Captivated By The She-Wolf
“They do.” Gavin leaned back in his chair. “The Co-op owns a lot of property, which is why we maintain a separate town charter. Our lands, including our wolf sanctuary, lie outside the jurisdiction of the Maico sheriff’s department and emergency services, so we created our own.”
“The Co-op is its own public municipality?”
“Municipality, yes. Public, no. We maintain an exclusive membership.”
“What are the requirements?”
“Most of our members were born into a Co-op family,” Gavin said.
Well, Bodie wouldn’t be joining their ranks that way.
“Others married members or were inducted because of determinable loyalty to the Co-op and our mission.”
Things were looking up again. “And your mission is?”
“To safeguard and provide for our families and community, and to protect our way of life.”
“An admirable mission close to my heart.”
“Then perhaps you are a kindred spirit.” Gavin smiled. “I hear your family came with you to Maico.”
A reactionary sliver of alarm pulsed beneath Bodie’s skin. He didn’t detect any hint of malice or threat coming from Gavin but Bodie was overly cautious where his family was concerned. “Yes, my daughter and my mother.”
“Your wife?”
“She died following childbirth.”
“Now I understand why you paled when Tristan mentioned Nel’s pregnancy.” Something in Gavin’s demeanor softened. “My condolences.”
“It’s been almost sixteen years, but thank you.” Bodie hadn’t realized he’d reacted at all. He needed to school his expressions more carefully. “I would do anything to protect my daughter and I’m sure you would do the same for your family.” Or pack.
Gavin nodded. “I’ll speak with Tristan about coordinating efforts regarding last night’s poaching incident.”
“So there was an incident. I was informed the shots were an innocent kids’ game.” Not that Bodie had believed it.
“Cooter told me what he said to you. He doesn’t like outsiders nosing into Co-op business.” Gavin gave a look that silenced Bodie’s interjection. “However, I believe it can be mutually beneficial if we work together to curtail this threat.”
“I appreciate your cooperation.” A weight didn’t necessarily lift from Bodie’s shoulders but he did feel a small sense of relief. “Were any of your wolves harmed?”
“Thankfully, no. But the hunters did kill a young deer inside the sanctuary,” Gavin said.
A chill passed through Bodie; he knew the Co-op’s sentinels wouldn’t stop until the perpetrators were found and he hoped to avoid another situation that might be blamed on the nonexistent wild boar.
“Reed Sumner, one of our security officers, said three men escaped through a cut portion of the sanctuary’s fencing. The breech is being repaired and we’ve doubled our patrols.”
“Did Sumner get a good look at the men? Or their vehicle?”
Gavin shook his head slowly and Bodie got the feeling that if the men’s identities had been known, they would not be having this conversation. “We do suspect that the vehicle was a truck, based on the tire tracks.”
“At least I know to look for a trio in a truck.” Bodie stood. “Thank you for your time.”
“Tristan has your number?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Excellent.” Gavin stood. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Just out of curiosity,” Bodie began as they headed down the corridor.
Gavin chuckled. “I thought you might have a question or two.”
“How did the select few you mentioned earn membership in the Co-op?”
“Quite frankly, they put themselves in jeopardy to defend and protect one of our own.”
“So basically, they honored your mission by nearly dying for it.”
“Exactly.” Gavin patted Bodie’s shoulder.
“Thanks for the tip.” But it was one too risky to consider. If Bodie decided to pursue membership in the Co-op, a safer and more pleasant way would be to court Ronni and take her as his mate.
He’d married out of duty before and would do so again if necessary. Maybe this time, it would be different. Bodie already knew he was sexually attracted to Ronni. The warmth of her kind touch still lingered in his mind. Too easily, he could recall every luscious curve and line of her naked human form. Fully dressed in jeans and a flowy blouse, she was still beautiful.
For a moment at the diner, when she had leaned close to him, he’d had to force his gaze away from her before he reached to touch the reddish-blonde tendrils that had worked loose from her relaxed braid. And those cobalt blue eyes... He’d seen more than a flicker of interest in their depths.
Even if they didn’t fall in love, she could be a good match. And as long as his family was safe, having Ronni warm his bed wouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience. He almost smiled.
Chapter 4
“It’s past quittin’ time.” Ronni tried to turn her grin into a frown as Rafe and Alex ducked their heads from beneath the car hood and stared wide-eyed at her with identical “oops” expressions.
