Wolf Tracks: Tales of the Were (Grizzly Cove Book 17) Read online

  When he’d finished with the turn that put them on a more direct heading, he started eating. The two sandwiches she’d set out for him disappeared in short order. Helen wasn’t surprised. She’d expected to have to get up a couple of times to keep him supplied with fresh sandwiches. Leslie had packed a bunch for them, probably knowing full well how much a shifter like Jim could eat.

  Helen fetched two more sandwiches and another bottle of juice and placed them all on the tray next to Jim. He looked up and thanked her as she sat back down and went back to eating her bagel.

  “So, did you learn to fly in the Navy?” she asked when he’d eaten the third sandwich and was starting to slow down a bit as he savored the fourth.

  “Actually, Uncle Arch taught me when I was a kid, but the Navy gave me even more training on many different kinds of aircraft. I can fly anything from a single prop Beaver to a 787, but this little Beechcraft is a dream to fly. This is one really sweet ride,” he replied, enthusing over the borrowed airplane.

  “Really?” Helen looked around the interior of the craft. “I don’t know much about small planes.”

  “This has to be Sal’s baby,” Jim replied. “The pressurized cabin. The engines. The trim. It’s a very high-end version of a very useful aircraft. I’m actually surprised they loaned it to me. Someone must have done some arm twisting.”

  “Maybe at first,” Helen replied. “But, once Sal found out you were Arch’s nephew, you were golden.”

  “Huh.” Jim tilted his head as if considering. It was a very wolfish pose that made Helen wonder what his animal side would look like. “You might be right about that.” He shook his head and grinned at her. “Plus, he knows that Arch would have my hide if I messed up this beauty.”

  “Does Arch still fly?” Helen asked, just to make conversation.

  “He does,” Jim confirmed. “We were talking about maybe building an airstrip on Pack lands, but it’s a big commitment and not enough of the Pack members fly yet. Arch is teaching a bunch of the kids in his spare time, so maybe, in a few years, he’ll be able to do something. He wants to leave a legacy for the Pack, and a small airport would be a good one.” He finished the last of his fourth sandwich before continuing. “You’ll see when we land. Big Wolf Airport is the grown-up version of what Arch wants to build. It started out like any other small airport, but it’s evolved over the years to become a hub for the Pack that owns it, as well as a waypoint for other shifters in transit.”

  “Big Wolf Airport is owned by a wolf Pack?” She’d been told some of this already but wanted to get the full story, if Jim was willing to talk about it.

  “The Big Wolf Pack. In Big Wolf, Texas. Just about everything in the town is named Big Wolf this or that. It’s kind of a running joke that the Alpha, Joe, had no imagination when it came time to name the various businesses in the town.” Jim grinned. “I think he did it on purpose. I mean, after he named the airport and the town, everything else became a joke. He oversees all the Pack businesses, but a lot of them are individually owned, and the people who started them named them. I think they were all in on it, naming everything the same as a show of unity and also as an inside joke. You have to admit, it is easier if every business in the town has basically the same name.”

  “Like Big Wolf Barber Shop? Or Big Wolf Delicatessen?” Helen asked.

  Jim nodded. “And Big Wolf Bakery. Big Wolf Barbeque. Big Wolf Pharmacy. You have to admit, it is kind of funny in a nerdy sort of way.”

  “Will we be welcome in the town?” Helen wondered aloud.

  “Oh, yeah. Our Packs are allies from way back. My Alpha already cleared our arrival with Joe Villalobos, the Alpha and mayor of Big Wolf,” Jim explained. “He might be at the airport to meet us. I’m not sure. I do have an information request in to his sheriff, and I’m hoping they’ll have more intel for us when we land.”

  “Do you want another sandwich?” Helen asked, stowing the napkin and paper plate she’d used for lunch in a garbage sack she’d brought with her from the galley. She reached for the refuse off Jim’s tray, as well.

  “Maybe just another bottle of juice, if you have it,” he replied. “I’m looking forward to a good meal in Big Wolf when we land. Their barbeque is known throughout the area and by pilots all over the country. I’m hoping we’ll have time to sit down and enjoy a meal there before we have to be on the hunt again.”

