A Cougar Among Wolves (6 page)

“Shhh, it’s me,” Rogue whispered into her ear.

The heat filled with tingles from his touch surprised her. She relaxed and he let go. He pointed to the right where she caught a glimpse of a shadow moving deep in the forest.

Klaya glanced up the tree. Rogue nodded. She gripped the low branches and climbed the massive trunk with her catlike skills. Rogue climbed the opposite side. They ascended thirty feet and scouted the forest.

“I could only find two of them,” he murmured. “One headed east.” He pointed the direction headed away from the cave. “The second is about twenty yards from here.”

“If they are scouting, they don’t know we are here. If we attack, there will be more coming in from behind. We have no way to let Seth know.” She bit her lip.

“For now, we watch and see.”

Klaya agreed and settled on a solid branch. They took turns glancing around. Her breath hitched. The gunman below moved three trees over from where they were hiding.

Her acute hearing picked up radio static. “I can hear them.”

“I can, too.”

“There’s no sign of anyone here. The tracks ended by the forest, a hundred yards
back. Over.”

“Head to base. There’s no signal on her tracer.”

“Copy that.
” The man below walked past their tree and paused. He held his rifle and slowly twisted around, spying through the scope.

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“Tin man, let’s go.”
The radio crackled.

“Roger that.”
He darted toward the east.

“We wait awhile longer,” Rogue whispered.

They scouted the length of the forest. The bristling hair on the back of her neck settled. A robin perched on the branch above them and she exhaled with relief. “They’re gone.”

“Yeah, they’re lucky I didn’t tear them apart.”

Klaya caught his wandering glare in the direction the assassins left. His cheeks darkened as he flexed his jaw muscles.
Wow, he has a real hate on for them. Is it because
of me?
It didn’t seem likely, but the Nasc—the jolt she felt from them was the distinct protective energy that happens with destined mates.

“How come they didn’t find our tracks?”

“The first thirty feet or so is all stone, so there were no tracks. I took some branches and swiped away the footprints we left from the edge of the forest.”

“Very clever.” He was smart and ruggedly handsome, too. She melted under the captivating gaze of his vibrant emerald orbs and a tickle shimmied down her spine. Each moment she spent with Rogue and his brother, they got a little deeper under her skin.

“We’ve had some practice hiding out.” He winked.

“I’ll bet. The two of you seem to have a reputation for getting into trouble.” She prodded.

“You could say that.”

“I just did.”

Rogue’s grin shifted to a frown when their gazes collided.

“I was only teasing.” She reached over and patted his hand.

“I know.” He pressed his lips tight. “Let’s get inside and update Seth.”

They descended the tree.

“What if they decide to search the cave?”

Rogue glanced around them. “They didn’t find anything, there’s no reason to think they’ll return any time soon, but we’ll be ready for them.”

34

Glorious pink and orange streams of the sunset light poured through the hole in the ceiling. The trio had worked together gathering stones, wood, and kindling and had lit a cozy fire off the side of the pool.

The boys began to strip their clothes off.

Klaya widened her eyes. “Excuse me, what do you two think you’re doing?”

“Sorry, habit.” Rogue chuckled. “We’re gonna shift to catch some food for dinner.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks burned. “I could help.”

“No, you’re still healing. We’ve got this. It’s the masculine thing to do. We have to prove ourselves, don’t we?” Seth cracked a grin.

“By all means.” She covered her eyes while they discarded the rest of their clothing.

Warmth curled around her spine at the thought of them disrobing mere feet away from her. The temptation to peek proved too much to handle. She still actively mourned her big brother. Surely peeping at hot young wolves would be the last thing on her mind, but their captivating scents overpowered her grief.

Through the tiny spaces between her fingers, she caught a breathtaking glimpse of two virile, defined, taut bodies. Although their hair and faces were in direct contrast of one another, one fair, the other dark, each held unique, handsome, and rugged features. They both possessed identical flawless, bronzed skin with lean muscles. The wolves showcased broad shoulders, solid pectorals, and chiseled arms a girl would love to be cradled in.

With their washboard abs, tight asses, and powerful legs, these two were built for speed and stamina and would make an ideal meat sandwich for any lucky lady. The vision of their two thick, extended cocks triggered a longing deep inside. Klaya licked her lips; her inner cougar clawed to pounce.