“Rafe was showing me the guts of Brice’s Maserati.” Excitement flushed Alex’s handsome face. Every day, he looked more and more like his father.
Except his eyes. Those cobalt blues were a gift from Ronni’s maternal line. A gift that Rafe had also inherited.
Over the last year, Rafe had become like a brother to Ronni. And, at the very least, a favorite uncle to Alex. Rafe’s quiet strength and patience had helped steer Alex through the maelstrom of emotion the last year and a half had wrought. Alex was in a good place now.
So was she, until this morning.
When coming to Walker’s Run, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. After receiving today’s letter from the Woelfesenat, the exact opposite was true.
“I meant to call,” Rafe said, cleaning his hands with the shop towel he drew from the back pocket of his gray coveralls. “I’m dropping off Brice’s car and I told Alex he could come along, if it’s okay with you.”
Blood pressure inching up, Ronni eyed the expensive sports car. “By come along, you mean as a passenger, right? Not the driver?”
“Mom!” Alex’s brow scrunched in tandem with a ferocious frown. “I do know how to drive.”
“My four cylinder.” Ronni swallowed the screech in her voice. The upcoming drama with Jeb paled in comparison to the thought of her son speeding along a narrow, crooked road, missing a sharp curve and sailing off the side of the mountain. “Not something with a rocket engine.”
“It doesn’t have quite that much horsepower.” Rafe snorted. “And I’m not crazy. I didn’t agree to let him drive.”
“Brice said I could and he’s the Alpha-in-waiting.”
“Brice isn’t your mother. I am.” She raised one eyebrow, her signal to Alex that the discussion was over.
Alex humphed resoundingly, indicating his compliance under protest.
“I’ll see you after school tomorrow,” Alex said to Rafe, then glanced longingly at the flashy car.
“We’re not leaving yet. It’s time for a family meeting with Rafe.”
“Let’s go inside.” Rafe punched the buttons on the wall. Motor humming, the bay doors descended slowly to close up the service area. He held open the interior door leading into the empty customer service lounge. Ronni and Alex followed him through the short hallway to the employee break room.
The layout of Wyatt’s Automotive Service was similar to Rafe’s first repair shop, which had burnt down in an industrial fire caused by the same deranged wolfan who had torched the home Rafe had given Ronni and Alex upon their arrival in Walker’s Run. Only Rafe’s new building didn’t have an apartment like the old one did. Of course, now happily mated and a new dad, Rafe no longer cared to sleep where he worked.
She and Alex sat at one of the round tables in the kitchenette. Rafe pulled three bottles of water out of the refrigerator. Alex accepted the one offered to him, but Ronni waved hers away. Anything in her stomach might come right back up.
Rafe sat in the chair directly across from Ronni, concern weighting his gaze. “Whatever is eatin’ at you, just spit it out before it chokes you.”
“Remember how we thought you were our only blood-kin?”
Nodding, Rafe swallowed a gulp of water.
“Well, Zeke had an older brother.”
“Uncle Jeb,” Alex announced. “Dad said he left the Pine Ridge pack and was killed in a bar fight before I was born.”
“That’s what we thought, hon. But I got a letter from the Woelfesenat.” She handed it to Rafe. “Jeb isn’t dead.”
Alex blinked and gave a slight shrug. “What do they want us to do? Let him live here? Like Rafe did for us when Dad died?”
“Jeb doesn’t need a place to live. He’s the Pine Ridge Alpha now.”
No emotion registered on Alex’s face. The loss of his father, relocation to a new pack, a devastating home fire and nearly losing Rafe, whom Alex idolized, in a deadly wolf fight... How much more could a teenage wolfling handle?
On the flip side, plenty of emotion flickered in Rafe’s laser-intense eyes. She didn’t need to explain the gravity of the situation to him.
“Well, he can’t be any worse than the last Alpha,” Alex said.
Oh, he certainly could. Jeb had been a terror in his own right. He liked to hurt people, something he learned from his abusive father. Jeb hated his sire and eventually put him down, but the fallen apple hadn’t rolled away from the tree in his case. Those violent seeds took root and Ronni doubted the years had wormed out those traits.
