"Tell everyone to be on the alert for a black pickup truck with California license plates. If he comes to the ranch, make sure no one is in their wolf coats and direct him to me."

"He knows we tranquilized the zoo men. He seemed to approve, most likely because he wants to study wolves in the wild and not have them penned up in the zoo, but he could still tell the authorities we were the ones who knocked out Thompson and his buddy," Elgin said.

Leidolf gave Ca.s.sie a stern look. This was what happened when werewolves got involved in human affairs. "We'll cross that bridge when we have to. Call Quincy and Pierce, if you can get hold of them on their cell phones. If not, send someone to run ahead and warn them to vacate Alex and Ca.s.sie's vehicles and lie low. Once Alex has driven off, have them take Ca.s.sie's truck to the ranch."

He turned to Ca.s.sie. "And you are returning with me to the ranch now." He stalked toward her. "You're welcome to shape-shift." He smiled a little. "Easier to carry that way." More than that, he wanted to claim her as a woman, hold her tight, enjoy the feel of her close all over again, but he figured she already knew how he felt about her. Although he did want to know if she was keen on mating with a human and turning him. He had every intention of setting her straight on that matter.

Carver pointed to the river. "h.e.l.l, Leidolf, it's another one of them."

Leidolf stopped next to Ca.s.sie and looked across the river. A red wolf watched them. Smaller than a male, it had to be a female. Ca.s.sie was on her feet in an instant, as if she'd drawn on a pocket of energy. Before he could stop what she was about to do, she dove into the river.

"h.e.l.l and d.a.m.nation, woman!"

Chapter 18.

"You can't follow her dressed like you are," Carver warned Leidolf. Carver looked as if he was ready to dive into the river himself to go after Ca.s.sie.

Leidolf was already stripping out of his clothes while he kept Ca.s.sie in sight. The water had swiftly swept her downstream as he was having a h.e.l.l of a time fumbling to untie his wet bootlaces. "Tell the rest of the men where I've gone. Elgin, you're in charge while I'm away. I'll take her to the cabin until she's well enough to return. Just leave my clothes hidden nearby."

Carver frowned at him. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"You have your girls to look after." But Leidolf thought Carver was interested in the other red wolf, in the event she was a lupus garou also, and wanted to have first chance at her before the other bachelor males did.

"What are you going to do about this Alex character?" Carver asked, staring off in the direction Ca.s.sie was headed farther downstream and struggling against the current to reach the opposite sh.o.r.e.

Leidolf let out his breath and ditched his jeans and then his shirt. "He can see Ca.s.sie once I've returned her to the ranch and she's feeling better. And then she can tell him to take a hike."

He quickly shape-shifted and, as a wolf, raced down the rocky riverbank to reach the location where Ca.s.sie had drifted. Then he dove into the cold river, sending the water flying, and swam toward her. By then, she'd reached the halfway point across the river.

Was the other wolf Ca.s.sie's sister, which would explain why Ca.s.sie had been so h.e.l.l-bent on returning here? But why hadn't she just told him the truth? All of his men would have been searching for the woman. Which maybe was the reason she hadn't told him the truth.

As a wolf, Leidolf paddled across the river, swearing it was growing wider as he traversed it. He sure as h.e.l.l could run faster as a wolf than he could swim as one. Even with her having a head start, he was catching up to Ca.s.sie as she fought against the current to reach the other side. Then, she suddenly went under. His heart flipped.

His men shouted on the beach near where he had jumped into the water. "h.e.l.l, Leidolf!" Elgin said, his voice rife with concern.

"Do you want us to come in?" Carver shouted.

But Leidolf kept swimming to reach the last place he'd seen her, his gaze searching for any sign of her, his heart beating spastically. G.o.d, Ca.s.sie, I can't lose you now.

Then Ca.s.sie's head bobbed up, her ears perked high, her swim slow and plodding. She was getting closer to sh.o.r.e. h.e.l.l, he wished he could wolf paddle faster. If he could reach her in time, he'd grab her by the scruff of the neck and pull her in. Or swiftly shape-shift to his human form and carry her the rest of the way to the sh.o.r.e.

She finally reached the beach and stumbled, landing on her stomach. Ca.s.sie.

