Chapter 2

Former Army Ranger Tanner Greystoke made his way down the steep incline easily in his wolf coat.

When he reached the base of the hill, he shifted, shivered, and prayed the woman wasn’t injured too severely. She was lying on her back, passed out, her red hair splayed across the brush. She was beautiful, ivory skin, red cheeks from the cold and the walk. When she was glowering at him, she had beautiful blue-green eyes, bluer than Bella’s.

After seeing she was breathing normally and her heart rate was steady, he crouched down to lift her off the cold ground. She opened her eyes and studied him, every bit of him—from his muscles to his package. She was definitely a wolf, and he smiled.

He cradled Red in his arms and hoped he wouldn’t injure her further, but he had to get her out of the cold. It didn’t help that her pants and boots were wet.

“What’s your name?”

“Serena,” she said.

“I’m Tanner.”

He struggled to make his way up the narrow wolf trails he and his brothers had made, and when he reached the top of the hill where it leveled off, he headed straight for the house. Changing out of his wolf form and running around as a naked human in the freezing cold wasn’t the smartest way to travel, but he couldn’t carry her any other way. He could have howled for his brothers, but damn if he wanted them to come to her rescue. When she opened her eyes again, he wanted her to see him, not one of his brothers.

He took in a deep breath, inhaling her sweet scent. Earlier, he kept tracking her smell and knew she had to be one of Bella’s kind: a red wolf, maybe even a relative, who looked a hell of a lot like her. He’d say they were sisters, but Bella had said her sister had died in the fire many years ago.

Now every one of his brothers would want her. Could they even convince her to stay here? They had to get hold of Bella. Maybe she could encourage her to stay with their pack. That still left the problem with his brothers. And Devlyn, their pack leader. If the brothers fought over her, Devlyn would decide what to do.

Which meant Tanner had to make sure Red wanted him, not his brothers. He smiled and quickened his pace. As long as she didn’t have as quick a temper as Bella, no problem. He was glad Heath was here; as the pack’s doctor, he’d check her out.

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at Tanner’s bare chest for a minute, took a shallow breath, groaned, and closed them again. She’d heal. Their kind always did. But it might take a while. He listened to her steady breathing and heart rate. He shook his head, not believing how fortunate they were to have her here with them tonight. He was still concerned about her injuries.

Like what had happened between Devlyn and Bella, Tanner had rescued his own little red wolf now. He smiled broadly, perfectly pleased with himself. Until he approached the front door of the house. He knew as soon as Shawn opened the front door, Tanner would have a fight over keeping her for himself. Not that she wouldn’t have a say in it. Which meant he had to prove just how perfect a match they could be. At least he hoped so.

“What the hell happened?” Shawn asked, his brow furrowing, and Tanner knew his brother thought he had caused her injuries.

“She was returning to the house—at least she was headed this way—but lost her footing and fell down a steep incline. I tried to warn her. She hit a tree on the way down, smacked her head, and passed out.”

Fisher and Heath came out of the den, then both crowded around while Tanner carried her to his bedroom.

“Hey, not in there,” Shawn said.

Tanner gave him a look like he’d better cool it.

Shawn folded his arms. “Devlyn won’t like it if you make a claim to her without his say.”

“I’m in charge of his leather goods factory whenever he’s gone. I’m the eldest of the four of us, and next in line to be the alpha leader if anything happens to our cousin.”

Heath whistled. “Already tempers are flaring and we don’t even know who she is or why she’s here. Just because she’s here doesn’t mean she wants to stay. Let me take a look at her.”

“She’s come home,” Tanner said, laying her on his bed. “I think she might be Bella’s twin sister.”

* * *

The Greystoke brothers drove to the pack clinic with the mystery red she-wolf lying in the middle bench seat, her head on Tanner’s lap. Fisher was sitting in the third seat in back, Shawn was driving, and Heath was sitting in the passenger seat up front.

“She’s got to be Bella’s sister,” Shawn said, driving through the woods on the winding road to the clinic.

“Or a distant cousin,” Tanner warned, her head sitting squarely on his crotch, heating him up. “We don’t want Bella to rush home thinking we’ve found her twin sister when we haven’t.”

“You don’t want her rushing home so she can say no to you having the red,” Shawn said.

As if Bella would have any say in it, or would even be inclined to say no. The choice was strictly the she-wolf’s.

“We called Devlyn,” Heath said, “as soon as we saw the lady here. Either they have no reception or they’re doing their usual thing and they have their phones turned off.”

Shawn shook his head. “Knowing them, they’re at it again.”

The she-wolf finally roused enough to speak. “Where are you taking me?”

