To Tempt the Wolf

Chapter 3

IF EVERY MUSCLE HADN'T ACHED SO MUCH--THE PAIN slicing all the way through to the marrow of his bones--the incredulous expression on Miss Tessa Anderson's face would have made him smile. But the situation was too dire to make light of it. He might not remember his whole name or what had happened to him, but one thing the concussion had not robbed him of--his wolf instincts.

They warned him whoever had broken into the house and stolen Tessa's gun had also lain in her bed--on the side of the mattress where she always slept--rolled in her scent and carried it with him. Which meant only one thing. The perpetrator wanted her for his own--and since he was a lupus garou, that was bad news.

Worse than that, she triggered a craving in him to such an extent, he was having a hell of a time tamping down the feelings, and remembering why he had to keep his interest to himself.

Her hair cascaded over her shoulder blades, thick, soft red curls he longed to plunge his fingers in again. Her clear green eyes were tinged blue, not a speck of amber: bright, expressive, not wary as he expected, being that he was a stranger without any memories and here most likely due to foul play.

And the frumpy emerald sweats she wore, although designed to hide a woman's sensuous shape, did nothing of the sort. The swell of her generous breasts, the curve of her thighs, her rounded ass, all were perfectly outlined by the soft attire. No belts or buttons to hinder their removal either.

He took a ragged breath and sat taller, absorbed the heat from the fire, which helped to ease the ache in his bones, and raised his brows. "I'll stay with you wherever you make your bed. The house isn't secure. Either we sleep here by the fire, or if you have enough blankets for your bed, we stay in your room."

If it was up to him, he would have opted for the comfort of the mattress, but most of all snuggling with the woman. But her scent, her pheromones, the feel of her silky hair, the way her soft body had pressed against him--and the kiss--had aroused him to such a degree, everything about her was throwing him off kilter. A one-night stand with a human female was one thing. But he was certain one tumble with her wouldn't satisfy the carnal urge. And since he needed to stay longer to protect her, it was better to keep their relationship as platonic as possible. Yet, the wolf part of him was already heading down a dangerous, forbidden path.

She licked her lips and turned her gaze to the fire. His groin tightened. The light sparkled off her eyes and her moistened lips glistened. He'd been in a half-aroused state ever since the woman had manhandled him on the beach in her tight black denims and breast-hugging turtleneck, dampened by the sleet, her hardened nipples teasing his chest when she had tried to revive him. Even half-conscious, the wolf side of him had been aware of her special scent, sensed her fear--not of him, but for him. If she learned what he was, what he was capable of, she would fear him.

"I guess we could sleep here. By the fire. It would probably be warmer." Her gaze shifted from the flames to him.

The look in her eyes said she'd be safer curling up next to the fire. Less intimate than sleeping with him in her bed. Yet there was a hint of something else. Desire to be with him? But she seemed to be waiting for him to make a decision. Which couldn't help but please him. His sister was so testy of late, seeing a female bow to his leadership was much appreciated.

Sister? Where the hell had that memory come from? He tried to dredge up more, but came up blank.

"Don't you think?" Tessa asked, when he didn't respond.

Jarring him back to the situation at hand, he rubbed his right arm, the muscle caught in a spasm. He should have said she was right, sleeping by the fire was a good choice. Safer for both of them. But his animal needs were getting the best of him. He took another deep breath of her scent, sweet and musky. He wanted her, no matter how much he tried to persuade himself it would be a mistake.

"That would be fine," he said slowly, his gaze never leaving hers, all the while judging her reaction. "But already I'm stiffening up pretty badly. Maybe I will take something for the aches and pains."

He wasn't lying, but normally he would suffer rather than let a woman know how he felt.

Tessa's face grew shadowed, and she hurried to take the plates. "Oh, oh, of course. You must be feeling awful."

She rushed into the kitchen, and he almost felt guilty. But he liked her maternal instincts, and no matter how much he knew he should shove his baser needs aside, he wanted to share the bed with Tessa. She was a grown woman after all, and he, a grown... well, man of sorts.

