The Girl and the Wolf (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Sanctuary Book 2) Read online

  Way to kill my orgasm, Santiago. “Just a few more minutes, Mom,” she said sulkily.

  “In a few more minutes, the ground will have leeched out a good portion of your body heat. Your muscles will stiffen, and you’ll never get moving again.”

  “You’re so full of useful information. You should write a book. Call it, A Hundred Ways to Annoy Amanda.”

  “Am I being annoying?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “So you don’t think my advice is useful?”

  She sighed. “It is. It is. I just want to rest, okay?”

  “So I guess you wouldn’t want me to tell you that lying directly on the ground is a great way to get covered in ticks? That would be annoying?”

  “Oh God,” she cried, scrambling to her feet like the ground was on fire.

  Santiago laughed. “You’re welcome.”

  Amanda searched her limbs for any sign of the little blood suckers. To her relief, she didn’t see any.

  “Unbuckle your pack,” he told her, stepping up behind her. “That’ll help.”

  She undid the straps across her chest, and Santiago helped ease the pack off her shoulders. The burden fell away and she felt almost weightless, like she might float off into the clouds.

  She groaned gratefully. “Damn, that is better.”

  Santiago chuckled as he leaned her pack against a tree. “Almost worth wearing it all day just to enjoy the feeling of taking it off.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said, pressing her palms to the small of her back and stretching.

  “I’m assuming you don’t know how to put up a tent?”

  She shot him a withering look. “And why would you assume that? You know, I’m not as helpless as you think, Mr. Diaz.”

  “It’s Santiago. And you’re right. That was unfair. So you can handle the tent while I get firewood?”

  “Of course,” she said breezily.

  He nodded and retreated into the woods. Ha, serves him right for underestimating me. Now how the hell do you work a tent?

  Just finding the damn thing was a struggle. It wasn’t like it was labeled “tent.” She managed to scatter half of Santiago’s backpack onto the wet ground before locating the thing. Still, she considered it a victory.

  The victory was short-lived.

  Of course the tent couldn’t come with instructions. But it wasn’t like she was stupid. Figuring this out would be a piece of cake. Four poles and a stretch of flappy nylon. How hard could it be?

  Amanda was still asking herself that when Santiago returned.

  He tossed his armful of sticks and logs into a pile before turning to her. She stiffened as he evaluated her progress on their shelter. Santiago’s face remained expressionless as he looked at the muddled heap on the forest floor.

  “Need another minute?” he asked.

  She frowned. “I might actually need some help,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Well, I didn’t want to assume anything.”

  “Very funny.”

  “Yes, I thought so,” he said, stalking over to the rumpled pile that was supposed to be their shelter for the quickly approaching night.

  Santiago moved quickly and efficiently. Watching him, Amanda quickly understood where she’d gone wrong and why. Now that she’d gotten the basics, she knelt down to help.

  “It’s fine,” Santiago said. “I’ve got this.”

  The abruptness of his tone stopped her short. Clearly, it wasn’t fine. He didn’t want her help. His words were a dismissal. Like go sit over there little girl and let the man work.

  Outrage flared in her, but she let the fire die as quickly as it started. Amanda was too tired to argue right now. And his attitude was her fault. She’d really made a mess of the tent. Why would he assume she could help now?

  So she said nothing and just watched for a while. After feeling entirely too useless for too long, she walked over to the firewood Santiago had brought back.

  “What about the fire?” she asked. “Am I allowed to help with that?”

  “Be my guest,” he told her, without pausing his work. “As soon as I’m finished with this, I’ll help you.”

  Screw that. She kept the thought to herself. But there was no way in hell she was going to let him have the satisfaction of building the fire for her, too.

  She’d read up on this. Watched tutorials online. She’d even started a couple of fires in her backyard. She could do this.

  The clock was ticking in her head. The fire had to be going before Santiago finished setting up the tent. It wasn’t just to soothe her own ego. She needed to prove to this infuriating man that she wasn’t useless. That way he’d stop treating her like a little kid.

  She cleared a circular patch of ground, revealing the dark, lush soil beneath. Then she grabbed the wood and stacked it in a pyramid shape. This was more difficult than she’d expected. Her hands shook with anxiety. Did Santiago notice?

  It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting this damn fire lit.

  But everything was so wet. The pine moss she’d gathered as kindling wasn’t going to light, even with the matches she’d brought. She needed to find something else.

  Santiago wasn’t having the same difficulty. The tent looked almost finished. It actually looked like a tent. Her fire just looked like a pile of sticks.

  Santiago hummed tunelessly while he worked, clearly enjoying himself while Amanda panicked. She wracked her brain, running through all of the supplies she’d managed to carry in. Something in her pack had to be dry and flammable.

  An old memory surfaced in her mind. It was from the only time she’d ever gone camping. And just like that, she knew what she needed.

  Amanda hurried to her pack and rummaged through it. Santiago had forced her to leave behind almost everything, but she’d managed to sneak a bag of Fritos back into her pack when he wasn’t looking.

  She grabbed the bag of chips and headed back to the soon to be fire.

