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  The only clean clothing she had with her was a tunic-style dress. Not ideal for hiking, but now that she was clean she could tell how grody her other clothes were.

  They had made camp near the river; at least, that’s what she thought they were doing. Alder hadn’t actually said they were stopping for the night, but it was sunset and they had just made it to the foot of the mountain.

  He wasn’t there when she got back, and neither was his bag. Trying to pretend that she didn’t have abandonment issues, she sat down on a tree stump and waited for him to return. After all of two minutes, she got restless and decided to look for him. She didn’t have to go far.

  He was bathing in the river. She shouldn’t have looked, but once she did, she couldn’t look away. Only his head and shoulders stuck out of the water, but the way the late-afternoon sunlight played against his bronze skin and the gold tones of his hair was mesmerizing.

  She pressed herself against a tree, unconsciously licking her lips as she watched Alder stretch his arms behind his head. The muscles in his arms were magnificent. They were a perfect blend of bulging and sinuous, and Taylor closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like to run her hands over them.

  When she opened her eyes again, Alder was staring at her. She stared back like a deer in the headlights, knowing there was no acceptable excuse for what she was doing.

  His eyes never leaving hers, he began to walk from the river. The water fell away from him, exposing his body one inch at a time.

  * * *

  Alder approached her, twigs crunching beneath his bare feet. Since they’d met, Taylor had been sending him mixed signals. Oftentimes he would catch her watching and staring at him, but every time he tried to gauge her interest, she would rebuff him in one manner or another. It was damn frustrating, but this time he’d caught her in an unambiguous position.

  She had been watching him bathe. Her fresh, clean scent was ripe with arousal. Arousal for him.

  He leaned over her, droplets of water falling from his hair and splashing onto her face. One drop fell onto her bottom lip, and Alder reached up, intending to brush it away with his thumb. Changing his mind, he hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her head up. Her hazel eyes widened as he leaned down, his tongue flicking out to lick up the water.

  A human male might have stopped at that, but Alder was a wolf—a predator. When she made no move to pull away or stop him, he pressed the advantage, running his tongue along the seam of her mouth. The flesh of her lips was soft and plump, begging to be sucked and bitten.

  Cradling the back of her neck with one hand, he brought her closer, pushing his tongue into her warm mouth. She opened for him, barely, but just enough, and his hand fisted into her hair.

  Their scents began mingling together, heightening his arousal. Aching and swollen, his cock pressed against the cotton fabric of her dress. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a female so badly.

  When she finally began to reciprocate, it took every ounce of self-control he had not to throw her onto the ground and bury himself inside of her. Her hands began an exploration of his body, shy at first, but they grew bolder by the second. They ran along his hips, traced the contours of his chest muscles, and then settled on the sides of his face, drawing him down and deeper into their kiss.

  Resisting the urge to growl, he grabbed her hips, pulling her up and pressing her against his cock. Her legs wrapped around him invitingly, and he pushed her back to pin her against the tree.

  She moaned into his mouth—a sweet and wholly feminine sound that reverberated throughout his body. He could feel it in his bones and, being the decisive wolf that he was, he knew that he wouldn’t settle for any less than making her his mate.

  Alder ran a hand up her dress, pleased that she wasn’t wearing a bra. He cupped one of her soft mounds, squeezing and massaging it in his palm. His thumb found her stiff nipple, and he was eager to taste it.

  He tried to pull her dress up, but Taylor immediately stiffened. Alder slowed the pace of their kiss, attempting to coax her back into submission, but her posture remained rigid. Her hands went against his chest, pushing him back. Reluctantly, he acquiesced.

  His frustration was momentarily forgotten when he saw her face. She was panting, her skin flushed to a deep shade of pink. Her pupils were dilated, making her eyes bigger and more beautiful.

  Her lips began to move, but like many of the things she said, the words made no sense to him.

  “Do you have, like, protection?”

  “What?” The word came out more sharply than he’d intended, but his cock was wedged between them, still as demanding as ever.

  Her color deepened. “You know, like condoms?”

  Recognizing the word, he inwardly cursed. Contraception wasn’t something his kind needed. Their own females weren’t capable of conceiving, and they could easily scent when a human female was fertile.

  Alder tried to think of a way to explain this to Taylor, but his mind was drawing a blank. He wanted to tell her flat-out what he was, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t be eager to couple with him after that admission.

  While he puzzled over his situation, Taylor skillfully dislodged herself from his grasp.

  “It’s for the best,” she said, stepping away from him.

  Alder blinked at her. “What?” he said again.

  She averted her eyes. “We’ve only known each other for a day. It’s too soon for…” She floundered, waving her arms between them. “…This.”

  It finally occurred to him that she was rejecting him, and it pissed him off.

  “Bullshit,” he said, pushing his hair back.

  Taylor flinched. “Alder, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me—really—and I’m going to make it up to you, somehow. But not like this.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Is that what it would be?” he said, his irritation mounting. “A favor?”