Stay! Just stay there! he wanted to shout at her. He wanted to pin her down, like a wolf in charge would another, to make her obey.

Her chest heaving, she sat on the sh.o.r.e. He thought he might reach her in time before she could run off. Until she looked back and saw how close to sh.o.r.e he was. d.a.m.n. Her ears twitched, her eyes widened, and she closed her panting mouth.

He gave her the best steely-eyed, you'd-better-obey-me look that an alpha pack leader could convey. And h.e.l.l, she took off running for the woods with a heavy limp.

When he reached the other side of the river, he glanced back at Carver and the rest of his men, all watching him to see that he made it. Then he bowed his head to them to acknowledge he was fine and to ask them to abide his wishes. After shaking off the excess water dripping from his coat, he whipped around, and took off in the direction the little red wolf had gone--his little red wolf. The other... well, if one of his men could convince her to stay with the pack also, so much the better. But Ca.s.sie was his. Like Alex had stated, Leidolf just had to convince her of that fact. Only he'd be the winner, not some lame human wolf biologist.

After racing through the forest for about a mile, Leidolf came upon Ca.s.sie sitting in ferns shielded by Douglas firs, panting and staring off into the distance, her energy totally spent. As soon as she smelled him coming, she whipped her head around, her gaze riveting to his. Yeah, here's the big, bad wolf coming to take you safely home, young lady.

Ca.s.sie's face looked ragged with pain. Warily, he approached her, not wanting to chase her off and cause her any more pain, but wanting to ensure she didn't run away again, either. He saw no sign of the other female and a.s.sumed Ca.s.sie just couldn't go any further with her shoulder so injured.

She didn't make any move to leave. In fact, she lay down on her side, taking the pressure off her injured shoulder.

He drew close and nuzzled her face. She didn't growl at him, like she would have if she hadn't wanted his attention. She didn't lick him back either, though, as if she was too tired to make the effort or had given up and wasn't happy about it. Deciding she was just too worn out, he planned to carry her to his cabin by the creek where she could rest until she was able to return with him.

Leidolf nudged Ca.s.sie's nose, trying to get her to stir, but she'd closed her eyes and appeared to be sleeping or just ignoring him. He hoped they could reach the cabin without running into anyone in the woods--and soon.

Not liking what he had to do next, he shape-shifted, and in his naked, chilled form, he leaned down and lifted Ca.s.sie as gently as he could. She yelped. "I'm so sorry, Ca.s.sie."

He figured his apology would have garnered a couple of chuckles from his men, had they witnessed it. He hated hearing the pain in her yelp, and he tried to carry her as carefully as he could. At least it would be dark for several more hours, and if all went as planned, she could heal while she rested. Then again, without clothing, they would have to remain there until darkness fell again so they could return to his Humvee in their wolf suits.

As he began hiking, he worried about the other wolf. She would be in as much danger as he and Ca.s.sie were in their wolf forms if hunters located them and wanted to eliminate the wolf threat. As soon as Ca.s.sie was safe in the cabin, he'd take a look for the other wolf. In his wolf coat. Faster to travel, but he wasn't sure whether it would scare off the wolf or not.

For half an hour, Leidolf carried a sleeping Ca.s.sie tight against his chest, surprised--considering how much he cursed when he stepped on blackberry bramble thorns or stumbled over exposed tree roots he couldn't see for carrying her--that she hadn't awakened.

She'd been really still in his arms, but all of a sudden, she began to wiggle as if she didn't care for being confined.

"I'll drop you if you don't mind," Leidolf warned, tightening his hold on her and trying not to lose the squirming wolf. She tried to jerk away from him, but he squeezed tighter. "Behave yourself," he said in a hushed voice close to her ear as if he were whispering sweet sentiments to her.

Her subtle feminine fragrance stirred his senses, made him long for her, and all he could think of was how he was going to convince her she was staying with his pack--with him.

He reconsidered that maybe as a newly turned lupus garou, she wanted to change a human male for a mate so that he would be the same as her. Which made him think of the new Arctic werewolves he'd had to deal with in Maine. He wasn't going along with Ca.s.sie taking a human for a mate.

