Wolf's Haven (3 page)

Customs weren’t the only thing the lone woman triggered? His wolf had taken a strong urge to protect her.

Devin walked toward the door and picked up the ax at the foyer. He closed the door softly behind him so as not to wake her and walked outside in snow.

Flakes fell onto his bare arms, but he didn’t so much as flinch. They melted immediately on contact.

He positioned a big hunk of tree on the ground and continued cutting at it. The fireplace was the only thing keeping the woman warm, and he estimated she would need a few more days of it.

Once he was certain the woman could fend for herself, with all the firewood she needed plus a well-stocked pantry, he would leave. He’d contemplated leaving already a few times, but couldn’t bear to dissert her in her state.

Devin had no idea what she had done or what she was trying to get away from, but he had enough of his own troubles to deal with.

***

Tamara woke up to the sound of banging. It was a God awful sound that matched the pain piercing through her head. Immediately she noticed she was in a bed…a very soft one. This was very unusual since she’d been on the run with Brad for the past couple months. Hotels and the back seat of a van had been her sleeping place during that time.

She focused on the soft light coming from the lamp on the night stand next to her. Palming the soft linen beneath her, she lifted herself to a sitting position. The yummy scent of food flowed under her nose and her stomach grumbled out loud. Glancing around, she took in her surroundings. She seemed to be in some kind of cabin of sorts. The walls weren’t really walls, but appeared to be trees hammered together to form the small square space that was the interior. A log cabin?

How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was her body hitting the ground and the startling emerald eyes that seemed to pierce her soul.

It was surprisingly warm inside, but when she looked to the window above the door, snowflakes hit and stuck to the glass. The wind rustled and whistled and something scratched at the roof.

Tamara lifted the covers and balked at the flannel men’s shirt and pajama bottoms she wore. She closed her lips tightly together and her eyes lingered again over her surroundings. The pounding started up again outside. It sounded an awful lot like someone was taking a hammer to something.

She had no recollection of this place. She needed to get out of here now.

As she swung her legs over the bed, a sharp pang of discomfort raced up her right leg. She bent over to stroke her ankle. There were bandages wrapped around it. Had she done this? She didn’t remember much. Images of the jump she made from the museum window, being face to face with the wolf, and feeling the crisp air whip at her face as she rode away on the back of the wolf.

Holding onto the edge of the nightstand for support, she eased herself up. The wood floorboards creaked loudly as she pressed her weight against it. The pain throbbed once more, but it was nothing she hadn’t experienced before.

The doorknob rattled and she turned just in time to see it turn and the door being swung open. She froze as a large man stepped under the door frame. Her gasp lodged in her throat, but her heart raced like a full sprint.

The man stood in the doorway and stared at her. She noticed the mysterious emerald eyes of the wolf. In one hand, he gripped a rope that secured together a bundle of firewood. In the other hand, he held the ax. He placed the offending tool next to the doorframe.

Tamara finally exhaled, but her veins drummed erratically with alarm. The stranger let go of the rope and the wood bundle hit the floor with a thud. Her eyes traveled from his boots to the pair of form-fitting jeans he wore. They were ripped at the knees. He wore a single grey t-shirt that was completely damp. Droplets of water covered his massive bronzed arms.

Another gust of wind whooshed against the cabin and a few slivers of snowflakes flew inside. Her body shivered, reminding her that it was colder than Hades himself outside. Still the seemingly mute stranger stood there like it was a hot summer day on the beaches of Honolulu.

She lifted her gaze to his face. He sported a wide jawline and full set of lips. From where she stood, she observed a dimple on both cheeks. There was stubble on his face that appeared to be at least two days old. The ends of his black hair settled and fanned over his shoulders. But nothing was more startling than his powerful green stare.

The man kicked out a foot behind him, and slammed the door shut.

Her heart jumped up to her throat and she gripped the edge of the nightstand firmly. “Who are you?”

“Devin.” His strong voice echoed throughout the cabin.

“What am I doing here?”

“I brought you here.” He reached down to grab the bundle and came closer into the cabin.

“Pervert! Where are my clothes?”

Devin turned, as if ignoring her and placed the firewood next to the fireplace. He grabbed the ends of his shirt and raked it up over his head.

His back muscles rippled as he hung his shirt on a chair beside him. The taut skin on his torso was bronze in color, and there wasn’t an inch of fat on him.

“My clothes?” she asked.

He took long strides toward her and she pinned herself against the wall beside the bed. The silver buckle on his belt sparkled as he approached.

“Don’t come any closer,” she warned.

He didn’t listen to her orders, and she searched nearby for a weapon. At the foot of the bed, he placed a stack of clothes. They were folded neatly. These were her clothes, only they’d been recently washed.

Tamara loosened her grip on the bed post. “Why did you bring me here?”

“You wouldn’t have gotten very far on a sprained ankle.” He knelt over the box at the foot of the bed and pulled out a fresh t-shirt. The nice rippled chest disappeared. “I don’t know who or what you were hiding or running from, but you can stay here until your leg heals. You won’t be able to run again until it does.”