He glanced at the living room window, the curtains drawn.

Had the gray been watching them when they climbed to the house from the beach? The sleet was coming down hard, cleansing the air. He couldn't have smelled him if the lupus garou was being careful. Not a true alpha male then. If he had been one, the wolf would have made his presence known, indicated up front that he had laid claim to the woman. As a beta, the wolf would have rolled in her sheets before he saw Tessa hauling an injured gray up the hill. The lupus garou must have observed them, hiding in the trees, loathing him.

If the thief got anywhere near the house, he would regret it. But even a beta lupus garou could be a dangerous proposition for a lone human female.

Tessa returned with a glass of water and a couple of white pills. "This should help. I'll be right back." She whipped around and headed for the kitchen, then banged inside the cabinets.

He took the medicine, finished off the water, and rose from the floor. Not meaning to, he groaned, and she caught him in the act.

Her brows furrowed deeper as she tightened her hold on a stainless steel saucepan. "You're really hurting, aren't you? Why don't you lie down on the floor next to the fire, and I'll rub some liniment into your muscles. I'll warm this water over the fire, and you can wash the saltwater off your skin. When the electricity's back on, you can shower properly."

He meant to conceal his satisfied expression, for her sake, but he couldn't help it. She was eating right out of his hands.

She twisted her mouth and set the pot on the fire. "I'll be back."

After watching her walk down the hall to the bathroom, and seeing nothing amiss, he returned to the living room, stripped out of her brother's sweats and reclined on his stomach on the carpeting next to the fire. He rested his head on his arms, but even that movement sent a streak of screaming pain from his arms to his back.

Tessa stepped into the room and he heard her intake of breath. Her eyes grew big and her lips parted, but she had already seen him nude.

"I hope that stuff works." He attempted looking as innocent as an alpha gray pack leader could manage who was already fully aroused, his voice way too husky.

"Uhm, you're awfully cut up. Let me get some antibacterial cream, too." She set the tube of liniment next to the fire and left. Down the hall, she rummaged around in some drawers.

She returned posthaste, carrying a handful of creams, his salvation. In anticipation, he relaxed his stiff muscles.

After leaving the creams on the coffee table, she knelt beside him and dipped a washcloth in the water. She slid the hot wet cloth over his shoulders, her touch gentle, and he gave a raspy sigh. "Got hot fast."

"Too warm?"

"No, feels just right."

"The faucet still had some hot water. The pipes would be cold and it takes forever for the bathroom water to heat even on a warm day, but you might be able to take a fast lukewarm shower."

He needed a cold one to keep his libido in check with the woman touching him so tenderly. "This is fine." Better than fine.

She washed his right shoulder and arm and before he could grow chilled, she patted the skin dry with a towel. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her ministrations. No one had ever treated him with so much kindness that he could recall. Hell, his sister would have shoved him in a tub of cold water, not wanting him to soil the sheets with the odor from the sea.

Again, an elusive memory of his sister. But he couldn't dredge up anything further.

Tessa probably couldn't smell the fishy odor on his skin like his kind could, but the scent was pretty pungent. He felt like he had been dropped in a vat of freshly caught fish off the coast. Not that it bothered him. Getting skunked was about the worst odor any wolf would have to contend with. Although he had been a pup when it happened, too curious for his own good, his parents wouldn't let him inside the house for days. Thankfully, the weather had been mild and the moon out so he remained a wolf the whole time, foraging in the forest, no chores to do.

Again, a memory. But even so, he couldn't recall what had happened to his parents or anything else about the incident.

After Tessa washed his neck, she left. Hating to admit it, he wanted in the worst way to drag her back, beg her to finish, then make love to her. He opened a sleepy eye, wondering what she was up to.

With a slight blush to her cheeks, she stood over him holding the afghan. "You must be cold." Before he could tell her she was heating him up just fine, she covered the lower part of his body with the soft blanket, and then started to wash his back, her touch methodical and soothing. "You sure took a beating."

