Espino, Stacey - Surrounded by Wolves [Wolves of Climax 1] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (9 page)

“Play innocent all you want, Rockford, but I know you’re responsible for his disappearance.”

He put a hand to his heart. “Moi? This time you’d be wrong. As much as I’d love to take responsibility for your suffering, I can’t.”

“Then what the fuck are you doing here? If you have eyes for the woman I was with, you’d be smart to look the other way.”

The shifter shrugged. “Later. What I want to know now is why you’ve put bear traps on your land. One of my pack was badly hurt, caught in one of your monstrous traps last night.”

“I don’t put out traps. Ever. And if you say this happened on my land, what were your wolves doing on it in the first place?”

“Passing through is all. But with lasting damage.”

Garret was against traps. He’d campaigned against hunters who used them and forbade outside hunters on his land. With firsthand knowledge of the damage those oversized metal traps could do to an animal, he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy—not even the Rockford wolves. But if he found out they had something to do with Matthew’s disappearance, they’d pray for the simplicity of being caught in a trap.

“I said I don’t use traps.” Garret had no clue how traps appeared on his land. The wolf could be lying, trying to take the heat off his pack for taking Matthew. He didn’t trust the Rockford wolves and never would.

Garret would certainly investigate this new threat to be on the safe side. If the hunters were back to their old games, he’d deal with them swiftly, put the fear of their god back into their hearts. It seemed all of Climax was out to destroy the Gregor pack—hunters, loggers, the rival pack, and an unknown threat.

The other wolf smirked. “I certainly hope not. Bear traps are low even for you, Gregor. It would be a shame for us to have more reason to hold a grudge.”

“We’ve done nothing to your pack. You just stay on your land and we’ll stay on ours. All I want is Matthew back.” Those bastards had to have something to do with the disappearance. It was just too easy that they’d know nothing. After all the failed attempts they garnered trying to lure Matthew to their pack, they’d have to be more curious about his disappearance. They acted as if it were as natural as the dew in the morning—a sure sign of their guilt in Garret’s opinion.

“If we had him that would be a gesture of war.” He winked. “The gods forbid.” The wolf retreated, walking backward without another word until he blended in with the shadows.

* * * *

Garret arrived early at the mine and went through some paperwork in the trailer. None of his staff were due to arrive for another hour. Sometimes he liked the solitude, a time to think without the thoughts of others cluttering his mind. As alpha, his telepathic gift never shut down. He was constantly connected with the four other men in his pack when in close proximity. It was one of the reasons he didn’t share a cabin with them. And the reason he sent Cassidy to spend the night in their protection.

Once he made the blood bond with the other four men, uniting them as a unit, he’d begun to hear their thoughts even in human form. It had been disconcerting at first, but he’d learned to tune it out the best he could. Garret didn’t share his burden with the others. What man wanted to know he had no secrets, no privacy, no freedom even in his own head?

The phone rang. He snatched it off its cradle. “Gregor Mining.” He tucked the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he continued to look at his sales sheets for the quarter.

“I’m looking for a woman. Cassidy Lyons. I was told I might be able to find her at this number.”

Garret didn’t say anything.

“Hello?” The man on the line broke the brief silence.

“Who told you this?”

“Her lawyer said she was looking at jobs at one of the mines. I already tried the Rockford Mine, but haven’t had any luck yet.”

Just hearing the name of the competition made his jaw clench. Garret was not quick to trust. The fact this male was looking for Cassidy of all people brought out his hackles. He was already on guard, not knowing who was responsible for Matthew’s disappearance. If Cassidy had wanted the stranger on the phone to know where she was, she would have told him.

“I can’t help you,” he said.

“Well if you hear anything, could you give her this number?” The man recited his name and a cell phone number. “Tell her it’s her brother.”

Knowing he was her brother and not an old boyfriend or lover put him somewhat at ease. Why wouldn’t her own family members know where she’d moved? He was tempted to let Scott know Cassidy worked at the mine, but decided to hold off until he talked with her about it first. A lot of people came to Climax to escape the past, and his Cassie could be one of them.

As he went to exit the trailer, the door swung open. Evan came in, slamming the door shut behind him. “Why’d you send her to stay with us?” he demanded, venom in his voice.

“I’m no fool, Evan. Don’t deny you didn’t want her. All three of you, in fact.” He nonchalantly passed his friend and stepped out onto the gravel outside. It was a clear day, good for mining.

“So you send a lamb to the wolves’ den?”

“You all wanted her from the first moment you saw her. I gave you what you wanted. Don’t complain. I can still smell her on you.”

“But you stayed away. Why?”

He shrugged. Garret began to warm up the equipment and trucks for the first shift. As he climbed back down a dump truck, he came face-to-face with the man he considered his most loyal, forever subservient, pack member. There was no devotion in his eyes now, only anger, blistering and hot.

“What’s the plan then? Surely you have the bigger picture in mind, Garret. Do you plan to make her our mate?”

Garret scoffed. “Since when have I mentioned bringing a woman into the pack? Just call her visit a gift.” He tried to walk past Evan, but the bigger man shoved him in challenge. What should he do? It was his own fault for setting up his men. He knew Travis and Patrick wouldn’t have a problem with a one-night stand. Evan had never entered his mind as a problem.

Evan’s thoughts were strong, like white lightning in Garret’s head. The crazy fool thought he was in love with the human girl. But wasn’t that why he sent Cassie to his pack in the first place—to see if there was a higher connection, to test if things could actually work between the five of them? He shook his head. Only four of them since Matthew was still missing. The sober thought reminded him that taking a life mate now would be a disservice to everyone. There was too much going on in Climax to add love bites to the mix.

“Now’s not the time for a mate,” he said, adding finality to his tone.