  Santiago eyed her sideways. “Snack time? Are you taking a break already?”

  She ignored the comments and ripped the bag of chips open. In her excitement, several chips flew from the bag and landed on the ground. That was fine. She didn’t need to eat them. She was going to burn them.

  She piled the curly beige chips beneath the wooden bones of her fire. Santiago was openly watching her now, his face a mask of disbelief.

  This had to work. It was now or never.

  She lit a match and touched the flame to the chips. Nothing happened. The match burned down to her fingertips and she tossed it down with a curse.

  The edge of the chip was blackened, but it hadn’t caught on fire. Had they changed the recipe somehow since she was a kid? Was she going to end up looking even more foolish than she’d thought?

  She struck another match with trembling fingers. She fumbled it and the matchstick snapped in half without lighting. Santiago was walking over to her now, clearly intending on taking over.

  Come on, Amanda. You can do this.

  The next match caught. She lowered the tenuous flame ever so gently to touch the charred edge of the chip. A thin wisp of smoke curled up from it. But the damn thing didn’t light. Her heart hammered in her chest, making her fingers shake even more.

  Then it caught.

  The flame was big and greenish blue. It instantly caught the other chips surrounding it, turning the junk food into a blaze. The unnatural looking flames spread to the kindling around it. First evaporating the moisture and then catching it on fire, too.

  Santiago stopped midstride, head cocked, mouth open. He watched in silence as her corn chip kindling worked its magic and set fire to the pyramid of sticks. And just like that, the fire was going.

  Amanda heard the Ode to Joy in her head. Invisible fireworks exploded in the sky. Success!

  But she kept her face neutral, not wanting to show just how excited she was. Instead, she turned to Santiago, wanting to see his reaction. He would criticize her so
mehow. Tell her all the ways she’d messed this up.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, nodding. “Not bad.”

  ***

  Amanda and Santiago sat across from each other, the flickering fire between them. The tent was up, their gear had been stowed, and some kind of stew was bubbling over the campfire.

  Santiago had thrown it together. It smelled delicious. And not just because Amanda was hungrier than she could ever remember being before.

  “It’s been a long time since a guy made me dinner,” she said, breaking their silence.

  Santiago eyed her over the fire. The flames painted the hard lines of his face in shadow, accentuating his strong jaw and chiseled cheekbones. His eyes seemed to shimmer gold in the flickering light.

  “Why, Ms. Cross, are you implying this is a date?”

  Warm feelings fluttered through her that had nothing to do with the heat of the campfire. The idea of being on a date with a guy like this was crazy. Guys like him didn’t go for women like her.

  But the sly look in his eyes and the suggestive grin sent liquid heat rushing through he veins anyway. There was no harm in pretending he was hitting on her.

  She laughed nervously, trying to play it off like the joke she knew it was. “Yeah, right. I love going on a grueling hike before a date.”

  “Sometimes the journey makes it all worth it.”

  “And sometimes the journey makes your entire body ache,” she said.

  “You’d be surprised how fast your body can get used to this. By the time you finish your work out here, you won’t want to leave.”

  She shook her head. “By that time, you’ll have to carry me out of here.”

  “Speaking of which. How are your feet holding up?”

  She groaned. Just the mention of her feet made her aware of the two bundles of pain at the end of her legs. It felt like she’d been walking on hot coals all day. Of course, she didn’t want him to know that.

  “I’m fine. A little sore, but good.”

  “Take your boots off,” he instructed.

  She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Really.”

  “Stop being so damn stubborn and trust me. Whether you realize it or not, your feet and boots are soaked. You need to dry them off.”

  Her feet were definitely soggy from the day’s march. So she did as he told her. She unlaced her boots and removed them. The sensation was an intense mixture of relief and agony. It felt good to get out of her boots, but in doing so, it was like she’d awoken her sleeping torment.

  Santiago watched her. She tried not to let on just how much her feet hurt, but she couldn’t hold back the hiss of pain when she peeled the damp socks from her feet. It was like her skin was being pulled off with them.

  Amanda stretched her legs, placing her feet closer to the fire. Despite the pain, it felt good to air them out. She spread her toes, savoring the warmth on her skin.

  “Jesus,” Santiago breathed. His eyes were glued to her feet.

  “Stop looking at my feet, you weirdo.”

  He ignored the comment. “You must have been in so much pain today. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t want to complain. Besides, we needed to keep moving.”

  “Well, yeah, but not if you’re suffering like that.”

  “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  She met his gaze then. He was staring. But the look in his eyes was different. It was like he was seeing her in a new light. “You’re just full of surprises. Still, we need to take care of that.”

  He rummaged through his pack and came out with a tube of something.

  “What is that?”

  “It’ll help,” he said, moving to sit next to her. He grabbed her ankles and spun her so that her feet were in his lap.

  “Santiago, no.”

  “Stop squirming,” he said while squirting a bunch of goo on his palm.

  “I’m fine. And my feet probably stink. And—”

  Her protests died in her throat as Santiago rubbed the ointment on the sole of her foot. It was cool and soothing, erasing her pain instantly. A low moan escaped her at the feeling.

