Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,10

deep breath. Of all the people to accidentally hit on her. She felt her lips curl in disgust.

Shoot me instead. She was only half joking.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside and she turned around just in time to see Mike through the picture window. He was taking a swing at Trick, who must have been on his way in. Taller, panther-lithe, sinewy and agile, Trick easily ducked the punch, and Mike tried again. This time Mike connected with Trick’s jaw and Trick’s cowboy hat blew off as his head snapped backwards. Recovering, he swung back, hard, and socked Mike in his doughy midsection. Mike staggered, balled both fists, and lunged at Trick again.

A surge of heat rushed through Katelyn as she flew toward the door.

She wanted to see Trick beat Mike senseless. She wanted Trick to kill him. She really did.

Her vision telescoped, as it had been doing ever since the bite, and she could see Trick’s green eyes blazing with anger and surprise. The bruise already forming on his square, mocha-brown jaw was ugly proof that Mike deserved a world of pain.

An arm came around Trick and grabbed him across the chest. Katelyn blinked and her vision went back to normal as, with a start, she realized that it was her grandfather who had hold of Trick. The muscles in the older man’s arms flexed as he struggled to contain him. Another man was dragging Mike away from Trick.

Katelyn joined the coffee-house customers spilling outside. Her grandfather looked like he was now lecturing Trick. Trick was standing a few yards away, head bowed deferentially, hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.

Mordecai McBride looked up and saw Kat. He walked over and took her bag from her. “We’re parked over there,” he said, pointing across the street.

“I’ll just be a minute.” Katelyn looked over at Trick, and her grandfather grunted and headed for the truck.

She walked up to Trick, awkward and tongue-tied, although why should she be? He’d been in plenty of fights before. But she couldn’t help but stare at the bruising around his jawline. A thrill ran through her and she took a deep breath. Apparently her inner wolf approved of the fight.

“Hey,” she said. “Can I get you anything? Ice pack? Anger management classes?”

Trick looked at her, shoulders hunched and wearing a scowl that sharpened the angles and hollows of his face. Even sullen and tousled, he was breathtakingly hot.

“What happened?” she asked, more kindly.

Trick reached out, pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. Over his shoulder Katelyn spotted Hannah and Myrna staring; Hannah had apparently found a dress because she was carrying a bag, and Katelyn felt a fillip of fear. She didn’t want them reporting back to Lee Fenner that she had a boyfriend, and a human one at that. That would put Trick in even more danger than he already was.

She pushed him in the chest, just hard enough to get him to let go and step back. “We’ll talk later,” she whispered, afraid that the other werewolves would hear but knowing that she had to say something to him. Then, before he had a chance to respond, she walked toward the truck.

3

“Boys can be idiots, sometimes,” her grandfather said after they had driven out of town and into the forest.

“Yeah, well,” Katelyn muttered. She was still replaying what had happened in her mind, and how angry she had felt. Rather than stand by and watch the fight, she wished she could have joined in. It was as Justin had said – everything felt more extreme.

But I controlled myself, she thought proudly. Better than Trick, that’s for sure.

“Your new tires haven’t come in yet. The boy will have to drive you to school tomorrow morning.” He glanced over at her. “That going to be okay?”

“Yes,” she said, because really, what was the alternative? Having her grandfather drive her? “I wonder why Trick can’t just get along better at school?” It was a poor shadow of her real question.

“This is the last year. Then he’s free and clear.”

Wrong, she thought. If he stays in Wolf Springs, he’s not clear by half. And then she reconsidered. Why should he stay in Wolf Springs? Maybe they could leave together.

Just . . . go.

On Monday morning, she was relieved to see Trick’s vintage green Mustang pull up outside the cabin to drive her to school. He was wearing his sheepherder’s jacket and his black cowboy hat against the chill, and except for an incredible bruise