Force of Nature by Kathi S. Barton

no doubt, Austin.
    She climbed in and sat back on the plush seat. Damn, damn, damn . She’d thought about her mad dash to get as far away from the truck as possible while trying to figure out what to do about it. Now look , she thought, up the creek and no paddle, but plenty of dogs…sorry , she amended, wolves .
    She’d moved her rig to the very back of the lot. She had been about that far back anyway when she parked in the first place, but had started up and was in the process of pulling into a space when she saw Isaac. She waved at him then pulled in two rigs down from him and was just settled again in when he knocked at her door.
    “Hey, kiddo. I’d heard you’d given up the road. Glad to see you…what’s wrong?” She thought it strange that he sniffed her before he continued. “You smell…well, well. Who’s the new guy?”
    She flushed. There was no new guy, not even an old guy, she wanted to scream, but decided that a change of subject was better. She told him what she’d found out about Solomon Trucking instead of answering. In hindsight, she wished she’d just answered the guy’s question.
    “You saw them cut the seal? Who did it, do you know? Where is it now, the truck I, mean?
    Can you take me to it?” She stared at him, thinking, when he grinned. “I know you know about my kind now so I figure you can be trusted.”
    “Your kind? What…I don’t understand what you mean. And I’m not having anything to do with that company. I’ve got enough problems right now without buying more of my own.” She started to close the door again before he or she said something stupid. It turned out he said something that pissed her off more than Austin had. Fucking dogs.
    “I’m an undercover cop and I’m investigating the theft of loads being taken off this and other lots all over the state. If you don’t help me, CJ, I’ll have to assume you’re a part of the ring doing it and have you arrested. Help me and I’ll owe you.”
    She looked down at him from her rig. “You said ‘your kind.’ What did you mean?” She was afraid she already knew the answer, but not how he knew.
    “You’ve been marked by a wolf—a werewolf. Powerful one by the scent. And he would have had to have told you or the scent wouldn’t be so strong. A wolf can’t mark someone like that unless he’s found his mate. Are you his mate?”
    “Mark? Mark how? I…he didn’t bite me. I told him…fuck!” Dawning was slow in coming to her. “You’re a dog…err wolf too?”

    His grin made her feel like she was stupid. “Very good, yes, I am. And he’s marked you by…well, he would have…shit, girl. He had sex with you. His essences, his…hum…his semen would be enough to keep other wolves at bay that weren’t already mated.”
    His semen. His cum. He had come on her and— “He didn’t have sex with me. He just came on me.” Isaac was nodding before she finished. “He marked me. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to buy a gun…and why are you shaking your head no?”
    “You can’t hurt him. I mean, you can try, but because you’re his mate, you won’t be able to cause him harm. Mates are a little rough during sex so something about the DNA makes it so that they can’t get too rough and really hurt the other.” Isaac smiled at her. “Didn’t he explain any of this to you before you left him?”
    She didn’t answer. She was trying to absorb the fact that Isaac said that she and Austin were mates. What the hell did that mean, she wondered? She didn’t think she could take much more, so she changed the subject back to Solomon.
    “I not only saw them cut the seal, but they want me to take the load for them. I haven’t told them no yet, but…there you go again. Why are you shaking your head ‘no’ this time?” She just wanted to sit down or lie down. Right now, she wanted to hide then lie down.
    “You’ve just given us the break we need, darlin’. And if I have my way, you and me, we’re going