instincts weren’t as far off as I worried they might be.
She was still a jaguar, but everything about her spoke to me. The way her large, almond eyes stared up at me with her full lips parted enough for me to catch the spicy scent of her mouth, and how her black hair felt like strands of silk sliding through my fingers made it impossible for me to think clearly. She was curvy and soft, and I wanted to explore every inch of her body and know every part of her soul.
I howled up into the hot wind as I raced toward the ranch. Had I ever felt more alive?
When I pulled into the barn, Luke was busy filling up water buckets. “Out with one of your ladies again?” He shot me a glare. “Nice of you to show up.”
Luke had turned twenty last month and still had a tough time hiding his wolf abilities and his temper. Until he could control them and pass himself off as a normal man, he needed to stay close to the Pack. My ranch was the natural choice, but it wasn’t always where Luke wanted to be.
“Sorry, Luke. I was tracking the jaguar who got Gabe.”
“All night?” He shook his head as he kinked the hose and jammed it into the next water bucket. “Yeah, right. You could’ve called.”
I knew I had a well-deserved reputation for being a player, but Luke’s sour attitude was uncalled for. “Look, believe whatever you want, Luke, but keep it to yourself, okay? I don’t want to hear it.”
“No shock there. I’m just supposed to believe whatever bullshit you’re shoveling.” He grumbled under his breath. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You sure as hell are acting like one.” I walked over and snagged the hose from him. “I pay you to be here so I can take care of other things when I need to, like jaguars who attack our Pack. Can the attitude.”
His brow furrowed, and he clenched his jaw. Then without a word he stormed off to the tack room. I watched him go while I topped off the last water bucket. He’d be all right. Once Luke cooled off, I figured I could find out what was really going on with him. Luke was like an onion in a lot of ways. You had to go through a lot of layers to find out what was really inside.
As I turned off the water, a horse trailer pulled down the drive. The barn broke into chaos with some of the horses pacing in their stalls, while others neighed and pawed at their doors, flipping their heads in anticipation of the visitor. I walked down the barn aisle and greeted the owners with a handshake. After they got Sabrina settled into a stall, I gave them the boarding contract to fill out and sign. The mare was a well-muscled blood bay with dark dappled color on her hindquarters. She was a west coast western pleasure champion, and her owners were hoping that crossing her with Bruce would give them a black colt or filly.
I figured a healthy foal would be good enough.
With paperwork in hand, I watched the empty trailer pull out and walked over to Bruce’s stall. I gave his neck a good scratch, chuckling as the stallion’s upper lip stretched out and quivered. I shook my head. “What a life. Did you see the way that mare was flirting with you? You’re a lucky horse, Bruce.”
Luke finally resurfaced as I saddled up the three-year-old filly at the end of the barn.
“Sorry, Adam.”
“It’s okay,” I said, meaning it. “We’re all a little tense after what happened to Gabe.”
“That’s probably it.” He shrugged. “I’m glad you didn’t find that guy who did it.”
“What?” I stopped walking, my brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Gabe was by himself, and now Gabe’s dead. I didn’t want that to happen to you too.”
I closed my eyes for a second as the puzzle pieces came together in my mind, then I looked over at Luke. “So when I wasn’t here this morning you thought…” He thought I was dead. I felt like a big asshole. “I’m sorry, Luke. I should’ve called you.”
He shrugged it off. “No big deal. But you shouldn’t go looking for this guy
She was still a jaguar, but everything about her spoke to me. The way her large, almond eyes stared up at me with her full lips parted enough for me to catch the spicy scent of her mouth, and how her black hair felt like strands of silk sliding through my fingers made it impossible for me to think clearly. She was curvy and soft, and I wanted to explore every inch of her body and know every part of her soul.
I howled up into the hot wind as I raced toward the ranch. Had I ever felt more alive?
When I pulled into the barn, Luke was busy filling up water buckets. “Out with one of your ladies again?” He shot me a glare. “Nice of you to show up.”
Luke had turned twenty last month and still had a tough time hiding his wolf abilities and his temper. Until he could control them and pass himself off as a normal man, he needed to stay close to the Pack. My ranch was the natural choice, but it wasn’t always where Luke wanted to be.
“Sorry, Luke. I was tracking the jaguar who got Gabe.”
“All night?” He shook his head as he kinked the hose and jammed it into the next water bucket. “Yeah, right. You could’ve called.”
I knew I had a well-deserved reputation for being a player, but Luke’s sour attitude was uncalled for. “Look, believe whatever you want, Luke, but keep it to yourself, okay? I don’t want to hear it.”
“No shock there. I’m just supposed to believe whatever bullshit you’re shoveling.” He grumbled under his breath. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You sure as hell are acting like one.” I walked over and snagged the hose from him. “I pay you to be here so I can take care of other things when I need to, like jaguars who attack our Pack. Can the attitude.”
His brow furrowed, and he clenched his jaw. Then without a word he stormed off to the tack room. I watched him go while I topped off the last water bucket. He’d be all right. Once Luke cooled off, I figured I could find out what was really going on with him. Luke was like an onion in a lot of ways. You had to go through a lot of layers to find out what was really inside.
As I turned off the water, a horse trailer pulled down the drive. The barn broke into chaos with some of the horses pacing in their stalls, while others neighed and pawed at their doors, flipping their heads in anticipation of the visitor. I walked down the barn aisle and greeted the owners with a handshake. After they got Sabrina settled into a stall, I gave them the boarding contract to fill out and sign. The mare was a well-muscled blood bay with dark dappled color on her hindquarters. She was a west coast western pleasure champion, and her owners were hoping that crossing her with Bruce would give them a black colt or filly.
I figured a healthy foal would be good enough.
With paperwork in hand, I watched the empty trailer pull out and walked over to Bruce’s stall. I gave his neck a good scratch, chuckling as the stallion’s upper lip stretched out and quivered. I shook my head. “What a life. Did you see the way that mare was flirting with you? You’re a lucky horse, Bruce.”
Luke finally resurfaced as I saddled up the three-year-old filly at the end of the barn.
“Sorry, Adam.”
“It’s okay,” I said, meaning it. “We’re all a little tense after what happened to Gabe.”
“That’s probably it.” He shrugged. “I’m glad you didn’t find that guy who did it.”
“What?” I stopped walking, my brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Gabe was by himself, and now Gabe’s dead. I didn’t want that to happen to you too.”
I closed my eyes for a second as the puzzle pieces came together in my mind, then I looked over at Luke. “So when I wasn’t here this morning you thought…” He thought I was dead. I felt like a big asshole. “I’m sorry, Luke. I should’ve called you.”
He shrugged it off. “No big deal. But you shouldn’t go looking for this guy
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