“You all aren’t thinking of drilling, are you?”
Ethan tossed her an angry glance, but Noah said, “No. We bought this land to preserve a way of life. But the bastards won’t leave us alone, trying to gain attention from each of us separately. We figured this was the best way to shut them down.”
He stood in front of her, placed his hands on her shoulders. Heat radiated from him. She could smell the wild scent she always attributed to each of the Dillon cousins. Even through the thick layers, she could feel his body heat.
“Do you need one of us to pick you up?”
She swallowed, trying to gain control of her senses, to pull her needs back from the edge. It was hard to do with him so close. Something in her urged her to step closer and nuzzle his neck. And she was not a nuzzler. “N-no, I have the SUV, and the weather isn’t supposed to turn until late tomorrow.”
He bent forward as if to kiss her. Her heart slammed against her ribs, and her breathing clogged in her lungs. He must have read the panic in her eyes because he grimaced then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. As they left, Ethan surprised her by giving her a small smile and tipping his hat in her direction.
She watched them from the window, but neither of them said a thing as they walked side by side. It was amazing just how much they were alike, although they weren’t twins. Now that she thought of it, most of the cousins were similar in looks. They all had a predatory gleam to their eyes that made her shiver.
With a shake of her head, she pushed the Dillon cousins to the back of her mind and turned toward her office. She had some new information to tabulate if she was going to make it to dinner on time.
Chapter Two
“Just couldn’t wait, could you?” Irritation treaded Ethan’s voice, but Noah ignored him. He wasn’t in the mood to explain his actions. And, as Alpha, he didn’t have to. If it was childish to think that, he didn’t care. He just wanted to enjoy the pleasant hum streaming through his blood. He could still smell her.
From the moment he met Eve months ago, he’d always felt it. Even during their phone interview, he had the same reaction. It grew each time he was in her presence.
“Noah?”
He spared his brother a glance and then looked out at the snow. “I don’t think we need to wait. She’s ready. I can see it there clicking in the back of her head.”
Ethan growled. “You have no idea. You’re not thinking straight, haven’t been since you decided to hire her. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
That much was true. He was usually the most patient of the group. It was a joke amongst the cousins that he was the best suited to the job of running the family. Hot tempers ran amongst their kind, but Noah had learned to keep his under wraps, except in extreme cases. It was one of the reasons he had become a Dom.
“What’s your point? You want to let her go? Maybe we should just forget about it and let her go back to the lower forty-eight after she’s done?”
Another growl vibrated in Ethan’s chest, and Noah smiled. “Fuck no. Hell, I can’t talk to her more than five minutes, or I’ll lose my ability to think straight. She’s our mate, I agree. But, pushing her might not be the smartest thing. People around here know about us, what we do. Someone like her might not.”
“Either way, I wanted to see her. I was worried.”
Silence filled the cab of the pickup. “The murders.”
Noah nodded and glanced at his brother. “She spends a lot of time out in the wild. I worry she might become a target.”
“We know why they are doing it.”
Noah nodded. “Yes, but not who.”
“The fucking refinery has something to do with it.”
Noah acknowledged that with another nod.
“So, you couldn’t call the doctor?” Ethan asked a little too carefully.
He slid his brother a glance. Noah was oldest and had always called the shots. For both of them, and the pack. But, he usually discussed major moves like the one he planned for tonight. There was something there, something that was telling him it was time to bring Eve in the fold. He couldn’t explain it to anyone, even himself.
“First of all, there’s nothing wrong with asking her to dinner. We’ve done it before.”
“In person?” Ethan’s tone was skeptical.
Noah resisted the urge to shift in his seat, barely. He didn’t like being questioned, had rarely had a problem with the other cousins and his brother questioning his decisions. But from the moment he had gotten the request from Eve to research on their land, he had caught the looks, the jokes, he didn’t care. When he had read the e-mail, he knew she was for them. He had always seen ahead, knew what the future held for all of them. And with Eve, he had known she would fit into their lives. After four long months, he was going to convince her she was theirs.
“If you had a problem with the doctor, you would have said something before now.”
His brother said nothing for a few moments. The silence hummed between them. “I don’t have a problem with her. You do.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
Ethan didn’t even try to hold back the laugh. “Lord, you are getting testy without sex. You don’t seem your usual self, that’s all.”
He wanted to run. Needed it. Four months of celibacy was just not going well for him, for any of them. They all had been controlling their need by nightly runs. It kept their primal desires at bay. But he hadn’t let loose his wolf for a few days, mainly because of work. Their sanctuary would only stay that way if he could keep the money coming in and fight the legal battles for the mineral rights in court. But sometime last night, he had decided they had waited long enough. Sure, it was going to be hard to convince the woman she should take them all on. Eve seemed frightened of her own shadow, except when she was working with wolves or talking about them. Her whole personality seemed to light up, her body becoming more animated. Any woman who would get that excited over wolves would definitely go for him and his cousins.
