Even now Riker was still baffled that Lucas would go to such extreme lengths. Even with all the evidence Riker could barely believe it. They had a statement from the wolf who was currently in hospital because of Riker - and who should consider himself fortunate that he wasn’t in the morgue. Grrr. He confirmed Lucas agreed to drop the charges against him if he went after Carrie and Mikey. Plus, after much interrogation, they had the low-level researcher who admitted that Lucas made him change the charges for the wolf from murder to littering – of all things! They also had a sworn statement from the guard who said Lucas personally escorted the wolf out of his cell, and he saw the two of them talking. Planning our family’s death snarled his wolf.
“If-if any of you touch me I’ll scream,” gulped Lucas.
Mick grinned. “I’m sure, but who do you think is going to come running?”
Lucas swallowed. Yep, it would just be other hunters who would come, and did he think they would protect him after attacking one of their own?
“No, no, I may do some… questionable things to get my job done, but what would you do without me?”
“Probably what we did before you arrived,” suggested Crow with a shrug.
“I’m making the world a safer place,” said Lucas piously.
Bee shook his head. “I think Riker’s mate would disagree.”
Lucas spread out his hands as he gave them a desperate look. “What are the lives of a couple of reindeer compared to what we do?”
Bee placed a hand on Riker’s shoulder, restraining him. Oh, Bee was fully committed to beating the hell out of Lucas if they had to, but they didn’t need to jump into it too soon.
“We?” repeated Mariska sweetly. “I’ve barely seen you do anything since you got here.”
Lucas gave Riker a hateful look. “If you hurt me the council will throw you in jail, and then what will your reindeer bitch do? Do you think she’ll be safe? Do you think anyone else will care about what I did?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that too much. You never met Carrie’s brother, right?” asked Mariska with a toothy smile. “Tall, dark hair, turns into a six-hundred-pound reindeer at will. He was no longer hunting by the time you arrived, but he probably has a few things to say about you trying to murder his only sister and nephew. Plus, she’s part of a big rich herd too, right? The Connors Herd. I wonder if they might care about some fox shifter trying to kill two of their herd mates.” Mariska tapped her lips thoughtfully. “I wonder…”
Lucas looked at them all one by one, and seeing no joy there, he made a bolt for it. He only managed two steps before Riker pounced. Apparently, this was his last hunt. It wasn’t very thrilling or exciting, but perhaps it was the most satisfying – particularly the screams Lucas was making. Yes, the screams and begging for mercy were the most enjoyable part of all. Rawr.
*
One month later
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” asked Carrie as she straightened Riker’s tie. “We really don’t have to rush into anything. We could take it slow.”
Riker cocked an eyebrow. “Really, babe? We’re living together, we have a pup, and I just gave up my job to be with you. We’re way past taking it slow.”
Carrie grinned. “I know, but marriage is a big step. If you wanted to wait a while I’d understand.”
Riker growled and her reindeer hooted in answer. “Babe, I’ve waited long enough, and I already know the worst, right?”
Carrie blushed. Yep, she’d even told him about how she was once a Girl Ranger and ate most of her cookies. But being unable to pay for them, she tried to bake some cookies herself and accidentally gave quite a few people food poisoning… not her finest moment.
“And you know the worst about me,” he said as Carrie patted his chest reassuringly. “I’ve been ready to be with you since the moment I met you, and I want us married before some other catastrophe happens to us.”
He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled, rubbing his cheek over her head.
“You’re messing up my hair,” she complained though without any heat.
“Besides, it’s about time I made an honest woman out of you, and our second pup is definitely going to be born in wedlock.”
Carrie chuffed and rubbed her hands over his chest. Yes, pup number two was already on his or her way. The second pup had been a surprise – though maybe it shouldn’t have been given that they had been getting lax on using their ‘things’ in the passion of the moment – but they were both pleased. They might wish they had been together from the start for Mikey, but they weren’t wasting any time with regret.
She had tried to return the box of fifty ‘things’ to the drugstore – given that they weren’t needed in the foreseeable future, but they had a no return policy on things like that. She had to settle for giving them to Tamra, and then hearing about her using them.
They were having a small ceremony in the garden with a handful of friends, family and hunters. Mal was best man, and Ariel matron of honor – they were already outside waiting along with Mikey who had been excited all morning. Of course, she was also forced into having six bridesmaids – Teena, Trini, Tamra, Izzy, Sophie, and Penny, but she didn’t mind too much, particularly as it was payback time for the bridesmaid dress Teena made her wear. Though, payback wasn’t very fulfilling, given that Teena actually really loved the purple monstrosity Carrie picked out for her.
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he rumbled. “But those guys out there,” he pointed to the garden, “most of them I only tolerate, so let’s hurry up and get hitched so we can get rid of them and enjoy a private celebration – just the three of us.”
She giggled. “You know that’s not going to happen, right? They’re going to be here for hours and hours and hours.”
“I know,” he groaned and she kissed him.
It was a good job they had the rest of their lives to celebrate, and she certainly planned to enjoy every moment.
