Challenged (8 page)

He caught her attention and winked slyly before turning his attention back to her

sire. Ali hated how he flirted with her so openly in front of her den, as if he already had

her sire’s approval or something.

Ali licked her lips, looking away from Mickey and glancing at Gabe. He looked so

much like Stone, everything inside her ached to see his twin again.

“Paul down at the lumberyard told us you bought this trailer, asked us to stop by to

help you measure for the new furniture you wanted inside it.” Gabe glanced her way as

he spoke, letting his gaze stroll down her.

Fire burned through Ali. She frowned and looked down at her feet. This wasn’t

right. She shouldn’t feel anything from a mated werewolf.

Her sire started talking to the two werewolves about what his plans were for his

new mobile home. The energy generating from everyone so early in the morning was

too much for Ali. She needed coffee.

“Come help me get food ready,” her mother said, taking her arm.

“Why did you buy the mobile home?” Ali asked her mother once they were alone

in the kitchen.

“Your father thought it would be fun to do some traveling. All of you are getting

older now, and traveling in a car to different packs would be cumbersome.” Audry

tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Besides, when he did the siding for the Millers,

they couldn’t pay for all the supplies. He got the mobile home in trade for labor.”

Audry’s once-blonde hair now streaked with gray, although her face still showed

her youth in spite of all the cubs she’d birthed. Her blue eyes glowed as she spoke.

“Sounds like Dad,” Ali said, pouring much-needed coffee into a mug then inhaling

the rich scent of the hot brew as she turned to look out the back door.

“He’s a good werewolf, always there for the pack.” Audry didn’t need to tell Ali

that. She knew her sire had strong values.

And he’d given them to her too. He really had. Taking a quick sip from her cup,

and then a bigger drink, she held the mug to her lips while watching Gabe’s back. The

werewolf reminded her too damned much of Stone. Just an inch or two taller than

Mickey or her sire, muscles fine-tuned enough to stand out as stronger, bigger, tougher.

Stone’s appealing qualities were just as well-defined in his twin.

Damn it. Where were those redeeming qualities that were supposed to run through

her bloodline?

She turned from the back door, sipping again at her coffee.

“Where would we go?” Thoughts of traveling to Prince George sounded damn

appealing at the moment.

The back door opened and Janie Lynn skipped into the kitchen. “Mickey is asking

Dad if he can take you out Friday night.”

“No!” Ali snapped at her younger sister before she could stop herself. “I can’t go

out with him.”

Mother and sister grew very quiet, both of them staring at Ali. She shook her head,

turning away from both of them.

“Without making a scene,” her mother began, using the tone she only used when

what she had to say was very important, “go tell your father that Ali can’t go out Friday

night.”

“Yes, Mother.” Janie Lynn skipped back out of the kitchen, letting the door slam

behind her.

Ali turned toward the coffee. Suddenly she desperately needed another cup.

“Is there something you want to talk about?” her mother asked.

Ali shook her head, not having a clue how she would bring up Stone to her mother.

It wasn’t like she could tell her that she allowed a werewolf who was just passing

through to take her virginity, that she couldn’t get him out of her head. And oh, by the

way, his twin was out in the yard talking to her sire.

No. She couldn’t say any of that.

“You were up last night. If I didn’t know better I’d say you were howling after

some werewolf. But since no one has come sniffing around, I’m clueless as to who it

would be.”

Ali turned, staring her mother in the eyes. She prayed she would have half her

mother’s perception when she finally birthed cubs.

“Mom. What would you say if I told you that I wanted to go to Prince George?”

Her mother puckered her lips, staring at Ali. She let out a sigh when she wasn’t

immediately accused of having lost her mind.

“Chasing after some werewolf?” her mother asked.

“Not exactly. How about if we call it a change in scenery?” Ali knew her mother

wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily.

“Tell me his name,” her mother demanded.

“Stone. Stone McAllister. I met him at the tavern and he went back to his home

pack.”

“He’s called for you?” her mother asked.

“No. Not exactly.” Ali walked over to the back door, her attention immediately

going to Gabe who had his back to her and was talking to her sire.

He had the same body as Stone’s, large and so damned muscular. His broad back

muscles tapered into a narrow waist and thick hips with tight buns of steel. It wasn’t

right to stare at a mated werewolf, but she wasn’t really staring at Gabe. Her mind was

envisioning Stone, and her body was screaming for him.

