“But call me when you do.” Robert slapped CJ on the shoulder. “See you later, man.”
“Yeah, see you.” CJ waved to a waitress. Then looking a little worried, he asked Laurel, “Are you okay with the pictures? I can ask Darien to have everyone take them down, if you want.”
“I’m okay with it. I’m just not used to pack dynamics, and I wouldn’t want everyone to think…” She hesitated. She didn’t want to say their kissing didn’t mean anything to her, because it sure did.
“I understand,” CJ said quickly, as if he didn’t want her to say she wasn’t interested in him the way she knew he was interested in her.
The waitress hurried over to the table. “What would you like to drink?”
They both ended up having hot rum toddies before they left the lodge and dropped by a liquor store. When CJ picked up a bottle of champagne to see if she was agreeable, she raised her brows at his selection. She suspected this had to do with something other than just some holiday cheer.
He was officially declaring he wanted to court her.
Chapter 7
“To celebrate your first lesson on the slopes,” CJ said to Laurel as he paid for the champagne. And their first kiss and, as far as he was concerned, their first date. After that kiss on the slopes, he was moving this courtship business along.
Her wicked smile indicated that she knew he meant a lot more by the gesture than he was letting on.
Afterward, they dropped by the grocery store, and she picked out a seven-layer chocolate cake. She wasn’t kidding when she said she loved chocolate. He’d had to smile when she first saw the cake and her eyes lit up.
When they arrived at her house, it was still only four in the afternoon. She excused herself to run up and change out of her ski clothes. He ditched his ski jacket and pants on the arm of the couch.
She came downstairs wearing jeans, her peach sweater, and a pair of suede slipper boots. Something about the way she was so casually dressed made him feel right at home.
“Do you want me to open the bottle of champagne now?” he asked while she started to roast slices of beef, tomatoes, and garlic in a pan.
“Do you want me to do something extra special with it? Make it a Christmas drink?” she asked.
“Sure.” He opened the bottle for her.
“This will be poinsettia champagne. Just mix a little orange liqueur and cranberry juice, then add the champagne.” She mixed it up, poured them each a glass, and offered one to him.
He clinked his glass against hers. “To first lessons and much more.” He wanted her to know that this wasn’t just another day, but an important beginning for them.
She smiled and sipped her champagne. “And to kissing on the slopes—without an audience next time.”
He laughed and drank to that. He was glad she was all for it. “Still on for a run tonight?”
“I sure am. It’ll be the last time before the hotel is open. Do you want to look at this stuff again? See if we find anything that might tell us who was there about the time of the owners’ disappearance?” She motioned with her glass to the photos and other items that Brett had gathered for them.
“Yeah, sure.” He really just wanted to enjoy the time with her. But since learning what had happened to the owners seemed important to her, he’d do whatever it took to help her learn the truth as quickly as possible.
“I don’t see anyone labeled as Warren Wernicke’s sister in these pictures. Unless she was a mated wolf and took her husband’s name. Is there any way that we can get some of these photos blown up in size but still be able to keep the detail?” She turned her attention from the photos to CJ.
“We can certainly ask Jake to give it a shot.” CJ still didn’t see anything that he thought would help with learning the truth about the siblings.
Laurel finally sighed, stacked all the items at the end of the table, and began to set the table.
He helped her serve the meal, and then they sat down to eat. “I’m glad you had fun skiing.”
“It was great. I’ll probably be a little sore tomorrow with all the spills I took, but otherwise, I had a ball. I can’t wait to do it again when I have the chance. I imagine my sisters would love to try it too.”
“I’m sure any number of our ski instructors would be willing to give lessons.”
“Private lessons, right?” She lifted her poinsettia champagne and toasted him.
“Absolutely, but I’m only giving you private lessons.” He didn’t want her thinking he did this all the time. He ate another bite of the roast. “By the way, this is delicious. I love it.”
“Thanks. Just something really simple to make that tastes great.”
After they ate and put everything away, he hoped she wasn’t too tired or sore from skiing to run. He was really looking forward to it.
“Are you ready?” she asked as he put the champagne flutes in the dishwasher. “I thought we could have the chocolate cake when we get back. I’m too full to eat a slice now.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” He was thrilled she wasn’t going to bow out tonight and wanted to spend even more time with him after the run.
After she pulled on her snow boots, coat, and gloves, he drove her out to the woods on Darien’s property, rather than to the now-closed ski resort, and parked. “I wanted to show you a different place that we run.” He wanted to show her everything that was great for their kind here, now that she was willing to take the time to see the sights with him.
“We often run as wolves out here. This is Darien’s property—several thousand acres of forest, no hunting allowed. The title to the land is in Darien and Lelandi’s names, but it’s for the use of all pack members. There’s a river back there where we boat, fish, and swim.” He pointed in the direction. “Any of us who want to take a run out here can. It’s like the ski resort at night. Our safe haven for wolves.”
