Seal Wolf Hunting (9781402293832) (3 page)

Allan moved closer to Paul and said under his breath, “When the hell did they come back into the area?”

“Must have been recent or your mom would have told us.” Paul hadn't seen the men in eons and was glad of it—the last time having been before their pack and an all-wolf pack contracted rabies and killed most of the members of the Cunningham pack.

“Dusty Cooper, I told you I'm not going out with you. So get it through your thick head,” the shorter of the two women said.

Paul and Allan watched the situation, both ready to defend the woman if she needed them to. It was a hazard of being SEALs and protective wolves, even if the woman was human and not part of their pack.

“You only say that because you've got your girlfriend with you and she doesn't like me,” Dusty said, casting an irritated look at the other woman.

“Yeah.” The brunette folded her arms. “Because you can't take no for an answer. Why don't you go back to Somerville's ranch and poke a cow. Leave Ellie alone.”

“Why don't you mind your own business?” Dusty said, using more of a growl now.

“Come on, Dusty. We're attracting a crowd.” Howard jerked a thumb in Paul and Allan's direction.

Dusty turned to look at them. Neither of them would hesitate to put the man in his place.

“What the hell are you looking at?” Dusty's expression declared he was ready for a fight, either to impress his friends or to show the women he wouldn't be pushed around.

“Nothing much,” Paul said.

Eyes narrowed, Dusty made a move toward him, but his brother seized his arm and said again, “Come on, Bro. We've got business to attend to, and you know Somerville will dock our pay if we get involved in another fight.”

Dusty turned back to the blond and said, “Later.”

Then the men headed to the checkout counter, where Jerome pointed to a poster. Both Dusty and his brother glanced at it. All three men turned to stare at Paul and Allan. “Hell,” Dusty said, then he and his buddies paid for their things and headed out of the store.

“Them being here doesn't bode well,” Paul said to Allan as they finished getting their groceries. The cowboys were in great shape, but the SEALs had combat training the ranch hands wouldn't see coming if they got into a fight.

“I agree,” Allan said. “I really thought they'd left the area for good.”

When Paul and Allan reached the checkout counter, the pretty redheaded cashier smiled brightly at them. “My, my, everyone said the Somervilles' ranch hands would have the SEALs eating their dust at the auction because they'd be bought up so fast, but…” The woman looked them up and down, appraising them both. “I'd say they'll have a run for the money. I've never seen Dusty turn tail and leave when he's hitting on a woman before either. He's ticked off, to be certain.”

“Auction…?” Paul asked. He wondered how she even knew he was a SEAL. He didn't remember this woman either. Lots of people moved in and out of the community all the time.

“Sure.” She motioned to a poster in the window featuring a lineup of ten men, including photos of Paul and Allan that Rose had taken when they were at the lake last year. They were wearing swimming trunks, their arms folded across their tan chests, their expressions gruff because Rose had insisted on taking the pictures. They hadn't wanted her to, but Catherine had interceded to get them to agree. Neither could say no to Allan's mother.

Now Paul realized they should have ensured that Rose didn't take the pictures.

“It's for a good cause. When Mike O'Keefe came home after losing both his legs to an IED explosion in the last conflict, the town went all out in refitting his home so that he can get in and out easier. He's got a wife, a toddler, and a kindergartner, and they can use all the help they can get. Since you're SEALs, I'm sure you understand. Anyway, the three guys on Somerville's ranch were the top contenders for getting the biggest bids. Even I'll be at the bidding. We sure hoped we could get that artist friend of yours to sign up too. But he said he had to fly off to a new exhibit.”

“Michael Anderson? How do you know he's a friend?” Paul asked. Michael had only visited here a couple of times, and Paul didn't remember ever going anywhere with him in town where the connection would have been made.

“He was with Rose when they came in to get groceries yesterday. She's Allan's sister, right? And Michael was bragging to me about how those SEALs on the poster are his good friends.” She pointed to a poster to the left of the other. “He's donating that beautiful painting of a wolf sitting at the river. That's just a small poster of it—he's actually donating the oil painting.”

