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  Red’s Wolf

  Copyright © 2010 by PJ Schnyder

  ISBN: 978-1-936394-18-0

  Cover art by Dara England

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

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  Red’s Wolf

  Book Two of Terra’s Guardians

  by PJ Schnyder

  DEDICATION

  “for Julie and Ariya, my cherished beta readers.”

  Chapter 1

  “Really, it's fine,” Carri stepped off the anti-gravity train and onto the platform as she wrapped up her call on her personal communicator. “I just got off the train. A few minutes of waiting won't hurt me, Grandpa Ben, truly. Bye.”

  The train doors slid shut once she cleared them, and the train rose to hover briefly before speeding along the track to its next destination, leaving her surrounded by wilderness. Trying to shoulder her unwieldy travel pack while disconnecting her comm, she over-balanced. Panic zinged a split second before she realized she teetered too close to the edge of the platform, and the drop to the ground was more than a step down.

  Damn. She flailed with her free arm, trying to grab for a railing or pole, but her fingers caught only air. Her stomach lurched.

  “Watch yourself!” A strong hand grabbed her upper arm, roughly pulling her against a rock-hard surface, steadying her. Actually, the hard surface was a very muscular chest, under a soft flannel shirt.

  The hood of her jacket framed the view of her rescuer’s chest and she abruptly wondered if the rest of him was as appealing. A wave of dizziness hit her and she clutched at the soft fabric beneath her hands. Her blood sugar was bottoming out after the long train ride.

  “I'm so sorry.” Carri unclenched her fingers, speaking carefully through the moment of weakness. “I'm really clumsy, and I guess I tried to do too many things at once. I'm fine now, really.”

  A deep chuckle rumbled around her, and she peeked out from under her hood. From the strong, stubble-covered chin to his wide smile full of straight, white teeth and eyes a startling steel grey rimmed in stark black, he embodied the rugged wilderness she’d come to visit. And he still held her up close and personal.

  Heat rushed into her face as she stepped to one side, mentally congratulating herself for not stepping backward and wasting his timely save with a second fall off the platform.

  “No apologies needed.” His dark voice rolled over her in a slow wave, sending shivers through her despite the layers of clothing she wore. He paused for a heartbeat, his gaze roving over her face. “I will take a 'thank you' though.”

  Before she could say just that, he leaned in, lightning quick, capturing her lips. Heat seared through her as his mouth sealed over hers, and a strong hand caught her jaw, tilting her head up to meet him. His tongue teased her, smothering any protest then darted into her mouth to taste her. A low moan worked its way up her throat, nothing like the protest she'd intended.

  Releasing her, the stranger flashed a feral grin and hopped off the platform before she could take a swing at him. Sputtering, Carri watched him land the dozen feet below with ease, her heart pounding in her chest. Every part of her skin tingled as he turned back to look up at her.

  “Let Ben know Jason decided to take the long way into Glacier Valley pack territory.” He grinned up at her. “See you around, Red.”

  He loped towards the forest line in the fading afternoon light, disappearing into the trees.

  The first shapeshifter she'd ever met in person managed to stun her speechless. Carri touched her fingertips to the lingering heat he'd left on her lips. Instantly, her mind cleared and anger flashed through her, burning away the unexpected sensuality he’d awakened. How dare he!

  “Carri?” a voice called from the far end of the platform. She turned to see another man approaching slowly, giving her time to recognize him. After all, she’d only ever seen his image through the vid screen.

  Taking a deep breath, she let go of her anger, remembering what her mother told her about shapeshifter male’s protective instinct. If she let her temper go, Grandpa Ben would ride her agitation into a rage of his own on her behalf. Not what she wanted. She smiled instead, giving him a quick hug before passing on the shifter’s message. “Grandpa Ben, 'Jason' is taking the long way into the territory.”

  “Just Ben'll do, Carri, you make a man feel old.” He scratched his chin, an embarrassed expression on his face.

  She shook her head. “You and Grandma Jenna were like a second set of parents for mom when her family lived on pack territory. Besides, I’ve been calling you two Grandpa and Grandma all this time in our vid-calls. You never seemed to mind.”

  “It sounded cute when you were little,” he pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “Looking at you, all grown up and out here on professional business, hearing you call me Grandpa makes me want to look for grey hairs on my head.”

  “Your wolf form is grey anyway.” She stuck out her tongue and grinned. “Right now, you’ve got dark hair with not a grey in sight, and you look pretty fit and comfortably middle-aged. Feel better?”

  He grinned in return, looking down at her. “I’d feel better if I’d been here when you got off the train. I saw the lone wolf, Jason, heading off towards the nearest checkpoint. Guess he decided to go in on foot and check out the lay of the land.” His mouth twisted a touch. “He could have waited with you until I got here though. You'd think a male would have enough sense to make sure you were safely with your escort before running off. He may be here temporarily but he should show some consideration.”

