Chapter Five

 

He did as promised, dropping Caroline off at work first thing in the morning. As soon as she’d fallen asleep in the next room, he left the cabin, shifted, and ran for miles. He had a lot of pent-up energy to burn off. The entire day had been a whirlwind for his emotions. Issues with his pack, finding his mate, and returning to the cabin he’d been avoiding for almost a lifetime.

It was time to move forward, regardless of how difficult. Denying himself happiness and hiding from life was so deeply engrained into who he was. He worked days and lived the rest of his time as close to feral as he could. His wolven form mercifully dulled his emotions. But he was a werewolf, and needed to embrace his other half.

When his parents had been killed, his entire world crashed down around him. He was young, inexperienced, and forced to survive with the little training his parents had given him. It had been easier to live in his fur. He could hunt, blend into his surroundings, and survive the cold winter months. When he returned to his human skin, the rush of loneliness crippled him. It wasn’t until he began forming a pack that things improved in his life.

Jacob had gotten him a job at the local mine, and Rhaina and Zeke taught him human customs. Even back in his twenties, he didn’t know how to read or write. He’d come a long way since those days.

Now his life had reached a new level, one far beyond survival mode. Caroline changed everything.

“Where the fuck have you been?” asked Zeke.

He crashed down on the den floor, stretching out his body. “You’re not my keeper,” he said.

“You always sleep in the den. Did you actually stay at the cabin?”

They all knew what the cabin signified, but he wasn’t in the mood for another trip down memory lane. The pity in Zeke’s voice made his skin crawl. He darted out of the den and shifted into his human form.

Rhaina appeared from the forest, casually walking toward him.

“I see you’re in one piece,” he said. “Maybe next time listen when I tell you something. You never should have gotten that fucking close to the campsites.”

She frowned.

“Leave her alone,” said Zeke, joining them in the small clearing. “She’s been through enough the past couple nights.”

He wanted to ask about Caroline’s involvement but he was afraid of the answer.

“Where’s the human female?” she asked. “Did you kill her?”

“No, I never touched her.”

Rhaina scoffed. “I can smell her all over you. You don’t lie very well.”

He didn’t want to deal with his personal life right now. It wasn’t his pack’s business anyway. “Who captured you?”

“The new park recruit. He actually tried to feed me poisoned hamburger.”

“Anyone else involved?”

She smirked. “He had a partner in crime. Seems your little blue-eyed human wanted me dead just as much as him. Maybe more.”

He grit his teeth, then took a cleansing breath before speaking. “How do you know that?”

“I was in my fur, not dead. I heard a lot of shit,” Rhaina said. “You should have killed her.”

So much for telling them he’d found his mate.

“Where’s the male?”

“Taken care of,” said Jacob, from behind him.

Grey scrubbed his hands over his face as he turned around. “I hope it was done clean.”

“Relax. There’s nothing to find,” said Jacob. “Now we just need to handle the girl.”

His hackles rose, but he shook it off. “I’ll deal with it personally.”

“So you say,” said Jacob. “But she’s still breathing.”

“Rhaina’s back, so chill the fuck out. She’s mine … to handle.”

“Okay. Whatever.” Jacob threw his arms up, then sat down on the log by the fire bit. “I have to be back at work in half an hour, anyway.”

It was time to deal with this once and for all. As he shifted and ran back to his truck, he was being torn down the middle. He’d found his mate, but she was also a threat to his pack.

And she’d lied.

A while later, he pulled up to the gates at the park. He’d shut down his emotions—something he’d perfected over the years. But as soon as he saw her, all bets were off. He was ready to throw out all his ideals for one more kiss.

“Coming to set up your site?” She smiled as she leaned out the window. Her hair was loose, pulled over one shoulder.

“Yeah.” He needed to entrap her. His pack expected him to eliminate a threat. “Why don’t you stop by later?”

“Okay. I’ll pop over on my break.” Caroline looked so deceptively innocent, and he wished she hadn’t lied to him. Wished things had been different.

Grey was fucked up. Even if she’d been the one to set the traps, he’d probably still follow her into hell.

He drove along the unpaved paths through the forest to his campsite. This was where humans came to pretend they were in the wild. They wanted to embrace nature, to belong to something bigger.

