The Wolf Code

“We don’t have time for me to sleep,” Hannah argued.

“You’re no good to us exhausted like you are,” Ty interjected.  “Eat some more, then take a short nap.  We’ll wake you up when it’s time.”

“Time?”

“I have a chopper.  If I take you up, do you think you can point out the barn that you were in?”

Hannah nodded.

“Good.  It’s going to take me a bit to get it ready to go.  I’ll come get you then.”

Hannah nodded again, then she looked at Senora, her eyes frightened.

“Please don’t leave me here alone,” she said.

“I won’t.  I’ll be right here,” Senora said.  “I’m going to talk to Ty for just a second outside the door, then I’ll come sit with you, okay?”

“Okay,” Hannah said.  “I’m just afraid I’m going to wake up and be back in the barn.  What if this is all a dream and I didn’t get away?”

“You did get away,” Senora told her.  “And you are amazing and brave and so very strong.  You rest, and Ty will come get us when he’s ready.  I won’t leave your side.”

“Promise?”

“I promise,” she said. 

Hannah snuggled down into the blankets and closed her eyes.  Before they were out the door, Hannah was asleep.

Senora followed Ty out and stopped him on the front porch.

“You have a chopper?”

“It’s not my chopper; it’s the pack’s chopper.”

“It would have been nice to know that before.”

“Why?  Did you need a helicopter?”

His tone was teasing, and Senora was not in the mood.

“Don’t play coy with me, Cowboy.  Beneath that slick smile and that sexy drawl, you know damn well that knowing you have access to a helicopter is something I should have been told before this.”

Ty shrugged, unbothered by her indignation.

“Do you need a list of everything I can do as well, or just a list of machinery at my disposal?”

“I would like to know about any special skills you have, especially considering that you just became a damn werewolf without warning yesterday.  I’m over surprises, so yes, I would like to know about any more exceptional skills or talents you have that could affect my life.”

“Any talent I have?” he asked.

Senora stared at him, and then his meaning sunk in.

“Do you ever act serious?” she asked angrily.

“Who’s acting?  This is who I am one hundred percent of the time.  Don’t pretend that you don’t like it.  I’ve seen how you look at me when you think I’m not looking.  Don’t act like I bother you that much.”

Senora’s face colored, and she turned away.

“That’s what I thought,” he said.  “Don’t worry; when this is over, we can explore this need you have together.”

“Please,” she scoffed.  “There’s no need to pat yourself on the back just yet.  Just because I looked when you were parading around the forest naked doesn’t mean anything.”

“If you say so,” he countered, then laughed.  “Now, as much as I hate walking away so you can ogle my backside, I have to gas up the chopper and make sure the engine is working.  We can’t save the world if we fall out of the sky.”

“That’s not funny.”

“Who’s joking?”

Before she could respond, he leaned in quickly and kissed her on the cheek, then turned and jogged away before she could react.  Her hand went to her cheek as she watched him jog away.  He turned and looked over his shoulder, catching her as she watched him.  He winked at her, then turned forward again and disappeared around the corner on the footpath that ran between the cabins. 

By the time Senora was back at Hannah’s side, she was blushing furiously.  Luckily, Hannah was still asleep, and Senora was left alone with her thoughts.  She was embarrassed that Ty had noticed her noticing him, but there wasn’t much she could do about it now.  They could hold it together until the investigation was over, and then she would be back in D.C. and she would never see Ty again.

She sat back, trying to take comfort in that thought, but she didn’t feel any better.  Ty wasn’t a man you walked away from and simply forgot.