“Non.” He cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb over her bottom lip, making it tingle. “They worry. They want what is best for you. They want you safe.”

  She nodded and gripped her mug. While it was wonderful to catch up on news from home, it hurt to realize how much she’d missed, how cut off and alone she’d been. Life had gone on for all of them.

  She swallowed back a protest when he released her and downed the last of his coffee. “If you’re done, we’ll leave.”

  The diner was bright and cheery, but the sunny day called to her. She’d been inside way too much these past weeks. With Etienne beside her, she didn’t have to be on her guard as much, could let go and be her true self without worrying about doing something to give herself away.

  She’d been in a cage, one of her own making, since she’d left. “I’m ready. I’ll meet you outside.” She pointed to the bathroom. Hurrying, she finished and bolted outside. Etienne was leaning against the front of his truck, ankles crossed, eyes closed, basking in a sunbeam.

  His father was the same. No one enjoyed sunshine more than Gator Rollins—except maybe his son.

  She wasn’t the only one noticing the way the washed denim cupped the bulge in the front of his jeans or the way the arms of the T-shirt strained against his biceps. No, a small group of twenty-something women getting out of a sedan were staring—and not trying to hide the fact.

  Something hot and deadly stirred inside her.

  “Oh, God, will you look at him,” one said.

  “I want one,” said another.

  “Can you imagine waking up to that every morning?”

  “I’d never get out of bed.”

  The women were whispering, but with her keen hearing they might as well have been screaming it. Which meant he could hear it, too.

  Who did they think they were? Staring at her man.

  His expression didn’t change. If anything, the corners of his mouth tightened. Then his head snapped up and he smiled. It was one guaranteed to cream any woman’s panties. It was slow and lazy and intimate. And it was all for her. “Ready, chère?”

  She sauntered toward him, making sure the women had a front-row seat as she ran her finger up the front of his chest. “Oh, I’m more than ready.” Her wolf chuffed, satisfied they’d laid their claim.

  What did I just do?

  The reality of it slammed into her. Jealous of those unknown women, she’d reacted out of instinct. They hadn’t even done anything, only made a few comments they thought wouldn’t be overheard. She’d blown the entire situation out of proportion.

  “Did you hear that accent? Isn’t that the sexiest thing you’ve ever heard?” one of the women asked. Her friends murmured in agreement as they entered the diner.

  While Etienne had been born in North Carolina, he’d picked up the accent from his father and the other original members of their pack who had come from Louisiana. It slipped out from time to time. And the woman wasn’t wrong. It was sexy as hell.

  He pushed away from the truck, caught her hand in his, and raised it to his lips. A delicious shiver skated down her spine. Her nipples pebbled. He leaned forward, his breath hot on her neck. “Might as well give them a show since they’re watching from the window.”

  Scowling, Amy turned and glared. Sure enough, the four women were practically plastered against the glass. None of them were the least bit repentant. One of them shrugged. Another lifted a glass of water in salute. Two more fanned themselves.

  The absurdity of it had her throwing back her head and laughing. “Someone has to protect you.” Shaking her head, she started around to the passenger side. “Or maybe I’m protecting them. You are lethal to the female population.”

  He waited until she was settled, closed the door, and leaned against her open window. “While I appreciate you looking out for me, chère, the only woman I see is you.”

  Levity fled, leaving something hotter and deadly serious. She tugged her sweater over her chest to cover her nipples, which had gone on attention the second she’d seen him leaning against his truck like some pagan offering to the gods.

  It wasn’t his reaction that bothered her. It was her own. She’d been ready to take those women on, had hated the way they’d responded to him.

  I’m not ready to mate him, but I don’t want any other woman to have him.

  What did that say about her? It didn’t paint her in a good light. What if the women had been female wolves? He’d have been within his right to take any of them up on their blatant offers. They weren’t mated.

  Her wolf growled and pushed to the surface. She grabbed the edge of the seat. Claws ripped through the tips of her fingers and dug into the leather.

