“Not one of ours.”
Fuck. No wonder his brother was so tense. The last time there were strange wolves in the area, the Wassookeag Pack had been attacked. Emmet had been incapacitated, and over a dozen men had died. Even though he’d been severely outnumbered, his brother carried the guilt of failure like an anvil strung around his neck. It had shaken the entire pack to its core, and Jaxon had worked damned hard to get it back up and on its feet ever since.
“I’ll get Niko and Luca on it.” If anyone could sniff out intruders, the Garcia brothers could. “Anything going on in town?”
Emmet slowed before pulling a three-point turn to park in front of Maple’s car. “Not that I’ve seen. I’ll ask Maggie to keep an ear open. Nothing goes on in Dexter that she doesn’t hear about at the diner.”
Jaxon took a few long breaths as soon as he exited the truck, isolating the scent of the two men, memorizing them. A lingering bitterness tainted the air. “At least one of them is a smoker,” he said almost to himself.
“There are a few butts on the ground where the other vehicle was parked.” Emmet pointed to the spot behind Maple’s car. “One of them left footprints we can work with at the edge of the road. The right foot turns outward a little. Enough to make it noticeable when our trackers go out looking. They walked a couple hundred feet before turning back.”
“What I want to know is why they were here in the first place. This road leads to Maple’s, and farther down, to the old Sugar Shack. It’s all private property. Do you know if that building still stands?”
“No idea, but it’s worth a look.”
“Right. Let’s get the car to the shop so I can talk to the guys and get back and fix Maple’s shower.”
Emmet snorted, then chuckled. “Is that what you call what you were doing when I drove up?”
“No, I call that getting acquainted with my mate. Something, I might add, that you rudely interrupted—and, you won’t repeat a damned word of it to anyone,” Jaxon warned. He didn’t care if it was his brother or not. If he embarrassed Maple, he’d live to regret it.
“What kind of asshole do you think I am? For one thing, I don’t treat women like that. And for another,” he said, ticking his points on his fingers, “she’s going to be Alpha female. I’m not going to do anything to undermine her before she’s even mated to your sorry ass.”
Jaxon groaned. He was acting like a prick. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just on edge. I don’t know where her head is at. Hell, I don’t even know if she’s aware of the shifter community. Add that to the fact that she intends to leave in a few weeks, and my wolf is clawing at me to get back to her. Never mind any of this shit,” he said, sweeping his hand toward her car.
Emmet clapped his shoulder. “Let me talk to Niko and Luca. Go figure out the rest of this stuff with your woman.”
As much as he wanted to take what his brother offered, he couldn’t. He was Alpha now. If problems arose and he passed the buck to his brother, he’d lose the respect he’d earned over the last two years. “I appreciate it, but I can’t. I think she’s safe enough out here for now. The tracks don’t go any further down the road. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get back there.”
Ten
Maple waited until the truck was backing out of the drive before squealing like a teenager at a pop concert, stomping her feet, and doing a happy dance all over her kitchen. When she finally stopped, she fanned her face. She had to get a hold of herself. She wasn’t a kid with a school girl crush.
Over eight million people living in New York city, and she had to come to this small town in Maine to find a man who excited her more than her drawer buddies. Granted, she had an impressive collection of drawer buddies, but still. And it was more than just the sexual tension between them. Jaxon was witty. And nice. Generous, too. Who went out of their way to do the things he’d done—or was going to do—to help her with no expectations of payment? He hadn’t even met her and he’d agreed to fix her faucet and bring a fridge, so it wasn’t like he’d been trying to get into her pants at that point.
Disappointment rose at the thought of leaving again in three weeks. As run-down as it was, she loved the old cabin. It represented her childhood and a time when she hadn’t a care in the world. She hated the idea of putting a For Sale sign on the place, but it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. If her uncle continued to flake out on her, and she had to carry the financial load for Grandma’s retirement home, she’d need the money from the sale to make ends meet. Period. Taking a slow breath, she pushed the sadness aside. She may not get to keep the place, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t enjoy it—and Jaxon—while she was there.
She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she prepared another sandwich. Once she was done eating, she’d freshen up, then try to sort through a few boxes. After two orgasms, she’d need it. Besides, she wanted to be ready for when Jaxon came back. If she had her way, she’d get to finish what they had started on the beach. Her cheeks heated as she recalled his words. He’d known she had been masturbating in the bedroom, and damn him, he knew she’d been thinking of him while doing it. Having him say so while he pleasured her had propelled her desire into the stratosphere and her climax ripping