  “It's fine.” She reached out, patting his arm. “I'm a big girl now. They don't only consider me an adult in the city; I might even be past my prime in some minds. We humans age faster than you shapeshifters do.”

  “Who says you’re past your prime?” His voice sharpened, and she began to realize how easy tweaking his protective nature could be.

  “It's only teasing, Grandpa Ben,” she soothed and cajoled him at the same time. “And I'm not in the city right now. I'm here for a visit with you and Grandma Jenna.”

  “And we are glad to have you out here, finally. We try to check in regularly to see how you and your mother are doing, but vid screens aren’t the same as a real visit.” He smiled down at her. As quick as that, the temper evaporated. He glanced dubiously at her over-stuffed travel pack. “I see your mother helped you pack.”

  She returned his look with a rueful grin. “She wanted to be sure I was prepared to rough it.”

  “We may be way out in the wilderness, without the luxury and high technology of the cities, but she does realize we have hot running water and modern plumbing, doesn't she?” He reached over to take her the pack off her shoulder. Straightening with the sudden freedom, she felt the rush of blood flow back through her shoulder and
the platform seemed a little more level under her feet. Rotating her shoulder a little, she reached for the railing as they walked. The cool metal felt comforting under her grip, solid and stable.

  “I think she shopped at a wilderness outfitter and bought a couple of everything they had in stock.” Glancing over the edge of the platform, Carri ducked her head trying to hide the rush of heat touching her cheeks, Jason’s voice and stolen kiss still fresh in her mind.

  “No need to be embarrassed, pet,” Ben reassured her, misunderstanding. “Your mother wanted to see to your comfort while you're away from home. I understand.” He put an arm around her shoulders, giving a friendly squeeze. He guided her across the platform and down the steps to a waiting all-terrain vehicle. Settling her into the passenger side, he dropped her pack in the back of the vehicle then climbed in the driver's side. “Gotta say, that's a nice jacket she bought you, not too bulky and a good color. We won't lose you in the woods. That’s for sure.”

  “It's warm, too.” She snuggled into the collar happily. The jacket had been a final send off from her mother, a stylish cut with a full hood in gorgeous red floral jacquard, lined with synthetic fabric designed to maximize heat retention without adding bulk. She could move freely and didn't look like a walking puff ball.

  “Jenna will love it.” Ben paused and then he added, “She's making dinner so it'll be ready when we get there. They still don't let passengers eat on the train, do they?”

  “No.” She leaned her head back against the seat, energy flagging. As the all-terrain vehicle skimmed smoothly through the deep forest, she looked out the window in a daze, watching the trees speed past and melt together.

  “The sweetness is in your scent.” Ben's voice sounded far away. “You're going into ketosis. We need to get food into you before your hypoglycemia kicks in and your blood sugar bottoms out.”

  “Can you really smell it?” She fumbled in her jacket pocket for her glucose tabs. “I thought I was tired from the trip.” She felt a little cold, and remembered the dizziness that swept through her earlier. Her encounter with Jason had distracted her and she forgot to take a glucose tab then.

  Ben shook his head. “We shapeshifters have sharper noses than humans. It's a good thing too, or you wouldn't have noticed this time.”

  “I'm usually much better than this.” More annoyed at herself than anything else, she slipped the tab under her tongue to dissolve. “The train ride took a long time, and I'm out of sorts.”

  And some strange guy kissed the common sense right out of my head.

  Tightness centered in her chest, and she wondered if she would see Jason again. Glacier Valley pack had a lot of wolves and the territory sprawled over hundreds of miles, but it was possible. The tightness slowly evolved into a flutter as she thought about the feel of his chest under her hands and his fingers at her jaw as he tilted her head.

  If she did meet up with him, she wasn’t sure if she’d take a swing at him as payback or ask for another kiss.

  ***

  “You're kidding, right?”

  Carri eyes narrowed as the words left Jason's mouth. The urge to take a swing at him grew every second. She thought she might bump into the handsome shape shifter again, but she hadn't realized she would end up working with him for the duration of her visit. Apparently, neither had he.

  Obviously, thrilled didn’t describe his reaction.

  “I thought the point was to get this aerial sensor array system up and running to protect the territory.” Not about to let him dismiss her, she pressed her point, “Recent attacks happened in adjacent territories and from what I've been told none of the prides and packs in the hit territories were weak. They all had strong patrols.” No widespread alarm in the cities yet, only because human police still searched for normal perpetrators instead of attributing attacks to the strange hunters identified by the shapeshifters recently. Because Carri's mother had been raised by Jenna and Ben, her family received more information than most and, more importantly, they believed the danger existed. “Reconnaissance indicates incursions from the air. If this system works, it could mean a whole new level of protection for all of the territories.”

