A Mating of Convenience

by Elyce de Reefe

  “That’s right. And well—” She wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to defend him. They weren’t friends, exactly. But they had forged a kind of bond that night discussing their mutual failure to protect those they loved. And he had treated her with respect, as a valued colleague, all this time. And these were his rivals. At least that’s what Marten had called them.

  “You didn’t see him. How distraught he was. How devastated. I wanted to help him. And I wanted to do what I could to prevent anyone else from suffering such a terrible death.”

  “I see.” Lucas shot Boaz a look over her shoulder, his mouth tight, but his expression not nearly as belligerent as before. He drew in a breath and glanced at her before looking away. He almost looked— uncertain.

  He reached up with one hand and began messaging the back of his neck. “I’m going to have to call Marten,” he muttered, not sounding at all happy about it. He turned back suddenly and faced her.

  “Thank you, Dr. Evans, for answering my questions. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Please, don’t let me keep you from the rest of your day.” The formal way he said it, the cordial tone, threw Nina off balance. He turned away again, and something about him, his posture, maybe, made her think of a besieged leader trying to lead his troops out of a dangerous quagmire.

  “Nina,” she said impulsively. “Please, call me Nina.”

  He spun back to face her, his eyes narrowed in a piercing stare. She had to bite her tongue to keep from stammering something else, like “if you want to,” or “you don’t have to,” like some silly teenager.

  He regarded her for a long moment, his chocolate brown eyes still narrowed. “Nina,” he agreed finally, and she let out her breath. “Thank you for your cooperation. I may have more questions in the future, but for now, you may go.” And with that he turned and headed up the basement steps with a firm, even tread.

  She sat frozen for a moment, unable to move. Then Boaz took her elbow and helped her down from the stool. He took the forgotten drink from her hand. Silently, he held it up to her, but she shook her head.

  “Your research into the Sickness is very important, Nina. I hope that between you and Dean, somehow you can find a cure.” She stared up at him, speechless as his eyes softened and his mouth curved up in the ghost of a smile. Gently, he stroked one thumb across her cheekbone.

  When she tried to drop her eyes away from his intense gaze, his fingers dipped to trace the line of her jaw, tilting her chin up. “You did well, Nina.”

  Her belly did a little flip. “Um… Thank you,” she managed finally. This man… he was constantly unnerving her. “Well, I guess we should go.” She turned and headed for the stairs, needing to get out of there.

  When he dropped her off at the trailer a short time later, she entered it with an almost welcome sense of familiarity. It felt good to lose herself in her research, and not think about men, and werewolves, and… Boaz. To just immerse herself in something unambiguous— trying to find a solution to a desperate problem. That, at least, was something she was used to.

  Chapter 9

  The next several days settled into a routine of sorts, with Boaz escorting her to the trailer each morning where she spent a companionable day researching with Dean and watching over Aster’s recovery. In the evenings, Boaz would arrive to take her for a stroll, sometimes through the woods, or along the river, and sometimes over the footbridge and through the meadow on the other side. They were low pressure walks with absolutely no need to make small talk. Boaz didn’t even seem to know small talk existed. It didn’t take long before she relaxed and let the soothing smells and sounds of nature wash away the tension of leaning over a microscope all day.

  Then there would be dinner for two, twice on the patio next to the house, but mostly at their table down by the river. Once they’d even hiked up to the top of the ridge on the other side of the meadow and had a picnic dinner overlooking the valley below. Sitting there, watching the sun set the sky alight in a glorious blaze of color, was simply enchanting. It was one of the most peaceful evenings Nina had ever spent.

  As usual there wasn’t a whole lot of conversation, but there was some. Under other circumstances it could have even been romantic. Especially since Boaz had to practically carry her back down through the trees afterwards. She couldn’t see a thing until they reached the meadow. He seemed to have extraordinary night vision, which shouldn’t surprise her. But even then, he didn’t take the opportunity to pull her against him. He was almost diffident in the way he touched her.

