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  “Please, Wendy. You know how I hate pack laws and traditions. I’ll go see them, I promise. You need to take care of you.”

  “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. Steve’s den is seeking vengeance. They were just here. You might not be safe there alone.” Wendy let out a staggered breath. “I know you have a habit of running from packs when you feel laws are closing in around you. You’ve done this all your life.”

  “That’s not always the reason I run. New places, new adventures…”

  “And you don’t want to be shackled down.”

  “Do you blame me?”

  “No,” Wendy said quickly enough for Jaynie to know her cousin wished she’d run a time or two as well. The hard quiet tone she then took on was serious. “Look, Jaynie. Steve’s pack will move fast. They smell blood. And they feel revenge is their right. I heard them. They were here talking to my sire.”

  Jaynie thought about the oversized Cariboo standing guard outside her den. She was safer than any other lunewulf on the planet right now.

  “That whole den is a pack of lowlifes.” Jaynie bit her tongue. “I’m sorry, Wendy. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “You’re right. I’m not arguing with you. My sire is worried neither of us is safe right now. We’re the only bitches in our den here in town, and they’re going to cause trouble.”

  She glanced up when a floorboard squeaked in the hallway. Perry filled her doorway with his massive frame. A faint spicy smell filled her room. He was angry. Amazing how his negative emotions ran clearly through him. Somehow she had the feeling he already knew what Wendy was telling her on the phone.

  “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, please.”

  “Gather your things. You aren’t staying here,” he told her as soon as she hung up and shoved her phone into her pants pocket.

  She closed her eyes, fighting the sensation to strike out. No one told her what to do, where she would stay or not stay. She’d be smart to shake this Cariboo off her scent. At the same time, she wanted to know so much more about him. This was fucking nuts.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, repeating the mantra she’d used so many times in the past when told how she should live her life.

  For a werewolf so large, he moved silently, touching her before she realized he’d reached her side.

  “Jaynie,” he growled.

  She jumped at his touch, moving quickly, her leg muscles protesting loudly when she hopped off the bed. Having sex with this werewolf made her feel she’d run halfway across British Columbia.

  “Look. I’m sure you have your orders.”

  “I don’t take orders from anyone.”

  “Well, neither do I.”

  Surprisingly he smiled. Moving toward her slowly, his touch was gentle when a finger brushed over her cheek. She didn’t want gentle. Gentle made her nervous. Compassion meant he cared. And caring would make her want to stay with him.

  “Running toward danger isn’t always the smartest move.”

  “That’s what you do.”

  “I’m twice your size.”

  The damned brute. “Don’t you dare imply I’m some feeble helpless bitch,” she sneered.

  Being pissed at him worked a lot better than feeling compassion. If she fought him she didn’t risk as much chance of falling hard for him.

  He moved quickly. And she anticipated the act. He was right. Strength was on his side. But speed was her asset.

  Leaping away from him, she jumped onto her bed and then flew off it, tearing out of her room and down the hall toward the front door. Her hand was on the front door when she paused. With her heart pounding in her chest and her own emotions flying out of control, she’d almost missed it.

  But not quite.

  Another werewolf was on the other side of that door. His scent seeped through the door, outraged and obnoxious-smelling.

  Shit.

  She backed into hard, well-packed muscle.

  Perry pulled Jaynie into his arms. Backing away from the door, emotions soared through him harder than he’d experienced in years. The little lunewulf pressed against him possessed more fire in her than any female he’d ever known. Her energy, her passion for independence, to not be controlled, turned him on more than he’d thought traits like that would.

  There wasn’t room in his life for a mate.

  At least not until a few hours ago.

  Jaynie defied him. Told him off. Made it clear she didn’t want to be told what to do. And it made his blood boil with a craving to possess her.

  Fighting every emotion that soared through him, he backed them away from the door.

  “Do you recognize that scent?” he whispered into her ear, lifting her off the ground, as he took a step backwards.

