Chapter 4

Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the naked she-wolf holding Silver’s reins. “We can add horse thief to your growing list of violations.”

He’d sensed a pair of eyes on him from the bushes moments ago. He had caught an unfamiliar scent, but then he’d passed it off as his own sense of paranoia. It was only when he’d paused while leaving the clearing and heard Silver huff that he trusted his initial impression. He should have known better by now. His time as high commander had honed his instincts into a lethal weapon. Not to mention that working a ranch the size of the Grey Wolves’ lands tended to teach a cowboy to trust his gut. Jeremy’s intuition rarely proved wrong.

And neither did Silver’s noises. The horse always made that same huffing sound when he’d found a new loyal subject from whom to demand attention. Silver was the worst kind of bleeding heart. Friend to all and foe to none, as long as they gave him the ample attention he thought he deserved. Apparently, even from a lost she-wolf.

Whoever this she-wolf was, Jeremy didn’t recognize her. Though he knew every wolf at Wolf Pack Run, he’d only been at the Missoula ranch a handful of days and had yet to meet everyone. Between the dozens of Grey Wolf territories with hundreds of wolves at each ranch, it was nearly impossible to know them all.

Jeremy stepped toward the pair, shaking his head in disbelief. “Breaking pack curfew and prowling through the woods during a hunting ban, while there’s an active vampire threat, and now stealing my horse.” He ticked off the list of offenses. “Not to mention hiding in the bushes while watching me strip naked like some sort of delinquent. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

She bristled.

Silver mimicked her outrage, huffing and flicking his tail as he drew closer to the she-wolf, his loyalty instantly gone.

Jeremy shot him an annoyed look. Et tu, Brute?

“I…I wasn’t watching you strip naked,” she stammered.

“No?” He raised an amused brow. “By my calculations, you’ve been hiding in that bush since well before I shifted.” He stepped closer. “Typically, when a woman wants to see me nude, she doesn’t risk bodily harm from vampires to do so.”

“I wasn’t risking bodily harm,” she shot back.

“Really?” He gestured to the surrounding forest. “What else were you doing standing out here in the middle of a vampire raid?”

She gaped at him as a flush of pink colored her cheeks, reaching all the way to her beautiful hazel eyes fringed by heavy black lashes. Standing where she was, her lower half was shielded by the darkness, but her breasts were barely covered by the shadows and her shoulder-length brown hair. The dark curls glittered with bits of fallen snow in the moonlight. She looked every bit like Eve, standing in a wintery Garden of Eden.

She was breathtakingly beautiful with thick, mouthwatering feminine curves that stirred something low in his belly—and that didn’t even begin to cover her scent. A delicate mix of baby powder, lemon verbena, and wildflowers, like spring in full bloom.

Shaking his head, Jeremy tried to clear his mind. He needed to remain focused. Not only did he make it a point to keep his fair distance from the females of the pack while working, but this woman—whoever she was—was in jeopardy, standing out here in the middle of the woods during an active vampire raid. He needed to protect her.

You’re meant for violence, not love. The words of his birth father echoed in his head.

He’d already failed to protect one she-wolf in his lifetime. He had no intention of doing so again. Jeremy cleared his throat, falling into the role of stern commander with practiced ease. “So, delinquent horse thief, what do you have to

say for yourself?”

“I…” She stared at him like a doe caught in a hunter’s sights.

Suddenly, she shifted into wolf form and bolted into the trees.

Jeremy swore. He stepped forward, prepared to chase after her, but he hesitated. He had more pressing matters to attend to than some she-wolf’s disobedience. He turned to mount Silver and continue his search for Lucas, but he caught the scent of a vampire on the breeze.

The vampire was headed in the same direction as the she-wolf, but downwind from her. She wouldn’t detect it. She was in real danger now. Instantly, Jeremy’s protective instincts took over.

“Shit.” Jeremy shifted and sprinted after her, running as fast as his four legs could carry him. She was fast, but he gained on her quickly. She dodged left, then right, trying to throw him off her trail. Had he been any other wolf, she might have outmaneuvered him. But he wasn’t just any wolf. He was Jeremy Lennon, high commander of the Grey Wolf armies, and he’d made it his life’s work to be outplayed by no one.

Anticipating her next move, he leaped from the bushes, tackling her. They rolled in a tangle of legs, teeth, and limbs until Jeremy came out on top, pinning her underneath him by biting onto the scruff of her neck as if she were no more than a pup. In wolf form, he outweighed her by at least fifty pounds and was nearly twice her size. Dragging her by the scruff, he pulled her back into the bushes with him and into hiding.

The vampire likely drew closer by the second.

Under the cover of the brush, Jeremy pinned her on her back, using his weight to keep her down and still before he shifted into human form. She followed suit.

As his fur receded, he clapped a single hand over her mouth, silencing her. She struggled against him and let out a strangled cry against his hand.

Lowering his mouth next to her ear, he whispered, “Vampire. To the left.” The bloodsucker was still a considerable distance off. But that didn’t mean it couldn’t turn in their direction.

Immediately, she stilled.

As if in confirmation, a hiss sounded in the distance. Her head turned toward

the noise, and Jeremy felt her breathing quicken.

Slowly, he removed his hand from her mouth. She didn’t make any further sound. There was fear in her eyes, but there was also resolve—a will to survive he’d seen before—which meant whoever this she-wolf was, she was more than beautiful. She was brave. As they lay there together, naked bodies tangled in hiding, he watched her face. Adrenaline heightened every sensation, and the strength and force of will in her hazel eyes entranced him.

She clutched his bicep and braced her other hand against his chest.

Another flicker of sound rustled off to the west, moving away from them. The vampire could still circle back, but for a moment, they had a reprieve.

Jeremy leaned down until his lips brushed her ear. “I’ll protect you,” he whispered. “You have my word.”

At his promise, she relaxed against him.

It was a gloriously awful mistake. Her acceptance of his touch changed the situation entirely, bringing a whole new awareness of the smooth, creamy softness of her skin, the hint of wildflower that lingered in her hair. Her naked breasts pressed against his chest, deliciously warm and soft. He could feel every inch of her—the hourglass shape of her waist, the wide curve of her hips. He tried to fight his arousal, but he couldn’t. Not with her naked against him like this. His cock stiffened and brushed against the warm crease of her thighs.

In response, her breath caught, and what Jeremy saw reflected back in her golden wolf eyes gave her away. It was unmistakable.

Desire. Intrigue.

His own eyes flickered to the gold of his wolf. She inhaled a sharp breath. Slowly he shook his head, urging her to remain quiet. In response, she bit her lower lip, drawing his attention there. Their mouths were only a hairbreadth apart, so close to touching, he could practically taste her on his tongue.

If only she granted him permission…