Chapter 5

The next morning, Tanner and Serena prepared breakfast at the bungalow. Tanner made the works—omelets, bacon, hash browns, toast, and coffee. She had her oatmeal. But all he could think of as he prepared breakfast was that he hoped Harold and the she-wolf wouldn’t cancel their plans so he and Serena had time to do what they needed to do.

“You said his laptop was in the shop.” Tanner took his seat at the kitchen table with Serena to eat.

“It was. He picked it up two days before he left.”

Tanner had a nightmare last night that he and Serena would arrive at the cabana and the wolves would be there. If it did happen, it just meant they’d have to force the truth out of them.

Movement outside the kitchen window caught his eye, and he noticed the palm tree fronds were flapping wildly in the wind and the waves were covered in white caps, larger than they were last night. He checked the weather app on his phone. “Hell.” A tropical storm was approaching the islands.

“What’s wrong?” Serena asked.

“Storm’s coming in with gale-force winds of up to sixty miles per hour. It might veer off, but it might not.”

“Oh great.” She checked Harold’s emails. “Damn it. The tour group has cancelled the excursions for both this afternoon and their catamaran dinner cruise. It’s understandable, just not something I wanted to hear.”

“Have they rescheduled for a later date?”

“No. They’ll have to wait out the storm. If the docks are torn up, it might be canceled for the duration of their stay here.” Serena sounded disappointed.

Tanner hoped they didn’t have more trouble than that. “Says here, no flights in or out of the islands until further notice. So the guys will be delayed coming here to back us up also.”

“What will we do?” She looked so disappointed that she couldn’t just take care of this and be done with it. He reached across the table and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“We’ll get it done.” Though Tanner couldn’t be sure how. If the storm destroyed their lodging, and Harold’s laptop with it, then what? Not to mention a real risk to themselves if the storm was bad enough. “The tropical storm has developed about thirty miles offshore. We’ve got some food, but I need to return to the grocery store and pick up some more items just in case we lose electricity.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“What if Harold and the she-wolf have the same idea?” Tanner really didn’t want Harold to see Serena. Harold couldn’t leave the island right away, but he might leave as soon as he could if he saw Serena was here, before she could get her hands on the money.

“All right. Get plenty of water, some spare gallons for cooking and washing up, and canned goods.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll clean up our breakfast dishes. You go before everyone cleans out the grocery store.”

“All right.” He carried his dishes and coffee mug into the kitchen, then pulled her in for a warm hug and kissed her, already feeling possessive and needing her to know he was there for her.

She kissed him back in a way that said she appreciated it, their mouths open to each other, their tongues sliding against each other’s. He groaned when she pulled away. “More later,” she assured him.

“Then I’d better hurry.”

It took him only ten minutes to get to the grocery store, and Serena was right; the place was packed. People, mostly locals, were stocking up. He smelled the panic, everyone in a rush to grab what they could.

Wheeling a cart in front of him, he picked up a couple of camp lanterns, flashlights, candles, several packs of bottled spring water, several extra gallons of water, canned goods, other nonperishable food items, a radio, and a propane stove. Tanner smelled a male wolf had just been down the aisle where he was picking up some chips, and he didn’t believe there would be a lot of wolves vacationing on the island. He rolled his cart around the corner and saw a man and a woman clinging to him. Covertly, Tanner snapped a quick photo of them to show to Serena, wanting to know if she had ever seen the woman before, and he sent it to his brothers and cousins.

The guy had sandy, dishwater-colored hair; the woman, mousy brown hair. She pulled free from him and began wringing her hands, looking worried. He was laid back, smirking, his hand rubbing her back underneath her shirt. From the picture Serena had shown Tanner, that was Harold.

“I think we should leave,” the woman said, most likely Velvet. She was about the same petite build as Serena.

“All flights have been cancelled because of the storm. We’ll be fine. I’ve been through two of these here already. No big deal.” Harold pulled her in for a kiss.

Tanner thought they’d known each other for a while. Or maybe the two of them felt something for each other that Harold hadn’t felt for Serena and vice versa. Something that went deeper than just a physical attraction between wolves. Still, Harold hadn’t needed to steal Serena’s money or leave without telling her he’d found a she-wolf who meant everything to him. Which made Tanner suspect Harold was a scam artist and had planned this out in advance. And that the woman meant something more to him than someone he just used to grab Serena’s money.

Tanner was glad Serena wasn’t here to witness their display of affection.

He stayed out of the wolves’ way, grabbing what he needed, hoping they wouldn’t notice his wolf scent.

As wary as wolves were, he hoped they didn’t catch sight of him halfway watching them. Though if they did, they’d probably believe he was just curious about them because he was a wolf too.

They finally checked out and left, not noticing Tanner, thankfully. Then he waited until their headlights turned on and they backed out of their parking space. Already the blue morning skies filled with white fluffy clouds had turned ominously dark gray, and spatters of raindrops began to fall as Tanner hurried to load the groceries in the car, then returned the cart to the store.

