by J. A. Saare
His big plan sounded insane and ridiculous.
Give me a break.
"People would never buy that." Not in a million years.
Michael pulled a newspaper from under his arm and unfolded it. "Take a look."
There was a picture of me and Noah on the front. Michael had to have provided it, as it was taken before I'd left the compound. We'd attended a picnic. I'd worn a white spring dress Noah loved, and he'd dressed in khakis and a dress shirt. He had his arm around my waist, and I'd leaned against him, tilting my head so it rested on his chest. Both of us were giving the camera radiant smiles. We looked like a giddy and happy couple. The picture next to it was grainy and had been taken from a cell phone. My body was splayed above the lower floor of the mall as I held onto the stroller and railing. Noah stood just below me, his arms lifted to catch the baby.
The headline was easy to read, printed in large, bold letters.
WEREWOLF LOVE STORY REVEALED.
I felt nauseous but read on.
The reporter talked about Mom, her death, and my move to New York. Then it followed events from the bank, all the way to the mall, and then reported what had happened with Angie in the condemned house. Following the write up, the reporter went into details about myself and Noah. She indicated we'd fallen in love at first sight, that we reconnected as soon as we came in contact again, and that we were ridiculously protective of each other. It was an ooey-gooey op-ed, and humans not only bought the story, they ate it up. There were various statements from witnesses at the mall. The people quoted in the article even liked Noah after what he'd done. Many of them couldn't believe we were werewolves. They stated they thought we were human.
We were being glorified as an enamored power couple.
"Oh my god."
"You can be adoring, happy, and say yes, or I can order you to do it," Michael said, a warning evident in his tone. "For Noah's sake, I hope you choose the first option."
"The pack..."
They didn't want me. At least, I didn't think they did.
Then I remembered them around my bed.
The feeling that had come from them wasn't negative.
"They're still hurt and a bit angry," Noah admitted, "but they're willing to move on. I told them you planned to stay. They know you swore you'd never leave again. They sensed the truth in my words. They've accepted you. It'll take effort from all of us, but they want to work things out."
"That's why they came?"
"Yes." He smiled and nodded. "That's exactly why they came."
"So?" Michael prodded, impatient. "What do you say?"
What else could I say? No wasn't an option. "Yes."
"Attagirl," Michael handed Noah a box. "For you, Ark Man."
Noah opened it. Inside was a platinum band with a large round diamond.
He moved back, knelt, and peered up at me. "Will you marry me?"
Despite my earlier hiccup, he wanted to do things right.
"Yes." I felt embarrassed and very aware of myself. "I'll marry you."
He grinned and pulled the ring free. Then he put it on my finger.
"You can kiss your soon-to-be bride." Michael found our interaction amusing.
Noah stood and leaned in for a kiss. This time, he didn't pull away immediately. He simply breezed his mouth across mine, once, then again. I sighed, basking in his nearness, warmth, and scent. Noah could perform miracles with his mouth. I knew that for a fact. He'd shown me more than once.
"With that settled, I'm going to get to work. We have a wedding to plan. Rest up. I'll have a phone brought to you. You need to create social media accounts. I'll hire a reliable personal assistant who can handle online traffic and field questions for you. Noah will select your guards. Someone will be here to interview you in a few days."
"Social media accounts? An interview?" I pulled away from Noah and yelled at Michael's departing back. "Michael, seriously?"
"You've got a new job and have been promoted." He stopped and looked at me. "Congratulations."
Baffled and unprepared, I asked, "To what?"
"An official werewolf spokesperson," Michael replied and left the room.
I couldn't turn it down. He'd made up his mind.
That was the ultimate alpha I knew. Always getting his way.
Seconds passed. I absorbed the information.
"Are you angry?" Noah sounded uncertain as he took a seat on the bed.
"What?" I shook aside all the questions I wanted to ask. "No. I'm not angry." I looked at the ring on my finger. The diamond was large but tasteful. It wasn't too big. I wasn't sure what to say, so I asked, "Did you pick this one?"
"I didn't have time, but I'm going to get you a ring from me. That's a promise for something better."
"When did you find out you had to propose?"
He gave me a look, his eyes revealing a hint of silver.
I'd insulted him.
"I didn't have to do anything," he reminded me. "I wanted to."
I reworded my question. "When did you talk to Michael about this?"
"When we found out about the PBI and news articles." He paused and drew a deep breath. Something troubled him. I could feel his anxiety. "You said you'd stay and rejoin the pack. That's all I can ask of you. If you don't want a married relationship with me, it can be in name only. We can ham things up for camera interviews if you want."
Ugh. Camera interviews. "Do we have to?"
He frowned. "Marry in name only?"
"Ham it up for cameras."
His dour mood lifted. He relaxed somewhat. "Not if you don't want to."
"I don't want to lie anymore." I felt exhausted by deceit.
"Then what do you want to do?"
I thought about it, considering everything.
I was meant to be with Noah. He knew it, and I knew it.
So did the pack. And Michael.
I missed Steven, and always would, but he was gone.
And I'd agreed to remain right where I was. I'd given my word.
"Start over," I finally answered. "Clean slate."
He took my hand. This thumb rubbed the ring. "I can do that."
"Doesn't it bother you?" He cocked his head in question, and I said, "People knowing about our private lives. Discussing it openly with strangers. Using our relationship as a public relations tool."
"Not if it helps the pack."
A very Noah response. "I don't like it."
He laughed at my expression. "I can tell."
More noise coming from the door made me nervous. I didn't know what to expect next. I experienced relief when I saw the pack standing behind Trisha and Jonathan.