  “That’s all it could be,” Taylor snapped, giving him a heated look. “What do you think is going to happen here? I’m a murderer. We can’t possibly have any sort of relationship together.”

  Alder put his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t give a shit about that.”

  And it was true, he didn’t. While he might not know the circumstances under which she had done what she did, Alder couldn’t picture Taylor killing in anything but self-defense. If anyone had tried to harm her, he was glad they were dead.

  She said, “Even if we could pretend like none of that mattered, why the hell would you even want to be with a girl like me? You’re a nice guy.”

  “You have no idea what—”

  She kept talking. “And I’m not a nice girl, not by a long shot.”

  Frustrated and confused, Alder turned and walked away.

  Chapter Eight

  A wisp of smoke floated up from the pile of wood and brush. Alder bent down to blow on the kindling, and a few seconds later it caught flame.

  “Holy crap,” Taylor said, unable to contain herself any longer.

  It was the first thing she’d said to Alder since he’d come back to the campsite some fifteen minutes ago. This time, she’d been genuinely surprised to see him come back, his arms loaded with firewood.

  “How did you learn to start a fire like that?” she asked.

  “My older brother taught me.”

  She was relieved that he’d answered her, and even more relieved that he didn’t seem angry with her anymore.

  “Are you two close?” she asked, scooting down the log to be closer to him.

  Staring into the fire, he replied, “We were.”

  It was a cryptic answer and Taylor wanted to ask him more, but she wasn’t in the habit of asking personal questions. Not sure how to broach the subject, she decided to offer up some information about herself.

  “I have a little sister. We can’t stand each other…” She trailed off as Alder reached over, picking up a dead frog. He speared it with a stick, offering it to her. “Uh, no thanks, I’ll pass.”
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br />   Alder grabbed her hand, forcing her to grip the stick. “We have to clear the mountain tomorrow. You’re going to need your strength.”

  She reluctantly accepted the frog. It was fat and the stick was heavy in her hand.

  “Are these even edible?” she asked him, holding the frog over the fire.

  “The legs are good,” he said, spearing a frog of his own. “They taste similar to quail meat.”

  Taylor realized that he must have caught them when he was away gathering firewood, and couldn’t help but laugh.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I dunno. It’s just funny to think of you hunting for frogs. You look like the type of guy who would wrestle bears.”

  He grinned, a brief flash of teeth, but enough to give her hope that there wasn’t any lingering resentment between them.

  “I was going to bring you back a mountain lion, but I thought you’d object to cat meat.”

  She crinkled her nose at him. “I guess given the options, frog legs aren’t so bad.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, roasting their dinner. Taylor had to admit, the frog did smell surprisingly good. Either that or she was just too hungry to tell the difference.

  “There’s a cabin near the lake, where I live,” Alder said, abruptly breaking the silence. “You can stay there until you’re ready.”

  She twirled her stick. “I’ll probably only need a few days. I just need to figure out where I am and where I’m gonna go next.”

  “No,” he said, turning to face her. His eyes seemed to blaze in the firelight. “You can stay there until you’re ready to be with me.”

  Her throat felt tight and when she parted her lips to respond, she couldn’t find any words.

  Alder went on to say, “You’re right. I understand why you think we can’t be together. But I also know that I can keep you safe, if you’ll trust me. I can take care of you and we can get to know one another.”

  Taylor suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Sick with dread, apprehension, longing, and hope. She wanted to believe that he was making idle promises, but she could tell from his intense gaze that he was dead serious.

  “What if you decide that you don’t like me?”

  She couldn’t believe she was even entertaining the thought of being with him, despite everything that had happened. But maybe it was because of everything she’d been through in the past few days that she wanted so badly to cast aside her inhibitions.

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said, pressing his lips together. Taking in her hard look, he added, “But if it does, we’ll have a Plan B.”

  She nodded, but said, “I don’t get it. You look like you could date any girl you want. What do you have some sort of hero complex?”

  His lips quirked. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know. I’m not the man you think I am, and when you do get to know me—the real me—you may be the one deciding to leave.”

  The words should have made her nervous, but instead she felt more secure than she had before. Knowing that Alder wasn’t perfect, or at least that he didn’t think he was perfect, was somewhat of a relief.

  She placed a hand on his leg, giving him a reassuring squeeze but pulling back before it became any more than that. If he came on to her again, well, she wasn’t sure she could turn him down a second time.

  “Well, how about we get over that werewolf-infested mountain and then we’ll figure it out together?”

  Taylor thought the joke would lighten the mood, but Alder didn’t look amused. If anything, his face tightened.

  “Sorry. I’m sure that’s not the answer you’re looking for, but this is all kind of sudden to me.”

  “It’s okay,” he said dismissively.

  The frog legs had the same texture and taste as chicken, or at least what she remembered chicken tasting like. When Taylor was eleven, she’d had a pet pot-bellied pig, Ernest. She’d stopped eating pork that year, and became a full vegetarian soon thereafter. She did feel bad eating an animal, but the fact that it was just a frog made it easier.