  But he held her hand. A lot. Every evening during their walks he would wordlessly reach down and take her hand, holding it gently for the duration. For such a powerful man, it was very endearing. What had been intimidating at first, his silent, hulking presence, had started to feel almost comforting, and she found herself relaxing in a way she never did around men.

  There was no need to be ‘on.’ No need to try to impress him. None of those typical dating games to play. Not that that they were dating, of course. But she couldn’t help making certain comparisons.

  Although, she hadn’t really dated since college. She just didn’t have the time. She was too focused on finding a cure for Eva. Maybe that was why she let the peaceful companionship of the days wash over her. It was nice not to be in charge for once, to not be one hundred percent responsible for how she spent her time. Especially since she was making progress on her research.

  Still, every night she got out of bed at least two or three times—ostensibly to use the bathroom—but really to check Boaz’s alertness. Every night, he sat up immediately. She was hoping he would finally get used to it and just sleep through, but he never did. And he never said a word, never mentioned it the next day, just waited for her to get safely back under the covers before he resettled himself. It was like a game they were playing. One that neither of them spoke of. A game she was clearly losing.

  But she did manage to get her hands on her fertility files and was well on her way to recreating that last batch of formula. She was convinced it had been just about perfect. She needed to escape as soon as it was completed, because she had no intention of having werewolf babies. What kind of genetics would they carry? She highly doubted such a child would have the stem cells needed to treat Eva’s disease. If it was even possible to reproduce with a— well, with a not-werewolf.

  She started making plans. She’d have to get this just right. Boaz was proving too alert to trick into letting her escape. And he was just too big and too silent for her to want to contemplate defying. The last thing she wanted was all two hundred and fifty pounds of Boaz ticked off and chasing her through the woods.

  As far as the Sickness research went, she and Dean were working together to identify the exact genes that caused the disease to manifest. It was fascinating work, and going much more quickly with the two of them. And it was a great cover for her own research. She was surprised to realize how much she liked having a companion to bounce ideas off of. And Dean was amazingly sharp. She was happy to do whatever she could to help prevent the kind of terrible death Mr. Heartwood had suffered. She might not be too happy with the ‘people’ who had kidnapped her, but that didn’t mean their entire population was guilty.

  Three things happened to break up this peaceful interlude. The first occurred two days after her ‘interview’ with Lucas. Nina was immersed in tracing a promising strand of DNA, one with a particularly high percentage of pre-homo sapient genes, when a knock on the trailer door made her look up. Dean made a little noise of annoyance at the interruption, but he left his station to open the door.

  An auburn-haired woman appeared in the doorway. Nina blinked in surprise. She had a vague memory of seeing this woman briefly on the night she arrived— of Jesse ushering her out onto the porch while Lucas and Boaz frog-marched her over to the basement steps.

  “Hi Dean,” the woman said brightly. “We came to check on Aster.” But she belied those words by peering around his shoulder and giving Nina a little wave
.

  “Elizabeth, you can’t come in.” Dean’s voice was firm.

  “Is she awake?”

  “Yes, but— ooof.” Dean made a sound like he’d been hit in the stomach and staggered back a step.

  “Good. Take that, will you?” The woman took full advantage and slipped around him into the trailer. “It’s soup, so don’t spill it.”

  She turned to Nina with another little wave as she sailed past. “Hi, I’m Elizabeth.”

  She placed a bag on the counter next to the sink and kept going. Dean was right behind her holding a large pot in both hands.

  “Aster, honey,” she called. “It’s Elizabeth. I brought you brownies, and muffins, and chicken noodle soup.” She paused in the doorway to the bedroom and turned to address Dean, who was depositing the soup on the counter. “And I brought you meatloaf, so don’t give me any trouble.” And then she was through the door into the bedroom.