“You should have thought about that before playing the hero. Maybe if you’d had the balls to spend the night with her, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” He dragged a hand through his blond hair, his muscles taut, ready to fight for the woman.

“I can separate business and pleasure. You, apparently, cannot.”

“Then where were you? Are you so special that you can go without pussy, but we can’t?”

He could hear vehicles coming along the path into the mine. The staff would begin trickling in now. It was a good excuse for him not to deal with Evan. He wasn’t even sure what he was going to do himself, so didn’t need the added pressure. His test was both a success and failure. So far one of the three had the same instant connection to Cassie as he had. It solved nothing, only confirmed the fact that this strange woman had likely been sent by the gods, at the right time and place for them to find her. He believed in fate. But rather than be thrilled at the prospect of finding a mate, he was terrified. More responsibility when he’d already failed his men as alpha.

“Not now, Evan. Don’t piss me off, I’m really not in the mood. Remember the blood bond.”

Evan stormed off, climbing up to board one of the dump trucks. His pack was growing weaker rather than stronger, and Garret was desperate to bring them all back together.

* * * *

The morning had been awkward as she’d anticipated. She dressed, and then Travis and Patrick drove her to work. No words were spoken besides common greetings and mentions of weather. If only she could appreciate last night for what it was worth without yearning for more, hoping for forever.
I promised not to do this to myself.
She’d watched the three men dress, their bodies muscled perfection. Even as the many layers of plaid and flannel were added for a day of working out in the elements, she was aroused. There was something stimulating about a working man—work boots, roughened hands, no apologies, and a down-to-earth appeal. She’d never been attracted to all the suits in her office in the city. These were real men. Cassidy imagined they’d get jealous easily, fight for what they believed in, and she already knew they could fuck like studhorses. Why couldn’t they want her? Was she that unlovable? There had been many times when she’d felt something special between her and one of the men, something monumental. It must have been her imagination or wishful thinking.

As she sat at the desk, she realized she didn’t know what the fuck she was supposed to do. If she went looking for Evan, Patrick, or Travis, they’d probably think she was being needy or clingy, looking for excuses to talk to them. She wouldn’t be
that
woman, not ever. If they wanted to keep things business from now on, she’d erase last night from her memories permanently…if only it were so simple to forget.

“You’re early.” She looked up to find Garret standing in front of her desk. Was she that lost in her thoughts she hadn’t heard the whiny trailer door open? She couldn’t help but admire his dark good looks. Those haunting eyes gazed into hers.

“I got a ride with a couple of your crew. I’m sorry, but I thought I was going to be given a crash course on how to do things. I don’t want to mess things up by guessing.”

“Of course. I’m here to help.” He sat on the edge of the desk. “I was thinking though. What made you want to move to Climax all on your own? Don’t you have family that misses you?”

He wanted to know more about her? First he handed her off to his men, then warmed up to her after she’s already participated in a ménage à quatre. Did he know?

“I have no family.” Then she corrected herself. “I had a grandfather for a brief moment in time, but he’s passed on. He’s the reason I’m here. He willed me his old house.”

“No siblings?”

She shook her head. “I came expecting a lot more—a furnished house with a working bathroom, more amenities in town, and no wildlife on my doorstep. But I was up for the adventure no matter what I found when I got here.” There was no sense mentioning her adoption or the half brother she believed was out there somewhere. She learned people didn’t really care to know the whole bitter truth when asking questions. It was best to keep as professional and distant as possible since Garret seemed to do it so well.

“What do you think now?” How could he fix his eyes on her for so long? She squirmed under his unblinking focus. As much as she wanted to be independent, not enslaved by her emotions, she also craved his approval. Wasn’t it only human to be wanted?

“It’s tough, but it’s only been a few days. I’m sure I’ll get used to everything as I settle in.” She wasn’t going to run off with her tail between her legs like the last dispatcher. It would be hard to see all the men from last night every day and not wish for more between them, but she’d learn to live with it.

“Will you be staying at my men’s cottage again tonight?”

“No,” she snapped. “I think it best if I stay in my own house.” Even a cold, wood floor was preferable to staying with a bunch of playboys. From experience, she knew that burning attraction fizzled out as if rained upon after a man got sex. She’d be used goods now, yesterday’s conquest.

“You’re uncomfortable. It wasn’t my intention, I promise. If it helps, I know what happened last night.”

He did? How much did he know exactly? Her face felt as flush as crimson when he addressed her as if speaking of the weather, not a fucking orgy. “Who told you?” She suspected Travis. He came across as the kiss-and-tell type. The other two she wasn’t so sure about.

“No one. I can smell it on you. Sex. It has a distinct aroma and you’re drenched in it.” He shifted closer, slow and sensual. Why was he doing this?

“I wasn’t able to shower,” she said dismissively. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to with no bathroom at my place.”

He smiled at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “I have a solution to that. Come…” He stood and held out his hand. What did she have to lose? She followed him out of the working trailer to the one next to it, a bit closer to the pit. The area was already coming to life. The beeping of trucks backing up, men greeting one another, and the excavator digging into the earth.

The other cabin wasn’t set up as an office. It looked more like a bachelor pad. “Is this where you live?” She envisioned Garret owning an expensive chalet-style home being foreman and apparently a big-time landowner. If he lived in this simple trailer, she had him pegged all wrong.

“Part-time, I suppose. It’s my private getaway.” He was right behind her as she began to explore. She dared not turn and bump into him. If she touched his hard body, she may not be able to stop.

She felt like a mouse in a cage, judged for what she’d done with the crew. Only yesterday she’d dreamt of a future with Garret, but he’d never want her now. “If you don’t want me working here anymore, I understand.” It’s not like she’d let her personal life affect her job, but as foreman he had to look out for the best interest of the company…his company.