Grey wasn’t much different. He wanted more … and he thought he’d found it. How could he fall in love with a woman who had a hand in killing wolves? Once he confronted her, he’d have to make some life-altering decisions.

He erected a three-person nylon tent and tossed in a couple blankets. His thoughts were scattered as he waited for Caroline. He kept busy, building a fire, collecting more kindling. His mind kept making excuses for her, anything to keep her safe. To keep them together. Part of him felt like a sell-out, another part cursing the gods for sending him such an unsuitable mate.

****

Caroline’s break couldn’t come fast enough. As soon as the clock hit the hour, she rushed from her booth, eager to find Grey. She’d been thinking about him all day, and dreaming of where things would lead next. For the first time in her life, she was excited about being with a man and eager to take a leap of faith.

She didn’t get far when a woman called her by name. Caroline turned to the side to find a beautiful raven-haired woman partially behind a mature oak. She used a curled finger to beckon her closer.

“Can I help you?” she asked, walking toward her.

The woman said nothing. By the time Caroline reached the oak, she noticed the woman was stark naked. Her jaw dropped, and her first reaction was to protect the stranger.

“Are you okay? What happened to you?”

Before she could get an answer, the woman bolted forward and wrapped an arm around her neck, pulling her to the ground. Her airway almost closed off, and she gasped for breath, clawing at the woman’s arm. How could she be so strong?

“Humans need to stick with their own kind. Remember that, girl. The only reason I’m letting you live is because you tried to stop him. Otherwise, you’d already be dead.” As the woman released the pressure on her neck, Caroline dropped down and twisted to her back, struggling for air. They met eyes, and there was an instant recognition there. “Keep away from Grey or it won’t end well for you.”

Then she was gone, disappearing into the underbrush as if she were never there.

She stayed on the cool, damp leaves for the longest time, sorting through her thoughts and everything the woman had said. Who had she been talking about? And how did she know Grey? Was she an ex? Another crazy activist? Where were her clothes?

Caroline didn’t want to live with threats hanging over her head. The past two days had been ridiculous. She’d left the city to get away from crazies threatening her happiness. Caroline really didn’t know Grey at all. Her fairy tale dreams were already crashing down around her.

By the time she reached his campsite, she was in a daze. Grey stood in front of a hunter-green tent, his arms crossed over his chest. His features were set hard, and she wondered where his flirty quality had gone. Her emotions were fragile, her throat still sore from that woman’s fingernails digging deep.

She kept walking, step by step, more zombie than woman. Since high school, she’d been on her own, surviving, setting goals, being the only one she could turn to. It wasn’t easy being her own rock, always putting on a smile and trudging through. She was tired and her nerves frayed beyond recognition.

When she reached him, she stopped dead and looked up at him. As soon as their eyes met, her hot tears traced down her cheeks. She couldn’t hold it together another second. Everything she’d been suppressing decided to let go at the same time. “Hi,” she squeaked out.

“What’s wrong?” His angry features softened into concern.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his waist and let it all out. When he pulled her close, she internally sighed. Caroline didn’t know Grey, but she needed him. Any rejection at this point would destroy her. Tomorrow she’d be herself. All she needed was a good night’s sleep to restore her resolve. Today was another story.

When she’d settled a bit, he led her to the picnic table, getting her to sit down. Grey sat beside her and tilted her chin up. “What’s going on, Caroline?”

“Where do I start?”

“How about why you’re crying,” he said.

“I don’t know. The last couple days must have pushed me over the edge. I never did have a nervous breakdown before leaving the city, so I guess I was overdue.” She tried to force a laugh, but it only sounded sad.

“You were fine this morning.”

“Until a crazy naked lady told me to stay away from you. I thought she was going to kill me,” she said. “You are married, aren’t you?”

He grit his teeth as he sat straighter, doing a quick visual scan of the area. “I’m not married. And I’m starting to think you didn’t lie to me.”

“Lie about what?”

His attention refocused on her. Grey cupped her face with both hands. “Caroline, tell me the truth, because I swear to the gods it doesn’t matter either way at this point. Did you try to trap the wolves with Wayne? Did you want to kill them?”

