Accidentally Yours (Coyote Bluff Series Book 1) (12 page)

Cammie shook inside. That was the only way she could describe the feeling. Her guts felt like they were vibrating at a pace just slightly faster than her washer’s spin-cycle. How she made it down the stairs without face planting or doing a tumble amazed her. Arms and legs of Jell-O weren’t conducive to maneuvering stairs safely.

Titan wasn’t just a wolf. The statement answered some questions, but
brought up so many more. Did she really have a shifter, a werewolf, in her house?
Christ
. Maybe the whole thing was a dream. That would make more sense than her life taking this turn into crazy town. The internal conversation she refused to start was the one about her dreams.

If Ian was Titan then
—

She sighed.
Not going there. She couldn’t handle those thoughts until she knew for sure she wasn’t going nuts, and that the wolf living in her house was some sort of supernatural being.

“Sit down before you pass out.” Margie’s comment snapped Cammie out of her thoughts.

“What?”

“Sit down. You’re white as a ghost and I don’t want another bruise to mar that face.”

Listening to the instructions led Cammie into the living room, where she collapsed onto the couch. She sat for a few moments with her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. Titan wasn’t just a wolf. The click of sharp nails on the floor brought her head up. She found Titan slowly entering the room, or should she start calling him Ian? Either way, the man-in-wolf skin slunk into the living room. If he’d been a dog she would have expected his tail to be tucked between his legs. His posture screamed submissive. Was he trying to make it easier on her? Perhaps. She studied the animal for a few moments, taking in the intelligent amber eyes, the absolute stillness in the way he sat, waiting.

“You aren’t just a wolf?” She meant it to be a statement but it still came out a question. A cold sweat broke out when he shook his head. Christ, he really wasn’t a wolf.

The room dimmed and she knew she was moments from passing out.
Breathe, nice and slow.
You can handle this
.

“I knew it.” Margie’s excitement bubbled out in a laugh. “I’ve been trying to find out for over a year. I knew there were shifters around here. Can you shift into anything other than a wolf? Are you completely cognizant of your surroundings while in animal form? How fast do you heal? Can you
—”

“Stop. Margie, stop. He can’t answer your rapid
-fire. Yes or no questions. And, seeing we’re in my house and he’s been sleeping in my bed for the last two days, I think I get to ask the questions first.” She clenched her hands to still their shaking and asked the question most important to her. “You’re Ian, right?”

Shit, she went right for the balls. He nodded.

“You were in my dreams. All that stuff that we talked about, and did… it was all real
? Well, sort of, but you know what I mean.”

Nod.

“Yes, it was you, or yes it was real? Wait, don’t nod again. I’ll ask them right. Were you in my dreams?”

Nod.

“So, the walk, the kiss… you were there?”

Nod. He saw the breakdown coming but
, like a car accident, even slow motion wasn’t going to stop it. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second and we waited for screaming, or tears. He didn’t expect the couch cushion that sailed across the room. He moved, but it still hit him in the side.

“You ass. Sleeping in my bed, next to me… Oh, God, you saw me naked?” She stood and started pacing. “I talked to you, and petted you. Fucking crap.”

“Ah, Cam. Perhaps I don’t need to be here for this?” Margie’s attempt at levity did the trick. Cammie stopped pacing, blushed along every inch of exposed skin, and turned to her friend.

“Crap. Sorry. I sort of forgot you were there. Can you ignore everything I just said? Because, honestly, it sounds a little creepy and edging on bestiality to my own ears. I don’t need people thinking I’m a nut case.”

Before Margie could reply a quiet knock at the door put them all on guard. Ian turned and raced to the door before either of the women could respond. He wouldn’t let Cammie be hurt again. The scent wafting under the door was of a coyote, but one he hadn’t met yet. The knowledge that it wasn’t Ron should have made him happy, but he was disappointed that the ass hadn’t shown up.

“Ms. Henderson? I’m Skip Peters. I’ve come to chat with you about the wolf staying here.” The muffled voice did nothing to hide the Alpha vibes coming off the male on the other side of the door.
Shit
.

That’s all he needed was the area’s Alpha to come around before he could really talk to Cammie. A growl rolled in his chest, loud enough that he knew the other male could hear it.

