Feral (Wolf Ranch Book 3) Read online

  Not wanting to go to Markle’s place completely unarmed, I slid a small pocket knife into my back pocket. I’d rather take my Glock, but that wasn’t an option. A knife I could explain away but not a pistol.

  I picked up my cell about to text my boss an update, when he called. Speak of the devil… which made me an employee of the devil.

  “Johnson here,” I answered.

  “Yeah, what’s your status?” No hello, no how’s it going in Montana?

  “I’ve arrived on location and, ah, settled in.” Of course, I didn’t quite get to finish that settling in, thanks to Rob Wolf. “I’m about to go to Markle’s for a friendly introduction.”

  “I still don’t like it,” he grumbled.

  It worked out perfectly that Natalie Shefield had inherited the property next door to Jett Markle but had yet to move in, meaning no one in the area had met her. We couldn’t have asked for a better setup. Finding someone to replace Natalie, a twenty-six-year-old woman with ties to the state, had been narrowed down to me. Only me. I’d lived in Montana until the day after high school graduation, knew how people rolled around here. Regardless, Vaughn thought sending a female agent alone on a job was a disaster waiting to happen. He didn’t have another agent to spare to play house in Cooper Valley, Montana. Honestly, I didn’t want anyone cramping my style.

  There was one advantage to being female in the DEA. It was, well, being female. I knew from my research that Markle was registered on several dating sites and cut a swath through the eligible women in town. He wasn’t going to pass on his pretty new neighbor. A single one, which was the nail in the coffin for me having a partner on this undercover job. It wasn’t as if any one of my male colleagues could show a little cleavage and sweet talk his way into Markle’s house to look for evidence of drug running.

  Getting friendly with him was going to be the easiest and most efficient way to get up in his business. While he checked out my boobs in this snug tank top, I’d check out his place. I didn’t want to sleep with the guy—I definitely drew a line there, but I had to keep tabs on him, search his property, and figure out exactly what his connection was with the Columbian drug czar Carlos Murrieta. Getting him to think he had a shot of getting in my pants, that was something else entirely.

  I rubbed some lip gloss on and applied a little mascara. Watch out, Markle. Here I come.

  I headed out the back door, noticing the screen door needed the hinges oiled, and followed the path along the telephone line toward Markle’s ranch. The hedge fund tycoon-turned-rancher had bought the huge property next door. To the world, he’d retired a billionaire to the quiet life of Big Sky Country. The DEA knew he’d left because he’d lost a billion in clients’ money and been fired. Digging had discovered that one of his clients was a shell company for Murrieta. We had to assume he was either hiding in plain sight or a cog in the drug running to Canada.

  The county records indicated his property was over a thousand acres, half of it open grazing land with a huge farmhouse, the other half rugged terrain with pine and aspen trees. Plenty of space for bad shit to go down.

  Markle had been relentlessly trying to buy the Shefield place since he moved in. According to Natalie, he’d emailed and called her with pitches that varied in nature from dire warnings about the state of the deterioration to offers far exceeding the value to downright threatening, saying he’d be turning her in for every type of county code violation imaginable.

  Sure, the place needed updating. I paused in my walk, looked back at the house. It was two story with wood siding painted a forest green. It was faded in spots, and the white window sills and trim needed some scraping, but it was… homey. The roof was shot, the grass overgrown. It looked neglected, which it was. But it wasn’t dangerous or against county code. Hell, I didn’t think there were any regulations way out here. It all led to the fact that Jett Markle was most likely a dick. A retired hedge fund manager on paper but most likely a drug runner who wanted the extra land for some illegal purpose.

  When I reached the end of my property line, I carefully pulled up the top string of barbed wire and set my boot on the lower one, then slid between them to emerge on his side.

  A group of cows turned their heads to watch me approach, completely uninterested. Two were lying down in a small patch of shade near the fence line.

