Wolf Tracks - Bianca D'Arc Page 0,72

head. Helen could just see the Alpha over Jim’s muscular shoulder.

Jim paused by the passenger door of their rental vehicle for Joe to come and open the door, then he placed her into the car as gently as he could. She knew he was concerned by the hard cast to his features.

“I’m all right,” she told him, touching his cheek as he buckled her into the passenger seat. “Just tired. I’ll be good as new in a little bit. I promise.”

His mouth formed a tight line. “I’ll see that you keep that promise, sweetheart. We’re going back to the B&B.”

“I’ll arrange for dinner to be delivered,” Joe added. “You just rest up now, Helen, and thanks again, for what you did for my Pack. I won’t forget your generous heart.”

Helen felt the impact of the Alpha’s soft words. He was a good man, and she really liked the way he looked out for his Pack. They were all his extended family, in a way, and it was clear he cared for each and every one. No wonder this group was so successful. With a leader like Joe in command, caring for every soul under his protection, they couldn’t help but succeed in all they did.

Jim drove them back through town, to the B&B. He parked out front and wouldn’t let Helen walk. Instead, he carried her again, and Felicia flung open the front door even before they got to the steps. Helen felt a bit conspicuous, but it also felt wonderful to be in Jim’s arms, no matter the circumstances. He was really pulling out all the stops in his care for her welfare and the way he looked after her touched her deeply. It felt like… Like he really cared.

He walked right in, muttering a quick greeting and thanks to Felicia as he made for the stairs. Helen expected he’d put her down, but instead, he mounted the stairs, holding her as if she weighed nothing. He wasn’t even the tiniest bit out of breath when they got to the top. She’d known he was strong, but this was ridiculous…in the best possible way.

Shifter strength must be even greater than Helen had thought. He turned to their door and backed up to the electronic lock. Normally, all they had to do was wave their cards the sensor and the door would unlock. Helen heard the latch pop open as Jim’s back pocket came into contact with the sensor, and he grinned at her.

“I put the card in my back pocket.” He looked so proud of himself she had to laugh. “Always think ahead, that’s what Uncle Arch says.” He moved a little, sort of rubbing against the door, and Helen realized he was pushing the handle on the door downward with his butt. The door opened a moment later, and his grin widened. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

“You’re quoting The A Team?” she asked, surprised.

“I loved that show when I was a kid,” he told her.

“When you were a…” A few explanations raced through her mind, but he was a shifter, after all. They aged differently than normal folk. “Wait a minute. Just how old are you?”

He gave her a wolfish grin. “Older than you, baby doll, by at least a couple of decades.” He walked through the open door to her bedroom and lay her on the bed then sat on the side, looking down at her. “Does it really matter? Do you think I’m a dirty old man now? Or a cradle robber? I’ll live a few hundred years if I don’t screw up and get killed,” he said, his tone almost speculative. “I won’t look much older than I do now, for a good two centuries or so.”

She was stunned by the concept, though she’d been learning a bit about shifters for the past few months. Ever since her distant cousin had mated a werewolf, in fact. Still, the idea of just how long they could live caught her by surprise. It had been a nebulous concept before, but now, it was real. Jim was real.

Jim was, slowly but surely, taking little bits of her heart. She was very much afraid she was falling in love with him, but knowing how long he would live, how could such a thing work?

“Even with all the magic in my family, the most I’ll likely get is about a hundred and fifty years, and that’s only if I’m one of the lucky ones,” she told him,