“Titan, I mean Ian… fuck. Whoever you are, just stop.” Cammie pushed her way between him and the door and opened it. The wave of Alpha power nearly put him on his belly, but he fought it. He would ask this male for help, but he was not bowing to his power. No one controlled him, especially not some scavenger. Ian tried to sneak around Cammie’s legs to get a look at the other man, but she stubbornly blocked him.

“Hi, Skip. I remember meeting you at the insurance office. How are you?”

“Fine, thanks for asking.”

“Um, do you mind talking outside? I’ll just shut Titan inside. He’s pretty protective of me.”

“I think it’s best if we talk with him around, don’t you?”

Her gasp was enough to drag another growl from Ian. He didn’t like being at a disadvantage, and not being able to see the Alpha made him nervous. Her voice was shaky. “You know, don’t you? Are you one, too?”

“Yes, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to come in and talk with him.”

“Okay.” She stepped back, nearly stepping on Ian as he crowded her legs. She looked down at him with concern and so much uncertainty that Ian whimpered. She glanced back up at the Alpha. “I want to know everything, though. He can’t answer all of my questions while a wolf.”

“Fair enough.” Skip’s voice was rough but held a softer note of understanding.

“Good. Come inside. Margie’s here, too, and knows. Why don’t we sit, I’ll make some coffee, and then you can tell me about shifters and why I have a wolf hanging out in my house.”

Everyone walked into the house and Ian finally got a good look at the Alpha. Skip was a big male. He looked the part of a mountain man. Long graying hair hung around his face in frizzy ringlets. His face sported a week-old beard. It was his piercing eyes that grabbed Ian’s attention. An icy stare bored into his mind. That gaze combined with the Alpha powers surging from the man were enough to force some compliance. Ian couldn’t help but lower his tail and head, offering his neck to the other male.

“So, I heard you’ve been making noise in town. Growling at my people and whatnot.” Skip’s words jerked Ian from his posturing. “What’cha got to say about that, boy?”

Ian chuffed in annoyance. He wasn’t shifting in front of the women, so what did Skip expect from him? A song and dance? Game of charades?

“Not gonna shift, then? You know, I let it go that you came in my territory and didn’t introduce yourself. I’ve heard the stories about you, but thought you might’ve wanted a fresh start so I left you alone. But hearin’ about you yesterday was enough to make me come see for myself.” Skip ran a hand across his face. The raspy sound of his beard was loud in the room. “You owe them an apology for the growls, boy.”

Ian nodded. He expected as much and had already planned on it. He glanced sideways at Cammie and found her gaping at them, mouth hanging open slightly and her eyes wide.

“Miss. Do you mind telling me how he came to be in your house?”

Cammie snapped out of whatever she’d been thinking and turned to Skip. “Um. I was driving home the other night and he ran into my car. He was all cut up and in bad shape, so I brought him home. Margie came over and helped me clean him up.”

“Cut up? Was he hurt from hitting your car?”

“Well, I don’t think so. He had a long gash on his leg.”

Skip turned his gaze back on Ian. “Were you attacked?”

Ian nodded.

“Hmmm. Miss Henderson, I’m going to take him outside for a moment and have a conversation that I’m not really interested in you listening to.”

It was Margie who stuttered over the directive first. “What do you mean you’re going outside to talk and you don’t want us to listen to it? What the hell, Skip? Too worried about us women folk knowing what’s going on?”

“Nope. Has nothing to do with you being a female and everything to do with you being a human.”

“Human? Because we’re human?”

The woman was on a roll and Ian wanted to laugh at the black cloud slowly descending over the Alpha’s face. Margie obviously didn’t care about the scowl being shot at her, though, as she continued mumbling. “Asinine men and their stupid ways. Sure, us humans saved his ass, took care of him, figured all the crap out, but we can’t listen in on official shifter shit.”

“Woman. Enough of that.” Skip’s voice held a hint of power, enough that Margie should have been on her knees. She stubbornly stared back at the Alpha, obstinacy radiating from her very pores. They stared at each other, Alpha, coyote and mountain of a man against a tiny human female.

In the end Ian couldn’t tell who won but Margie turned and stomped back toward the kitchen
, muttering under her breath.

