Dedication
To all the Mikis in the world…you know who you are. And no, you can’t hide.
And to my California family for taking such amazing care of me when I need it most.
Prologue
He sniffed the air again. He knew that smell dammit. He knew it from somewhere and it was going to drive him crazy until he remembered where. He kept moving, tracking the scent through the forest, as the rave went on in the clearing behind him.
He tore through the trees, the branches ripping at his fur. The scent shifted, so he stopped and spun, sniffed the air again and moved. This time he overshot, and they came out of the dark, attacking him from behind. Teeth sunk into his flank. Snarling and turning, he knocked them off before they could get a firm hold. One of his Pack mates and a full-blood joined him, but by the time the wolves turned, they were gone. His Pack mate spun in circles trying to see where they went, what they looked like, and who the hell they were.
They weren’t Pride, they weren’t wolf, and they sure as hell weren’t human. Whatever they were, they didn’t belong. They were out of their territory. He just wished he could remember where he’d smelled that scent before. He had no idea what had attacked him, but they were gone now. Their scent lingering, but still unknown.
Conall headed back to where he left his clothes. He’d protected the Pack, now he was ready to get back and enjoy the rave. He realized that, although his Pack mate had gone off to check the area more fully, the full-blood was following him. He let him, because he didn’t fear him. The full-bloods let them into their territory because they knew they were there to protect a woman. His Alpha’s mate—Sara.
Full-blood wolves howled and the full-blood with him stopped to join in. Conall let the sound wash over him. He loved that sound, more than anything. He stopped in his tracks and, without thought, leaned his head back and released a howl that blended in with the howls of the two hybrid Packs at the rave. This was something that didn’t happen every day. Three Packs howling as one. All for one female. Sara deserved it, though. The female kicked major ass.
Another scent hit him. A scent he’d been coming to love lately. If she let him, he would roll in it all day. He headed toward that wonderful scent, happily realizing she was near his clothes.
He silently moved toward her. She sat on a rock, reading an oversized paperback book. Squinting, forced to use the moonlight and the light from the rave to illuminate whatever she read.
Up to this point, he hadn’t been able to dedicate any real time to his pursuit of her—too busy trying to protect his Pack. The few times he’d approached her, she’d been less than receptive. A nice way of saying every time Conall came near her, she ran like a rabid pit bull was on her ass.
But now that they’d wiped out the Withell Pride—the Pack’s sworn enemy—his time was his own. At least for the moment. So he could give her his full attention. Besides, she looked hot and, for once, she was on her own.
He padded up to her, her scent pulling on him like a leash, so close to her that his nose was just inches from her neck.
Like a flash, her upper body twisted, a good-sized hunting knife in her hand. He shifted and blocked her arm with his. Good thing, too. She could have cut his throat from ear to ear with that thing.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him. Then she glanced down and her eyes widened even more. “What is it with you people and being naked?”
He loved how annoyed she sounded. “It’s a shifter thing.”
“That’s fascinating, but if you don’t put some clothes on I’m going to have to start chopping at things that are protruding.” And he knew she would.
“My clothes are over there.”
“Get ‘em.”
She lowered her arm and slipped the blade back into the sheath at her side. Conall had no doubt she knew how to use that knife. He’d seen her in action. She was an amazing hunter—for a human.
And an even more brilliant piece of ass.
Conall walked over to the pile of clothes he’d left by a tree and put them on as Miki went out of her way not to look at him. He’d seen the woman blow the head off a Pride female with a single rifle shot from a moving vehicle, but his cock seemed to unravel her. Weird girl.
He figured he’d have to say something since she was going out of her way not to speak to him. “I’m Conall…” he began.
“We already had this conversation.”
“…Víga-Feilan,” he finished. Just like that, she cut him off. That was new. Women never cut him off before. They didn’t necessarily find him fascinating but they faked it real well. At least until they got laid.
But his last name did seem to interest her, even though she didn’t look away from her book. “Víga-Feilan?” People always said his last name back to him. Like an echo. It was an odd name and one he wouldn’t change for the world. “Isn’t that Viking?”
He stared at her, his Harley T-shirt in his hands. “How the hell did you know that?” True, it was actually a Norse byname, but Viking was close enough. No one ever knew that. Ever. Miki was the first to call it right. Christ, he wanted her.
“There are these fascinating places with books in them. They’re called libraries. When you’re not chasing your tail or balancing a ball on your nose, you should think about going to one.”
He watched the sly smile she had on those gorgeous lips and he grinned. Oh, yeah. He liked her more and more every second. A girl this mean would definitely be one hell of a wild ride.
Miki glanced up at his silence and raised an eyebrow at his smile. “You know, when you’ve got folks out there howling and sniffing my ass, I’d say it’s kind of dumb to stand around staring at me. I might snap at any moment.”
Christ, he loved her voice. Kind of low and husky, with that sweet Texas accent. It played right across his nerve endings. And he had sniffed her ass, but only once. “That sounds promising.”
She sighed and went back to her book.
He finished getting into his clothes and then sat down in the dirt to pull his black Harley-Davidson boots on.
