Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,54

wanted to support his brother, of course, but he also had his own dreams to fulfill and destiny to follow. Luckily, he knew Brock wouldn’t stand in the way of that. Even though Brock wanted to keep Jim home, he knew it was no good. As Uncle Arch had often said, some pups were born with invisible wings, and sooner or later, you just had to let them fly.

Jim took the call from Brock, and they spoke just a short time. It was basically a quick check-in with a promise of a longer call to come. Jim explained that they were on their way to breakfast and that he’d call back later. Brock had made no secret of his curiosity and hinted that he’d spoken to Joe Villalobos at some length the night before about Jim and his very interesting travel companion.

Jim didn’t rise to the bait and ended the call as quickly as he could. He really was hungry and Helen was already heading for the door. If he couldn’t snack on her, they might as well get some actual food. It was looking like it was going to be a long day, and he’d need the fuel to keep going.

Helen felt a little conspicuous as they headed downstairs for breakfast. She wondered if everyone would realize what they’d been up to the night before. As the only human in a room full of shifters, she suspected they would know, somehow. That was, if Jim’s smug expression didn’t give them away completely from the get go. She could almost laugh at the way he strutted down the stairs, if he didn’t look so darned sexy.

She knew firsthand, now, how incredible it was to be with him. As a matter of fact, she was feeling a little smug herself this morning.

Waking up to find him gone had been disappointing, but she understood. Wolves were nocturnal hunters. They did their best work in the dark. She had to stifle a chuckle as that thought trickled through her mind. Jim certainly did do his very best work at night. At least, he had last night.

Scandalous. That’s what she was. Helen had never behaved quite like this in her entire life, but she couldn’t find it within herself to regret a single moment. Nothing about what had passed between them would cause her any regrets, ever. The only thing she feared she might regret was when this fantastical adventure came to an end.

She really didn’t know how she was going to continue the humdrum existence she had lived up to now. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she could not continue as she had been. Things were going to change for her. She was determined the change would be for the better. She actually had to thank Jim for that. He had made her see, viscerally, what her life had become, and that it could be different.

Helen would choose to make things better when she finally had the chance to slow down and reevaluate. After this whirlwind romance and adventure, she would embark upon a new existence. She wasn’t sure exactly what that would entail yet, but she was determined to figure it out.

Breakfast was served in the rear dining room of the big Victorian mansion. There were only a few guests in residence, at the moment, so they had plenty of room to enjoy the huge spread on the buffet table. Helen was truly impressed by the vast array of breakfast foods, from cereals to eggs and other hot items kept warm in ornate steaming trays. She took a plate and helped herself, trying not to laugh at how much food Jim kept adding to his own plate. He only stopped spooning things on when he had a truly amazing pile that was in danger of imminent collapse.

At that point, he ushered her to the table—a large rectangular heirloom that could easily seat twelve adults and then some. He pulled out her chair for her, in a gallant act of chivalry, then took the seat beside her. Felicia came out at that point and greeted them, asking if there was anything they needed. She was chipper and friendly, and Helen began to breathe easier when Felicia left without any teasing remarks or significant glances.

“So, where did you go last night?” Helen asked, just making conversation and trying not to sound as if she was prying or chastising him in any way. She had no real