She squinted her eyes shut as a wave of shame washed over her, but, then, a compelling sound of grunts and groans forced them open again. Klaya removed her hand and stared in amazement when both men dropped onto their hands and knees to transform. She had witnessed Griffith over the years, but his shift into a cougar was profoundly different, far faster and simpler.

They braced themselves as their magnificent bodies morphed. Their faces contorted, 35

fur grew, and claws spiked out of their fingertips. Within seconds, they towered before her. Brown eyes shifted into a chocolate-colored wolf, with a white patch over his left eye and another in the shape of a diamond centered on his chest. Rogue transformed into a sandy-blond wolf with black patches all over his fur. More ebony surrounded his eyes, like the mask of a thief in the night. They were spectacular. Both wolves watched her with intensity. She smiled, and they bolted out the tunnel.

The lingering desire was next to impossible to dispel. “Heaven help me. I can’t believe I could even entertain the thought of a man right now, let alone two.” A tear spilled down her cheek.

Then recollection of showering shards of glass came crashing back. “I can’t. I’m not ready yet. Not to deal with this and not to move on.” Klaya brought her knees to her chest, cradled her arms on top, and sobbed. A cry long since overdue, she was grateful for the time alone to finally let it out.

After a much-needed hour or so to herself, she was able to have her emotional letdown and unpack her backpack. She had brought a stack of candles, matches, clothes from the secondhand store in town, and some plates to eat from. Each of their bags contained bare essentials for their time in seclusion. Now, she had to wait for the boys to return.

***

“Although I’m not partial to rabbit, you guys did a great job. It’s pretty tender.”

“Cougars have preference in wild game?” Rogue snickered.

“Actually, I’m vegan,” she retorted.

“Are you kidding me?” Seth dropped his plate. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m just fucking with you.” She burst into laughter. “I couldn’t be vegan if my life depended on it. I’m a total carnivore.”

“So, what’s your poison?” Rogue stuffed the last of his sizzling bunny into his mouth.

“I could kill for some venison right now.” She licked her lips.

“Order for tomorrow?” Seth nodded.

“Sure.”

Klaya glanced up at the ceiling. The pinks and oranges had dissipated. Rays of dark 36

purple and streams of moonlight took their place.

“I think Gee is wiser than anyone gives him credit for.”

“Why?” Brown eyes piped up.

“He sent us here to a place of healing and protection. My clan, the Cytaana, are an ancient Celtic clan of cougars. Griffith and I left when we were in our twenties, after our parents died.

“So, you’re an orphan, too?” Rogue stared at the fire, the corners of his lips curled downward.

“I am,” she murmured.

“How did they die?” Seth piped up.

“The alpha of the clan killed them.” She averted her gaze from theirs, hesitant to confess their fate.

“Your own alpha?” Rogue rasped.

“He went mad. He killed many in our clan. That was why Griffith and I fled in the middle of the night. We heard, years ago, the alpha met an untimely demise after crossing paths with a coyote pack.”

“Sounds brutal,” Seth whispered.

Klaya caught their widened eyes and dropped jaws.

“In my mind, the vicious death was karma catching up to him. There’s no love lost on my part. I never had any use for an alpha after that.”

“So, how do you know Drew?” Rogue asked.

“Griffith and I met him in Utah. He was down on his luck. He and my brother became good friends. He stayed with us for a few months until he said it was time to move on.”

She grabbed a stick and poked at the glowing red embers of the fire. “He was the reason I was headed for Los Lobos when you found me.”

“He was?” Seth watched her with knitted brows. “Why?”

“Griffith and I didn’t keep in touch, but we caught wind of Magnum’s death and heard Drew had become alpha. My brother said if we ran into trouble, we could ask him for help.”

Unwilling to relive another trauma, Klaya got up and began hauling the load of firewood she and Rogue left wrapped in the sheet at the edge of the cave.

37

“Leave it, Klaya. We have enough wood right now,” Seth insisted.

“I like to keep busy.” She twisted sideways as she tugged on the load.

A sudden white-hot sting encased Klaya’s left shoulder. She winced and dropped to her knees. Perspiration broke out on her face and neck, and she panted.

“Klaya?” Rogue scrambled over to her. “What’s wrong?”

