Free Bayou Wolf by Heather Long

caught her staring at him. A quick smile softened his expression, and lust coiled through her belly.
    Before the trip ended, she would taste that wolf—one bite.

    Lincoln

    I t took less than twenty minutes for Rory to arrive with the coffees. Her expression, when she stopped her car at the end of the long drive, announced her displeasure. “Seriously,” she said, tart voice filled with complaint. “You call me for a coffee delivery again, and I’ll—”
    “What?” Linc glared at the playful Hunter. Several years his senior, she’d actually trained him for a time.
    “I’ll bitch and moan. I might even spit in your coffee.” She passed the tray through the window and leaned to the side to glance past him at the house. “How’s it going?”
    “It’s fine.” Keeping his tone neutral proved more difficult than he’d imagined. Rory had done him a favor in fetching the coffee. He couldn’t leave his post.
    “So?” She tapped the steering wheel. “What’s she like?”
    The summit of Alphas had been all anyone discussed for weeks leading to their arrival. It didn’t change anything, however. Linc still couldn’t talk about the meeting or the Alpha he’d been assigned. “She wants her coffee.” He lifted the tray as a way of saying goodbye.
    Rolling her eyes, the Hunter laughed. “At least I got to see the Yukon one. He’s intense.” She glanced past him again, but Linc merely waited. Like so many in Willow Bend, Rory hadn’t been permitted to indulge in her curiosity. She’d pulled duty for the town and would be one of the layers protecting packmates in the event anything went wrong with the summit—not to mention keeping packmates from letting their curiosity get the better of them.
    “Bye, Rory.” Linc chuckled as he strolled away.
    “Spoilsport,” she yelled after him before she reversed her vehicle onto the road to head back to town.
    Serafina sauntered onto the porch a moment before he reached the bottom step. The wolf—woman— Alpha , he reminded himself, confused the hell out of him. Upstairs, for a brief moment, he could have sworn she’d been about to kiss him. The action, hot on the heels of her unfurling power, left him off balance. While he didn’t normally object to sexy-as-fuck women coming onto him, he didn’t want her to press the issue.
    “Coffee.” He turned the tray to offer her the tall cup with the bitter black brew she’d requested. The weight of her regard rolled over him, and he stiffened his muscles and kept his chin raised. Focusing just beyond her prevented any challenge from radiating beyond his less than submissive posture, but he’d dropped his gaze enough.
    He represented Willow Bend, and she was Delta Crescent. His task meant assisting her in smoothing the way, keeping the channels of communication open and protecting her while she resided in their territory. Nothing else. The mental reminder to his dick had little effect.
    The line between her brows tightened a fraction before she accepted the coffee. Since technically the porch and the entirety of the house were Delta Crescent territory for the duration of her visit, Linc said, “If you have no objection, I’ll deliver the drinks to the others.”
    “No objections.” The care with which she drawled the two words sent a stroke of chill down his spine. Despite her permission, she didn’t move from his path so he either squeezed past her without touching—impossible—or waited patiently until she finished whatever game she’d chosen to play. If she wanted to get physical with him, politically he had to play nice. It also meant he didn’t dare initiate contact.
    Mason trusted him to do his job. Despite questioning his capability on the drive earlier, he’d given Linc a lot of latitude to handle the situation. He refused to disappoint his Alpha. Serafina pursed her lips, took the proffered coffee cup and strolled toward the railing.
    Relieved, he ducked into the house. Amy threw him a grateful look,