“The Woelfesenat said Jeb wants to get to know us.” Ronni’s brain silently screamed furious defiance and she had to force herself not to shake.
“When?” There was a cold edge in Rafe’s voice. Likely, he was sensing her outrage and his protective instinct had kicked in.
“Soon, I imagine.” The thought of running had crossed her mind more than once, but she had no doubt that Jeb would track them down. Better to face him in Walker’s Run where she had the protection of her pack. “I asked Brice to schedule a video conference with the councilman he knows.” The Alpha’s son was highly respected within the Woelfesenat and he had promised to do all he could to keep the situation from escalating. “I’ll know more after speaking with them.”
“If you want me to be there...” There was a pregnant pause.
“Of course I do.” Ronni’s heart squeezed. As the oldest male blood-kin in her family, he could make significant decisions concerning her and Alex, until she took another mate or Alex turned eighteen. However, Rafe allowed Ronni the freedom to make choices and act in her and Alex’s best interest without interference. “I’d appreciate the support.”
“Where do you think he’s been all this time?” Alex toyed with his empty water bottle.
Not dead and buried as she had believed. “I don’t want to imagine where he’s been or what he’s done. Jeb isn’t like your father, Alex. Your father was a good man. The only decent thing Jeb ever did was leave Pine Ridge.”
“Why did he go back?” Rafe leaned in his chair, arms crossed high on his chest, his default posture when mentally digging in his heels on an issue.
It warmed Ronni’s heart to know he really cared about them.
“I guess he finally heard about Zeke’s passing. Alex is now his only blood-kin.” And Ronni was the she-wolf Jeb had been dead-set on claiming, until Zeke beat him to it.
Finally understanding the significance of Jeb’s return caused the bright blue of Alex’s eyes to turn icy. “I’m not leaving Walker’s Run. If Uncle Jeb wants to see me, he can come here.”
Ronni would inform the Woelfesenat of the same. Both she and Alex had finally settled into a comfortable routine within the Walker’s Run pack. It wasn’t fair to uproot them because a stranger with a closer genetic relation to Alex had suddenly risen from the dead.
Regardless of wolfan law, she was Alex’s mother. It was her right to decide what was best for her son and that definitely wasn’t Jeb Lyles.
* * *
“What’s going on?” Stepping into the camper serving as their temporary residence, Bodie nearly choked on the tension between Willow and his mother, Mary.
“Enisi!” Willow ground out the Tlanuhwa word for grandmother. “She never lets me do anything fun!” Willow sat at the small dining table, her arms folded across her chest, an uncharacteristic, cross look on her angelic face.
Equally visibly vexed, Mary took a plate of food from the refrigerator and shoved it into the microwave.
Really, Bodie could warm up his own supper without his mother’s assistance, but the last time he tried, she’d gotten upset. A full-time homemaker when Bodie was growing up, Mary continued to fulfill the role after his daughter was born. Now that Willow was on the cusp of early adulthood, Bodie guessed his mother was feeling like she was no longer needed.
“I’m almost sixteen.” Willow’s jaw jutted, reminding Bodie of himself.
Even without hearing both sides of the story, he was sympathetic to Willow. At her age, he’d been eager to stretch his wings, too.
“What is it that you want to do?” he asked her.
Still frowning, she watched him with guarded eyes. “There’s a football game Friday night and Lucas asked me to go.”
Bodie’s first instinct was to agree with his mother. His little girl, out with boys? He shuddered, remembering very well what teenagers were like.
But his mother had tried to keep him under an iron thumb and he had rebelled, sneaking out at night, keeping secrets. Bodie didn’t want Willow to engage in similar behavior.
“Just you and Lucas?” Bodie sat across from Willow.
“Alex and Ella are going, too. Alex said his mom will take us.”
Now Bodie’s interest was definitely piqued. “Is she staying or dropping off?”
“I guess she’s staying.” Willow bit her lip, her eyes growing wide. “Please, Dad. I’ve never had friends before and I want to do stuff with them.”
“How about I take you to the game and meet your friends? Afterward, I’ll consider taking everyone out for pizza.”
Sunshine burst on Willow’s face. She squealed and slid out of her seat to hug him.
He squeezed her, wanting to hold on to his little girl. But she wasn’t little anymore. Soon she’d experience her first shift and in a few years, she’d likely take a mate.
