Jessica’s Wolves(40)

The women hugged her tighter. Lindsey spoke next. “Not all wolves get shot. Are you sure those men were just hunters? Do you think they may have had some sort of conflict with your parents?”

“It’s possible, but I’ll never know.”

“Have you never shifted?” Kara gazed at her in shock.

“No, women don’t shift, can’t, until they mate.” Jessica thought about her recent education on that subject. “Well, apparently that’s not entirely true. They just have to have sex with a wolf, but still.”

“So there’s a lot you don’t know about your own kind, isn’t there?” Lindsey’s gentle fingers rubbed her shoulder.

“A great deal, yes. But I’m learning.” She smiled. It probably came out lame.

Kara stiffened. “Wait, didn’t Charles and Reese bring a woman back from Texas with them? What the hell is that all about?”

“Yeah, I’m not totally sure. I’ve been … too busy to get all the details, but apparently she isn’t their mate.” Jessica shivered at the thought. “Might be a double standard, but I don’t think I could share them with another woman.”

Lindsey nodded and cringed. “Ain’t that the truth?”

“Anyway, hopefully whatever’s up with that story, they’re taking care of it now. I don’t think I can even show my face around your extended family again until that strange situation is cleared up.”

“And you don’t have to.” Kara jumped up and circled the couch when a knock sounded at the door. “You’ll stay right here until those mates of yours get their shit straightened out.” She tossed that last bit over her shoulder as she opened the front door.

Standing on the steps, as though conjured out of thin air by the mere mention of her, was Alyssa. Timid. A sorrowful look in her eyes. Kara widened the door and ushered her inside.

“Tessa let me take her car.” Alyssa fidgeted with her fingers, wringing them together. She seemed even younger today than she had yesterday, although Jessica had barely seen her. “I owe you an apology.” She stared right at Jess.

Kara shut the door behind her and motioned for Alyssa to come into the room. “Sit. We don’t bite. Usually…” She grinned, but it was forced.

Alyssa ignored her and sat in a chair next to the couch. She never took her gaze off Jess.

None of them knew enough about this woman to judge. Jessica had the sense to realize she needed to reign in her evil thoughts and open her mind.

In barely more than a whisper, Alyssa began. “I met Charles and Reese by coincidence just a few days ago. They were on their way back here when they stopped at a diner in Oklahoma.”

Jessica’s skin perked, goose bumps spreading over her entire body at the word Oklahoma. “You didn’t come with them from Texas?”

“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “I was in the diner when they came in. I was waiting, watching for someone, anyone whom I thought I could trust. I had been walking all day, and I didn’t really want to stand on the road holding my thumb out hitchhiking. I was too scared.

“Anyway, when I spotted them, and realized they were wolves, I decided to approach them for a ride.”

“How did you know where they were headed?” Jessica leaned forward to better hear Alyssa, who practically mumbled her story. As Jess got closer, she realized Alyssa was barely more than a girl. She was trying to portray herself as a woman, but she was very young.

“I didn’t. I … didn’t care where they were going. Anywhere but there was good.”

“Is someone after you?” Lindsey asked.

“I … don’t know.” She lifted her head higher and glanced at all of them. “I’m so sorry to put you all in this predicament. I was only thinking of myself. It was rude of me, but I just wanted to … escape … any way possible. Reese and Charles seemed so nice, so I tried to act all mature and flirted mercilessly with them to entice them to take me.

“It was a diner. No more than a truck stop. People at those places are traveling through. I knew my chances were good they weren’t planning to stay.” She sucked in a lungful of air and continued. “They were polite, but they didn’t fall for my wiles. They treated me more like a younger sister, which infuriated me, by the way.” Her cheeks turned red.

“Instead of taking the bait I offered, they asked me to join them and questioned why a sweet girl like me was hanging around a truck stop in the middle of the night.

“I told them my boyfriend was abusive and he was looking for me and begged them to take me with them. I-I told them I would do anything they wanted if they would just let me ride away with them.” She turned her head lower, hung in shame at her announcement. “I was spouting anything I could think of. They were sexy enough. I promised them I would even mate with them if they would just pretend I belonged to them and get me the hell out of there. I guess they felt sorry for me, so they played along.”