And this time the victim is Maddy. I shudder at the thought of my best friend’s agony.
“Wait outside,” Jax growls while he shoves his cousin out the door. Shifters are not known for being even-tempered. Being a shifter and a sheriff is not a common combination. Then again, Sleepy Briar is far from normal.
“I’ll give her a ride—” Brody’s words die as Jax closes the door in his face.
“Yeah. I’ll bet.” Jax mutters to the closed door.
“Don’t be an asshole. He’s your cousin.” I scowl. “And that’s my favorite blanket.” I point toward the door. “He won’t give it back if you treat him like shit.”
My irritation doesn’t make a dent in removing his scowl. “You’re not seriously planning on going out there with him.” He folds his arms across his broad chest, planting his feet wide.
“I’m a doctor, remember?” Oh gods. He’s going to go all heavy alphahole on me which just adds wood to the fires of lust. It’s certainly in conflict with my previously stated goal of avoiding being staked, but I want this man. Add in the He-man act and I swear to the gods I won’t be able to keep myself in check. I’m tired of only imagining how he’d feel inside me. I’m sure it would do wonders for my suffering body temperature. I crack a smile that puts a frown on his face.
Unaware of my mental detour, he keeps pushing against my plans of helping my friend.
“You’re a vampire. You can’t go out in this weather.”
“It’s snow in Maine, not the moon. Don’t be such a baby.” I love baiting him. It is such a turn-on, getting him all riled up has turned into a favorite pastime.
I have to stop looking at him before I strip and see how in control he really is of his beast.
“Even by Maine standards, this is a blizzard. Wolves are made for this weather. You aren’t. I won’t allow it.” His voice turns rough and there’s a hint of finality to his tone.
I throw a hand up. “Spare me your theatrics, wolfman. I’m not a pack member.” Yeah, I secretly love him, but there’s no need to tell him that onepleaseis all it would take to stop me in my tracks. For a few minutes anyway. Maddy needs help and nothing is going to stop me from getting to her.
I gather my brunette curls into a low twist and go to collect more of my clothing from my small bedroom.
Jax stalks behind me, his nostrils flaring. The fluster of red in his cheeks has nothing to do with the cold outside. I put that color there and I’m about to make him even more irritated.
I tame my hair into something I can fit under a hat and a snow machine helmet. I stuff my medical supplies in my backpack. I pull on extra socks and pack a third pair in my parka pocket. I need even more inner layers before I add my outer layers. Even then I’ll probably still be cold.
I try calculating how long it’ll take to reach Maddy by snow machine in this weather but fail. It depends on the conditions. Her place is more than five miles outside of Sleepy Briar. The winds coming down off the mountains will be merciless. Brody and Jax’s wolf spirits will withstand the weather just fine. Hell, they might even have enjoyed it if it weren’t for their friend’s injury.
I feel a huff of hot air fluttering the fine strands of hair that escaped my hold and I turn my head to find Jax breathing down my neck.
“You’re not going. This will kill you.”
I narrow my eyes on him and angle my body where I can poke a finger against his chest.
“For the love of the gods, Jax!” I shake my head. “Depending on how things look, I may spend the night.”
I don’t bother arguing. As I duck under Jax’s arm, which is blocking my bedroom doorway, I wonder: with as much blood as she’s probably lost by now, how much time does Maddy have left?
* * *
Moments later,I step outside only to discover a massive wolf standing not far from the house.
Jax beat me outside while I collected a few more medical items.
His wolf is beautiful as much as it is terrifying. I’d never mistake him for any other shifter or a regular wolf, even though his black eyes have no resemblance to Jax’s light ones.
Beside him, Brody stands back a few paces. Not a surprise, as Jax is the Alpha. Brody’s more tentative around his older cousin.
When Brody’s shifting became unpredictable, he returned to Sleepy Briar to help with inn renovations and to get his shit together. It’s never easy for a shifter to change territories, and a young male in his mid-twenties is a threat to the older wolf shifter. If Jax hadn’t taken him in, Brody could well be dead by now.
“I suppose one way or another you always get your way, don’t you?” I say tartly, acknowledging Jax’s magnificence, and stubbornness.
On all fours, the wolf extends his neck, relishing the wind and snow. To say this wolf is proud doesn’t even begin to cover it. His enormous paws sport sharp claws. His fur is already collecting a large amount of snow.