His heart sank. The Tribunal would select a match for her, as it had done for him. Bordering on extinction, the Tlanuhwa had one priority: increasing the flock.
Bodie had resented being forced into an arranged match. He’d wanted to choose his own path, his own mate. In the end, he’d been forced to submit. Still, he never regretted his decision. How could he when he’d been gifted with Willow?
As Tlanuhwa, he understood the dire need for the propagation laws. But as a father, he had a difficult time supporting an archaic mandate that might not be in the best interest of his child.
Willow gave her grandmother a triumphant look. “I’m going to call Lucas.” She grabbed her phone and plopped on the pullout couch in the small living area which also served as Bodie’s bedroom.
Shaking her head, Mary retrieved the plate from the microwave and placed it in front of Bodie. He nodded his thanks without meeting her gaze.
“You’re too soft with her,” his mother said. “It gives her false hope.”
“How?” Bodie swirled his fork through his food.
“She cannot escape the law.” Mary hovered over him. “Unless you want her thrown to wolves, defenseless and shunned.”
Mentally, Bodie snorted. The wolves he’d encountered at the Walker’s Run sanctuary might not be as ruthless as the threat his mother intended.
“I want Willow to be happy.” Bodie watched his daughter. All smiles and giggles as she lounged on the couch and video chatted with Lucas.
“How happy will she be when our race becomes extinct?”
“The Tlanuhwa’s survival isn’t dependent on one girl.”
“What if more fathers think like you?”
Considering the recent conversation that he had with a couple of clansmen, Bodie suspected some already did.
“The Tribunal will be unable to pair the best matches. What then?”
“Maybe we’ll evolve into something more than a tired, frightened people.” Bodie shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth and swallowed without tasting it.
Mary tossed her hands in the air. “If your father were here!”
“We wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Because Bodie would’ve made an entirely different choice. But when his father died, Bodie did what he had to do for his mother’s sake.
“It’s cruel to give her so much freedom. It will only break her heart in the long run.” Huffing, his mother moved into the kitchenette to wash the few dishes in the sink.
Bodie’s heart pinged. His own heart had been broken after falling in love with his college girlfriend. His mind’s eye had even created a reality in which they could’ve lived happily-ever-after, if he had been human.
But he wasn’t, and the Tlanuhwa were the monsters in fairy tales, not the princes and princesses. How many times had his mother told him that there were no true happy endings for their kind? Survival was all that mattered.
He yearned for something different for his daughter.
Maybe that was how the end began. One father breaking with tradition, hoping to give his daughter what he and her mother had been denied.
“Times have changed,” he said quietly. “The Tlanuhwa should, too.”
“Remember,” his mother warned. “That kind of thinking is what got your father killed.”
It wasn’t something Bodie would likely forget.
If he met his father’s fate, his mother and daughter would be all alone and without support. He hoped forging an alliance with the Co-op would ensure that his family would be looked after if anything should happen to him.
“Dad?”
“What, chickadee?” Turning toward Willow, he cleared all worries from his expression.
“Did you get the stuff I need from the craft store in Gainesville?”
“No, but I met Alex’s mom. She owns The Stitchery in Maico and she has everything you need. Enisi can take you after school tomorrow.” He glanced at his mother. “It’s off Sorghum Avenue.”
Bodie wished he could take Willow himself but by the time he got off, Ronni’s store would be closed. He would have to wait until Friday night to get up close and personal with her again. Until then, watching over her from his perch in her backyard would have to suffice.
Chapter 5
“Boy or girl?” Ronni asked the pregnant woman walking into the store.
“I didn’t want to know.” Nel Buchanan’s unexpected visit was a bit of sunshine in Ronni’s gloom.
“I bet Gavin had a conniption, or did Doc tell him?”
“Nope. I pulled the HIPAA card. Doc can’t release any of my information without my explicit permission.”
“That’s an advantage of being human,” Ronni laughed. “A wolfan can’t keep a secret from the Alpha.” Something she’d learned when Gavin called about the situation with Jeb minutes after she had received the news and assured her that she had the pack’s support.
Ronni knew she would, but having the Walker’s Run Alpha tell her that personally had meant a lot.
“Which is why Tristan doesn’t know either.” Nel’s skin had a radiant glow, not just from the pregnancy; she was truly happy.
