big men,
ranchers from the looks of them, followed Fina into the room.
Helen blinked. They were smiling down at her with more
affection than she was comfortable with and one was holding a big bunch of
flowers. The other was carrying a box of what smelled like fresh-baked goods.
Her mouth watered just a little, and it wasn’t just because
of the smell. Both men were big, with shoulders that would put a linebacker to
shame. They were cute, brown-haired and shared the same blue eyes.
“You’re…” She paused, trying to remember their names. “Josh.
And Simon. You came out to Tennessee last spring when those…” Her voice trailed
off and she shuddered. Would the memory always make her react like that?
“Yes ma’am.” Josh tugged off his Stetson with one hand and
held out the flowers in the other. “Rogues. They’re an abomination. It was a
pure pleasure going out there and sending them back to their maker.” His smile
got broader, revealing white teeth that looked a little too sharp. Maybe that
was just her imagination.
“Our mother’s the finest baker in the county,” Simon said
and set the box on the coffee table. “She sends her regards and said she’d drop
by this evening, if you’re up to having visitors.”
“Notice you didn’t ask first,” Wally cut in.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work? Or don’t my tax
dollars pay your cop’s salary?”
Wally stood up so quickly Helen’s eyes missed it. He turned
to the new arrivals and growled, literally.
“Down, boys,” Fina’s voice was low and she spoke
deliberately. Nath stepped up behind her, arms crossed over his chest, and
glared at the three other males. The wooden spoon in his hand lessened his
looming-threat presence a bit, but not much.
“Since Wally changed her, Cutler gave Wally the day off to
help Helen work through the transition.” Cutler was Fina’s other mate and the
local sheriff. He was also this pack’s Alpha—the highest-ranking position, if
Helen remembered correctly. “Play nice or I’ll send you all home.”
The three males glared at each other then, as if by mutual
agreement, backed down. They turned back to Helen and their smiles kicked it up
a few notches.
“You know how to ride?” This was from Simon, who looked to
be the younger brother. “We’ve got some riding stock out at our place. We could
ride over to our parents’ ranch sometime when you’re up for it. Mom’ll put on a
great spread. She’s dying to meet you.”
Smooth as a cat, Josh slipped around Wally, took Helen’s
hand and kissed it. “May I escort you to the table, pretty lady?”
“Huh.” Fina headed back to the kitchen. “Never knew
Dorothea’s sons were that smooth.”
“Why do you think Cutler and I kept you away from them?”
Nath leaned over Fina, kissed her ear then returned to the stove.
When lunch was served, Helen ate three steak sandwiches—two
more than her usual—and couldn’t pack in enough salad and baked beans.
“How come I can eat so much all of a sudden? I was lying in
bed for three days. Shouldn’t I not want to eat anything but Jell-O?”
Deliberately, she pushed her plate away, then realized she was staring at it longingly.
“If you were still human, sure,” Wally answered in that
calm, deep voice Helen was beginning to adore. “Your cells are storing energy.
Your body’s instinct now is to keep the reserve it’ll need to facilitate a
change.”
“A change?”
She nodded gratefully when Wally held up the bowl of tomato,
cucumber and Feta salad. He began refilling her plate, as well as topping up
her milk glass. “Human to wolf and back. As a human, and I know you’ve
experienced some of these changes already, your senses are more acute. That’s
the wolf lending its strength to the human.” She ate the rest of the salad with
embarrassing speed, impressed by Wally’s calm, confident manner. She figured he
was probably a really good cop. “Gonna get off my soapbox now but if I could
ranchers from the looks of them, followed Fina into the room.
Helen blinked. They were smiling down at her with more
affection than she was comfortable with and one was holding a big bunch of
flowers. The other was carrying a box of what smelled like fresh-baked goods.
Her mouth watered just a little, and it wasn’t just because
of the smell. Both men were big, with shoulders that would put a linebacker to
shame. They were cute, brown-haired and shared the same blue eyes.
“You’re…” She paused, trying to remember their names. “Josh.
And Simon. You came out to Tennessee last spring when those…” Her voice trailed
off and she shuddered. Would the memory always make her react like that?
“Yes ma’am.” Josh tugged off his Stetson with one hand and
held out the flowers in the other. “Rogues. They’re an abomination. It was a
pure pleasure going out there and sending them back to their maker.” His smile
got broader, revealing white teeth that looked a little too sharp. Maybe that
was just her imagination.
“Our mother’s the finest baker in the county,” Simon said
and set the box on the coffee table. “She sends her regards and said she’d drop
by this evening, if you’re up to having visitors.”
“Notice you didn’t ask first,” Wally cut in.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work? Or don’t my tax
dollars pay your cop’s salary?”
Wally stood up so quickly Helen’s eyes missed it. He turned
to the new arrivals and growled, literally.
“Down, boys,” Fina’s voice was low and she spoke
deliberately. Nath stepped up behind her, arms crossed over his chest, and
glared at the three other males. The wooden spoon in his hand lessened his
looming-threat presence a bit, but not much.
“Since Wally changed her, Cutler gave Wally the day off to
help Helen work through the transition.” Cutler was Fina’s other mate and the
local sheriff. He was also this pack’s Alpha—the highest-ranking position, if
Helen remembered correctly. “Play nice or I’ll send you all home.”
The three males glared at each other then, as if by mutual
agreement, backed down. They turned back to Helen and their smiles kicked it up
a few notches.
“You know how to ride?” This was from Simon, who looked to
be the younger brother. “We’ve got some riding stock out at our place. We could
ride over to our parents’ ranch sometime when you’re up for it. Mom’ll put on a
great spread. She’s dying to meet you.”
Smooth as a cat, Josh slipped around Wally, took Helen’s
hand and kissed it. “May I escort you to the table, pretty lady?”
“Huh.” Fina headed back to the kitchen. “Never knew
Dorothea’s sons were that smooth.”
“Why do you think Cutler and I kept you away from them?”
Nath leaned over Fina, kissed her ear then returned to the stove.
When lunch was served, Helen ate three steak sandwiches—two
more than her usual—and couldn’t pack in enough salad and baked beans.
“How come I can eat so much all of a sudden? I was lying in
bed for three days. Shouldn’t I not want to eat anything but Jell-O?”
Deliberately, she pushed her plate away, then realized she was staring at it longingly.
“If you were still human, sure,” Wally answered in that
calm, deep voice Helen was beginning to adore. “Your cells are storing energy.
Your body’s instinct now is to keep the reserve it’ll need to facilitate a
change.”
“A change?”
She nodded gratefully when Wally held up the bowl of tomato,
cucumber and Feta salad. He began refilling her plate, as well as topping up
her milk glass. “Human to wolf and back. As a human, and I know you’ve
experienced some of these changes already, your senses are more acute. That’s
the wolf lending its strength to the human.” She ate the rest of the salad with
embarrassing speed, impressed by Wally’s calm, confident manner. She figured he
was probably a really good cop. “Gonna get off my soapbox now but if I could
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