A two part post tonight. First, I am hitting the road tomorrow morning at 6:00 to head down to Lori Foster’s Annual Reader & Author Get Together. RAGT begins on Thursday afternoon, but it’s about about 14 hour drive from North Dakota to Ohio, so my friend Jessica and I make it a two day trip. I have packed all the things, (I hope) including the charms I an handing out as part of the Sparkling Authors 2018 game. Find each of the seven featured authors, and we will give you a charm. When you have all seven, come find one of us to be entered to win a $100 gift card.

I look forward to this trip every year. If you are going please come find me. I’d love to meet you!

Today’s snip is quite short, but again, this is best stopping place. Well, maybe it’s a little mean to leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger, but I promise in the end Gina and Cole will get their happily ever after. As usual, this is not edited so you will probably find all sorts of typos.  Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Cole swept her up in his arms like a baby and ran faster than before. “Hold on,” he ordered, and for once she obeyed without complaint.

He was warm, but she barely noticed it. His speed was astounding. This was why her stepfather and the vicious major wanted to cut him open. They wanted to know how he could do things like this. She wanted to hide her face against his neck, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the lights behind them.

“How many, Gina?” he asked, and now she could hear strain in his voice.

She counted the lights bobbing behind them. One, two, four…

“Six,” she shouted. “That’s at least six men, but maybe twelve, if they all have a sidecar.”  That wasn’t likely though, was it? Then again, even six was too many. They would all be armed. Even a wolf with magical speed and strength couldn’t defeat six armed men. The headlamps were growing. The roar of the motors was louder. They couldn’t be more than a mile behind them. “They are getting closer,” she moaned.

“I can take twelve,” he said. His breathing was heavier, a little bit ragged, but his pace stayed the same.

Not if you’re exhausted, she wanted to say. Not if the men on motorcycles had guns. These men wouldn’t hurt her, but they would kill him. “Put me down. You can move faster without me. Go ahead to Omaha and bring back help.”

“Huh.” Derision rang in the grunt. “I’ll never leave you behind. Hang on.”

Somehow, he increased his speed. Being carried by a man running at full speed wasn’t comfortable but she’d rather be squeezed, bruised, and bounced around then be taken back to President Todd and the Allersons. She looked once more over his shoulder. The motorcyclists were close enough now for her to see the round outline of their helmets.

“Hurry, Cole,” she screamed. “They’re right behind us.”

Chapter Six

The sound of barely controlled terror in his mate’s voice forced more speed from his weary legs. Cole knew his boast that he could take twelve men was an empty one. Deep inside, his wolf cringed at the memory of the pain and confusion that followed the bullet through his head. Omaha was only a mile and a half away, a mere five minute sprint for him if he were rested and not carrying a burden. No, never a burden. Gina was his one chance at love and a family. He would save her. He had to save her. He made his legs to stretch farther and faster.

The outline of Omaha’s wall was a murky shadow in the dark ahead. So close. Not close enough. The shine of the motorcycle lights gleamed on the road beneath his feet. So close. Too close. He was running, but it was a terrible effort now. His lungs were on fire, his ankles threatened to turn with every step, his arms were clenched around his mate in death grip.

“Drop me,” Gina screamed in his ear. “They won’t hurt me. You can run faster without me.”

He’d already said he would never leave her. He didn’t have enough wind to repeat himself. “No,” he grunted between pants.

The roar of one motorcycle was bare yards behind him now, the others close behind it. His speed was failing. His strength was almost gone. Defeat rose in a bitter wave to crash over his heart. But his mate was clinging to him, breathing in almost silent sobs against his neck, so he spit on defeat and kept running. His legs didn’t want to obey. His feet and thighs screamed with every step. The thought of his mate―his mate!—being forced to marry someone else kept him going. I won’t let them have you, Gina, he swore silently. I will save you or die trying.

It would be better to live, but with Omaha silent in the dark ahead and the stepfather’s army nipping at their heels, death looked more likely.

I failed you, mate. His footsteps were wavering now, his heart close to bursting with exhaustion. He forced himself to continue staggering forward, but he knew his race was lost.  I’m sorry, Gina. So sorry.

In only a week I leave for Lori Foster’s Annual Reader & Author Get Together in Ohio! I am so excited. This is the only conference I go to. That’s not because it’s closest. North Dakota isn’t really that close to Ohio. It’s because it is the most relaxed and laid back weekend that I can meet readers and other authors at, and just have a good time. Are you going to RAGT? I’d love to meet you. Come find me on Friday June 8 from 3 to 5. I’ll post again soon.

