Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 100
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
“There’s a reason you and the guys are the only ones who know, David,” James stated in an emphatic voice, leaning his back against his seat.
“Yeah, but you’ve been made, brother,” David retorted, tossing a quick, sideways glance up at him. “They know you live somewhere around here. You should come clean to the people closest to you. If you don’t, you’ll always be alone. By the way, I talked to Raul Bradford last night about you, while his wife patched you up. I’m sorry, man. He wanted to know why we took you there.”
“Great,” James gave an ironic nod. “Now, I have to worry about him talking, too.”
“You were bleeding to death!” The emphasis in David’s voice came back with a vengeance as he turned to him. “It was his right to know why there was a man dying in his place!”
“You didn’t tell anyone else, did you?” James asked, lowering his tone.
“No, but I’ve been meaning to talk to someone who keeps asking Olivia questions about you,” David announced, returning his attention to the road up ahead; “her friend, Ava. Your behavior’s got her puzzled.”
“The hot brunette?” a snort of amusement escaped James as a broad smile formed on his face: “Really?”
“Yep,” David affirmed as they neared the Shandaken town border. “Don’t let it go to your head, though. Liv says she doesn’t like you very much.”
“I’m actually relieved,” James pointed out. “I don’t care how beautiful she is. She’s better off without a guy like me.”
“What, an honest, hardworking man?” David teased, his lips curling into a cunning smile.
“You know what I mean,” James assumed a stiffer tone as they drove past Mark’s house. “No one in their right mind would want to get caught up in this mess. Were you together last night?”
“Yeah, we were,” David’s response was sharp. “Listen, if you want my opinion, you need to put an end to this loneliness. It doesn’t matter if you ask her out, or anyone else. I mean, come on, James. You’ve been alone for what, five years?”
“Six years,” he corrected his friend, but he would not dignify his statement with a comment of his own. He was hardly making enough money to support himself, and James was an old-fashioned man. He was too proud to let a woman pay for dinner or a cup of coffee. Eventually, he would have to swallow his pride. However, his ego was perhaps the least of his problems. His life was in shambles. He was hiding in the mountains, far from family and loved ones. The woman, who would choose to date him, had to have two, rather scarce qualities: patience and understanding. Even if James knew where to find such a lady, he wouldn’t go anywhere near her until he had straightened his life out. He didn’t have the necessary peace of mind to focus on her, and, most of all, he didn’t mean to burden her with his troubles.
Three minutes later as David’s car rolled up the somewhat steep, uphill road, the vastness of the forest on the foot of Wolf Mountain filled James’s view. This unique spectacle was one of the few reasons he enjoyed living in the countryside: towering trees as far as the eye could see, fresh air, and a mix of their wonderful scents, lingering in the air. Moments afterwards, however, the sight they came across replaced his delight with stress. Six, white pickup trucks with “Golden Timber” - the red, company logo - on their sides, were in the forest, scattered around tall, balsam fir trees. The distinctive sound of three chainsaws, working at the same time, filled his ears as he pushed the passenger door open.
“Here we go,” James thought to himself, hopping over a narrow trench that separated the road from the woods. Sadly, this was a decision that he came to regret. The stitches on his wounds stretched, sending more waves of agony racing down his spine, serving as a reminder of the night before. Holding back a pain-filled groan, he entered a wide path as David followed behind him.
“It hurts like a son of a bitch,” James protested, starting forward. “I still don’t know what to say to Ned.”
“I don’t want to have the same old conversation again,” David said, his deep voice reeking with discomfort.
Fixing his gaze on the truck nearest to him, James decided not to request his friend’s help. David’s unwillingness was more than clear to him. His supervisor was much too close for him to discuss a plausible excuse. Ned was standing next to a vehicle with his back turned on him, staring up at Joe Stanton, one of his colleagues, who was at the time chopping branches off a fallen tree. The sight of a shotgun lying on the floor of the cab came as no surprise to him. They had encountered a number of predators in the past. This was plainly his supervisor’s way of protecting his staff.
