“Yeah.”
“I’ll be right there.” I hang up.
“Give me the gun,” Chaldis says.
I do, and he blurs into the house. He returns a moment later with it. “I replaced the rounds with silver-tipped ones.” And he’s holding a different holster, the hip one. “Wear it visible.”
“You’re freaking me out.” I swap the holsters out.
“I’m simply taking precautions, dear. And take this.” He hands me a knife. “Silver.”
“Now you’rereallyfreaking me out.” I clip the knife’s holster inside the back of my belt, hidden under my shirt and jacket.
“I am concerned and cautious. Give me the groceries and take the Land Rover. Stay in the vehicle. Fire through the vehicle’s door, if you have to.” He points to his head. “Aim for the head. A body shot, unless it pierces their heart, might not stop them. A silver bullet to the brain will kill.”
“I’vegotthis. You’re overly nervous because of Corbin being gone.”
“Yes, but I am also nervous because there are too many coincidences this afternoon.”
Once he’s safely inside with the groceries, and the inside door is closed, I open the overhead door again, back out, wait for the door to close, and head down the groomed track that leads to the barn.
There’s a muddy blue Jeep I don’t recognize parked in the yard in front of the barn, next to where the ranch hands park their vehicles and ATVs. I pull up close to the office door and roll down my window.
Jarred walks out, followed by—
Fuuuuuuuck.
The dude’s definitely the same wolf I scented in town. He’s carrying a clipboard and the large, sealed cardboard box holding the Styrofoam shipper with the cold packs and blood in it. The thing weighs about thirty pounds, but he’s carrying it like it’s empty.
I keep the gun in my lap, safety off, my finger along the trigger.
“I need a signature, ma’am,” he says, his gaze heavy on me.
Oh, shit.It’s the voice of the second tourist today, the one on the intercom.
I’m not stupid enough to look him in the eyes and risk trying to jumble his mind, in case he’s an alpha and can resist me, but I keep my focus on his nose. “Jarred can sign for it. Just set it in the back hatch.”
The wolf’s gaze remains on me as he walks past the driver’s door. From the way his nose wrinkles, I can tell he’s just scented the gun.
Or he’s picked up Chaldis’ scent from me.
Keep walking, dude.
My heart’s pounding, racing in a way it hasn’t any of the times I saw that…thing.
This is a strange shifter, where one has no business being, and I smell like a vampire.
It’s daytime.
I have to protect Chaldis.
But Jarred signs the clipboard after the wolf sets the large box in the back hatch and closes it. The wolf walks past my door again, pausing, nose barely upturned, but I know he’s sniffing.
Barely parting my lips, I whisper low, in a way I know the wolf can clearly hear and Jarred can’t. “I know you’re a wolf. Stay off this land, and there will be no trouble. We want no trouble with you or your kind, but you arenotwelcomed here. Donottest me.”
And I cock the hammer on the nine.
Iknowhe heard that, because he freezes. He tips his chin up to show me his throat, signifying he’s capitulating and won’t fight me, then dips his head to me in a respectful nod. He briefly holds his hands up in front of him to signal he’s withdrawing and takes a slow, deliberate step back before turning and quickly leaving.