  After they ate, Alder stomped out the fire and left the campsite, telling her he was going to scout the area. Taylor made herself a makeshift bed out of his leather jacket. Leather was another thing she wasn’t a fan of, but it was soft and it smelled like him, a little woodsy and a little spicy.

  The night before, she’d been incredibly exhausted and had fallen right asleep. Tonight, she was tired but not enough to pass out. The forest was dark, and she felt alone and exposed. Every noise had her lifting her head and squinting into the darkness.

  She let out a sigh of relief when Alder finally returned.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  “I’m good.”

  Alder sat next to her, removing his boots. “Get some rest. We have to be up early.”

  Without another word, he lay down beside her, putting an arm around her. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as he carefully repositioned her, resting her head on his biceps.

  She waited, mentally preparing herself for whatever he’d do next. Within moments, he’d fallen asleep. A few moments later, she did the same.

  Chapter Nine

  Taylor plodded behind Alder as they ascended Mount Ezra. Despite her short legs and impractical shoes, she kept pace with him pretty well, which was no small feat.

  “Do you really think there are werewolves here?” Taylor asked from behind him.

  Alder slowed just enough for her to catch up.

  “There’s a whole pack of them on this mountain,” he told her. “They’re nocturnal. Probably asleep in their den right about now.”

  The Whiteriver pack wouldn’t be a threat to him and Taylor, but he would have preferred to be off of their mountain before they woke for the night. While the treaty between the two packs would prevent any aggression on their part, he doubted they wouldn’t come sniffing around to see what he was up to.

  “Have you seen them before?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What were they like?”

  He could tell she was anxious again and knew she’d probably drawn the same conclusion as he had. Unless they found horses or a hot air balloon, they weren’t getting over the mountain before nightfall, not by a long shot.

  Mount Ezra wasn’t an overly large mountain. In his wolf form he could easily clear it in a day, but even his own human form wasn’t adequate enough to navigate the steep cliffs and rocky slopes that deftly, let alone Taylor’s.

  The sensible thing would have been to tell Taylor the truth, shift, and carry her over the mountain. It was only noon, if he did it now, he might still make it to his own territory shortly after dark.

  He had almost told her several times, but it seemed the longer he waited, the harder it became. Most humans believed that werewolves were monsters. He didn’t think Taylor would hate him or even be afraid of him once she got used to idea of his being a werewolf. But he knew that for better or worse, she wouldn’t look at him the same once she knew, and Alder just wasn’t ready for that.

  “They’re a lot like you and me,” he said, eager to dispel any negative preconceptions she had about his kind. “This particular pack is mostly female. They’re led by one alpha male, Silas.”

  Taylor blinked in surprise. “Silas? That doesn’t sound like a werewolf name.”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “And what does a werewolf name sound like?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “I dunno. Gur-roth or Var-dred or…why is that funny?”

  Alder shook his head, still smiling. “They’re not as different from humans as you think.”

  Taylor gave a thoughtful nod. “I suppose not. Their mothers are human, after all. Aren’t they? At least, that’s what the fringe people say.” She rolled her eyes. “They think werewolves take their women away to the mountains to breed with them.”

  “Many of them come willingly,” he said, curious as to how she would react. “Being the mate of an alpha
is a very honored position. In a stable pack with a strong alpha, those women lead happy and fulfilling lives.”

  And if Taylor were his mate, Alder would make sure she and any offspring they had would be well provided for. He wanted to tell her as much, but it was yet another thing that would have to wait until later.

  “You sure do know a lot about werewolves,” she said, absently chewing her lip. “Hey, are you one of those people who study werewolves? Like that French woman who wrote those werewolf books? Is that why you live out here?”

  “No, I’m not studying werewolves.”

  “Yeah, you don’t really look like a researcher,” she said, grinning. “So what do you do out here?”

  He hesitated. He wasn’t going to lie to her, not when he’d have to tell her the truth soon enough. But he also wasn’t ready to come clean.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” she said, picking up on his reluctance.

  Alder liked that she finally seemed to be getting comfortable with him, and he didn’t want to shut her out. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s—”

  Taylor held up a hand, shaking her head. “No, it’s really okay, Alder. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me. Most men would have left me in the dust by now. I don’t want to pry into your personal life. I’m just glad you’re still here.”

  It wasn’t the first time she’d expressed the sentiment. The morning after they’d met, Taylor had been surprised when he’d returned, believing that he’d left her. Alder remembered being slightly offended that she’d thought so little of him, but he was beginning to realize that it was more likely she thought little of herself. There was a vulnerability to her, one that she hid well, but was all too apparent to a predator such as himself.

  There were many things he wanted to say to her, but he was also beginning to realize that Taylor wasn’t the type of female who responded to pretty words and promises.

  So instead, he reached out and took her hand, holding it firmly as they continued up the mountain.