Wolf Creek Sheriff (Texas Pack 4) (Prequel) (Wolf Creek Shapeshifters) (7 page)

If he was a do it yourselfer, they could handle the work themselves and save a lot of money. Time to be brave and see how he felt about change. Lots and lots of change.

“Colin, do you particularly like the layout of your house?” She asked, delicately.

The confusion on his face prodded her to be blunt.

She took a deep breath. “I’d like to knock out some walls and completely remodel this kitchen, open the space up and bring it in to the twenty-first century with new appliances too.” She studied his face, reading his expression as it went from confused to happy. Hmm, that was not what she was expecting. Her breath whooshed out when he swung her around, laughing.

“We can work this place into whatever vision you see in that head of yours,” he said as he set her on her feet once again, still smiling.

“Why are you so happy about a remodel?” Now she was the confused one.

Pulling her in close, he hugged her tightly and rested his chin on top of her head. “You’re nesting, making plans for our future. You’ve accepted our mating and I no longer fear you leaving and going back to Dallas.”

Huh. The thought of going home for good hadn’t even entered her head. But she did need more clothes and some of her other things, so they were going to have to make some decisions about moving her life here. But not right now. She lifted her head and solemnly asked to see the rest of his house.

The hallway bath was as bad as she feared. Yellow tile on the shower wall, yellow toilet, yellow countertops. She moved on to the master bedroom, totally skipping the guest rooms. What was the point? She’d get to those at another time.

The master was huge, nice but she could see accordion doors across the room. Which meant no walk in closet.

Going over to a closed door, she gingerly reached for the knob, hoping to see a nicely updated bath. Nope, it was just as retro as the hallway bath only smaller. One sink, toilet, and a shower with no tub. This project would be a major money suck. She put a smile on her face before she turned to face him, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace.

“Nice.”

He burst out laughing and flopped down on his bed, making the mattress shake.

She walked over and stared down at him, arms crossed with pursed lips. He was starting to piss her off.

Faster than a bolt of lightening, she found herself on her back with him hovering over her.

“Steph, I know this place needs updating, but it’s been fine since I was the only one living here. I don’t cook a lot, the diner makes great food so most of the time I eat there. The bathroom’s small but again, it’s only me in the morning getting ready. Like I said, now that I have a mate, we’ll change whatever you want.”

“You forgot the closet,” she mumbled.

He lifted his head and turned to look at the doors, one closed all the way and one slightly open. “What’s wrong with the closet? You can have it and I’ll use one in the guest bedroom.”

Every woman should have a walk in closet. It should be like a law or something, but she’d hit him with that later. “Nothing, it’s fine.”

He leaned closer, barely holding his body weight off of her before giving her a light kiss. “We’ll talk about this later, right now you’re in the one place I’ve wanted you to be since we met.”

She tugged at his T-shirt. “I want to see and feel you.” Not wanting to play coy, she watched as he sat up and pulled the material over his head in one quick move. Sliding off the bed, he was out of his jeans and back at her side in a nanosecond.

She blinked. Ask and ye shall receive.

He helped her remove her clothing, no hesitation, no questions. She was ready to become his mate and excited by the prospect of living her fantasy.

The heat from his body covered her, his chest a hard surface she could enjoy exploring to her hearts content. His lips on her breasts pulled her attention away from their future and back to the moment. Feeling his hand slide across her thigh, she awaited his touch and moaned when his fingers moved to just the right spot and slid softly over her. She needed more. Moving her hips in demand, she felt his quiet chuckle. Tugging his hair, she pulled him from her breast and pressed her mouth to his, their tongues dancing in rhythm. Moving slightly, she almost groaned when the hand giving her such enjoyment shifted and left her tingling, wanting more.

C
olin tried
to hold most of his weight off of her, but it was difficult since he wanted to cover her in his scent so that everyone knew she was undoubtedly his. Her skin was so smooth and silky that his lips simply couldn’t stay away from kissing every inch. Enjoying the sensations of each and every touch, his smile couldn’t be held back when he felt her impatience. Not wanting to rush his one and only true mating, he ignored her silent request for more by keeping himself just out of her reach. His cock disdained his plans of going slow, wanting to plow into her again and again. He gave in and pushed inside, groaning at the tight squeeze on his shaft. Fighting the urge to pump, he looked down at his mate to see her eyes closed with her head tilted back blissfully.

“Stephanie? I’m going to bite you right here.” He tapped a spot on her shoulder lightly.

“Do it,” she said through gritted teeth.

