Wild Atonement: Fierce Mates: Dark Pines Pride, #2

1

Hayley slammed down the application packet in frustration. What colleges even did paper applications anymore? That’s right—only one. The dinky community college in Huntwood, which was probably the only place that would take someone like Hayley—a high school drop-out who’d been living off-grid for the past four years.

She hadn’t held any kind of job for more than a month. It had been nice, actually, because the kind of work she’d done had been in the way of short-term construction gigs. Jobs that allowed her to work with her hands, make things. She’d loved that, and her mountain lion had enjoyed the physical labor. She had no idea how her brother Will could handle his graphic arts job, sitting on his ass at a computer.

Getting her degree in education would be a change of pace. Teaching sounded like the most responsible job possible. Teaching children, being responsible for their learning and their safety while at school. Teachers were fucking heroes, and if there was anything Hayley had ever wanted to be, at least since she was seventeen, it was a hero.

Name: Hayley Ann Jaynes

Date of birth: February 21, 1996

Occupation:

Her pen wouldn’t move over the lines. Occupation? Hell, where should she start? She didn’t have an occupation. She had things she wanted to do, and things she felt she should do. And lots of odd jobs in the past.

The application wasn’t filling itself out, that was for sure. Hayley kept getting in her own way. Why was she doing something that she didn’t even want to do?

Her phone rang. Will’s name popped up on the screen.

Hello, dickweed, she answered in the sweetest voice possible.

Language, Hayley. His voice was stern. At twenty-nine, her brother was eight years older than her, and he seemed unable to turn off his cranky parent mode.

Did you just call to scold me, or is there something else you’d like to say?

His voice came out kinder. I just miss you, wanted to say hi.

You could come say it in person, she said, slyly. I’ve got a fold-out couch now. It’s so grown-up.

How’s construction on your place coming along?

Slowly. Still in demo. And it’s raining so we’re not working on it today.

Let me guess, he said, you’re working on applications.

Hell yeah. Gotta get my education.

Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Fuckballs. At her twenty-first birthday celebration back in February, she’d drunkenly confessed to Will and Jackson that she didn’t actually want to teach. Damn those tequila shots to hell. Now he was constantly on her case about following her dreams and believing in what’s meant to be, which was pretty hypocritical language coming from a guy who seemed all but terrified of returning to their family’s territory.

The thought gave her the perfect change of subject. When are you going to come out and see the houses?

Never.

Come on, Will, she said. Don’t be a scaredy dicknugget.

He sputtered. A what? Never mind. I’m not scared of shit. I’m just not going back there. Too many bad memories.

Hmm. Something in the way he spoke told her he wasn’t being entirely honest. She’d figure it out eventually.

I gotta get back to work, he said. Logo design for a start-up company and they want it two weeks ago.

Let me guess, she said, they hired you yesterday?

You know it. Love you, sis.

Love you too, assface.

Hayley! he said.

She chuckled, and as she ended the call, she heard him laughing, too. She returned to the college application and listed the last three jobs she’d held—unloading stock for a mom and pop grocery store, working construction on a cabin for a prepper, and landscaping for a mountain resort in Montana. That had been for the Corona Pride, who’d been happy to host the Jaynes siblings for a whole month, but their alpha hadn’t wanted them to stay too long.

Then it was back on the road.

Hayley was so freaking glad to be home, even if it meant finally sitting down and getting her ass into college.

Her phone rang again and she snatched it up, grateful for the interruption. There was no name listed, but the number was local, so she answered it.

Is this Hayley Jaynes? The male voice was completely unfamiliar. Maybe someone from the community college in Eliston that had turned down her application a couple weeks ago? Maybe there’d been a mistake.

Hayley quickly dropped the playful, annoyed tone she’d been using with Will and adopted something more professional. Yes, this is she.

The speaker didn’t say anything at first, but then she heard a quick exhale. Hayley, so pleased to reach you at last. I’m Alec Lockman, your fiancé.

2

Marius grimaced as he loaded the final pack of camping supplies into the back of the Washington Mountain Adventures pick-up. It was getting dark already, and cold in the early November air. Phil, Marius’s boss, had been texting him, nagging him to hurry up so Phil could leave work early. Of course, Phil’s justification was that he wanted Marius to stop trying to get overtime, but the real reason was that Phil was cheating on his live-in girlfriend and wanted extra time to see the other girlfriend before heading home.

Marius wanted to punch the guy fairly regularly, but he needed the work. It was outdoors, kept the grizzly bear part of Marius calm, and paid the rent.

