He watched Sara lie to her friends. And she was lying. The girl was in a momentous amount of pain, but she hid it amazingly well. She was a lot stronger than any of the Pack, himself included, gave her credit for.
Sara finished her beer, crinkling the can with one strong hand. “I’m thinking about getting a new dog.” Well that came out of nowhere. And based on her friends’ reactions they were none too pleased.
“Oh, for fuck sake,” Miki snapped.
“I thought you guys liked dogs.”
“I’m a cat person,” Angelina volunteered. Zach had already guessed that.
“I like dogs. Not the dogs you get, though. You always pick some scraggly-ass stray off the street and try to make it a pet.”
“You could get a cat,” Angelina offered hopefully.
“Agents of Satan? No thank you. I like my eyes right where they are. In my head.”
“Ladies.” Angelina sighed. “Is this what we’re reduced to? Are we going to be…” she wore an expression of utter disgust, “…pet people?”
“I can’t.” Miki leaned her head to the side to stretch the muscles, and Zach heard Conall give a low growl. “No pets. No plants.”
Sara smirked. “You mean anything needing actual care?”
Miki gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “It’s just too much to remember.”
“Please tell me you’re not going to breed.”
“It’s just,” Angelina began to whine and Sara knew what was coming, “I don’t want us to end up three old maids, living in a house with several hundred cats.”
“That won’t happen.” Miki happily stretched her whole body. She did love to forecast. “I’ll be kidnapped by Black Ops. They’ll be hoping to use my brilliance against this government’s enemies.”
Sara and Angelina looked at each other.
“Your brilliance?” Sara asked.
Miki ignored her, like she always did during this conversation. “Angelina will marry someone very wealthy but cold. She’ll last about ten years, then she’ll plot, plan and execute his murder. Get away with it. And marry a younger man. Maybe even his first-born, teenaged son.”
“Hey!” Angelina never liked that future prediction.
“And Sara…” Miki looked at her friend. “She doesn’t like cats.”
“I don’t like cats? That’s the best you can do? How about ‘And Sara will live happily ever after with Mr. Doesn’t-get-on-her-nerves-too-much.’ Why can’t I have that?”
“You’re too picky.”
“It’s not my fault that scarred, damaged women aren’t high on the market. And I’m not going to take any old thing thrown at me.”
“You’re too picky,” Angelina confirmed. “Because I remember a few interested individuals who weren’t too bad. Trevor.”
“Too strict,” Miki explained.
“Fred.”
“Too neat.”
“Bobby Joe.”
“Too tall.”
“Mike.”
“Too short.”
“Okay. Okay. I get it.” Sara didn’t need to hear this. All those bad attempts at relationships had happened years ago. The well had been quite dry for some time.
“Wait. There’s still my personal favorite. Kenny Ray.”
“Too nice.”
“Nice?” Sara scoffed. “He said I was boring. How is that nice?”
Angelina gave a wicked smile. “Too nice in bed.”
“Oh. Yeah. He was.” Sara shuddered. “Yuck.” She remembered actually throwing him out of bed. Out of bed and across the room. Odd. Maybe she was drinking that night too.
“I bet Zach’s not nice.” Angelina’s smile became more wicked, if that were possible. “I bet he’s not nice at all. In bed or out.”
“He’s on the List,” Miki reminded them.
“But he doesn’t look like a biker, does he? You know, he actually looks like he bathes. Besides, I’m not talking marriage. I’m talking about getting control of your aggression.”
Sara looked at her friend of twenty years. “Dear God, woman. Are you talking about him fucking the aggression out of me?”
The women began laughing hysterically.
“I’m not seeing the problem here, people,” Angelina explained. “You get in. Do what you have to do and get out.”
“That’s it!” Sara laughingly yelled. “We’re not having this discussion anymore.”
“You should just think about it. That’s all I’m saying.”
“No. I’m a nice girl. I’m not a whore.” Her friends didn’t say a word. “I’m not.”