She clenched around him, which got him moving faster and faster. He felt her nails digging into his back the moment she came and he struck, sinking his canines into her shoulder. Relaxing, he licked her shoulder as his cock finished emptying inside her.

Her eyes were still closed as he wrapped his arms around her and flipped them, placing him on the bottom, still hard enough that he didn’t slip out.

Stephanie lay sprawled on his chest, breathing heavily.

“Sit up baby, you need to see this,” Colin said as he pushed on her shoulders.

“Don’t wanna,” she muttered against his skin.

He took her shoulders and pushed until she was up, slowing opening her eyes.

“Oh my God! What is that?” She exclaimed in awe.

Colin lay back with his arms crossed under his head. “It’s us. Our souls tying together and joining us as one.”

“It’s so pretty. It reminds me of the embers that fly around a camp fire,” she said as she watched the firelight show.

Colin knew the stories about what happened when you mated, but a story was nothing compared to the actual thing.

The lights danced around their bodies before slowing down and circling, almost as if tying them together before landing against their skin and vanishing.

“Cool.” She had no more words.

Her body jiggled when he laughed, although it quickly turned in to a moan of appreciation when she leaned forward to kiss him.

“Hi mate.” She smiled.

“Mine,” he growled.

S
itting
at the big piece of oak he called a kitchen table, they devoured their sandwiches. He’d pulled his jeans on while she used his T-shirt as a short dress.

She cleared her throat. “So the bite marks me as your mate, but doesn’t change me physically.”

After taking a sip, he answered. “Well, it does change you somewhat. Any other shifter will recognize you as mine now. But when you’re ready, we can go down to the pond.”

Looking out the kitchen window, she couldn’t see much except that it was really dark. “What time is it?”

His phone lay on the table and he tapped the side button. “Almost 3 a.m. Why?”

She nibbled on her nail before blurting, “I want to go now.”

He stared at her intently. “Are you sure baby? This is what you want?”

Nodding adamantly. “Yes, it is. We’re mates, this is my life now.” Her eyes widened. “Oh God, I’m gonna be a shifter and I can’t tell my best friend.” She sniffed a little.

Colin scooted his chair closer and wrapped an arm around her. “I’m sorry, baby. Look at it this way, you’ve gotten married and moved away just like a normal human. We all make life changes and if she is a good a friend as you say, she’ll understand.”

Stephanie gave a small laugh. “The problem there is that you and I have known each other such a short time, but at least I know I’ll be convincing when I tell her I’ve found my soul mate.” She reached up to cup his cheek. “I love you Colin, and that trumps everything.”

He sucked in a surprised breath and covered the hand holding his cheek. “I love you too, baby. Don’t worry about your friend, she can still come and visit you. We do know how to behave around humans.” His dimples deepened with a smile.

Standing, he pulled her up with him. “Come on, it’s a short walk through the woods to the pond and I can’t wait to see your wolf.”

There was only a crescent moon, which didn’t provide much light but with Colin holding her hand and leading the way, she wasn’t worried about any beasties in the forest.

She was worried about the actual change though. “Does it hurt?”

He stopped to reassure her. “Not at all. You use magic to change and magic is natural. The most you’ll feel is a little tingling.”

She nodded and they moved along the trail until it opened up and she could see the water. The little bit of moon reflected on the surface showed a place of calm reflection as they stood staring at the pond.

“Strip.” Colin was almost out of his clothes already.

She looked around and only saw dark woods and the castle on the other side so she assumed her little bit of exhibitionism would go unnoticed.

Colin guided her into the water with a hand on her lower back before his hand slipped down and squeezed one butt cheek.

She squeaked and tossed a glare over her shoulder, which had him throwing his hands up while leering at her. She made sure her head was turned back so he couldn’t see the small smile on her face.

She felt a tingling on her skin an instant before a bunch of tiny colored lights sparkled around them. Like a warm bath with gentle bubbles massaging her skin, the change was both magical and comforting.

“I accept the wolf spirit,” she said. Having no idea how she knew to say that, she left the water and reached for her clothes, somewhat bemused at how simple the process was.

Colin stopped her from dressing. “No clothes Stephanie, we’re going to run together.”

“Oh, okay.” She gulped audibly.

“Use your mind and find her, she’s inside you now,” he said.

She concentrated, picturing a wolf like the ones seen in wildlife parks and felt the magic surge through her system. A moment later she dropped to the ground with four paws planted firmly in the earth.

Feeling a nudge to her shoulder, she looked at the huge wolf standing next to her. It was Colin! She recognized his wolf and his scent.