She might have talked further, but he couldn't be sure. His thoughts had drifted to his current predicament and how he'd gotten here. If he had a sister, were they in a pack? He had to be the leader. He couldn't imagine serving in any other role. But what of his people? Were they from this area?

The lupus garou skulking around Tessa's place didn't remind him of anyone he knew. And then another concern: if his pack thought he was dead, one of the emergent alphas--if there were any--would try to take over. Well, he would remedy that when he got back.

"I had a premonition something bad was going to happen," Tessa was saying.

He opened his eyes, turned his head, and stared at her.

"Oh, I'm not psychic or anything. I just have these--bad impressions sometimes. Anyway," she said, scooting the afghan down to the tip of his spine, "sometimes I feel like something is wrong. When my parents died, I felt that way. Before they arrested Michael, it hit me again. Now tonight. I just couldn't pinpoint the feeling, but I couldn't squash the sensation of being watched."

Yeah, by the gray. He assumed the man had been stalking her for some time before he finally made a move.

She finished washing his back, slipped the afghan higher, covering his back and shoulders, and began washing his lower extremities. "Are you all right? Not getting too chilled?"

More than all right. In heaven, as much as he could be, the way he was so bruised and every muscle ached. "It feels good to have the salt washed off my skin," he said, his voice muffled in relaxation.

"Tell me if I hurt you and I'll quit."

He would suffer anything as long as she kept touching him.

When she began to work the liniment into his shoulders, the way her fingers massaged the muscles sent a sizzling heat through every fiber. He groaned with pure pleasure.

She stopped. "Am I hurting you?"

"Only if you quit."

She chuckled.

Despite how good she was making him feel, he couldn't prevent his mind from working over the problem with the gray wolf intruder. "Who would have a key to your house?"

She hesitated and then began to rub his lower back. "Michael, of course. Bethany had a key." Her fingers rested on the tip of his spine.

Move lower, he silently pleaded.

"Ohmigod, what if the killer had taken it off Bethany? What if he was looking for evidence Michael might have against him, except my brother was unaware of it?"

What if the whole scenario was a setup to get rid of Michael so the lupus garou could have a free shot at Tessa? What if it had nothing to do with Bethany Wade?

It would make sense that a sneaky beta was seeing Bethany behind Michael's back, cagey enough not to get caught, but giving Michael an alibi he couldn't prove. Oh, hell, if a lupus garou killed Bethany, no way could he expose him for the crime. If the killer went to prison, the moon's appearance would eventually force the man to turn wolf. But to get Michael off, they needed to catch the murderer and have him convicted.

Hunter let out his breath in exasperation.

"Did you want to turn over, and I'll wash the rest of your skin?" she asked.

He didn't think she could handle what she had done to him with her sweet touch, but he was more than ready and rolled over. He groaned with the effort and any fear she might have had that he would want to take their relationship too far seemed to fade as her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. Not that he couldn't make love to her despite the way he ached. Dealing with that torture would only help alleviate other discomforts she was now making worse.

She covered him quickly, although the afghan couldn't hide his full-blown erection, and her cheeks blushed anew. "I don't believe anyone else had a key to our place."

He studied her face as she washed his chest, her lashes hiding her eyes as she concentrated on her work. He wanted to ask her if she was seeing anyone regularly. The scent of several different males filled the house, but they might have been her brother's friends. He hoped they were her brother's friends. But if he asked if she was seeing anyone special, she might make more of an issue of his question than he intended. Still, being an alpha he couldn't skirt around the situation. What if a suitor turned up and found Tessa and him sleeping together?

He didn't want to ruin her relationship with a guy if it was important to her. He couldn't claim her for his own. He didn't believe in changing humans, and he hadn't known anyone personally who had ever done so. At least that he could remember.

Certainly, he couldn't imagine anyone doing it in this day and age. Although he supposed if the two were mutually agreeable... he mentally shook his head. It wasn't possible without the wolf telling the human what they were, which wasn't allowed. And even if a lupus garou did explain the situation, how could a human truly understand the ramifications of the change? He or she couldn't.

