Challenged by Lorie O'Clare Read Free Book Online Page B

teased, ruffling
    her hair when she walked up to stand between her sisters.
     
    “Hands off,” she snapped, curling her lip at him. “I’ll get a lot more than perky if
    you touch me again.”
     
    Mickey straightened, his ego obviously bruised. Ali didn’t care.
     
    Her sire was inside the mobile home and Ali decided it was time for her to take a
    look at the inside too. Stepping into the small living area, she was immediately
    drowned with the smell of male werewolf. Gabe and her sire stretched, reaching into a
    small hole in the ceiling while they fiddled with the wiring of one of the lights.
     
    She wondered if Stone had the same skills, and somehow imagined that he did,
    capable of building and maintaining a den just like her sire and his twin. She let her
     

 
    eyes glide down Gabe, flat, hard abs visible against his close-fitting T-shirt. Well-worn
    jeans hugged muscular legs. Her mouth went dry, and she averted her eyes, a weird
    twisting in her stomach unnerving her. She had to quit staring at him.
     
    God willing, her sire wouldn’t have him working around here at their den. She
    would have to leave right away.
     
    “This isn’t so bad,” she said, glancing around the simple mobile home.
     
    Her sire grinned at her, lowering his arms and reaching for his toolbox. “Well, it
    looks good on the outside, but there’s some things needing fixing inside.”
     
    Gabe straightened as well, pulling his shirt down and taking his time looking at her
    while her sire was busy sorting through tools.
     
    “It wouldn’t take too much time to build new furniture and cabinets.” Gabe ran his
    hand over the cabinets above the built-in table. “My littermate and I worked at a lumber
    mill outside Prince George for a number of years. He’s still there now. A project like this
    is pretty simple.”
     
    He never took his gaze off hers when he spoke. Ali suddenly couldn’t breathe.
    Stone worked at a lumber mill outside Prince George. Gabe’s scent suddenly seemed
    stronger, more rich, intense. When he winked at her, heat flushed through her, making
    her feel like a pup.
     
    She scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. “If this is such an easy job, why
    don’t you fix it up for us then?”
     
    When he smiled, she almost believed Stone stood in front of her. She would
    absolutely go nuts with him working in her yard fixing up this damn trailer.
     
    Audry called for Jonathan from outside and her sire walked over to the door. He
    stepped outside, although Ali smelled that he was just outside the door without
    looking. Gabe stepped closer to her, that crooked grin making her heart race in her
    chest.
     
    “I talked to Stone about you last night,” he whispered.
     

 
    Chapter Five
     
     
     
    Stone navigated the huge flatbed truck into the lumberyard. The yard was a lot
    smaller than the one in Prince George. Mountains surrounded him as he jumped out of
    the truck. The fresh cold air filled his lungs, clean and crisp, reviving his brain. It had
    been a long drive.
     
    Gabe walked up to him with a large, stocky werewolf at his side. The older man
    had gray whiskers and clear blue eyes. For an older Cariboo lunewulf he appeared in
    good shape.
     
    Stone already knew who he was.
     
    “You must be Jonathan Bastien.” Stone held out his hand.
     
    “Amazing.” The older werewolf chuckled. “There are two of you.”
     
    “I’m the hardworking one.” Stone grinned in return.
     
    “Good. Then you won’t need our help unloading,” Gabe countered, which caused
    Bastien to break out into a deep laugh.
     
    “Well, working with you two should prove interesting.” He turned his attention to
    the load of wood that Stone had been asked to bring out.
     
    Stone knew the Cariboo got a damned good deal on his supplies. Offering to bring
    the load out here had saved Bastien a pretty penny as well. But taking care of the sire of
    Ali had nothing to do with anything. Stone would make sure any Cariboo got