“Ahem…” James cleared his throat as his feet halted beside the cab. “Good morning, Ned.”
“Good?” Ned grumbled, turning around to face him. “What the fuck are you talking about? You’re an hour and a half late, you idiot!”
“I’m sorry; I should have called, but…” He faltered, and drew in a sharp breath. “But, then, I’d have to tell you I couldn’t work today, and I couldn’t explain why over the phone.”
“Why? You seem fine to me,” Ned uttered in his nasal tone, shrugging his shoulders. James grabbed his blue t-shirt, and pulled it up over his head, knowing very well that his boss would not believe him, if he didn’t show him evidence of his injury.
“I dropped a crate of logs outside my house last night. It was dark. When I tried to put them back in the crate, I stumbled upon one,” he explained as Ned settled his gaze on his stomach.
“Goddamn…” he whistled at the gauze on his wound. “It gored you up pretty bad, didn’t it?”
“That’s right,” James confirmed. “The doctor said it would take at least a week to heal.”
“Then get out of here,” Ned urged, his voice calm. “Go get some rest.”
“Paid leave, Ned,” James added, narrowing his eyes down at him. “I’m not leaving, until you promise me.”
“You got it,” he gave a nod of agreement. “I’ll stop by your place, at the end of business hours. I don’t have any money on me right now.”
A wave of relief washed over James as his supervisor uttered his last sentences. His livelihood would not be affected. He wouldn’t be broke, until he could work again. Nevertheless, before he could thank him, something else caught his gaze. Movement, a few hundred yards in front of him. A feminine figure was crossing the forest, but the ground she was on did not resemble at all the usual green cover. Instead, it had a grayish shade. But, further down, James noticed even more movement, one that tightened the back of his neck. A long arm, covered in black fur, reaching up at the trunk of a tree. In spite of the distance, he had seen too many of those animals to doubt his conclusion: he was looking at a black bear.
Thrusting his right arm down, James picked up his boss’s shotgun. Not wasting any time, he burst forward, adrenaline rushing hotly and swiftly through his veins. He fixed his gaze on the woman in question, not hearing and of the words that came out of Ned’s mouth as he slid by him. Gripping the weapon tightly in his hands, James rushed towards her, struggling to ignore the pain on his stomach and his shoulder. Once again, he could feel his stitches stretching; dry leaves crushed underneath his boots. James hurtled past a thick elm tree, closing in on her, catching a glimpse of the bear, and putting his arm back down on the forest floor. The brunette’s long, curly hair seemed strangely familiar. He had seen her tall, feminine figure before; yet, he was much too tense to recall “when” or “where,” The black bear began to pad towards her, forcing him to lengthen his strides. His boot ripped off bush leaves when he jumped over a large bush, scattering them over the ground. Thankfully, the noise he made was enough to grab her attention. The brunette whirled her head to the left and faced him. James slowed down his strides, not taking his eyes off the bear. By then, he could feel his agony driving through his bones. Still, he was not going to let it deter him. He was less than twenty yards away from the animal. Bringing his feet to an abrupt halt behind a cedar tree, he raised the shotgun up in the air, and pointed it to the sky. He pulled the trigger and the powerful blast resounded through the wilderness. Spooked by the bang, the predator flipped around, letting out a growl of fear. Alas, the sprint took a toll on him. Moaning in pain, he dropped to his knees. The weapon slipped through his fingers: he leaned forward; gasping for breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, and hit his forehead hard on the trunk.
“Oh, my God…” a feminine voice rang in his ears, compelling him to tilt his head back. He was right; he and the brunette had indeed crossed paths before. Ava, Olivia’s friend, was now bending down over him. “James Norris? What are you doing here?”
“You’re welcome,” he panted, dropping his gaze from her.
“I’m sorry; I was just surprised to see you here,” Ava responded, speaking faster than usual. “Thank you.”
“I’m…” James exhaled hard, tipping his head back. “I’m a lumberjack. I work here.”
“Jesus…” she whispered, tearing her gaze away from his face, to look down at his shoulder. “James: your shoulder; you’re bleeding.”
