Free Starr, Ellen - Wolf's Passion [The Joined] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) by Ellen Starr Page A

give you a week. Then I’ll send my Pack.” She turned, walking back up to the canyon rim as if she had nothing to fear from them. Dale snarled. He tried to move around Wolf. He caught Dale’s arm, stopping him. The temptation to let Dale rip Dolores apart was almost too much to resist. Wolf managed, though. The only result would be open war on them when the council found out. Letting her walk away gave them a week to sell the ranch and get out of there before her Pack came to kill them all. “Come on.” He tugged at Dale’s arm. Dale turned, wrapping his arms around Wolf. The younger man shook like a leaf in a high wind. Wolf rubbed his back. “Let’s go back to the house.”
    “Rafe?” Dale’s tone was wistful.
    “Rafe has gone to report the sheep to the council. It’s just us.” Wolf smiled at the way Dale’s eyes lit up.
    Dale nodded, letting Wolf lead him down the trail toward their home. Cora has to come back, Wolf thought. His throat ached with unshed tears. He desperately needed to howl. Wolf held in his anguish. He did not want Dolores to know how desperate they were, how much they wanted to keep the only home they’d known. He thought about taking her offer, going to her, mating with her. It made him nauseous. He wasn’t sure he could do it. Maybe he could manage one night, to keep them together on the ranch. He suppressed a shudder, not liking the way his thoughts were running.

    * * * *

    The room at the dude ranch was a welcome end to a long, tense drive. Cora dropped her bags by the dresser, her purse on the night table, and herself onto the bed. With a deep sigh of pleasure, she let herself relax. The events of the night before seemed very far away from this bustling tourist resort. She caught herself thinking of his hands on her body. With a half-voiced curse she got up, heading for the bathroom. A hot shower followed by dinner would be just the thing. Then she would call Jean-Paul. Cora turned on the water then reached for the button on the jeans she wore. Suddenly she realized she still wore the clothes she had borrowed from Wolf and Dale. Swallowing hard, she undressed, ignoring her shaking hands. She folded the clothes, laying them on the vanity beside the sink. She had no address to send them back to, no plans to go back either. The hot water felt wonderful, soaking through her hair, running over her too sensitive skin. Every drop of the spray was like a lover’s touch, driving her higher until she shook with the need to come. Her hands had a mind of their own, slipping over her soapy skin in an imitation of the things Wolf did to her the night before. When her finger brushed over her throbbing clit, she shattered with a moan, calling out his name. Her face burned as she jerked her hands away from her body. What on earth had gotten into her? Jean-Paul was right. She never should have taken this trip alone. She needed him. But which him did she mean? She shied away from the implications, refusing to think about it. She would have to confront those dark thoughts, but not until she put a little more distance between the night with Wolf and her emotions.
    Freshly showered, dressed in a soft silk wraparound dress, she put on a pair of gold sandals Jean-Paul liked. She needed dinner. That would make her feel better. She picked up her purse and headed for the restaurant.
    The waiter smiled at her, his eyes going to the points of her hard nipples pushing against the silk of her dress. She smiled back, placing her order. He licked his lips. Cora resisted the urge to throw him down on the table and take him right there in the middle of the dinner crowd. What did those Werewolves do to me ? I have not felt this close to losing control since I met Jean-Paul . When he left, she reached for her water glass. She took a sip. That call to Jean-Paul could not come too soon.
    In her room again, she tossed her purse onto the chair by the window then threw herself onto the bed, reaching for the phone. It was