Now, on to Gina and Cole. This is shorter than I wanted it to be because there just isn’t a good stopping place. This isn’t edited. I haven’t even re-read it to fix basic mistakes. Please overlook the boo-boos.  🙂

His broad palm wrapped around hers seemed to warm her whole body. They didn’t speak much on their trek over the uneven ground, but she liked his hand tucked into her pocket. Holding hands with a man was another thing she hadn’t done before. It was strangely comfortable. She felt a connection between them, as if their joined hands were a bridge from her heart to his. No wonder lovers held hands.

It took them an hour and a half to get across the fields and onto a road. Gina paused to scrape as much mud off her shoes as possible. Strangely, Colby’s bare feet had almost no mud on them. “Aren’t you cold?’ she asked.

He shrugged. “No.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t have any shoes or a coat.”

Cole laughed. “I’m fine. But if you’re worried, you could put your arms around me to keep me warm.”

“Hmph.” She marched down the road, leaving him laughing behind her.

He caught up quickly. “Are you cold? Aren’t you afraid you might trip? I should hold your hand.”

“I can walk just fine on the road,” she said primly. But she missed the warmth of his hand. “How much farther to Omaha?”

Cole glanced up at the sky. “Less than three hours. Maybe only two. The road is good.” He looked back at her with a faint frown. “You’re tired. I can hear you panting.” The tone of his voice took a commanding edge. “We’ll rest a little.”

Trudging through the mud had tired her, but her back stiffened at the order. “We can walk slowly for ten or fifteen minutes. I want to get to Omaha. My stepfather won’t be able to get me there, not without a lot of trouble.”

He touched her cheek, the lightest brush of warm fingers. “I want you safe, too.”

She turned away from his touch and walked down the road. As she walked she realized she liked him touching her. A small thrill tingled through her. It’s not love, she told herself. He’s handsome, but that is not love. She picked up her pace to leave those thoughts behind. He kept up with her easily.

He didn’t talk much. He walked alongside her but kept most of his attention on their surroundings. Gina was sure no one would be able to sneak up on them. But who would sneak up on them except her stepfather’s men? They saw no one on the road, although when the moon was clear, Gina could make out farm houses here and there. It must be a few hours after midnight. Everyone was sleeping. It was still and peaceful out here. Only twenty-four hours earlier she had been walking through the cold night, but this was different and much better. For instance, she was walking alongside a man, not behind a wolf, and she was dressed warmly. She wasn’t looking over her shoulder every other minute to check for pursuit, and she knew their destination. Compared to last night this was a pleasure stroll.

An hour later her feet were numb with cold, her nose stinging with the chill, and her head throbbed with every step. She would cheerfully have laid down on the hard, cold road to rest. She didn’t complain though. They had to be close to Omaha by now. Cole walked beside her, his stride was as lithe and untired as it would have been if he’d only been walking ten minutes. She watched him from the corner of her eye, wondering if his head hurt too. From the easy way he moved, it didn’t look like it.

Because she was watching him she saw the minute his posture changed. His head came up and cocked to the side, as if he were listening to something. The cold night air was completely still. She heard nothing but the sound of their footsteps on the road. No, nothing but her footsteps on the road. He was utterly silent. She opened her mouth to ask what he heard, but his hand came up. She listened harder. Nothing.

Cole grabbed her hand and sped up. She was nearly running to keep up.

“Cole,” she began in a whisper, but then she heard it, a buzzing sound behind them. Her heart stopped. “Oh, God,” she moaned. “Motorcycles.”

The only people who had motorcycles were her stepfather’s advance troops. Cole ran faster, dragging her behind him. “There,” he said quietly, not panting. “Do you see the glow ahead? That is Omaha. Not more than two miles away. Run, Gina.”

She ran. The glow that Cole said was Omaha didn’t get any closer. Her breath rasped in and out of her lungs in huge ragged pants. Her feet hit the hard pavement like sledgehammers. She ran as fast and as hard as she could, but a quick glance behind showed the glow of headlamps grow far brighter and closer than those of  Omaha.

“I can’t,” she cried.

Cole swept her up in his arms like a baby and ran faster than before. “Hold on,” he ordered, and for once she obeyed without complaint.

He was warm, but she barely noticed it. His speed was astounding. This was why her stepfather and the vicious major wanted to cut him open. They wanted to know how he could do things like this. She wanted to hide her face against his neck, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the lights behind them.

“How many, Gina?” he asked, and now she could hear strain in his voice.

She counted the lights bobbing behind them. One, two, four…

“Six,” she shouted. “That’s at least six men, but maybe twelve, if they all have a sidecar.”  That wasn’t likely though, was it? The headlamps were growing, the motors louder. They couldn’t be more than a mile behind them. “They are getting closer.”

“I can take twelve,” he said. His breathing was heavier, a little bit ragged, but his pace stayed the same.

Not if you’re exhausted, she wanted to say. Not if they have guns. These men wouldn’t hurt her, but they would kill him. “Put me down. You can leave me and go ahead to Omaha for help.”

“Huh.” Derision rang in the grunt. “I’ll never leave you behind. Hang on.”