Then Ca.s.sie struggled harder, and before he could prepare himself, she was shifting again. Either she didn't have control over the shifting, which meant it was tantamount that she stay with a pack, his pack. Or she preferred his holding her tight in his hard embrace as a woman, instead of as a wolf. Carrying a woman would be easier to manage, but he didn't like that she'd be as chilled as him.

Still, when she shifted and he was holding the silky-skinned nymph in his arms, he gave her a devilish smile as she frowned up at him and he said, "Much better." He readjusted his hold on her and pressed her hot, little body closer, trying to ensure she didn't get too cold.

He had every intention of setting the rules. "So let's get some things straight between us, Ca.s.sie Roux, little wolf biologist. You're a loner, don't have a pack, and have the hots for me." He grinned at the last.

She closed her eyes and groaned. She could pretend all she wanted that she wasn't interested in him the way he desired having her. She snuggled closer to him and breathed deeply. Enjoying the way his pheromones revealed how much he craved having her? Hers were driving him insane.

"And you're not going to take some lame wolf biologist for a mate."

She let out her breath in a painful sigh, her gaze staring up at him, beautiful, eyes narrowed a little in confrontation... and he loved it. "I have no intention of mating with Alex. It's all his idea, and truthfully? He couldn't make a commitment to one woman if his life depended on it. But I have a job to do, for which I'm getting paid, and no one's stopping me."

"You're not running through the woods on your own, Ca.s.sie. Not wounded like you are and not when those murderers could still be out here searching for that woman's body."

Ignoring him, she growled, "And furthermore, quit telling everyone we're engaged."

Then she scrunched up her face in pain, shivered in his arms, and started to move again. Before he could warn her he was about to drop her again, his hold tightening on her already, she shifted once more. She had to be really newly turned. Which made him wonder if some werewolf had turned her and she'd run away before he mated her.

He ground his teeth, figuring that although he didn't want her exploring the woods further, he ought to at least ask her what job was so blamed important. The female wolf? What had she intended to do with her? "So what is the reason you had to return here?"

She appeared to be sleeping and didn't shift back to her human form or seem to have heard his question. He growled under his breath. As soon as he could, he was learning the truth.

And then a breath of relief gave him hope as he saw the log cabin nestled in between trees, about five hundred square feet in size, a full rock wall on one side, rounded logs for the other three walls, grimy unwashed windows in the three wooden walls, and a mortared stone extension on one end. All the materials but the gla.s.s looked to have been salvaged from the surrounding countryside. The roof was covered in moss; tall gra.s.s and ferns brushed the sides of the building; and a hemlock's branches poked at one wall. A human's version of a wolf's den. Perfect for Ca.s.sie's recuperation.

He shoved open the door with his hip and stared into the gloom. A couple of rough-hewn wooden chairs sat at a small table next to one wall. A fireplace was built into the rock wall, blackened with soot from years of use. A deflated velour mattress lay on the dusty wooden floor. As a wolf, Ca.s.sie wouldn't mind. Although as soon as he had the time, he'd try to inflate the mattress or make up some other kind of bed.

He laid her down next to the fireplace. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, her wolf's expression tired.

"I'll be back, Ca.s.sie. I'll get some wood and build a fire. Just stay here."

She closed her eyes, and he worried she might get sicker before she was better, as lethargic as she was.

"Ca.s.sie?" He crouched in front of her and touched her nose. It was wet and cool. He knew that a warm, dry nose didn't immediately signify illness. Lethargy, in addition to it, and loss of appet.i.te could be more serious. "I'll... I'll be right back."

He headed for the door and turned to look at her, but she didn't open her eyes or acknowledge in any way that she knew he was leaving. The thought did go through his mind that she was only faking it, and that as soon as he left her, she'd run off again. h.e.l.l. He hated second-guessing her.

He walked outside, shut the door, and sniffed the air, trying to smell any sign of another wolf or humans that had been in the area while he waited to ensure Ca.s.sie wasn't planning to leave. He smelled nothing but the hemlocks and the water from the creek nearby, pines and pinesap, and a rabbit that had been in the area recently. He peered in through one of the dusty windows. Ca.s.sie hadn't moved a muscle.

