Primal Heat: Wolf Shifter Romance (Wild Lake Wolves Book 3) Read online

  I smiled and swatted his rear end. Then, he lifted me with strong hands at my waist and delivered me into the helicopter. He gave a wave then dropped back, joining the rest of the pack near the tree line. They waited until Callum got airborne, then they shifted and burst through the trees. Once again, Seth’s wolf took the lead and Bas took up the rear.

  We flew up and over the towering pines, leaving Wild Lake behind. The wolves moved swiftly, not stopping for game or any other diversion this time. We made quick time and reached the northern point in less than an hour. Callum brought the bird down on a helipad next to a small airstrip.

  “The pack will catch up with us in about an hour,” Callum said. “We’re going to drive up to Kane’s by Jeep.”

  While Callum made his post-flight checks, I scrambled out of the vehicle and helped Pat down. She pointed to a small hangar and moved with that same alarming speed and purpose that belied her size and age. She whistled to Callum and he tossed her a set of keys. She caught them one-handed and led me into the hangar. Sure enough, a shiny, black Jeep Wrangler waited for us.

  Pat scrambled in while I took the passenger seat. She drove back out to the helicopter just as Callum seemed ready to go. He climbed into the back, and we headed out. Pat took a strip of highway off the airfield. Then, she turned down a gravel road, following signs for state lands. Open fields gave way to dense woods, and the gravel beneath us turned to dirt. Then, the dirt gave way to little more than beaten down grass as Pat went deeper into the woods, maneuvering the Jeep with speed and skill over the rough terrain.

  Finally, we came to a stop just outside a state park outpost. A carved wooden sign swung from a large log cabin, and the letters soldered into it read “Pine Crest State Park.”

  “Kane’s pack runs the ranger station up here,” she explained. “Of all the Wild Lake packs, they keep to themselves the most.”

  “He’s kind of an asshole, if you ask me,” Callum offered.

  “Yeah. Well, we’re about to see how much of one he is.”

  “Sit tight, ladies,” Callum said as he climbed out of the back seat. “Lemme see if Kane’s in a welcoming mood today. Bas and the others ought to be here any minute.”

  Pat sighed and pressed her back into her seat. “I don’t like this.”

  The air around us seemed to crackle with an energy I didn’t like either. Closing my eyes, I reached out for Bas, testing our new connection. I felt him, his pulse beating strong and steady, but faster than before. He was keyed up. Hostile.

  Pat put a hand on my arm. “They always get like that when they get close to another Alpha,” she said.

  “You feel it too?”

  Pat smiled. “A little. But I’ve also been around them long enough to know.”

  “What about you? Did you have someone like Bas?”

  She smoothed an errant gray curl behind her ear and looked off toward the woods. “Oh, yeah. A couple of them, actually. And my son’s were. That’s how I know what the marking feels like. And how I recognized you for what you were the second I saw you.”

  “What I am?”

  “Bas’s fated mate. It must have been a tense few minutes when he first laid eyes on you. I’m surprised he managed to control himself.”

  A blush heated my cheeks, and Pat laughed kindly when she saw it. “You could say that,” I answered. “It was in the middle of Congressman Foster’s office with Dale Thorp standing between us.”

  “Well, shit. So that fucker has been trying to use you against Bas from the very beginning. I think one ass kicking isn’t going to be enough for dear old Dale.”

  “It appears so.”

  “Well, here they come. Bas isn’t one to mince words. Now, I’m going to warn you. When Kane shows himself, don’t be surprised if it sets your blood humming a little bit.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Pat narrowed her eyes. To the west of us, around a group of cabins, Bas and the others came through the trees, loping slowly but with their tails up and their ears pricked. Pat leaned across the back seat and pulled out a plastic bag. Before we left, we’d packed clothes for Bas, Alec, and Seth.

  “Hold that thought. And stay put.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the Jeep. As Bas’s red wolf, Alec’s white, and Seth’s gray approached her, she set down the clothes and came back to the car. Bas and the others shifted and dressed. He shot me a quick wink that sent a thrill to me, then they went around the cabins while the rest of the pack disappeared back into the woods. They were close, though. Along with Bas’s presence, I was starting to sense them too.