Somehow, he increased his speed. Being carried by a man running at full speed wasn’t comfortable. She’d rather be squeezed, bruised, and bounced around then be taken back to President Todd and the Allersons. She looked once more over his shoulder. The motorcyclists were close enough now for her to see the round outline of their helmets.

“Hurry, Cole,” she screamed. “They’re right behind us.”

Hello! This has been a busy week, and I have more ahead of me. First, my website security certificate got bungled and I had to jump through hoops to get it fixed. It is fixed now, so that is a relief.  I don’t know how you feel about it, but when I came here last week and saw that red NOT SECURE label I about had a heart attack!  But as I said, I got that wrangled. The next thing is to become General Data Protections Regulations (GDPR) compliant. I did set up the cookie notification for the website, but I will need to re-vamp my newsletter.  I will work on that this weekend and send a newsletter to let everyone know what do do to if you want to stay on my newsletter list. I’ll probably do a little Amazon Gift Card Giveaway to make it a little more palatable. So watch for that. 🙂

For the first time since the packing, the move, the packing, the pneumonia, the cleaning, and the unpacking (sheesh, no wonder I;’m so tired!) I was able to set up a writing schedule. I haven’t completely stuck to it as I had planned, but I’m back to writing regularly. Hopefully we’re back on track for the weekly Tuesday Teasers.

Speaking of which, here is the next bit from Cole and Gina’s story.  You are getting a chunk from last week’s because I added a little bit. As always, this isn’t edited. I didn’t even re-read it so it probably has a bunch of typos and tings that will change. I hope you can enjoy it anyway.

She rolled to her side and reveled in the quiet joy of a warm bed. She punched the feather pillow into a more comfortable shape beneath her cheek and snuggled into it. Something on the pillow tickled her nose. She brushed her hair out of the way. Her nose still tickled. She opened her eyes a crack to get a better view of the offending hair.

It was black. Her eyes opened wider. Black? Her hair was mousy brown. The bleary confusion vanished with a jolt when she saw the black hair was attached to a head. Cole. He slumped with his cheek against the edge of the mattress, one side of his forehead pressed to the side of her pillow. His face was relaxed in deep sleep. She could look her fill without him knowing. All the things Nikki had told her about the wolf clan rushed to the front of her mind. If she could believe the other woman, Cole could never, ever have any other wife, even if she refused him. Did she want to refuse him?

She inched away and raised herself on one elbow to look down at him. She could see only half his face. It was dark against the white pillowcase and sheet. His nose was a straight blade, his eyebrow a dark slash. She’d always thought his mouth was hard, but now his lips looked soft. What would they feel like if she dipped her head right now and kissed him? When she remembered what had happened in the mudroom before he left to patrol, a strange warmth spread through her. He was asleep. He’d never know.

That thought was too tempting. She eased a few inches further away and went back to studying him. His eyelashes were unfairly thick and long. Men shouldn’t have such long eyelashes. With those lush lashes and soft mouth, he looked almost pretty. No, his chin was too square for that, his jaw too hard. She nibbled her lower lip, studying him. Not pretty. She angled her head to see more of him. He was handsome in both his face and his body. Strong and sleek. His father was a powerful man. Maybe she was the only woman he could be with now, but Cole had probably had a bunch of other women friends before he came to Omaha and saw her. Had those women stroked along the line of his shoulder and down his arm? Had they pressed their cheeks to his heart? Had they skimmed their hands down his chest to his belt?

She paused to consider the small, jagged pain those thoughts pushed through her chest. Jealousy. Did she even have a right to be jealous? Yes. Well, maybe. He said she was his mate. From he and Nikki had said, his people didn’t share their women like Brother Saul’s commune did. If they were married, she would darned well demand that he leave other women alone.

Married. She wasn’t sure if she wanted that or not. But she liked watching him sleep. He was wearing the borrowed jeans, but his torso was bare. Long, lean muscles showed in his shoulders and arms. She could barely see his belly past his folded arms. She leaned a little forward to get a better look. He certainly couldn’t be called girlish.

Her hair fell from behind her ear. She jerked back too late. A large brown hand shot out and gripped her shoulder. Cole blinked. Eyes the color of melted bitter chocolate fixed on her.

“Good morning,” she squeaked.

His hand dropped away. He lifted his head from the bed to glance at the window. “Not morning,” he said in a low, gravelly whisper.

“Um, no, I guess it’s late afternoon. Maybe.” She coughed and drew herself to a sitting position, excruciatingly aware that he could see her borrowed nightgown. She pulled the blankets high, which was stupid. The worn cotton flannel covered a lot more of her than her dinner dress had. “Sorry to wake you.”

His smile was disarmingly sleepy. “That’s alright. What are you thinking about?”

“You,” she blurted.

