Dreaming of the Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #8)(56)

But if Mario’s men had trailed Alicia to her hotel in Crestview and she’d been alone, where had the “dog” come from? Mario allowed himself a small smile as the crossword puzzle came back into focus and he wrote tremor. Crossword puzzles were his daily regimen—an attempt to keep Alzheimer’s at bay, as working the puzzles was supposed to do, since the insidious curse had affected both his parents.

His thoughts shifted back to Alicia Greiston. He assumed she was a wolf now. Ferdinand must have shape-shifted, then bit her and turned her, wanting her for a mate. Maybe even realizing Mario wanted Alicia. Since Mario had murdered Ferdinand’s girlfriend, Candy, turning Alicia would be a way of getting back at Mario.

With Ferdinand dead, Alicia was Mario’s. He’d been a wolf for five years, since one of his adversaries had bitten him. He’d been angrier than hell at the time, but he’d soon realized how beneficial his newfound traits were. Except for the need to have a mate. The gorgeous bubbleheads he’d turned all had ended up being liabilities. Until he’d had them eliminated.

“What do you want me to do, boss?”

Alicia had to be running as a wolf. Newly turned, she might not be able to control her shape-shifting ability. Until the new moon appeared. Then she wouldn’t be able to keep her wolf form. Danny wouldn’t be able to locate her as well as Mario could. Not without wolf instincts. This was one job Mario had to take care of on his own. Although he’d send his men out looking for her just the same. Didn’t hurt to be sure. But in the end, he had to do this alone.

One thing was certain: he had no other competition in the area. The she-wolf would be his, especially after all the trouble she’d caused him.

***

Jake had had a devil of a time forcing himself not to pace while Lelandi was still upstairs with Alicia. He wanted Alicia alone, but Darien insisted on speaking with her. As much as Jake hated to admit it, Darien was right. The pack leader always had to know what trouble his pack might be up against. Jake knew that, yet he was having a hard time letting go of his need to be with Alicia after their forced separation and her near-death experience.

When he heard two pairs of footfalls on the stairs, he turned to watch for the women.

Darien rose from his chair and Tom joined them from the kitchen. Sheriff Peter had solicited some of their men for outdoor guard duty so he had already left the house.

As soon as the two women appeared, Jake had eyes only for Alicia. Her eyes were dark and shadowed, her skin pale despite the red T-shirt reflecting off it. Her brown curls swept her shoulders, but his gaze quickly took in her clothes. The T-shirt fit her nicely, showing off her perky breasts, and the jeans fit snugly. She wasn’t wearing the flip-flops, though. Her bare feet made her appear even sexier, like she was ready to shuck the rest of her clothes to be with him.

His gaze lifted to her face, and she gave him a tremulous smile. He crossed the room at a quickened pace, drew her into his arms, and when she tilted her face up to his, he kissed her.

Nothing gentle about it—his need to see her safe and protected was warring with his craving to make her his own. He didn’t care that his brothers or Lelandi were undoubtedly watching him unabashed. His kiss was just as greedy as Alicia’s was, yet tender in the way they pressed and nuzzled and opened up to each other, exploring and loving all over again.

“Guess we don’t need a Gathering,” Tom said, his tone amused.

Jake ignored him. No way in hell were they having a Gathering to give any other eligible bachelors in the pack the chance to court her. She had been Jake’s the moment he’d laid eyes on her, and she had shown her interest in him right back.

He finally broke free from the kiss, saw the tears in her eyes, and gave her another heartfelt embrace.

In pack-leader mode, Darien said, “I know it’s late, but we need to talk.”

Jake slipped his hand around Alicia’s with a firm possessive grip and led her to the love seat where they sat down together, thighs touching. But it wasn’t enough. Jake wrapped his arm around Alicia and pulled her against him, wanting to feel her warmth and breathe in her heady fragrance, to enjoy the softness of her body against his, to know she was truly all right and wouldn’t leave him again.

He wanted to tell his brother to hurry up with the questions because Alicia would be his mate tonight, but he held his tongue. She needed to see the workings of a viable pack, and Jake butting heads with his brother wouldn’t help her cope.

Darien took Lelandi’s hand and sat with her on one of the couches while Tom sat on a wide-winged chair. Darien kept his hand on Lelandi’s, resting it on her thigh. For the first time since Jake had lost Alicia, he felt comfortable seeing the intimacy Lelandi and his brother shared. But it was only because Alicia was with him again. He wondered how Tom felt being the odd man out, but his expression remained neutral.

“So what are we up against?” Darien asked Alicia.

***

Alicia honestly didn’t know what to think. After all the questions Darien had asked her, and all the questions she’d asked of him, no one in Jake’s pack, nor Jake himself, seemed to have known of Ferdinand Massaro or his brother, Danny, or Mario and his thugs.

Which meant? Jake truly had been interested in her for herself when he first caught sight of her in Breckenridge.

Lelandi patted Darien’s thigh. “It’s very late, and I’m exhausted. Let’s go to bed. If you have any more questions, you can ask them tomorrow.”