Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love (21 page)

A huge smile wreathed her dark, round face, softening his resolve even before she spoke. “Hi, babe! Rosa and I came to help. After you guys left, we saw something on the disc that made us think Tracy just needed a little pampering, a girls’ night out at the spa.”

He should have known getting the two women off the bridge wouldn’t prove to be an easy task. “Tracy? Who the hell is Tracy, and where is she?”

Hunter glanced around, searching for the woman Mel had mentioned. Bending down, he peered into the car and was shocked to find Andrea and Blair ensconced in the backseat.

Blair waved at him, rocking against the restraints of his car seat. Andrea met his eyes with a long-suffering look that said she’d already tried reasoning with her mother and aunt to no avail.

Hunter straightened with an almost audible snap to his backbone and whipped around to glare at the grinning women. “I can’t believe you brought the children into danger like this. What were you thinking of?”

Melody and Rosa laughed at that. “Tracy is what we decided to call the troll, and the kids are totally safe, silly. After all, we can’t go around calling her ‘troll.’ It isn’t nice.”

Huh? Hunter groaned and grabbed two hands full of hair to keep from throttling his mate and her sidekick. Glaring up at the sky, he yelled, “What more can go wrong?” He looked down at Melody and sighed. Heavily. “So, you named the troll. Why am I sure there’s more you haven’t told me ...?”

Melody narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “You so don’t need to snarl at us like that, mister! We came here to help your sorry butt, and you could be a little more thankful.

You males were about to muck everything up as usual, and Rosa and I decided we couldn’t sit by and watch the train wreck this time.”

Hunter’s jaw sagged. “You ... I ... how could the two of you think you could help in this situation?”

Rosa shouldered past Melody to confront him, her neck stretched back, head tilted at an extreme angle to compensate for their difference in height. “Look, we know something you don’t. Why can’t men understand that we women have a language all our own? We can communicate with Tracy and you can’t, so eat Doritos and die, okay?”

“She’s right, Hunter,” Melody chimed in, standing firm before him. “We can help, I know it. I want you to let us prove it. I’m not Blair, Hunter. I’m a grown woman, and I don’t need coddling. If you won’t let me help you in your work, your life, how can you expect me to feel like a true life partner to you?”

Her words sent fear, hope, and love pouring through him. Fear for her safety, hope that she was finally ready to commit to him fully, and love so overwhelming and strong it almost brought him to his knees. His bitch was no weak-kneed pacifist. Even against his protests, Werewulf Journals 2: Trolling for Love

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she was prepared to fight at his side. Hell, she was fighting him for a place at his side. He sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot, lately.

“Okay, ladies, lay out your plans. Make me see the logic in your approach.” He raised a cautioning finger when they squealed with giddy excitement. “Understand me, I won’t allow you to do anything I wouldn’t allow another member of the team to do. If what you’re planning doesn’t sound feasible, I’ll scotch it, and you will not move forward without my approval.”

Melody glanced at Rosa, who nodded. Both women’s lips turned up in a smile, but the sheer joy in Melody’s almost blinded him. Surprising him, she went up on her toes and threw her arms around him, hugging him close. He wrapped his arms about her and brought her closer to his lips, greedily accepting the small, sweet kisses she peppered all over his face.

“Thank you for giving me ... us ... a chance, Hunter. We promise to abide by your rules.

We’ll make good team members, you’ll see.”

What he saw was how tightly she had him wrapped around her little finger, but with a sigh and a resigned, “Yes, dear,” he beckoned the other team members over.

“You’ve all met Melody before. This beautiful lady next to her is Rosa Montalvo, my cousin Fort’s fiancée.”

Fortrayn stepped forward and tucked Rosa under his shoulder. “She’s taken,” he growled, brows beetling at the lustful look some of the team snuck toward her.

Rosa smacked him. “Don’t be such a Neanderthal!”

Fortrayn rubbed his arm, grinning. “Titles don’t mean much to this group, Rosa. If I don’t make my position clear, I’ll end up having to give someone the smack-down.”

Low laughter met his claim.

“You wish, half-pint!”

“In your dreams, wulfling!”

“Careful, lest we snatch her away and teach her it don’t mean a thang until you’ve had fang!”

Rosa spoke up through her blushes. “He’s got plenty enough fang for me, thank you!”