“You’re beautiful.”

She plopped down on her butt, surprised at the voice in her head.

“Mates can communicate telepathically. I forgot to tell you that little tidbit.”

She snorted and took off running, knowing Colin would be with her. Once in the woods she stopped, her hackles rising. There were more wolves in the woods that she hadn’t seen when they had come through earlier. She understood now that they had always been watching but had stayed hidden from her. Her wolf couldn’t care less but if Stephanie were in human form, her entire body would be red with embarrassment knowing they had watched her walk naked into and out of the pond.

“So mate, these wolves got a ring side seat to my first skinny dipping escapade, didn’t they?”

“They’re protectors. Of the pond and our pack. Nudity is as natural as breathing.”

Even as a wolf her snort was well understood.

A huge brown wolf blocked the trail in front of her with almost identical looking wolves on either side. His stance was regal and proud as he stood watching their approach.

Stephanie knew instinctively that this was Rafe, their alpha, with his brothers Ian and Devlin flanking him. Her wolf had no desire whatsoever to challenge him and her human self was in total agreement. Dropping her eyes, she lowered her head, acknowledging his status as her alpha. Rafe gave a slight nod and took off with his pack following.

“That was the welcome to the pack party and you handled yourself beautifully.” Colin spoke in her head.

“Yeah, well more information is always useful. Like, BEFORE IT HAPPENS!”

Stephanie saw him flinch and figured her yelling had blasted his brain cells into small atoms. Good, he deserved it.

They took off in a different direction from the pack so they could run as a couple and enjoy their first sprint alone. After finding a creek and drinking their fill, Colin guided her back to his house.

3
weeks
later

S
tephanie took
her headset off and looked at the clock above her head. No wonder she was so hungry, it was almost one o’clock. Pushing away from her console, she grabbed the small stack of papers she needed to file.

Working in a small town Sheriff’s office meant you did more than simply take emergency calls. You covered the city phone lines also, which meant along with the water department and animal control, you took calls from citizens about everything under the sun.

She also dispatched fire and police from the same console, not moving from call taker console to dispatch like she had in Dallas. She was an all in one place response unit and she loved staying busy and being the pulse of the sheriffs office.

But this was certainly more of a laid back workplace, even though she had more responsibilities, due to the much smaller population.

Colin’s office door was open as usual since there wasn’t any reason to be closed off from his deputies. She stuck her head in and leaned against the doorframe as she waited for him to finish his call.

“I’m going to run down to the diner and bring us back some lunch. It’s little slow right now, think you can handle things here?” Her eyes twinkled.

Colin rolled his chair a little away from his desk and linked his hands behind his head, stretching his long legs out in front of him and closing his eyes. He’d been out all night helping the state police with a bad accident on the interstate.

“Hopefully I won’t have to handle much while you’re out,” he said dryly. “My deputies are out patrolling so as long as something major or minor doesn’t go down, I can catch a nap.”

Grabbing her purse, she stepped out into the bright sunshine and took in the glorious day as she stood on the top step of the Wolf Creek city offices.

Life was good. Oh, it hadn’t been easy getting her stuff moved here and paying to get out of her lease, but the especially difficult part had been quitting her job. She hated having to up and leave without notice, but as a newly mated couple, she wanted to be with Colin and he simply could not leave his job to stay in Dallas with her any longer than it took to help her move her stuff.

And then there was her best friend, Lisa. Boy, convincing her that she’d found the other half of herself had not been easy. But after meeting Colin and seeing the love he had for her, Lisa had accepted that maybe Stephanie hadn’t gone off the deep end.

Smiling, she pushed the door open and entered the diner, going to sit on one of the stools at the counter.

“Hey Stephanie, how you doin’?” Pam asked as she wiped the counter in front of her.

Stephanie was getting to know the locals, and Pam was a sweet teenager and pack member who worked at the diner during summer break and after school.

“I’m good, thanks. Can I get two orders of the pot roast special? To go please, Colin and I will be eating at the station.”

A short time later she had the bag with two steaming containers of pot roast looped over her wrist, the smell of succulent beef coming from the bag encouraged her to hurry back to the office.

But she got distracted by a cute little sundress on display in the window of a small boutique as she was passing by.

White with black polka dots, it was a throwback to the Marilyn Monroe days of Hollywood. She stood on the sidewalk practically drooling as she peered through the glass with her hand shading her eyes. A form appeared in the reflection behind her and she turned, a smile on her face to greet another Wolf Creek resident or visitor.

