Lorie OClare - Lunewulf 4 - In Her Nature.jpg Read online

  The Suburban popped over the gravel in the drive as he came to a stop, and took a minute to gaze across the plush meadows that spread out around the large home. Toubec had got himself quite a deal with this place. The land was healthy, and could be used for timber as well as ranching.

  He wandered toward the house, but a noise distracted him, and he turned to see two cubs in fur come racing toward him. By the size of them, he would have guessed them to be in their teens, but their actions were more those of young cubs.

  Teeth bared and nipping at each other, they tumbled around the side of the house, but came up short when they saw him standing there. He remembered seeing the two boys with Toubec the first night he met him after the funeral. More than likely, these two rambunctious balls of fur were his cubs. He envied the privacy the ranch offered, allowing them to run in their fur in the sunshine.

  “Where is your father?” He looked from one young werewolf to the other.

  One of them snarled at him, and then turned to dart around the side of the house. The other one bit his tail, and the two of them rolled over each other in the gravel drive.

  Another werewolf appeared around the side of the house, an older bitch, and by the size of her, a Cariboo lunewulf. She barked furiously at the cubs, until they separated.

  “Excuse me, ma’am.” Johann turned around, putting his back to the three of them, offering the older woman privacy to change into her human form and don her clothes so he could speak to her.

  “What can I do for you?” The older woman walked past him, adjusting her sweatshirt, toward the house.

  She was tall, almost as tall as he was, and a stout woman, possibly in her fifties. He wondered if she might be Toubec’s mother.

  “I’m here to check up on a single bitch who might be out here.” He followed her to the house, the two boys, both naked, darting past them. “I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Johann Rousseau.”

  He held his hand to shake hers but she ignored it.

  “You might be too late.” She grinned at him, her right eye tooth missing.

  “What do you mean by that?” He nodded his thanks to her when she held the door open for him, allowing him to enter the living room he had been in many times as a youth.

  “I mean she might not be a single bitch anymore.” The woman elbowed him in the side, which hurt, and then chuckled at her own joke. “Rock brought me her clothes a while back to wash up for him.”

  “Why would he bring you her clothes?” Johann glanced around the house, trying to remember its layout. “Where are they now?”

  “I guess they were dirty.” She kept walking while she talked, and led him into the kitchen. “And before we left they were upstairs.”

  One of the cubs appeared wearing shorts, which were twisted at his waist. “Where’s Daddy? I want to see that new mommy he brought.”

  The other cub appeared behind his brother, and hit the boy in the head. “He isn’t bringing a new mommy. You don’t know anything.”

  “Your father isn’t upstairs?” Johann turned to face the two boys.

  They were almost the same size, one just a few inches taller than the other. Both had curly blond hair, and a face full of freckles.

  “Nope.” The shorter of the two answered, not looking at Johann, but instead headed for the refrigerator.

  “Nate, you stay out of the food.” She intercepted the child, who scowled, and turned toward the back door. The large bitch wagged a finger at both of them. “Nate. Hunter. You make sure your chores are done before I call you in for supper.”

  “Let’s go find daddy,” Johann heard one of them say before the two cubs darted out the back door.

  “Guess they aren’t here.” She shrugged, offering no other conversation, but instead started humming while rummaging through the refrigerator she had just prevented the boys from opening.

  “I noticed his truck parked out front.” Johann watched her pull out containers, and place them on the counter. “Do you mind if I take a look around?”

  Turning, the large woman’s watery blue eyes gazed at him for a moment. She pursed her lips, summing him up. Johann offered one of his irresistible smiles.

  “I’m being forward. Forgive me.” He had used less charm on many women in the past, with much success. “I should have mentioned I’m the new pack leader.” He grinned, nodding toward the door. “From the looks of it, you keep pretty busy around here. I’m sure that’s why we haven’t met yet.”