  I can’t shift. Not here. Too public.

  She needed to get out of here now.

  He didn’t ask what was wrong. He was too perceptive to miss the telltale signs. The engine roared to life, and then they were moving.

  Don’t shift. Don’t shift. She repeated the two words over and over until they ran together. The pounding in her heart blocked out all other sound. Her breathing was ragged. It had been far too long. Her wolf was chomping to get out. This was no one’s fault but her own.

  “Hang on, sweetheart. We’re almost there.”

  She had no idea where they were going. It didn’t matter. Etienne would get her where she needed to be.

  Her clothes were too confining, her skin hot and itchy.

  Unable to bear it any longer, she dragged her sweater off. Her tank top and bra followed. A sane, still functional piece of her brain warned it wasn’t smart to be stripping in broad daylight while driving down a public road.

  The truck veered onto a dirt track, bumping along.

  The shift took her, her wolf lunging for freedom. Her body contorted, head flattening and jaw elongating. Fur pushed out from beneath her skin. She stretched, settling into her new form and shaking off the remainder of her clothes.

  Freedom.

  The vehicle rocked to a stop. Etienne shut off the engine and opened his door. “Run.”

  Chapter Eight

  Etienne yanked off his clothes as Amy bolted. Shit, she was fast, streaking by him in a flash of blonde and brown fur. It was risky to leave the truck and their belongings unattended, but he couldn’t afford the time to hide their clothes and lock up the truck. She was already out of sight.

  He began to run, shifting on the fly. One step his feet hit the ground. The next his paws landed lightly. Damn, it was good to shift, to embrace this side of himself. Lengthening his stride, he lifted his head and sniffed the air, his ears twitching to pick up any sound.

  There!

  He veered to the left, closing the gap. It was pointless to rein her in so he paced himself, letting her run herself into exhaustion. They jumped over downed trees, zigzagged around others, their paws treading softly on the land.

  The female wolf leaped with joy, tail high, head raised. She’d challenge any male. If one was ever fortunate enough to catch and mate her, he’d have a partner for life, one that would stand beside him, come what may.

  He wanted that male to be him.

  Her jealousy gave him hope. And holy hell, it had been hot to see her green eyes fire up when she’d overheard those other women. Wasn’t the first time he’d overheard such conversations. He ignored them. Those women only thought they could handle the likes of him. They could have stripped naked and paraded in front of him and it wouldn’t have mattered.

  Because none of them were Amy.

  When she’d prowled toward him and run her finger down his chest, it had been all he could do to keep from tossing her over his shoulder and finding somewhere to claim her once and for all.

  He’d thought to lighten the mood, teasing her into laughter. Whatever had happened, whatever had changed, something had pushed her to the breaking point. His only concern had been getting them out of there and somewhere safe where she could let go.

  There’d been nothing amusing or arousing about her stripping in the truck. It had been too frantic, too desperate. A woman on the edge.

  With one eye on her and another on their surroundings, he crowded her, subtly adjusting her position. She snapped, sharp teeth flashing. He growled back and nipped at her flanks. She yipped and lengthened her stride.

  The afternoon waned, the sun going from overhead to lowering in the west. They’d been at this for hours. The local wildlife had hidden at first, but had eventually ceased seeing them as a threat and accepted their presence. Squirrels chattered from the trees. Birds swooped and sang. A fox hunkered down beside a rock as they raced by.

  Amy finally slowed, coming to a halt beneath an oak tree. She turned in a circle, as though trying to get her bearings. She’d been running wild with no attention to her surroundings. Something they’d all been taught never to do. That she’d forgotten her training was a testament to how far gone she’d been.

  When he shifted back to human, she lowered her head and sighed. “How long has it been?” She shrugged and whined, staying in her wolf form. Probably a good thing. He was worked up after running for so long. Having her naked? Yeah, not a great idea. The mating urge beat at him. His fangs dropped and his cock swelled.