The males roared with mirth; Gregori playfully slapped Fortrayn on the back. “Who knew you had it in you, you precocious dog!”

“Stop teasing him, and let’s get down to business,” Melody said, setting one of her bags on the hood of the car. She began pulling out make-up and clothes, a hair dryer and curling iron, talking non-stop as she rummaged through the bag.

“Rosa and I were watching the disc after Hunter and the others left. We did a close-up on Tracy’s face and --”

“Tracy?”

“Wait a minute, who’s Tracy?”

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“They named the troll Tracy.” Hunter held up a hand. “Trust me ... don’t ask!”

Melody frowned at the males’ humorous comments. “Yukity-yuk-yuk-yuk! Laugh it up, fellas, but I don’t see any improvement over this morning. Traffic remains at a standstill, and a troll is in control of the bridge. If you ever had a plan, it doesn’t seem to have worked, whereas ours has merit simply because it hasn’t failed yet.”

“What she says has merit.” Indigo’s calm, quiet statement stopped the joking remarks.

Hunter watched her carefully, looking for signs of trouble. The reclusive shapeshifter was a precog, and rarely bothered to speak up unless she’d had a future sighting. Usually, she accepted her assignments and carried out her duties with the minimum of fuss. Now, she nodded to Melody after giving each of the men a stern, silencing glance. “I’d like to hear what you were trying to say. The guys won’t interrupt you again.”

Melody nodded back. “Thanks, Indigo. As I was saying, we noticed Tracy was crying.

When Hunter gave her the peppermint, she brightened right up. Then, after he hit her, she became more depressed, more determined to claim the bridge.”

Rosa took over. “We think Tracy feels she needs the bridge to attract a mate. She doesn’t think any troll would be interested in her without a ready-made home. If you think about it, her behavior is not typical for a female troll. Chase told us it’s the male’s responsibility to supply the home. So why is Tracy here?”

Melody’s voice wobbled. “The poor thing’s trolling for love, not just a mate. She feels unlovable and unlovely. No woman should have to feel like that.”

“So we decided to give her a girls’ night out. Help her learn how to maximize her assets. You know --” Rosa’s hands made vague circular gestures. “-- make the most of herself.”

Hunter stirred his finger through the scattered paraphernalia. “How is slathering this junk on the troll going to get her off my bridge?”

“Hopefully, when we’re finished with Tracy, she’ll realize she doesn’t need the bridge to attract a mate,” Melody said, slapping his hand away. “She might be willing to let go and take a chance.” Putting her hip between him and the car, Melody edged Hunter back, obviously not wanting him pawing through her prized troll-beautifiers. “On the other hand, she may just decide men aren’t worth the trouble and set up operations right here. She probably wouldn’t charge as much toll as the city does.”

“Oh, you’re just full of answers, aren’t you?” Hiding a smile, Hunter leaned into her, letting his body weight rest along her side. Using the bulk of his body to hide his hands, he slipped under her dress and pinched a generous helping of flesh where her plump, round buttock met her full thigh.

“Ow! Cut that out, Hunter.” Melody tried to pinch him back, but her fingers slipped and slid on his taut flesh. “That is so not fair!” She pouted as he laughed, turning to shelter their interaction from the others. He brought her hand to his groin, pressed her fingers around his hard on. “Pinch this!”

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She did exactly as he suggested, fingers squeezing along his hard length while she flirted with him, flashing a look from under her eyelids that made his body shudder and every nerve ending do some non-verbal howling.

His clothes suddenly fit too tight, the denim and cotton irritating against his sensitive skin. He was hot, randy, and ready to take their teasing to an all-new level.

The sultry look in her eyes told him she knew just what she did to him. Under the eyes of his teammates and the children, there was nothing Hunter could do to ease the throbbing she’d started at his groin.

Frustration riding him, Hunter pulled away, stomping a few feet off before turning to address Rosa and the triumphant smirk on Melody’s face. Pointing his finger at them, he barked, “All right, you two can have your chance. What do you need to get started?”

Rosa and Mel squealed and did a high five. Once they calmed down, Melody said, “We need you men off the bridge.”

“No fucking way that’s going to happen. Next?”

Rosa frowned. “Por Dios, man, you hit her! She doesn’t trust you. If she sees us with you, it might take us all night to get her to talk to us.”

