“I want to thank you for having the foresight to get the place cleaned for us,” Kenzie said as she put the last of the perishables into the refrigerator and closed the door.
“Yes,” I added, “I thought we’d be spending our first few hours getting it livable. It was a pleasant surprise to see it so neat and clean.”
“I’d like to take the credit,” Oscar admitted as he sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room section of the great room and accepted the wine glass that Kenzie offered him, “but it wasn’t my doing. Noah uses this cabin a lot. He never knows when he’ll be able to come or if he’ll arrive in the day or the night so he has a cleaner from the nearby town come in biweekly to make sure it’s all up to snuff. The man hates dust.”
“That explains why I didn’t need to prime the generator to get it going,” Kenzie mused.
“Yes, it would,” Oscar agreed.
“Does Noah live nearby?” I asked with genuine curiosity.
“His house isn’t that far from here,” Oscar replied, “but he travels a wide area for work so he doesn’t have a schedule like most would for using the place.”
“He’s a wildlife trooper, isn’t he?” Kenzie asked.
“He’s actually a game warden,” Oscar corrected him, “but he sometimes doubles as a trooper during the heavy tourist season.”
The sound of tires grinding up the winding mountainside dirt road caught our attention.
“Speak of the devil. I’ll wager that’s him,” Oscar enthusiastically said as he stood up.
He carefully set his wine glass on a nearby table before briskly walking out of the cabin to watch the vehicle’s arrival from the front porch.
Kenzie was quick to follow her friend, but I lagged back. That feeling of nervous dread that I’d experienced when I’d first met Oscar had come back at an alarming intensity.
I went to the kitchen and freshened my glass of wine. Leaning against the counter, I slowly sipped my pinot noir while listening to Oscar introduce Kenzie to his brother.
Noah’s voice was similar to Oscar’s with its deep richness as he said, “I thought you said that there would be two staying in the cabin.”
I suddenly felt very foolish about hiding in the kitchen. I was in the process of frantically trying to figure out what to do or say to explain why I hadn’t gone out onto the porch to greet him along with Kenzie and Oscar when the trio wandered into the cabin.
“Kenzie said that you were a quiet people watcher, not that you were also shy,” Oscar light-heartedly said as he sauntered up to the counter with a type of regal confidence that was impossible to ignore.
I gave a slight shrug and emitted an uncomfortable giggle as I looked past Oscar at his brother. As if on cue, my body instantly reacted to the pheromones that his brother was emitting. My legs literally buckled beneath me. I did my best to inconspicuously grab hold of the counter to prevent myself from falling while praying that no one noticed what was happening.
No such luck.
“Are you alright?” Noah asked as he moved with impressive speed to place his hands on my waist in an effort to set me aright.
The feel of his strong, extremely warm hands sent shivers of delight through my body from head to toe. I inhaled his musky scent as if he was wearing Roja perfume for men. It took me a moment to find the courage to look into his deep-set dark eyes. When I did, they had the same effect, if not more so, as Oscar’s had. They bore into my inner core and held me firmly in place. His dark hair was cut short and allowed to lay as it pleased in a way that made it obvious that he was a man who was either clueless of how handsome he was or simply didn’t care.
Noah placed his face so close to the side of my head that the heat of his breath caressed my flesh. His words reverberated in my ear canal as he said in a low voice that I doubted Oscar or Kenzie heard, “You’re trembling.”
“I…I’m okay,” I stammered in a hoarse whisper that surprised me. “I think I just need to eat something. I’m feeling a little light- headed.”
“If that’s the case, is wine a wise choice of drink?” he asked in a way that made me feel like a foolish child.
Suddenly annoyed with this hot and sexy guy who had the audacity to judge me, I indignantly pulled from his hold.
“There’s no need to worry about me,” I snapped in a low tone that was meant for his ears only.
“Okay, then,” he said with mild amusement. “I won’t.”
He turned his attention back to his brother and Kenzie without giving me a second glance. To my annoyance, his dismissive behavior only served to infuriate me more.
After a few minutes of conversation with my friend and his brother, Noah excused himself as he asked to speak with Oscar alone.
With the men no longer monopolizing her attention, Kenzie turned to me.
“So, what do you think of the brother?” she asked. “It’s my first time meeting Noah. Oscar spoke of him often, but he didn’t do him justice. He’s pretty hot, don’t you think? I mean, Oscar is good looking enough, but there’s something about Noah. It’s an underlying thing. Exciting. Maybe even mysterious. You know?”
I simply gave a slight nod while I stayed planted where Noah had left me in the kitchen. I still didn’t trust my legs. To add to that worry, I had to hope that my astute friend didn’t realize how utterly thrown off and annoyed I was from my little encounter with the handsome and sexy brother of her equally handsome and sexy friend.