  Two more women appeared in the trailer doorway, which Dean had neglected to shut. They slipped quietly inside and waved as they headed past her toward the back. The first woman was tall and striking, with classic features and a cloud of pale, champagne-blond hair. While Elizabeth had been wearing jeans and a cotton sweater, this woman was wearing a long light blue tunic and darker blue pants in some kind of silky material that fluttered when she walked. The second woman was smaller and also blond, but her hair was darker, and she looked young. Younger than Eva even. And she was dressed casually in jeans and a pink thermal Henley. Both women deposited tinfoil-covered trays on the counter and continued on to the bedroom carrying shopping bags.

  They disappeared, but Nina could still hear Elizabeth talking through the open door.

  “…you poor thing. I heard you tried to take on two armed thugs single-handed. You have to stop doing that, honey. It’s bad for your health.”

  There was a muffled laugh and Elizabeth’s voice continued. “Do you need anything? I brought Mari and Lyla to visit. You must be going out of your mind cooped up out here. I only have a minute—the cavalry will be here soon—but I’ll be back. Cray finally decided to join the training this morning, so this was my first opportunity. That man hasn’t left my side since—”

  There was a brief pause and then her voice continued briskly. “Well, you know. Since that night. Anyway, we brought you some books and magazines. Sorry, it’s just what we had around. The guys are a little crazy about security right now.” She sounded exasperated. “We can’t leave the territory. This should help keep you occupied for a little while though.”

  There was another short pause, and Nina could hear someone else talking, too low for her to make out the words.

  Then Elizabeth was talking again. “Okay, Aster, we’ll be back. We just want to talk to Dr. Evans for a minute before the guys show up.”

  Nina heard Aster’s voice but couldn’t quite make out what she was saying. They wanted to talk to her? They seemed friendly enough, but—

  Just then Elizabeth appeared in the doorway. She spotted Dean leaning against the counter, typing a text into his phone. Nina’s mouth dropped open as Elizabeth marched over and snatched it right out of his hand.

  “Thank you, Dean. I just need to borrow this for a moment.” She pocketed the phone.

  “Elizabeth—”

  “Dean, I am the dominant female of this pack. And she’s female.”

  Dean started to speak, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Come on Dean, have a heart. She’s human.”

  Dean made a face. “I know I’m going to regret this.”

  “Give me ten minutes. That’s all I ask. Then I’ll give you back your phone and you can raise the alarm. Please?”

  He sighed and shot Nina a glance, an uncharacteristically grim expression on his face. He turned back to Elizabeth, his expression slipping into resignation. “Go on.” He motioned to the front door. “Don’t leave the patio.”

  “You got it.”

  She turned to Nina then, her expression going from serious to pleasant. “So, we want to welcome you to Rabbit River.”

  Dean sighed and opened his mouth to say something—

  “To the place,” Elizabeth cut in quickly. “Just the place.” She shot Dean a look that Nina couldn’t interpret. “Let’s go outside where we can talk.”

  She gestured Nina to precede her through the open door. “As I said,” she continued once they had reached the patio, “I’m Elizabeth.” She touched her chest. “Human. And this is Lyla,” she gestured toward the taller woman, “also human, and Mari,” she pointed to the petite younger woman and raised her eyebrows significantly. “Human.” She gave Nina a big smile. “I guess you could say we’re the welcoming committee.” She gestured toward the large patio table. “Let’s sit.”

  Nina pulled out the chair she normally sat in and sank down, not knowing what to think. She’d known about Lyla— but who were these other women?

  “So,” Elizabeth said, taking the chair opposite her, “tell us what you know and we’ll try to fill in the blanks.”

  Lyla sat at the end of the table and Mari took the seat next to Elizabeth.

  “We may not have much time,” Elizabeth continued. “Technically, we’re not supposed to be here. But Lucas gave the orders to the guys, not to us—so here we are.” She opened her hands in a ta-da motion. Then she leaned forward conspiratorially. “The Alpha has to be obeyed.” And then she smiled, pure mischief in her eyes. “The guys? Not so much.”

  The three of them sat there, all looking at her expectantly. Nina had no idea what to say. There was a short pause while she tried to gather her thoughts.

  “So… you’re all human, and you’re…” hmmm, how to say this? “With these guys?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “That’s right. We’re all part of the pack.”

