Page 3 of Rescued by the Alpha

They were at least a few miles from Nicolai’s cabin, and while he possessed strength that

exceeded the typical non-shifter wolf, he doubted he could drag the man with his teeth that far. If the SUV had chains, and he could move quickly, he might be able to at least get them close enough to drag him inside. I sure as hell can’t shift right now. Bare ass naked and raging blizzard didn’t mix well.

Nicolai considered the truck. The chance existed that the man might have some extra clothing in the car, or perhaps an overnight bag. He dropped his gaze to the unmoving form. Even lying on the ground, Nicolai could tell he was smaller than him, but maybe not by much. Hmm. He concluded that all he really needed was to stay somewhat warm until he could get the chains on the tires and the man in the SUV.

Next is to figure out how to get inside this damn truck.

Nicolai decided to check whether he could get in the vehicle without shifting first, before worrying about his chances of lasting in the storm while doing nude vehicle break-in. More relief flooded him when he discovered the guy had made his job easier by not closing the driver side door all the way. Nicolai clawed and nosed his way in, then immediately shifted.

“Ow, dammit.”

He rubbed his knee where it had slammed into the steering column during his shift. Nicolai yanked the door closed then started up the engine, thankful that the keys had been left in the ignition.

Warm air that swiftly became hot blasted his chilly skin and after he turned on the cab light, he focused his attention on the back seat.

Score.

Nicolai scrambled over the center console and wedged himself between the two seats until he landed in the back. After digging through a couple of duffels, he found some sweatpants, sweaters and a pair of leather gloves. Time was of the essence, so Nicolai didn’t bother to put things to rights.

After donning a pair of slippers, he jumped out of the truck and landed in snow already hallway up his calves. Fuck.

Ignoring his discomfort, he ran around to the hatch in search of the chains. After searching underneath the man’s belongings, he found what he needed. Putting on the chains required little effort and soon his task was complete. A thread of worry snaked its way through his gut, but he pushed it aside. Even if he got the human to his cabin, no guarantee existed that whatever injury he’d suffered wasn’t serious enough to be irreversible.

Don’t have time for that right now.

Nicolai brushed more snow off the man, then hoisted him over his shoulder before bringing him around to the passenger side, then carefully maneuvered him inside. Nicolai joined him in the driver’s seat, but within the enclosed space of the vehicle, the scent that had lured him to the man originally became even more overpowering. How the fuck am I supposed to handle this once we get to my

place? He let out a small growl as he put the truck into gear.

Nicolai thanked the ancient gods the chains held, were slicing through the snow and that they were making real progress. Once they’d arrived at his cabin, Nicolai parked as close as he could, angling the vehicle so the passenger side would be closest to the door. The unrelenting snow and icy steps made walking while carrying a full-grown man a tricky proposition.

Nicolai’s senses remained on overload as he made his way around the truck to retrieve the still-unconscious man. Tugging the door open as he battled against the fierce wind, he wrapped one arm around the man’s torso and the other beneath his knees. The moment he held the stranger in his embrace, Nicolai was overcome with the need to bury his nose in his damp hair, to nuzzle the man’s neck and wallow in the delicious scent emanating from his body. His senses were filled with the aroma—a tantalizing mixture of the fragrance of pine needles released by a spring rain, fresh berries with cream, and the musk that lingered after a heated coupling with a lover.

Nicolai snapped himself out of his trance with a low growl, angry at himself for allowing whatever madness that gripped him to yank him off course, to distract him from the crucial moments that should only be delegated to getting the man in his arms to warmth and safety.

After Nicolai had brought him inside then laid him gently on the couch, he checked the back of the man’s head to verify he wasn’t bleeding. He winced at the awful lump he discovered on the his skull and didn’t envy the pain the guy would be in when he woke up.

If he wakes up.

Nicolai shoved the errant thought from his mind as he rushed into his bedroom then rooted around in his drawers until he found the warmest pair of sweats he owned. The jeans the man wore were soaked through, and while Nicolai didn’t want his guest to wonder why his pants had been removed by a stranger, by the same token, he couldn’t risk leaving him in the wet garment.

After returning to the couch, Nicolai fumbled with the man’s belt, swallowing hard and attempting to keep inappropriate thoughts out of his mind.

He needs my help. That’s all this is.

His fingers trembled from the effort of keeping focus. He undid the metal buttons of the jeans then lifted his butt with one hand, grabbing the waistband of the pants with the other. The denim fought him, the heavy, wet fabric refusing to slide down the man’s long legs without great effort, his naked skin taunting Nicolai as he completed the necessary task. Nicolai let out a long sigh once the stranger’s limbs were covered again. He verified that his shirt had remained dry from the well-insulated jacket he’d been wearing, then piled on him all the wool blankets he had stored in his cedar chest before setting about to get a hearty blaze going in the stone fireplace.

Once he’d done all he could to give his guest the best possible chance at surviving the night, he

lowered himself onto the round, multi-colored braided rug that covered most of the wood floor. The log cabin he’d built from ground up consisted of one large, open area with the river rock fireplace taking up the majority of the space of the back wall, the door to his bedroom which led to the bathroom on one side of the fireplace, a picture window on the other, with the front door, open kitchen and dining area behind him.

Nicolai stared into the flames, the crackling and popping of the seasoned wood lulling his wolf, keeping the almost agonizing hunger at bay, distracting him from the need to wrap his body around the still form, to give his warmth to this person, this stranger who had just disrupted his perfectly ordered existence.

My dull, pointless, lonely existence.

Nicolai frowned. He had a feeling he’d be up all night arguing with his stubborn, know-it-all wolf.

Chapter Two