Paul gaped at it. Hell, it was Lori in her wolf form sitting beside Flint Creek. Then he grinned. He was bidding on it, and come hell or high water, he was buying it.

The clerk smiled sweetly at Allan, then finished ringing up the total. “That will be sixty-five dollars and seventy-five cents.”

Neither Paul nor Allan moved to pay for the items. They both were still stunned to learn that they were on a honey-do bachelor auction block—two SEAL wolves for sale—even if no one else knew about the wolf part of the equation. And so were three troublesome cowboy wolves. Paul wondered just how long they'd been here and why no one had said anything to Allan and him.

“Ohmigod,” Rose said to Lori as they walked to their cars, “I can't believe Paul kissed you! And not just…
kissed
you. I swore he and Allan had brought the jungle heat back with them, as steamy as it was in the kitchen with all the time Paul took to lock lips with you. No sweet little peck on the lips or anything.”

Lori felt her cheeks flame hot—
again
. Though her grandma and Catherine hadn't said a word about it, Lori knew they were thinking plenty. Tessa's brother, Michael, was all grins, wanting to know everything he had missed and wishing he hadn't been such a heavy sleeper. But after he'd played role-playing games half the night on the computer in Allan's old room, she could see why he was having a time waking this morning. He was cute, but definitely not SEAL material.

A red hawk flew overhead, making a shrill
chwirk
several times in a row.

Rose glanced heavenward at the soaring hawk. “Even your spirit guide is telling you so.”

“The hawk is calling a female in courtship.”

“We've only seen the one hawk around Mom's place. He's telling you to get with the program where Paul is concerned.”

Lori, Paul, and Rose had embraced their spirit guides, the animal spirits having come into their lives at a time when they'd needed them most—offering insight and guidance when most of their pack was being killed off by rabid wolves. In each case, the animal had come to them, connected with them, and guided them to safety. And from that day forth, their spirit animals had remained a part of their lives in mysterious ways. Allan continued to deny he had one, and Paul had been reluctant to believe a cougar was his. Which had to do with being a wolf and not an ally of the cougars.

“I didn't mean to clobber Paul. I didn't recognize him coming out of the dark, dressed in black, his face all blackened in guerrilla-warfare paint. All I could really see were the whites of his eyes. I couldn't even smell him yet. I thought he was that bank robber or something. So I hit him with the broom. When he kissed me, I—”

“Kissed him back?”

“That just sort of happened. Then I was annoyed that he had scared me and took him down.”

“And kissed him again.” Then Rose frowned. “Why did you think he was the bank robber? Why would he come here?”

Lori rolled her eyes. “He wouldn't. It was just on my mind because the robber hit another bank yesterday in the next county over. So that's who I thought of immediately. Who else would it have been?”

“Okay, got the connection.”

God, every time Lori saw Paul, her darn heart rate sped up, which is why she'd been avoiding him every time he returned to the area for the last couple of years. She didn't want to be gloomy for days on end when he went on another of his missions that sometimes lasted months. She didn't believe she would ever have made a good military wife. Even though he was no longer on active duty with the Navy, his schedule was just as bad as far as not staying at home for any reasonable length of time.

So this was the first time in two years that she'd even seen him. He'd been near enough to hear and feel her heart thumping and know how much he affected her too. Which further annoyed her.

“So…do you suppose this means Paul might finally be thinking seriously about settling down?” Rose asked. “You know…after that kiss?”

“Certainly not because of the kiss. Who knows whether he will or won't be?” Lori shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. “Maybe.” She had secretly hoped so for years. Not that he would mate her or anything. But…they needed a cohesive pack, and everyone had agreed that Paul should take charge in his parents' place.

“What if he decided to take over the pack? Would you consider mating him?” Rose persisted.

Lori's cheeks grew hot again. “Rose, how many years have we hoped he'd decide his home is here? Same with your brother. When they're ready, they'll settle down. But in the meantime, if either of us finds a suitable wolf mate and we decide to take over the pack, so be it.”

“You don't really mean that,” Rose said. “Paul's it. We've always known it. But I have to admit, I loved it when you smacked him in the head with the broom. You ought to do that more often. See what it got you this time?”