Angelina shrugged. “You keep believing that.”
Sara tossed her crushed beer can, barely missing her friend’s head.
Angelina didn’t even turn around. Instead she looked out into the darkness. “It’s such a beautiful night.”
Sara grinned. “Yup.” Her grin widened. “And it’s about that time.”
Miki closed her eyes. “I hate this.”
Sara leaned back. “Sssh. Listen.”
A moment later, Zach heard the first howl. Full-bloods. He’d smelled them as soon as he stepped onto her property. He’d been waiting for hours for them to give him a hard time about being in their territory and for not being full wolf—they were amazingly snobby about that sort of thing. But, to his surprise, they still hadn’t bothered him or Conall. Maybe the full-bloods knew they were there to protect Sara.
Because when they howled, their howls were for Sara and Sara alone.
Miki cringed. Angelina looked unimpressed still rocking to the German techno coming from the house. But Sara’s eyes were closed and she was smiling. Then, she howled back.
“Sara,” Miki warned with a laugh. “I swear to God, those things come over here, I’m leaving your ass right on this damn porch.”
Sara’s smile didn’t change. “Pussy,” she muttered. She howled again. The wolves answered, and all Zach wanted to do was go to her. To heed her call.
Angelina wrinkled up her pretty nose. “Aren’t you worried they’ll come down here looking for who’s howling back?”
Sara shrugged. “I find them on my porch all the time.” At that, Miki jumped up and went into the house. “They never give me any trouble, but I always remember they’re wild animals. This is more their territory than mine.”
Miki stood behind the living-room window. She opened it so she was still part of the conversation, but could easily close it if “they” decided to attack. She had no idea, however, that window couldn’t protect her from shit.
“Besides, they’ve always made me feel safe. And when I had to live here with her, they always made me feel like I wasn’t alone.”
“Well,” Miki advised, “now you’ve got us.” Sara and Angelina turned and looked at her. “See?” Miki held up a cordless phone. “Nine-one-one is a quick dial away.”
“That’s it. We’re done.” Angelina stood abruptly and brushed off her rear with a well-manicured hand. “Let’s meet tomorrow morning for coffee at the bookstore.”
Miki snorted. “So you can get free coffee from me again, you cheap bitch?”
“And the newspaper. And it’s Mistress Cheap Bitch to you.” Angelina motioned to Sara. “Can we take your truck? Not feeling the walk tonight.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Then to Miki, “The keys are on the—”
“Yeah, I know. I know.” Miki disappeared back into the house after closing the window.
Sara slowly lifted her leg and swung it off the banister. “Pick me up tomorrow first.”
“You got it.” Angelina sauntered down the stairs, heading toward the truck. “Let’s go, Mik.”
Miki appeared in the door, the truck keys in one hand and a pump-action shotgun in the other. She headed toward the stairs, but Sara grabbed the gun while walking toward her front door. “Not on your life, missy.”
“You call to vicious, blood-thirsty animals and then you won’t give me anything to defend myself?”
Sara limped into her house. “
I’ve found it’s never the animals you have to worry about, Miki. It’s the humans.”
Miki headed toward the truck as Angelina started it. Over her shoulder she tossed, “I’ll remember that when we find your torn, headless carcass.”
Interesting girl, Zach decided, and wondered if Conall knew what he was hoping to get himself—and his cock—into.
When the light went off in Sara’s house, Zach figured it was time to settle down for the night. But Sara reappeared on the porch, a can of soda in her hand. She limped to the porch swing and just as carefully lowered herself into the contraption. Once sitting, she let out a deep sigh. She drank her soda and rubbed her leg while gazing out at the night.