  The stout woman blushed, running her chubby fingers through whitish, blonde hair cropped at the shoulders. Dimples spread over her broad cheeks when she smiled, and although far from a handsome bitch, he could see amusement sparkle in her eyes.

  “I’m Quinette. But you call me Quinnie just like everyone else does.” She gripped both of his hands in a crushing handshake, then turned away quickly, returning to her task.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Quinnie.” He edged toward the back door, hoping she wouldn’t offer resistance to him searching out her boss. “If you don’t mind, I’ll follow the cubs and see if they can lead me to their father.”

  “Help yourself.” She faced him, holding a large onion in one hand, and a sharp knife in the other. “You know. He might have taken that little bitch out to see the cabins. Rock has a weakness for those old rundown buildings.”

  She turned, and whacked the onion in half, with one swift movement. He watched half of the onion topple to the side on the counter, its fresh pungency filling the air.

  He mumbled his thanks, and then left out the back door the boys had used to escape moments ago.

  *

  He shouldn’t just be wandering the man’s property. Johann knew he pushed his rights as pack leader just a bit. But here was an opportunity to take a good look at the ranch, and see what there was to see. So far, it looked like a well-run ranch.

  And what exactly did he expect to find? He wasn’t a detective, and had no idea what to look for to determine if a person was a murderer or not.

  A couple of ranch hands, one of whom he went to high school with, noticed his trek across the open meadow. They said something to each other, then sheltered their eyes with their hands to take another look at him. He offered a wave, deciding to appear confident in his mission. They waved back, then disappeared around one of the outbuildings.

  If Toubec was in the area, he would learn of Johann’s presence soon enough. The row of forgotten cabins appeared beyond the trees. Murder shrouded what otherwise would be a wonderful sanctuary. He stopped, sniffing the air, determining that there were no werewolves in the area.

  Well, the wolf hadn’t brought Simone out here. The best thing to do would be to head back. Simone’s safety was his top priority at the moment. Something grabbed his attention though, something faint, lingering in the air. An uncomfortable feeling pitted in his stomach, encouraging him forward, instead of turning back.

  “Holy shit.” Johann covered his nose from the stench, his human form not able to hinder his heightened senses and stared into the group of trees.

  There, hanging from one of the branches, was a naked woman, her head bent at an odd angle, long blonde hair covering her face.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A twinge of excitement tingled in Simone’s stomach when they pulled off the highway, onto the long winding gravel road leading to Rock’s home. Jere sat seatbelted between Simone and Rock, her bright, curious eyes staring toward the sprawling ranch house. Rock rested his arm along the top of the seat behind them, his fingers caressing Simone’s shoulder.

  “Here we are.” Rock focused on Jere, who still wouldn’t look at him.

  Simone studied his profile. His strong jawline, with his close shaven beard and high cheekbones, made him appear regal. Biceps bulged through his shirt sleeve. His large, strong hands rested easily on the steering wheel, hands that could fondle and caress her. Those hands could also grip her breasts, squeezing them, torture them until she came. Her nipples puckered into hard beads at the th
ought.

  She wouldn’t pinch herself to see if she were dreaming. Rock Toubec was a leader among werewolves, a man to be reckoned with, and he was hers. When he looked her way, Simone saw the smoldering desire in those dark blue orbs that matched the craving building inside her, making her pussy throb.

  “What do we have here?” He had turned his attention from her, focusing on the road.

  The Suburban sat parked in front of his house. Samantha had told them Johann had come out here to check up on her, so Simone wasn’t surprised to see it. But a knot formed in her gut at the sight of a police car, and another, dark blue car, the same make as the cop car, with city tags, also parked in front of Rock’s home.

  Rock parked, then jumped out of the truck, slamming the door before she could get Jere out of her seatbelt.

  She pulled her thoughts together, focusing on her daughter, and then Rock, who glanced around the yard before turning toward the house.

  “What could be wrong?” Simone hopped out of the truck, then helped her daughter out.