There was no doubt in his mind she was for them. She might be small, petite, but she had a fire in her that he knew she hid from the world. He would catch glimpses of it now and then. And, she was attracted to all of them. He could see it in the way she interacted with them.
“You don’t think you’re rushing it, do you?” Ethan’s tone was worried.
Noah shook his head. “She’s supposed to be here for only a year. We’ve wasted four months already.”
Before her, they had shared women but not all together. Usually, amongst the six of them, they had different tastes in women. But when Eve showed up, every one of the Dillon men was attracted to her.
She was small, delicate. Green eyes without a hint of blue, dark red hair that reached the middle of her back. And her skin...God, her skin. He had never known a woman to have such skin. It was pure ivory, except for the freckles that danced over her nose.
He shifted in his seat again, trying to ease the pressure between his legs. He had never lost his control fantasizing about a woman. From the start, he had little to no restraint with Eve. Tonight, though, he would take her. He was positive that was all it would take. Once he knew she was theirs, his ability to handle her and everything else going on would become easier.
He was sure of it.
* * * *
Ethan watched Eve as she shed her gear in their mudroom.
“I guess this is all new to you.”
She looked up, peeling off her insulated pants. The smile she gave him made his heart dance.
“I kind of like it. Plus, I am pretty good at acclimating to my surroundings.”
“You did move around a lot as a child.”
She nodded. “I lived a lot of different places.”
He hated the tone he heard when she mentioned anything to do with her childhood. His wolf wanted to soothe her. She was their mate, and it was his job to make her happy. But, he wasn’t allowed to do that, not even on a friendly level. He couldn’t touch her, not unless he was taking her to bed.
“Ethan?”
He shook his head and tried to push that thought away. According to his brother, they would not be a problem after tonight.
“Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
Her frown dissolved as her eyes softened. It took every bit of his control not to respond to her sympathy.
“You didn’t find any more wolves, did you?”
Of course, she was worried about the killings.
“No. Nothing since yesterday.”
She reached toward him but hesitated for a second before patting his forearm. The brief touch sent a wave of heat rushing through his blood. The wolf in him came to full life and clawed to get out. He coughed, trying to cover the beast that very nearly took complete control.
“I understand that it is really hard for you. I mean all of you, but for people like us, it hurts more seeing them like that.”
Her quiet voice almost undid him.
“Yes. It was bad.”
He felt, rather than saw, her nod.
“I guess we better get in there. I forgot to eat lunch.”
He looked at her then. Everything in him told him to kiss her, to take those full, sensual lips and taste her. But it wasn’t the right moment.
“You shouldn’t skip lunch.”
“I always skip lunch when I’m having dinner here. I’d start gaining too much weight if I didn’t.”
She walked up the stairs out of the mudroom and into the kitchen. He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He could still smell her, that unique scent of her that called to him, even from miles away.
Once he’d talked himself out of walking in there and taking her on the table, damn the consequences, he followed her up the stairs.
It was going to be one long fucking night.
* * * *
Eve took a drink of her merlot and studied the activity around the table. The Dillons were a completely different kind of a family than her own. Growing up, there had been no joking at the table. There were discussions on approved topics, usually dealing with anthropology or biology, her parents’ fields of study. Her first night for a dinner at the Dillons’ house had stunned and amazed her. They constantly talked, joked, and put each other down. Throughout the meal, though, there was an ease of conversation, of love.
Sadly, she never felt this comfortable around her own family. Funny that she’d think she fit in so well with a family that seemed so different from what she was. Reserved, quiet, studious.
They weren’t stupid, nor were they rude. The Dillons were a group of men that knew how to play hard and work harder. Noah, of course, took center stage opposite the table of her. He was the oldest, and he showed it in his authority, in his tone, in his seriousness. There was part of her who always wanted to try and make the grave man laugh, but she held back. He had dark eyes, almost black, that took in everything around the table, ready to step in if an argument should arise. He’d showered since she’d seen him. She wasn’t sure how she could tell, but there was the way his hair looked, and when she had stood close to him, she had sworn she could smell his soap on his skin.
She had a feeling all of them had a little Native American in them from their high cheekbones. When Noah brushed his hair back, it gave his face a lean, sculpted look.
Ethan made a comment in a discussion with Jason and Shane. She sighed. She’d thought she and Ethan would get along better, being the two scientists of the bunch. While he was self-trained, he was highly regarded as one of the best Alaskan animal behaviorists in the biz. She had also heard of his way with women, but apparently something about her set him off. She got a definitely-hands-off feeling from him. Except the few minutes they had shared in the mudroom, she hadn’t really had a conversation with him. Still, it was hard not to be attracted to him. Tall, as all the Dillons were, he was long-limbed. He had blue eyes like his brother, but they were lighter and not as vigilant. His hair was shaggy, which she was sure was because of absentmindedness and not design. It made him even more appealing to her.