Rebecca's Wolves (Wolf Masters Book 6) Page 5

  Jesus.

  She jerked her gaze up to his face. He was definitely Native American, and his face was every bit as sexy as the rest of him. A small scar above his left eye was the only thing marring his beautiful face, and even that was more of an added attraction than a deterrent.

  His brow was furrowed. His chest rose and fell with every breath. Finally, he spoke. “Fuck me.” His gaze was on Rebecca. He hadn’t glanced at Griffen yet.

  She could feel his stare as though it reached inside her and grabbed onto her heart. She held tighter to Griffen’s fur, probably hurting him with the pull she had on his side now.

  Griffen stiffened beneath her touch. He lifted his head a fraction.

  The newcomer was intense.

  She shivered as he continued his perusal of her as though she were the oddity instead of him or any of this other motley band of wolves. She actually started to believe that may be the case.

  “Shit,” Trace said.

  “I prefer my original idea.” It was only the second time Miles had spoken, and his words were deep and gravelly.

  Rebecca’s hands shook. What did he mean by that?

  A low growl vibrated through Griffen, and she jerked her gaze to his head. His eyes were on her. His jaw hung open, but he lifted his head as though he was attempting to stand.

  Rebecca held him down, ignoring the sexy naked man also growling at her. “You want to help out?” she asked him in exasperation. “Or just stand there staring?” She didn’t mean to be a bitch, but wasn’t that why the man came? To help Griffen?

  Sharon chuckled. Though for the life of her, Rebecca couldn’t imagine why. “This is rich.” Whatever Sharon was referring to, it certainly didn’t take precedence over the current problem.

  Griffen needed medical attention. Wasn’t that why his brothers had run off through the mountains in the first place?

  And now this broad man with skin darker than any of them stood over her as though brooding. Still naked.

  “Miles.” Trace broke the trance. “Let’s deal with Griffen first.”

  Miles jerked his gaze to Trace and nodded. Finally, he leaned down and hovered over the wounded leg, noticeably still naked.

  Rebecca fought the urge to stare at his body. His cock… Lord have mercy. It bobbed there between them, making her lick her lips. Out of nervousness, right?

  And the bear of a man didn’t give one hoot about his nudity. He made absolutely no movement to cover himself.

  When Miles set his hand on hers to lift it off the bandage, they both sucked in a sharp breath.

  She knew it wasn’t just her. It felt like a bolt of electricity raced through them, and if she wasn’t mistaken, it included Griffen.

  Miles gripped her hand firmly and met her gaze before tipping his head to examine Griffen’s leg. He used his other hand to peel away the gauze, not releasing Rebecca’s fingers.

  His hand was huge and warm and comforting all at once. She felt a twinge of guilt at the way he made her calm almost instantly. But after the day she’d had, she relished the sensation and had no desire to break the connection even though her intentions should have been a bit more altruistic.

  All she cared about was his thumb stroking her palm where he held her as though his right arm weren’t in cahoots with his left, which proceeded to prod against the deep hole in Griffen’s leg. “Do you have a flashlight?” he asked over his shoulder.

  In seconds someone aimed a beam of light over the leg. The sun had slipped behind the mountain, leaving them in the dim light of early evening.

  Miles lifted the rear leg with his one hand, completely undaunted by what should have been a hindrance.

  Griffen growled.

  Miles chuckled. “I know I’m not hurting you physically, buddy. Don’t even try to pull that one over on me. Share nicely. You have no other choice.”

  What the hell?

  Rebecca had no idea what he was talking about, but his words sent a renewed shiver down her spine. Something was happening here she was neither privy to nor wanted to be. It would be best if she kept her mouth shut.

  “I’m gonna shift back,” Miles said to no one in particular, his gaze locked on Griffen’s. “Talk to Griffen. Get a better idea of the pain and what he wants to do.” He lifted his face to Rebecca.

  His penetrating stare made her breath catch. His voice lowered to a gentle tone. “Stay right here, love. Don’t move. I want to be able to see you at all times. Got it?”