Ronni’s heart pinched. Tristan was lucky to have recently reclaimed his mate after she left him. Having lost her own mate, Ronni had sympathized with his pain. However, Tristan’s mate had returned to him and Ronni’s never could.
Still, that didn’t diminish her happiness that her friends had reunited. And everyone in the pack loved it when a new wolfling was on the way.
“He’s okay with not knowing?”
“Said he didn’t care. He only wants the baby to be healthy.” Rubbing her stomach, Nel walked up to the counter where Ronni stood. “No matter what, he’s going to spoil this little one rotten.”
“As well he should,” Ronni said. “How are the house plans coming?”
“That’s why I’m here.” Nel withdrew a folder from her flashy designer bag. Likely a gift from Tristan’s socialite mother. Nel’s personal style was more subdued.
“Meeting Suzannah today?”
“We had lunch.” Nel grinned. “She was not happy when I told her no one would find out the baby’s sex until delivery. I may not get any more highfalutin gifts.” Thank goodness, Nel mouthed.
“What are these?” Ronni picked up one of the papers Nel had laid on the counter.
“Rough sketches of the interior of the new house. We finally agreed on a floor plan. Tristan is meeting with his dad today to work out the construction plan. If all goes well, we’ll be able to move in by the end of January.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“It will be. I’m grateful Gavin is letting us live in one of the resort’s rental cabins, but I’m counting the days until we have our own place.”
“I know the feeling.” Ronni and Alex had temporarily lived in a resort cabin after the fire that destroyed their home.
Nel handed Ronni sketches of each room’s decor. The patterns and color choices were spot-on, but Ronni would expect no less from an artist whose future mother-in-law was an interior designer.
“I know your schedule is pretty full, but I’m hoping you can squeeze in an order for custom curtains, bedding and some accessories.”
“Of course,” Ronni said. “I’ll order the fabrics and call you when it comes in. Before I start cutting, I want to make sure it really is what you want.”
“Great! Here are all of the window measurements. Tristan promised he wouldn’t make any more changes.”
Ronni tucked all the papers into a manila folder.
“Grace, Cassie and I are having a spa day at the resort on Sunday. Would you please join us?”
Ronni nearly defaulted to her usual “thanks, but no thanks” response. Grace, Rafe’s mate, often tried to include Ronni in her girls-only outings. She had always declined because Grace and her friends were human, they were younger than her and Ronni wasn’t quite sure how she would fit into their group.
“Everything you do is either for Alex or the store. Once in a while, it’s okay to do something just for you. Besides.” Nel made an exaggerated pouty face. “It’s unlucky to make a pregnant woman sad.”
Ronni didn’t need any more bad luck. “What time?”
Surprise lit Nel’s face. “Ten o’clock. We do a leisurely brunch in the resort’s restaurant, then a full massage, followed by a manicure and pedicure which is a-mazing.”
“Sounds nice.” Ronni’s voice fell unintentionally flat.
“Don’t tell me you’re coming and then skip out,” Nel said. “It’ll hurt my feelings.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Good.” Nel slipped the straps to her bag onto her shoulder. “We’ll see you Sunday at ten.”
After Nel left, Ronni pulled the laptop from beneath the counter. As her nails clicked the keyboard, Ronni silently admitted it was time for a good manicure and decided she was actually looking forward to spa day.
By the time the chimes above the door jingled, Ronni realized she’d spent nearly two hours searching online fabric wholesalers for Nel’s project.
“Welcome to The Stitchery,” she greeted the newcomers, an older Native American woman and a teenager.
“You’re Alex’s mom, right?”
“Yes. You must be Willow.” The girl’s long, black straight hair fell midway down her back and her flawless skin was a shade lighter than her father’s.
The teenager’s eyes, a light brown with golden flecks just like her father’s, widened. “I am.”
“I met your dad yesterday. He said you would come by today.” Ronni walked from behind the counter toward the older woman. “I’m Ronni.” She extended her hand as human custom dictated. “You must be Bodie’s mother.”
“Mary.” The woman accepted the greeting but there was no warmth in it. She had the same sharp angles in her face as Bodie, but her eyes were an espresso color and the black hair pulled back in a severe bun was laced with threads of silver.
“I have the list of supplies you need,” Ronni said to Willow. “What are you making?”