“What did you find?”
“Hell if I know. You’re the expert lupus garou. I discovered dozens of wolves’ scents, tons of wolves’ prints, thousands of wolf fur fibers, and a smattering of wolves’ urine in various places. So you tell me what it all means.”
Hunter hadn’t realized the smells would probably overload Rourke’s new abilities. From birth, lupus garou filtered out the smells and sounds, but he guessed the sudden onslaught would confuse someone who had just been turned and at the same time, the enhanced abilities could be a distraction.
Hunter led Rourke down to the beach. “If you get injured, from now on, hide the fact you are, or keep the injury bandaged for longer than necessary. And don’t show off your abilities to humans.”
He thought that went without saying, but apparently not.
Rourke scowled. “I can’t help it. I kept seeing fur everywhere. I forgot Ashton couldn’t, and I didn’t even realize how it might sound to him.”
“You always have to remember what we are. When we’re in a wolf pack, no problem. But around humans, watch yourself, always.”
“I was just turned, remember? I haven’t had much time to get used to this.” Rourke looked up at the clouds. “I can’t see it for the gray skies, but I can feel the moon’s strong pull. I keep wanting to strip off my clothes and run naked through the woods. It’s driving me crazy.”
Hunter bent down to check out a piece of fur caught on driftwood. “Later tonight. You and I will take a run, and I’ll show you what it’s all about. That should break you of the urge for a while.”
“What about your shoulder?”
“It won’t be properly healed for a couple of more days, but the exercise will do it good, give it a stretch. Getting out of Tessa’s sight for a couple of hours is the problem. I’ll take a nap when we get back. We’ll have supper, and then after she’s gone to bed, we’ll take a run.”
Rourke motioned to the area. “So what do you make of all this?”
“I’ve counted six different gray wolves that have left their mark. The three I fought and three others who seem familiar, but I can’t recall why.”
“Great. Can we fight them all off?”
Two shots rang out from the front porch of the house.
“Tessa!” Hunter’s heart pounded against his ribs as he bolted up the rocky path with Rourke hot on his heels.
Three more shots were fired and a wolf yelped twice before Hunter barreled through the living room, concerned Ashton might shoot them if they came around the side of the house.
Tessa was holding the rifle, getting ready to fire again, the weapon propped against her shoulder, when Hunter saw Ashton sprawled out on the front porch, his hand bloodied, his face pallid.
“Hell,” Hunter said under his breath. If the damned wolf had turned Ashton… Hunter took the rifle from Tessa.
She was shaking so hard, he thought she might collapse, her own face flushed, but tears filled her eyes. She dropped to her knees and held Ashton’s uninjured hand. “Ashton, can you hear me?”
Rourke took the rifle inside, and Hunter crouched beside Tessa. “He’ll be all right.”
She started to cry and her tears undid him. He wrapped his arms around her, her body still trembling.
“I… I think I hit the wolf twice. At least he yelped twice. But… oh, Hunter, he’s got to be rabid.”
“What are we going to do?” Rourke asked.
“Let’s get Ashton inside.”
“We have to take him to the clinic in town, or to the hospital in the city. He’s got to be treated for rabies,” Tessa insisted.
Hunter crouched to lift Ashton, but Rourke grabbed his arm and stopped him. “You can’t reinjure that shoulder. I’ll lift him.”
“I’ll help,” Tessa said.
“You get the door, Tessa. I’ll just use my good shoulder.” Hunter hated playing the part of a damned invalid even if Rourke was right. He needed to heal so he could be prepared to fight again, as bold and rash as the lupus garous were getting.
Rourke lifted Ashton’s torso, his gaze shooting up to meet Hunter’s while Hunter carried Ashton’s feet. Yeah, another ability. More strength. Rourke smiled. At least he seemed pleased with the change. Now Hunter had to deal with Ashton, damn it. What the hell was wrong with the lupus garou? Every time they changed a human who had family, it could cause problems. Although there was a slight chance the wolf hadn’t turned Ashton.
“We’ve got to take him to the clinic at least.” Tessa locked the front door after them.
“We’ve got the rabies vaccine and antibiotics with us.” Hunter helped carry Ashton into Michael’s room. “Rourke will give him a shot. If you’ll get some soap and water for the bite, we’ll take care of it.”
Tessa hurried out of the room and down the hall.
Hunter rushed to wrap Ashton’s hand in a towel to hide the bite from Tessa, although he was sure she had seen enough of the damage. When she returned, Hunter took the washcloth and water from her, then handed it to Rourke.