His smile broadened. “I like that. I thought about you the whole time I patrolled.”

“Did you see anything?” She swallowed. “Any sign that my stepfather followed us?”

“No.” He lifted his head and straightened so he sat facing her, hands on his thighs. “No, nothing. Tell me more about thinking of me.”

It was an order that for some reason didn’t raise her hackles. Maybe it was the low gentle growl, or maybe it was the sight of his bare chest. Since she hadn’t seen many bare chests, she couldn’t call herself an expert, but his was intriguingly beautiful. The heat of a blush burned her cheeks. She made herself look at her hands. “Nikki spoke to me about your tribe. I mean, your pack. Is that the right word?”

“Pack works.”

“She said that you don’t ever force a woman to accept a mate claim.” She shook her head slightly over the absurdity of mates and claims.

“Never,” he said immediately.

Her fingers twisted in the sheet. She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “You said I am your mate. How do you know that? Are you sure I am your mate? Nikki said you can have only one mate in your whole life.”

“Only one,” he agreed. “When I first saw you in the coffee shop in Omaha, I knew. My wolf jumped around inside me like a young colt running for the first time. He loved your scent. Everything about you woke him up.” He lifted one muscled shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t know how to explain it. He had never done that before. I could feel how focused he was. All of his attention was on you.”

“Oh.” Gina looked away and took quiet breaths to still her heart, which was kicking in her chest. He was being surprisingly non-bossy. She liked it. “Nikki said you didn’t choose the woman; the wolf did. Are you alright with him picking me?”

He used one finger to turn her chin to face him. “Yes.”

Such a simple word; such a gentle, open expression on his face. He was being charming. She wasn’t sure she liked it. Or maybe she liked it too much. She scowled at him. “I am a bad choice. Look at all the trouble my stepfather has caused.”

He smiled. “You are the perfect choice.”

“I’m not pretty,” she blurted.

“You’re not?”

“The only reason any man has wanted to marry me is because of my stepfather.”

He made a noise in his throat. “Do you think I want anything from Todd except for him to go away forever? No, I want you because you’re my mate.”

She pulled her chin away and was quiet for a minute, trying to arrange her words so they would be honest, but not confrontational. “You want me because I am now the only woman you can ever have. Nikki explained that you can’t ever be with another woman as long as I am alive, even if I don’t accept your mate claim.”

“That’s true.”

“That’s why you want me to accept your mate claim. Not because you care about me.”

“I do care about you.”

She had learned many years ago to never appear vulnerable. She licked her lips and steeled herself to say something that would make her vulnerable. “You don’t even know me. I want the impossible. I want what my mom and dad had. Being Gerald Todd’s stepdaughter made that about as likely as walking on the moon.”

“What is it?” he demanded, sounding a little more like his bossy self.

“I want my husband to love me.”

He nodded, looking thoughtful. She liked that he took a minute to think before responding. “My mom and dad are mates. They never knew each other before he won her in a Bride Fight, and they fell in love with each other.” He cupped her cheek with a gentle hand. “I want what you want. I want a mate who loves me. We can take time to get to know each other. We can learn to love one another.”

He made it sound so reasonable. But learning to love one another wasn’t the same as falling in love. Her mom told her that she could learn to love Brussel Sprouts if she just tried. She still couldn’t stand them. Falling in love shouldn’t take effort. It should just happen.

His hand firmed on her cheek. “Gina? Can’t we try?”

She forced a smile. “Sure. We can try.”

The move is progressing. I wish it was DONE but it’s coming along. On Saturday 90% of the stuff was moved to the storage unit. I still have the stuff for donating and a few more things to move either to my mom’s house or the storage unit. My goal is to have all that out and have the apartment completely empty by supper time next Saturday.  Then it is CLEANING time. Oy! I’m so tired. The check out at the old place is April 27th at 4pm. So one way or another, this will be over in less than two weeks. Then I’ll be able to concentrate on poor Gina and Cole. They are due a little snuggle time, don’t you think? Chapter 5. They get to -er- know each other better in Chapter 5. Promise.

I did manage some writing this weekend. I’m not completely happy with the last bit of Chapter 4. It is very dialogue heavy. But the great thing about rough drafts is that you can get the general ideas out and then go back later to re-write and polish. So, here is a scene between Nikki and Gina while Cole is off running his patrol to be sure the Kansas-Missouri people haven’t followed them.

Cole’s breath stirred her hair. His arms tightened for a moment, then relaxed. He raised her chin with his fingers. “I’ll be back soon, mate.”

“Be careful,” she whispered.

His smile was a bold slash of white in his dark face. “Always.”

With complete unconcern, he stepped away, unbuttoned the shirt and let it drop, and then unfastened the jeans and stepped out of them. Gina gawked at the male perfection of his naked body. His broad shoulders tapered to a hard, narrow waist and long legs. She got a glimpse of his sculpted chest and belly before he turned to the door, showing her a hard, round behind. Dang it, she thought, he’d turned away too soon.

