been watching her the whole time, cataloging everything she did. Cassie was used to being the one who did the observing, although wolves watched her every move while she was with a pack, curious about her, intrigued. For a different reason. A shiver ran up her spine, and she felt totally exposed that a lupus garou had been analyzing her actions and would no doubt report every move she'd made to Leidolf. And he'd be damned amused.

"Leidolf hasn't wanted anyone to help him redecorate the place, so he just had some things removed, and the bed and linens are all new. He had Elgin, my mate, get rid of the old bed, because it reminded him of the former pack leader."

Former pack leader. Had Leidolf ousted him? As curious as Cassie was, she figured the less she knew about Leidolf and his pack, the better.

"Then again, he really needs a mate to help him decorate the place." Laney smiled again. "Maybe you should lie down until I return." She motioned to Cassie's injured shoulder. "You know how it is. Rest helps us recuperate even faster. I'll be right back, Cassie. And, dear, welcome to the pack." She waited for Cassie to comply.

Peeved, but trying not to show it, Cassie climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over her in an attempt to play the game.

"Be right back," Laney said again, smiling slightly as if she knew what Cassie was planning. Then she hurried out of the room and shut the door.

As soon as it clunked closed, Cassie planned to snatch some of Leidolf's clothes and make her escape. When she grabbed the comforter to yank it aside, the bedroom door squeaked open. Her heart drumming with anxiety at nearly being caught trying to leave the bed again, she whipped her head around. She figured she must look guilty as charged, and she hadn't even done anything, yet.

"I want you to learn who the woman is and where she's from, Elgin," Leidolf said, pacing across the great room in front of several of his pack members, all of them wanting to know just where this was leading.

He couldn't hide how captivated he was, more than he had ever been with any woman. Apart from their pheromones kicking each other's into high gear, he wanted her--the way she challenged him and hid her lupus garou identity from him, the way she was as intrigued with him as he was with her and focused on her own wishes, his be damned. Still, he could read in her actions that she was having a hard time sticking to whatever her own plans were.

Hell, when he'd wrapped the blanket around her, she'd come to tears. Which, to him, meant she hadn't had anyone take care of her in a long damned time. She needed what he had to offer, and he sure needed her.

Yeah, he desired her body and soul, and he knew that buried deep in her psyche, she wanted him. Now he just had to help her see it both their ways. From the way she reacted to him, he knew she wasn't a loner at heart, but she'd become one out of necessity. Her family was dead, she said. That had to be the reason for her fear of being with another pack.

Elgin pulled at his red beard thoughtfully, the streaks of gray giving him added character. "Laney says the woman told you she has a pack."

"I doubt she has. They wouldn't want one of their unmated females running around the world without someone watching out for her."

Elgin's face brightened, but then he frowned. "Laney warned me the little lady wants to return to the woods."

Leidolf snorted. "She isn't going anywhere. The bullet hole in her shoulder won't heal that quickly, and with all the riffraff sure to be searching out there," he said, giving Quincy and Pierce a pointed look, "it's not safe for anyone, least of all, a lone female." He looked around the room for the other major source of contention--Sarge, who was being monitored closely by three of his men.

Satros was sleeping soundly in an overstuffed chair, his romp to locate Sarge and, earlier, the search for a red wolf mate for Leidolf, having taken their toll on his stamina.

Leidolf considered the twin brothers again. If Quincy and Pierce hadn't needed a pack to keep them in line and if the trouble they had been getting into wasn't due to poor judgment, Leidolf would have made them leave. That's just what had happened to them before, and he couldn't help feeling that some leader needed to make sure they fit into a pack.

He noticed Evan, one of his male teens, watching him, and Carver observing the teen, irritation evident on the middle-aged widower's face. Seemed Leidolf couldn't ever resolve one problem without six more taking its place. He might as well have a word in private with the boy. Leidolf motioned for everyone but Evan to leave the room. Once the door was shut and they were alone, he waved to a chair.

"Evan, I want you to stay out of trouble."

Evan let out his breath, sat on the chair hard and then spread his hands palm up. "I'm not doing anything. Really."

Leidolf raised his brow. "Stay away from Carver's daughters."

"One of them constantly chases after me." Evan shrugged. "Whenever her father and sister aren't around, she's coming on to me. What am I supposed to do?"

"Stay away from her. Gently tell her you're not interested."

His look defiant, Evan shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Evan?"