  I breathed in the Montana air—the scent of wild grasses and dusty earth hit my nostrils. I’d thought I would hate being back in Montana, but it was strange—there was definitely a sense of “home.” A rightness or belonging, even after the nightmare of my childhood. I couldn’t hate an entire state for the wrongs of the Carp family. I’d stayed away long enough, but now… I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it. Like this was how outdoors should feel, with the hot sun on my face, the constant breeze, the verdant smell. It was like my body recognized it here over the places I’d been living the past ten years.

  I was playing a part, but even the cowgirl boots and jeans felt right on my body. I wished I had the hat to go with the outfit. I made a mental note to buy myself a cowgirl hat at the seed and feed in town. I walked until I neared the ranch house, barn and stable—all new buildings in pristine condition. It made the Shefield place look like something out of a horror flick.

  Two men stood near the stable, one of them speaking in a raised voice like he was giving the younger man a dressing down.

  Markle. Even if I hadn’t spent the last six months investigating the hell out of the guy, I’d know him by the designer jeans and five thousand dollar Stetson that just looked stupid on him. He looked like a Hollywood cowboy. Not because he was good looking, which he was, but because he appeared to be in costume or playing dress-up. He might own a ranch, but he sure as hell wasn’t a rancher.

  Not like the ones I’d been raised by anyway.

  I strode up, and the older man broke off his tirade. Both men gaped at me in surprise.

  “Afternoon, gentlemen.” I let my hips swing as I approached, and their gazes tracked the movement. When I reached them, I stuck my hand out to Markle. “I’m Natalie, your new neighbor. I wanted to stop by and introduce myself. We… uh, talked on the phone, but that’s not the same thing as seeing someone in person.” I took the moment to look Markle over, just as he did me. Blatantly, as if I liked what I saw. Dark hair, fake tan, chiseled jaw.

  Markle’s dark eyebrow raised. Then he grinned, showing off perfect veneers. He was attractive. I wasn’t blind and could see women giving him a second look, especially with his vast amounts of money. But he hadn’t spoken yet. What was the saying? Light traveled faster than sound because some people seemed bright until you heard them speak.

  “Yes, in person is a hell of a lot better.”

  He waited a beat before reaching out to shake my hand. A gold Rolex flashed on his wrist. Definitely out of place on a rancher. He closed his fingers around mine and squeezed too hard. It was the kind of grip that made me want to shake my hand out afterward. Or maybe that was just because I didn’t like him.

  I didn’t let it show, though. I stepped in a little closer and bent down to swat an imaginary bug off my leg, letting him get a view of my cleavage.

  He coughed a little, like the sight disturbed his equilibrium. “Jett Markle.” He didn’t bother to introduce his ranch hand.

  I turned my sweetest smile on the other man and stuck out my hand. “Hey, there. I’m Natalie.”

  “Jack.” He gave me a handshake as limp as Markle’s was firm and didn’t make eye contact. He couldn’t be older than twenty, barely old enough to shave. Markle probably had his ranch full of guys he could kick around. He definitely was a power trip kind of guy.

  Strange that he was most likely in bed with a drug cartel. It almost seemed like something he’d find beneath him, a task he didn’t want to get his callous-free hands involved in. So either the reports of his firing had been wrong, and there was a lot of money in it for him, or he was in bed with them in some way I haven’t figured out. Maybe a family connectio
n or more likely Murrieta had something on him.

  It was my job to figure it out, so I turned my smile back on Markle and started up my helpless female charade. “I just got in today. You were right on the phone. There’s a lot of repairs required. It sure looks like I’ll have my hands full.”

  He eyed me up and down, as if he wanted to have his hands full of me. “You have a plan for managing the numerous repairs? Contractors? Funding?”

  I grinned back at him. The sun was in my eyes, and I really wished I’d had that cowgirl hat, but this look was probably better, anyway. Let him get a gander at my girl-next-door freckles and youthful appearance. Let him underestimate me. I knew he was thirty-five, so he might even play the daddy card if he got off on it.

  “No, I’m just going to try to tackle things on my own.”

