Werewolf in Alaska: A Wild About You Novel Read Online Free Page B

him to actually talk to her, unless he left it on her doorstep like a piece of unwanted trash. “Ted, he’s already being rude. Surely he realizes that I’ll find out what he did with it. Obviously he doesn’t care.”
    “Would you rather he’d pitched it into the fireplace and hadn’t bothered to contact either of us?”
    Her heart gave a quick thump of alarm. “Oh, God, do you think he would do that? Is he so eager to get rid of it?”
    Ted’s gaze gentled behind his glasses. “Apparently he doesn’t want it anymore, Rachel. People change. Their tastes change. Maybe he’s dating someone who doesn’t care for it.”
    Rachel made a face. She’d rather have this be Jake’s decision than one dictated by some woman who planned to redecorate his cabin. “Is he dating someone?”
    “Not that I know of. I’m just looking for reasons like you are. Listen, you have the world at your feet. Forget about Jake’s opinion. It doesn’t matter.”
    “You’re absolutely right. I just . . . no, it really doesn’t matter. And if Jake wants to ditch that carving, we need to find someone who would be thrilled to have it.” She had another thought. “Do you want to keep it?”
    “Knowing what it’s worth . . . I don’t. Thanks, anyway, but it would make me a nervous wreck. I couldn’t tell anybody, and you know how talkative I get after a couple of beers. I’d end up blabbing about it to somebody, and then I’d have to install a sophisticated alarm system, and then—”
    “Chaos. Jake Hunter has created chaos.”
    “Just remember that he didn’t throw it in the fire. He could have done that and we’d never know.”
    “You’re right, and I’m grateful he didn’t. Call me if and when he brings it over. I’ll come and pick it up. Then we’ll decide what to do next.” With another sigh she resumed her grocery shopping.
    When she came to the candy display, she loaded up. Now that Jake was discarding her work, watching him skinny-dip would bring more pain than pleasure, so that nightly pleasure would go the way of the dodo bird. In order to compensate, she’d need a lot more chocolate.

Chapter 2
    Delivering the wolf carving to Ted had been tougher than Jake had expected, almost like giving up a family member. In a way, he had been. But as much as the carving resembled his father, he didn’t think of Benjamin Hunter when he looked at it. He thought about Rachel.
    The mantel looked a little empty now, but he’d get used to that. Her note from three summers ago still lay there, and he walked over and picked it up, intending to throw it away. Unfolding it, he read it one last time.
    Maybe he wouldn’t throw it away just yet. He glanced at his bookcase on the far side of his living room. The books were a hodgepodge of paperback mysteries, sci-fi, and his collection of Alaskan trail guides. None were expensive except for the glossy full-color hardback titled
Alaskan Artisans of Today.
    Crossing to the bookcase, he pulled out the book and opened it to the section devoted to Rachel Miller, wood-carver. He tucked the note there, closed the book, and returned it to the shelf. Someday he’d get rid of the book, too, but it had a really nice picture of Rachel next to illustrations of her work. You didn’t just chuck a book like that. Anyway, he didn’t look at it much.
    At least the carving was out of here, and in three days he’d be on a plane bound for San Francisco to meet with Giselle Landry, a prominent Were who supported his cause but continued to serve on the Worldwide Organization of Werewolves board. He hoped to talk her into resigning and joining WARM. Plus she was an attractive female Were, and he needed to spend more time with his own kind instead of pining for a human he couldn’t have.
    Whether his meeting with Giselle worked out well or not, it would be a welcome relief to come home from that trip and not be greeted by the carving on the mantel. Or so he tried to convince himself. At the