Tessa lowered the afghan and then worked on his stomach, her hair caressing his belly. Tickling, tantalizing. he itched to take handfuls of her hair and lower her fascinating mouth to his and kiss her again. Only this time with a lot more stamina.

When she began washing his legs, she avoided looking in the direction of his erection staking the cover in the form of a mountain peak.

"Tessa," he said, raising up on an elbow, "are you seeing anyone regularly?"

Wide-eyed, she looked at him.

He sure as hell didn't mean it like it sounded. "I don't want to ruin your relationship with a man if you're serious about one while I'm staying with you, and he was to drop by unexpectedly."

"We could say you're gay."

He raised his brows. Not only did he not care for the idea, he didn't like that she had a boyfriend. "Then you're seeing someone?" He hated how gruff his voice sounded. He meant to ask casually, not like he was ready to rip the guy's head from his shoulders.

She shrugged, but avoided looking at him. He smiled. She wasn't seeing anyone, but was afraid to admit it--maybe embarrassed that she didn't have a guy, or maybe she thought she could prevent her houseguest from getting too frisky with her in the event he wanted something more.

He leaned back again, his head resting on the crook of his arms while she washed his feet. From the moment he'd found himself half frozen and hurting beyond belief on the beach, he'd never thought an angel would be the one to save him, or tempt him like she did.

"What about you? Do you have anyone?" She set aside the wet washcloth and applied ointment to a cut on his shin.

Hell, he'd never considered that. What if he did have a mate waiting at home for him? There were too few to leave widowed, before another male would jump to claim an unattached female.

Tessa rubbed more antibacterial ointment on a deep scrape on his inner thigh, stirring his erection. But he couldn't quit worrying if he had a mate. Surely if he did have one, she'd wait for some time before giving up hope on him.

When he didn't respond, Tessa looked up at him. "Do you?"

Tessa felt Hunter's pain, the poor man. He couldn't even remember if he had someone special in his life. But it was probably good she brought it up, to put a halt to whatever he was thinking might go on between them. He was way too aroused for her to believe he was interested in only protecting her. And she couldn't help but notice his irritation when he thought she might be attached to a man.

She glanced at the dwindling fire. They would need the dry firewood for tomorrow's heat and breakfast if the electricity didn't come on during the night. She wasn't sure if taking Hunter to bed with her was a sound idea, but it would be warmer under the covers if they couldn't have a fire all night long. And the mattress was definitely preferable to the carpeted floor.

"I'll get some fresh sweats for you to wear. You look worn out. Maybe we should go to bed now."

He attempted to look serious, but his eyes and mouth hinted at humor. Yeah, he had suckered her right in. He might have been dead tired, but the way he regarded her with such fascination--her hair, her clothes as if he could see right through them, the way he captured her gaze, holding her captive--he was way too interested in her.

"But remember," she said, grabbing a camp lantern, "you're gay, so no funny stuff or you'll be sleeping on the floor."

This time he gave her a smug smile and a little chuckle. "As you wish. Thanks, Tessa, for taking me in."

"I'd say we both benefited." She tried to sound businesslike, as though she ran a first-rate hotel for half-drowned victims who earned their keep, and hurried down the now dark hall. But then she thought she heard someone in Michael's bedroom. She had closed the door to keep the freezing wind blowing through his window from chilling the rest of the house, but she was sure a drawer opened and shut.

Maybe the wind had made the noise. Still, she listened and couldn't force herself to reach for the doorknob.

"Tessa?" Hunter walked up behind her, this time wearing the afghan slung low over his hips.

The effect was nearly as erotic as when he wasn't wearing anything. She would never look at the blanket her grandmother had made the same way again either.

He seized the doorknob and jerked the door open.

She held her breath.

He stalked into the frigid room, and she hurried to give him the lantern. He peered into the closet, and then walked inside. She half-expected him to bring the intruder out, with an arm locked around the culprit's neck. But instead, Hunter carried a bundle of sweats. Then he went to the window and looked out.

"See anyone?"

"No one's there." He turned to face her, the breeze blowing his hair across his cheeks, softening his dark expression. "What do you think you heard?"