“That’s really nice. I have to say that while we were living in Florida, we were on our own. We had to be extra careful to avoid being seen. No gray wolves exist in Florida. Lots of forests though. We always ran at night.” She smiled. “This truly has been a nice change of pace.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. We have a great place here. Great for raising wolf families, and you can’t say that about a lot of locations. I’ll take you down to see the river.” To give Laurel some privacy, he left the truck, shut the door, and removed his clothes, then opened the door and tossed them inside.
She had stayed in where it was warmer, removed her clothes, and shifted. She leaped out of the truck. She probably wasn’t used to shifting in the cold that much. She looked nice and warm now in her gray fur coat, her chest and face tan, her pretty green eyes alight with excitement as she looked him over. He was freezing in his naked human form, so he quickly locked the door, then shifted.
They ran side by side, enjoying the snowy breeze ruffling their fur as they made their way to the river. He could smell the sexy she-wolf, the snow, the pine trees, and fresh water. He always loved running as a wolf, but running with a she-wolf he was interested in courting? He hadn’t realized it would feel so different. Like he couldn’t be himself because he wanted to impress her. With his brothers or cousins, he could run with them, tackle them, and just do whatever he was used to doing. He had loved watching Laurel take her sister Ellie down. And then when her sister Meghan tackled her next.
They were cute, but he didn’t feel that he could play with Laurel like that. Not yet, anyway. He’d love to when they got to know each other better. With humans, it was easier—take her out to dinner, to a movie, a ball game, anything that the man thought would interest the woman. With wolves, courtship was much more physical. It had to be. They didn’t have any other options. Yet he definitely didn’t want to come on too aggressive and push her away. On the other hand, he didn’t want her to think he was a beta wolf since she obviously was not a beta herself.
He got closer and rubbed up against her a little, which was definitely a sh
ow of courtship. He hadn’t just brushed up against her to indicate he wanted her to go in a different direction.
She looked at him, and he thought she was wondering what he was up to. Hell, he could pretend he wanted to go in a different direction, or he could tell her what else he was thinking. He brushed up against her again and licked her cheek. Now, he had told her in no uncertain terms what his intentions were. She showed her beautiful teeth in a small smile, right before she tackled him.
He couldn’t have been any more surprised or delighted. Due to his wolf’s nature, he would normally give it his all, and that meant he’d tackle her and take her down. Would she see that as too aggressive? If he didn’t take her down, would he look weak? He hated overthinking this.
Their mouths clashed. He touched his tongue to hers as she growled at him, purely in play, but he was taking this a human step further. In a pinning effort, she rested her chest and forearms on his chest as she continued to bite at him in play, her tail wagging vigorously, her whole butt wagging at the same time. He was on his back, his tail wagging also, and loving every bit of their interaction. He realized he didn’t need to show how aggressive he could be. Just taking his time with her like this was a perfect wolf way to get to know her. He bit back in a gentler way, getting in the licks he wanted that were as much a human’s interaction as a wolf’s. He let her have her way with him.
Not that he was acting like a beta wolf in the least, or he would have tucked his tail against his belly, flattened his ears, and let her completely dominate him. When she looked like she wasn’t getting enough of a reaction from him, maybe that he wasn’t challenging her enough and acting too submissive, he changed his posture subtly. He got ready to take charge, trying to keep from revealing his intent. She was wary enough to recognize he was going to make her pay—in a fun way.
To avoid payback, she jumped back from him. He leaped from his prone position and with a quick, strategically placed lunge, he pinned her this time against the soft snow. She was even more aggressive when he brought her down. He could tell she liked it when he wasn’t letting her win the confrontation too easily. They were both growling, and if any humans heard them, they would think the wolves were having an angry fight.
She was beginning to wear down as he rested on her chest, and they began to kiss, wolf style, licking and nuzzling each other. He was absolutely in heaven. He was so glad he had suggested going on a run with her and that she was having just as much fun with him. Then he heard an unfamiliar “woof” in the woods south of them. He quickly got off Laurel, and she rose to her feet. Both smelled the breeze, but the wolf was downwind of them, which meant he or she could eventually smell CJ and Laurel.
He imagined it had to be one of the wolves in their pack, but he hadn’t heard enough of the woof to recognize it. He waited and watched. A black wolf, then a gray, and finally a third wolf, also gray in color, came out of the woods. All three headed for the river, then stood at the water’s edge. CJ tried to recognize them. He sniffed the air again. But he couldn’t smell them, and they didn’t look familiar.
They were a long ways off, looking out across the river, and weren’t aware that CJ and Laurel were watching them.
Laurel stuck close to him as she observed the wolves too. Her ears were perked, her tail straight, her posture as wary as his.
As soon as the wolves caught CJ’s and Laurel’s scents and looked their way, CJ only hesitated a second before doing what any of his wolf pack members would do. He lifted his head and howled for the pack. He could have run with Laurel back to the truck, but that might trigger the three gray wolves’ natural inclination to take chase and hunt them down, particularly if they were all wolf and were trying to establish a wolf pack here. If they were lupus garous and were trouble, no telling what they might do. So his only option was to call for the pack and to stay there with Laurel.
A few of his pack members living in the vicinity would hear him howl—Darien and his family, Darien’s brother Jake and his wife, and a few others scattered about in the wilderness.
