Wolf in his Heart (Salvation Pack) by N.J. Walters Page B

sunshine, her full belly, the soft bed, and the warm man holding her combined to relax her in a way she hadn’t felt—ever.
    “I didn’t do any of it for gratitude, and you don’t owe me anything. Do you understand?”
    “Mmm.” She sighed and closed her eyes. She sensed his frustration even if she didn’t quite understand where it was coming from. She’d figure it out later. Rina let go and gave in to the exhaustion that had been dragging at her for long hours. She knew Sage would keep her safe.
    * * * * *
    Johnny waved to the park ranger as the man drove away. It had taken longer to get to his truck than anticipated when the ranger had stopped to help a family change a flat tire. But he was here now, and that was all that mattered.
    He climbed into the cab and rubbed his hand over his face. He was tired, but he still had work to do. He thought about calling his brothers but figured Charlie and Ralph would only tell him to come home. He wasn’t ready to go yet.
    He started the engine and turned the truck around. He needed to go collect his rifle, and then he needed to do a little research. Sage Gallagher. All he had to do was find this guy and convince him to tell where he’d dropped off Rina.
    His jeans grew tighter the longer he thought about her. An honest to God werewolf. He knew his brothers didn’t believe him. That was fine by him. Once he was done with her, he’d planned to give her a chance to escape. A real hunt. His brothers would believe him then.
    His conscience gave a pang of worry, but he dismissed it. Wasn’t like she was really human. She was an animal, a wolf, and that meant she was fair game.
    He turned on the radio and started to hum along with the country tune he found. By the end of the day, he hoped to have found the man who’d helped his little waitress. From then on, it was only a matter of time until he found her.

Chapter Seven
    Sage stared up at the ceiling and counted to a thousand for the third time. Rina was out for the count, and he expected her to sleep for hours. She’d wrapped herself around him like she was afraid he’d leave her.
    It hurt him to think of her out there on her own with no pack and no family to help her. He and Reece might not have grown up in a regular pack, but they’d always had the love and support of their parents and Uncle Elias. They’d never doubted that any of them would lay down their lives to protect him and his brother.
    Rina’s parents had turned their backs on her, simply because she hadn’t agreed to their choice of mate. The whole idea was barbaric. Didn’t matter that she was a werewolf. She had the right to pick and choose who she spent her life with.
    A rumble started low in his chest as he imagined Rina snuggled up to some full-blooded werewolf. She sighed and turned over, releasing him for the first time in an hour. Even though he wanted to stay, he knew his uncle would be waiting to talk with him. Probably Jacque too.
    He rolled out of bed, being careful not to jostle her. She didn’t move. He stood there and watched her sleeping in his bed, wearing his shirt, her head on his pillow. Possessiveness welled up inside of him and whipped around like a tornado out of control.
    He swore under his breath and headed to the patio doors. He eased the screen aside and stepped out onto the deck. The sun was hot on his face and chest and the wood deck sizzled beneath his feet. He hurried down the steps onto the grass. Sure enough, his uncle was sitting at one of the picnic tables. He was looking away from the table with his arms spread over the top. A beer sat on the seat beside him.
    He patted the bench beside him. “Take a load off.”
    Sage wanted to call his brother but had to take care of this first. He owed his uncle that much. He walked over and sat. Elias reached beneath the table and brought out another beer. “It might be a bit warm, but it’s wet.”
    Sage took the beer, popped the top, and took a long swig. The yeasty, mellow