  Jere refused to walk, so Simone carried her inside, following Rock. She hoped her daughter would relax some, although she remembered the last encounter Jere had with Rock’s cubs. It would take a while for the three children to get accustomed to each other. Werewolf cubs were known to fight until they got used to each other.

  “We got trouble.” Hanson stood in the middle of the living room, anger surrounding him.

  Rock tensed next to her, his powerful muscles seeming to grow, stretching his shirt. The sultry gaze he’d worn all the way out here disappeared, and his expression became all business.

  “What kind of trouble?” Rock ran his hand through his hair, his attention focused hard on his ranch manager.

  “That pack leader found a bitch hung in one of the trees over by the cabins.” Hanson glanced her way, giving her the impression he wished she wasn’t in the room.

  “How did Johann find a dead body?” Simone didn’t understand. Why would he be out on Rock’s land?

  Hanson pointed toward the kitchen. He didn’t look at her, but continued to talk to Rock. “Quinnie in there told the pack leader he could wander around looking for you.”

  Quinnie appeared from the dining room, possibly hearing her name mentioned and feeling a need to defend her actions. She wiped her chubby hands on her apron. One of Rock’s cubs walked around her, watching the men.

  Jere squirmed in her arms at the sight of the boy.

  “Where is the pack leader now? And where are the cops?” Rock headed toward the hallway, with Hanson on his heels.

  “Apparently Rousseau called the cops. I sure didn’t. But they are all out where the body is. I headed back here when one of the hands spotted your truck on the road.” Hanson followed Rock.

  The two men entered a room that looked like an office. She stood in the doorway, Jere straining in her arms to see over her shoulder, more than likely keeping an eye on Rock’s cubs.

  Muscles quivered in her arms after her daughter pushed to be free. She leaned against the doorway, feeling anything but calm. Rock, on the other hand, appeared completely in control. So tall, with broad shoulders, and chest muscles rippling under his shirt. She could stare at him all day, knowing all would be okay with him to handle matters.

  He grabbed a cell phone from its charger, clipped it to his belt, and then turned toward her, Hanson on his heels. The heat of his hand warmed the back of her head. His fingers wrapped through her hair, wrapping around the back of her neck.

  Why the hell did something like this have to happen again? More than anything, she wanted him to stay by her side, touching her, spending time with her.

  “Quinnie. Lock all the doors and windows when we leave.” He still held her neck when they reached the kitchen. “I’m taking my cell, so you can call me if needed.”

  Quinnie nodded, then grabbed one of Rock’s cubs when he looked like he was going to jump on Jere.

  The last thing Simone wanted was to be locked in his house while he was out chasing down bad guys. This wasn’t her idea of how they would be mated. She wouldn’t be put on a shelf, taken down only when things were safe and calm.

  “You will not leave this house.” Rock had turned to her, rubbing his fingers up her neck to her cheek.

  She could swear he read her thoughts. When she would have spoken her mind, he lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was passionate, mind-boggling, ripping all thought of arguing from her. He covered her mouth, his tongue swirling around hers, while he pulled her to him, crushing her against his steel chest.

  She about lost her balance and grabbed his shirt, balling the material with her fists, just to hold on. He leaned her back, bending over her, devouring her mouth, the heat from his mouth capturing her senses, making her forget where she was.

  Who cared that they had an audience? She returned his kiss, ravishing his mouth, craving the taste of him. Liquid fire raced through her, while her pussy swelled and began throbbing. He left her gasping, her lips tingling and feeling almost bruised, when he lifted his head. Dark blue eyes held her attention, and she couldn’t look away from him.

  “Keep your ass in this house.” He whispered his command, but that didn’t undermine the authority in his words. “If you disobey me, I swear I will tan your hide.”

  He walked out the back door, not waiting to see if she had a response. The best thing to do would be to confront him later about being bossy and possessive. She had her work cut out for her in taming this wolf.