“To my clinic,” Heath said. “I’m the doctor for the Greystoke wolf pack. Are you related to Bella Wilder? You’re the spitting image of her, except your hair is a little lighter red, and your eyes are bluer. If you’re not her twin sister, I’d venture to say you’re a first cousin.”

She tried to sit up and groaned.

“Where are you hurt?” Tanner asked, half holding her up, half wanting her to lie back down.

“My ribs. I think I bruised them.”

“And your head? You passed out,” Heath said.

“I don’t remember.”

Tanner wanted her to rest, but she struggled to sit up. He helped her, and then was going to buckle her seat belt, but as soon as he tried to lock the shoulder strap over her chest, she cried out. “Hell, sorry,” he said, hating that he’d hurt her.

“Kill her before we get to the clinic, will you?” Shawn asked, sounding annoyed.

“I’m just bruised,” she said, as if defending Tanner.

“What’s your name?” Tanner held her hand to protect her if Shawn had to suddenly stop the car. Deer ran through the woods and sometimes they had to make sudden stops.

“Serena Wilder. You say my sister is alive?” Tears had filled her eyes and she looked as though she was fighting to hold them back.

“Hot damn!” Fisher said. “Bella’s going to be ecstatic to hear the news.”

“Yeah, our gray pack raised her. Devlyn rescued her when they were both pups, and she mated him when they grew up,” Tanner said.

Serena sobbed. “A gray wolf?” She sounded like she couldn’t believe her sister would do something so crazy.

Maybe getting to know the she-wolf would be harder than Tanner suspected. She hadn’t grown up with them. She didn’t know them. Had she even been raised by wolves after she left the area?

“Yeah, gray wolf. Why didn’t you return before this?” Tanner figured she probably believed everyone in her family had died, just like Bella had believed, and had never wanted to return and relive the horrific memories. He rubbed her shoulder gently, trying to calm her.

“I made it to the river and managed to survive while buried under wet branches of a dam. My dad had said beavers had built part of it. A rainstorm put the rest of the fire out, and when I couldn’t find any of my family, I finally made it to the dirt trail. A couple of days later, a human family passing through in a covered wagon picked me up. They took me back east and cared for me until I was old enough to be on my own.”

“So you felt nostalgic and came back to the old homestead,” Tanner said. “We’re eager to have you in the pack. Bella will be thrilled to learn you are alive and well.”

“I…” She frowned and wiped tears away. Heath handed her a tissue box from the console. “How come you’re living in our home?” she asked, still sniffling.

“Bella inherited the…” Shawn paused. “Uhm, well, she thought she was the only one who had survived. She gave the home to us.”

“She found the deed?” Her eyes widened, still filled with tears.

“Yes, in the basement. And the will, too.” Tanner realized then that Serena must have been shocked to learn gray wolves had taken over her home. “We can move out. It’s yours, Serena.” Tanner wasn’t going to get a consensus from his brothers on the issue. The house had belonged to both Bella and her sister. Serena had every right to live there now.

* * *

Trying to get her emotions under control, Serena couldn’t believe how nice the gray wolves were—at least Tanner. She wasn’t sure if his brothers would agree to give the house to her, making them all have to move. She was so shocked her sister had been alive all these years, and furious with herself that she had never come to learn that until now, missing all the time they could have been together.

One by one, the other gray wolf brothers agreed. “Hell yeah,” Fisher said. “It’s yours. We can stay with others in the pack until we build a place of our own.”

“Agreed,” the doctor said. “I’ve been meaning to build a place next to the clinic so I’ll be right there if we have any injuries or sickness I need to take care of.”

Shawn cleared his throat. “But if you need anyone to stay around and protect you—”

“I’m volunteering,” Tanner said.

She smiled through her tears. “Thanks. I have to admit I thought I’d have to get growly with all of you to chase you out of the house.”

They laughed, but Tanner suspected she wasn’t joking.

Shawn pulled into the parking lot of the clinic, built all of stone, the roof metal like her home’s. Tanner hurried out of the car to help lift Serena out, but Heath was right there for her. His light-amber eyes looked worried.

“It’s nothing major, Doctor,” she said, taking his hand, but holding her ribs lightly with the other and groaning when she got out of the car. “Where is Bella?”

“She and Devlyn went to a friend’s wedding. It’s in Oregon and out in the country. They might not have reception,” Tanner said. “We’ll keep trying to reach them.”

“I…need money.”

Tanner frowned, looking like he was afraid that meant she intended to leave again soon. “I’d be happy to give you however much money you need.”

“All of us would,” Fisher hastily said.

She couldn’t have appreciated them more for their offer. “Someone stole mine.”