“Perhaps you could just back way off,” Melody suggested.

Hunter decided she’d do well in the diplomatic corps. She knew how Rosa’s deliberate use of the words hitting and her in the same sentence riled him and was trying to pour verbal oil on the waters. Well, hell, Hunter thought unwillingly. Looks like Mel would be an asset to the team if I can get past the fear of her getting hurt ...

“You know that probably won’t work, Melody. What if something happens to upset her while we’re trying to work with her?”

“The men can stay out of her visual orbit,” Mel chimed in over Rosa’s complaints.

“She’s defined the boundaries of her physical space.” Her glance at the mangled, overturned and stacked vehicles was speaking. “As long as no one oversteps her bounds, everything should be fine.”

She turned back to Hunter. “Use your long-range viewers to monitor us. We’ll take a walkie-talkie and keep the frequency open so you can hear what we’re saying.”

The suggestion made so much sense Hunter couldn’t argue against it, much as it galled him to admit. “Okay, I can live with that -- just barely, but ...” He sighed. “... what else do you need?”

“Just the kids,” Melody said, reaching into the car to release Blair from his car seat.

Before she had him up in her arms, Hunter was at the car, so pissed he imagined smoke poured from his ears. He snatched Blair out of her grasp.

“No way are you taking my pup anywhere near that troll!” He hissed, letting his fury speak through his words. “What are you thinking of, Melody ... if you’re thinking at all?”

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He watched her eyes ice over with a rage as cold as his was hot. This time he didn’t let her upset bother him. She’d gone too far trying to include Blair in this asinine project.

Melody leaned forward and whispered through clenched teeth, “Give me back my son!” before literally ripping the boy out of his arms. “As long as I’m black -- and I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon -- you better not ever imply I would put my son in danger! Do you understand me?”

Stunned, Hunter scratched his nose, trying to clear the acrid burn of her anger out of his nostrils. He eyed her warily, jaw tight with his own anger. “Fine, Melody! You explain how you think taking a toddler to visit a troll is reasonable or safe!”

She huffed. “For one, I watched the CD. Not a single turned over car contained a child -- not one, Hunter. Far from being in danger, Blair will ensure our safety. Most females getting ready to nest are going to have a natural inquisitiveness about any infant on the scene. I’m betting Tracy is no different.”

His shoulders slumped at the realization he’d really insulted and hurt her feelings.

Heart aching, Hunter reached a hand toward Melody. His mouth firmed when she jerked away, avoiding his touch.

Kicking himself for forgetting even for one moment Melody’s unfounded feelings of guilt over not keeping her son safe from his uncle, Hunter groaned. Gerald Spenser had kidnapped his own nephew and viciously played games with Melody’s head, going so far as to force her back into prostitution with the threat of killing her son if she didn’t comply with his demands.

Though the events had taken place a little over three months ago, he hadn’t been able to convince Melody she bore no fault in Gerald’s deeds. Accusing her of putting their son in danger was the stupidest thing -- and the cruelest -- he could have done.

“Mel, please ... I’m sorry. Blame my reaction on ingrained habits. Regardless of what came out my stupid mouth, I know you’d rather cut off your hand than endanger Blair.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “By the time my brain caught up with my vocal cords, it was too late. I have paw-in-mouth disease,” he said, giving her a hopeful glance while batting his eyelashes. “Open mouth, insert paw.”

Mel stared at him through narrowed eyes. He thought he saw a slight softening. He prayed he saw a minute softening ...

“That disease better be treatable,” she finally growled.

“Oh, it is,” he promised quickly. “The treatment is massive doses of humble pie and self-abasement, which I’m chewing and swallowing right now.”

Her lips twitched and then her dark, beautiful face lit up with a forgiving smile.

“Knowing your cooking skills, I’m betting it tastes horrible.”

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He nodded, grinning back at her, relieved and thankful at having avoided a major bump in their road toward togetherness. “It tastes bitter as hell. You could sweeten it with a kiss.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Melody held her hands up and shook her head. “You haven’t earned your way back into my good graces enough for a kiss, wulf.” Instead, she pointed to the men and one female clustered at the other side of the bridge. “You’d better get your fine ass back over there with your team before I rethink my decision to let you off so easily.”