  *

  The look of defiance Simone gave him before he left made Rock nervous. How could he protect her if she took off running, trying to take matters into her own hands? It crossed his mind to leave Hanson at the house to guard the place. But the old wolf would growl and throw a bloody fit if he kept him out of the action. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long dealing with the cops. He had his doubts however.

  “Where have you been?” Toby Beuerlein walked toward him when Rock entered his coveted sanctuary area.

  How dare someone take the only sacred part of this ranch, and defile it with murder. He noticed the naked, blonde bitch immediately, her skin already appearing gray. Death clung to the air, filling his nostrils, making him want to gag, to strike out, to do serious damage to whoever had managed to pull this off.

  Beuerlein stared at him, waiting for an answer, but the detective could just wait. Where he had been, and what he had been doing, had nothing to do with this death.

  “I thought we had wolves patrolling the area?” He took his anger out on his ranch manager. “How the hell did this happen?”

  “This one hasn’t been dead long.” Matthew Jordeaux, the pack doctor, joined them, clear plastic gloves on his hands. “This isn’t official yet, but I would say her neck was broken just a few hours ago.”

  A few hours ago he was fucking Simone in his bedroom! Rock could hardly suppress the rage that swarmed through him.

  “Where is Johann Rousseau?” Rock glanced at the two werewolves cutting the rope, bringing the body to the ground. “I heard he found her.”

  “He called me.” Beuerlein kept an eagle eye on him. Rock felt his irritation growing right along with his rage. “Apparently right after he noticed the bitch hanging in the tree, he heard someone and took off after them.”

  “He saw who did this?” Rock gave the detective his full attention. “Who the hell was it?”

  “I haven’t been able to reach him since his initial call.” Beuerlein turned, squinting toward the thick evergreens that offered privacy to the cabins. “I sent a couple of werewolves out to see if they could track him down.”

  But since he was pack leader, Rock knew they wouldn’t take Johann down. They would seek him out, offer assistance, and respect any commands the wolf made. No one would question that the wolf just happened to find the bitch out here. By the detective’s expression, Rock guessed he was more of a suspect than their brand new pack leader.

  The only way to solve this matter would be to do
it himself. He turned to Hanson. “Send a few hands out along Hart Highway and see if they find anyone coming off the property at that end.”

  He turned to look in the direction of his house, not visible over the high meadow grass. Someone could backtrack through the trees, and reenter by the outbuildings. At the moment, he had very few werewolves around his home.

  Whoever murdered these three bitches had a motive directed toward him. Of that much, he had no doubt. A fist of frustration gripped his gut, tensing every muscle in his body. He wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt Simone. The bitch had too much wild in her. He’d seen her protest in her eyes when he ordered her to stay put. But if she left the house, made herself accessible, and someone was out to hurt him…

  “Find Johann Rousseau.” He pointed a finger at Hanson, and then at Beuerlein. “Bring him to me.”

  It would only take a minute or two to get back to the house. He needed to see that she was all right, and that she had obeyed him. He’d lost Dana due to his stupidity, and he wouldn’t let it happen again. He needed to protect Simone. He headed back to the house, ignoring the detective calling after him.

  “Rock!” Hanson huffed and hobbled after him. “The detective has the pack leader on the phone.”

  Rock could barely see the roof to his house. Pale blue sky surrounded him, the meadow rising up to meet it. This was land to be proud of, land he wanted to show off to Simone. He wanted to lay her down in the meadow grass and fuck that adorable pussy of hers. He would fight to the last drop of his blood to prevent anyone from taking this from him.

  “Where is Johann?” Rock looked in Hanson’s direction, and could see Beuerlein standing by the edge of the trees, gesturing for him to come back.

  The detective held his cell phone to his ear, obviously talking to someone.

  Rock glanced back toward his house, willing his little bitch to be obedient and safe, and then turned and walked back to the detective.