Epilogue
Seven months later
Riker curled his upper lip at the prospective hunters in front of him. They looked green and… what was the word? Flimsy – yes, they looked like one puff from him would blow them right out of the door. But, well, they wanted to be hunters, and they managed to pass the psych evaluation, so after six months of Riker putting them through hell, either they would make fine hunters, or they would be running back home with their tails between their legs. Either way suited him.
He growled and all of them flinched. His inner wolf sniggered.
The council had wanted to make the training program only three months long, but Riker pushed for six. They agreed on the basis that after six months with him, the new hunters would be ready for absolutely anything.
The hunters were changing. A career, which was once seen as suicidal and only for the craziest beasts out there, was starting to look quite attractive, which probably accounted for the shrinking violets in front of him. Now, there actually were benefits – pensions, health insurance, funds in place for widows and orphans – should the worst happen. But the way they ran things was changing. Now, no hunter worked alone, always in teams, and their safety was taken much more seriously, and they were no longer on the road all the time. Hunters had more choice over their assignments, and more of a chance to have mates and children, and when it looked like the hunters were starting to burn out, they got help, rather than just being cut loose.
Riker almost regretted not being out there hunting with them, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it, because, if he had been out hunting, he would have missed a lot of wonderful things. He would have missed Mikey’s first word, which was Dada. He said it to Riker, whose head almost exploded with pride. He calmed down when Mikey called Carrie Dada too, and then called the next-door neighbor’s cat Dada, but after much coaching, now, Mikey was calling only him Dada. Mikey had also started saying plenty of other words too. His second word sounded suspiciously like sex, and Carrie had chas
ed Riker all over the house in annoyance – naturally he let her catch him and sensually torture him for that.
“I’m Riker,” he rumbled in a bored way to the new recruits.
They all smiled at him and looked at him in awe. He met their looks with an unimpressed stare.
“We start training tomorrow. So settle into your rooms and do whatever the hell you want for the rest of the day, I don’t care. You can go wherever you want on base except the armory and the houses on the west side.” That was where the instructors lived – where his family lived. “You’re in by 10 pm every night or you’re out for the night, and out of the program depending on the mood I’m in.”
He didn’t tend to have bad moods anymore, but he liked to pretend, lest the trainees knew how happy he was all the time and think they could take advantage.
The facility had just been finished recently, and these were their first recruits. Only seven at the moment, but maybe they would take on larger numbers later. Until recently, Carrie and Riker had been staying with Mal and Ariel, but now that they had their own house – built to their own specification. They were living on the facility grounds, which was happily still very close to her family and herd. Carrie had been sad to leave the family home, but it was a bit too small for all of them, and given Ariel and Mal’s adoration of Mikey, it probably wouldn’t be too long before they had their own baby anyway.
Besides, the facility was the best place for Riker’s family. He knew that over the years he probably had amassed quite a few enemies. He kept tabs on who was being released from prison, just in case any got it into their dumb heads to come after him for a little retribution, but having his family living there was the safest place for them. The facility wasn’t just for trainee hunters; it was also a place for other hunters to stay when they were passing through, and for any recuperating from injuries. At any given time, there were at least half a dozen hunters at the facility, not including trainees. Though, he had absolutely put his boot down when it was suggested that they have a holding area for their prey – that had to be completely separate from the facility and absolutely nowhere near his family.
The recruits looked back at him innocently.
“Well, go on, get out of here. You want anything, talk to Mick over there.”
Mick had been cleaning his fingernails with a rather large knife. He grinned at them, waving the knife. But even that didn’t make them shoo.
There was some elbowing going on between the seven of them before the boldest one lifted his chin and squared his shoulders.
“We just wanted to say what an honor it is to meet you and to have you training us, sir.”
“Sure,” muttered Riker as he looked at his watch. Damnit, he was already running five minutes late.
On seeing that Riker really wasn’t going to bite their heads off, the others became bolder.
“You’re a total legend…”
“We heard how you single handedly tracked down those four hyena shifters…”
“And how you once fought three bear shifters at once…”
Mick had to stifle some laughter while Riker glowered. Though, as the most beautiful two scents in the world hit his nose, he soon perked up, and whipped in the direction of the patter of tiny feet.
“Dada!”
Riker beamed as Mikey made slow progress along the corridor to him. His pup was walking, but he was unsteady on his feet. Though, the little guy was far too proud to accept being carried anymore and he insisted on walking everywhere. He even snarled if anyone dared pick him up when he fell over – he wanted to get up by himself.
Mikey stumbled to the floor, growled at the offending floor that dared trip him up, and clambered to his feet, unperturbed. Riker kneeled and Mikey lurched into his arms.
“You’re getting good, little man,” said Riker proudly.
He stood up and Mikey put his arms around his neck and glared at the new recruits. If anything, they seemed more intimidated by the one-year old giving them the stink eye than Riker.
“I’ll say,” said Carrie as she approached, out of breath. “He’s faster than I am at the moment.”