  That sounded nice to Helen. The past twenty-four hours had been jam-packed with tension and stress. She would enjoy a chance to wind down and sit in a restaurant for a little while, even if it meant she’d be surrounded by werewolves. She was getting to like being around shifters. They were so healthy, her gift rarely activated, which was a blessing. Normally, going out in public meant being pulled in multiple directions when her gift demanded she help everyone within a certain radius.

  Which was the main reason why Helen didn’t leave the farm much. Not that she minded healing people who would never know what she’d done for them. Her gift was freely given and happily used, but it did drain her. Sometimes, it drained her too much. Simple shopping trips to the grocery store had almost killed her, more than once, when she encountered someone so ill that she gave way too much of her personal energy to help them.

  At those times, she would barely make it back to her car, where she’d call one of her siblings for help. Usually, her brothers would come to get her, taking care of the groceries and driving her car back to the farm where her mother and sisters would fuss over her until she regained a bit of strength.

  Helen stayed in the galley for a bit, tidying up before she returned to the cockpit with Jim’s bottle of juice. Leslie had packed a tray of cookies, so Helen brought a couple up front with her on a napkin. She figured Jim might want some, but if not, she wouldn’t mind eating them all. Sweets were her downfall.

  She offered Jim a cookie, but he declined, and she grinned. “More for me,” she murmured, taking a big bite out of a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie. There was also a sugar cookie and two chocolate chip in the napkin.

  “Interesting,” Jim said, looking over at her with a grin.

  “What is?” she asked, feeling a little defensive. Her brothers had often teased her about her love of sweets, to the point of real annoyance. Well, she was away from home now, and she wasn’t going to take any guff from a guy who’d just wolfed down four humongous sandwiches.

  “That you have a sweet tooth,” he answered without rancor. “I find that intriguing.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “What? No comment about how I’d better watch myself eating so much sugar? How I’m going to blow up like a cow if I keep eating all the cookies?”

  Helen wanted to stop the words coming out of her mouth, but something about Jim invited honesty. She realized only at that moment, how fed up she was with her brothers’ snide comments. As if they had any right to pass judgment on what she ate or didn’t eat.

  Jim’s expression sobered. “Aw, hell. Who’s been saying such mean things to you?” he asked, right away, as if he would rush to defend her. She just shook her head. “For the record, I think it’s cute that you like cookies. Sweets for the sweet. And you are, Helen… Sweet, that is.”

  His voice had dropped low, and his words sent shivers down her spine. She looked up at him from under lowered lashes, barely able to believe how the atmosphere between them had changed so sharply, so fast. From a teasing conversation about cookies, they’d jumped right into an intimate exchange where he was telling her how sweet he thought she was.

  Didn’t that just beat all? He thought she was sweet. She wondered how to take that. Sweet like sugar? Sweet like a little sister? Sweet like the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted…and wanted more?

  There were a few different ways to interpret what he’d said, but she preferred to go with the steamiest connotations. Her heart fluttered a bit in her chest because she found him scrumptious, too. Not that she could say that out loud. For one thing, she could be totally wrong in her assumptions. For another, h
e’d probably think she sounded silly.

  Helen had dated. Of course she had. But she’d never dated a man like Jim. His masculine presence and undeniable dominance was totally outside her experience. The men she’d dated in the past had been neighbors. Farmers, for the most part. Men who worked hard and had strong principles. Jim had that, as well, but there was something absolutely wild about Jim.

  The wolf looked out of his eyes at her from time to time. She could see it watching her. She wanted to get to know it better. She wanted the wolf to come out to play, and she wanted to pet its fur and scratch behind its ears. She wanted to learn how it felt to touch the beast that lived inside him, and she wanted to see just how wild he could be.

  The mood shattered when he cleared his throat and turned his attention back to his flying. Another course change was imminent, and he busied himself with that for a few minutes while she tried to calm her pulse and steady her breathing. Being trapped inside such a small space with Jim was proving very…stimulating.

  Helen ate her cookies and said nothing while he dealt with the technical aspects of flying. When he was finished with the latest maneuver, he turned back to her. She was startled to find he hadn’t forgotten their earlier topic of conversation.