  “So you’re Jesse’s… mate?”

  The other woman choked. “Jesse? No. Why would you— I’m Cray’s mate. Actually, I’m his wife.” She rolled her eyes. “And mate.”

  Elizabeth regarded her over the table, a puzzled expression on her face. Then the light seemed to dawn. “Oh, right. That first night, when Jesse manhandled me out to the porch. No, that was just Lucas being high-handed. He knows I have a tendency to… involve myself, I guess you would say. So he was just getting me out of the way. Or, sending Jesse to do it. Cray wasn’t home yet, so… But I’m married to Cray. Who I’m sure you’ll meet any minute now, and Lyla is married to Aaron—well no, not married, they’re mated—and Mari—well, Mari’s more like the mascot.”

  “Elizabeth!” The smaller women objected, but she didn’t seem too annoyed.

  Elizabeth shrugged. “Well? What?” She continued without waiting for a reply. “Mari is Pack, but she’s not… mated. To anyone. She’s a widow, and she’s still got a ways to go on her year-and-a-day thing. But she’s “under Lucas’s protection.” She made air quotes and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

  Mari rolled her eyes, but she blushed, a pretty pink flush creeping across her cheekbones.

  Well, well, well. The plot thickens. This petite, delicate creature and that harsh, overbearing man? Um— werewolf. Not-werewolf?

  Lyla leaned forward. “You’re under Boaz’s protection, right? He’s Aaron’s brother. I don’t know him well, but Aaron is a wonderful man, and he vouches for Boaz one hundred percent.” She raised her eyebrows significantly. “You can bet I grilled him on it. Aaron insists Boaz will take good care of you, and do everything in his power to keep you safe.”

  Nina was still digesting this little bit of information when Elizabeth spoke.

  “Oh, and about this safety thing—if Lucas hit you with that whole ‘don’t make me kill you’ thing, try to take it with a grain of salt. He threatened both me and Lyla that way, but I’m convinced he never would have hurt us. It’s his job to protect the pack. Uphold the “Law.”

  She made air quotes around the word law.

  “And he takes that very seriously. But…” She gave a grim little shake of her he
ad. “Well, the threat itself is real. Other packs do actually deal with their human ‘problems’ that way. Cray’s old pack was like that. But…” She shrugged. “Just follow Boaz’s lead, and don’t do anything against the Law, and you should be fine.”

  Nina swallowed. “The law? What’s that?”

  Elizabeth rolled her eyes and shared a look with Lyla. “Yeah, trying to pin them down on that is pretty much impossible. They seem to have very convenient Laws about everything, but basically, humans can’t know about the “People” unless they’re mated to one.” Again she made air quotes.

  “Boaz told you about the People, right? If you really want to piss him off, just call him a hairy werewolf.” Elizabeth grinned. “That’s what I do when Cray gets on my nerves.” She sat back, an expression on her face that Nina could only call smug. “Works every time.”

  Nina licked her lips. “Um…” she glanced from Elizabeth to Lyla, “so that’s what you did? You— mated them, so that they wouldn’t kill you?” She felt a little dizzy. She knew this was what Boaz had in mind. He hadn’t said as much but—

  “Well, that’s the official version.” Elizabeth shared a smirk with Lyla. “But really… It was more like—oh, oh, twist my arm—” She stretched out her arm, and both Lyla and Mari laughed. “You’ll understand when you meet Cray.”

  Lyla leaned forward. “What we’re trying to say, I guess, is… try to reserve judgement for a little while, you know? Until you get to know them a little. They really are good guys.” She reached across the table and gave Nina’s arm a little squeeze. “And try not to worry too much.”

  “Don’t be afraid to put them in their place, either, if they get out of line,” Mari said, surprising her. The younger woman’s slight Southern accent didn’t detract from her no-nonsense tone. “They’re guys. So sometimes they need little reminders.”

  Nina felt a tiny jolt of alarm. So far Boaz had been a perfect gentleman. It was followed quickly by a burst of—

  Nina squelched the emotion. That was not anticipation.