He closed the camper shell and came around the side of the pick-up and climbed in next to the one remaining client, Anna. The bride’s sister. She’d hung back while the rest of the bachelorette party had gone ahead in the SUV.

Anna faced him. You know, she said, in a high-pitched voice that made Marius want to clap his hands over his ears, I get why you didn’t want to hook up while you were working. But now that work time’s over, what do you say…?

She reached out and grabbed his thigh, so close her pinky nearly brushed against his cock.

He firmly removed her hand and put it back on her own thigh. You’re a beautiful woman, he said, but I’m just not interested.

She looked surprised. Likely, she wasn’t used to being told no. She opened her mouth once to say something, but her gaze found Marius’s. He looked straight at her, telling her with his eyes that this wasn’t going to work.

Her mouth snapped shut, and she turned to stare out the window.

He hadn’t been blowing smoke up her ass. She was a beautiful woman. Usually that would be enough for Marius to have a quick fling during an expedition, as he thought there was nothing hotter than having sex in the woods. But beauty wasn’t enough this time. He wanted something more, although he didn’t know what.

They drove back to the Washington Mountain Adventures headquarters in silence. A text popped up on Marius’s phone, and he glanced at it. From Phil. Hurry up, son.

Marius bit back a swear word. He wasn’t Phil’s son. He didn’t feel like anyone’s son, if he were honest. His mom had died when Marius was a kid, and he and his dad weren’t on speaking terms. Last Marius heard, his dad was running a gas station in Idaho.

As soon as Marius pulled into the tiny dirt lot of WMA, Anna bolted from the cab and hurried to join her friends. The frown was still on her face.

Marius sighed. He hated rejecting women, but if he wasn’t feeling it, then he just wasn’t fucking feeling it. And the truth was, he hadn’t been feeling it for a few months now. Maybe it was mostly disgust at stupid Phil, the asshole boss who was cheating on his girlfriend. Or maybe it was disgust at himself. Marius still couldn’t forgive himself for the way he’d terrorized a human woman last month. He hadn’t understood the full scope of the issue, but still. Summer Grieb was human, and he should’ve stayed the hell away from her and her mountain lion mate.

Phil was already coming out of the office and locking the door behind him.

I’ve still gotta put things away, Marius said.

Leave it, Phil said shortly. Lock the camper, the gear will be fine overnight. Wiping the sour expression from his face, Phil adopted a more cheerful tone and went to shake hands with the bachelorette party as they climbed into their cars to drive back to Tacoma.

Marius did as he was told after grabbing his phone and gear out of the pickup. He transferred his things into the back of his old, beat-up Ford and sped down the highway, back toward Huntwood.

As he was pulling into the driveway of the little one-room house he rented, his phone buzzed. He glared down at it. If Phil had changed his mind and was calling Marius back, Marius was going to kick his ass…oh. It was Jackson Jaynes. Mountain lion mate of Summer Grieb, the human Marius had tormented.

Guilt washed through him, and it took a moment before he could bring himself to read the text. The three of them had parted on okay terms, and Summer and Jackson had even invited Marius out for drinks last weekend. He’d bowed out, not feeling able to face them.

When he glanced at the text message, he saw this was another invitation.

Jackson: Come get drinks with us tonight. Don’t tell me you have plans—I already know you don’t have any friends.

Marius growled under his breath. He wanted to lie about having plans, but Jackson would pester him every weekend until he capitulated, so he may as well go tonight.

If it were anyone else, he’d have dished out insults just like Jackson was doing. But guilt prevented it, so instead he typed, Fine. I’ll be there. At The A-Hole?

Jackson: You got it. My baby sis will be there, too.

Marius: I didn’t think babies were allowed in bars.

Jackson: She’s 21. Don’t even try—you’re still a douche and not good enough for her.

Marius ignored the jab, even though it stung. What time?

Jackson: 9.

The clock on the dash read six o’clock, so there was just enough time to shower, take a quick nap, and fix some dinner.

Marius: See you then.

The A-Hole was too warm when Marius stepped in. The afternoon’s rain had turned to a powdery snow, and the bar was overcompensating. He shrugged off his coat in irritation and hung it on one of the racks near the door. Jackson better appreciate him for coming out in the damn snow .

Summer and Jackson were seated at the bar off to the right side of the room, so Marius headed over there. They both smiled at him and Jackson ordered him a beer.

What’s up, asshole? Jackson said affectionately.