She looked around again. “Is this your house?” Some of the surfaces needed a bit of dusting.

“Yes.” Devin had moved to the kitchen. He reached up into a small cupboard and removed a large bowl. After scooping a generous helping of the delicious smelling soup inside, he placed it on a tray. There was small table just under a window where he sat the food.

He was halfway across the cabin again before she could warn him. Before she knew it, he’d scooped her up and was carrying her. She didn’t have time to allow fright to overcome her. Even though he held her steady, her fingers gripped his arms on instinct. They were taut, just as she thought. Her palms brushed the skin, which was surprisingly smooth and soft. He was extremely warm to the touch. She knew his smell—a spicy distinct fragrance.

He sat her gently in a chair and slid the bowl of soup across the table. Her appetite suddenly roused as the steam floated up from the bowl. She swallowed, but her throat was exceptionally dry.

“I’m not very hungry.” Her eyes shifted away from the food to the floor in an attempt to avoid eye contact with him.

“I can hear your stomach grumbling. You’re hungry alright.” With that, he turned and focused his attention on the wood bundle.

She frowned and as if on cue, her stomach protested loudly. “You could be trying to poison me.”

“If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t be alive this very moment,” he said as he unraveled the rope securing the firewood.

“Where’s the wolf?”

Devin’s hands froze over the firewood and his eyes shot to her. There was a hint of shock in them. “He’s not home right now.”

“Is he your wolf?” She would never forget the wolf, no matter how hard she’d fallen. It’d saved her from a fate worse than death.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, he is.”

“I’d like to thank him for saving me. He’s a good wolf.”

Devin seemed to pause at her words, but he didn’t reply. He threw another piece of firewood at the flames and stood there poking at it.

Tamara spooned some of the soup and brought it to her lips. She savored the flavorful goodness of the concoction. It warmed her insides and reminded her of her nurturing mother. A second and third spoonful eaten turned into even more and the bowl was empty before long.

When she turned, Devin had just begun stuffing a duffle bag with clothes from the chest at the foot of the bed.

“Are you packing?”

“Yes.”

“Where are you going?” The thought slipped out before she could stop herself.

Devin swept his eyes over her, but it wasn’t in aggravation. “Home.”

Tamara shook her head. “I thought this was your home.”

“I own this place, but it hasn’t been my home for years.” He zipped up the bag. “I have to return to my hometown to take care of some business.”

“Oh.” The thought of him leaving suddenly bothered her. She had no idea why. Devin was a complete stranger.

“There’s enough firewood on the porch for a few weeks. By that time, the temperature would have already warmed up.” He prowled back over to the fireplace, pulled out a loose stone, and pocketed a wad of cash. “There’s enough food in the cupboard and in the freezer for a month. Eat what you need. We’re not too far from town. The path behind the cottage leads right into it.”

Shaking her head, she panicked. All this had been a bad idea. What made her think she would ever be able to make it on her own?

He seemed to ignore her as he prepared for his exit. “If you’re running from the law, I advise you to lay low for a while. There’s a carnival in town, and the roads are swarming with police cruisers. You’re free to stay here as long as you need.”

“I’m not running from the law exactly.”

Finally, he paused and turned his attention to her. “What are you running from?”

“My past,” she whispered.

He drew his brows together. “Your past?”

She nodded, and once again let her eyes trail across the floor.

“Are you in danger?”

“Yes. No. I mean, not anymore.”

He came to stand in front of her. “Are you afraid of something…someone?”

She wrung her hands in her lap and nodded.

Devin hunched his shoulders, and then he raised his eyebrows in question. “Who are you afraid of?”

“I’d rather not discuss my past. I want to leave it behind,” she said, firmly.

“What’s your name?”

“Tamara,” she said. The man had offered food, and his home, but didn’t even know her name.

“I’ll stay one more day, Tamara, if that will make you feel comfortable.”

She lifted her head to meet his gaze and smiled at him. “Yes, please. I’d like that very much.”

He nodded and let his bags drop to his feet.

D
evin had awakened several times throughout the night. The noise from the snowstorm outside disturbed him, reminding him that the quiet nights he’d enjoyed back home in Montana would be a distant memory in a matter of weeks. His responsibilities would be laid out before him tenfold the moment he showed face in the Caedmon village.

Oddly, that wasn’t the only matter pressing him. From his position just outside the window poised on a ladder, he’d watched Tamara fumble around in the small kitchen nearly all morning. There was no doubt that she’d gotten up to the sound of him fidgeting with the rickety window. She’d yawned and then looked up once or twice to acknowledge he was outside, then gotten up from the bed.

Devin spread the last of the sealant next to the crack on the window. This needed to be done before the worst of the snow storms moved in over the next few days. If he was going to offer up his shelter to this woman, she needed to be safe and warm.

Inside, Tamara began placing the food on two plates. He’d found himself grinning a few times as she rushed about looking in every cabinet and drawer for just the right utensil. He fed his wolf at the break of dawn while she still slept, but still his mouth watered as she stacked pancakes high on a platter. The aroma of juicy bacon had his stomach grumbling the way hers did just last evening.