Ruthless (Wolf Ranch 6)

“Come on, let’s get you a beer.” I steered Natalie into the giant ranch house, down the hall and into the kitchen, where she set the brownies on the long wooden farm table that was already covered with dozens of dishes. No one ever went hungry at a Wolf barbecue.

Marina was pulling a pan of what smelled like cheesy-biscuits from the oven. “Hi, Natalie! Great to see you again,” she chirped, her face flushed from the heat of the oven. Colton leaned against a wall nearby, arms folded across his chest like he was her personal bodyguard. “This is Colton, and I was telling him just how awesome you were the other night.”

Natalie shook hands with Colton.

“Welcome, Natalie. Glad you made it. Based on what Marina said, you need to play for all of us.”

“Oh, I… uh, didn’t bring my violin.”

Colton grinned then flicked a glance at me. “Don’t worry. You’ll be around for lots of get togethers. The drinks are in a cooler out back. Help yourself.”

Natalie offered a relieved smile. “Thanks.”

My parents walked into the kitchen at that moment and froze. Stared then smiled. Not smiled—but beamed. My mom opened her arms wide. “There she is—”

I shook my head quickly, trying to signal to her to tone it down.

“Oops. Too much?” My mom clapped a hand over her mouth and dropped her other arm.

Natalie laughed and hugged her. “Hi. Nice to meet you. And not too much. I’m not used to so many people wanting to meet me.”

Although I knew her words were the truth, I couldn’t miss the awkwardness between them.

“As you probably can guess, this is my mom, Janet, and my dad, Tom.” I went to my mom, kissed her cheek.

“I’ll take a hug, too,” my dad said, engulfing Natalie in a bear hug. “Any woman who puts up with Rand and his wolf needs a hug.”

That broke the ice because Natalie actually giggled. If it was at my expense, I didn’t fucking care.

“Sorry,” I said, tugging her hand to steal her away. “My wolf and I want to show her off.”

They shooed us out the back door.

“They’re just excited,” I murmured once outside.

“For us,” Natalie echoed like she was a little bit in shock.

“Sorry, darlin’.”

She squeezed my hand. “No, no. Don’t apologize. They’re sweet. I’m just not used to sweet. My parents are miserable human beings.”

Yeah, just as I’d thought.

Willow and Rob were setting up folding chairs around a couple long tables.

“Natalie!” Willow cried with a wave.

I leaned in and whispered her name. Natalie smiled and walked over to her. “So great to meet you in person.”

“That’s right, you two talked before Willow came here pretending to be you, right?”

“Yes, we spoke a few times on the phone setting it up. I guess we do look alike.” Natalie eyed Willow.

“Well, close enough considering no one around here had seen you since you were ten,” Willow said. “Although my undoing was the violin. That’s how I got made. The Barn Cats were playing here, and they wanted me to get up and play with them.”

“Oh no!” Natalie clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Natalie played with them the other night, so she made up for your… shortcomings.”

Willow rolled her eyes and smacked me on the arm.

Natalie tipped her face up to me. “Wait… did you meet Willow when she was undercover and think she was me? You’re the one who saw me when I was a kid.”

“Nope,” I swore. I could tell the idea bothered Natalie, the fact that I might have confused her with Rob’s mate. “I didn’t meet her until it all came out that she wasn’t you. If I had, she definitely wouldn’t have fooled me.” I tapped her on the nose. “You are unforgettable, Red.”

I winked, and she rolled her eyes and hip checked me.

Rob came over and looped his arm around Willow’s waist. “Natalie. It’s nice to meet you. The real you—not that it wasn’t even nicer meeting the fake you.” He pulled his mate in tight against his body and breathed in her scent like it was keeping him alive.

In a way, it was. Unmated alpha wolves ran the danger of moon madness, and word was that Rob had been perilously close to it when Willow showed up. So she literally may have saved his life.

Natalie laughed and extended her hand. “I’m going to just introduce myself as the real Natalie around here.”

“Rob Wolf, your neighbor,” Rob said, grasping it.

“And our alpha,” I filled in even though she already knew that.

“I understand from Rand you and your uncle have protected our secret for years,” Rob said. “We’re indebted to you.”

Natalie blushed. “I wasn’t even sure if the story was real to be honest. A ten year old has a powerful imagination. But it’s a secret I’m honored to know.”

Rob glanced at me before redirecting his attention back to Natalie. “So, what are you thinking about doing with the property?”