"Of all the girls in the pack, she's the only one who's really an alpha. I like that she comes after me."

"Yeah, and if her father learns of it, he'll come after you... and then what?"

"I'm not afraid of him."

"You should be. Her father has the final say about who she sees until she's an adult."

"He doesn't want her to see anyone, least of all me. I'm not going to lie to you. If Alice wants to see me, I'll be there for her."

"Alice, the quiet one?" Leidolf frowned at Evan. "Hell, as your pack leader, I highly recommend against it."

"But?"

"As a teen in your situation, I wouldn't listen to anyone who had a lick of sense, either. So do us both a favor. No sneaking around to be with her. Let Carver know face-to-face that you want to see his daughter."

Evan's defiance continued to shine through. Then he gave a sharp nod. "All right. It won't work, you know."

"Won't know for sure unless you try."

"Did it work for you?"

Leidolf gave him a small smile. "Hopefully better for you than it did for me."

Footfalls stalked toward the room, and Leidolf said, "Have everyone come back in. Just remember what I said."

"Yes, sir," Evan said and hurried to tell everyone to rejoin them.

When the men reentered the room, Leidolf was surprised to see Irving and Tynan. Sporting a head bandage, Tynan had as big a scowl as Irving. They should have looked guilty as hell for not doing their ranching duties and leaving without a word to anyone, again.

"Where have the two of you been?" Leidolf growled. "And what the hell happened to you, Tynan?"

"We were hunting for that cougar," Irving said, his steely eyes focused on Leidolf's, not backing down. He jerked a thumb in Tynan's direction. "Because of the rain, he slipped on some rocks and hit his head hard against a boulder. Hard head, though, nothing damaged. Much."

At least the twin brothers didn't give Leidolf new headaches maliciously. And Sarge was just a major nuisance. But Irving and Tynan? Leidolf was beginning to suspect they were real trouble.

He wished Elgin hadn't been so reluctant to make him aware of them months earlier when Leidolf first arrived in the pack. Leidolf's complacency could be seen as a weakness. Further, not realizing the problem was also an indication that he didn't have what it took to lead the pack. At least anyone who had half a notion to challenge him might think so.

Leidolf narrowed his eyes at Tynan and Irving. "I didn't give you permission to leave and neglect your duties, and you haven't let Elgin or Fergus know your whereabouts for several days."

The look on the two men's faces remained frozen in stone. No regret for what they had been up to. Just as arrogant as Alfred's cronies had been.

Leidolf scowled at the men, his voice low and menacing. "Did you kill any of the human girls like Alfred and his henchmen had done?"

Tynan glanced at Irving, which told Leidolf that Irving was running the show and also that they were involved somehow in what Alfred had done.

"Did you?" Leidolf growled. He knew if they had, they wouldn't admit to it. They would have signed their death warrant by doing so. But their reactions would reveal the truth in part.

Tynan quickly shook his head.

Irving said, "No." But the way he spoke was a challenge. Prove it.

And Leidolf would do just that. He lifted his nose and smelled the air, but he couldn't capture any scent from the two men. "Why are you wearing hunter's spray?"

"I told you we went hunting for the cougar," Irving said, with a snide twist to his words.

"Your guns were armed with regular bullets?"

A flutter of concern crossed Tynan's face.

"Of course," Irving said, as if the question was idiotic.

Leidolf stood taller like an alpha wolf leader would, his posture and voice threatening mayhem if the men didn't take heed. "The cougar will be tranquilized, not killed. Do you understand?"

"Alfred would have killed the cat and been done with it," Irving said, challenging Leidolf's authority.

A couple of the men grumbled something Leidolf couldn't make out. Elgin snorted but held his tongue. Fergus and Carver both scowled at Irving, fists tightening and appearing as though they were ready to tear Irving apart.

Although Irving and his cousin weren't born lupus garous, they'd been werewolves for a long time. But a pecking order still existed, and Irving would be no match for Leidolf.

"And you know where Alfred is now." Leidolf gave him a look that said if he didn't mind pack rules, he could join his former pack leader, six feet under.

If these men had murdered innocent women, they would be dealt with in the only way their kind dealt with pack members who committed such atrocities. Wolf to wolf in the ancient way. And Irving and Tynan had to realize that.

So what was making them hang around and not tuck tail and run before they met their fate? The only reason Leidolf hadn't torn into them before this was that before he did so, he had to learn beyond a shadow of a doubt that the men were guilty of a crime.