  She shook her head, showing enough sense not to speak. Soap and perfume, her damp hair, her warm body, traveled through his senses. A protector’s instinct surged through him harder than he’d ever felt it before. No one would lay a paw on her and live.

  The doorknob turned, a slight creaking sound as the door opened toward them. A scowling lunewulf looked quickly at Jaynie and then glared at him.

  He moved her behind him. A creaking sound made her stiffen.

  “They’re at the back door too,” she warned him.

  “This should save us a run.” An older lunewulf chuckled with the confidence of an idiot.

  “Yeah, both of them are right here.” Another werewolf came through the back door.

  “I get the bitch,” the ugly fucker at the front door said, almost drooling as he stared at Jaynie.

  “Lay a paw on her and it will be the last move you make.” Perry’s warning silenced the room for a moment.

  “Cariboo. You messed with the wrong den today.”

  These were some stupid fucking lunewulf.

  “Yeah. And you’re in an Amyx den. We got a right to be here, and you don’t,” another werewolf spoke from behind him. “Get your overgrown paws off our bitch.”

  There were four of them. Without looking, the fools had announced their presence. Each of them had spoken, their emotions running so hard with anger and plain idiocy, that he easily marked where each of them stood. This wouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

  Perry struck at the werewolf in front of him. The closest, and he drooled over Jaynie. That won him the right to go down first.

  “You need to learn to knock,” he growled through clenched teeth while punching the werewolf in the face.

  Bone hit bone and a cracking sound followed by a pathetic howl told him he’d hit his mark. Grabbing the werewolf before he slumped to the ground, he twisted his neck. Several pops vibrated against his hand. There was one less scumbag to annoy the pack.

  Fire burned through him. Muscles stretched through his body. But changing wasn’t necessary. A roar tore through him when someone jumped on his back.

  “Take him down,” the older werewolf yelled. “And get the bitch.”

  He threw the lunewulf from his back. Blonde hair flew before his face. Jaynie’s scent, outraged yet so damned sensual, filled the room. He wouldn’t be the only one to smell it. The little bitch had jumped into the fight.

  “You want a piece of this tail?” she screamed, jumping into the air and kicking one of the lunewulf in the throat.

  A mixture of pride and frustration distracted Perry. Jaynie pulled off an impressive kick. She could take care of herself. Her fighting style added to her sexiness, her appeal. A dangerous, erotic bitch.

  Adrenaline surged through his veins too fast to sit back and watch her attack the Amyx den. “Get out of the way,” he ordered her.

  Her blue eyes were laced with silver when she turned to him, stunned. One of the werewolves, the youngest of the three remaining, lunged at her, and he grabbed the punk by the arm, throwing him into the other two.

  Cars pulled up out front. He ignored the sounds of car doors opening and closing and moved faster to secure the area. Reaching for the oldest in the den, no effort was need
ed in lifting the asshole off the ground by his neck.

  The front door flew open.

  “Put him down, Perry,” Johann Rousseau yelled from behind him.

  The command seemed to come from miles away. Defying a pack leader’s orders would have him kicked out of the pack. He wouldn’t accept the idea that Rousseau would side with this derelict den. More than likely he would play diplomat. Perry didn’t feel like talking.

  Rage surged through him. One of the lunewulf, the youngest in the den, bolted for the back door. Jaynie raced after him.

  “Put him down now,” Johann yelled a bit louder.

  Perry threw the older werewolf toward the kitchen, leaping around the other two. Jaynie’s scent faded quickly. What a fool little bitch! Running after a no-good lunewulf who more than likely had some of his buddies lying in wait. And if any of them got their hands on her…

  “Perry!” Johann barked.

  The remaining lunewulf already began mumbling their complaints about their treatment when entering their dead littermate’s den.

  Perry glared at his pack leader. “Do what you want with this trash,” he hissed, glaring at the remaining Amyx den. “I’m going after her.”

