Portrait of a Lone Wolf
Black Hills Wolves, Book 7
Katalina Leon
Decadent Publishing, @91 pages
A
mixed-blood Native American wolf-shifter, abandoned by a teenage mother and
ignored by an absentee father, Rio Waya has never fit in or felt worthy of
love. But when he comes home to the Black Hills, he realizes he wants a mate of
his own.Recovering from a cheating ex who started a new family behind her back, Sela López seeks escape to pull her life back together. As a documentary filmmaker and wildlife photographer, she rents a cabin in the Black Hills with plans to film the beleaguered wolf population. But she’s so busy looking through a camera lens she doesn’t see trouble coming.
Sparks fly as mutual fears and vulnerabilities surface when Sela and Rio meet. She can’t figure out why the mysterious Mr. Waya is so anxious about having a documentary made of the Black Hills Wolves. But when his secret is exposed, all hell breaks loose. Can Rio win Sela’s trust and soothe her fears about allowing a hunky wolf-shifter into her heart?
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Excerpt:
“López,
my name’s Sela López. I’ll be a resident of Los Lobos County this summer. I’ve
rented a cabin on Gray Paw Mountain.” Everyone perked up in a weird way. They
looked a bit too interested in what she’d said. The response was unsettling.
Gee
glowered. “You’re the one renting the cabin?”
She
realized this was probably a good time to change the subject. “I would like my
patty medium rare.”
Damn.
Why the hell had she announced to a bunch of strange men in a bar she was going
to living alone in a remote cabin on the edge of a national park? Not smart.
“López?”
Gee guffawed He appeared amused as if he were privy to the funniest private
joke in the world. “López means ‘wolf’! You gotta love the irony.” He gave
Plaid Shirt a nudge. “Rio, did you know her name was López?”
Rio
lifted his chin. “I knew.”
“What’s
going on?” Sela’s temper flared. “Am I missing something? What’s so funny about
my name? López is a common Hispanic surname.”
Rio
offered her his hand. “Miss López, my name is Rio Waya. You rented the cabin on
Gray Paw Mountain from me. You’re hours late. I was expecting you to arrive
before sunset.”
She
gulped. “I’m sorry. I badly miscalculated the distances out here. I thought I
would call when I got to town. I hoped perhaps you could give me directions
over the phone and talk me in?”
Rio
shook his head. “You’d never find the cabin by yourself in the dark. This isn’t
Los Angeles. There are no street signs. The cabin’s hidden beyond miles of
timber, gravel, and unmarked dirt road. You’ll have to follow me. I’ll lead us
in.”
“Wait
a moment!” Panic rose in her voice. This guy, attractive as he was, was still a
man. She certainly didn’t need one of those, especially during her summer of
soul-healing. “I was told I’d have privacy at the cabin. I don’t want a
roommate or a landlord crowding me.”
“I
won’t be crowding you.” Rio’s expressive brows sank. Obviously, he’d taken
offense. “The only thing we’ll be sharing is a mountain. I’ll be living five
miles away at the Los Lobos ranger station. Will that satisfy your need for
privacy?”
“Yes.”
His
lip curled with a hint of sarcasm. “At least the first matter is settled. One
thing at a time.”
“Pardon
me. Is there a problem I’m unaware of?”
“Last
night’s e-mail mentioned your desire to do a documentary on Los Lobo’s growing
wolf population. Filming here is not a good idea. If I had known this was your
intention, I would have refused you use of my cabin.”
She
was stunned. “I drove eleven-hundred miles to get here. The documentary is the
entire purpose of my trip. All I’ll do is film and photograph wolves outside
the national park. Who will I hurt?”
Rio’s
gaze hardened. “The wolves.”
“How
so? I’ll treat this subject with respect. This isn’t amateur wildlife
photography, like you might be thinking. I plan to win the wolves over, gain
their trust, and take portraits of each one as an individual. The presentation
will be like a family album.”
“Sounds
sweet, but has it occurred to you publishing photographs of individual wolves
and showing their exact location outside the protection of the park puts them
at grave risk?”
“From
who?”
“Pissed-off
ranchers, poachers, and any number of psychos who get their kicks owning the
pelt of an animal everybody else has fawned over. Do you have any idea how many
creeps out there would love to say they shot ol’ White Socks and her pups or
whatever you christen the wolves? A lot. The sad part is they’ll never be
prosecuted. If they claim they felt threatened, they’ll be within their rights
to shoot. The wolves aren’t protected on private land.”
“I
disagree. I plan to bring positive attention to Los Lobos wolf population. In
the long run, the more people aware of the problem, the safer the wolves will
be.”
His
hands clenched to fists. “No offense, Miss López, but you just drove in from
Los Angeles. You can’t fully grasp how complicated our situation is.”
“I
have a Jeep parked in back, loaded with film equipment. I spent the last eight
months of my life doing extensive wolf research and nearly all my savings on
this project. I need this to work, so please don’t insult me by saying I
haven’t given this serious thought.”
Rio
stood, revealing a powerful build. He stepped closer until she was forced to
tip her chin up. “I could choose to give your deposit back. I don’t have to
rent the cabin to you.”
“You
could, but I won’t be stopped. I’ll figure out something else.” She stared at
Rio. He returned the stiletto gaze in the most provoking way with nostrils
flared. She sensed this was a crucial challenge and held her ground, willing
herself not to blink. He loomed so close she felt his warm breath on her cheek.
Finally,
he broke the death-stare and looked away. “I’ll give you credit for being
determined. Miss López, will you accept some helpful advice?”
The
brief but intense mini-standoff left her rattled. “Sure.”
“My
advice to you is—accept helpful advice…”
Bio: Katalina Leon
Katalina
Leon is an artist and author who can’t commit to a single genre. Her favorite
playgrounds are historical, Sci-fi, contemporary, and most of all paranormal
realms. Katalina brings a sense of adventure and a touch of the mystical to
erotic romance. She believes there's a daring heroine inside every woman who
wants to take a wild ride with a strong worthy hero.
Black Hills
Wolves, “Portrait of a Lone Wolf” book 7, Katalina Leon
Decadent Publishing.
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/
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