Page 55 of Wild Wolf
Recovered to be her normal, high-spirited self, laughing and joking with him. Not this reckless Lupine driven to wildimpulses.
Dangerousimpulses.
Maybe something else happened to her those years she’d been gone from the pack. Another male had abusedher.
His hands curled into fists. If another male had touched her without Jordan’s permission, had dared to hurther…
A growl rumbled deep in his throat.I’ll find you and kill you for hurting myJordan.
But he had no clue. How could he track down Jordan’s attacker, if there was one, if she refused to talk aboutit?
Maybe she’s loathe to talk to you about it, but she’d talk to another woman about it. Her former friends don’t like her anymore, and she doesn’t have any female companions, not since Nia left. Maybe she’d confide inthem.
He ruminated overit.
Nolan dragged in a deep breath, shifted back into wolf and headedhome.
When he changed back into Skin and climbed the stairs to their bedroom, he heard cries coming from the bedroom. Alarmed, he racedinside.
Jordan lay on the bed, thrashing on the covers,sobbing.
Nolan tore over to the bed, stroking her forehead. “Honey, wake up, wakeup.”
The thrashing and horrific sobs stopped. Jordan blinked hard and sat up, clutching the sheet to herbreasts.
“Oh.” She rubbed her head. “Guess I fellasleep.”
“What happened to you?” Nolan wiped away another tear, gentling his voice. “Why are you crying in your sleep, sweetheart? Why are you having nightmares? Did somethinghappen?”
Jordan squeezed her eyes shut and for once, did notspeak.
“Please talk to me,” heurged.
Finally she shrugged. “It was just a sillydream.”
He knew her stubborn streak, knew she didn’t want to discuss it. Nolan felt helpless to comfort her with words. So he reached out, gently pulled her into his arms. She stiffened, but did not attempt to drawaway.
Nolan rubbed his cheek against her head. Sex always made things better, in his opinion, but right now she needed affection, not physicalpleasure.
“Tomorrow, you and I are going on a special visit. Just the two ofus.”
Jordan shrugged again. “Whatever. I’m tired. Goodnight.”
Troubled, he tugged off his clothing and slid between the covers. For the first time since their mating, he did not have sex withher.
Nolan didn’t know what to do withJordan.
Surely his beloved grandmother would haveanswers.
10
His motherand grandmother lived only fifteen minutes from the lodge, on land Nolan’s father had purchased. Nolan hated this community. Not because it was filled with elderly Lupines, but because they should be living with thepack.
Yet for as long as he had known, the elderly Lupines were segregated. They couldn’t run as fast, shift as quickly, or contribute to work, so more than one hundred years ago, Nolan’s grandfather had built thesecabins.
At least Craig had spent money renovating and updating the homes. Each cabin sat on a quarter acre of flat land, with a good view of the Smoky Mountains. The elderly didn’t want foranything.
All their needs were cared for, except their basic need for pack andfamily.
