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| Outside the Bank |
Supplies, Plans, and Risks
Cash, supplies, and a way to call for help. Nate has a plan, but every stop risks giving their pursuers another chance to find them.
In Chapter 9 of Wolf’s Man, Janelle reveals why the cats can’t afford to let her live. Nate can’t undo what she’s lost, but he can make her a promise—and somewhere between danger and an uncertain destination, she gives him a reason to hope.
Click Read more to read Chapter 9 of Wolf’s Man . I’m sharing one chapter each day, free here on the blog.
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Wolf's Man
Chapter 9
Nate pulled into a parking spot at a Georgetown bank. He slipped the gun under his seat, then glanced at Janelle. “Let’s go.”
“The
last time I used my card, they found me.”
He
frowned at the shiver that ran through her small frame. “Did they somehow put a
hold on your accounts?”
“I
don’t think so.”
He
nodded. “We don’t know how long we have to go off-grid. Use your card to get as
much as you can in cash. I’ll do the same. That way we will have money for gas
and food while we figure out what to do.”
Her
blue eyes studied him for long moments, then she nodded. “Okay. Then what?”
He
took a deep breath. “We go to a discount store and get a burner phone. Do you
know how to contact your people in Oklahoma?”
“Yes,
but I’ve been too busy trying to stay alive to contact them. And I left my
phone at the ranch.”
“Will
they help?”
Janelle
considered his question for a moment, then nodded. “I think so. While there is
even one member of a pack alive, the property belongs to the pack. If we all
die, the Were Council will award the property to whatever were group is in the area.”
Turquoise glowed briefly in her eyes. He watched her struggle with the effort
to remain in human form. When her eyes were again a deep ocean blue, her face
set hard in anger, she said, “That’s why they have to kill me. Until I die,
they can’t legally get their hands on the ranch. If they proceed, and I show
up, the Council will destroy their clowder.”
“Clowder?”
“That’s
what a group of werecats is called.”
“Okay.
We’ll get all the cash we can. Then, we get a phone and start trying to contact
the Council.” He stopped as a tear rolled down her pale cheek. With one finger,
he caught the tear and lifted it from her
face. She caught her breath when he touched her. He wanted so much to pull her
into his arms and kiss her. “I can’t bring back what you’ve lost, but I will
help you keep what remains.” He knew that without the medallion, he wouldn’t be
able to control the angry beast pacing within. “Koreth promises this, also.”
Janelle
nodded, her gaze captured by his. When he
reached up and gently wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs, she leaned
into his hands. Koreth growled. Nate could feel
the wolf’s frustration. He wanted Nadrai as his mate. Nate wanted to kiss
Janelle, but…
Janelle pressed her lips against his in a brief kiss, then
pulled away. Startled, Nate watched as she got out of the car and waited for
him to join her in the parking lot. He blew out a breath through puffed cheeks.
A glance at his watch told him he better hurry or the bank would close.
Deciding to put off thinking about her kiss, he got out and walked around to
stand next to her.
He held his hand toward her, uncertain of her reaction. When
she caught his hand in hers, Koreth’s thought was smug. Mine. There was no demand. Just a statement of fact.
*****
An
hour later, after emptying and closing his account, Nate drove down the SH 130 toll road toward Seguin. He hoped the cats
would keep searching along I-35, while he and Janelle made good time in a different direction. With less
traffic on the toll road, it would be
easier to spot the cats if they did catch up to them.
He
reached over and stroked Janelle’s face with the back of his fingers, waking
her, then gripped the steering wheel again. “We’re coming up on Seguin. You
need to stop for anything?”
She
sat up straighter, cleared her throat, and blinked at him. “What? Oh, no. I
don’t need to stop.” When he glanced at her, her face reddened. “Sorry for
sleeping, again.”
“No
problem. How long have you been awake? I mean
before you jumped in my SUV?”
“Um,
two, maybe three days. I’m not sure, now. It all kind of blurs together.”
“Sorry
to wake you, but you said I needed to get off 130 around Seguin, and we’re just
about there.”
Janelle
folded her arms bent over her head, hands clasped, and leaned back in a cramped
stretch. “Take the I-10 exit,” she said through
a yawn, “then take I-10 east.”
A
while later, Nate eased into I-10 traffic. From there, she directed him to
Hallettsville, then to a farm to market
road to the ranch. The closer they came to their destination, the more agitated
Janelle became. “Will they be at the ranch?” asked Nate.
“I
don’t know.”
“Is
there a back way to the ranch?”
“Yes,
drive past the entrance about ten miles and take a left on the country road
just past a bend in the road. The back entrance is a bit over eighteen miles
from the front entrance.”
He
nodded. “That’s what we will do, then. No point in advertising our presence.”
“You
could drive on to town and pick up something to eat and some camping equipment if you wanted to.”
Nate’s
eyebrow quirked. “Werewolves need camping equipment?”
Embarrassment
showed on her red cheeks. “Well, no, not
as wolves, but I wasn’t sure you wanted to change again.”
“What
do werewolves eat when they are, uh, wolves? Please don’t tell me you eat dog
food.” Koreth growled at him, while Janelle laughed.
“No.
Wolves hunt if they are hungry. Whatever they find to eat, it sustains us,
too.”
Nate
wrinkled his nose. “Maybe we should get some supplies. I’m not ready to eat raw
meat.” His left thumb tapped the steering wheel absently until Janelle cleared
her throat. “Oh, sorry. I forgot.” He grinned at her. “While we are there,
let’s get a burner phone, too. I think we both need to make some calls.”
Nate promises to help Janelle keep what remains of her home and pack. What moment in this chapter best shows that she’s beginning to trust him—and why did it stand out to you? Tell me in the comments!
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| Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series (12 books) |
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