“What is with everyone and the wolves? There was one wolf. Wayne caught it, and I had nothing to do with it. If anything, I wanted him to release it, but he wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say.” Then she had a sudden realization. Those eyes. It was an impossible thought, but that woman had the same eyes as the caged wolf. How could that be?

She looked up at Grey, scared of what she’d see. His eyes. They were wolf eyes, the same as she’d seen last night when he’d pulled away from her. What the hell was going on?

“What are you?”

He stood and grabbed her wrist, tugging her along. After unzipping his tent, he shoved her inside and climbed in after her.

“Don’t ask me that, Caroline.” He straddled her prone body, looking down at her with such intensity that all she could do was listen. “Just let me love you. Let that be enough.”

She shook her head. There were so many questions that needed answers. The drunk guy who wanted in the shed, the kidnapper who dragged her into the woods, and the crazy naked woman—they were all concerned about the wolves. Then there was Grey. The man who declared his love within hours of meeting her.

Tears of frustration trailed down the sides of her face. “I’m a supply teacher, Grey. I have no money. No family. Maybe I’m nobody to you, but I still deserve to know what’s going on here.”

“Nobody? You’re everything. When I told you I wanted you as my mate, I wasn’t playing games. I’m not trying to con you into bed or screw you over like your ex. I’m different.”

“How different?”

He leaned down and kissed her hard on the mouth. “Does it matter?”

“I need answers before I end up dead.”

That reflective quality appeared in his eyes again. “No one will ever hurt you. You’re mine to protect. And I plan on doing just that.”

She was tired—of everything. Caroline wanted to let go, to trust, to allow someone else into her life. There was so much more going on here, but did she even care? This hulking man with the fuck-me eyes claimed to want her. There was nothing in the world she wanted more than to believe him.

“It’s hard for me to trust people,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I’ll tell you everything. I promise. But not yet. Just give me a little of that trust, and know I’d never hurt you.”

The crazy thing was she did trust him. And she wanted to be his woman. “Grey…” God she needed to be closer, to feel his hot body pressed to hers. Caroline wanted to forget the rest of the world, leaving just the two of them.

****

He tried to hate her, attempted to convince himself she was a threat to his pack. Grey failed big time. The moment he saw her—vulnerable and in tears—all was forgiven. His feelings for her were undeniable, and no matter the sin, she’d always be his mate.

Now he had two tasks on his mind. One was to deal with that little bitch, Rhaina. She’d lied to him, put her hands on his mate, and tried to ruin his budding relationship. The second task was to claim his mate. He wanted his scent all over her, inside and out. His wolf demanded she be marked for all other males to stay away.

She was smart, and he had a feeling she knew he wasn’t fully human. He originally planned to keep the truth from her, but he hated all these lies and secrets. Once he claimed her, he’d tell her the entire truth. Like it or not, she had to accept the facts. He’d never let her go.

“You have beautiful eyes. I think blue’s my favorite color now.” He brushed the stray hairs off her face and dried her tears. “I could stare at you all day long.”

She swallowed hard. “I like your tent.”

Grey smiled. “The perfect size for the two of us.” He liked her shyness, but not her insecurities. Caroline didn’t take compliments well, but she needed to get used to them.

The sounds of the forest were muffled, just their combined breathing in the tent. He could feel her lust, and having her feminine curves pressed against him unraveled his best intentions. He held the side of her face and brushed his lips against hers. He stifled a growl as he kissed her, loving the softness of her mouth. Grey shifted his weight so they were lying side by side. Every move he made was slow and deliberate. He wanted to cherish her, to remember the day he claimed his mate.

“I never expected to find a woman of my own,” he said.

She touched his face, and this time he didn’t stop her. He’d never let a female show him affection since his mother passed. Caroline’s touch seared his skin, making his entire body tense up. His cock grew stiff in his jeans. Instead of pulling away, he kissed her deeper, intensifying their intimacy.

He unbuttoned her pants as they kissed. She didn’t try to stop him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him close. He tongued the shell of her ear, making her moan. “You’re all mine, Caroline. Tell me you’re mine.”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “Make me yours.”