  “What do you mean about Kane?” I asked Pat as she settled herself back into the driver’s seat.

  “Oh. He’s an Alpha, honey. You’re an Alpha’s mate. It’s gonna make you feel drawn to other Alphas now too. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a kind of hyperawareness. It’s just some evolutionary throwback. If anything ever happened to your Alpha, you’d be naturally drawn to the next strongest wolf around.”

  A pit formed in my stomach, and fear clawed through me. If anything ever happened to Bas, my God. Pat put a steadying hand on my shoulder.

  “It’s okay, honey. Bas is one of the toughest Alphas I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen generations of them. Not many others could lead a pack as large as his. Kane’s not going to try anything.”

  “I think I know what you mean, though. About different wolves making me feel different things. Like Dale. From the beginning, Bas attracted me like a magnet, but Dale repels me. They’re like opposite poles.”

  “Expect that to get even more sensitive for you.”

  “Alec feels different too,” I said without even thinking. But it was true. Next to Bas, I seemed able to sense him stronger than the other members of the pack.

  Pat’s mouth formed a grim line as she looked toward the woods. Had I said something wrong? My own face must have transmitted my thoughts because Pat reached over and patted my knee. “Don’t worry about it, honey. Bas and Alec can sort that all out.”

  She kept talking, but Pat’s voice seemed to recede to a distance, replaced by a familiar hum in my ears as Bas came back around the cabin. Alec and Seth were with him, but they weren’t alone. Two large men came with him.

  Kane.

  Pat had just warned me, but I still wasn’t prepared for the sensation I felt. My pulse jumped and the air left my lungs. Nearly Bas’s size, Kane Matthews had thick, dark hair, cold, gray eyes, and legs as thick as tree trunks. He looked like a straight-up lumberjack with a full beard and muscled forearms. I sank into my seat, but Kane tilted his head, sniffing the air. Then, he slowly turned his head and focused his gaze right at me. His silver eyes went briefly dark than swirled and flashed, his wolf rising almost violently to the surface.

  Bas moved. He put his body between Kane’s and the Jeep, blocking his view of me. He put his hands on Kane’s shoulders and shoved him backward hard. Fear speared through me. The two Alphas squared off; the instinct to kill churned inside of Bas, making beads of sweat trickle down my back.

  “Take it easy, boys,” Pat whispered.

  Alec put a hand on Bas’s shoulder. Kane’s man did the same. Then, the moment passed. Bas took a step back. Bas’s eyes went human again, and they picked up their conversation as if nothing had ever happened.

  “Glad they got that outta the way,” Pat said as she unlatched her door. “Now let’s see what other trouble those boys are trying to get into.”

  I hesitated before opening the door, but Pat seemed sure. I walked with her up the wooded trail and met Bas on the cabin porch.

  “Abby, this is Kane Matthews,” Bas said, through tight lips. When I brought my hand up to shake Kane’s, Bas put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. He didn’t want me touching another Alpha even that much.

  Kane loomed over me, his mouth lifted into a half smile, and he dipped his head in greeting.

  “Good to meet you,” he said. “Pat, you’re looking well.” Kane took a step forward and hugged Pat. She
stiffened and narrowed her eyes at him, but didn’t pull away.

  “Should we all step inside?” Kane asked.

  “No. We shouldn’t.” Bas said. “I can’t stay long. I’ve got enough to deal with in my own backyard. I really just need an answer from you, Kane.”

  Kane let out a low noise, part growl, part sigh. “Bas, we’ve had this conversation half a dozen times.”

  “This time is different. Now we’re not dealing with a theoretical threat from Dale. It’s materialized. Just like I told you it would. Now, out of respect for you and the arrangements we all honor in Wild Lake, I’ve come here in person. I need to know what you plan to do.”

  “What would you have me do? You really want open warfare with the southern packs again? If I banish Dale from Michigan, it could backfire in ways you don’t realize.”