He received a call from Serena. “Headed back, just getting into the car,” he said.

“Okay, I was worried. It’s fixing to let loose at any moment. I looked into the emergency shelters. We’d have to bring our passports, ID, money, nonperishable food for three days, and three gallons of water per person. They take children, the sick, and the elderly as priority. They don’t have room for a lot of people, so I figure we’ll just stick it out here. I already closed all the outdoor shutters.”

The winds were blowing him all over the road, and the rain was coming down in a torrent, so he was glad when he finally pulled into their parking space and cut the engine. “Okay, why don’t you fill the bathtub with water? We can boil it if we need it. I picked up a small battery-operated radio and extra batteries in case the electricity goes out.”

“I’ve been filling the tub. I’ve got the TV on and am watching the weather channel. Good idea on the radio.”

“I’m here. I’ll grab our stuff and be inside in a minute.”

She headed outside to help him. “I never expected this.” Neither of them had brought rain gear, so they were getting soaked as they hurried to carry the bags into the bungalow. “But I should have. We’re in Hurricane Alley. The program I was just watching said this island has been hit or brushed by a tropical storm or hurricane every year and a half or so.”

“I checked the weather report before we came, just to see if we had any bad weather coming. It showed nothing.”

“I guess they pop up without warning sometimes. Suddenly there’s a tropical depression that worsens, and then if you’re in its path, watch out. We won’t have to take a shower.” She set the wet plastic bags on the counter and hurried after him to get the rest of the stuff.

He glanced back at her, considered her T-shirt plastered to her breasts, and smiled.

She chuckled and helped him get the gallons of water into the bungalow. Once they were done, he locked the door and pulled her in for a hug. “I like the wet look on you.”

She smiled and rubbed her hand on his wet shirt covering hard abs. “I like the look on you too. What are we going to do while we wait out the storm?”

“I found some board games in the cabinet underneath the TV. We can keep tuned into the weather report while we’re playing some of the games.” He set the flashlights on the table while she made them some tea and coffee.

“Oh, the big set of dominoes. Ever play chicken foot dominoes?”

“Nope. I’m game.” Tanner showed her the photo of Harold and Velvet. “I took this of them in the store. Recognize them?”

“That’s definitely Harold. I’ve never seen the woman before.”

He was glad she didn’t seem perturbed about the woman.

They set up the dominoes, then sat down to play, the wind howling outside their shuttered windows. The news was updated periodically on the TV, the lights flickering.

“Hmm,” she said, placing her double domino next to his single domino, making a “T.” She glanced at the shuttered windows. “If we lose electricity, we may have to play a different game.” Though they had enhanced night vision as wolves.

“We can. Tired of this one already?”

“No. I’m winning.”

He laughed. “We just began.”

The strength of the wind whipped everything into a frenzy. The roof started vibrating violently.

Tanner reached over, pulled Serena close, and kissed her cheek. “If it gets too bad, we can move under the stairwell. It has no windows and a narrow space that would offer the best protection.”

“We should move blankets and pillows in there now.”

“Let’s do it, to be on the safe side.”

They headed up the stairs to get the bedding, and she entered her room, while he gathered the pillows and blankets from his.

After they set up their makeshift shelter underneath the stairs, complete with bottles of water and a flashlight, they looked at it for a moment. Tanner wrapped his arms around her. “Are you ready for me to beat you at dominoes?”

She rubbed his arms, thinking of running to Harold’s cabana to see if they had gone somewhere else to ride out the storm. “What if Harold and Velvet went to a shelter?”

“Children, the sick, and the elderly have priority. Remember?”

“Right. And he’s an alpha wolf.”

“And we’re supposed to stay put during the storm.”

She sighed. “All right. Back to dominoes.”

The shutters rattled and so did the walls and roof. It was eerie sounding and gave her a chill. They settled on the couch and half watched the news as the weatherman reported the tropical storm was growing closer and picking up steam.

And then they were kissing. She wasn’t sure how it happened. But she’d blocked his next move, taking the spot where he wanted to go next with his domino, and he tackled her. She squealed, then laughed as he pinned her to the couch and began to kiss her.

She gave into the kiss, forgetting about the howling wind and rattling bungalow. About Harold and her money. This is what she’d needed in her life, and no money could buy what she was feeling for the wolf—the hot yearning, the wolfish need.

“I think I could fall for you.” She smiled up at him.

“I want to make that happen.” Tanner sounded so sure of himself, she thought he might just be right.

Then the TV and overhead light flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness.

“Time to go to our shelter,” she said.

“Agreed.” He got off her, grabbed the flashlight and the radio off the coffee table, and she slipped her arm through his.

She and Tanner couldn’t have sex or they’d be mated wolves, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t fool around. And she’d only do that with a wolf she really, really liked.