The wolves called to her again and, with a smile, Sara answered. This time, however, the wolves didn’t respond—Zach did. Lifting his muzzle, he released a howl that tore through the night. He called to her. He didn’t know why, but it was a desire he couldn’t control. A desire he wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to control. Zach assumed she would simply respond again as she had for the other wolves, but when he lowered his head, he found her standing. She limped over to the porch rail and leaned against it while she looked out into the forest. She stared right at Zach although he was sure she couldn’t see him. She walked to the porch stairs and stood there. Debating whether she should go in search of that howl’s owner? Maybe. Zach didn’t know. He had no idea what he did would have such an affect on her. To untrained ears, his howl sounded no different from the wolves now heading back to their den. Yet she still knew.
He never found out her intent, though, because she suddenly doubled-over in pain. She gripped her leg and clenched her jaw, holding onto the porch rail until the worst of the pain seemed to pass. When she looked up again, he could see the tears in her eyes from where he stood. She no longer thought about that howl and the howl’s owner. He knew, deep in his gut, she only thought about death. Her death. Slowly, like an old woman, she turned and limped back into her house, barely putting any weight on that bad leg.
This time, she didn’t come back out until morning.
Chapter Five
Sara slammed on her brakes and Angie pitched forward, her head nearly banging into the dashboard. Her seatbelt the only thing keeping her from doing so.
Staring up at the stoplight—her excuse for hitting her brakes—Sara bit out between gritted teeth, “I’ll say it one more time, then I’m gonna beat the shit out of you. Do not mention that man to me again.”
“Okay. Okay. Calm yourself.”
Angie smoothed back her perfectly coiffed hair and stared out at the nearly empty streets.
If Sara knew Angie would spend the early-morning drive to the coffeehouse going on and on about how hot Zach was and how he looked like he knew how to handle a “big-boned woman”, Sara would have never let her back in the truck.
The ride to the shop was only about fifteen minutes from Sara’s house, but at the moment it felt like an eternity.
The light turned green and as Sara raised her foot to hit the gas, the truck slowly rolling forward, Angie said, “But I will say that with lips like those, I’m bettin’ that man knows how to go down on a woman. And you do love oral sex.”
Sara hit the brakes again, pitching Angie forward, then she slapped her friend in the back of her head, knocking out Angie’s perfectly coiffed ‘do.
“Hey! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get my hair into this chignon?”
Sara went to slap her again but stopped. “Chignon? What the fuck is a chignon? Do you mean that bun you had in the back of your fat head?”
Angie’s eyes narrowed and she gave up trying to save her hairstyle, letting her brown hair drop and fall loose around her shoulders. “Heifer.”
“Slut.”
“Crack whore.”
“Hey!”
Startled, the two women looked out the driver’s side window at the man standing there. He wasn’t local, Sara didn’t even recognize him from the nearby town. “Get your scarred ass in gear and move this goddamn truck!”
Sara didn’t really have time to register what the man said before she had to grab hold of Angie as her friend reached under the passenger seat for the two-by-four they kept there for “difficult” situations they often found themselves in because of Miki’s mouth or Angie’s ass.
“Angie, no!”
“Come on, Sara. Let me hurt him. Let me slap him upside that big fat head.”
Trying not to laugh, Sara forced Angie back into her seat.
“Calm down. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay, Sara.”
“Angie. Calm down. Breathe, dude. Breathe. Just remember five to ten in maximum security. We don’t want to have to face that…again…now do we?”
But the look on Angie’s face said she’d face it in a heartbeat.
“Is there a problem, Sara?”
Two of Marrec’s nephews stood outside the passenger side. She could tell they’d heard everything and they weren’t happy. She only had seconds to diffuse this situation. “Naw—” was all she managed before Angie cut her off.
“That asshole called Sara scarred!”
Sara shook her head and sighed. The way they all acted, you’d think she was still ten and prone to crying.
“You guys, it’s really not that big a—”
“We’ll take care of it. Y’all go on now.”
No. No. This wasn’t good. “Wait…”
Marrec’s nephews stared right at her and that look on their faces said they didn’t want an argument. She recognized that expression cause she got it from Marrec so often.