  If there were any further comments, he didn’t take time to hear them. Bounding out the back door, he searched the small backyard quickly then scanned the neighborhood. Her scent had faded and he’d have to track her from scratch.

  Chapter Five

  Three blocks later, Jaynie lost the lunewulf’s scent. The bastard. Prince George was up and moving with a new day, humans bustling off to work, getting their children to school. Racing at full speed down the somewhat busy street would draw attention. There were a few lunewulf on the police force who would be a bit more understanding if some human were to call in complaining of a rabid werewolf but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with cops.

  Or any human for that matter. They wouldn’t understand her craving to eliminate a den because one of their kind had so terribly abused her cousin.

  She huffed in cold morning air, filling her lungs with it, and dragged her fingers through her still-damp hair.

  Exhaust from passing cars made it impossible to smell out any werewolves.

  She jogged across the street, a small strip mall and a donut shop looking like a good place to regroup. One problem—she didn’t have her purse or any money on her.

  “Hell,” she said with a sigh.

  Hopefully the donut shop would be busy enough not to notice her slip into the bathroom. Her phone buzzed as she entered the warm shop. Hot grease, heavy fresh dough, strong coffee, aftershave, perfume—too many smells hit her at once. The place was doing some decent business. Good thing too. No one gave her a second glance.

  She pulled out her cell phone, Wendy’s number displayed on the small screen. It bugged her that she’d wondered if Perry would call. But he wouldn’t call her. He didn’t know her number. Shaking her head, she pushed through humans toward the bathroom. If he wanted her cell phone number he’d get it. A funny feeling twisted through her gut. Being stalked by such a giant of a Cariboo, stronger and sexier than any werewolf she’d ever laid eyes on, made her heart flutter.

  He’d control her, tell her what to do. No way. Wouldn’t happen.

  She shoved the bathroom door open, kicking at stall doors ensuring she was alone.

  Pushing the button to answer her call, she sucked in a breath, calming herself. “Hello.”

  “Jaynie?” a female whispered into the phone. “I’m scared.”

  “Wendy? Where are you?”

  “At the bus station. My sire left when he thought the bus would leave in a minute. But it didn’t leave. I’m not sure why. And Jaynie…” She sucked in a breath. “Are you there?”

  “I’m here. What’s wrong?” A quick look in the mirror had her cringing. No makeup. Her hair desperately needed brushing. And the shadows under her eyes. A seriously long nap was definitely needed.

  “I think some of the Amyx den is here.”

  Jaynie quickly turned her back to the mirror, her stomach tensing. Wendy didn’t need any more abuse from that den. The way they’d come after her, willingly taken on Perry, Wendy wouldn’t stand a chance.

  “Where did you say you were?”

  “The bus station.” Her voice quavered. “If I call my parents, they might get hurt. If I keep them out of this, the Amyx den won’t go after them. It’s me they want. And I can’t reach Johann or his mate.”

  That was because they were at her den. She didn’t envy Johann having to put a collar on Perry. And that is what it would take to stop him from destroying that den. Again a strange sensation fluttered through her stomach. The raw fury she’d seen in his eyes, how dangerously large his muscles had grown. Those blond curls twisting around his head, falling to his shoulders. The sensation dropped from her stomach to between her legs, a quick hard throbbing.

  Her heart went out to her cousin as well. Wendy wasn’t a strong lunewulf yet she had such a good heart, still caring and beautiful after being treated so poorly. She deserved the best there was.

  “Stay where you are. Keep close to humans. They won’t come after you as quickly that way. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Jaynie?” Wendy sounded like the little cub Jaynie had protected again and again when they were younger.

  “Yes?”

  “Samantha told me that Johann had an argument with his tracker, a Cariboo lunewulf named Perry Roth. Have you met him?”

  “I’ve met him.”

  “He wants you.”

  Jaynie headed out of the bathroom, nerves twisting through her so violently she could hardly breathe through the intensity of smells in the shop.