"Someone opening a drawer."

Hunter dumped the sweats on the mattress and peered under the bed. He set the lantern down, and then crossed the floor to the dresser. When she saw what he was about to do, she hurried to help him move the furniture. His muscles strained as he did the majority of the work, and she cringed to think he might injure himself further.

After they had blocked the window with the heavy mahogany dresser, he grabbed the sweats and lantern.

"He won't be getting in that way again."

"Do you think I really heard him? Or do you think I imagined it?" she asked, hoping the intruder hadn't slipped back in as she led Hunter into her bedroom.

"Could have been the wind. I'll board up the window in the morning and replace it once we pick up a new one."

Brother, here she worried about him getting too amorous with her in bed, and he was saving her butt again. The long-standing distrust of men she had didn't help. Not after her father had been one of the worst womanizers in the small community. How her mother had put up with him and his philandering ways she could never fathom.

"I'll leave this lantern on in the bathroom in case you need something in the middle of the night." She noted he had put on a pair of pale gray sweatpants, but not the sweatshirt. "Aren't you going to be cold?"

He cast her a small smile and her cheeks heated. Since he was so comfortable showing off his nudity, he probably usually slept in the raw.

"I'll leave a spare toothbrush on the bathroom counter for you. Be right out."

"Thanks, Tessa. I'll lie down until you're through."

But he glanced at her bedroom window, and she bet he wanted to check outside for the intruder. "You've got to be exhausted, Hunter. Don't worry about him. I'll be quick."

As much raw sexual energy as he exuded, she wasn't sure sleeping with him was such a good idea after all.

But when she exited the bathroom, expecting to find him lying on the bed, half-asleep, she found the room empty. Sitting by the remnants of the fire then?

Cinching up her velour robe, she hurried down the hall with lantern in hand to let him know the bathroom was free, but there was no sign of him in the living room. She rushed to the picture window and peered out. He couldn't be out in this awful weather.

Not anywhere in sight. Hurrying to the back door, she halfway expected him to trudge up the hill with another enormous load of firewood.

"Looking for someone?" he asked behind her, his voice dark and husky.

She squeaked and whirled around. "My god, Hunter. Where were you?"

He held up a shaving kit. "I found it in the guest bathroom. I hope your brother won't mind if I shaved."

His skin was smooth as satin and she wanted to run her hands over his face, feel the velvety skin, smell the citrus spice aftershave, but more than that, she wanted another of his soul-piercing kisses. She chastised herself. He probably had a wife.

"He won't mind that you've used his things while he's... away. He'll be glad you were here to watch over me. And that you've offered to help me find Bethany's killer so we can free him."

A subtle shadow fell over his face, and she wondered if he'd changed his mind. Well, she hadn't. "If you don't need anything else..."

He moved out of her path and bowed his head slightly.

The frigid air wasn't the only thing that chilled her to the bone. She had quickly become used to the idea she'd have a real man on her side to help her locate Bethany's murderer.

She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up.

Tessa grabbed the tie to her robe, then apparently thinking better of it, she climbed into bed dressed in fluffy pink socks, polka-dot pink and green pajamas, and the emerald robe. He had never seen a woman so clothed in bed. He stifled a chuckle. The big bad wolf would not eat her all up, unless she chose it and he was free to do so.

She kept her distance, staying near the opposite edge of the soft queen-sized mattress, which was understandable since he was a stranger. But she needed someone to hold her tight after her harrowing day--the trial, the intruder, finding a near dead man on the beach. She cast wistful looks at him when she didn't think he could see her in the dark.

He took a long-suffering breath. Patience was definitely not one of his virtues, but he needed a place to stay until he could sort out his situation. The best thing he could do was ignore his cravings when it came to the woman who stirred his desire with a smile, a touch, and the scent of her subtle aroused state.

Forget patience or the right or wrong of it. "Join me, Tessa. The room's too cold. I promise I'll behave." At least that was the plan.

"You're injured."

He'd suffer anything to have her in his arms. "I'll let you know if I'm hurting."

