Feral (Wolf Ranch #3) - Renee Rose Page 0,47

for the baby.”

Audrey laughed, then looked at me again. “Call Natalie and tell her to bring her violin. Fiddle. Whatever it’s called. She could play with the Barn Cats. It’ll be fun to watch and a great way for her to fit in.”

I reached for my phone in my back pocket, then remembered. “Shit. No phone.”

“I’ve got her number.” Boyd pulled his cell out. “I called her last month before she moved with the update about Markle’s cattle.”

I remembered that fiasco well. Markle was a dick through and through, taking it upon himself to use Natalie’s grazing land without her consent.

“Great,” I said, holding out my hand for it.

He held the phone out of reach. “I’ll call her,” he said with a grin. “You’d better hop in the shower. You know how the pack likes to show up early.” He sniffed. “You smell like a horse.”

“Horse’s ass,” Colton murmured.

I gave my brothers a death glare.

“All right.” I headed up the stairs after whacking Colton on the back of the head.

“Hey, Natalie, it’s Boyd Wolf. You won’t believe how many potatoes Audrey’s peeling…”

I didn’t hear the rest of my brother’s conversation with Natalie. I just knew I’d see her again in a few hours. I got hard as I walked up the steps. Just thinking about seeing her turned me on. It was a good thing I was headed for the shower. I could take care of the problem. My fist wasn’t as good as Natalie’s pussy, or mouth… or ass, but it would have to do until later.

21

WILLOW

I showed up at the Wolf Ranch carrying a tray of deviled eggs. I wasn’t much of a cook, but that was the thing my foster mother had always brought to potlucks, so it seemed like the thing to do.

I’d hated these get-togethers as a kid, always feeling out of place. I was just another one of the Johnsons’ many foster kids that everyone kept a sharp eye on because we couldn’t be trusted with their children or their things.

I didn’t particularly want to be at this one, either.

No, that was a lie. I liked being here.

Too much. I liked the closeness of Rob’s family. The way they seemed to have each other’s backs.

The past week with Rob had been delicious. Sinfully delicious. But the whole time, I’d known they were stolen moments. I couldn’t have Rob Wolf.

Being here with his incredible family and pack made that painfully obvious.

I didn’t belong.

I was living a lie. Rob needed to mark a female before he succumbed to moon madness. I knew he believed his wolf had chosen me as his mate, but I suspected that was just biology talking. Like how human females had the biological clock thing going. When they reached the end of their breeding window, they got kind of desperate and married any guy they thought would make a decent father.

Rob had the same thing going. It was his time, and I’d moved in next door. Our chemistry was off the charts, so he was sure I was the one.

But I knew that was impossible.

I was living a lie, and when he found out I wasn’t Natalie, that I was here under false pretenses, he was going to be pissed. No apology would take back that sense of betrayal he would feel.

I shouldn’t have let us get this close—the situation was a guaranteed heartache for both of us.

“Hey, you must be Natalie,” a pretty young woman said, taking the tray of deviled eggs from me. “I’m Marina, Audrey’s younger sister.”

Much younger. I was surprised.

“Nice to meet you.” I followed her to the back yard where a barbecue grill was already smoking with the scent of searing meat.

My mouth watered. “Oh my God, is that peach pie?”

Marina beamed. “It sure is. Baking is kind of my thing.”

“Hey there. You must be Natalie.” Two good-looking younger cowboys sauntered up to me. “I’m Rand,” one of them said. “And I’m Nash,” the other finished.

“They’re ranch hands here at Wolf Ranch,” Marina supplied.

Apparently, all the cowboys at Wolf Ranch were very fine specimens of manhood, not that these two held any candle to Rob.

Rob showed up and reached for my hand, tugging me against him in a hug. “There you are.”

I noticed a number of heads turned as people stared at me. I pulled away from Rob, my defenses going up.

“The pack will love you,” Rob reassured in a low voice. “Your great-uncle was a friend to many here.” But then he pulled away and rubbed