The brothers had walked off into the woods to have their conversation. Since I hadn’t watched them leave, I had no idea of the direction they’d taken.“I need to use our trusty outhouse,” I said when my legs finally felt usable again. Heading out to the porch, I surveyed the clearing before asking, “Do you happen to know where it’s located.“I’m assuming it’s hidden behind the building,” Kenzie offered. “I didn’t see it when I was starting the generator, but I wasn’t looking for it. My guess is it’s back there.”“It’s a bit odd to hide an outhouse, isn’t it?” I asked with mild annoyance.“Do you really want a shithouse sitting in plain view of the cabin?” Kenzie asked with amusement. “Not to mention what happens when the wind kicks up.”“Egad,” I said with a roll of my eyes as I step
The male voices sounded distant as I slowly regained consciousness. It took my head a moment to clear enough for me to realize that I was being carried by one of them and he wasn’t being particularly cautious about jostling me about.Confused and uncertain of what to do, I kept my eyes closed while I focused on the words being passed back and forth between the two brothers.“I can’t believe you brought them here just before the full moon. What were you thinking?” snapped Noah.“I had no choice,” Oscar defensively said. “I’m on a time crunch. Kenzie’s the only one I could find to help at the last minute. When she asked to bring Lisa, what was I supposed to say… no psychics allowed?”“It’s bad enough that she’s psychic and could pick up on something, but she carries a touch of the bloodline,” Noah complained. “It’s faint, but I could smel
After directing Snow to settle in front of the fireplace at the far end of the great room and making sure that everyone was seated in a comfortable position in preparation for the talk, Noah was the first to break into conversation.Focusing his attention on Kenzie he said, “I’m aware that you and my brother go back some years.” When she nodded, he continued, “He thinks very highly of you which is why we’re trusting you with something that’s been held secret.”“Not just from you, Kenz. From everyone,” Oscar quickly interjected.“I see,” Kenzie said in a slow and thoughtful manner. “Is this a secret that I want to know or should even know?”“I’m not sure you’ll want to know it, but you definitely need to know it,” Oscar replied.Kenzie looked at me and said, “What about Lisa? I’m assuming she needs to hear this se
After raiding the outhouse that was in the opposite direction from the one I took when searching for it and placing the contents they’d removed from it in a hefty pile over the spot where I’d urinated, Oscar and Noah said their good-byes. Kenzie had been given last minute instructions and had audibly vowed to start out first thing with the intention of getting the job done in record time. Oscar vowed the same.That night, I slept very little. Every sound in the night made me jump. With the moon on the verge of being full, it was bright enough for me to see the cabin’s surroundings without the aid of a light. I periodically peered out of the window to search the tree line for a man who was really a werewolf come to steal me away.I was still awake when I heard Kenzie clambering about the kitchen in an effort to get going for the day. It was obvious that she wasn’t a morning person. I’d neglected to bring a robe
I relaxed on the porch and enjoyed the cabin’s natural surroundings for an easy hour after watching Kenzie adjust her backpack as she hiked off into the woods to begin tagging duty. She was right about the weather. I’d shed my sweater almost immediately upon returning from using the outhouse. Sitting on the porch while reveling in the sensation of the faint warm breeze that caressed my flesh and feeling the heat of the morning sun on my face as it climbed higher over the treetops was so fantastic that I’d actually forgotten about Oscar and Noah’s outrageous werewolf claims.I’d also forgotten about Snow.It wasn’t until I was floating on my back in the clear lake water and spotted him sitting on shore near my clothes that I remembered the wolf. He looked so majestic as he sat watching my every move that it was almost breathtaking. Seeing how proud and tall he held himself also made me feel more at ease a
With both of us lost in our own thoughts, the silence during Noah’s and my trip off the mountain was acute. With my mind tortured by what had happened to me, I paid little attention to the drive or the time that it took.When he pulled down a long, narrow drive that was lined by ancient and massive looking oak trees that mingled with balsom fir and white pine trees, I forced myself back to reality.Positioned in the middle of a clearing that was circled by a thick mass of the same species of trees that lined the drive, his cedar sided house looked lonely, but majestic. The lawn was well manicured, but void of any shrubs or flowers. Since he was a busy man, it didn’t surprise me that he’d kept the landscaping simple to care for.Having met him at his rustic cabin and noticing the weathered cedar siding on the house, I was surprised to see how technically advanced his furnishings were. Being a fan of antiques and old homes, the d&eacu
Dr. Mitchell Blake was a small, wiry man in his mid-fifties who looked like a perfectly normal man. Had I not known that he was one of Noah’s pack, I’d never have guessed it. Then, I never would have thought Noah to be a werewolf either. The good doctor’s appearance helped to lessen the trauma that I experienced at having to expose myself to a stranger for an intimate examination. His mild mannered politeness also didn’t hurt.“You’re torn in two places,” he informed me after completing my internal exam. “They aren’t excessive, but I’m going to give you a cream to insert for the next few days. It will help to accelerate the healing process.” As he turned his back to me and searched the cupboards for the medication that he wanted to supply me with, he added, “No sex until I’ve examined you again in two weeks.”“No worries there,” I said with a tr
It was dark when I felt someone’s weight lowering onto the mattress beside me. Still groggy, I was only vaguely aware of the fact that Noah was now sharing the king sized bed with me.“You’re in my bed,” I drowsily slurred.“Actually,” he said with a low, soft tone, “you’re in mine.”Forced into a slightly more coherent state from the surprise of discovering that I’d been sleeping in his bed for the better part of the day, I said with dismay, “This is your bed? I’m in your bed?”“There’s no need to panic,” he assured me. “I want to keep you close. It makes sense to put you next to me during the night. This is the most vulnerable time.”Hearing his words, I moved a little closer to him. My body was still trembling. I wasn’t sure if it was still the remnants from the attack or from the reality of