Ashton was scowling and alert. “Bloody damn wolf. Didn’t even see him coming as I finished changing out the doorknob. Thank god he didn’t get Tessa.”
But most likely he was trying to. Hunter was sure they had frustrated the bastard because they had left the house the night before and were gone for so long, and now had another “guard” to keep Tessa safe.
“Come on.” Hunter took hold of Tessa’s hand. “You can’t have slept well last night, and I’m feeling dog tired again. What about you?”
She looked back at Ashton as Hunter led her out of the room. “We’ve had this discussion before.” Her gaze shifted to Hunter. “You’re right, I didn’t sleep well in that hard chair at the hospital, and when I rested with you, I kept feeling like the nurses would catch us. I must have dropped off right before Ashton walked in on us though. Wouldn’t you know.”
Hunter smiled at her. Even when she was tired, she was agreeable. Even when she was mad at him, especially when she was mad at him. She reminded him of an alpha then.
Mentally, he shook his head at himself. He had to quit thinking of her in those terms before he went down the path he knew he shouldn’t.
“You locked the back door, didn’t you?” Hunter asked, helping Tessa out of her sweater.
“Yes. You guys left it wide open. I’m going to have to start charging you for the high electric bill I’m bound to get.” She helped Hunter ease out of the field jacket. “You seem really stiff.”
“I need to work the shoulder out.”
“You need to let it heal first.”
He swept his hands down her arms and kissed her forehead. “You’ll help to make it happen.”
“No, Ashton!” Rourke shouted down the hall. The back door slammed shut.
Now what the hell?
Footsteps ran toward the bedroom, but Hunter jerked the door open and met Rourke midway down the hall. “What’s happened?”
“Ashton said he had to take a… walk.”
“Damn it.” Hunter turned to see Tessa standing in the hallway, her eyes wide. “Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll join you in a few minutes. Rourke will stay here with you.”
“But your shoulder.”
Hunter didn’t reply, just headed for the back door. No time to waste. “Did he take the rifle?” he hollered back to Rourke.
“Yeah, he did.”
Good. Maybe Ashton hadn’t been turned after all. Maybe he intended to shoot the wolf that bit him. Not good, but better than if he’d been turned.
Hunter hurried outside, sniffed the air, then saw the rifle next to a patio chair. Damn it. He grabbed the rifle and handed it to Rourke. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Then he tore across the patio and headed for the woods. “Ashton, come back here this instant!” Hunter hollered in his most threatening alpha voice.
The wind howled back and he knew the storm would begin soon. But worse, Ashton was bound to get himself into a hell of a lot of trouble without a guide his first time as a wolf.
Tessa pulled her sweater back on, figuring she couldn’t take a nap now. Not with worrying about Hunter and Ashton’s safety. But she wondered now if Ashton had been infected and could carry rabies, which might account for his strange behavior. Yet she thought it would take longer for a person infected to react. She just hoped to god he didn’t have rabies.
Trying to settle her upset, she meant to fix a cup of cocoa for her and Rourke and then replace the back doorknob. But when she walked down the hall, she felt the cold wind blowing into the house through the back door.
A chill sliced through her, and she ran toward the kitchen. “Rourke?” she yelled.
He didn’t answer and Tessa felt as afraid as the day she came home from the trial and suspected someone was watching the house. She stepped onto the back patio and stared at where she thought the guys might have gone—north. She hollered again.
No reply.
With apprehension, she closed the door and locked it. She’d manage if she didn’t let her fear run amok. Grabbing the new doorknob for the back door, she hoped to replace it before the stalker realized she was home alone, and tried to squash the nerves wreaking havoc with her stomach. She opened the door, her heart gave a jolt, and she squeaked out a scream.
Nurse Godzilla. Wearing her long dark hair down, she had on a jeans jacket, turtleneck, jeans, and snow boots, the only part of her outfit that looked warm enough for the weather.
The attractive woman smiled at her in a fake way. “Mr. Grey took a powder. The doctor reported his ‘escape’ to the police. The sheriff should be coming here soon.”
“So why are you here? To warn him?” Tessa assumed the woman wanted to see him instead, try to ignite a flame between them, maybe outside the hospital setting.
“Sure, to warn him.” She looked around the place. “Cozy, pretty forest green color scheme. Soft, like you.” She took a deep breath. “Hmm, your other male friend’s changed. Mr. Grey bite him, too?”