Wolf's Oath (After the Crash 3.25) Read Online Free Page A

is, a whorehouse?”
    The men looked at each other again. This time the brunet spoke. “Well, sure. The Plain Women’s House?” He was boyishly handsome when he smiled at Katie. Connie wondered if he were older than twenty. “I sure don’t know why they call this the Plain Women’s House. You’re really pretty.” He shared his   smile with Sammie, then glanced up at Connie. “You too. Not plain at all.”
    Sammie let out a slightly hysterical giggle. “What a pair of morons,” she told Connie.
    Connie had to agree. She raised an eyebrow at Faron. His arms were folded over his barrel chest and he was glaring at the men.
    “I don’t recognize you boys. Who are you? Where are you from?”
    Blondie and his friend looked at each other again. “I’m Troy Hodson . This is my cousin, Bob Ternley . We’re from Bellevue. It’s outside Omaha. We’re visiting out at the Baranski place. Heard about the ladies here and thought we’d drop in. Try our luck.”
    Faron looked them up and down with icy disdain. “You didn’t come in the front door.”
    “Uh, no.” Bob picked at a loose thread on the cuff of his wool jacket. “We were turned away, so we climbed the fence and staked out the outhouse. We figured one of the girls would come out eventually and we’d see if we could make a deal with her.”
    Again Sammie let out a peal of laughter as she lifted her mug. Her cheeks were flushed and she slammed back the tea like it was a shot of whiskey. Katie lifted the cast iron teapot and refilled Sammie’s cup. Connie wondered if there was more than just tea in the pot, and if so, if she could have a shot too.
    “So you propositioned me.” Sammie laughed, as if it was the funniest thing she’d heard in days, but Connie heard the suppressed sobs edging her voice. “ Sucky —I mean, lucky me!”
    Troy leaned forward with a smile. “We have money,” he began.
    Stag’s growl was utterly feral, and utterly furious. Troy and Bob jumped and jerked their heads around to stare up at the werewolf looming behind them. Maybe they were finally cluing in on how dangerous Stag was. “Mister,” one whined. “If we did something wrong, we’re real sorry. We didn’t know we did anything wrong.”
    “Liar,” Stag snarled. “You knew climbing the fence was wrong.”
    The expression of fright on their faces pulled another maniacal giggle from Sammie. “Dude!” she said, slapping the table. “You are so totally lucky it was me you propositioned. Stag would have buried you by now if I’d been Sherry.”
    “You’re part of this pack and they frightened you.” Stag’s voice remained hard and flat. “I can still bury them.”
    Sammie leaned forward toward the two strangers. “He’s really protective,” she confided in a tone she probably thought was whisper.
    When multiple voices rose in anger and fear, Connie pinched the bridge of her nose to try to relieve her headache. Faron cut through the babble with a roared “Be quiet!”
    Connie raised her head as everyone shut their mouths and stared at the sheriff.
    He stabbed a finger at the two men. “This isn’t Omaha, and this isn’t a whorehouse. How old are you?”
    Bob swallowed. “Twenty.”
    “I’m nineteen,” Troy said.
    Faron’s face was coldly condemning. “Old enough to know better. In Bellevue what would happen to two men found breaking into a compound with women?”
    Two Adam’s apples bobbed. “We didn’t mean anything. Really! We’re sorry!”
    Faron nodded at Stag. “Take them to Ray Madison.” He looked at the men again. “The mayor will decide what to do with you.”
    Stag wasn’t particularly gentle when he pulled them out of their seats and pushed them to the back door. He cast a frown at Faron. “Your guards didn’t see them climb the fence,” he said with disgust.
    “You’re right.” Faron sounded just as disgusted, with a big helping of anger added. “I’ll deal with the guards.” He waited until Stag and his prisoners had