  “He’s not some diplomat with immunity, Kane. He’s planning to take Wild Lake out from under us. Through Pat and Harold if he has to. That’s a treaty violation. I’m done hanging back and waiting for action. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, fine. But then you need to give me your word you won’t interfere if I do. Are we clear on that?”

  Bas moved toward him; his shoulders bunched and coarse hairs sprouted on the back of his neck. A hum went through him as his wolf simmered just below the surface. Kane’s eyes flashed as his own posture shifted. The two of them stood suspended in time. Just the slightest wrong move from Kane, and I knew the time for words would end. I let out a steady breath, trying not to let my own rising emotions impact Bas in any way.

  Kane’s eyes flicked toward me, and I felt Bas’s heartrate spike. Kane would be no match for him. He was outnumbered, and Bas held blind fury inside of him, ready to protect me . . . his mate, if Kane made a wrong step.

  Kane leaned back against the wooden railing and shook his head. “Fine.”

  “Fine what?” Bas’s voice was thick, but his heartrate dipped and leveled off.

  “Fine. I won’t stand in your way if you feel you have to do something drastic.”

  “That’s not enough, Kane. I need you to revoke Dale’s permission to even be here. He’s got to go back to Kentucky or wherever his home pack is now.”

  Kane’s eyes flashed, and a muscle in his jaw jumped. Alec moved forward, putting his body between mine and Kane’s. Between him and Bas, I had a wall of keyed up werewolf shielding me from a brewing threat I felt was more than I understood.

  “Understood,” Kane said.

  “Good. That’s all I needed to hear.” With that, Bas turned. He had a firm grip on my arm and he pulled me away from the porch. His pulse ramped up, and I felt the bubbling aggression inside of him. It had taken everything in him to use words, not fists.

  Seth followed us, but Alec and Pat stayed on the porch. “Kane,” she said. “Look me in the eye and swear to me you didn’t know anything about Dale’s plans or anything he might have brewing with Young Willie.”

  Kane’s shoulders dropped and he hung his head. She had a hand on his chest. Kane nodded. “I swear, Pat. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”

  She nodded and let Alec take her arm as they stepped off the porch and headed toward the Jeep with us. Bas opened the door and helped me into the back seat. I expected him to climb behind the wheel, but instead he stood there like a stone wall, waiting for Alec to get to us.

  “I need to travel with the pack,” he said. “I want Callum and Alec to make sure you ladies get back to the farm safely. I’ll meet you there later this evening.”

  Callum climbed in back next to me after helping Pat into the passenger seat. Alec took the keys from her. “You sure that’s necessary?” she asked, looking from Bas to Alec then back to me.

  Dread bubbled inside of me as the gravity of my situation took root. Bas’s thundering heartbeat put an exclamation point on my conclusion. “When Kane tells Dale he’s not welcome here anymore, he might not take it well. And he’ll have nothing left to lose.”

  Bas gave me a grim nod as Alec started the Jeep. Then he stepped back and shifted, sending the torn denim flying.

  “Son of a bitch,” Pat muttered. “Those were brand new.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Do you know how much I don’t want to ever leave this bed?” I leaned my head against Bas’s chest. His arms enveloped me in warmth and safety as he pulled the covers up to my chin. We’d spent the day here, tucked away in Pat’s farmhouse, surfacing only for breakfast and lunch. Later, we planned to ride out to the lake together.

  Bas growled and nipped the air next to my ear, sending a spike of heat straight to my heart.

  “And are you sure you have to leave tomorrow?”

  He reached up and made a small circle with his finger around my right breast. “I’d like nothing more than staying right here with you. But, Kane was just the first step. I need to have a little chat with Willie Gaither, Jr.”

  “I’m feeling very afraid for Willie Gaither, Jr. Is it all right if I ask what you’re planning?”

  Bas stretched out, and with his legs fully extended, his toes poked out from beneath the coverlet. I turned, sitting up to face him. He had drowsy eyes and his hair stuck out in peaks and cones. I was more than a little tousled myself. My thighs ached, and I had stiff muscles in places I never knew about before.