“What are you reading?” He didn’t really care. He just wanted to hear her say something else.
“A book on wolves.”
That did peak his interest. “Really?”
“Yeah. Will it be necessary for Zach and Sara to have sex in front of you?”
Conall’s head snapped up at her sudden—and scary—change of topic. She stared straight at him and he realized she was serious. “What? No!”
“Are you sure? Because according to this, the Alphas are the only ones who can mate and they have to do it in front of the Pack.”
“But we’re human…sort of.”
“But you run around in a Pack. So don’t you do other Pack-like things?”
“Well…uh…I…that is, we…” Conall shook his head. “They will not be having sex in front of us. And trust me, we can all have sex.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I see.” She went back to her book.
Conall finished lacing up one boot and moved to the other. “So, Miki what do you…?”
“I’m reading.”
“…do?” He blinked. He’d never gotten dismissed so easily. And this girl was dismissing him all over the place. His annoyance peeked out, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “You’re reading at a rave? You really know how to party, don’tcha?”
Without even looking up from her book, she gave him the finger.
Man, she is so mean. He was glad he had his jeans on. He was hard as a rock.
With his laces finished, he sat back and watched her. He marveled at how beautiful she was. Soft brown skin, the cutest dimples known to man, curly black hair framing that gorgeous face, and the tightest ass he’d ever seen.
She seemed to sense him watching h
er again. She looked at him and glared. “What now?”
“Just looking at you.”
“Don’t.”
“Are you shy?” He didn’t mind shy. He could learn to like shy. Hell, for one night of hot meaningless sex he could learn to like almost anything.
“In what sense?”
What the hell kind of question was that? “What?”
“In what sense are you asking am I shy? There are different types of shy. There are those who are shy of people. Those who are shy of animals—which you do qualify. And those who are only shy in certain situations. So which shy are you asking me about?”
“I have no idea now.”
“Typical.”
Okay, cute wasn’t working with this one. He’d have to try something else. He was desperate. They were leaving the next day, and he wanted his last night in this dinky town spent between those thighs.
“You know, if you left the rave because you’re nervous, I can take you home.” Get her home. Get her settled. Get her wet. Then get her in bed. Yeah, that worked as a plan.
She turned to stare at him, her eyes shrewdly looking him over. “Is that a fact?”
Conall gave one of his patented innocent shrugs. He’d worked long and hard on being the big, nonthreatening guy. The guy women turned to for safety. No one ever knew that just below his flesh, he had chained one of the most dangerous wolves known to the Norse gods. A wolf descended from Loki himself. A wolf always fighting to let itself out. But Conall fought just as hard not to be like the rest of his family. So he’d chained the wolf. Almost like some people chain dogs to a spike in their backyard. He chained it and left it there. It only came out during the hunt or during a battle. But when he was human, it stayed chained and locked safely away where it could do no harm. A few bad experiences had already shown him no female, human or wolf, could handle the deadly wolf he had buried inside. No female brave enough to face that part of him.
He slowly stood up, watching her gaze travel his body as he moved. He put his hands in his pockets and lowered his eyes to give her what one woman termed the “sweetest, most innocent look” she’d ever seen seconds before she’d given him a killer blowjob. A look that had worked on many, many women before Miki. It would work now. “Sure, Mik. It’s no problem.”
She stared at him for a full minute before she burst out laughing. “You are so full of shit!”
Conall frowned and his body tensed. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You think I buy into this innocent act of yours? ‘Oh, sweet Conall. He’s just a big ‘ol teddy bear.’” She shook her head. “Teddy bear, my ass.”
Conall was shocked. For the first time in a long time, a woman had shocked him. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.” She marked the page in her book with a leaf, stood, and walked to him. She tilted her head back so that she could see him clearly. “I’ve known you less than a week and I already see you, Conall. And you’re nobody’s teddy bear. I don’t care what line of crap you try and sell everybody else.” She studied him closely and he couldn’t stop looking into those brown eyes of hers. She still had a bruise from where one of the Pride males slugged her when she tried to protect Sara. He’d snapped that fucker’s neck himself.
“I see it in your eyes,” she continued. “You’re all wolf. But there’s something more. Something…” She stared up at him and it felt like she was walking around his backyard, examining his chained wolf, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Actually, he thought he’d locked that gate.
She nodded. “You’re more like your name. A Viking. But you know what, Viking? I’m not some British Isle for you to conquer. So go find yourself some nice, wafer-thin girl who’ll happily buy your bullshit. Whose heart you can break without a second thought. I’m off limits.”
She stepped away from him but he couldn’t stop staring at her. He’d never wanted anyone more in his life. Suddenly one night between those thighs didn’t seem nearly enough.
“Miki?”
She looked at him, a small smile sliding across her beautiful lips. She was enjoying herself. “Conall?”
He stepped up to her and was impressed she didn’t back away. “I just wanted to tell you something.”
“Oh, yeah? What exactly?”
“That you’re absolutely right.”
“Am I now?”
“Yeah.” Conall slid his hand behind the back of her neck and leaned down so their faces were close. “I ain’t no teddy bear.”