Seth placed his cool palm on her forehead then cheek. “You’re burning up.”

“I’m in healing mode again. It’s the gunshot. I strained it when I twisted. I need to lie down.”

She hobbled over to the makeshift bed by the fire. Rogue and Seth supported her under the arms.

“Is there anything we should do?” Seth’s voice faded in her ears. Klaya dropped to her knees and eased down onto the blanket, searing pain spreading throughout her spine and along her limbs. She closed her eyes. “Let me sleep. I’ll be fine.”

38

“She’s been out a long time. Shouldn’t we wake her? Make sure she’s okay?” Seth tucked his coat over her shoulder as she lay on her side three feet from the fire.

“She said she needs to sleep.”

“I know. I hate seeing her in pain.” He stared at the sleeping beauty, the need to cradle her in his arms overwhelming.

“Me, too,” Rogue concurred. “She’ll be fine. She’s wiped out.”

A tendril of copper hair clung to her moist forehead. Seth brushed it behind her ear.

Searing heat filled the pads of his fingers, and he gasped. “She’s burning up.”

Rogue glanced down at her. “Remember when we found her in the forest? She was burning up then, too.”

“Yeah?”

“She was healing then, and you told me she mentioned to Doc in the office when she woke up that pain killers would burn out of her system before they would help. She runs hot in healing mode.”

Rogue was never the type to coddle someone when they were sick or injured. A lesson he learned many times over his childhood. The broken arm he suffered when he fell from the tall oak tree in the backyard was met by Rogue’s brash response to “shake it off.”

A profound need to protect her had taken hold the moment they spotted her in the forest that fateful day, and with every passing moment, it intensified. He imagined it was the same for Rogue, given how close he sat to her, and watched over her. Seth was the touchy-feely one, whereas Rogue tended to guard from afar. It amazed Seth sometimes how his brother made very little effort for any body contact with others. With the exception of getting randy with women who caught his attention. There was always a means to an end with Rogue, but Seth had a deep-seated need to display affection with physical touch.

“She’s so beautiful,” Rogue whispered.

He snapped his head up and stared at his brother with surprise. “Yeah, she is.”

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s….” Seth chose his words carefully. “You never talk like that about 39

chicks you’re into. You tend to go straight for the gold. Flattery is not your thing.”

“Klaya is no chick,” he protested softly. “She’s….”

“Incredible,” Seth finished his thought.

“Exactly.”

“And, as Ryker made very clear, she’s off-limits.”

“I know.” Rogue shrugged with a frown. “Her scent drives me wild, though.”

“I hear ya,” Seth concurred. “It’s intoxicating.”

“It’s gonna be a tough week.” Rogue twisted side to side and adjusted his pants.

“Dude?”

“Not my fault, involuntary.” He scampered to his feet and headed to the waterfall.

“Time for a cold shower.”

“I can hold off. Go ahead.” Seth chuckled.

In truth, he needed one as badly as Rogue did, but he had no desire to leave her side.

Conflicted with worry and longing, he needed to stay with her until she awoke.

40

The dawn light streamed through the stone ceiling and caressed Klaya’s cheek.

Warmth crept over her skin with an enjoyable prickling. The constant but calming splatter of water echoed through the air. She stretched and yawned as she rolled over, but bumped into something at her side. She opened her eyes and bolted up. She found the rugged blond curled up on his side facing her, on her left and the brown-eyed wonder curled up on her right. Both were sound asleep. Each brother sported luscious lips she wanted to taste. Rogue’s mass of thick blond curls, she wanted to run her fingers through.

Seth’s straight black hair, she wanted to smooth her palm along. She could easily remain tucked between these two day and night.

Reality came crashing in. Griffith, the brutal attack, the hunters….
It’s morning? How
long have I been out?

A profound sense of safety enveloped her, as did an obsessive need to remain snuggled up next to the young wolves. Was she at this again? The deadened loneliness in her heart seemed to have lifted. An impulse to trace her fingers along the masculine contours of Brown eyes’ face took hold. Primal urge compelled her, but common sense prevailed. “What the hell is happening to me?” She glanced to her other side, where Rogue, the handsome blond, rested peacefully. Her inner cougar pined to taste his luscious lips, and nip at the taut flesh of his shoulder.