The three wolves stood their ground for a moment, as if they were trying to decide whether they wanted to challenge the local wolf pack’s authority. Then the lead wolf turned and ran off into the woods, vanishing from sight, and the others quickly followed.
CJ didn’t chase after them. He was sticking close to Laurel. He doubted she or her sisters had been involved in much wolf-to-wolf combat, so he wasn’t about to leave her on her own. He wouldn’t be foolhardy enough to chase three male wolves down on his own anyway.
A few minutes later, Jake and Darien howled, letting him know they were coming. They would also have alerted several pack members about the unknown trouble. It hadn’t been a false alarm, particularly if the three male wolves had decided to attack them. But it was also a way of showing pack unity and reinforcing that this was their territory as far as other wolves or lupus garous were concerned.
Jake and Darien soon reached them, and CJ shifted to speak with them. “Three large, gray male wolves were standing next to the river down that way. One was black, the others gray. As soon as I howled for you, they hesitated, then took off.”
Darien shifted then. “Reinforcements are coming. We’ll check it out. Why don’t you and Laurel head back in?”
“Will do.” CJ was disappointed that they couldn’t run farther, just the two of them. He liked exploring the wilderness and giving her a taste of what it was like living here.
He shifted and so did Darien. Then Darien and Jake loped off in their wolf forms, ready to tear into the intruders if they had to. CJ was torn between helping them or leaving with Laurel. The three male wolves outnumbered them. But he reminded himself he needed to get Laurel home safely. He’d never expected to run into any difficulties with other wolves.
When they returned to his truck, he shifted and unlocked the back door for her. This time, he climbed in with her and shut the door.
“Sorry about that.” He began pulling on his briefs in the chilly truck. He tried to give her some privacy as she shifted, then began pulling on her panties. He couldn’t help but notice that she was watching him too. “We usually don’t have any trouble out here.”
“It’s not your fault. I find it refreshing to see a wolf pack come to its members’ aid. If they weren’t from your wolf pack, were they real wolves? Or who else might they have been?”
“Taking a wild guess? The Wernicke brothers. If they’re related to the previous owners and Warren and his sister were wolves, then these men have to be. But if they are wolves, they’ve been hiding the fact that they’re lupus garous, and Darien won’t allow them to run here. Not until he knows what’s going on. Still, I’m sorry our run was cut short.”
“Maybe after my sisters return and are able to manage things without me for a while, we can do it again.”
“I’d love that.” He lifted her head and waited only a heartbeat for her to pull away. When she didn’t, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, their berry-and-orange-champagne-flavored breaths mingling. His body throbbed with need, just like when they’d kissed earlier on the ski slope, making his blood burn. He felt her heart thundering against his chest. He kissed her again, feeling compelled, his hands raking through her silky, red hair, her fingers gripping his shoulders and keeping him close.
He was surprised but grateful that she seemed to have changed her mind about him and the pack. He absorbed her heat and softness, smelled her sexy pheromones. Too wrapped up in the feel and smell of her, he was powerless to stop this madness. He wanted this and her, wanted to convince her to stay as long as it would take to truly court her.
Until someone pounded on the window. Laurel jumped a little in his arms, and he turned to see the windows all fogged up. He wiped the nearest one with his arm and saw Darien, dressed now, frowning at him.
CJ opened the door. “Did you find them?”
“Yes, and I lectured them. I thought you were taking Laurel home.”
“I am.
” CJ couldn’t help feeling defensive. He knew Darien had everyone in the pack’s best interests in mind when he ruled about things, but CJ really didn’t want his interference in this.
“I’m calling a meeting. I talked with the wolves, assuming they were the Wernicke brothers, and told them if they want to stay in town or visit in the future, they will obey pack rules. Which means no more using hunter’s spray to hide their scents.”
“So we don’t know for sure if it is them.”
“Not for certain. They stood their ground but didn’t make a move to fight or run off, so I knew they were lupus garous. But I couldn’t smell them. None of them shifted to speak to me, only acknowledged with a slight bow of a head that I’d called a meeting and they’re to be there in an hour. I wanted you to come too since you’ll be watching things at the hotel.”
“What about Laurel?” CJ preferred that she go with him. Not that anything bad would happen if he dropped her off at her house, but he wanted a chance to drop her off properly, not in a rush. And besides, they were nearly to Darien’s house. Taking her home and returning would take too long.
“She can visit with Lelandi,” Darien said, casting him an elusive smile.
Laurel shook her head. “That’s okay. I can go home. I’ve got a lot of things to do before tomorrow.”
CJ didn’t think she really did. He took her hand in his. Perhaps not the smartest move in front of his cousin, but he didn’t want to take her home just yet. “Are you sure? Lelandi would love to visit with you for a bit. We’re almost at Darien’s home. And then I’ll take you home after the meeting.”
He was certain Lelandi would be very welcoming, but he had another purpose in mind—he wanted Laurel to get to know Lelandi better. To make friends with her. He knew they hadn’t had time to see much of each other socially because Lelandi was busy with the toddlers, the pack, and her psychology business. And Laurel and her sisters had been so busy with renovating the hotel.