The food bag slid from her wrist and splattered when it dropped to the concrete. Amon reached out and grabbed her arm, flashing them away from the window before she could scream or shift.

C
olin clicked
the button on the panel to check in with his deputies before looking at the clock again. Stephanie was taking longer than expected for a short trip to the diner. She was probably talking to people, he mused. She was a friendly person and his pack had welcomed her with open arms. But he had a bad feeling in his gut.

“Stephanie?”

No answer.

Colin grabbed the radio, ordering his deputies to search for his mate before picking up the phone.

“Rafe? Stephanie’s missing. She went to get lunch and she’s not responding through our link. I need someone to work the station while I go look for her,” Colin growled, anxious to get moving.

“I’ll handle it. Go!” His alpha ordered.

Colin ran out the door and leapt over the three steps onto the sidewalk. Running in the direction of the diner, he slid to a stop when he saw the food containers staining the cement in front of the clothing store.

Her scent lingered in the air with a strong edge of fear. He roared, looking up and down the street for any sign of her. There was something else, another scent besides the smell of fear and food.

“Fuck!” Colin shouted. “I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch.”

Colin circled the spot where he knew Stephanie had stood moments before. Amon’s scent was right there overlaying hers. He growled, the hair on his arms growing as his wolf struggled to burst free and hunt down his prey. He snarled when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, spinning him around.

“Get it under control,” his alpha growled.

Colin closed his eyes, reining in his anger and forcing his will on his wolf.

Turning, he faced his alpha. “Amon took her, his scent is mixed with hers,” he growled.

Shoving a hand through his hair, Colin marched around the food bag in frustration.

“Shit Rafe, there’s no trail to follow. I’ve circled this spot trying to figure out which way he went or if he was stalking her. His scent is only in this one spot.”

Rafe sniffed the air, picking up Stephanie’s scent easily along with one he did not recognize. “Dragons are Fae creatures, Colin. He could pop in easily anywhere he wanted. I’m wondering though how he knew where to find her if he wasn’t stalking her.”

Colin shouted in anger, “I fucking don’t know! How the hell do I find her?”

Ian had arrived along with Rafe and stood next to his brother glaring at the food containers as if he would find the answers there. Glancing up, he growled low in his throat. “We need a dragon to track a dragon.”

Rafe nodded once and strode to his truck. “Get in, we have to contact Robert.”

Colin wasted no time following his alpha.

S
tephanie landed
on her shoulder on a hard, dirty wooden floor and glared up at Amon. She growled, still surprised at the sounds she now made as a shifter.

Amon pointed at her. “If you shift I’ll kill your mate, and don’t think I can’t. I’ll make sure to take him out before he gets to you.”

Stephanie scooted back until she felt her spine press against the wall. She wanted to get as far away from him as he would allow. She nodded once as her adrenalin spiked making her heart beat faster.

He moved to a small window and peered out while muttering to himself.

What the fuck did he want with her? She had no idea but she was for damn sure not going to sit around and wait for a rescue. Oh, she knew Colin would come for her, but she wanted to be an asset and not a pawn in this little war of Amon’s. As far as him killing Colin, she wasn’t going to let that turn her into a mindless weakling. Her faith in Colin was her greatest strength.

She studied the room, noting the exits, which included the front and back door with a window on either side of the room. No bathroom, no kitchen, just the one room with a worn out sofa. The spartan hunters cabin had no additional comforts except for a small wood-burning stove and a poker lying on top.

He made it so easy. No need to shift and try to fight him when a ready-made spear practically shouted to be used.

She looked from the poker to him, planning her attack and escape. He wasn’t paying her any attention so she slipped the button from its slot in her jeans and slowly lowered the zipper before shimmying her jeans and panties down, awkwardly removing her shoes in the process. Now she wouldn’t get caught in her jeans when she shifted to run. Figuring the cotton t-shirt would simply tear, she didn’t remove it or her bra. Accepting the fact that her wolf would look ridiculous in a tattered shirt and bra, she shrugged, as that was the least of her concerns.

Trying to make as little movement as possible, she crouched on the balls of her feet as she calculated her assault.

Her best option would be to throw the poker with enough force to penetrate his thick hide. With her wolf’s strength, she counted on it penetrating and allowing her the time to shift and leap out the window.

It was now or never. Standing in one fluid motion, she grabbed the poker and threw it at him as he paced. With his side facing her, the best she could hope for would be his shoulder or ribs.