Lori chuckled. “A lot more than I expected.” Then she sighed. She knew something was going on with Rose, but though they were best friends and had been forever, Rose wouldn't tell her what was wrong. “Are you sure nothing's the matter?”

Rose's expression turned from lighthearted and amused to worried in a flash. She shook her head adamantly. “No, I'm fine.” She shrugged. “Why do you keep asking?”

“You've canceled on me for lunch and movie dates when you never do. You seem…well, on edge. Not yourself. Your…anxiousness started after the Cooper brothers were up at the lake with us last week. Are you still bothered about that?”

“No, of course not. They were being jerks. I doubt Dusty will hassle you any further. Or that Howard will bother me.”

“You haven't wanted to go to the lake with me since then.”

“I've been busy with the Howling Wolf. I've gotten a whole new shipment of art and gifts made by local artists, and you know how it is. Making room for them, changing displays, pricing everything. Even Michael brought in four new paintings. His wolves really sell well. And your grandmother has been sewing up a storm. The beaded moccasins, belts, and boots she creates are great sellers. And Mom's been having me help her design labels for the new line of salsa, spice rubs, and vinaigrettes she's started making in addition to the huckleberry jam.”

“Okay.” Lori had scrutinized every excuse Rose had given her, and they all held up. Yet the fact her friend was giving them made Lori suspicious. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“Yeah, of course. Well, I've got to go and get ready to open my shop soon. And you've got martial-arts classes to give.”

“Right.” Lori loved her dojo and was glad she'd finally opened it three years ago. She had a steady clientele and made enough money to support herself and her grandmother, if her grandmother had needed supporting. All the training Lori had taken in Bigfork had prepared her for having her own place, and she couldn't have been happier. Well, she'd be even happier if Paul would decide to settle down.

“See you at the auction tomorrow night,” Rose said, smiling and looking her usual happy self.

Lori could see through the deception. She had every intention of discovering what was truly going on.

* * *

The clerk repeated the checkout price for Paul and Allan's groceries as Paul was trying to figure out this business with the auction.

“When…” Then Paul saw the date on the poster. “Tomorrow night,” he said, answering his own question.

“Yep, six sharp, Town Hall,” the clerk said, smiling.

“Thanks.” Paul paid for the groceries, the clerk promised to see them there, and he and Allan hauled the bags out to his car.

“Your mom,” Paul said.

Allan shook his head. “She's just as much your mom as she's mine. I bet you anything that was why Mom was so reluctant to let us know what they'd been discussing before we barged in on them.”

They finished loading the groceries and drove back to the mountain cabin.

“Not to mention that Michael nearly spilled the beans by mentioning a painting for the auction, don't you think?”

“Yeah, it clears up the whole mystery.” Allan made a call and put it on speaker. “Mom, when were you going to tell us about the auction? What if we had hot dates for tomorrow night?”

Paul smiled at that—thinking he wouldn't mind one with Lori.

“Who told you… Oh, you stopped by the grocery store. You don't have hot dates for the night. You never have hot dates when you come here. Besides, it's for a good cause. You know Mike O'Keefe. He's a nice boy and he's got two little ones to take care of. So he and his wife need all the help they can get. Besides, he's a military man like the two of you.”

Allan frowned. “You could have asked.”

“You would have said yes anyway.”

Paul believed she must have had some doubts, or she would have asked them before they arrived home.

“That's what you were discussing with the other ladies this morning in private?”

“I was going to have you come by for lunch and discuss it,” she said.

“How long have the wolves been in town?” Paul abruptly asked, not liking that the troublesome men were hanging around the area. He wanted the situation addressed right away.

“The Cooper brothers? And their friend? They showed up a couple of days after the two of you went into the jungle. Though we didn't really know about it for about a month. They were hired at the Somervilles' ranch and stayed there the whole time, I suspect. Anyway, I couldn't get hold of you while you were on this last assignment or I would have let you know right away. After that…” Catherine paused. “You would be home and could deal with it. I wasn't thinking about them when you came here this morning—not when you charged in, looking ready to terrorize someone.”