He snatched her to him, lifting her completely off the ground. Then he kissed her. The kind of kiss he’d wanted to give her since he first saw her. A raw, brutal kiss that, to his surprise, she returned. Her mouth opened and his tongue slipped in past her lips. She gave a moan that felt like nails ripping across the flesh on his back and made him so hard his cock hurt. His hands on her waist held her flat against him. He made sure his erection pressed into her as his tongue stroked hers, and he felt her warm hand through his T-shirt. But when her fingers clutched the fabric, trying to pull him even closer, he knew he had to have this woman.
He finally released her, lowering her back to the ground, but he kept his hand possessively on the nape of her neck and his forehead pressed against hers. He had to bend down to reach her, but he didn’t care. Especially when all he wanted to do was rip her clothes off, flip her on her stomach, and mount her. He wanted to fuck her until they both screamed.
“Take me home, Miki.” He was so desperate for her he could barely see.
She was panting, and if her heart were to beat any faster it would come out of her chest. He knew she wanted him. He could smell it.
Miki pulled her head back and looked him in the eye. She smiled. Not a forced one he’d seen her give others, but a real smile—warm and all his.
“Not on your life.” She pulled herself from his arms and headed back to the rave without a backward glance. “Goodbye, Viking. Have a good life.”
His cock was rock hard and he could still feel every place she’d touched him. He stood up to his full height and fought the urge to snatch her out of the rave and back to the closest hotel.
He heard a low growl and turned to see the full-blood wolf in a copse of trees nearby. He, too, watched Miki.
“Back off,” Conall growled, causing the beta wolf to slowly back away. He returned his gaze to that fine ass moving through the crowd. He grinned as his canines extended. “This one’s mine.”
Chapter One
Six months later…
Miki’s eyes snapped open and she realized she already had her hand around the shotgun she kept against her nightstand. She sat up, the gun still in her grasp. She had to shake her head to bring herself back to this reality. Miki didn’t sleep. Not much anyway. But on those few times she actually did get some sleep, it was a helluva thing to actually wake her up. Especially lately. She’d been having these intense dreams… She shook her head again. She couldn’t go down that road right now. She needed to focus.
She could hear crunching sounds coming from the front of her house. Well, Sara’s house really. She’d rented it to Miki for practically nothing.
Miki slid out of bed in her T-shirt and sweatpants and steadied the weapon in both hands. She silently slipped from room to room, checking every corner as she went. Finally, she arrived at the front door. Taking a deep breath, she snatched it open and aimed.
“Howdy, Miki.”
Miki lowered her gun. “Dammit, Eddie! What the hell are you doing here?”
Deputy Eddie Fogle continued to eat his chocolate-covered peanuts and seemed oblivious to the fact Miki was damn good and ready to blow his head off. “Just watchin’ out for ya, darlin’.” Smooth-talking bastard. The man leaned back against her porch railing, his incredibly long legs stretched out in front of him. She briefly wondered if he had to have his cowboy boots specially made. His feet were enormous.
“Did Marrec send you here?” Marrec had become like a mother hen since they’d kicked Pride ass six mo
nths ago, constantly checking up on Miki and Angelina. Not that she didn’t appreciate it, but having a sheriff’s deputy sitting out on her front stoop in the middle of the night seemed a little excessive.
“We just want you to be safe.”
“Well, that’s sweet and all—”
“You know, Miki,” he cut in smoothly, “I’m so glad you’re getting out of town for a bit. You deserve it. But I hope you won’t be involving yourself with those Seattle-city folk like before. I’d really hate it if you upset Sara and Angelina or shame everybody in town. Again.”
Miki shut her eyes in exasperation. Boy, Feds drag you out of Advanced Trig in handcuffs just once and some people never let you forget it. Besides, hadn’t she already paid her debt to society? And exactly how long had the man been out here? She’d talked to her buddy Craig over five hours ago. They’d planned on meeting at a bar when she hit town and, depending on her mood, maybe going to one of Craig’s infamous house parties. Craig had hinted at maybe getting back into the Game, but she’d told him no flat out. Damn wolves with their damn wolf hearing. Well, it didn’t matter. Her days of risking federal prison were long over. She had bigger plans. So it didn’t really matter what Fogle heard.
“My only plans are to help my friend celebrate her twenty-ninth and to become Doctor Kendrick, PhD.”
“Good. Good. That’s really nice to hear.”
Miki watched him for several moments, then sighed. “You’re not going anywhere, are you?”
“Not tonight. No. Some strange activity in town. Odd smells I’m not real comfortable with. But if it makes you feel better, we’re also watching Angelina’s house.”
“It doesn’t,” she responded flatly.
Eddie chuckled. “When you see Sara, could you give her my love?
“Of course.”
“I sure do hope those Magnus boys are being good to her. Not sure about that Zach Sheridan fella.” Miki fought the urge to roll her eyes. They’d all babied Sara. Of course, she now knew why. Sara had been one of them. Not of their Pack but a shapeshifter like, it turned out, most of her town. Apparently, Miki and Angelina were two of the few nonshifting humans within a one-hundred-mile radius. “And we sure do miss her ‘round here.”