  All she could do was nod. She had no clue what she was agreeing to, but she couldn’t deny him, either.

  Miles squeezed her hand firmer and pulled it to his cheek. He rubbed the back of her fingers against his day-long stubble and hummed. His eyes closed briefly while she watched him, mesmerized. Shock didn’t begin to describe what she felt.

  She was in a trance, held there by a naked god and a wolf.

  Miles shook his head as though in dismay as he released her. “Heavenly spirits, what on earth have you gotten me into?” he asked of the world at large.

  She was certain she saw a twinkle in his eye and half a smile before he leaned back and transformed into the form he’d arrived in—a giant wolf, darker than Griffen, almost black, and larger if she wasn’t mistaken.

  He set his paw on Griffen’s back and stroked. The act was so tender. Raw.

  Rebecca sucked in a sharp breath and leaned forward. Part of her felt as though she was eavesdropping on a private moment. The rest of her felt as though she was a part of it, her world intertwined with theirs in some strange fashion.

  Besides, no matter how close she got to them, there was no way for her to know what they were communicating. They didn’t even make sounds. And yet, their gazes were locked together.

  Griffen flinched once, lifting his front paw toward Miles. Miles batted it away and set his own back on Griffen’s side. He leaned down closer, narrowing the space between them.

  Rebecca set the hand Miles had held on his hind leg. She couldn’t explain her need to touch him, but it was instinctive. Her other hand still rested on Miles, having slipped to his belly.

  No one spoke around her. She could hear them breathing close-by in the silence, but they kept quiet and waited.

  The air around her was thin. It was almost totally dark now. She should have been cold, but all her focus was on the two wolves exchanging volumes of information without any outward indication. She knew that fact without a doubt. Just like she knew the sky was blue and the trees were green.

  Finally, Miles turned to her and dipped his head to nuzzle her hand, the one on top of Griffen. Miles blinked a few times and then eased back, tugging his hind leg free of her grip.

  He stretched out next to Griffen and reenacted the process of becoming human.

  Rebecca flinched, but she was growing used to this insane new reality. She didn’t take her gaze off Miles as his bones popped back into place. He rose onto his knees on the other side of Griffen, tucked his hair behind one ear, and took her hand in his once again. “Okay. Here’s the deal.” He stared directly into her eyes, but he spoke to everyone at large. “He’s gonna be okay. I’ll doctor up the leg here, and then we’ll have to hunker down in a pile for the night. By morning he’ll probably be able to make his way down the mountain.”

  “What are you going to do?” Rebecca hadn’t broken the stare-off, either.

  “I have a poultice I’ll use, and I’ll make sure the tendons and ligaments are aligned right.” He lifted her fingers to his mouth and kissed her knuckles before setting her hand on Griffen’s leg. “I may need you to hold him steady.”

  She could barely hear his words through the ringing in her ears. He’d just kissed her hand?

  She blinked, trying to make sense of the senseless.

  Miles rummaged around in his bag and pulled out a jar of something brown. “You’re a nurse they told me.”

  “Yes.” Her voice sounded weak even to her own ears. “Humans are my specialty.”

  He chuckled, a deep t
inkling sound that warmed her all the way through. “Hold on to him, love.”

  That was the second time he’d called her love. Was it just his way of speaking to others? Women perhaps?

  He worked the leg in every direction, prodding and pulling and stretching Griffen so much, Rebecca was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold him steady. If he worked his way loose, she was liable to get kicked.

  Finally, he was done. “No broken bones. That’s good. Has he had much to drink?”

  “Yes. He had a bottle of water out of my hand. Most of it at least.” She’d done her best without a bowl while they’d waited for Miles to arrive.

  “Good. He needs more, though. He lost a lot of blood.”

  Rebecca nodded.

  Miles opened the jar and reached in with two fingers to pull out a glob of the substance.

  Rebecca didn’t want to know what it was. It looked like peanut butter. Probably some ancient family remedy.