He opened the door and paused to glance back at her. His wicked smile said he knew she liked what she saw. “All yours, Gina. All of me belongs to only you,” he said.

Then he blurred into gray fur and was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.

Behind her, Nikki cleared her throat. Gina was sure her cheeks were beet red, but she composed her face and turned to the older woman.

“Would you like some help cleaning up from breakfast?” she asked.

“Sure. The wash water will be ready any second.”

For a moment, Gina looked at the crumpled shirt and jeans on the floor. “He could have folded them, instead of just leaving them on the floor,” she muttered, bending to pick them up.

Nikki laughed. “Just like a wolf. You can put the clothes on the stool there. He can find them there when he gets back.”

In a few minutes the two women were at the kitchen sink, washing, rinsing, and putting away the breakfast dishes. Gina, scrubbing a dishrag over a plate, cast a sidelong glance at Nikki.

“What did you mean when you said you were from the Plane Women’s House?”

“Ah.” Nikki paused in drying a plate to smile at Gina. “Have you and Colby been mated long?”

“Um.” Gina looked down at the soap suds floating on top of the water. “Not, er, no. That is, I barely know him.”

Nikki put the dried plate in the cabinet before focusing on Gina. “Have you accepted his mate claim?”

“No. I don’t know. I don’t think so?”

Nikki’s brows drew slightly together as she dried her hands on the dish towel she held. “Have you made love?”

“No!”

“Then you haven’t.” Nikki sounded very sure. Her tone sent a wave of relief crashing through Gina. “It is always the woman’s choice whether or not to accept the claim. No wolf would force his mate to accept him.” A small smile lit Nikki’s face. “But a wolf bent of winning his mate can be stubborn. Don’t expect Colby to give up. I remember how patient Stag was with Sherry, right up to the moment he decided desperate measures were called for.” She laughed, her eyes softening at some memory. “Poor Sherry. It worked out for them though.”

“Who is Sherry?”

Nikki’s eyes shifted back into focus, though the smile lingered. “Sherry was one of the women on the plane with me. So was Colby’s mother.”

“Plane?” Gina echoed blankly.

“You wash while I talk,” Nikki said. “I’ll start at the beginning. Way back in 2014 I boarded a plane. Only an hour after takeoff, the plane crashed. There weren’t that many survivors, and most of us were hurt.  We didn’t know it at first, but we had travelled forward in time and found ourselves in 2064, fifty years after terrorists nuked most of the world.”

Gina stared, open-mouthed. She had a vague idea of what a plane was because her stepfather was obsessed with re-creating the technology from the Times Before. This woman had actually ridden on one.  She had lived in the Times Before. “That must have been terrifying.”

“It was. We were rescued by the Lakota Wolf Clan. They took us in and helped us get back on our feet. Some survivors were mated to wolves. The rest of us were given a large apartment building to live in That was called The Plane Women’s House, and they turned it into a very successful restaurant.”

Gina nodded, absorbing this. She knew of the Plane Women’s Eatery.

“Connie was the pilot of the plane. She mated Des, and other wolves came to live there, and now that group is called the Plane Women’s House Pack. Des and Connie are in charge there.”

“Is that where Cole is from?” Gina rinsed a glass, but her attention was on Nikki. “He said something about it. Or is he from the Clan? I’m confused.”

“I don’t blame you. The Clan lives on the prairie in tents during the summer and in the Black Hills in the winter. Until about forty years ago the Clan was the only werewolf pack. But they don’t like to be called werewolves. Taye’s mother ―that would be Colby’s grandmother― separated from the Clan and went to live near her family near Kearney. Several of the men of the Clan went with her. They became the Pack. Now they are sometimes called Taye’s Pack or the Kearney Pack.”

“So there are three groups of wer… I mean, wolves.”

“Right.” Nikki took the glass and dried it. “One important thing to remember about wolves is that they are fanatical about keeping women safe. Any woman, but one they are responsible for? They will do anything for her.” Nikki turned from the cabinet to look at Gina very seriously. “Colby won’t hurt you. He might be a little high handed about how to keep you safe.” She laughed at Gina’s snort. “Well, I bet he is as much of an Alpha as his father. Taye acts all laid back and even-tempered until some guy gets too close to Carla. Then watch out.”

“Ha. Is he as bossy as Cole?”

Nikki seemed to think. “I don’t know. I think Carla learned to manage him pretty early. Like you did at breakfast. Yes, I noticed how you touched him and asked him to wait to go to Omaha. That was good. No pleading, no tears, no yelling. You have the knack of controlling yourself and getting your way without drama.”