“I have to go, Mom.” Just bringing it up to her mother made her realize how

desperately true that was. “I can’t sleep and I can’t think. I have to go after him.”

Her mother shook her head. “Lord knows how I chased down your sire.” She shook

her head, a sad smile appearing on her face. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to talk your sire

into permitting it though.”

“There’s got to be a way.” Ali opened the back door, taking a deep breath of the

cold morning mountain air and heading back over toward the werewolves.

“Someone’s a lot more perky with a bit of caffeine in her,” Mickey teased, ruffling

her hair when she walked up to stand between her sisters.

“Hands off,” she snapped, curling her lip at him. “I’ll get a lot more than perky if

you touch me again.”

Mickey straightened, his ego obviously bruised. Ali didn’t care.

Her sire was inside the mobile home and Ali decided it was time for her to take a

look at the inside too. Stepping into the small living area, she was immediately

drowned with the smell of male werewolf. Gabe and her sire stretched, reaching into a

small hole in the ceiling while they fiddled with the wiring of one of the lights.

She wondered if Stone had the same skills, and somehow imagined that he did,

capable of building and maintaining a den just like her sire and his twin. She let her

eyes glide down Gabe, flat, hard abs visible against his close-fitting T-shirt. Well-worn

jeans hugged muscular legs. Her mouth went dry, and she averted her eyes, a weird

twisting in her stomach unnerving her. She had to quit staring at him.

God willing, her sire wouldn’t have him working around here at their den. She

would have to leave right away.

“This isn’t so bad,” she said, glancing around the simple mobile home.

Her sire grinned at her, lowering his arms and reaching for his toolbox. “Well, it

looks good on the outside, but there’s some things needing fixing inside.”

Gabe straightened as well, pulling his shirt down and taking his time looking at her

while her sire was busy sorting through tools.

“It wouldn’t take too much time to build new furniture and cabinets.” Gabe ran his

hand over the cabinets above the built-in table. “My littermate and I worked at a lumber

mill outside Prince George for a number of years. He’s still there now. A project like this

is pretty simple.”

He never took his gaze off hers when he spoke. Ali suddenly couldn’t breathe.

Stone worked at a lumber mill outside Prince George. Gabe’s scent suddenly seemed

stronger, more rich, intense. When he winked at her, heat flushed through her, making

her feel like a pup.

She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “If this is such an easy job, why

don’t you fix it up for us then?”

When he smiled, she almost believed Stone stood in front of her. She would

absolutely go nuts with him working in her yard fixing up this damn trailer.

Audry called for Jonathan from outside and her sire walked over to the door. He

stepped outside, although Ali smelled that he was just outside the door without

looking. Gabe stepped closer to her, that crooked grin making her heart race in her

chest.

“I talked to Stone about you last night,” he whispered.

Chapter Five

Stone navigated the huge flatbed truck into the lumberyard. The yard was a lot

smaller than the one in Prince George. Mountains surrounded him as he jumped out of

the truck. The fresh cold air filled his lungs, clean and crisp, reviving his brain. It had

been a long drive.

Gabe walked up to him with a large, stocky werewolf at his side. The older man

had gray whiskers and clear blue eyes. For an older Cariboo lunewulf he appeared in

good shape.

Stone already knew who he was.

“You must be Jonathan Bastien.” Stone held out his hand.

“Amazing.” The older werewolf chuckled. “There are two of you.”

“I’m the hardworking one.” Stone grinned in return.

“Good. Then you won’t need our help unloading,” Gabe countered, which caused

Bastien to break out into a deep laugh.

“Well, working with you two should prove interesting.” He turned his attention to

the load of wood that Stone had been asked to bring out.

Stone knew the Cariboo got a damned good deal on his supplies. Offering to bring

the load out here had saved Bastien a pretty penny as well. But taking care of the sire of

Ali had nothing to do with anything. Stone would make sure any Cariboo got the best

deal.

It had been several days since Stone first talked to Gabe. After returning to Prince

George, he’d dived into work, pulling long hours and spending nights in his fur

running off pent-up energy. When Gabe and Pamela first called, telling them about

their encounter with Ali, it had been all he could do not to return to Banff that day.

But he wouldn’t go running across the country after some bitch. There were plenty