He sighed and went to gather wood, which naked, wasn't much fun. Chill b.u.mps covered every inch of his skin, but he didn't have any choice. When he returned to the cabin with an armload of firewood, he found Ca.s.sie still dead to the world. He loaded the wood into the fireplace and found a cache of waterproof matches on the mantel. After a fire began to really catch, he watched Ca.s.sie's chest rise and fall, rise and fall. Her legs kicked a little as if she was running in a dream, and she whimpered.

Forever it seemed he watched her, not wanting to leave her alone, but he had to look for the other wolf in case she was in trouble. He leaned down and scratched between Ca.s.sie's ears. "I'll be back, Ca.s.sie, after I look for the other wolf. Just sleep. I'll be right back."

She didn't wake or at least didn't react to his attentions.

The cabin was so small that it was heating up nicely, making it even harder for him to leave the place. He went outside, closed the door, and welcomed the shift. Not that he wanted to run around in the daylight as a wolf, but the fur coat was welcome in the chilly breeze.

As a wolf, he ran back to the river where they'd crossed, where they'd seen the other wolf and began searching for her trail. His men were gone, and he hoped they weren't off looking for the wolf on their own.

But the wolf was a female, for sure. Her footpads had left a scent, and he ran along the trail until he came to a creek. And then that was the odd thing. The wolf had entered the creek, but when he traversed the fast-running water over the slippery stones, he didn't find her scent on the opposite bank. He followed the creek for some time downstream and then tried again upstream. Nothing. h.e.l.l, it was if she just vanished. Or she'd stayed in the creek for a much longer time than he'd imagined. He wondered if Ca.s.sie had pulled the same thing when he'd tried to find her and then gotten shot by the zoo men.

Leidolf recrossed the creek and hurried downstream, figuring maybe the red female wolf had entered the creek, walked along it farther than he imagined she would, trying to catch a fish, and then exited it. He still couldn't find her scent that way, or upstream either. Which was more than bizarre. Then again, she was beginning to sound like she might truly be a lupus garou trying to avoid him, just like Ca.s.sie, and not a lupus who wouldn't think like a human.

Following the trail again, he tried to see if she'd backtracked her path as wolves would do and then went across the river. He couldn't tell. If she had backtracked, she'd just remarked her scent. Frustrated with not getting anywhere with the search, he shook his head. Time to return to Ca.s.sie and take care of her.

He raced back toward the cabin, hoping he might still catch a glimpse of the other wolf, but no luck. When he saw the smoke coming out of the chimney of the little square cabin, he felt an inkling of truly being home despite how austere it was. He'd never needed much of a place to feel at home. And if he had the woman of his dreams with him, that was all he could ask for. If he could convince her of it.

Without his whole pack watching his every move, this was as good a place as any for the conflict of wills to unfold.

Chapter 19.

The water lapped at the bank of the lake, the soothing sound lulling Ca.s.sie into a sense of security as she watched the bronzed Poseidon wade out of the water, every muscle moving with powerful urgency, his green-eyed gaze focused on hers. The look in his expression said it all. She was his. But what he didn't know was he was hers . And he didn't have any choice in the matter.

She cast him a coy smile. G.o.d of the sea, I am the huntress who has ensnared you , not the other way around.

He strode up the bank, his skin glistening with droplets of water, his expression tight with need. Somehow, her Indiana Jones hat and backpack, her shorts, tunic top, shirt, socks, and boots all had vanished, and she stood among the trees as a G.o.ddess of the hunt, naked, ready to take her prey. Come to me, Poseidon. Show me what you've got.

In slow motion, he approached, as if afraid she'd attempt to escape him. She had no intention of running away like a rabbit bound for a bunny hole.

Suddenly, she was falling, tumbling down into darkness, the smell earthy, the landing soft as she arrived inside the rabbit's burrow. Only the world opened up again, and a giant rabbit greeted her, wearing her hat, backpack, and tunic.

Desperately, she clawed at the hole, trying to get out, attempting to reach Poseidon, to show the G.o.d she wasn't running away from him, had no intention of hiding, and Poseidon shushed her. "Ca.s.sie, quiet. Be still. You're safe."

He lifted her into his arms and kissed her too sweetly, when she craved being ravished by his touch. She tried to open her lips to him, to kiss him back, to spear her tongue into his mouth, to invite him in, and take his pleasure in her, as she would take pleasure from him.