Gina started on the frying pan. A need for self-preservation had taught her how to gauge a mood and act in the way most likely to keep her from trouble. Yelling and throwing tantrums had achieved nothing but vigorous spankings and days without food. Keeping her rebellion hidden deep inside had been much safer. “I don’t want to control him,” she said in a low voice.

“Controlling and managing are two very different things. Here, give me that skillet. I’ll finish it after I’ve put you to bed. You are practically asleep on your feet.”

She really wasn’t. Nikki had given her a lot to think about. Her mind was going over and over the story of the plane and the wolves and the packs until they were muddled in her brain. Maybe she was tired. She was suddenly aware of how her feet and back ached.

Nikki handed her the dish towel. “Dry your hands. I’ll get you one of my nighties. You can sleep in my daughter’s room. She married a few years ago, but she lives only a mile away and was home last weekend for a couple of nights. I just changed the sheets on her bed. Come on.”

In a few minutes Gina was wearing a long flannel nightgown and the warm socks, curled up in a narrow twin bed under a comforting mound of quilts. “Thank you,” she murmured and was asleep before Mrs. Andrews had closed the door and tiptoed back to the kitchen. She was still asleep when Cole returned from his patrol and stepped into the dim room. She didn’t see the way his mouth softened with wonder as he looked at her, or the longing on his face when he reached a trembling finger to touch her hair. She didn’t see him strip or feel the bed sag under his weight. When he curved his larger body around hers she only mumbled wordlessly and snuggled in to his chest. It wasn’t until she woke several hours later that she realized the warmth came from the naked body of a man who stared at her with dark, hungry eyes.

Happy April!  I hope you can find April where you’re at. Here it is buried beneath a lot of snow. The morning low was 2 F today and our high was 18. I don’t WANT to have to shovel any more but we are expecting snow on Thursday and over the weekend. Gah, even I am sick of winter!

I have a fairly long snip for you today, because I decided to take the story in a different direction than originally planned. So although the barebones of this will be familiar, I think a lot will be new too. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

Gina barely heard what the woman said. The aroma of ham sizzling on the stove pushed everything else out of her mind. But she noticed Cole’s arms stiffening around her and immediately relaxing, so she forced herself to pay attention to what was going on around her. The woman was not young, but her face had the timeless beauty that perfect bone structure preserved. Her soft brown hair was frosted with silver, the corners of her blue eyes edged with crow’s feet wrinkles, but her expression was lively and warm.

“Come in,” the woman urged. She put out one hand to push her husband back and lightly touched Gina’s shoulder with the other. “Oh, my dear, you’re frozen.” She looked up at Colby again. “Please, bring your mate in from the cold. I’ll take her into the kitchen while you get dressed.”

How did this stranger know that Cole thought of Gina as his ‘mate’? Cole stood silent a moment, and then gently put Gina on her feet. “Thank you.”

Gina’s feet almost failed to hold her up. She clutched Cole’s arm for balance. He steadied her until the farmwife hooked an arm around her waist and guided her into a short hallway that led to a roomy kitchen. The woman’s arm was warm and steady, but Gina was aware of a sense of loss. Cole was warmer and steadier.

Cole didn’t smell like ham and potatoes, though, and the kitchen did. Gina was suddenly ravenous. The woman pulled a chair over to the stove and pushed Gina into it. The stove was blessedly warm.  In a few seconds the woman brought a wet washcloth and applied it gently to Gina’s forehead. The pain from the bump flared back to life.

“Sorry,” the woman murmured. “We need to get this cleaned up.”

Gina tried to distract herself from the pain. “Do you know Colby?” she asked, trying to remember what the woman had said.

“Colby.” The woman paused, obviously thinking. “No, the name is familiar, but I don’t think I ever met him. He would have been just a baby when I married John and left the House to move here. There were so many babies born around that time.”

She said the word ‘house’ as if Gina should know which house. Gina didn’t. Cole came into the kitchen, dressed in threadbare jeans too wide in the waist and too short at the ankle, and a button up summer weight cotton shirt a bit too narrow in the shoulders. His feet were still bare. The farmer followed him in, still holding his shotgun, but no longer looking threatening.

“I don’t remember you,” Cole confirmed. “My dad is Taye, from the pack north of Kearney.”

“Oh, sure, Carla is your mom. We were on the plane together. I’m still in contact with Connie and Kathy. We exchange a couple of letters a year.”

Gina was completely lost by this conversation.

“John,” the woman said, wringing out the washrag, “get the extra blanket from the closet.”

Cole came directly to Gina and crouched in front of her. “Are you okay?”

“Sure.” The pain in her head was better now, but her feet and hands were being stabbed by a million red hot needles. That was good. Sit meant she was still alive. “How about you?”

“Fine.”

The man came back with the blanket but not the shotgun. Cole helped the woman drape it around Gina. She clutched it tightly under her chin, so grateful for its comfort that tears stung her eyes. Cole looked alarmed.