  I saw calculation in his eyes. “Well, I might still be willing to take a piece of your land. You’ll probably be desperate for cash for the repairs. I know the county taxes haven’t been paid yet.”

  Yeah, the asshole was probably hoping to buy the lien on them the moment it came up at auction. I’d have to let the real Natalie know she was in danger of losing the property for a few thousand bucks of unpaid taxes.

  I tipped my head to the side. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll take it into consideration.” I made my voice soft and husky while I tried not to clench my hands into fists, ready to punch him in the face. What a dick.

  The sultry tone worked. The hardest edge of him softened. “You probably don’t have your kitchen stocked yet or even the utilities turned on. How about I take you to dinner in town tonight? Show a little local hospitality.”

  Markle considered himself a local. That was hilarious.

  I feigned consideration, biting my lip. “Yeah, I guess that would be nice. I don’t have much in the house. But only if you promise not to try to wear me down on selling the place. As I told you before, it has a lot of sentimental value to me.”

  “All right.” He scratched the back of his neck as if those words cost him. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  I glanced at Jack, who hadn’t said a word, then nodded. “Deal. I’ll see you then.”

  I put a little promise in my voice but not too much. I didn’t want to have to screw the guy or kick him in the nuts on our first date. I was trying for an opening to be on his property and get to know his habits and schedule. Dinner was a warmup and a way in, which meant I could stop back again, especially if he thought he had a chance to get in my pants.

  I left the way I came, knowing the men were watching me—most likely my ass—as I sauntered away.

  All right, I was in.

  First objective achieved.

  Tonight I’d do my part to ingratiate myself to the target next door. After I got home, I would finish what I started. Not because I’d picture him to get off but because all the time I was taking in Markle, I was comparing him to Rob Wolf. I doubted Markle had a dick that ran down the inside of his thigh. My pussy clenched at the thought. Yeah, I’d be getting off later thinking about my sexier neighbor because I had a feeling after I got a guy like Wolf inside me, I’d be ruined for all others, including my dildo.

  3

  ROB

  Boyd pulled up in his pickup truck and whistled. He might be my little brother, but I flipped him the bird through the upstairs window. I finished tucking my shirt in. I’d just showered and changed for the pack meeting.

  It was the new moon, so a good time to discuss business or resolve any disputes. A time when wisdom prevailed instead of the hot-headedness and passion of the full moon. Especially mine. Every full moon was hell, my wolf pushing me to mate. I ran and ran hard. Thank fuck, I’d been able to run with Colton last time. He’d been worse off than me, pushing me almost past my endurance. It had helped. I could focus now, be the alpha the pack expected.

  I went downstairs and out to the truck, setting my hat on top of my damp hair. “Get some fucking manners. You don’t whistle for me like a goddamn dog,” I said as I climbed in. He drove on to the bunkhouse, the windows down.

  Boyd actually did have manners but also made a second career out of deliberately pushing me by showing disrespect. I was sure having a big brother who became both a pseudo-father and pack alpha when we were both still kids ourselves was scarring. He’d played the rebellious playboy role for years until he miraculously met his mate while on the rodeo circuit. As fate would have it, she was a doctor here at our hospital. So thanks to Audrey, he’d come home. Permanently.

  As for Colton, he’d mated Audrey’s sister, Marina. Small fucking world. He’d just retired from the military, and they were working their way back across the country from his base now. Soon enough, the three Wolf boys would be settled on the ranch again, and a new generation would begin. Audrey was already expecting a pup. Except I wasn’t settled, not like they were. Not like it was expected of me, which was a threat to the pack. Which made me pissy about this meeting because there was always talk about the fact that I hadn’t mated. Again, my dick was everyone’s worry.

  Boyd whistled again then gave me one of his signature easy grins. “Well, you came faster than the rest of the dogs.”

  “Careful, it’ll be hard to drive with your eye all swelled up,” I warned. Physical retribution was the norm in wolf packs. It was pretty harmless since our bodies healed so quickly.

