Arrrh, Matey

Evie watched the two boys giggle and whisper and nudge each other at the library computer long enough to determine they weren’t trying to access porn before she sauntered over. Today was a slow day for both her and the library—sunny, warm for December but still brisk enough to get the blood pumping. If she hadn’t been on duty she’d be outside herself. Whatever had two shifter boys of squirrel-chasing age huddled in front of a computer screen instead of out running through the woods must be pretty darn interesting. She put on her adult face and went to take a look.

Both pups jumped when she cleared her throat to announce herself. “Were we too loud?” the taller one said. He started out in a normal voice; halfway through he remembered where he was and adjusted. The word “loud” came out as a whisper.

“Volume’s not a problem today,” Evie said with a grin, her own voice soft but not whisper levels. “It’s supposed to be only one person to a computer. Homework assignment?”

“We’re pirates,” the smaller boy said. He had a kerchief tied over his hair and a homemade eyepatch, currently flipped up for better Internet viewing. Evie noticed then the other one wore a cutlass, clearly a plastic fake, stuck in his belt.

Both boys were wolf shifters—her nose told her that—and from similarities in facial features and scent she deduced they were brothers. But … “Pirates?” she echoed.

“We’re looking for booty,” the tall one said solemnly. He indicated the screen, which currently held a map of Talbot’s Peak and the surrounding wilderness. Evie judged its vintage to be around 1900.

“I don’t think pirates had access to the Internet,” Evie said.

“Booty could be anywhere,” the smaller one said. “Before we start digging, we want to narrow it down.”

“Montana’s quite a ways from the ocean, you know.”

“Exactly! Nobody would think to look for pirate treasure way out here. We figured the pirates came in by the underground river. We already tried digging around the fountain, but the cops chased us off. That’s too obvious anyway. I’m Loki,” he finished, as manners finally surfaced. “This is my brother Thor.”

Evie shook hands with the buccaneers-in-training. “Are you the pirates, or are you just looking for booty?”

“A little of both. If we had a boat, we’d go sailing on the pond. Hey! Maybe the pirates buried their booty there.” He zoomed in on that section of the map. “In a cave or something.”

“I’m not crawling around in a cave again.” Thor made a face. “We were in this cave and got mud and dirt and bat crap all over us,” he told Evie. “Mom pitched a fit.”

“Wait’ll we bring her doubloons,” Loki said. “Or a treasure chest.”

“Did someone say treasure?”

Grayson Chase, Evie’s ardent pursuer and would-be mate, entered the library and came up behind her. Because pups were present, he didn’t slip his arms around her waist and nuzzle her neck as he normally did. He did, however, growl softly in her ear, “Or maybe I heard ‘chest’.”

“Careful, bucko. There be pirates afoot.” She nodded to indicate the boys and their tender age. Chase growled again in understanding. “We be hunting for hidden treasure. Arrrh.”

“Why do pirates say that, anyway?” Thor asked. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“I think it means their peg leg’s hurting,” Chase said. He murmured in Evie’s ear, “I see the Pirates of the Caribbean marathon on cable last weekend has netted a couple of victims.”

“So that’s what happened. I don’t watch much TV.” She had her magazines and special toys for entertainment. Chase’s rumble told her his thoughts ran along the same naughty path. But how to get the pups outside?

“You know,” she said suddenly, “I think we may have an old pirate map in the archives. Let me check.” She hurried toward the office.

“You ever been a pirate?” Loki asked Chase.

“I get seasick watching shark movies,” Chase said. “I stay on dry land and patch up the pirates if their raids don’t go well. I haven’t had to dig a musket ball out of anyone recently, though.”

“Here we go.” Evie spread a printout on the table. The boys abandoned their computer and eagerly poured over the map. “I know where this is!” Loki said. “There’s the park, and—hey! An X!”

“Dozens of rogues and rapscallions have called Talbot’s Peak home over the years,” Evie said. “One had this in his journal. The perks of being town librarian. I never checked it out, so whatever he left at the X may still be there. And what a lovely day it is to treasure hunt.”

The hint proved unnecessary; she’d had the boys at the map. They accepted it happily, thanked her, and dashed outside with cries of “Yo ho!” and “Avast, ye lubbers!” “I suppose it could have been worse,” Evie said, logging off their computer. “Every time they run a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings movie, we get a pack of kids out in the woods waving sticks around and bothering the bears. Luckily no one ever gets hurt.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Chase said, “but wasn’t that the map you used for our, um, scavenger hunt back in August? I hope you didn’t send them to that bench where we—”

“I made a few adjustments. If they follow the directions, they’ll end up behind City Hall. Something’s bound to be buried back there. You know what a scalawag Mayor Link was.”

“I hope they don’t get too enthusiastic. You know wolf pups and digging. Maybe Gil will stop them before they excavate the place.”

