Free Snow Wolf: Wolves of Willow Bend (Book 9) by Heather Long Page B

not answer. No one else.”
    Her gut churned. Not a cell, but she couldn’t bolt the door against her host. Well, that sucks . Clearing her throat, she fought a grimace. “I’m going to find a room, and a shower. I assume you have real showers here?” The guesthouse shower had been akin to drilling a hole in the ice and jumping into Lake Michigan in January. She’d done that once on a dare. Never again.
    Chowder smiled. “Of course. You will find it down the hall near the bedrooms. Give it a moment to warm up. The heated water must travel farther to reach this suite. My suite, by the way, is at the last junction we passed. Most of our phones don’t work here, but we do have intercoms.” He pointed to the panel by the door. “I’m the first button, Montana is the second.” He paused a beat. “I doubt you’ll need any of the others, but the red one will connect to the surface cabin, and the green one to the Sentries assigned here.”
    She nodded. “Thank you.”
    “I’ll let you settle in and bring a tray over until Montana can stock your cupboard. Is there anything you don’t like?”
    Ranae didn’t tell him it wouldn’t be necessary. “Chowder,” she admitted and he laughed, a rich, redolent masculine sound which invited her to join him. After a beat, she did and shook her head. “Sorry. Not big on most sea foods, but my mother taught me to eat what was in front of me, so whatever doesn’t put you too much trouble.”
    “No worries at all. I think you and I will be good friends, Miss Buckley.”
    “Oh, please, call me Ranae. If you knew anything about us Buckleys, there are far too many of us to rely on that alone.”
    “As you wish. Would you prefer coffee or tea?”
    Whiskey might be better for her nerves, but the last thing she needed was to get smashed. “Coffee would be fantastic.” As he turned to exit, she raised her hand. “Thank you, Chowder.”
    “It is absolutely my pleasure.” He touched a hand to his chest over his heart then turned and left. The door closed behind him with a hushed sound, and she was alone.
    Alone in an Alpha’s quarters that reminded her of her parents’ backyard. “Well, Ranae, we are definitely not in Willow Bend…”
    Reminding herself she was a Hunter, trained and capable, she fisted her grip on the bag and padded through the grass towards the stone step path leading down a hall. The first bedroom turned out to be a small, rather spartan room with a single bed. It would more than do. She dropped her bag on the bed, then sat to strip off her boots.
    After pulling out some clean clothes, she went in search of the bathroom. Located at the end of the hall, it also adjoined a much larger bedroom. The room was nearly as big as the living room and it boasted a fireplace—enormous, like one in a ski lodge—and an oversized king bed covered in what her nose told her was an actual bearskin blanket.
    The dark brown on white reminded her that there were more than grizzlies to be found in Alaska. Curiosity nibbled at her… but she hesitated in the open door. What secrets did Diesel hide in his most private room? She detected only the faintest trace of scent other than the blanket and the snow on fur, but the lack of strength said he didn’t use it often.
    Shutting the door on temptation, she turned away. The bathroom was spacious, and well-lit, much like the hallway and living room. Closing the second door which led into the bedroom, she turned to inspect the shower.
    It was doublewide with two showerheads and a tile floor. The room also boasted a hot tub-sized bathtub which could easily accommodate two… and all the activities two healthy adults could get up to. Ranae stilled, then pinched the inside of her elbow hard enough to make tears spark in her eyes.
    The last thing she needed to think about was sex with anyone while in his suite. Wolves could sort scents out like that in nothing flat. He’d already made one declaration; she didn’t want to give him any