"Ca.s.sie, you keep this up, and I will be forced to be less than honorable."

His smile was devilishly predictable, wolfish, not in the least bit honorable looking, and she loved it.

She licked her lips, moistening them before she kissed him and squirmed against his firm embrace, eliciting a moan from deep within his chest. She couldn't seem to lift her head to look at him again and instead gave a tired sigh.

His fingers combed through her hair as she listened to his heart beating hard, as if he'd been running all day. And his skin was wet, smelling fresh and clean, wild and free. His raging hormones, the s.e.xy smell caught her attention. Her pheromones... and his. The telltale sign they were ready to take the relationship further.

With a horrendous effort, she managed to lick his chest, tasted salty skin and water droplets, and again Poseidon groaned. "Vixen."

Ca.s.sie jerked awake, only she was no longer a wolf but a woman, lying against a very naked and hot-bodied man. Not Poseidon. Leidolf. He had wrapped his arms around her, resting against a bed of pine needles in a small log cabin, his own body serving as her mattress as he lay still, his eyes closed, droplets of water on his skin, his hair wet, a velvet-covered, limp air mattress rolled up beneath his head for a pillow. Outside it was gloomy, cloudy, the scent of rain heavy in the air, and still daylight. She guessed it was about midday or later.

She sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head against his chest again. If she had desired having a mate, she would want him to be just like Leidolf, protective and powerful.

Yet even as self-a.s.sured as he was, she saw the flaws in his character. The way he ordered his people around, how he was totally in charge, yet a vulnerable side kept appearing. The way he apologized when he'd lifted her while she was in her wolf form and she'd yelped. She hadn't meant to, but the pain had shot through her shoulder, and she couldn't help it. She thought he might drop her, he appeared so concerned. And then the way he brought her to this cabin, started a fire, even searched for the wolf they'd seen across the river, yet she'd sensed he hadn't wanted to leave her--even for a minute.

Although she knew that was due, in part, to his controlling nature, maybe worry that she might take off, she also knew he was concerned that someone might find her and try to eliminate her. She looked at the scratches on his arms that probably came from carrying the firewood. And listened to the steady beat of his heart, the blood whooshing through his veins, his body hot and his skin pure tactile delight. Like this, she could almost desire having him for a mate.

Almost. The problem with mates was that they had a lot of requirements. Lots of needs that had to be met. Especially when a mate was the alpha leader of a pack. And she'd have to be the alpha female. Not that she didn't have it in her. She could never be a beta. She'd bet her last paycheck he wouldn't like it if she continued her work studying wolves wherever she could locate the lupus kind. And never in a million years was she giving up her life work. Not when wolves had saved her life. Although no matter how hard she worked at it, she could never repay the pack that had taken her in.

Then a plan began to formulate. What if she did mate with Leidolf? No more having to deal with males who wanted an unmated female. What if he wanted her so badly that he'd negotiate for terms?

She mulled that over for a few seconds. She envisioned packing her gear for a trip to North Carolina to study the red wolves there, but when she reached the front door at the ranch, she would find Leidolf standing in the doorway, his arms folded across his broad chest, legs spread apart in battle stance, his expression an emphatic no.

So no, it would be an awful mistake. He wouldn't agree with her working, she was certain, and she would be stuck leading beside him, never fulfilling her own destiny.

Leidolf's fingers swept down her back in a tender caress, and she looked up to see him watching her. "How long have you been awake?" he asked, the timbre of his voice darkly seductive.

"Hmm," she said and burrowed her head against his chest, closing her eyes again. "Just woke. How long ago did I shift?"

He swept his hands lower, down her back until he reached her b.u.t.tocks and made small circular swirls across her sensitive cheeks. "Hours ago. I tried to inflate the mattress, but it was hopeless. So I made a bed of pine needles and then pulled you off the cold floor so we could share some body heat."

She opened her eyes and looked at the fire, the flames stretching upward in little curlicues, sending out the steady heat still warming the small cabin. "Hmm. You made a nice fire, and you make an awfully nice mattress."

"You make a terrific blanket." And the way he said it made her think he believed they fit together in perfect harmony.