  “Holy crap, that feels amazing.”

  “Told you,” he said, grinning.

  His hands massaged her foot gently, spreading the heavenly medicine over every inch of her tender flesh. The cream worked wonders, but it was the feeling of Santiago’s sure hands that had her feeling dizzy.

  His fingers worked her tired muscles. He used smooth, steady strokes, caressing the soreness from her. His touch felt so damn good. It was almost worth suffering all day just to feel this now.

  By the time he switched to the other foot, Amanda thought she might melt into a puddle on the forest floor. With her pain fading, she became distinctly aware of the intimacy of the situation. It wasn’t exactly sexual, but it was certainly beyond friendly.

  No man had ever done anything like this to her. Even though she knew it was strictly medical, her body didn’t care. His hands lit a warmth in her core. She clenched her thighs together, hoping to quiet the burning ache between her legs.

  If anything, it only made things worse.

  Amanda felt guilty at the dirty thoughts running through her head. Santiago was trying to help her, and she reacted like a sex maniac. Despite the guilt, she couldn’t stop the fantasies playing out in her imagination.

  Santiago wouldn’t stop at her feet. He’d keep stroking, up and up. Those firm hands moving slowly higher until they hit the cleft between her legs. And he’d keep working his hands in that same smooth, steady rhythm. Back and forth. Up and down. In and out.

  The image of it was so real.

  She leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes. Her heart was beating quickly. Her breathing shallow and quick. She pressed her thighs together tighter, holding back her groans at the delicious pressure between her legs.

  Was it possible to come from just a foot massage? Because the intense stroking of his hands had her close. So close she was about to embarrass herself in front of this man she hardly knew. This sexy stranger. This magnificent man with the magical hands.

  She bit her lower lip to keep from moaning. It took every ounce of willpower to keep from shifting her hips lewdly in front of him. But the sensation was too much. Too powerful. It had her going crazy. Ready to throw all propriety out the window and just jump on top of Santiago.

  Amanda had to stop this before things got too far. But the idea of telling him to stop was beyond her. She was going to let this play out. Her body wouldn’t let her stop.

  A sound like thunder split the silence of the night. Her eyes flew open, breaking the spell she’d been under. Santiago tensed up, his eyes alert and searching the darkness surrounding them.

  “What is it?” she asked, thankful that her voice sounded more scared than turned on.

  “Gun shot,” he growled.

  Another shot echoed through the night, followed by the howling of wolves.

  Chapter 4

  “The wolves,” Amanda said.

  She grabbed at her socks and boots, gathering them up to put them on. Santiago grabbed her hands in his and held her firm.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

  “The wolves,” she repeated. “Someone is shooting at the wolves.”

  She tugged her hands, trying to break from his grip. But he held on tightly. “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “What else could it be?” she asked, panicked.

  “The shots and wolves’ howling could be unrelated. Or the wolves could have heard the shots and gone crazy, even if someone wasn’t shooting at them. And even if someone is trying to kill your precious wolves, there’s nothing we can do about it. Not tonight anyway.”

  “We could find them. We could stop them.”

  He shook his head firmly. “No. Those shots were far away. Too far to get to tonight. And running around in the dark woods is a great way to break your neck.”

  She frowned
at him. “So we do nothing? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “No, we have to douse the fire.”

  Before she could say anything, Santiago grabbed his canteen and poured water on the blaze. The light faded instantly, followed by a sizzling sound.

  “My fire,” Amanda moaned. “Why?”

  Her attachment to the campfire was deeper than she expected. It had been her first victory out here. The first sign that she might not be totally useless on this trip. And Santiago destroyed it.

  “No one should be shooting out here. Maybe they’re hunting your wolves. Maybe not. But whatever is going on, we know they’re breaking the law and they’re armed. We don’t want them spotting our fire. It will draw them right to us.”

  “Why would they come towards the fire? Wouldn’t they want to avoid people?”

  Santiago crouched down and scooped handfuls of dirt over the coals. “Maybe. Or they might want to make sure there are no witnesses to whatever they’re doing.”

  “Oh, come on,” Amanda said. “They wouldn’t try to kill us.”

  He frowned at her. “A moment ago, you were sure they were hunting endangered wolves. If they’re out here poaching, I can guarantee they’d rather take us out than get in trouble with the law.”

  “So we’re in danger?”

  Santiago said nothing for a moment. “I think we need to be extremely careful. They may already know we’re here.”

  “Is this the part where you tell me to give up?”

  Santiago grinned at her. “If I thought you would listen, yes. But you won’t.”

  A warm thrill rippled through her at his smile. It was barely visible in the darkness, now that the fire was out. “No, I won’t.”

  He nodded. “Then you’d better get some rest. Tomorrow will be hard going. And who knows what we’re going to find.”

  “I don’t know if I can sleep,” she said, glancing around the dark woods.

  Shadowy shapes surrounded them, looking much more sinister now that the fire was gone. Every little movement seemed like a threat. Every little noise set her on edge.

  Just because she wasn’t willing to give up didn’t mean she wasn’t worried.

  “I’m sure we’ll be safe for tonight,” Santiago said.