Red's Wolf - Piper J. Drake Page 0,3

and Ben took good care of her after her parents died in the hiking accident." Carri turned to look into Jenna's calm, brown eyes. “She always told me she would have stayed with you two, with the pack, if she hadn’t fallen in love with da.”

Jenna smiled at Carri and reached out her other hand to brush one of Carri's stray blonde locks back into place. "Your mother was a joy when she stayed with us. She would have had a place here in the pack if she hadn't chosen to return with your father to the city after they met. Even then, she raised you to understand both worlds. You understand family. You know deep down inside what it is to be pack." Jenna's face clouded with concern. "Lone wolves like Jason could strike out at you just for that. You're human and you're vulnerable. Don't push his buttons when it comes to the ties of the pack."

Carri nodded slowly. "I got it." She turned her head to look at the door Jason had left open. It spoke of consideration, the little gesture. Even annoyed, he hadn't shut it and left her to open it herself. She owed him an apology for touching on a painful subject.

"And, Carri?" Jenna raised an eyebrow as Carri returned her attention to the conversation. "I can tell you're interested in him. If I can tell, so can he."

Heat rushed into her face and she muttered a curse. Shapeshifters and their damn enhanced sense of smell, how did anyone get through a work day without being distracted?

Jenna only shook her head and chuckled. "There are plenty of single males here in Glacier Valley pack, Carri. Pick someone safer."

Carri cocked her head to one side. "What? No lecture about chastity and virtue?"

Jenna smiled, not as a maternal figure, but as a female full of sensuality and feminine pleasure. "You're not a child, Carri, and this is not your mother's home. You came here to stretch a little, so stretch."

"I came to visit you," she asserted her loyalty. "And the pack needs this sensor array."

"You'll see me for breakfast every morning." Jenna tapped Carri's chin. "Keep your evenings, and nights to yourself. You're keyed to the bio-sensors of the house. Don't make a lot of noise coming back in. The male you choose will see you safely home."

Jenna left her to chew on the tidbit of information and hopped in the all-terrain vehicle to head out on pack business. For the first time since she'd left the city, Carri comprehended how much freedom she’d gained.

Grinning, she practically danced into the building to get her work started.

Jason didn't bother to smooth the scowl from his face as the girl came waltzing in as if she skipped on air. Not just human, she exuded one of those cheery personalities, as if he needed more to get in his way on this job.

As she closed the door behind her, he held his breath so the stir of air didn't waft her delicious scent to him. He didn't need the intoxicating combination of sweet and spicy distracting him, not when the wolf part of him wanted another taste of her. He’d kissed her on impulse the night before, not anticipating how her honey sweetness would linger in his memory. On a job like this, he needed to concentrate.

Of course, he found it hard to ignore a person when she walked straight up to him. He turned, bringing himself up short as he found her standing right beside him, her clear blue eyes looking up and straight through him.

"Why are you the man for this job, Jason?" She fired her question point blank, with no hesitation, and completely out of the blue.

A growl built in his chest, but he checked his anger. Her question held no malice, her body language relaxed and non-challenging, so he gave her the answer. "Because I'm the best."

She nodded, her eyes never wavering from his, despite the golden curl falling loose across her gaze. "So we're both here for the right reason."

Spunky. Jason had to give her that as he stared down at her. Standing there in layered tees hugging a generous rack, with a pair of jeans that might as well been painted over her tight behind, she had no idea what kind of danger she stood up to. His wolf aspect wanted to prowl around her, stalk her, pounce. Even without the strength shapeshifters had over humans, he could easily crush her. Instead, the