“Then he’ll be able to plant more trees.” With the library now to themselves, Evie swayed into Chase’s arms. “And now, me hearty, allow me to shiver yer timbers. You brought your blade, I hope?”

“No, but I’ve loaded my photon torpedos. I watched a different marathon this weekend.”

“Even better. I think pointy ears are sexy.” She slid her tongue along his jaw. “Ahead warp factor six.”

50 Shades of Gray Wolf

Evie squealed when she was dumped onto her stomach on the bed. The noise earned her a sharp slap on her naked bottom. “What did I tell you?” her captor warned in a rough growl next to her ear. “Not a sound out of you, or your punishment will last even longer. Understand?”

She nodded. Biting her lower lip, she held her silence while he bound her arms over her head with the leather leashes from the pet store. He attached the last leash, a slim chain, to the studded collar she wore as her sole article of clothing. He jerked on this leash to lift her head. She couldn’t see his face, due to the blindfold he’d tied over her face, but she could smell his arousal, hot and musky and male. It mingled with her own blast of eager heat, and she bit down even harder on a moan.

Her captor sniffed her ass, and chuckled. “Ready to go, I see. Remember, you asked for this.”

Their mutual panting, and the crinkle of paper, were the only sounds in the room. With no warning the rolled-up newspaper struck Evie on the ass. “Bad girl. You’re such a bad little bitch.”

Yes yes yes, she yipped in her head. She squirmed on the bed and bit the pillow to keep from crying out. Just when she thought her ass would catch fire, the spanking stopped. She held her breath and waited.

And waited.

She’d begun to wonder if he'd left the room when he said, “What do I do now?”

The tone of his voice told her he’d broken character. She took her cue from that and risked speaking. “Whatever you want. That's the idea.”

“I’m not sure how to proceed from here. You know I’m a front man.”

“Then turn me over. Do I have to draw a map?”

“All right if I untie you? I want you thinking about me, not how much your arms hurt.”

Evie sighed and twisted onto her side. She raised her head in the general direction of Graryson Chase’s voice. Screw this. She rubbed her upper arm against the blindfold until she’d dislodged it enough to see his face. All the movement pulled on her shoulder muscles. Maybe Chase had a point.

He looked down at her in concern. He was bare-chested, but wore tight chinos. He rubbed his hand nervously up and down the rolled-up newspaper. The suggestive action got her panting all over again. If only he was doing it deliberately.

“Are you sure this is what they did in the book?” he said.

“I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet.”

“But you’ve been telling me—”

“I only had a chance to skim it. We can’t keep it on the shelves. The library’s got three copies and they’re all on reserve. The waiting list is three weeks long.”

“Huh.” Chase tapped the paper against his palm. It made little thups that got Evie’s juices flowing. “And this is how humans have sex? Through dominance and humiliation?”

“It’s not that much different from wolf sex.”

“Good point. All right, then. We’re doing this my way. Since you didn’t even bother to read the book, you won’t know the difference.”

Evie writhed her smarting butt against the sheets. At last!

First he untied her. He took his time, and he was careful to touch her as little as possible. He held himself off when she tried to rub against him. The son of a mutt, he knew how much she loved skin-to-skin contact. When her growl got too aggressive he nipped her shoulder in warning. His own growl sent a shiver down her spine.

“We won’t need this either,” he said, working the blindfold off and up over her head. He tossed it carelessly toward a corner. “I want to see your eyes. They turn the most amazing shade of gold right before you come. Like warm honey.” He yanked abruptly on the chain leash, forcing her head up and toward his, only inches away. “You’re going to look at me the whole time. You’re going to see only me.”

She risked a quick flick of her tongue over his lips. The sound he made in response was more growl than hiss. His fascinating eyes—one human blue, one shifter gold—burned with desire for her. They took her breath away.

No more tricks tonight. Only Grayson Chase could make a coyote abandon her nature and go honest.

As if he’d read her mind, he gave the leash a little teasing tug. “This stays. There’s something really hot about a coyote in a collar.”

“We’re children of Chaos. We don’t take to control very well.”

“Too bad. Wolves are all about control. We’re probably the most regimented species on the planet.”

“That’s what makes it fun.” Evie rubbed her cheek against his throat, then licked the pulse hammering there. “Watching the wolf lose control.”

He shoved her down onto the bed. “We’ll see about that.”

She’d never admit it, but Evie was glad he’d untied her. Getting assaulted by a randy wolf wasn’t half as exciting if she couldn’t assault him back. Those silly monkeys. What did they know about sex?

Though she’d heard some interesting things about the Anita Blake series. Human/shifter sex. She’d have to check into that.

Later.