  And then he was finished. He wrapped the wound in clean gauze and wiped his hands on a disinfectant wipe. “When was the last time you ate, love?”

  She swallowed hard. The man was so intense. She had the sensation they’d known each other for years. Decades. The way he looked at her with his brow furrowed in concern was daunting. “Lunch,” she murmured.

  “Do you have anything in your pack you could eat?”

  She nodded. Why was he so concerned with her? What about the others?

  “Good. Get it. You’ll need the energy to stay warm. And put on everything you brought. Jacket. Pants.” He nodded at her bare legs.

  It hadn’t occurred to her she should be cold by now. Her skin looked so pale in the waning light surrounded by dark fur.

  Miles reached forward with one hand and set it on her shin. His skin tone was so much darker than hers. “You have goose bumps, love.”

  Someone handed Miles her backpack. Sharon.

  Rebecca lifted her gaze to find her friend staring down at her in concern. “I’ll be fine. Why is everyone so worried about me?”

  Sharon kneeled on the ground next to Miles. “Because we can all shift and stay warm. You can’t. We can also go for longer without eating.”

  “Oh.” They were all going to shift? The idea made her nervous. The thought of cuddling up for the night with a pack of wolves sounded terrifying and lonely.

  As though he’d read her mind, Miles spoke again. “I’ll stay with you, love.”

  She knew he meant unshifted. Should she be grateful? If she were to lie alongside his huge warm body, there would be no way she could control her physical response to him. Just pondering the idea made her pussy grow wet.

  Miles smirked and dipped his head to rummage through her pack. He pulled out the legs to her shorts first and handed them to her. “Zip these on.”

  Reluctantly, she released her grip on Griffen and tugged the bottom half of her pants over her hiking boots, zipping them to her shorts when they were in place.

  Next he handed her a protein bar. She never went anywhere without a stash of them.

  Griffen’s chest rose and fell next to her. She opened the wrapper and took a bite, but it was difficult to chew and swallow. Food she normally enjoyed didn’t taste right. Her nerves had taken over her body. Her hands shook more violently now, and not from the cold she was suddenly aware of, but from the stress of the afternoon all crashing in at once.

  Miles came around behind her and took her arm, helping her into her jacket. She switched the protein bar to her other hand to aid in the process.

  When he finished, he reached around her from both sides and zipped her up.

  She lifted her face to him as he circled back to her pack. “Are you going to put some clothes on?” She tried to sound nonchalant, but if the man didn’t cover himself soon, she would have a stroke. His damn cock bobbed in front of him every time he moved.

  She’d seen every sort of human body part in every length and girth as a nurse, too many to count, but his was larger than any she’d had the pleasure to meet before, and consistently erect.

  “If you wish.” He chuckled again as he grabbed his jeans and shrugged into them.

  She wasn’t sure that look was better. The way the worn denim hugged his body perfectly, hanging loosely around his hips, made her lick her lips. He zipped them but didn’t bother to button them, so the trail of hair to his cock was there like an arrow, beckoning her to continue to stare. He seemed totally unaffected by the colder air.

  Rebecca closed her eyes and moaned. She didn’t mean to. It just happened. Seconds later, Miles leaned over Griffen and gripped the back of her neck with his enormous hand. “Please don’t do that, love. I can’t take it.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes going wide. Moan?

  When he released her, his hand trailed across her cheek and down her arm. “Eat.” He nodded at the bar hanging loosely in her hand, forgotten.

  Miles went back to perusing the contents of her bag. She should have felt an invasion of privacy. Something. Anything. But somehow the feeling didn’t materialize. Instead she had the sense she was his responsibility to care for, and that included ensuring she had everything she needed. “Oh good, you carry a Mylar blanket. Good girl.”

  She took another bite. Did he think she was an idiot? Nobody hiked as often or as far as she did without carrying a blanket. Anything could happen on a hike.

  And it had.

  Griffen’s brothers moved around the group, gathering their belongings and piling them next to the stone where Griffen lay.