  “I’m guessing your brothers have been giving you grief about your sweet tooth. If you want, I can have a word with them when we get back. They shouldn’t pick on you,” he said in a low, serious tone that surprised her.

  He did want to come to her defense. The idea floored her. Nobody had ever wanted to go up against her three brothers on her behalf. The men she’d dated had usually deferred to her brothers or, in a few memorable cases, been run off by one of them. None of her boyfriends had ever offered to be her champion.

  A little warm spot erupted on her heart. A tender feeling that had Jim’s name all over it. She tried not to let him see how deeply touched she was by his offer.

  “It’s very nice of you to offer,” she replied when she could find her voice, “but it’s not necessary. I try not to listen when they speak nonsense, which happens a lot more often than you’d expect, seeing how they’re all grown men now, with wives and kids of their own.”

  “And they still find time to harass you?” Jim asked, smiling now.

  “On occasion,” she replied, the conversation back to an easy banter. “They might have grown up, but they’re still boys at heart.”

  Jim laughed out loud. “Most of us are, sweetheart, but don’t let the others know I admitted it.” He gave her a conspiratorial grin, and she laughed, as he’d no doubt intended.

  “Your secret is safe with me,” she promised, crossing her heart with exaggerated motions.

  They flew along in silence for a while. She yawned, feeling full with the nice meal they’d just eaten. Jim turned to her.

  “I know you had a long night. If you’re tired, why don’t you nap a bit? I can handle this on my own.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, I can’t help you fly or anything, but I can fetch things if you need them,” she offered.

  “I’m sure. You’re tired, and we’re probably going to hit the ground running when we get where we’re going. Catch a few z’s so you’ll have the energy to meet the Alpha or whichever members of the Pack we end up dealing with.”

  “If you’re sure…”

  “I’m sure,” he told her. “Go in the back. Those seats recline. Buckle in and get comfy. See if you can nap. I’ll take care of the rest. Trust me.”

  She stood and sidled her way out from the co-pilot’s chair but stopped with her hand on the back of the pilot’s seat. “I do trust you, Jim,” she said, wanting him to know the truth of her words.

  He looked up at her, but she didn’t wait to see what he’d say. She’d seen the surprise in his eyes, and that was enough. She made her way into the small passenger compartment and slid into one of the chairs, buckling her seatbelt, as he’d suggested. She reclined the seat as far as it would go and let herself lean back into the cushiony softness of the chair.

  The next thing she knew, the plane was on the ground, and Jim was touching her shoulder, shaking gently. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” he said softly.

  Shocked she’d slept through landing, Helen rubbed her eyes as she woke. “We’re in Texas already?”

  “We are,” Jim confirmed. “We’re at the hangar, and the plane is already parked. All we have to do is go outside and meet the locals.”

  “Wow.” She found the control to raise her chair and did so. “I can’t believe I slept that long. It was a couple of hours, right?”

  “About two and a half hours,” Jim confirmed. “I’m glad. You expended a lot of energy on my behalf last night. I’m happy you had a chance to rest at least a little.”

  “Well, I don’t want to be rude and keep them waiting,” she said, getting to her feet. Her bag was stowed nearby, and she went to retrieve it. “There’s a bunch of stuff in the cargo compartment for the folks here,” she reminded him.

  “I’m on it,” he assured her, “but first, let’s get you outside and introduced. The Alpha himself came to meet us.”

  Helen’s eyes widened. “Wow,” she replied, still trying to wake up fully.

  Chapter Eight

  Jim got Helen outside and onto the tarmac. She was adorably fuzzy from sleep, but he knew she would make a good impression, no matter what. Her inner goodness shone all about her, easy to see for anyone who looked close enough.

  Joe Villalobos was an Alpha used to looking closely at everything that entered his domain. He and Jim had met before, many times. Jim liked to think they’d built up a certain amount of trust and respect between them, which was why Joe hadn’t asked too many questions about the magical guest Jim was bringing to Joe’s town. Jim was glad of that trust and would not abuse it.

  “Alpha, this is Helen Richards,” he introduced them formally. “Her sister, Kiki, just mated Jack Bishop, and one of her distant cousins mated one of the wolves from that Canadian wolf Pack that had the troubles a few years back. There’s fey in her family, and her mother is a Llewelyn.”

