Scarlet Heat Read online

  I had an idea that the big were was noticing what was going on with me. Sometimes I saw his nostrils flare when he looked at me and I knew he was scenting me. But he never said anything—never confronted me about it as he had the first time. Part of me wished he would—I felt like I could admit my need if only he said something first. But so far he was keeping quiet.

  I thought of how good he smelled and how safe I felt in his arms. Thought of the delicious way he had stroked into my pussy with his fingers so slowly until I came. God! I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Maybe I should get over my embarrassment and ask for his help tonight, when he came home from work…

  “…raining so hard it looks like freaking monsoon season over here.” Addison’s voice brought me back from my extremely personal—and private—dilemma. Despite the fact that she was my best friend, I still hadn’t told her about my strange walk on the were side and the fact that I was going into heat. I knew I would eventually—when we had a chance to talk face to face. But except for a few brief meetings when she brought things I needed and had left at Corbin’s club, we hadn’t had much time to catch up. And it was too personal a subject to go into over the phone.

  “Yeah, I think it’s overcast here too,” I said, squinting out one of the windows. Since Victor had put the dark film on all of them we had been able to take down the aluminum foil and open the drapes, which I liked—it made the house feel lighter and airier.

  “It’s probably headed in your direction then,” Addison said. “You’d better batten down the hatches and unplug all your electronics.”

  “I think Victor has surge protectors,” I said. “But I guess—”

  A loud knocking on the kitchen door surprised me. I had been lounging on the brown leather sectional, redoing my toenail polish and watching a special about different dog breeds on Animal Planet as I talked to my best friend. Now I sat up so quickly I almost spilled ruby slippers nail polish all over the couch.

  “Can I call you back, Addison?” I said, standing up and hobbling into the kitchen so I didn’t smudge my fresh polish. “Somebody’s at the door.”

  “Who?” She was immediately suspicious and protective. “Be careful, Taylor—don’t open it! It’s still the middle of the day.”

  “The sun’s hidden by all the clouds,” I said, trying to reassure her. “So don’t worry. It’s probably just the UPS guy or something.”

  “All right.” She sounded slightly mollified. “But just watch yourself—you still don’t know who put that trap on Victor’s land.”

  “Whoever it was, they like to be sneaky,” I pointed out. “I doubt they’ll come walking up in the middle of the day to introduce themselves.”

  Just then, the knocking sounded again.

  “Look, I really have to go,” I told Addison. “I’ll call you back later. ‘K, roomie?”

  “Okay. Just be careful.” She blew me a kiss and hung up.

  I looked out the high window in the door, wishing that Victor had installed a peep hole. All I could see when I looked out was the top of a blonde head. Then whoever it was knocked again.

  “Hello?” a female voice called, sounding impatient. “Victor, honey, are you in there?”

  Victor honey? I had been halfway entertaining the idea of not opening the door and waiting until whoever it was went away but this got my attention. Being careful to stay well back, I opened the door and looked out.

  Standing there on Victor’s front porch was a diminutive girl who looked to be about nineteen or twenty. Her honey blonde hair was parted in the center and pulled back into two braids. She was wearing a white button-down shirt that strained over her full, obviously braless breasts and a little plaid pleated skirt that stopped at mid-thigh. Her full mouth was lipsticked a glossy bubblegum pink and she was holding a plate full of cookies in one hand.

  Clearly she was going for the naughty school girl look. And if that didn’t work—hey look—cookies!

  “Hello,” I said, frowning. “Can I help you?”

  She gave me a look that was decidedly unfriendly.

  “Yes, you can go get Victor for me. I need to talk to him.”

  “I’m sorry—he’s not here,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “Can I take a message?”

  The girl got a pouty look on her pretty, spoiled face.

  “Don’t lie to me, lady—I know he’s here. I saw his truck parked around back.”

  “He got a ride to work with someone else today,” I said. “And I don’t expect him home for a while.” I raised an eyebrow at her pointedly. “Can I ask who you are so I can tell him who came to see him?”

  “Why don’t you tell me who you are first? And what the hell are you doing in his house?” she demanded.

  Okay, I’d had about enough of this spoiled little brat, whoever she was.

  “I’m Taylor,” I said, giving her a frosty smile. “Victor’s wife.”

  “What?” She stumbled back, nearly spilling the plateful of cookies. “But…that’s impossible. Victor is going to marry me.”

  It was my turn to be shocked. “Excuse me? What?”

  “That’s right, lady—he’s mine.” She actually snarled at me, curling her bubblegum pink lips up and baring her little white teeth. “My intended mate.”

  Intended mate? What the hell did that mean? Was Victor engaged to this girl somehow?

  “Well, I’m sorry,” I said, trying to cover my confusion. “But he’s not here. I’ll tell him you stopped by.” I started to shut the door but she wasn’t having it.

  “Wait just a Goddamn minute.” She seemed to recover her poise and pushed her way past me into the kitchen uninvited.

  “Hey!” I protested, stunned by her rudeness. “This is a private residence. You can’t just come barging in.”

  “The hell I can’t!” She plunked the cookies on the countertop hard enough to chip the glass plate and whirled around to face me, hands on her hips. “Now, I don’t know who you think you are but you’re going to have to leave right now. Victor is mine— I’m his intended mate.”

  There it was again—intended mate. I couldn’t help it—I was starting to feel worried. Could there be a kernel of truth in what the girl was saying? Had Victor only married me because he knew it was a temporary arrangement, and after we parted, he could still go through with his other engagement? I didn’t want to think that of him—he seemed too honorable, too straightforward for that kind of thing. But the girl was so insistent it was hard to know what to believe.

  “Who are you, anyway?” I demanded. “Victor hasn’t said anything to me about having an ‘intended mate’ or anything like that.”

  “I’m LeeAnn Wainright,” she said, as though I ought to know her name.

  I shook my head. “Sorry—doesn’t ring any bells. Victor never mentioned you.”

  She flushed dark red. “I’m Alpha Bitch of the Tampa pack and my father is the pack master.”

  “Victor’s a lone wolf,” I pointed out. “He doesn’t have a pack.”

  “Not yet, but he will. There’s a waiting period for a lone wolf—it’s been understood from the first that he’ll join us as soon as that’s up. Which it is now—today.” She nodded decisively as though she’d had the last word.

  I shook my head. “Again…he’s never said a word about that to me. I think you must be mistaken.”

  “There’s no mistake,” she insisted. “He’s the only male I’ve ever met who’s Alpha enough to be my mate.” She tossed her honey blonde braids proudly.

  “Well, he’s taken right now,” I said. I was starting to get angry. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to leave.”

  Her eyes flashed. “I’m not going anywhere until I see Victor. He always returns my howls on full moon nights. Can you say the same thing?”

  “I don’t howl,” I said, through gritted teeth. “But I do know when we go to bed at night he doesn’t seem to have any other woman on his mind.”

  It was a bit of an exaggeration. It was true that Vi