Wilde About Her (Wilde Pack Series)(10)

The party-mostly the kiss-was still rolling around in her head. Ever  since he held her in his arms, she couldn't stop thinking about Jax. The  kiss was far better than the one they'd shared at thirteen, but yet the  same familiar intensity. How was that even possible? All the years that  had passed, how was it even possible that what she'd felt for Jax then,  she still felt now? Attraction. Heat. Back then, it had been a childish  crush, but she had been drawn to him, nevertheless. Now they were both  adults and the mutual attraction was so overpowering, Denim was amazed  she hadn't begged Jax to take her right then and there against the tree.

Denim had been so disturbed by her reaction to him, she'd left the  party, deciding to ride around and clear her head. But before their date  this evening, she had to know if what she saw had been real and if so  she was going to have to find a way to tell Jax what she'd seen. Would  he believe her? Hell, she didn't believe it herself, which was why she  was out after midnight, lurking through the forest.

Denim made it up into the treehouse, took a seat and reached down for  the pair of binoculars hanging around her neck that she had bought while  in Austin with Quinn. Of course her friend wanted an explanation. Denim  had lied and told her they were for her new hobby-birdwatching.

She pointed the binoculars toward the wild, beckoning land and peered  through them. As soon as everything in front of her was crystal clear,  Denim was ready.

What am I going to do with my life now? She wondered while waiting. She  was a month away from turning twenty-two and no direction in sight. She  heaved a sigh and was not at all ready to have that conversation with  her parents, but once the summer ended there'd be no way to avoid it.  She just hoped by then she'd had plenty of time to come up with a plan  B.

A long howl split the air and Denim quickly scrambled onto her knees.  Heart pounding, she waited for the three bionic-dogs to resurface.

Sure enough, within minutes, there were horses trotting freely along the  land. And then there he was, the blonde wolf who'd turned and looked in  her direction the other night. Denim's fingers tightened on the  binoculars and her hands shook a little while she tried to focus. There  had been nothing wrong with the telescope. And that was definitely a  wolf, not a dog, and it was indeed as big as the horses running  alongside it. Part of her had hoped her eyes had been playing tricks on  her. Seriously? Who would believe her? Jax, she hoped. Well, maybe if  she could convince him to come up to the treehouse and watch from the  window. Yep, she was …  wait! Something was happening. Denim watched in  horror as the wolf tilted his head, howled, and then his body started to  change. Her hands began to shake, and she had a hard time holding onto  the binoculars.

No freaking way!

The fur disappeared. Claws were gone. A man rose from the tall grass and  turned on the balls of his feet to stare up the hill. What the fuck? If  she hadn't been there to see it herself she wouldn't have believed it.  Hell, she saw it with her own eyes and still had a hard time believing  it. The wolf had transformed into a man. And not just any man.

Jax!

"You are shitting me," Denim mumbled under her breath.

I know you're watching.

Denim jerked around to see who was talking to her, but there was no one,  yet the voice sounded as if it had come from behind her.

Totally spooked, she dropped the binoculars and started screaming. Denim  wasn't quite sure why she suddenly had the urge to scream, but she did.  Probably because she had just discovered Jax was some kind of werewolf  like in the movies.

No one can know.

There was that voice again and yet no one was near. Terrified, Denim  quickly scrambled out of the treehouse, then hurried through the forest,  almost stumbling over a fallen limb. She aimed the flashlight to the  ground and headed toward the farmhouse. Denim started shaking  uncontrollably because that voice was now calling out to her.         

     



 

Denim, wait!

No one knew she was out in the forest, so there was no way in hell she  was stopping. Racing in a manic state, Denim wasn't sure how she'd  remembered which direction to run. She was close to exiting the forest  when something jumped in front of her. She jerked back and screamed.

"Denim, it's me, Jax. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Get back!" she shouted, dropping the flashlight, and crossed her  fingers like he was a vampire. "Stay back or I'll scream at the top of  my lungs."

Jax held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, I'll stay back, but you have to calm down and listen to me."

"You're …  you're a w-werewolf."

Something shifted in his eyes. "Yes, I'm a wolf." There was a long pause. "Don't be afraid."

Yeah right. She shook her head in denial. "This can't be real."

"But it is," Jax replied, flashing a long tooth at her. Denim drew back  as he turned the force of those freaking, gorgeous golden eyes on her.  Trying to fight his powerful gaze, she looked down and her jaw dropped.

Jax was naked.

His chest was hard and chiseled. His cock, long and hard, pulsing  against his inner thigh, but none of this was real, she told herself.  Even though he looked real and she was absolutely certain he would feel  real, Denim still needed to get away.

"Move out the way so I can go home."

Jax shook his head. "Denim, I'm afraid I can't do that."

What? Was he really going to try and stop her? The determined look in  his eyes said he wasn't joking. So, she did the only thing she could  think of.

"Ouch!"

Denim kicked him in the nuts and the second Jax buckled over, she took off running.

"Denim, stop!"

Fat chance of that happening. She tore through the forest heading toward  a clearing, hoping if she reached it someone would see her running for  her life. Behind her, she could hear the rustle of the trees and knew  Jax wasn't too far behind. Denim kept running as fast as she could.

You're wasting your time, Denim.

Where was that voice coming from? She wondered as she looked to her left  and right. Unfortunately, now was not the time to explore her options.

Her legs and lungs burned and she was out of breath. And just as she saw  the clearing and a light on in Pappy's bedroom window, Jax tackled her  to the ground.

Denim screamed as loud as she could.

"Denim, don't," he warned, as he rolled her onto her back, then cupped a  hand over her mouth. "Don't scream. I'm not going to hurt you. I  promise," he added soothingly.

There were those sharp incisors, gleaming in the dark and she should  have been terrified, but something told her he was telling me the truth.  Besides, what choice did she have? Jax was a werewolf and could easily  have eaten her. Denim just lay there chest heaving, with the weight of  his body straddling her.

"I'm going to remove my hand," he said and then cautiously brought his  hand back to his side. He waited for her reaction, then gave a faint  smile. "I appreciate that."

Denim huffed. "It's not like I have much of a choice! If I scream again you're probably going to eat me."

"Eat you?" Jax tossed his head back, sending his blonde hair swaying  along his back. "What makes you think I'm going to eat you?"

He was staring down at her with this silly look on his face. Goodness,  was there anything about this man that wasn't sexy? Okay, maybe not that  shifting thingamajig she'd seen him do. That wasn't sexy.

"Eating people …  isn't that what werewolves do?"

His brow quirked. "Not any I know."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing short of a death sentence,"  Denim retorted in a huff. "And can you please get off of me! If I  wanted a naked man on top of me, it would be for a different reason all  together." There she was, lying on the ground with her legs trapped  between his thighs. Feeling the weight of his erection resting on her  stomach was so arousing she couldn't even think straight.

"Denim, do you promise not to run away if I do?" he'd said her name softly.

"What would be the point? You'd catch me before I reached the porch!"

Jax smiled. "Yes, you're right. I would."

"And how is that even possible? You ranch is acres away. Explain to me  how the hell you got here so fast?" she asked as a whisper of a thrill  crept down her spine.

"It's a gift I have. Along with acute hearing."

"A gift?" The answer was vague, but enough for her to understand there was nowhere to run. She nodded. "I give up."         

     



 

With that, he rolled off her.

Denim sat up on the ground Indian-style and didn't even bother getting  up. Instead, she glared over at him still trying to understand if what  happened had really happened.

"Have you always been a …  you know?" she asked.

"A Were?"

Denim nodded.

Jax also nodded while Denim watched the way the moon cast shadows across his handsome face. "Yes, since puberty."