  Trace asked the question Rebecca was thinking. “You going to stay human, Miles?”

  “Yes. One of us should. It should be me.”

  “Of course.” He set a hand on Miles’ shoulder. “Let me know if you need to switch.”

  “Not going to happen, brother. But thanks.”

  Again, Rebecca felt like she wasn’t privy to the meaning of their words. She didn’t have the energy to ask questions, though. She finished her protein bar.

  Miles reached for the wrapper as though he were so in tune with her every move he anticipated the exact moment she would hand off the trash. He handed her a bottle of water next. “Drink,” he commanded. “All of it.”

  Jeez.

  While she watched, he stood and took a few long strides to the edge of the path. He grabbed a pile of brush and spread it out on the ground next to the large rock about a foot beneath Griffen. He repeated the action several times and then took the jackets Trace handed him and made a sort of makeshift bed out of the soft brush.

  Rebecca caught on to his plan quickly.

  “Help me move Griffen to the ground here,” Miles said toward Griffen’s brothers. “We’ll be more protected from the wind and trap our woman between us.”

  Our woman?

  Rebecca flinched. He used the strangest words sometimes.

  Zachary and Logan helped ease Griffen off the ledge and onto the ground against the rock.

  Miles grabbed another bottle of water, and Griffen lifted his head to drink it greedily from Miles’ cupped hand.

  “Okay. Ready, love?”

  Ready for what?

  He nodded to the bed of brush and jackets. “You’re shaking. Let’s get you warm.”

  She pulled herself to standing where she still sat on the rock above them. Her legs shook from sitting so long. And she had another problem. “I need to, um, pee.” She nodded toward the thick trees. “Can I have the flashlight?”

  Miles stood, grabbing the light and reaching for her hand. “I’ll take you.”

  “Uh…” No fucking way.

  He smirked. “Everyone pees. I’m familiar with the process. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you wander away alone.”

  He had a point, but still.

  Reluctantly, she took his hand and followed him into the brush several yards.

  The others were so quiet. Why? Even Sharon had hardly spoken since Miles arrived.

  When Miles was satisfied with th
eir location, he stopped. “Here is good.”

  She lifted her gaze to him. Could she do this? Jesus. “At least turn around.”

  He narrowed his gaze, glanced around, and then consented with a huff and a scowl.

  While his back was to her, Rebecca quickly did her business and righted herself before he could change his mind and decide to watch. “Okay. Done.”

  He led her back to Griffen with a hold on her arm. “Lie down against Griffen’s side. His body heat will help significantly.”

  She did as she was told, noticing the others had all shifted while she was away and were curling up in a circle around them. One of them stood staring around into the night. On watch?

  Miles turned to speak to the standing wolf. Perhaps Trace. “I’m only concerned with bears. And you know there’s little chance of that with so many of us in a pack here. So don’t stress yourself out. We’ll smell one before he has a chance to get too close.”

  The wolf nodded. She was pretty sure it was Trace.

  The next thing she knew, Miles lay down along her other side. He shook out the Mylar blanket and tucked them both under it. Some of it even reached over Griffen.

  In seconds, Rebecca was snuggled tightly between the burly Miles and the furry Griffen. There was no way she would get cold. Not a chance.

  In fact, her blood seemed to be boiling.

  Miles moaned. “Turn around, love. Face Griffen instead.”

  She flipped to her other side. Good, because Miles’ breath landing on her face was too warm, smelled too good. And her nipples strained against her bra under the layers.

  Nope. This new position didn’t help at all.

  Now she was tucked with her back against his bare chest. He had one arm under her head as a pillow and the other tossed over her center, holding her tight against him.

  Why was he so hot? The temperature was falling rapidly, but Miles was unaffected. He was like a welcome oven against her.

  Except his cock pressed against her rear, nestling perfectly between her cheeks. And his breath still blew across her neck to reach her nose. He smelled of the outdoors and whatever body soap he used that morning. The warmth from his lips tickled her neck.