To Lie With Lions: A BBW Shifter Romance (Wolf Rock Shifters Book 4) by Carina Wilder Page A
Authors: Carina Wilder
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we’re vulnerable. Those are the ones they’ll go after—the ones they can hurt.”
“Well, for the time being we ought to consider a watchdog. You can’t be out here every night like this.”
“No, I can’t,” said Nash, thinking of how much he would have preferred spending the night with a certain sexy tiger lady he knew.
Four
In the morning, Nash drove into town, seeking answers. In his years away he’d lost touch with the social loop in Wolf Rock, but having grown up in the area, he’d known some of the locals all his life and wanted to ask them what they knew about what had been going on.
He knew by now that trusting anyone was a poor idea; even Cecile seemed to be hiding, or at least hold ing back, information. Only Zoe, the woman he’d met at the wolf pack’s cabin, seemed invested in getting to the bottom of things.
Nash ’s first stop was a local diner. The man who ran it was Jack, a fifty-something year old coyote shifter who’d managed to look like he was seventy-five since about the age of forty. He was thin and grizzled, with deep-set laugh lines around his eyes and a closely-shaved head of white hair. Nash had known him since he was a small boy and knew that Jack’s entire life had been spent in and around Wolf Rock. If anyone was out to protect it, it was him.
“Is Jack around today?” asked Nash as the waitress showed him to his booth.
“He’s out back. I’ll grab him for you. And some coffee. You look like you could use it, honey.”
Nash found himself running a rough finger over his stubble, which was especially thick that morning. His lack of sleep had meant that grooming had been the last thing on his priority list that day.
Jack came out a moment later, a white apron tied over his t-shirt and jeans.
“Hey Nash, what do you know? A lion all grown up,” he said, his usual friendly smile displaying well-maintained teeth against his too-wrinkled face.
“Hi, Jack. Haven’t seen you in ages. How are things around town?”
Jack slid into the booth and sat opposite Nash. His expression changed immediately, taking on the look that shifters so often had; instinct kicking in and wisdom coming to the forefront of his mind.
“Not great. I’m sure you’ve heard what’s been happening.”
“I have. I’ve seen it, too. I was hoping you could tell me what you know. They tried to ignite our barn last night.”
“Jesus, that’s the worst I’ve heard yet.”
“Yeah, well,” said Nash, smiling now. “I think I pissed them off, so that’s something at least.”
“Pretty sure I have an attack to look forward to as well. I had a guy by yesterday who wanted to know if I wanted ‘protection’ for the diner. Mean-lookin’ fella. Big guy. I told him Hell no and sent him on his damn way.”
“Good for you. But watch it. They mean business.”
“Well, so do I, and I still have all my teeth. Here’s my question, though: who are ‘they?’ I don’t know these guys.”
“That’s what I’m trying to work out. There’s a number of possibilities but I don’t like any of them.” Nash leaned in and spoke quietly. “The temp alpha is a suspect. But so is Conrad Malcolm, that mogul who moved up recently.”
“I can’t imagine that Dascha is behind any of this. He’s just confused these days. I heard he’s in heat.”
“I suppose. If males can go into heat.”
“Well, he’s as close as they come. You probably know by now that it ain’t possible to focus on much when your whole body’s telling you that you need a woman. Imagine that, times a hundred. That’s what he’s going through. He’s not a powerful alpha like Tristan, but he’s not a cruel guy, and usually not an irresponsible one. I suspect that they’re using Tristan’s absence and Dascha’s temporary insanity to frame the pack.”
“If that’s the case, who’s this wolf shifter who’s been attacking livestock? ” asked Nash. “The only man I’ve run across who seems involved in the
“Well, for the time being we ought to consider a watchdog. You can’t be out here every night like this.”
“No, I can’t,” said Nash, thinking of how much he would have preferred spending the night with a certain sexy tiger lady he knew.
Four
In the morning, Nash drove into town, seeking answers. In his years away he’d lost touch with the social loop in Wolf Rock, but having grown up in the area, he’d known some of the locals all his life and wanted to ask them what they knew about what had been going on.
He knew by now that trusting anyone was a poor idea; even Cecile seemed to be hiding, or at least hold ing back, information. Only Zoe, the woman he’d met at the wolf pack’s cabin, seemed invested in getting to the bottom of things.
Nash ’s first stop was a local diner. The man who ran it was Jack, a fifty-something year old coyote shifter who’d managed to look like he was seventy-five since about the age of forty. He was thin and grizzled, with deep-set laugh lines around his eyes and a closely-shaved head of white hair. Nash had known him since he was a small boy and knew that Jack’s entire life had been spent in and around Wolf Rock. If anyone was out to protect it, it was him.
“Is Jack around today?” asked Nash as the waitress showed him to his booth.
“He’s out back. I’ll grab him for you. And some coffee. You look like you could use it, honey.”
Nash found himself running a rough finger over his stubble, which was especially thick that morning. His lack of sleep had meant that grooming had been the last thing on his priority list that day.
Jack came out a moment later, a white apron tied over his t-shirt and jeans.
“Hey Nash, what do you know? A lion all grown up,” he said, his usual friendly smile displaying well-maintained teeth against his too-wrinkled face.
“Hi, Jack. Haven’t seen you in ages. How are things around town?”
Jack slid into the booth and sat opposite Nash. His expression changed immediately, taking on the look that shifters so often had; instinct kicking in and wisdom coming to the forefront of his mind.
“Not great. I’m sure you’ve heard what’s been happening.”
“I have. I’ve seen it, too. I was hoping you could tell me what you know. They tried to ignite our barn last night.”
“Jesus, that’s the worst I’ve heard yet.”
“Yeah, well,” said Nash, smiling now. “I think I pissed them off, so that’s something at least.”
“Pretty sure I have an attack to look forward to as well. I had a guy by yesterday who wanted to know if I wanted ‘protection’ for the diner. Mean-lookin’ fella. Big guy. I told him Hell no and sent him on his damn way.”
“Good for you. But watch it. They mean business.”
“Well, so do I, and I still have all my teeth. Here’s my question, though: who are ‘they?’ I don’t know these guys.”
“That’s what I’m trying to work out. There’s a number of possibilities but I don’t like any of them.” Nash leaned in and spoke quietly. “The temp alpha is a suspect. But so is Conrad Malcolm, that mogul who moved up recently.”
“I can’t imagine that Dascha is behind any of this. He’s just confused these days. I heard he’s in heat.”
“I suppose. If males can go into heat.”
“Well, he’s as close as they come. You probably know by now that it ain’t possible to focus on much when your whole body’s telling you that you need a woman. Imagine that, times a hundred. That’s what he’s going through. He’s not a powerful alpha like Tristan, but he’s not a cruel guy, and usually not an irresponsible one. I suspect that they’re using Tristan’s absence and Dascha’s temporary insanity to frame the pack.”
“If that’s the case, who’s this wolf shifter who’s been attacking livestock? ” asked Nash. “The only man I’ve run across who seems involved in the
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