Page 12 of A Wolf's Treasure
“Hang on,” he told his passenger. “The turn off is just ahead.”
Ryanne gripped the handles, leaning her body forward. “I don’t see anything.”
“Oh, it’s there,” he told her. “Just a little ways more…” He checked the mirror as they started around the curve. The wolves disappeared from his line of his sight just as he’d hoped. Cutting off the headlights, he wrenched the steering wheel to the left, cut across the grassy median—just missing an oncoming truck—and drove straight into the trees.
Downshifting into low gear, Duncan crawled up the side of the mountain, praying to all the gods the big engine of that truck would hide the noise of the Jeep. He didn’t worry about them seeing him. His Vina was painted the perfect color green to blend in with the forest around them, just like the lady she was named after.
Ryanne laughed as they bumped along up the mountain, soft, throaty notes that were music to his ears, and despite the danger they were in, he couldn’t help a small smile in return.
About a mile or so up, he pulled off the trail, wedging the Jeep between some thick pine trees, and cut the engine.
“What are we doing?” Ryanne asked.
“We’re waiting,” he told her. “If I keep going, there’s a verra good chance they’ll double back and hear us. So, we’ll sit. And we’ll wait. And stay inside where they will no’ scent either o’ us.”
“For how long?” She sounded almost disappointed that the excitement was over.
“As long as it takes, lass. Sometimes, although it may no’ be as exciting, patience is th’ best practice.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue anymore. Sighing loudly, she stared out the front windshield. Duncan did the same, cracking his window a bit, but there was no sign of the strange wolves by sight, sound, or scent. Only the pungent aroma of the pine trees, wet from the misty rain.
Now that they were out of danger, at least for the moment, Duncan found he could think of nothing at all to say. His usual sugary tongue felt like it was coated in tar, heavy with bland and boring words, just like the one other time he’d tried to speak to her. It was a predicament, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Talking to females was not a problem he’d ever had before. So much so, he was often accused of being a flirt.
And maybe he was. Though most of the time, he did it on purpose just to rile up their males. And other times, he did it just to prove that he could…
He gave himself a mental shake. What had he been thinking about?
Oh, aye. The lass beside him. She was a mystery. But more than that, there was something unique about her. He found himself craving her company at odd moments, and yet he could barely utter a word when he was finally near her. He felt like a righteejit, hoping every day to see her, and then not knowing how to act when he did.
“So, what pack are you from?” she asked, pulling him from his contemplations.
Her question surprised him. “Ye dinna ken?” When she shook her head, he told her, “I’m part o’ th’ Pacific Northwest pack.” He paused, but only briefly, because for some reason he could only say nothing at all or blather on like he didn’t have an ounce of sense in his head when he was around her. “I live here. I’m supposed tae be here. I’m no’…” he stumbled to a halt. Och. Why could he not seem to form a coherent thought? It was better when the wolves were chasing them. At least then, his own wolfish instincts had taken over and kept him focused.
For the most part.
“Does it hurt?”
He frowned, wondering if she could read his thoughts. Aye, it did hurt. Verra bad. He was not the stumbling fool she must think him to be. And honestly, he didn’t know if his ego could take the beating.
“When you shift. Does it hurt?”
Oh. That. “Aye, it hurts.”
“Can you stop it?”
“Stop it from hurting?”
“No. Stop the shift. Can you stop it from happening?”
Duncan didn’t see the harm in telling her. “Sometimes. Sometimes no’.”
“Like when you’re angry?”
“Aye, if my temper gets th’ best o’ me.”
“Can you shift at will? Or do you have to be mad or something?”
He tried to guess the reasoning behind her questions. “If yer worried whether I can take care o’ ye if those other shifters show up, dinna fash yerself. Me and my wolf will do what needs tae be done, and all ye will need tae do is run th’ way I seen ye do before.”