  Might as well get it all out there in the open, Jim thought. He heard Helen gasp a bit as he revealed so much about her pedigree to a complete stranger, but she didn’t stop him or make any outward objections. She trusted him. He was still a bit floored by that admission she’d made to him before leaving the cockpit. Having her trust meant…well…probably more than it should.

  “Helen,” Jim continued with the introduction, “this is Joe Villalobos, mayor of the town and Alpha of the Pack.”

  Helen offered her hand to the older man. “Pleased to meet you, Alpha.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Miss Richards. Jim told me you were a healer,” Joe said, his tone inviting.

  Helen nodded. “I am, and please, call me Helen.” Her smile was sunshine on a cloudy day. “If anyone in town needs healing while I’m here, my gift is freely given,” she told him. “I’m happy to help, if I can. Though, from what I’ve learned from the shifters I’ve met so far, you all are ridiculously healthy.”

  Joe chuckled at that and began walking. Helen fell into step beside him, and Jim brought up the rear.

  “It’s very kind of you to offer, but you’re right. Most of us are in good shape. I wonder, though…” Joe trailed off as if in thought before continuing. “Can you do anything to ease arthritis pain? There’s an elder in the Pack who has quite a bit of trouble when it rains.”

  “I’d be happy to take a look,” Helen said brightly. “If it’s something I can fix, I’d be happy to do so.”

  “That’s great,” Joe replied enthusiastically, then glanced back at Jim. “There’s a spot on the edge of town that I think you should scout out, Jim. I’ve got the details back in my office, so we’ll go there, and I can brief you.”

  “I’m much obliged, Alpha,” Jim answered promptly. He would have suggested delivering Helen to someplace she could rest first, but this was a wolf town, and she was a lamb. He wasn’t letting her out of hi
s sight until he was certain the rest of the Pack knew she wasn’t prey, and she definitely wasn’t an enemy.

  Joe drove them to his office in his SUV. Helen sat up front, and Jim took the back bench seat. Joe gave Helen an informal tour of the town on the way from the airport to the mayor’s office, which she seemed to enjoy. Big Wolf really was a pretty little town.

  When they finally were ensconced in Joe’s office, with the door shut and the map of the town spread out on Joe’s wide desk, Jim really went to work. Helen sat nearby, watching but not commenting much.

  “This is the current boundary of Pack-owned land,” Joe explained, pointing to a rough circle centered on the town of Big Wolf. “This area I’ve color-coded green is one large ranch that now belongs to a Pack member’s mate and will eventually come to the Pack through their children.” Joe’s tone was laced with satisfaction as he pointed to a very large tract of land on one side of the town. “These yellow areas are owned by non-magical folks who have mostly been either friendly or neutral in their dealings with us.”

  “I’m guessing the red area is what you want me to check out,” Jim jumped ahead, but Joe didn’t seem to mind. The Alpha nodded.

  “The red area has an old feed mill smack dab in the center of it that is pretty much derelict. The whole parcel—which used to be a working ranch, then became a feed lot for a while about fifty years ago, and then fell into disuse when the cattle market had a downturn—was purchased recently by some folks from California.”

  Joe took a stack of eight-by-ten aerial photographs out of a folder and scattered them over the map. Jim could clearly see a very large old building. It was weathered, and parts of it didn’t look all that stable. Joe had photos of the area, including the access roads, parking areas and other buildings on the large tract of land. Jim studied them as Joe continued to talk.

  “I’ve looked into it, and something about the entire transaction smells off to me. If I had known the land was up for sale, I would’ve bought it for the Pack, but the whole thing was done without anyone knowing until the deal was done. Just a tad too clandestine to be legit, to my mind. Of course, I’ve had people checking out the place as best we could, but they found nothing. I even went over there, in person, hoping to introduce myself to our new neighbors, but no one was about. Or, if they were, they didn’t come out to see me. I left, feeling itchy about the whole place, but I can’t put my finger on exactly what it was about it that bothers me. The old mill has been there for a long time. It’s an old building with a lot of nooks and crannies. It’s also huge. At one time, the feed lot was one of the largest in the state.”