Lisa burst into tears.
Luc and Adam arrived, their arms filled with the guys’ clothing. Luc dropped his bundle and pulled Tia into a protective hug. Adam handed his bundle to AJ. “Didn’t want you guys arrested for indecent exposure,” Adam said. He leaned close and kissed Eve. Are you okay?
I’m okay…but I’m so glad you’re here. Kissing Adam immediately settled her nerves. She tangled her fingers in his long, dark blond hair and inhaled his familiar scent. A sense of calm flowed over her, soothing her racing heart and taking away her worry.
Adam slowly pulled away from her and smiled. Then he knelt in the dirt next to Tinker.
AJ stayed where he was, supporting Tink’s broad back against his chest. Mik moved aside and got out of the way with a nod to Adam. “He’s all yours, bro.”
Adam flashed a grin at Mik and placed his big, scarred hands over the bleeding gash on Tinker’s shoulder. He bowed his head and closed his eyes as blood poured from the wound and dripped around and beneath his fingers.
While Mik slipped into his clothes, the others watched Adam. Eve practically glowed with pride. Her mate was the new guy on the block, still proving himself among the members of the pack. This was a chance for him to show what he could do. Just looking at him, no one would ever suspect the extent of his amazing abilities.
Adam looked like the quintessential man of the west—tall and lean with rangy muscles and work-roughened hands. He appeared to be exactly what he was—a mechanic, a farmer, a cowboy. A man used to working with his hands.
Someone who fixed things.
He might still be learning the extent of his Chanku abilities, but one thing Eve knew for certain—Adam Wolf was the guy to have around when something needed repair. It didn’t matter if it was a broken toaster, a broken leg, or a bad carburetor.
Or, as in her own case, a massive head injury.
She heard the quiet gasps of disbelief and a soft, awestruck curse from Luc, who held Tia cradled against him. Both his hands protectively covered her flat belly.
The deep gash on Tinker’s shoulder had already stopped bleeding. Lisa bit back an audible sob and clutched Tinker’s left hand with both of hers. As all of them watched, the flesh beneath Adam’s fingers began to knit. Within a couple of minutes, there was a pale pink seam almost hidden beneath dried blood.
Adam took a deep breath, dropped his hands away from Tinker’s healed shoulder and sat back on his heels in the dirt. Sweat poured off his forehead, but he was grinning like a kid.
“Shit, man.” Tinker turned his head as far as he could to see what Adam had done. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore. I can tell it’s fixed because all I can think about right now is getting Lisa naked, not how bad my shoulder hurts. What kind of mojo are you working?”
“Later, Tink. Now is not the time for getting naked.” Lisa hugged him, laughing and crying at the same time.
Adam shook his head. “Damned if I know. I’ve always been able to fix things. Anton’s the one who suggested it would work on people.”
Luc laughed. “That’s amazing, Adam.” He shook his head. “Ya know, it used to bug me when everyone acted as if Anton Cheval knew everything there was to know. Believe me, I learned my lesson. Don’t question Cheval. He’s always right.”
“What took you so long?” Adam stood up and stretched. “I figured that out the first time I met him.”
Luc just laughed and hugged Tia closer.
“Get your clothes on, Tink.” AJ slipped out from behind Tinker and divided up the clothes and shoes Adam had given him. “No more of this lying around, looking for sympathy. Besides, I get nervous when you guys start making jokes about Anton. He could be listening to us right now.”
Everyone fell silent. Eve was sure they wondered if AJ was teasing or not. Anton Cheval was definitely a step beyond the rest of them. None of them really understood most of his powers. Of course, no one, including Anton, really understood Adam’s either.
AJ slipped on his boots. “We better hurry. We need to get back to our cars before they get towed. I think we’re all parked illegally.”
“Great.” Tala laughed, and the sound broke the building tension. “Whose going to bail those suckers out of impound?”
“Won’t be necessary if we get our butts in gear,” Tia said. “Luc and I can take my car. I, of course, am legally parked.” Tia smiled, but she was obviously upset. Obviously, the day had not gone as planned. “I don’t think any of us have been here long enough to get towed,” she added softly. “We haven’t been here very long at all.”
But long enough to change everything. Eve squeezed Adam’s fingers. His soft I love you filled her mind, followed just as quickly by, I need you.
As I love and need you. She smiled up at him and held tightly to his hand, trembling now, in the aftermath of danger. It wasn’t entirely fear she felt, and she wondered if she’d ever completely understand this new reality.
Her body pulsed with arousal, with the rush of adrenaline and the yearning sense of desire. Would she ever grow used to this constant state of lust, the powerful libido that seemed to overpower every other need?
I hope not.
Adam’s wry comment made her smile. She realized she was wet and swollen, her body anticipating the offer in his gorgeous eyes. They crossed the street to the rental car and he opened the door for her. Eve climbed in and buckled the seat belt while Tala, Mik, and AJ filled the broad backseat.
Eve couldn’t wait to get to the rambling Victorian mansion Pack Dynamics owned nearby in the Sunset District. Lisa and Tinker spent most nights with Luc and Tia in Ulrich’s home in the Marina District, but Adam and Eve had been given one of the individual apartments reserved for other Chanku, as well as their visitors. Right now, Mik, AJ, and Tala were the only others in residence, but the converted mansion offered privacy along with the sense of community the pack members craved.
They’d been offered a room, should they choose to stay here in San Francisco as members of Pack Dynamics. It was a beautiful city and a wonderful apartment, but it wasn’t Montana. Eve already missed the towering trees and rugged Rocky Mountains, as much as she missed the sense of privacy there and the feeling of safety on Anton Cheval’s huge estate.
Today had been a terrifying reality check. Why had those men been after them? Why, when she’d finally found the life and the man she wanted forever, was someone threatening to take it all away?
When she gazed at Adam, he squeezed her hand. I’ll keep you safe, he said. No one will ever harm you. I promise.
She felt his words in her head and in her heart. Earlier, she’d only known abuse from men, but then she’d not known Adam Wolf. She leaned close to him and whispered, “Hurry. I want you now.”
Adam didn’t answer, but the tires squealed as he pulled out into traffic.
Chapter 4
Northern Maine
Some of the trees were already beginning to turn, this far north in Maine. The sky was a brilliant cerulean blue and the air so crisp and clear it felt as if you could see forever. Manda Smith stood on the wide front porch, naked as the day she was born, and reveled in the perfection of the day. She spread her arms, took a deep breath and laughed out loud for the pure joy of living.
“What’s so funny?” Baylor Quinn stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around Manda’s waist. She leaned into his warmth, pressing back into the thick mat of hair on his chest until it tickled her spine. He nuzzled the sensitive skin just below her ear and made her giggle. She felt him quicken.
In mere seconds he was hard and ready, though they’d made love most