  He turned away, but not before she noticed. “We need to get back.” Embracing his wolf, he led the way. There was no stream or river nearby, so they’d been without water all afternoon. They’d worked off the feast they’d eaten for breakfast. He’d have to feed her again. Not how he’d imagined the day going. He’d hoped for something more romantic and relaxed, but this was what she’d needed.

  She let him set the pace this time, staying slightly behind and on his left. He kept glancing back to make sure she was keeping up. Not that he needed to. If anything, his awareness of her was keener than it had ever been.

  Her feet weren’t landing as lightly. Her breathing was harder and heavier.

  She’s tired.

  He frowned, not liking that. A run like this shouldn’t have taken this much out of her. Not if she’d been taking care of herself.

  His ears swiveled, picking up an unexpected sound. He stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She stumbled, hitting him in the side. Once she’d straightened herself up, she tilted her head to one side and listened. A low growl rumbled up from inside her.

  Etienne shifted back to human form. “There are two men hanging around the truck. I need to deal with them.” And hopefully keep them from stealing his truck. “Stay put. Do not move from here.”

  Not giving her time to agree or object, he stepped out from between the trees. “Can I help you gentlemen with anything?”

  The bigger one stood about six feet tall and wore the usual uniform of men around here—jeans, a T-shirt with a flannel over it, and boots. He was broad through the shoulders and had shaggy brown hair pulled back in a tail. There was an unlit match between his teeth. “Maybe I should be asking you that question.” He flipped open Etienne’s wallet. “Mr. Rollins. Not from around here, are you?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “See, my buddy and me were walking along, enjoying the afternoon. Imagine our surprise when we came across an abandoned truck with clothes everywhere. It’s like one of those true crime shows on the television. Ain’t it, Jack?”

  His buddy, who was about the same build but a couple of inches shorter with reddish hair, grinned. “It surely is, Mike.”

  “It’s enough to make a man call the police.”

  “But you didn’t.” These didn’t seem like the type of men who’d want authorities of any kind in their business.

  “Where’s the woman?” Mike held up Amy’s bra, twirling it on his index finger.

  “She’s fine.”

  “See, I only have your word for that.”

  His hackles went up. He didn’t think Mike was asking out of the goodness of his heart. “How about you fellas move along, and we’ll all forget we ever saw one another.” That was the best case scenario, but not a likely one. These men were opportunists, cold and calculating. It was in their eyes. They thought they had him at a disadvantage because he was naked and unarmed. Mike had a knife strapped to his waist, and Jack had a rifle looped over his shoulder. It looked to be an older weapon, not an automatic one, but it was still formidable.

  Mike laughed, smacking his hand against his thigh. “That’s a good one. Ain’t that a good one, Jack?”

  “It surely is.”

  Mike was the alpha of this group. Jack would follow his lead.

  “See, this here is a nice truck. You got some cash and some credit cards. Too bad you hadn’t stayed away a bit longer. We’d have been gone. But you’ve seen us now.” Mike shook his head. “Pity that.” His gaze hardened and he rolled the match between his teeth. “I wonder how long it will take your woman to come out of hiding once we start hurting you? Or maybe she won’t care,” he taunted.

  Etienne didn’t rise to the bait. His heartbeat was slow and steady. Not so his opponents. They were worked up, adrenaline pumping through their veins at the thought of a fight, an easy score, and getting their hands on Amy. Jack was already sporting a hard-on. Mind working, he cataloged their positions and possible scenarios.

  “Well?” Mike asked, frowning.

  “Well, what?”

  “You calling your woman?”

  “Not a chance in hell.”

  Mike took the match out of his mouth and tucked it in his shirt pocket. “Tough guy, huh? That’s okay.” He rubbed his hands together. “I like tough guys.”

  Jack flipped his rifle over so it was aimed at Etienne.

  “Tougher than you.” Etienne spat on the ground. “You need your buddy to protect you.”

  “I don’t need nobody. Let’s just call that insurance.”

