The moment he emerged from the tree line, he let out a growl any shifter would be sure to hear. And it was a shifter. The same smell they’d found on the road where Maple had left her car now filled her yard.
He found her standing a short distance from the cabin with her rifle tight in her grip, looking to her left. Not wanting to frighten her further or get himself shot, he slowed his pace and whined. As soft as he made the sound, Maple still jumped back as she whirled around, bringing the rifle up to her shoulder as she did. Her beautiful eyes were round, and her hands shook as she aimed the gun straight at him, making him want to howl his fury. He wanted to hunt the male who’d dared come onto the property and scare her as he had, but more than that, he needed to be sure she was okay. He couldn’t smell blood, so she had no grave injuries, but the need to be with her pulled at him like nothing else.
Giving her another little whine, he put his nose to the ground and sniffed while taking slow steps closer to her.
“Back off,” she demanded, her voice tight, as she took a step closer to the cabin, all the while keeping the barrel pointed straight at him. “You might be friendly, but I’m not taking that chance right now.”
He was no idiot. She wasn’t the killing type, but she’d been scared shitless. Pushing her at this point could be more than a little dangerous. Instead of going to her as his wolf demanded, he sat and looked at her, his head cocked to the side as she made her way up the steps and to her door.
With her safely inside her cabin, Jaxon scoured the immediate area for anything the rogue might have left behind, other than his scent. The vandalism on her vehicle was one thing, but threatening her person was a whole different ball game. He wouldn’t sit around and wait for something to happen to her. Whatever this was, it ended now. He’d already called the Garcia brothers in. If they weren’t already in the forest following the bastard, they soon would be. He hadn’t wanted to tell her about the slashed tires, but he needed to get to the bottom of this, so he’d have to ask questions. Besides, keeping her safe meant letting her know what was going on. If she unknowingly went traipsing into the forest and something happened, he’d never be able to forgive himself.
Satisfied there were no other threats in the area, he made his way back to his truck, where he kept spare clothes, before shifting.
Jaxon’s knuckles hadn’t yet made contact with the door when it flew open, and Maple reached out to pull him in. “Get in, quick. There’s a couple of wolves out there, and one of them isn’t friendly,” she said, her voice breathless.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “What happened?”
She closed the door behind him and locked the deadbolt. “I was sorting through some stuff and I heard some scratching at the door. At first, I thought it might have been a bear or something, but when I looked out, I couldn’t see anything. I’d left the rifle outside, so I went to get it. That’s when the wolf attacked. I don’t know what I would have done if my wolf hadn’t shown up,” she told him, her words practically tripping over each other in her haste to tell her story.
“Did it hurt you?” Only the gravity of the situation kept him from grinning like a fool at hearing her call him her wolf.
She shook her head. “No. It was close, but I hit it with the rifle, and then my wolf came and scared it off.”
This time, he couldn’t keep his smile from emerging. He could get used to those words from her pretty lips. “You hit it with your gun. You do know how to use that thing, don’t you?”
Her lips quirked up at the corners. “I do. But I was reaching for it when the wolf jumped, so I used it as a bat. Better than letting it take a chunk out of my ass.”
“Jesus. It got that close to you?” Jaxon swallowed the growl wanting to break free as his fury rose again.
“I’m fine, really.”
She was putting on a brave front, but her fingers shook when she brushed her hair from her face, and her smile didn’t quite make her eyes sparkle.
For her safety, he’d have to tell her what had happened to her car and what kind of creature she’d come face-to-face with, but that could wait. Without giving her a chance to object, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “It’s okay. I’m here now. I won’t let that thing near you again,” he promised.
If it meant sleeping outside in his wolf form for the rest of his life, he’d do it. Stroking a hand up and down her spine, he held her until the tension in her shoulders loosened and her trembling stopped. With a soft sigh, she pulled away from him.
“I’m sorry, I’m not usually such a wuss.”
“Wolves are scary creatures. Some of them can be downright vicious. You were right to be afraid,” he assured her.
“So, did you guys have a hard time with the car? I’m sorry for being such a pain with all the running around I have you doing,” she said, changing the subject.
He didn’t relish the conversation he had to have with her. Depending on how much she knew of the shifter world, it could end badly for him. He would have liked to have more time with her before
