Having witnessed her ex commit murder, Saxen Blake is on the run. Stowing away in the back of an unknown truck, she can only hope that it will take her far away from Martin and the certain death she faces if he catches her. She just didn’t count on the sexy wolf who owns the vehicle.

Dr. Ryder Wolfe is taken aback when he finds the pregnant and bloody Saxen in the bed of his truck, but he knows he’ll stop at nothing to save her. One sniff is all he needs to know that he wants to keep her. But first, he has to eliminate the threat to her life. He took a vow to save lives, but some people are better off dead.

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EXCERPT

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2017 Jessica Coulter Smith

“Want to tell me why there’s blood on your feet?” he asked, nudging the crackers toward her. 

“My boyfriend is a very bad man. I knew he was mixed up with alcohol and drugs, but I didn’t realize how far things had gone. I think he’s dealing now. I was hiding in the closet while he argued with a man, and then, he suddenly shot him! After Martin left the apartment, I came out of hiding, grabbed a bag and got the hell out of there. I saw your truck in the parking lot and I thought it was my best shot at getting away.” 

“So, this Martin doesn’t know that you witnessed anything?” 

She shook her head. “But once he sees the smeared blood, where I slipped in the bedroom, he’s going to know I was there and that I saw the body.” 

“Do you have anywhere to go? Family? Friends?” 

“My family is all gone and Martin made sure I didn’t have friends. I have about ten dollars in my bag and that’s all I have, besides the few clothes I packed.” 

“Shoes?” 

“No.” 

Ryder bit his lip and looked around a moment before his gaze settled on hers once more. “The boxes in the back of my truck contain women’s clothes and shoes, including some maternity clothes. Let me bring them in and we’ll see if anything fits.” 

“The person who owns them won’t mind?” she asked. 

“My friend lost his wife and unborn child a few weeks ago. The things in my truck belonged to her. He couldn’t stand to look at them anymore and wanted them all gone. I offered to help, and now I’m glad I did.” 

“Is there a women’s shelter nearby where I could go?” she asked. 

“We’ll talk about that after we find you some shoes and some more clothes. You can have it all if you want it. Trust me, Bryce won’t care. He’d rather someone get some use out of it.” 

Saxen finished eating the cheese and crackers, then finished her drink while she waited on him to return. When he called out her name, she followed the sound of his voice to the living room. He’d hauled in five boxes and was busy opening them. The first contained shoes. She picked up a pair and noticed they were her size. There were even two new packages of panties and she was thankful she’d thought to grab some bras. After she’d gathered some clean things to wear, Ryder showed her to the downstairs bathroom. 

The water felt heavenly, and she couldn’t stifle the sob that welled in her throat as she watched the blood swirl down the drain. That poor man. And poor her if Martin ever caught up with her. As long as no one paid attention to Ryder’s truck, then she should be safe. When she’d climbed into the back, no one had been around. She only hoped her luck held out. She didn’t want Ryder, or his friend, to get in trouble, just because she’d chosen his truck to hide in. 

By the time she was clean and dressed, she was beyond nervous. She had no idea what would happen to her next. She knew she needed to contact the police about Martin, but she didn’t want him to know she saw everything. Saxen had never felt so torn before. That man deserved justice, but she needed to stay safe for her unborn child. Maybe Ryder would know what to do. 

She found him in the kitchen making dinner. The scent of ground turkey and spaghetti sauce filled the air as he chopped onions and diced garlic. She stopped by his side and peered into the pot. As far back as she could remember, she’d never had homemade sauce before. It smelled really good.  

“Can I help?” she asked. 

“I think I have it under control. I’ve already rolled and sliced the noodles. Just need to throw them in some water.” 

Her brow furrowed. She’d definitely never known anyone who made their own noodles before. “How long was I in the shower?” 

“About forty-five minutes. I figured you needed to decompress after everything you’d been through. If you’d have stayed in much longer, I’d have checked on you. Do you feel any better?” 

“Not much. I have no idea what happens to me now. I need to report what I saw, but then Martin might figure out how to find me.” 

Ryder stirred the sauce then set the spoon aside. “I’m just going to throw this idea out there. Why don’t you stay here a while? You don’t have to call anyone or tell anyone where you are. We’re about two hours away from your town, so it’s doubtful anyone will think to come here. And if they do, I’m more than capable of protecting you.” 

He faced her and his eyes glowed. He flashed her a hint of fang as he smiled and her heart kicked in her chest. 

“You’re a werewolf?” 

He nodded. “You’re in Iron Hills Pack territory in Grover Falls. No one is going to mess with you as long as you’re here.” 

“Why would you protect me?” 

He leaned closer and sniffed along her neck. “Because you smell so damn good. Just trust me when I say, I won’t let anything happen to you.”