  Etienne took a step to his right, as though moving away from Mike, when in fact it brought him closer to Jack. He needed to take down the shooter first and then disable the other one. He silently counted down in his head.

  Now!

  He lunged at Jack, grabbed the rifle barrel, and yanked. Not expecting the action, he gave up the weapon easier than Etienne had expected. Wielding it like a club, he swung at Mike, clipping him as he jumped back.

  “Shit, son. You’re fast.” Mike pulled his knife and twirled it.

  “A rifle trumps a knife.” He backed away, holding the weapon steady.

  “Not loaded.”

  Etienne pulled the trigger and swore when it clicked. He smashed it against a nearby tree with enough force to snap the wooden stock from the barrel.

  “Hey,” Jack objected. “That belonged to my granddaddy.”

  “Then he should have taught you not to point it at someone unless you were willing to accept the consequences.”

  Thinking Etienne’s attention was on his buddy, Mike lunged, coming in hard and low. The blade flashed. Etienne grabbed his wrist and twisted. Sweat popped out on Mike’s brow as he fought.

  He increased the pressure, tempted to break the fragile bones. It would be easy to kill both men, but that would only bring down trouble. There was no way of knowing if these two had called anyone else. His priority was to disarm them and get Amy away from here. Broken bones would lead to a hospital visit and might get the cops involved.

  “Drop the knife.”

  “Not happening. Get him, Jack.”

  His buddy came at him from behind, grabbing up a dead tree branch and swinging. A streak of fur and fury bolted past him, slamming into Jack and taking him to the ground. Teeth bared, Amy growled.

  “Fuck.” Etienne slammed his fist into Mike’s face, knocking him back onto his ass. While the man was dazed, he grabbed the knife.

  With no time to spare, he patted Mike down, finding a cell phone and a wallet in his pockets. He liberated both the man’s license and his phone. “Hey, you can’t take that.”

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Mike Taylor. You have my address, and now I have yours.” Leaning down, he let go of the leash on his control. He didn’t shift. He didn’t need to. “You come anywhere near me or mine and you’ll disappear into a shallow grave. Do you understand?”

  “Hey, man. No need to get worked up. We were just having some fun. Call off your dog before he bites Jack.”

  “It’s all fun and games,” he muttered as he drew back his fist and slammed it into the idiot. He pulled it so he didn’t break anything, but hit hard enough to knock him out.

  “I’ll handle him from here,” he told Amy. She backed off and sat, keeping her eyes glued on Jack. “Give me your wallet and phone.”

  Jack couldn’t hand it over fast enough. “That’s no dog. That’s a wolf.”

  “Wolf breed.” Not really a lie. “I’m taking your license, Mr. Jack Turner. Same warning applies to you.”

  “It costs money to replace those. And you already broke my rifle.”

  Were these two for real? They thought they should have rights when they’d been ready to kill him and take his truck. Not to mention their interest in Amy. “Should have thought of that before you tried to jump me, take my truck, and harm my girl.” Bloodlust rose up in him, but he forced it back.

  Their problems were big enough without adding to them.

  “We wouldn’t really have hurt no one.”

  Etienne wasn’t buying it. Amy growled. Nope, she wasn’t buying it either. He punched Jack, not bothering to catch him as he toppled over. He dragged on his clothes and grabbed the rest of their belongings, making sure he didn’t miss any of Amy’s jewelry. When he was certain he had everything, he went back for Jack’s rifle and wiped both pieces down so none of his fingerprints remained.

  Amy had dressed and slipped into the passenger seat.

  When they were back on the road, heading toward her place, he finally broke his silence. “What the hell were you thinking? I thought I told you to stay put.”

  ****

  She almost flinched. His voice was low and lethal. Her wolf whined, but she snapped her shoulders back. “I was thinking you needed help.”

  She’d seen Etienne in many moods over the years, but none of them came close to this. He’d disarmed two men and knocked them out—all without breaking a sweat. Then calmly gathered all their belongings and removed any trace of their presence.