  “Willie might be an even bigger weasel than his father, but he’s not stupid. People around here are never going to believe Lloyd Bonner would have left anything to the Gaithers unless he’d been coerced. Willie Jr.’s whole business relies on the goodwill of the people of Wild Lake. Now, he would have just been a kid when all of this went down, but I’m banking on the fact he’s not going to want his father’s name dragged through the mud.”

  “Hmm. What if you’re wrong? If you’re right about what this land is worth, he might not care if he loses clients over it.”

  “True. But, I have other methods of persuasion if reason doesn’t work.”

  For a millisecond, Bas’s eyes flashed with preternatural fury that both thrilled and frightened me. “Yeah. I go back to my earlier statement. I think I’m afraid for Willie Jr.”

  “I’m not going to leave him with nothing, Abby. We’ll make him a fair offer for signing over his interests to Pat and Harold.”

  “Very reasonable of you, Mr. Lanier. I’m impressed.”

  He leaned over and pinched my ass.

  “Ow! I’m sore there too, you brute.”

  “Good. Then my plan is falling into place.”

  “What one is that?”

  “The one where you stay put and rest up. I might be gone for a day or two, so when I get back, I’m going to be in sore need of a little attention.”

  As much as I could use the rest, I hated the thought of even that short separation. Bas assured me this need would subside over time. For now, though, it was almost as if he’d asked me to go without oxygen for a day or two.

  “I don’t do the sitting around pining thing very well, Bas. I need to head back home. I haven’t talked to my mother in over a week. Messed up as she is, she’s my mom. I need to make sure she’s okay. Then there’s the matter of the congressman. Technically, I still work for him.”

  Bas sat up, his back stiffened. “Don’t even think about it. You’re not going anywhere near Foster’s office until I have a bead on Dale. He’s unpredictable. I’ve always suspected he didn’t leave the southern packs voluntarily. When Kane tells him he’s lost his privileges up here, he might literally have nowhere else to go. That’s going to make him dangerous, Abby. And Kane knows you’re mine now.”

  “I know. I know. But, I need to know where I stand. Asshat though he is, I need Foster’s recommendation. Or at least, I need to know he’s not going to do anything to sabotage me.”

  Bas slid out of the bed, dragging half the covers with him. I shivered at the sudden absence of my human space heater. He shoved his legs into his jeans and did a little hop step to pull them over his trim hips.

  “God, I’d like to sho
ve my fist through Kane’s nose right about now. I’ve said for years we’d regret letting Dale in.”

  “But it wasn’t worth the risk of causing friction with Kane’s pack. Is that about right?”

  Bas nodded as he finger combed his hair. “We may not always agree with each other, but the Wild Lake packs respect each other. It was Kane’s decision to make.”

  “I get that. And it’s incredible, really. I mean, I could feel the tension between you. It’s better if you’re not around other Wild Lake Alphas very often, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. “It’s a tough urge to suppress. That’s why the Bonner farm is such a special place for us. It’s neutral turf. A place where we can come together without feeling territorial. It should go to her son when Pat and Harold aren’t around anymore.”

  “Have I met him?”

  Bas shook his head. “No. Her son is Luke. He’s a Wild Lake wolf, but he doesn’t belong to any pack. Not anymore. When the day comes, he’ll move back here and run things.”

  “So, it’s possible for a human woman to, uh . . . give birth to a wolf?”

  Bas leaned against the door frame. “When she’s ready. Yes. If you’re ready. Someday maybe we can talk about that.”

  Warmth flooded through me. I hadn’t thought about it before, but as Bas stood in front of me looming large, looking at me with love in his eyes, I knew my answer. Yes. Someday. I think I would like to talk about that. I didn’t have to say anything. Bas knew. And that knowledge brought light into his eyes and color to his cheeks. He came to me; leaning over the bed, he kissed me.

  I would have given him more. Even though I was saddle sore and still exhausted from last night, I was ready. But, the angry buzz of my phone on the nightstand table interrupted the mood. I reached over and tapped the screen. A chill ran through me that Bas caught. I put up a finger and answered.

  “Miss Winslow?” The voice on the other end was stern and deep.

  “Speaking.”

  “This is Dean Stockard. Do you have a moment?”