“Well. Um. I think I’ll go talk with her.” Cammie hadn’t moved a muscle throughout the altercation. She’d stared between the two, swinging her eyes back and forth. She stumbled when she turned to follow Margie
and before she slipped through the doorway she turned and caught Ian’s gaze. “You okay with leaving the house?”

He fell a little more in love with her at that moment. He nodded slightly and watched her leave, following the still irate sounds of her friend.

“You can shift now, son. They can’t see us.” Skip’s voice had taken on a softer tone and his eyes held something. He wasn’t anything like Ian expected. Not from the overly buff exterior to the softer, more compassionate insides. Maybe for a yipper the male was okay.

Ian took a final deep breath before pulling the magic around him and forced his body to take his human shape. It felt like it took an eternity. Muscles still ached from his injuries and bones had stayed too long in animal form. In actuality the entire change only took a few heartbeats. When he was fully human and knew he could hold that form Ian glanced over to the Alpha.

“Thank you for coming to see me, even if it was to reprimand me for my behavior yesterday.” Even his voice sounded rusty.
Shit
. When was the last time he’d spent more than a few hours in his wolf-skin? He cleared his throat and continued. “I’m also sorry I haven’t been to see you. I could give you all kinds of excuses, but I didn’t want to run again.”

“You thought I’d chase you out of town? Is that what happened last time?”

Ian wasn’t sure how much the male knew, but he didn’t want to lie. “Yes. I’ve been run out of so many places since I left my home pack. I wanted to settle.”

Skip grunted, something close to an affirmative if Ian could translate the sound. The two men stood staring at each other for a few more moments. Shifter energy clash
ed as Ian tried to tamp down his strength and Skip tried to test Ian’s magic.

“Tell me about the other night.”

Ian sighed. “I needed to shift. I hadn’t been in animal form in so long. The moon was full and I thought I’d found an empty patch of woods to roam in. I didn’t realize I had company until it was too late. I was jumped by a pack of scaven… I mean coyotes. They chased me until I ran headlong into Cammie’s car.”

Skip huffed again and continued to stare at Ian. Cold calculation blanked his face. “What did you really do to stir them up? They wouldn’t have attacked otherwise.”

“See. This, this is why I haven’t come to see you.” Ian ran a hand through his hair. “I did nothing to provoke them. I was running in the woods, not even hunting when they came at me from downwind and jumped me.”

Another staring contest ensued and Ian was starting to get pissed. He waited on the Alpha, though. Too much rode on the male’s help and Cammie needed protection more than he needed his pride.

“How many did you say?”

“
Six.”

“I do remember a certain group of males that usually run with my pack that were absent that night. Would you be able to pick them out again if you scented them?”

“Sure.” Proceed cautiously. “I know I don’t deserve a favor, but could I ask for one?”

“Depends what it is, wolf.” Again the growl and dominance flavored the words.

“I would ask for your help in protecting Cammie. She’s being harassed by Ron Norte. I owe her a debt that is growing by the day. Protection is one thing I can offer her, but it would be easier with more males.”

“Hmm, it would seem that you now have two reasons to come to a pack meeting. We have one scheduled for tonight. You will come, sniff out your attackers and ask the pack for protection of your mate.”

Ian almost corrected the male. Cammie wasn’t his mate, but if that designation would get him the help he needed, then he’d keep his mouth shut. “Fine. I’ll be at your place tonight. I would assume after dusk?”

Skip nodded and gave another grunt. Man of few words. A nice attribute for an Alpha to have.

“Fine. See you at dusk.” Ian turned and then stopped. “Could you go speak with Cammie? Let her know that I’ve headed home and I’ll see her soon? I can’t see her like this.”

“Sure. Run home, pup. Do not make me chase you down later. Come to my home and properly introduce yourself to my pack. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the group.”

Ian let it go. He could ask what the other male meant, but he really wanted a shower. Being in wolf form for so long made him crave soap and hot running water. He took off into the woods, quickly changing back to his furry side and loping toward his house. He had a few hours to clean up before he needed to meet the area pack. He needed the time to get his mind set and prepare for any challenges the other pack members might want to force on him. Fighting didn’t sound like such a bad way to burn off his frustrations.