  “What…what do you mean?”

  “Just something that Samantha told me before I left my parents’ den. Johann told him to bring you to them.”

  Perry had that conversation with Johann while she’d been at Perry’s den. Nothing had been said at that time. She replayed what she’d overheard of the conversation in her mind. It had been a brief phone call, Perry had simply agreed to take her to the queen bitch. Had he called Johann back?

  She headed back out to the street, wondering how in the hell she’d get across town to the bus station without a car or any money, and in broad daylight. No way could she run at full speed across Prince George in her skin or her fur with the sun up.

  She glanced up and down the busy street. Telling Wendy she’d been with Perry during that conversation didn’t sound like a good idea.

  “Samantha told me that Johann is pissed because Perry hasn’t brought you to her yet. I guess Perry doesn’t want you turned over to her. He wants you for himself.”

  “I can’t imagine that’s true.” She exhaled, knowing Perry hadn’t brought her in yet because she’d showered and then dealt with the Amyx den. “He plans on taking me to see Samantha. He told me as much.”

  Wendy chuckled although her nervousness came through over the phone. “From what Samantha tells me it sounds like this Perry Cariboo guy is a lot like you. He plays rough, with tooth and claw bared, you know? And drifts from pack to pack. I’ve never understood why you’ve never wanted a den to call your own. But he doesn’t sound like someone who’d be good for you.”

  She wanted to ask what kind of werewolf would be good for her. Right there, on the tip of her lips, she almost argued with her cousin that Perry would be one hell of a catch.

  What the hell was she thinking?

  Already she had a list longer than her tail why he’d be a very bad catch.

  She had a hell of a jaunt before she reached the bus station. There was only one way to get across town. She’d have to risk running.

  “What makes you think the Amyx den is there?” she asked, changing the subject while darting across the street, clutching her phone to her ear.

  She’d have to get off the main drag. Humans knew lunewulf were thick in Prince George. That didn’t mean they liked a visual reminder. If she took off in a sp
rint in her human form, running faster than any human, more than one of them would call the police, complaining. No way did she want the pack leader pissed at her. Already more attention focused in on her than she liked having.

  Taking a minute to look up and down the street, there was no sensation of being followed, or watched. More than likely she’d imagined it. That or darting into the donut shop had thrown off her scent and she’d lost her tracker.

  Now why did that leave an empty feeling inside her?

  “I’m sitting next to the ticket counter. Earlier I smelled their angry stench. But I don’t see the lunewulf that I saw earlier.”

  “Stay where you are. Call me back if you get scared again. I’ll be there soon.”

  Wendy agreed, sounding more relaxed than when she’d first called. With little den left alive, Jaynie would protect her cousin with her life. Wendy’s den, her aunt and uncle, were good people. Her aunt had been her mother’s sister. Jaynie hadn’t seen them much as a cub. But since her parents had died, they’d tried including Jaynie in den affairs. Jaynie had been the one who’d been reluctant to get close to Wendy’s den. Losing her parents had been enough pain for a lifetime. She wouldn’t allow her heart to suffer like that again.

  Shoving her phone into her jeans pocket, she headed away from the busy street. There were miles of neighborhood to cover before she hit the industrial part of town where the bus station was. If she could hit a full run, she’d be there in less than ten minutes. But she’d have to be careful, ensure that not too many people saw her.

  Maybe she should make a few phone calls, seek out help. Figure out how to call Perry.

  “What the hell are you thinking?” she hissed through her teeth.

  She’d made it quite a few years now on her own, enjoying freedom, not needing or wanting another werewolf for anything. Ten years since her parents had died. Ten years that she’d made damned sure no one got too close.

  Calling him would be as bad as putting the collar around her neck by herself.

  Half an hour later she wiped sweat from her brow, twisting her hair off her neck and taking a slow breath as she walked toward the bus station. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Wendy being escorted out of the bus station by the older lunewulf who’d been at her den that morning.