Fierce (Wolf Ranch 5)

My pack mates might have been happily settled with their human mates, and I liked their mates all right, but humans in general? Not my favorite. Not by a long shot. Marked mates were one thing, but I’d had grandparents who hated the fact I was a shifter… a life that kept my wolf from forever running free. My wolf snarled at the unhappy memory. I still couldn’t shift because of my grandparents. I’d been forced to stifle it too much. It wasn’t because I was only half shifter. I knew because I sensed my wolf inside of me. He was in there but stuck.

The big truck rolled to a careful stop in front of the stable. Boyd hadn’t been kidding about the set-up. This mare, who’d been carefully transported in air conditioned horse trailer splendor, was a pampered princess… was about to get defiled by a Wolf Ranch stallion.

The sun cast a glare on the truck’s windows, making me squint. The engine cut off, and a second later, the door opened.

“Oh.” Clint stared, eyebrows high enough to get lost beneath his hat.

It wasn’t a guy who stepped out of the truck—it was a female. And holy hell, she was all woman.

“Damn,” Johnny whispered, eyeing her with blatant eagerness.

Clint reached out and smacked him upside the head. But I only saw it out of the corner of my eye because I was too busy taking her in although I wasn’t letting my tongue hang out.

She was tall. I guessed five-ten. Lean, but with curves that couldn’t be hidden beneath a pair of jeans. They weren’t painted on but hugged her just right. A white blouse was tucked in, the sleeves rolled up and a few buttons undone to show off the long line of her neck. It set off her skin—a warm brown that practically glowed in the sunshine. I realized I’d worked my way up her body because I took in her face last.

Holy fuck, she was gorgeous. Not in the supermodel way, no sir. Her eyes were wide set, nose pert. Lips full and lush. With high cheekbones and a square jaw, she didn’t look… dainty. Hell, nothing about her was dainty. Except for the little gold hoops in her ears, the crisp cotton of her top. There wasn’t a wrinkle on her. No, not dainty. Fancy, like her truck and trailer.

My dick punched against my jeans, eager to get to her because I hadn’t seen a woman that made me instantly hard in a long time. Thankfully, Boyd and Clint weren’t getting hard over the sight of her. I shifted my stance to hide that fact and stepped her way.

“Hey, there,” Clint said. “I’m guessing you’re not Charlie Baker.”

She offered him a small smile and tucked her shoulder length hair behind an ear. It was dark brown and smooth, hanging in long layers around her face. My fingers itched to touch it.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

Human. She was a fucking human. Sure, I’d fucked humans before. My dick had gotten hard for them. But not like this. Clearly, it had been too fucking long since I’d gotten off with more than my hand.

“Actually, I am Charlie Baker. It’s short for Charlotte.” Her voice was husky, deep, but held a nervous catch.

Clint tipped his head back and laughed. I stared because it was so new to all of us... that sound. “I’m Clint Tucker. I spoke with your boss on the phone.”

“Right. Yes. Nice to meet you,” she replied.

“This is Boyd Wolf, his wife Audrey and their little girl, Lizzie.”

Boyd took off his hat and ma’am-ed her.

“Another woman on the ranch. Finally,” Audrey said. Since Boyd had found his mate in Audrey, the other guys had been dropping like flies. One after the other, each had found a mate, and the sexes on the ranch had been evening out. Especially with two new babies, both female.

“Thanks for having me here at your ranch,” she offered politely. Hell if she wasn’t a proper thing.

“Well now,” Boyd said with his usual swagger. “This is my family’s land, but my brother, Rob, runs the place. He’s in Billings right now, so you’ll meet him later.”

“This is Johnny and Levi,” Clint offered as an introduction.

We stepped her way.

I took off my hat, nodded. Took a sniff even though my nose wasn’t as attuned to scent as a full shifter’s. It was annoying as hell, and it made me feel defective. At least I had exceptional shifter hearing. I hadn’t been screwed over with that.

After offering Johnny a small smile, then turning her gaze finally on me, her eyes widened. I felt as if I’d been kicked in the chest by a horse. My wolf instantly rose. Howled. Pushed me toward her. Yeah, he thought she was hot, too. Definitely fuckable.

Her eyes narrowed when I moved in close. Too close for a stranger.