“Are you okay?” he asked again.

“Yes.” She scrubbed the tears away and told a fib. “It’s just the, uh, smoke. Breakfast is burning.”

“I’ll finish breakfast, Nikki,” the man said quietly. “You take Mrs. Wolfe to the bedroom and get her some warm clothes. I’ll finish chores after we get things settled.”

It took Gina a moment to realize that she was Mrs. Wolfe, but Nikki helped her up and led the way out of the kitchen. They passed through a living room to a hallway with three doors. Nikki went past the first two doors and opened the third one to reveal a bedroom crowded with a large, neatly made bed and two wooden bureaus. Nikki guided Gina to the bed and turned to rummage through a drawer. She pulled out a pair of jeans, a bright red sweater, and two pairs of wool socks.

“I’m a little taller than you,” Nikki said with a smile, “but we’re about the same size so these should fit.”

Nikki said nothing about the party dress as she helped Gina out of it, but her brow furrowed briefly as she set it aside. Gina wondered what she should say if she was asked why she was outside in a dinner dress and nothing else. She groped for a believalbe lie in vain. Nothing could explain this bizarre situation. Even the truth was ludicrous.

Nikki didn’t ask. She carefully examined Gina’s toes, fingers, nose, and ears as she helped her dress. “No frostbite,” she said with relief. “Let’s go back out to the kitchen. You need to sit close to the stove to thoroughly warm up.”

Heaven would have thick wool socks. Gina was sure of it. She followed the woman back to the kitchen, each step driving pins and needles through her feet, but by the time she came in the kitchen, the pins and needles were fading. Cole visibly relaxed when he saw her. He took her hand and gently tugged her back to the chair by the stove.

“I want to sit at the table,” she protested.

In answer, he went to the large wooden table, slid one hand under it and lifted it. With no sign of effort, he carried it three yards and set it down in front of her so gently that nothing on it was disturbed. Gina gaped at the sugar bowl and the two place settings before raising her gaze to him. No wonder he could carry her for miles without panting.

The farmer was staring too, but his wife calmly brought more tableware and made two more place settings. “Coffee?” she asked placidly.

Gina giggled. It was a nervous, half-hysterical giggle, but Cole smiled at her and brought the chairs over. He put one chair next to her and sat in it. Somehow, he was just as warm as the stove. Between the stove at her back and Cole at her side, Gina could literally feel herself thawing.

Nikki served them. She apologized for the potatoes, which were a bit scorched, but the ham was perfect, and the eggs plentiful. The bread was toasted, and the butter was rich and thick. It reminded Gina of her stepfather’s dinner party last night.

Gina froze. That was just last night?

“What is it?” Cole asked.

“Nothing.”

The farmer paused in shoveling in eggs. “We should introduce ourselves.  I’m John Andrews. My wife, Nikki. I met Nikki in Kearney, when she was working at the Eatery in the Plane Women’s House. We married three months later, after I proved to Des and Connie Wolfe that I would be good to her.”

Cole nodded. “I’m Cole Wolfe. I’m a member of the Pack north of Kearney. This is my mate, Gina.”

Gina made herself small, bracing herself for their disgust when he told them who her stepfather was. But he didn’t.

“I came to Omaha with kin for the spring legislative session. That’s where I met Gina.” he went on. “I need to go to back to Omaha. Will you look after Gina for a day?”

“Of course,” Nikki began.

Gina cut her off. “You’re going to Omaha now? Without me?”

“Yes,” he said. “You need to rest.”

“You need to rest, too,” she countered.

“You worry about me?” There was something tender in his dark eyes when he looked at her. That look melted her insides. The melting froze when the tenderness was drowned by arrogance. “Don’t. I am a wolf warrior. You are not. When did you last sleep? I can travel faster without you. I will find my cousins and we will bring you safely home to the den.”

She opened her mouth to argue, drew a breath, and closed it to consider the right words to use. If she let him have his way in everything, she would end up just like her mother. Gina refused to be an obedient doormat. She put her fingers lightly on his wrist and waited for his eyes to turn to her. They did with alacrity.

“Cole, I’d rather go with you.” She nodded to their hosts. “The Andrewses have been very generous to us, but I don’t want to cause them any trouble.” Like having the Kansas-Missouri army come knocking on their door and find them hiding the President’s fugitive stepdaughter. She tried to convey that to Cole with her eyebrows. “We could go together this afternoon after we get some rest.”

He looked dubious. “It would be safer for you to wait here while I bring my cousins to escort you to Omaha.”

His tone was so carefully reasonable that Gina almost smiled. He was probably trying to figure out why her eyebrows were wiggling like that and wondering if this woman he barely knew were insane.  “We could compromise,” she suggested. “You and I can go after dark. We wouldn’t be seen as easily then.”