“So what do we do now?” she asked as they moved into the narrow hall.

“This small space isn’t very accommodating for games or much else.”

“We just got up, so taking a nap seems kind of silly.” She joined him on their blanket bed on the floor.

“There’s only one thing I can think of.” He smiled at her and cupped her face.

“When the lights go out…”

Tanner began to kiss her again, and the way the bungalow was rattling, she really did wonder if they were going to make it through this okay.

But then he was on top of her, whispering, “I’ll protect you.” And she knew he would do anything to make that happen.

Serena never expected to be having afternoon delight with a hot wolf, hunkered down in a makeshift shelter with a tropical storm bearing down on their location. God, how she wanted this, the hot passion erupting between them, their bodies naked and rubbing against each other.

Their kisses became more insistent as the winds became more violent. What if this was the last chance she’d ever have at making love to a wolf? And the first. But consummating the relationship would mean a mating.

Still, they stripped off their clothes, and then she concentrated on every aspect of what they were doing: his hand massaging her breast; the sexy, sea-salt smell of his skin; the way his heart beat as rapidly as hers.

He was hard—from his arousal to his toned muscles—but his mouth was soft against hers, nipping and kissing, then pressuring until his tongue came into play with hers. Their tongues teased and stroked each other’s.

Then his hand moved between her legs, and he began to stroke her clit. Her hands grasped his shoulders as she clung to sanity, her breath short. She was barely breathing as he rocked her world.

But then he rubbed his engorged cock against her mons, the aching need compelling her to grab his hips and pull him harder against her. She shouldn’t want him thrusting between her legs, but she sure as hell did. Her belly tightened, her blood on fire. He slid a finger inside her. The climax was so close, she could taste it, and then she let go and cried out with wild pleasure, right before he closed his mouth over hers again.

He rubbed his cock against her belly, her hands gliding up his arms. “Do you want me to—”

“Shhh.”

So she moved against him, her hips rising, pushing against him, until he groaned, and she felt him spill his seed on her belly.

“Sorry,” he whispered, kissing her forehead.

“Don’t be. That was amazing.” And she knew it wouldn’t end there.

* * *

The storm raged on for hours, and finally sounded like it was beginning to die down a little. Serena and Tanner cleaned up, then dressed and went into the kitchen to make tuna sandwiches, adding chips and pickles and bottled water for lunch. They listened to the radio reporting that the storm was moving onward, but the winds and rain continued to pelt the bungalow until later that night. And then it was calm, everything quieting. The storm had moved out to sea.

The electricity suddenly came back on, and they went outside to see the damage. The waves were still huge, perfect for surfing. A few palm fronds were scattered about and red tiles missing on some roofs, but no major damage that they could see.

“Looks like we made it safely through that one.”

“If we can weather a storm like that, we should be able to manage anything.” Tanner pulled her in close, resting his head on the top of hers, his arms wrapped around her waist as they looked out to sea.

“Do you want to see how their cabana fared?”

“Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

They headed down the beach toward the cabanas and everything there looked fine too. “I wonder if the docks and boats are all right,” she whispered.

“We’ll have to check the news and see what was damaged on the island. They might not report it until daylight tomorrow.”

They returned to the bungalow, and she was glad the storm was over and that at least where they were, it hadn’t been too bad. She didn’t know what they would do if the excursions Harold and Velvet were going to take were canceled for the duration of their stay here.

“At this point, I don’t see any reason for us to have separate bedrooms, do you?” Tanner asked.

She snagged his hand and hauled him up the stairs. “Wait, our pillows and blankets are still under the stairs.”

They retrieved the bedding, then he chased her up the stairs. At the top, she hesitated. “Let’s use your room.”

He looked like one satisfied wolf. She figured she looked like one too.

* * *

Early the next morning, Tanner checked Harold’s email, wanting to know if the excursions were rescheduled or not, while Serena was taking a shower.

Wearing shorts and a T-shirt, her hair still wet, she joined him, and he kissed her as if they were already a couple. “You are the perfect wolf to wake up next to in the morning, and ride out a storm with too.”

“I only screamed once.”

He laughed. “I jumped too, when I heard that big bang.”

She saw he had his laptop out and was checking emails. “What’s the verdict?”

“A few trees were down, some vehicles flipped in the high winds, some roofs were badly damaged. But the docks and boats on that side of the island are fine, and the trips were rescheduled. Harold received confirmation emails for this afternoon and tonight.”

“Yes!”

He was hoping they’d get this done and maybe skip over to one of the Sister Islands, as long as they hadn’t sustained a lot of damage. “Flights have commenced also, but the guys were delayed because of the flights getting backed up yesterday.”

“We’ll be okay.”

Tanner sure the hell hoped so. He made it through a tropical storm on a small island with the she-wolf, and he sure as hell didn’t want to lose her now.