Tanner was now dressed in jeans, hiking boots, and a black T-shirt that molded to his sculpted muscles—the perfect balance, not the overdone kind. She recalled in vivid detail all those muscles she had gotten an eyeful of when he’d been naked, before he carried her to the house. His package was just as noteworthy, though she’d never admit she’d been peeking. He reminded her of hot baked buns, his wolfish scent woodsy, wet, and wild. And totally appealing.

Heath helped her to the front door of the clinic, while Shawn hurried to unlock it and turn on the lights inside.

“Who stole your money?” Tanner was immediately a growly wolf, and she thought he would tear into the man who did this if he could.

Hmm, that gave her an idea. She had thought she’d be dealing with this all on her own. But what if she had a male wolf to back her? She could pretend he was her new roommate and he could be there to lend some male muscle. Even better was that he seemed so eager to please.

Heath helped her to an exam room, but the brothers all crowded in at the door.

“Do you mind?” Heath asked.

“Tanner can stay,” she said, wanting to talk further to him about Harold. If he was willing to pay for her trip and even come with her, she would go along with it.

Fisher and Shawn slapped him good-naturedly on the back. “Hell, he has her hoodwinked already,” Shawn said, and he and his brother walked off toward the waiting area.

Tanner folded his arms. “Okay, tell me what this is all about.”

Heath examined her ribs. “They feel okay, nothing broken. Let’s take some X-rays.”

He moved her into the X-ray room, set her on a table, and took the photos. While he developed them, Tanner came in and held her hand, his amber eyes concerned. “What’s going on? Why did you return here?”

“I needed money to go after my roommate who was sharing a rental house with me. He took all my savings. Over one hundred and sixty thousand dollars’ worth. He had grabbed my wallet that had my driver’s license and debit card in it when I went running. He must have used a girlfriend to take out the money and even took off in my car. I’d just lost my job due to layoffs at the library where I’d worked. Luckily, I had some cash stuffed in a sock for emergencies, and kept my passport in there too. I used some of the cash on taxi fare to get to the airport, and then finally found my car. Between gas, meals, and lodging on the way out here, I used most of the money I had left.” She sighed. “I didn’t know if the house would still be standing, or if the basement was still there. I thought my dad hid some cash in a strongbox in the basement.”

“You were headed to the car parked in the woods like you were planning to leave, but didn’t. Why?” Tanner asked.

She ground her teeth. “I dropped the damn keys somewhere in the woods.”

He smiled.

She growled.

He laughed. “We’ll find them. We’ll take care of you so you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“I want to get my money back. I worked hard for all that money over the years.”

“I understand. Do you have a photo of him?”

“I do. I kept one so I could show it to people while I try to find him.” She pulled out her phone and located one. They’d taken a road trip a month after they began rooming together a few months ago and he was standing close to the edge of a cliff. She should have had him step back a little bit when she took that picture of him.

They’d met at a diner, realized they were both wolves, and began to talk. What a mistake that was.

“Okay, so square jaw, small black eyes, sandy-colored hair, cleft chin, and looks like a wily wolf.” Tanner gave her phone back to her. “We have cousins, Vaughn and his brother, Brock, who are Navy SEALs turned PIs. My brothers and I are Army Rangers, now working at our pack’s leather good factory. As PIs, our cousins can help us locate Harold, if we can’t.”

“Oh, I know where he is. He’s on Grand Cayman Island. I want to fly out there and get my money. Now. I don’t want him spending it all before I can catch up to him and make him give it back.”

Heath returned and showed her the X-rays. “Good news. No breaks. No hairline fractures even. It appears you have a couple of bruised ribs. With our faster healing abilities, you should be good in a couple of days.”

“Thanks, Doctor.”

“Heath. If you don’t mind.”

“Thanks, Heath.”

“What do you plan to do when you catch up to this guy?” Tanner asked.

She snorted. “I’d love to end his miserable life. But he just took all my money, didn’t injure me or anything. If I can get all he took from me, plus enough money to pay for the trip out there, then I’d be satisfied.”

“You’re sure he’s on Grand Cayman Island?”

“I am.” She reached down to pull out the confirmation paper from her jeans pocket, but her ribs hurt every time she moved.

“Here. Let me.” Tanner helped her down off the table.

He reached in her pocket—she tried not to squirm at the way his heated touch was doing amazing things to her body—and pulled out the folded piece of paper showing the resort Harold was staying at and the flight he was taking. “Looks like we don’t need to use Vaughn and Brock’s services. If you want, when we return to the house, we can book a flight out first thing.”

Things were definitely looking up! She couldn’t wait to see Bella, but she didn’t want to ruin her sister’s chance to celebrate her friend’s wedding. In the meantime, Serena had to get her money back before this scumbag ex-roommate spent all of it.

More than that, she wondered just what it would be like to kiss the hot wolf who was signing on for this mission. An Army Ranger? Beat that Harold, the telephone line repairman.