He followed the prints for several yards, then hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. Something felt wrong. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was—just a feeling in the air, a vibration of power that somehow tasted foul.
And whatever it was, it was headed for the house. Kat was inside. He had to warn her.
He took a step, but in that moment, the house literally blew apart. It wasn’t an explosion—there was no heat, no noise. One minute the house was there, the next it was in a million deadly splinters.
Ethan froze, and for one horrible moment it felt as if something had grabbed his gut and his throat and his heart and twisted hard.
Then he ran, past the scrambling deputies, out into a yard suddenly filled with smoke and dust and deadly wooden missiles. He sniffed the air, caught Kat’s scent, and ran as quickly as four legs could carry him to what was left of the rear of the house.
And saw her. Bloodied, and not moving, but definitely breathing. A weight lifted off his chest, and suddenly he could breathe again.
She lay on the ground in a ball. Her arms were scratched, her skirt rucked up and torn, her calf cut and bleeding. But she was alive, she was relatively unhurt, and that was surely a miracle.
He pulled down her skirt with his teeth, protecting her modesty even though he wasn’t really sure if she’d care, then nudged her with his nose several times. When that got little response, he licked the side of her face, his tongue rasping against the sooty silk of her skin. She finally stirred, muttering a curse under her breath before she pushed him away.
“Yuck, Ethan.” Though her voice was a little husky, it was strong. She uncurled, wincing a little as she stretched out her cut leg. “Now I smell like dog breath.”
He couldn’t reply, as much as he wanted to. Couldn’t ask if she was okay. So he licked her again, this time across her lips.
She spluttered and finally opened her eyes. “I’m okay. Will you quit it?”
He sat back on his haunches and eyed the overeager deputy who came rushing over.
“You okay, Miss?”
The jerk knelt beside her, all but pawing her in his eagerness to help her into a sitting position. A growl rumbled up Ethan’s throat, and the deputy jumped back.
“Bad dog,” she said, green eyes twinkling as she looked at him. “He’s only trying to help.”
Yeah, and his hands just happened to brush her breasts in the process. He continued to glare at the offending deputy, and the kid swallowed. Hard.
“Emergency services have been called. They won’t be long, Miss.”
The deputy half rose, but she put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “How’s the sheriff?”
“He’s conscious, like yourself, Miss.” The deputy gave Ethan another look, then pulled away from Kat’s hand and stood. “But I’ll just go double-check.”
“That was uncalled for,” she said softly, glancing at Ethan as the deputy walked away. “Especially since you’re the one who said there’s nothing between us but sex.”
There was nothing between them but sex. But while he was with her, he was going to make damn sure no one else was. The thought stopped him. That sounded territorial. Perhaps wolf instincts were stronger in this form. He couldn’t honestly say, because he hadn’t willingly worn this form for close to fourteen years.
But by the same token, he didn’t want to share her. Not with anyone. Not even the slightest caress. But he couldn’t tell her that. Couldn’t tell her anything in this guise. And he couldn’t risk shifting shape just yet. Benton had apparently asked the sheriff if he could send a team down to see if there were any similarities to their kidnapping case. They were due any minute, and he just couldn’t afford to be seen.
Kat rose stiffly, dusted off her hands, then limped over to the sheriff. Ethan followed close on her heels, and the men hovering near the sheriff seemed to sidle away, giving them space. The sheriff was up on his feet, and other than a bloody cut on his cheek and a ripped shirt, he looked none the worse for his ordeal.
“You okay?” His voice, like Kat’s, was still a little croaky.
She nodded. “I’m going to head back to the cabins and clean up, if you don’t mind.”
“You don’t want those cuts checked first?”
She waved a hand. “They’re only minor. You know whe
re I’m staying if you want to talk to me.”
The sheriff nodded, and she walked away. The car was parked halfway down the long driveway. Ethan shifted shape as they neared it, flowing from wolf to human form in several smooth steps that belied his lack of practice. He touched her arm and stopped her.
“What the hell are you doing?” Her gaze went past him, studying the farm behind them.