Silence. He smiled. She was thinking on it. He waited, anticipating enveloping her soft body in his. She shook her head. He groaned inwardly.

"I'm fine. If you get too cold, throw on Michael's sweatshirt. You can get some of his sweaters, socks, whatever else you need to stay toasty."

"If you change your mind and want me to warm you up, just slide over here."

Forever, he waited for her to come to him. The wind whipped around the house in a howling frenzy while the rain continued to pelt the roof and windows. Every bit of the cold seemed to have made it inside her home and the bedroom was icier than her freezer. But still, he would not bundle up in tons of clothes when he had a perfectly good woman to snuggle with.

Then her leg jerked. Her arm twitched. She was asleep. She rolled over. Was she joining him?

Her foot shot out and connected with his knee. Pain flared through the tendons and surrounding tissue. Hell, he already had a bruise the size of a melon there. Before he could pull her into his arms, she rolled over again. Night terrors? Nightmares? He reached over to rub her back, to comfort her, when her elbow jabbed him in the chest.

Not what he had in mind after frolicking in the ocean, battered against the rocks in the icy water. Then the sound of distant gunfire caught his attention. As a lupus garou, shouldn't the shots grip him with terror? Adrenaline flooded his system, but he wasn't afraid. In fact, for whatever reason, he felt the oddest urge to take up a gun and retaliate.

If the shooter was nearby, Hunter would make him move so he wouldn't wake Tessa. Time to see if the gray who broke into her home was wandering around outside at this hour also.

Careful not to wake Tessa, Hunter climbed out of bed, covered her up, observed her hair splayed across the pillow, her lashes twitching, her alluring lips parted slightly, inviting another kiss. He took a deep, settling breath. A mermaid from the sea, and just as alluring. He groaned to himself, seized Michael's shoes and sweatshirt, and hurried from the bedroom.

He thought of changing by the shed, but he couldn't risk Tessa catching him shapeshifting. With Michael's field jacket and gloves tucked under his arm, he found a plastic garbage bag to stick them in to keep them dry while he searched for the gray in his wolf form.

At least it seemed like a good strategy. But the way things were going for him lately...

He'd had enough bad luck to last him at least one human's lifetime.

In the middle of the night, the sound of gunfire in the distance woke Tessa. She jerked her head around and stared at the empty bed. No Hunter. Her heart raced and she practically flew off the mattress. Grabbing the lantern from the bathroom, she hurried down the hall. "Hunter?"

No answer.

She half-expected him to be asleep on the couch because she'd been tossing and turning so much, her usual mode of sleep since her brother had been incarcerated.

"Hunter?" She peered into the living room.

No sign of him. She headed back down the hall to the guest bedroom. He wasn't there either. Michael's bedroom would be way too cold.

Where was he?

Another shot rang out.

It was January and no one should be hunting big game along the coast, and not this early in the morning for game bird hunting either. Two more shots were fired. Then silence. She barely breathed.

Michael's field jacket was gone, so were his gloves and her ski hat.

"Hunter," she said under her breath.

The back door jerked open, and she squealed. Hunter frowned at her as he stalked inside with an armload of wood. "You should be sleeping."

"It's the middle of the night. Didn't you hear that maniac shooting out there? He shouldn't be hunting, but what if you'd gotten in his line of sight? What if he was a poacher?"

Hunter dumped the firewood on the dwindling stack, yanked off the gloves, and her hat. "Four more hours until it's daylight. Electricity is still off."

She relocked the back door. "Hope that idiot hunter doesn't shoot anymore. I hate it when they come into the area."

He looked in the direction the gunshots had been coming from and shrugged. "He probably ran out of bullets."

"Like they ever do."

"Miss me?"

She rolled her eyes as they returned to the bedroom. "The gunshots woke me."

He reached up and massaged the tension from her shoulders. Man, did his fingers work magic on her tension-filled muscles--she felt like dissolving into the carpet.

"Then after you woke, you missed me. Admit it. Having me warm your bed hasn't been so bad after all, has it?"