“Okay.”
Sara pulled away and she watched in her rear view the two men approach the much smaller man. Yeah, this would get real ugly real fast, but there was nothing she could do about it now.
Zach watched Sara’s truck stop short again and he started to head over to find out what the hell was wrong with her driving, when that asshole’s cruel words rang out over the quiet town. In fact, every shifter on the street locked on the man like Zach had locked on a deer the night before. But before Zach could do anything, two of Marrec’s Pack headed over there first and dealt with it.
Christ, what was wrong with him? When did he get all pathetic and protective over some really annoying woman? Never. That’s when. And he wouldn’t start now.
Conall walked out of the diner and stood behind him. “I’m still hungry.”
Shaking his head, Zach watched Sara’s truck continue down the street while Marrec’s Pack taught a man how to cry. “You just had five plates of waffles. How are you still hungry?”
“I don’t see your point.”
“Forget it. My life’s too short for this discussion.”
“How about coffee?”
Zach shrugged. “Whatever. I saw a place up the street.”
“I don’t know, guys.” Miki poured cream in her coffee and stared at her friends.
Sara sipped her hot chocolate and stared back. She’d already seen Miki’s morning reading material—a book on the world of motorcycle clubs rested on the counter.
Miki’s second job was in a local bookstore slash Internet cafe. This meant her little psycho friend had constant access to just enough information to make her dangerous.
“I don’t think we should hit that party tonight.”
“What?” Angelina snapped, coming out of her coffee-induced haze. When Angelina drank her coffee, she had the ability to completely tune everyone out. Especially Miki.
“We don’t know these people, Angie. And I think there’s something weird about them.”
“You think there’s something weird about everyone.”
“Yes. And there always is.”
Miki sat on a stool by the register, her gaze focusing on Sara. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I don’t feel overly concerned.”
Miki shook her head. “It’s bugging me.”
Sara didn’t have time for this. When Miki had one o
f her “moments”, she could analyze something until you begged her to stop. Begged. “Look, Miki, you can come or you can stay home. Your call. But I’m going.”
Miki looked at Angelina, causing the woman to raise one delicate eyebrow. “Like you even have to ask.”
Miki chuckled. “Fine. I’m going then. I can’t let you two out on your own. But no drinking, Sara. I need you to be rational.”
“Good luck with that.” The mug of hot chocolate was halfway to Sara’s lips when his deep but lightly sarcastic voice stopped her. “The rational part that is.”
Sara looked up and there he was. Leaning against the door jam, quietly watching her. The morning sun at his broad back, lightening his dark brown hair and setting off his hazel eyes. He once again wore jeans and a black T-shirt emblazoned with a logo for a band she’d never heard of. His big arms crossed in front of his even bigger chest and when he smiled at her he showed gleaming white teeth.
The man simply looked gorgeous without even trying. She hated him.
“What are you doing here?” Sara bit out before she could stop herself.
“That’s not very friendly. I thought Texans were friendly.”
“Texans are. But I’m not.”
Angelina quickly jumped in, “So that party tomorrow, lots of people going to be there?”
Sara stared straight at Zach. He wouldn’t turn away, so she didn’t either. That went on for about a minute until his large blond friend bringing up the rear, slammed into Zach’s back. “Where’s the coffee? I’m dyin’.”
There was no way those two huge specimens were getting through the door at the same time, so the blond simply forced his way past Zach into the shop, making a direct line for Miki at the counter.
It was Sara’s turn to smile as the blond bear forced Zach to move out of the way. But when Zach’s eyes once again focused on hers, Sara’s breath caught in her throat and her clit started to throb, her nipples became rock hard. She couldn’t help it. Those damn eyes tore right through her. Sara turned away before he could see how much he was getting to her and took a sip of her now tepid chocolate. She couldn’t even taste it.
The big blond bear stood at the counter staring at Miki.