Taming Travis [Wolves of Climax 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) by Stacey Espino Page A

the length of his arms combined with his size and strength created one badass visual. But she still planned to get her own way.
    “He’s right,” said Matthew.
    She took a breath and resumed her pacing. Cassidy didn’t want to tell them that she was actually terrified of being left alone in the cabin while they went in search of the other men. She had to appear strong, capable, and independent. Although she’d taken care of herself all her life, the recent events left her nerves ragged and a deep-seated fear of the nighttime forest in her psyche. Since the rest of the crew had to be found, it seemed the only logical resolution was for her to come along. As long as she had Patrick and Matthew by her sides, she’d feel safe and protected, no matter how grueling the journey may be.
    “Fine.” She had to know when to play her hand, and right now was not the time. Both men were flustered, anxious, and determined to deny her. Maybe after spending the afternoon together, they’d have a change of heart. She was quickly learning each man’s weakness, what made them growl or pull her hair harder during lovemaking.
    Cassidy walked away, returning to the cabin. She hoped they gave her a few minutes alone to collect her thoughts. So much had happened in her life recently, she didn’t know if she was coming or going. She’d just met Matthew after all the drama of trying to get him back, and he’d already managed to steal her heart. Was it because she felt she already knew him, anticipating his return? Garret had spoken so much about the missing miner, he’d become three-dimensional before she even met him. Or was there something stronger at work—like fate? Whatever it was, she now had five men she had to worry about.
    Then there was the mystery of her brother, Scott. One moment she expected to find him, the next nobody in Climax had seen him. She was starting to think she’d never meet a real blood relative. Cassidy tried not to focus on the possibility Scott could have been attacked by wolves. With so many nameless hikers on the death toll list, what if he was one of them? She shook away the unpleasant thoughts. No, he must have headed south, returning to one of the towns or cities hours away. How would she ever find him again?
    She couldn’t worry about him now, especially when she knew nothing one way or the other. What mattered were Garret, Evan, and Travis running off with some crazed death wish. They were worse than animals, driven by instinct and bloodlust. Taking the law into one’s own hands was not acceptable in the lower mainland. There were police where she came from. In Climax, it seemed everyone was on their own with vigilante justice as the norm.
    About twenty minutes later there was a knock on the wooden door to the cabin. She’d already played and replayed every possible scenario over in her head. It was time to see what they thought. Cassidy was mentally exhausted and didn’t want to argue. If they wanted to leave her alone in the cabin, she’d just have to woman up and deal with it.
    “You awake?”
    “Come in,” she said.
    Matthew and Patrick both entered, closing the door behind them. Their demeanors had changed, the tenseness in their muscles eased, and their faces less stressed.
    “You still angry?” asked Patrick.
    She shrugged.
    “If you want to come, we’ll bring you. We don’t like the idea of you being here without protection.” On the outside she appeared unmoved, but on the inside she had transformed to jelly, her body nearly giving way from relief. She wouldn’t be left alone in the forest. Even if they were heading to more dangerous land, she felt safer in their company. Without them she had nothing holding her in Climax. The surprise inheritance from her blood grandfather, the house he’d built in his youth, wasn’t worth more than her run-down car. She was more alone now than when she had lived in the city because at least there she had friends and a familiar