She hmpfed. "Now you're icy and will make the bed cold." She climbed under the covers while he slipped the field jacket off his shoulders, and then stripped out of the sweatshirt.

He reached for the sweatpants, then seeing her mouth drop and probably thinking better of it, he joined her in bed still wearing them. "You're right. I'm cold. I promise I won't do anything you don't want. I'm... gay, remember?" He gave her a devious smirk. "Just come over here and warm me. I gathered enough firewood to keep us toasty for most of the day, didn't I?"

Although a hint of pleading was evident in his tone of voice, his words were still more of a command.

She knew this was a very bad idea. But she always seemed to be helping others. Why not get something good out of the experience, even if it didn't last? He was the kind of guy that wouldn't stay in a long-term relationship, she would bet. One minute, he would be there for her, and the next, gone. Especially once he learned who he was and where he belonged. Probably had a good paying job, certainly a family, and a home somewhere. But heck, as long as she didn't get stuck on the guy, what did it matter if they warmed each other for the rest of the morning?

As macho as he was, she expected him to join her, but maybe he was too honorable, waiting to make sure it was okay with her. She sighed and moved close to him. His cold feet left an icy imprint on the back of her legs where her pajamas had drawn up, and she swore under her breath. "Damn, Hunter, your feet are ice cold, and now I'll never get warm."

He chuckled low and pulled her into his heated embrace. And she did warm up, way too much, but he seemed honor-bound. Maybe because he was concerned he still had a wife or fiancee or special woman in his life. Too bad. She sure could get used to a guy like this. Once she'd returned home after college, pickings had been slim. Rourke, the reporter, wanted to renew old acquaintances, but he was the last one she'd want to be stuck with on a desert island. The sheriff's son, one of Michael's best friends, was another, but those were the only two single men she knew still living in town after finishing high school who were close to her age. Everyone was eons older, younger, or married. But, Hunter, although she wasn't sure about his age, seemed perfect.

His warm breath teased the back of her head and his arms wrapped around her in a loving embrace. His erection stiffened against her back, and she sighed. Too bad he didn't know who he was. If he wasn't hooked up with anyone, they could have had a nice fling--not that she was into that sort of thing, but with someone as hot as him--why not? It was about time she let loose, had some fun, and did something for herself for a change.

Hunter kept Tessa still. He had never known a woman who tossed and turned so much in bed. At least, he didn't remember anyone like that. What night terrors was she dealing with? After she had beat on him, the only way he was returning to bed with her was to hold her tight, give her solace, and keep her from kicking and hitting him any further.

At least the hunter wouldn't be shooting any more for a while. Not until he purchased a new rifle and found another location to hunt in. If Hunter hadn't needed to remain in hiding for the time being, he would have turned the bastard in for attempted murder. He hoped Tessa wouldn't see the hole in her ski cap and question him about it.

How would he explain how he could run faster than a normal human being? He was just fortunate the second bullet had only grazed his upper arm. He'd even forgotten about it when he pulled the sweatshirt off, but thankfully, she didn't see the wound the way he was turned slightly away from her toward the dark. With any luck, she wouldn't see the bloody mess before it healed.

The man swore he thought Hunter was a black bear attacking him. As if Hunter looked anything like a bear. At least, the maniac's rifle wouldn't do him any good, even if it survived striking the rocks below and landing in the ocean. The only thing Hunter regretted was the fact he had littered.

He took a deep breath of Tessa's scent, knowing he shouldn't. When he shared one-night stands with lonely human females, that he recalled, he kept it strictly business, pleasuring them, and experiencing the joy it brought him. But he never attempted to memorize their scents, or make anything of the relationships, like two clouds passing each other in the night, barely touching, and then disappearing.

He was already too wrapped up in worrying about Tessa, her brother, and the gray lupus garou who had set his sights on her.

He brushed one of Tessa's curls tickling his cheek away and grunted when the bullet wound sent a shard of pain through his arm.

Tessa stirred. "Are you hurting a lot?" She reached over and touched his arm and felt the moisture. "My god, Hunter. What..." She stared at the blood tingeing her fingertips in the lantern's soft glow from the bathroom. "You've been shot."