  Despite my grumblings, I had to admit it was nice to have my brother back. I’d been running the pack on my own for long enough. Colton had enlisted right after high school and left for boot camp that same summer. Two years later, Boyd had headed to the rodeo circuit at eighteen. I’d been running the pack alone for a dozen years. It felt good to have my own blood beside me for a change.

  The heir and the spare were back. Although, they’d mated humans. The pack was fine with it because they weren’t leading. Everyone looked to me for a true wolf match and future alpha.

  I thought of the hot as hell neighbor and her greedy pussy. My wolf thought of fucking her hard and biting her deep. My dick hardened, and that was a problem in more ways than one.

  Clint came out of the bunkhouse and climbed into the back of the huge pickup. Boyd headed up the back road toward the mountain. He lived that way in a cabin with Audrey, but we were going past that. The pack owned a lodge house up there built by my great-great-great grandfather Makelin Wolf, the founding pack alpha when Montana was still a territory. It was a place where the pack could meet, shift and run far from the prying eyes of humans.

  “So Alpha, going to tell us about why you slammed our neighbor’s bedroom door in my face?” Clint asked.

  He was sitting behind Boyd, so I glanced back at him. Glared. We hadn’t spoken of it earlier when we rode back from the Shefield house. He could’ve asked me about it then, but no. He had to fucking do it with Boyd around.

  “Bedroom door?” Boyd repeated, steering around a turn.

  Clint was my best friend. Boyd was my brother. They were the closest things to confidants I had. I couldn’t share all the details of being alpha. Some information was confidential. Like a priest but without the god. My pack members might be able to have secrets but not me. With the way Clint grinned, he had a pretty good idea of what it was. I hadn’t acted like that before. Ever.

  “Rob,” Boyd said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “We went over to introduce ourselves to the new neighbor.”

  He nodded, then took his hat off, stuck it on the console between us, and ran a hand through his fair hair. It caught the wind and blew around. He took after our mother while Colton and I were dark like our father had been.

  “You’re a man grown, you don’t have to be ashamed you were hot for her,” Clint prodded. “It’s not like we think you’re a virgin.”

  I glanced back at him. “I didn’t fuck her.”

  “But you want to.”

  “She seemed nice when I talked to her on the phone,” Boyd said. “Level headed. Not one to fall for Markle’s shit, thankfully.”
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br />   “She screamed. Isn’t that right, Rob?”

  “She screamed?” Boyd repeated, glancing my way, then back on the narrow road.

  “Tell him why. I mean, it’s not like I ever found out.”

  I growled then, letting the full force of my wolf let him know I wasn’t happy with his pettiness.

  Of course, that didn’t make him cower like it should have. It made him laugh.

  “What the fuck was wrong with her?” Boyd asked. “Should Audrey go see if she needs help?”

  I ground my back teeth together. What Natalie had been doing had been private. She hadn’t even meant for me to witness her pleasure. But I had. And because I had, I’d discovered she was my mate. That was completely fucking untrue because if she were outside sipping lemonade in jeans and a t-shirt, I’d still have picked up her scent and known she was mine.

  Fate had intervened though. I learned she was passionate. I learned she wasn’t shy about her sexuality. She’d been surprised a stranger had burst in on her, but she’d been more pissed than ashamed. She hadn’t hidden that huge dildo but left it on the bed between us, proof of what she’d been doing.

  Her cries of pleasure—which we’d mistaken for sounds of pain—weren’t those of fulfillment. She hadn’t come, which meant she either got busy with her toy again after I left or she was out there, horny and eager for a big dick.

  I’d also learned she’d been pleased with what she’d seen in me. Women had said I was handsome, but I hadn’t given a shit. I only wanted my mate to be hot for me. When she caught sight of my hard-on… she’d been eager. Wide eyed, which meant no guy had given it to her like I would.

  I was hard now and had to shift in my seat.

  “Jesus,” Boyd said. “What the fuck’s going on with our new neighbor?”