He seemed to consider that, chewing his ham thoughtfully. “I suppose we could do that. But you need to rest while I run a patrol. I need to know if we were followed.”

John Andrews’ head came up. “Followed?” He swallowed potatoes. “Are you in trouble?”

Gina looked from John to Nikki to Cole, wondering how much to admit. “It’s possible. Cole, uh rescued me from the Kansas Missouri camp last night. They might want to get me back.” There. She’d told the truth.

John’s mouth tightened and he muttered something that sounded like, “Those encroaching good for nothings need to clear out.”

Nikki’s hand when to her mouth. “They stole a wolf’s mate?” Horrified disbelief threaded her voice.

Gina didn’t answer that. “If they do come this way I don’t want them to find me here with you. I know how they operate. They would punish you, so we need to leave as soon as possible.”

John pushed back from the table. “They haven’t crossed the river this way yet. Do you know what their plans are?”

“I don’t know everything. The president wants to take his family back to Kansas City. They should be leaving within the week. Maybe.” How long would her stepfather search for her? Guilt swirled in the pool of anxiety lodged in her stomach. “But he’ll be back. He wants Omaha.”

Nikki must have seen her anxiety. She leaned over to give her a quick hug. “Don’t you worry. The Clan and the Packs will protect you. That sleazy president might have an army, but he hasn’t run up against the Clan yet.”

Gina wanted to believe her. No one had succeeded in standing against her stepfather.

“That’s right,” John said. “Omaha isn’t defenseless, and neither is the rest of Nebraska. Even this farm isn’t defenseless. Eat your breakfast. You are welcome here.”

Gina ate with a sense of wonder. These people were like Lachlan and Ceara. They were good and caring. They looked after other people, even strangers. Gina had known too few good people in Kansas City. It was like her stepfather had sucked all the caring out of them. She couldn’t go back to that. If Cole hadn’t showed up last night, what would she be doing right now? Probably eating breakfast with Tanner and Jon on either side of her, poking and pinching her, showing her a hopeless future as their wife. What her future now held she wasn’t sure, but compared to Jon and Tanner, Cole was a prince.

Beside her, Cole’s hand brushed over her arm, almost like it was an accident, but when she glanced at him she saw he was watching her with a small, warm smile. Was he reading her mind? “Finish your breakfast,” he ordered. “Then come out with me to say good bye.”

“Bossy,” she muttered, but continued to eat. She noticed Nikki’s lips were pressed together as if suppressing a smile.

They finished breakfast quickly and Nikki collected the plates and stacked them in the sink while water heated to wash them. John went back to the barn to continue his interrupted chores. Cole led Gina out to the mudroom.

It was cooler here than in the kitchen, so she didn’t object when he put his arms around her. He smelled like lavender and cedar, probably from his borrowed shirt, and something else, something that just him. She buried her nose into his chest.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he whispered into her hair. “Will you miss me?”

She snorted and leaned back to look into his face. “Maybe.”

“My sweet mate.”

He leaned down as if he would kiss her. Gina swallowed irrational panic. “So, what’s with this Plane Women’s House Mrs. Andrews is from?” she blurted. “And how does she know you’re a wolf?”

He was even more handsome when he laughed silently. “Ask her to explain it. Now hold still. I need something to keep me warm on my patrol.”

He was going to kiss her! He bent his head slowly, watching her closely. She realized he was giving her time to tell him no. That fact erased her reluctance, giving curiosity room to grow. She lifted her face, waiting to feel his lips touch hers.

They did, so lightly and softly that it was hardly a kiss. His nose pressed into her hair behind her ear was unexpectedly erotic. She awkwardly lifted her arms to put her hands on his shoulders. The strength she felt in the thick muscles under her fingers was foreign. She’d never embraced a man. Well, she had, but never such a handsome man, and never one who seemed to think she belonged to him. No, that wasn’t it either. Cole was bossy, but he honestly seemed willing to do anything to protect her. If Jon embraced her she wouldn’t feel this mix of trepidation and wonder. His touch would be loathsome.

Cole’s breath stirred her hair and warmed the tender place behind her ear. His arms tightened for a moment, then relaxed. He leaned away and raised her chin with his fingers. “I’ll be back soon, mate.”

“Be careful,” she whispered.

His smile was a bold slash of white in his dark face. “Always.”

With complete unconcern, he stepped away, unbuttoned the shirt and let it drop, and then unfastened the jeans and stepped out of them. Gina gawked at the male perfection of his naked body. His broad shoulders tapered to a hard, narrow waist and long legs. She got a glimpse of his sculpted chest and belly before he turned to the door, showing her a hard, round behind. Dang it, she thought, she had missed the main attraction!

He opened the door and paused to glance back at her. His wicked smile said he knew she liked what she saw. “All yours, Gina. All of me belongs to only you,” he said.

Then he blurred into gray fur and was gone, the door swinging shut behind him.