"It's not anything," he said, frowning. Leave it to a human female to make a big deal out of nothing.

"You're bleeding." Her face contorted with worry. She pulled out of his grasp, climbed out of bed, and rushed to the bathroom. After opening and shutting several drawers, she returned with gauze and tape. "Is the bullet embedded?"

Ah hell, he hadn't wanted her to see the evidence, or worry her. "Just grazed the skin, really, Tessa. No big deal."

"You need to charge him with attempted murder. He shouldn't be allowed to get away with this. Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? No, I'll tell you. You're too macho to let me know, damn it."

He hid a grin. Her alpha posturing triggered his primal craving for her all over again.

She wiped away the blood, but it pooled up more. She clamped the gauze on it and the frown returned to her brow. "Hold this while I cut the tape. So what happened exactly?"

"I was gathering firewood. I guess he thought I was a new species of game bird."

"He wasn't supposed to be shooting in the middle of the night." She finished taping the gauze to the wound. "Are you really all right? Have you had a recent tetanus shot?"

"Yes, to both."

She stared at him for a second, her look concerned again, and touched his arm, a jolt of electricity heating his blood. "I can't afford to lose you before you help me find Bethany's killer."

He raised a brow. "And here I thought you had a hankering for me."

"Humpf." She jerked Michael's sweatshirt off the floor and waved it at Hunter, her face stern, but he could see she was half-teasing. "You're only borrowing my brother's clothes. I expected you'd give them back in the same shape you received them."

"I'll try to run faster next time."

She shook her head. "I can't imagine you running from anyone."

She had that right.

She returned to the bathroom and rinsed the blood out in the sink, and then the shower curtain rings slid across the rod. A dripping sound in the bathtub followed that.

When she climbed back into bed, Hunter leaned down, kissed the top of her head, breathed in her heady sweet scent, and pulled her into his arms. And wished he could have her, that she was one of his kind, and she'd want him in return.

"I'll try not to get any more of his things shot up. And when I'm able, I'll buy him replacements. Sleep, Tessa. Or we'll have to take a nap in the middle of the day to make up for not sleeping half the night."

"You have to report this to the sheriff's office."

"The shooter said he would."

She turned and stared at Hunter. "You talked to him?"

He tightened his hold on her, keeping her soft body pressed against his chest, her bottom seated provocatively against his arousal. "Don't worry about it," he said, his voice growing ragged with need. "It has nothing to do with you."

"He shot you on my property so it has everything to do with me. What did he say? That he was going to report how he'd shot you?"

"More like that he was going to tell the sheriff how I destroyed his brand-new rifle."

Her eyes grew even bigger, the blue specks highlighting the green gems. "What... what did he look like?"

"He said I stole Michael's clothes. He had shoulder-length blond hair, stood a little shorter than me, talked big, but was shaking in his boots."

"Ashton Wellington."

"Who?"

"The sheriff's son and Michael's best friend. Great. His father can be a real pain in the butt when it comes to protecting his son."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." He wrapped a curl of hair around his finger and examined the color and texture. "After all, the guy shot me, not the other way around."

"Yeah, but you destroyed his gun." She frowned at Hunter. "How?"

"I tossed it in the ocean. Figured he'd wake you up, and he shouldn't have been shooting that close to your house anyway."

She groaned and hugged his arms wrapped around her chest, drawing him into her silky embrace, making his blood sizzle--siren.

"Expect the sheriff's visit early in the morning," she warned.

He nuzzled his face in her hair, smelled the fragrant peach scent, wanted to lick every inch of her skin to see if she tasted just as sweet. "What role do you want me to play?"

"Cousin from back east. You're staying with me until we clear Michael of his crime."

His hand stilled on her hair. "Gay cousin?"

She snorted. "Like anyone would believe that."

He smiled and rubbed her arm with a slow, stroking caress. "Good. Not that I care much for being a cousin either, too easy to get caught up in a lie."

"What then? My lover?"

He chuckled darkly. "Works for me."