She got lucky. Amon turned to her as she let loose and the poker went flying across the room, hitting at an angle in his side and going deep. He roared.

Stephanie shifted, her nails scraping the wood as she ran to the window, leaping to escape into the woods. She was in the air when she felt a hand grab one of her rear paws and jerk her back into the room before flinging her bodily against the wall.

She yelped in pain as she hit, feeling her ribs crack. Dropping to the floor, all four legs sprawled out as she panted in agony with each breath. Knowing she needed to shift and heal, she tried to gather her strength to make the change.

Amon got right in her face. “Don’t you shift, I’ll kill you if you do! You’re bait, that’s all. Once I know they’ve had enough time to call in the troops, we’re going back.”

She could see the crazy in his eyes but had no idea what he was planning.

The pain in her ribs had gone down from a ten to about a seven as she watched him reach down and jerk the poker from his side. His hiss from the pain pleased her immensely. She felt no remorse for stabbing him.

He groaned as he covered the bleeding hole with his hand, shifting into his dragon form, which took up most of the room in the small cabin, before shifting back to his human form, healed and dressed with no hole or blood on his shirt. She wished shifters had the same ability to make clothes appear like the Fae did. She knew he was not totally healed from the grimace on his face and the way he favored his side. They healed quickly, but they were not omnipotent.

He came and stood next to her before leaning down to look directly into her eyes. “I’ll be gone for a short time, but I’ll be back. I need to make sure those wolves have called in the cavalry.” He grinned as he lifted her muzzle to make sure she understood him before whispering. “The media in your realm will have a field day with the circus I plan to put on.”

He dropped her muzzle as he straightened before putting a booted foot into her abdomen. Three times.

She whined in abject pain, the torture making her dizzy and gasping in anguish. She tasted blood in her mouth and wondered if she’d bitten her tongue or if she was bleeding internally.

Amon nodded his head, his tongue clicking in mock sympathy. “Poor baby, I think I may have hit something vital. You should shift and heal that.” He laughed. “Oh wait, you’re too weak now to even shift, aren’t you?”

She could barely function as she watched him leave, the door left open so she could see him shift and take to the air.

Her body shuddered as she lay there trying stay conscious and not simply give up. She had too much to live for to not fight for her survival.

Gathering what little strength she had left, she tried to shift. Only a small tingle of magic ignited inside of her, not enough to make the change. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes as her hopes were dashed.

Staring at the dust motes floating in the room, she watched them move around the cabin in a weird type of dance. They were so pretty, like colorful gems gleaming from the light of the open door. Her eyes drooped and she fought to keep them open, certain that as long as she stayed awake she would live.

She needed to think. Pushing down the pain, she focused on her options. Options, ha! Her internal laugh caused a snort of air out through her nostrils, which did not affect the dust motes directly in front of her. They danced in the same pattern, her small bit of breath not moving them at all.

Well, that was strange. Her eyes narrowed, focusing in on the dust. Yeah, that
was
strange. If it wasn’t dust, then what was it, little fairy people? Nah. Too small to tell but she was certain they were some type of light beams like refractions in a rainbow and not a sentient being.

And then it hit her. If she had a hand she would have slapped it to her forehead. She was in Faery where magic lived in the air. She felt stupid for not realizing this sooner, but she had not seen these things when she’d been in Faery the last time. Maybe this was a hallucination caused by her injuries, but that didn’t matter. If it was magic, then she would try to use it.

She lifted her snout and howled, begging the magic to come to her with her wolf’s song. The beams flew to her, surrounding and lightly caressing her fur with a soft hum, which she absorbed throughout her body. Glorious magic filled every pore, healing her injuries while she lay there. No need to shift back to her human form to heal, she could escape now before he came back.

Pushing up on all four paws, she stepped daintily to make sure she was okay before drawing in a deep breath. No pain in her ribs. Excellent. Time to go.

Glancing over at her jeans, she decided to leave them. It would be nice to have them with her, but her scent would be so much stronger if she left them here. Shaking off the rest of her tattered clothing, she left those behind too. When Colin showed up, he would know she had to shift quickly and that she was running.

A
mon roared
when he entered the cabin and found it empty. No! He needed her to lure the shifters out in the open. He’d left to check on his plan and it was working. The wolves had called on the dragons to help find him, now he needed to take her back to Wolf Creek where he had a reporter waiting who would cause mass hysteria once the shifter world was exposed. His anonymous phone call to a news station had been met with skepticism but he’d convinced the reporter to show up. Of course, he didn’t tell the reporter about shifters as seeing was believing, in this case.