A swift, sideways glance confirmed her words. A big patch of blood had seeped through the bandage, and was stretching out over his skin. Once more, he wasn’t surprised. He had covered too much distance within seconds. However, the wound on his limb did not trouble him. What did worry him was the one in his stomach. Happily though, another glance down at his body was enough to appease his fear. There was no blood on the bandage. The stitches were still intact.
“Hey!” David’s baritone drew his attention. Looking over his shoulder, he discovered that he was running towards him.
“You should be more careful,” he advised Ava as his breath slowly returned to normal. “You’ve spent all your life here. I thought you’d be aware of the dangers by now.”
“I am, usually,” she countered, bringing her gaze back to his face. “I was just a little distracted.”
“What happened?” David asked, staring down at James as he reached their spot.
“Your pal here scared off a black bear,” Ava said as her gaze shot up to meet his.
“Ava?” He squinted, his face contorting with confusion.
“Yes, sir,” she nodded, steadily rising up. “Take care of him. I’d be glad to patch him up for you, but it’d be better if you took him to the hospital. James…” she paused, and looked down at him. “Thanks again. See you around.”
Up until then, Ava might have been the one puzzled and annoyed by his behavior, but, for the first time ever, it was her attitude that confused him. If anything, she should be shivering with fear. After all, her life had just been saved. Still, she was as cool as a feather. Her voice was calm, like she was catching up with an old friend. And, to add to his bewilderment, he watched her stroll down the hillside, seemingly not fearful of the bear’s possible return. Ava was acting like an ignorant city girl, who had never been in the forest, instead of the mountain girl he had met a few weeks ago.
“I guess someone else has secrets, other than me,” James thought to himself. “Look at her. A bear almost made lunch out of her, and she didn’t even flinch. You don’t fool me, Ava. You’re hiding something. And I can’t wait to find out what it is.”
Chapter Four
Ava’s quest for peace of mind on Wolf Mountain had gone hopelessly wrong. Before she set out from Paxton, she believed that revisiting the sight of her first mission as a pack member would boost her confidence, and take her mind off her mundane, everyday routine. It did, but she had not yet succeeded in forgetting James’s mystery. As a consequence, she was too distracted, and failed to smell an approaching black bear. Losing her focus was a basic, unprecedented mistake for her. Mad at herself for her blunder, she realized that she would have to refrain from such excursions, at least for the time being.
However, Ava’s anger was not what dominated her emotions. Yes, her failure was unexpected, but she had heard Helena saying that even her Alpha and his siblings had made the exact same mistake. In truth, the thought that prevailed in her mind, was James’s act of bravery. He had rushed to her rescue, without any regard for his wounds. Certainly, she didn’t need to be saved; a black bear was no match for her beast, but he had no way of knowing. There was more to this man than just the sullen look in his eyes, his silence, and his overall odd behavior. This frantic run towards her was proof that he harbored goodness inside him. Still, this was just a small piece of the puzzle of his personality. Ava had seen another part of him that day, which both appealed and impressed her: his sculpted body; rounded muscles graced his shoulders; thick, cut triceps; numerous, bulging veins ran up his hands; his perfect, broad chest; and shredded abs that even a few of her kind would envy. Recollecting his shoulder muscles flexing as his chest heaved with exertion, made her wish she had stayed there, just a little longer. Yet, this was something that she couldn’t do. James had needed to get treatment for his open wound, and that meant a trip to Shandaken hospital. She would have ended up spending more time with him, and just thinking of this possibility didn’t feel right to her. Regardless of his bravery and his stunning looks, James was still too much of a mystery to her, a riddle that could potentially bring harm to her town.
Upon her return to Paxton, Ava went to her flower shop. Becoming a florist had not been her lifelong dream; in fact, while growing up, she had wanted to become a doctor. Still, her plans were dashed when Gary Benson, her father, left her and her mother, Lisa. The situation left her with no choice, because she was only fifteen years old at the time. The flower shop was her mother’s livelihood; her only source of income. As fate would have it, it would become the legacy she passed down to her daughter less than four years later. Betrayed by the shifter she had loved, Lisa died of a broken heart.