  Jason gave her an assessing look, impersonal and doubtful all in one. “And what does any of it have to do with you?”

  She tapped the side of her head. “I led the design team for the detection software and sensors used in the system monitoring air traffic over the cities. I modified it for use out here.” She looked up into the air and out across the treetops of the forest around them. “If the hunters are coming in from the air, this system will detect them. It'll give early warning. It could save lives.”

  “Maybe, but I’ve always worked alone. Leave your software, and I'll get the installation done.” Jason didn't seem to be a man of many words and he definitely didn’t give her warm fuzzies at the moment.

  “You want to install this new equipment with my software, Furball, you work with me on the configurations.” She crossed her arms and jutted her chin, aware of how confrontational her body language came across. In a community running on four legs as well as two, and in their other forms couldn't use speech, body language spoke volumes and she used it to her advantage. Jenna shifted slightly at her shoulder, backing her.

  As the alpha female of Glacier Valley pack, Jenna had a lot of clout in the territory. To give him credit, Jason didn't back down, even with Jenna showing her support. Instead, he took a step closer and drew a long breath, taking in Carri's scent.

  “Last time I checked, you were human, Red.” He stood close; close enough to surround her with his body heat. She forced herself to look up into his grey eyes and the energy of his feral nature skated along her skin. “You run with the wild things like you were raised to it.”

  She shrugged without dropping eye contact. “Don't have to be a wolf to be pack.”

  His grin faded away. “Don't have to be pack to be a wolf. Learn more, Red.” He turned his back on her, striding into the small building housing the sensor array and controls. “I'll see you inside.”

  She would have followed him, but Jenna stopped her with a touch to the shoulder. “Carri, I know your mother passed on a lot of things about living with a pack.”

  “You and Ben took good care of her after her parents died in the hiking accident.” Carri turned to look into Jenna's calm, brown eyes. “She always told me she would have stayed with you two, with the pack, if she hadn’t fallen in love with Da.”

  Jenna smiled at Carri and reached out her other hand to brush one of Carri's stray blonde locks back into place. “Your mother was a joy when she stayed with us. She would have had a place here in the pack if she hadn't chosen to return with your father to the city after they met. Even then, she raised you to understand both worlds. You understand family. You know deep down inside what it is to be pack.” Jenna's face clouded with concern. “Lone wolves like Jason could strike out at you just for that. You're human and you're vulnerable. Don't push his buttons when it comes to the ties of the pack.”

  Carri nodded slowly. “I got it.” She turned her head to look at the door Jason had left open. It spoke of consideration, the little gesture. Even annoyed, he hadn't shut it and left her to open it herself. She owed him an apology for touching on a painful subject.

  “And, Carri?” Jenna raised an eyebrow as Carri returned her attention to the conversation. “I can tell you're interested in him. If I can tell, so can he.”

  Heat rushed into her face and she muttered a curse. Shapeshifters and their damn enhanced sense of smell, how did anyone get through a work day without being distracted?

  Jenna only shook her head and chuckled. “There are plenty of single males here in Glacier Valley pack, Carri. Pick someone safer.”

  Carri cocked her head to one side. “What? No lecture about chastity and virtue?”

  Jenna smiled, not as a maternal figure, but as a female full of sensuality and feminine pleasure. “You're not a child, Carri, and this is not your mother's
home. You came here to stretch a little, so stretch.”

  “I came to visit you,” she asserted her loyalty. “And the pack needs this sensor array.”

  “You'll see me for breakfast every morning.” Jenna tapped Carri's chin. “Keep your evenings, and nights, to yourself. You're keyed to the bio-sensors of the house. Don't make a lot of noise coming back in. The male you choose will see you safely home.”

  Jenna left her to chew on the tidbit of information and hopped in the all-terrain vehicle to head out on pack business. For the first time since she'd left the city, Carri comprehended how much freedom she’d gained.

  Grinning, she practically danced into the building to get her work started.

  ***

  Jason didn't bother to smooth the scowl from his face as the girl came waltzing in as if she skipped on air. Not just human, she exuded one of those cheery personalities, as if he needed more to get in his way on this job.

  As she closed the door behind her, he held his breath so the stir of air didn't waft her delicious scent to him. He didn't need the intoxicating combination of sweet and spicy distracting him, not when the wolf part of him wanted another taste of her. He’d kissed her on impulse the night before, not anticipating how her honey sweetness would linger in his memory. On a job like this, he needed to concentrate.

  Of course, he found it hard to ignore a person when she walked straight up to him. He turned, bringing himself up short as he found her standing right beside him, her clear blue eyes looking up and straight through him.

  “Why are you the man for this job, Jason?” She fired her question point blank, with no hesitation and completely out of the blue.

  A growl built in his chest, but he checked his anger. Her question held no malice, her body language relaxed and non-challenging, so he gave her the answer. “Because I'm the best.”