Canus Interruptus

Evie knew the second she went from hunter to hunted. She lost the trace of his scent on the breeze and the sound of his boots on the pavement. She’d been as careful as a coyote could be, a skill that made ninjas look clumsy, and still he’d sensed her stalking him and turned the tables on her.

She tried to look casual while she cast about for some sign of him. It was tough to remain inconspicuous while strutting around the town square in shrinkwrap leather pants and stiletto boots, but somehow Evie pulled it off. Even in a provocative costume, she knew how to blend in.

Besides, in a town where nude purple fairies ran loose in the street, a chick in black leather barely rated a glance.

The glare of the streetlights and gloom of the shadows would only deceive her eyes, so Evie focused her nose on the breeze and her ears on the nighttime noises. Times like these she wished she could sprout coyote ears on her human head, the better to swivel for sound. All the while she continued her hip-rolling amble up the street. If she couldn’t spot him, the best she could do was be ready for him.

He granted her barely a whisper of warning before he pounced. Evie had just started to turn when he rushed up behind her and bore her to the ground. His foot slipped in a puddle of mushy spring snow. Their landing was harder and more awkward than intended.

Evie giggled at his swearing, but nipped his neck when he started to apologize. “Stay on script,” she hissed. She made a lot of thrashing motions that did nothing at all to dislodge him while still giving the appearance that she was putting up one hell of a fight. “Help, help,” she murmured. “Somebody save me from the big bad wolf.”

Chase’s mismatched eyes gleamed at her. “Nobody’s going to help you, you little bitch in heat—”

“Hey. You need help, lady?”

They looked up into the concerned and belligerent faces of a trio of young bull elk. Normally herbies wouldn’t interfere with a wolf on the hunt, but these three had been tailing Evie at a respectful distance for the last twenty minutes, drawn by the come-hither wave of her ass. Chase probably hadn’t even noticed them. Males developed tunnel vision when it came to a female, regardless of her species or diet.

“I’m fine,” she purred up at them. “I slipped in the snow. This gentleman is helping me up.”

“It looked more like he—” The young elk broke off to stare at Chase. “Lieutenant? That you, sir?”

“Son of a mutt,” Chase grumbled. He stood, drawing Evie upright with him. “Yes, Willis, it’s me. Is there some kind of emergency at the station?”

“Um, nossir, we were just out walking.”

“Following the lady, you mean.”

“Nossir! We all just happened to be walking in the same direction.”

“Uh-huh.” Through all this Evie pretended to totter on her five-inch heels, clutching at Chase and rubbing up against him. The elk could barely keep the smirks off their faces. “Are you all right now, ma’am?”

“I feel dizzy,” Evie breathed. “Would you hold me a moment?”

Chase muttered under his breath. “We don’t need the whole team,” he told the elk. “I’ve got the situation under control.”

“Of course you do, sir.” Willis snapped off a brisk salute. “You have a good night, sir. Ma’am.”

Chase waited until the elk had sauntered out of earshot before he rounded on Evie. “I told you this wasn’t a good idea.”

“I disagree. This was a wonderful idea. The bad idea was sending them away. Another five minutes and we could have had a ménage a—what’s French for five?”

“Evie!”

“I thought wolves did everything in a pack.”

“Not that we don’t. And we don’t share with elk.” Chase shook his head. “From now on, no more role-play in public. I don’t know how I let you talk me into this.”

“I do.” Evie rubbed up against him until he started to growl. “We could try again. The night’s still young. But if you want to go inside … ”

“No. Not in the ambulance. I mean it. What if we get a call?”

Evie fluttered her lashes. “Then the patient won’t need the defibrulator.”

Chase huffed a sigh. “Sometimes I wonder … ”

“If a wolf can keep up with a coyote?”

“Why I bother.”

“It’s because no wolf can resist a good hunt. And no coyote can resist a good trick.” She moved unexpectedly and shoved Chase into the snow, then leaped on top of him. She nuzzled his neck playfully. “We just switched roles. Feel free to yell for help.”

“That you, Chase? You okay down there?”

Evie stared around. Officer Jim Gordon grinned down at them. “Evening, folks. Slippery, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Evie growled. She shoved herself to her feet, leaving Chase to fend for himself. “How fortunate so many people are out and about to lend us a hand.”

“We’re here to serve,” Officer Gordon agreed cheerfully. “You might want to head in out of the cold. The movie theater will be letting out in about five minutes.”

“I thought Montana had a sparse population,” Evie complained once Officer Gordon had left. “This is worse than Los Angeles.”

“Maybe we should go in,” Chase said. “There’s coffee back at the station … and Hannibal brought his pickup truck.”

Evie perked up at once. “He still keeps blankets in the back?”

“And a tarp.” He winked. “In case it snows.”

“That's what I like about you EMTs. You're always prepared." She took Chase’s hand. They set off at a trot across the square.