Paul was about to say something about being there to protect and save, not to terrorize anyone, but Catherine spoke again.

“There wasn't anything we could do about them coming here, and they haven't…” Catherine hesitated to speak. “Well, I'm certain they've grown up now and aren't causing the kind of trouble they did for their pack in the old days.”

She was always willing to give others a chance and had a gentle spirit, which had earned her the name Running Deer as a term of endearment by Emma's husband, Lee Greypaw. Catherine didn't believe she was all that sweet and innocent—which was the deer spirit guide's message—but she was constantly looking for causes and helping others.

Paul had always thought Lee was right. He wasn't certain about the men not causing trouble for the pack though. Some people did grow up. Others were problems no matter how many years they lived. It just seemed to be their nature. “What time is lunch?”

“Make it noon. The auction is tomorrow night, and whoever buys your services has you for four to five hours over the weekend, depending on how much they pay for you. You still have two full weeks to spend on your vacation having fun, longer if you don't pick up another assignment right away. Isn't that so?”

“True,” Paul said. They had purposely not put their names in the pool for any assignment so their vacation wouldn't be cut short.

“What exactly are we required to do?” Allan asked.

“Odd jobs. Whatever your buyer needs you to do.”

Allan grinned. “Hope she's my age and…”

“Oh, honestly, Allan.
I
plan to buy your services.”

Paul laughed.

“Or Paul's. Depending on how high the bidding goes.”

Paul truly wouldn't mind. Allan's mother was easy to get along with, and she wasn't picky about things, so he was more than willing to work for her if she needed a bunch of jobs done around the place.

“So it's not really a bachelor auction,” Allan said.

“It's a honey-do bachelor auction. Whoever buys you will take you out for a night on the town after you finish your work.”

“In
this
small place?”

“Oh, Allan, there are a number of places you can go. I've got to run some errands now so I'll let you go.”

Paul interjected, “Is anyone looking out for Michael while he's in town?”

“All of us have been taking turns watching him,” Catherine said. “The full moon won't be out for another week, and he seems to be doing just fine. But one of us has been either with him at the art exhibit or taking him around where he needs to go. Other than that, he's been having a good time playing some of Allan's games at the house. Tessa has called every day to check up on him. But she doesn't want him to know about it.”

That made Paul feel a little better about Michael being on his own. Since he wasn't exactly on his own. “Good to know.”

“All right. See you later.” Allan ended the call with his mother.

Paul was shaking his head. “I can see if they had some local people who could do odd jobs around the place—carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians, whatever someone might need to have fixed up. But
us
?”

“Hey, we can do anything the experts can do. Or…we can call the proper professionals and have it done. Remember when that construction worker was taking care of some improvements on Mom's house and she asked him to change a lightbulb over the kitchen sink?”

Paul laughed. “Yeah. He was touching the stainless-steel sink and zapped himself while changing the lightbulb. I've never seen a human fly backward that quickly and still land on his feet. I still remember his prematurely gray hair standing on end. His supervisor was laughing, saying that's why his assistant did the dangerous work.”

Allan chuckled. “Remember that if the woman who pays for your services asks you to do anything too dangerous. Just call on one of the professionals.”

“Works for me.”

Allan helped put the groceries away, then paused. “Did you get the impression that the Cooper brothers and their friend might have given our pack members trouble?”

“If they did, they'll regret it,” Paul said, serious as hell.

He might not be here all the time, but no outsider would cause trouble for their wolves. It did concern him that the rest of their pack was all female, and two of them were the same age as the men from the Wolfgang pack. The pack had originated in Germany, the name meaning “path of the wolf” or “advancing wolf.” It had been fifteen strong, but now only the Cooper brothers and Jerome Huffman were left.

Normally, fewer females existed in a pack. In the Cunningham pack's case, the mix was a little different because of the rabid
lupus
garou
and the all-wolf pack that had decimated their numbers, killing off many of their women and children, and all of their men, who had been trying to protect their families. Only two male juveniles, Paul and Allan, had escaped the onslaught.