Forty-five minutes later, while Ava arranged pots behind the glass façade of her shop, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, crossing the street. It was her friend, Olivia, with a wicked smile on her face. This was not like the - usually stiff - blonde. Not only did she seem to be in festive spirits, but she also had dared to close down her grocery shop in the morning.
“Good morning, me damsel in distress,” she even assumed a fake, British accent as she stepped inside. “Give me thy name, and I shall give thee me heart.”
“Cute,” Ava commented, casting a scorning glance up at her. “Who told you about it?”
“David just called me,” Olivia responded, quickly closing the distance between them. “Did James really spook off a black bear for you?”
“No. He stole a beehive for the bear, and gave it to him as a peace offering,” was Ava’s retort, her tongue dripping with sarcasm, her brow furrowed. “You know that’s what happened. Why are you asking?”
“Because it’s a little hard to believe,” Olivia explained, her smile vanishing. “He was in a world of pain, and he ran to you?”
“I’m finding it hard to believe, too,” Ava agreed, dropping her gaze from her friend’s stare. “Mr. Boring is not what I thought he was. There’s good in that…” she paused, “thug, I guess.”
“Thug!” exclaimed Olivia, her eyes widening in surprise. “I don’t think so. David would never put his trust in outlaws. Anyway, your attitude confused James. He told David you were acting like the bear was no more harmful than a squirrel. He also said you’ve got some explaining to do.”
“Says the guy who comes and goes, like a freaking phantom,” Ava grumbled, her eyes blazing with unmasked anger. “If anyone has to explain themselves, it’s him, not me.”
“I’m getting tired of this game,” Olivia confessed, her voice firm. She leaned towards her. “He said this; he did that. I know you, Ava; you wouldn’t bother with him, you wouldn’t get that upset, if, you didn’t like him. So, do you?”
“Yes, I do!” Ava admitted, giving an emphatic nod. “The guy looks like a Greek God. You should have seen him, Liv: square jaw, dark-blue eyes, and that body? I could play chess on his abs, for heaven’s sake. But, he’s bad news. The last thing I want is to go out with a guy who just got shot.”
“The body doesn’t surprise me. He’s a lumberjack,” Olivia responded in a more relaxed tone, while she shook her head sideways. “Honey, I’m sorry, but, I couldn’t stand your complaints anymore. I’ve arranged a meeting between you two. He’ll be waiting for you at the “Northern Oak,” in Shandaken around nine tonight”
“You set me up on a date?” Ava squinted up at her, her shock turning her voice into a high-pitched squeal.
“It’s not a date,” Olivia rejected that notion, her voice stiff. “You guys will get to talk to each other, and clear the air, so to speak. Now, excuse me. I need to head back to my shop. Have a nice day.”
Ava couldn’t believe her. Olivia had meddled in her personal life before, but not to this extent. Nevertheless, whatever rage had thundered through her mind, vaporized in a matter of minutes. This blatant interference was a solution to her problem with James. Speculation on his life would cease. At last, she would get an opportunity to pose her questions. Depending on the answers, she would learn whether she had a chance with him or not. Now, it was all up to him.
Chapter Five
As Ava opened her closet that night, she discovered her own, awkward position. Her friend had been clear: she wasn’t going out on a date with James. Such a clear comment to the contrary would definitely have made her choice of outfit easier. She could’ve put on a mini dress that highlighted her long, toned legs, and matched it with a pair of high heels. Since this wasn’t the case however, she was in a dilemma. Part of her wanted to attract his attention physically, similarly to what he had done with his partial nudity in the forest. Like almost every woman in this world, she would love to draw the gaze of a handsome man like him. Still, a bigger part of her was uncertain. What if James was the outlaw she suspected? What if dating this human got her in trouble with his enemies? Unable to find an answer to those questions, she opted for a pair of black jeans, a red blouse, and pink flats.