Riker ran a hand over her enormous stomach and their pup gave an obliging kick. Another boy was due in a month’s time, and Riker had to admit he was enjoying the pregnancy. He had missed out on this with Mikey, so was glad he had this with their second pup. Though, Carrie probably didn’t find it quite as enjoyable as him. While he liked the novelty of birthing classes, going for scans, and feeling the baby kick, she grumbled about backache, tiredness, heartburn, the pain of giving birth, and lots, lots, lots of other things. But, he knew she was just as excited as he was.
Carrie grasped his shirt and pulled Riker down for a brief kiss. “Are we going for lunch, or what? I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since second breakfast. We had waffles, didn’t we, little guy?”
“Waffys,” said Mikey, taking his eyes off the recruits for a moment.
“That’s right, waffles,” she laughed as she tickled his stomach.
Mick grinned and leered at Carrie. “May I say how lovely you’re looking today?”
Riker glared at him and Mikey quickly joined in with equal hostility. “Only if you enjoy hospital food,” warned Riker.
The recruits goggled at them, possibly amazed that Riker – he of the fearsome reputation – was cuddling up to his pup and getting grouchy because another dared to flirt with his mate. Well, if they thought the fact that he was a devoted family man made him any less fearsome, just wait until he started their training tomorrow. That would knock any doubts out of them, and possibly a few of their teeth.
Carrie stifled a giggle and smiled at the recruits. “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m sure you’ll see me around. I’m Carrie.”
“Mrs. Riker,” rumbled Riker, scowling at all the recruits, lest they dare call her anything else. His wolf grunted in agreement – these young idiots needed to know exactly whom Carrie and Mikey belonged to, right off the bat, lest they get it into their thick heads that they were allowed to talk to them or anything like that.
They all quickly gushed about how it was such a pleasure to meet her, and how pleased they were to meet her, and how proud she must be of her husband, and they would have said more were it not for Riker’s growl, silencing them.
“Go on, get out of here. Mick will show you around.”
“Lucky me,” chuckled Mick as he led them away and started telling them a highly embellished story about him tackling a whole clan of bear shifters.
Carrie almost sobbed with laughter when they left. “Fans of yours I take it?” she teased in between hiccups.
“Humph. Young idiots.”
He’d soon have them hating him, rather than hero-worshipping him.
“Be nice,” she chided, patting his chest, right over his heart – the heart she had stolen more than two years ago.
Riker placed his hand over hers, and the vibrations of his rapid heartbeat pulsed through them.
“I don’t care what they think. There’s only two people in the world that matter to me – soon to be three.”
Carrie beamed. “And you’re already our hero.”
Mikey growled in agreement and Riker smiled.
“That’s all I care about.”
Mine. Rawr.
The end
The author is an obsessive reader of cozy mysteries and supernatural stories – in particular she loves supernatural cozy mysteries, and has watched every single episode of Psych at least twenty times. She spends far too much time reading or watching TV and firmly believes that you can never have too many books, handbags or brooches. When she isn’t writing supernatural stories she is at her day job, daydreaming about writing supernatural stories.
www.elizabethannprice.com
Stories currently available to purchase (as of January 2020) and more stories are coming soon!
Grey Wolf Pack Romance
The series is set in the fictional town of Rose and follows the members of the Grey
pack of wolf shifters as they find their mates. Expect lots of growling and overuse of the word 'mine'!
A Mate for the Beta
The Alpha’s Mate
The Librarian and the Wolf
Into the Arms of the Wolf
Wolves for the Bears
The Witch, the Wolf and the Snowstorm
Patient Mates
The Omega’s Mate
The Wolf and the Bobcat
- Short Stories Collection One
Mating the Red Wolf
Valentine’s Wolf
- Short Stories Collection Two
The Tiger’s Mate
The Reluctant Mate
One Night with the Wolf
- Tanner Troubles: Short Stories
Supernatural Bounty Hunters
Set in the fictional city by the beach Playa Lunar, the series follows bounty hunters and their sometimes hapless attempts to catch their wily (or irritating) supernatural skips while inevitably meeting their mates.
Foxy on the Run
Dead Man Running
To Catch a Snake
Bears in Flight
Flamingo Fugitive
Gorilla in the Wind
Supernatural Enforcers Agency
Stories about the shifters, psychics, vampires (and zombies!) who work for the SEA - Supernatural Enforcers Agency, set in the fictional city of Los Lobos. Read about how they solve crime and meet their mates!
Polar Bears are Forever
For Your Paws Only
You Only Live Nine Times
Sealed With a Hiss
- Holiday Mates (short stories)
The Bear and the Unicorn
Scared to Death (novella)
A Bite Before Dying
Wolfman: The Lioness and the Wolf
- Valentine’s Mates (short stories)
Gargoyles
The race of gargoyles were created to stop the armies of Morgan le Fay taking over world. But after being betrayed and cursed, they sleep for nearly a thousand years until they are finally woken and discover how to live in the modern world - while finding their mates, naturally!
The Reindeer's New Year Love (Reindeer Holidays Book 7) Page 17