"Can we come in?" Jonathan asked. He didn't look or sound angry.
"Yeah, sure," I said, wondering if I should expect an ambush.
Trisha, Jonathan, Brady, and Mark approached the bed. Jasper, Mari, and Stanley stepped inside and turned around, guarding the room.
From there the conversation flowed smoothly. They asked how I was, hoping I felt better. Trisha and Jonathan thanked me for what I'd done.
I wasn't certain about the future, but I knew one thing.
Starting with a clean slate was the way to go.
They needed me, and I needed them.
We only had to find our way back to each other.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Angela Roxette Billings. That was Angie's full name. She had family, but the relationships with them were toxic. Therefore, there was no one to contact. She'd met Peter in a college art class. They were never romantic, only friends, but they'd done almost everything together. That was why she'd taken the news about his death so hard. I still felt bad about my part in all of that.
They'd needed to run tests on her, which she allowed so long as I went with her. Benjamin had ordered CT scans, an MRI, and numerous blood panels. She was about thirty pounds underweight, but she would gain that quickly with proper meals. Even after everything she'd endured, she appeared to be in good health physically.
Michael had contacted her apartment complex after she'd provided her address. Her items had been put out when she hadn't paid the rent, a common practice. So she'd be starting from scratch. I didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. The primary bonus came from what she was. A made female werewolf. Michael had already given her access to a bank account that would receive monthly deposits. She wouldn't be rich, but she wouldn't suffer. She'd remain under his care.
He wanted to meet her, of course.
She wasn't going anywhere without his express approval.
That was why we were taken from the medical facility on the compound to his home. We'd been flanked by several guards. I'd tried to warn Angie of things, such as being submissive and not bringing too much attention to herself. As well as watching her language. Michael was very old and didn't care for profanity, feeling it made a person look uneducated. Not that I hadn't heard him deliver an F-bomb in the past.
She'd taken to werewolf hierarchy and protocol better than I had, easily sliding into a submissive position in front of him. He'd clearly been pleased at her behavior, and he'd shot me a few looks to remind me this was how I was supposed to behave. Each question he asked was given a full and proper answer. He seemed so amiable and charming, she hadn't asked me to stay when he told me to take a seat on the bench so they could talk privately.
That's how I ended up where I was.
Sitting on the stupid bench. Again.
How I hated it.
"Miss Ellie?" Michael's butler came from a human family that had always served werewolves. He'd aged quite a bit in the years I'd been gone. When he passed away, his grandson would take his place. He'd always been kind to me. "You can go back in."
I gave him a smile and patted his arm. "Thanks, Mannie."
I entered the large room and wanted to growl, even if it was wrong. Angie should be happy and relaxed, especially around our kind. I just didn't think her joy would come from Michael. I took a spot beside her, seated across from my alpha and sometimes tormenter. He knew how I felt, as he knew just about everything at all times, but didn't comment on it.
"We've spoken and come to an agreement. Angela will be staying with you until a home is chosen and properly furnished for her," Michael told me, sitting composed and relaxed on the couch. "I've already sent someone to purchase her personal items. They'll be delivered tomorrow. Her car will arrive next week, along with things you're going to need."
"I don't need anything." I didn't think I did.
"Yes, you do," he corrected me, there was a hidden warning in his tone. "Go over each item, and get used to your new wardrobe."
I wanted to roll onto my back, show him my stomach, and tell him I gave up. "I like the clothes I have."
"That's nice, wear them in your free time. When you're working as a spokesperson, you will look the part."
"You're going to be on television." Angie seemed delighted about the news.
At least someone was.
I knew Noah had arrived before I saw him. I felt his presence.
For some reason, my wolf came online as soon as he got anywhere near me. I wasn't sure why. The invisible thread between us felt natural but strange. Whatever it was hadn't been there before. That was how I knew which direction he was coming from. I met his gaze as soon as he stepped into the room. He'd styled his hair and changed into his formal work clothes. He looked amazing and confident, things I'd always loved about him.
I could smell Angie's reaction. She had a crush on him.
If she'd been anyone else, I'd have put her in her place.
She knew it was wrong, though. I knew she fought what she felt.
I really couldn't blame her. Her body had changed, and so had she. Even if she didn't have a connection with the wolf inside her, they were highly sexual creatures. She was simply doing what the chemicals in her brain told her to.
Besides, Noah was extremely good-looking.
Noah scented her arousal but ignored it like a gentleman.
He strode over to me and sat on the seat beside me, then he pulled me close. I felt his beast rise up and reach for mine. I knew why. Even if Angie didn't recognize it, her wolf would. He was warning her that he was taken. My wolf responded without my approval, as it had since that night he'd brought the pack to the hospital.
That had to have something to do with my reactions.
When the pack surrounded me, something had happened.
A veil lifted. Only I didn't know what kind.
I could feel them in a way I hadn't before.
"Ah, Noah," Michael said, sounding chipper. I didn't trust him when his mood shifted so quickly. He was up to something. "Is everything taken care of?"
I looked at Noah, who nodded at Michael. Then he leaned into me, placing his mouth by my ear. "We need to go into the office. There's someone that needs to talk to you."
"Now?" I moved away to gawk at him.
I sensed his amusement at my blunt response. "Angela will be safe with Michael."
Noah looked over at Angie, then hiked his chin in Michael's direction.
I studied the two of them for a moment.
Then, it dawned on me.
Noah didn't have to say more. I knew what he meant without words. Angela wasn't merely playing a part. She wasn't being docile and happy because she didn't have a care in the world. Michael had influenced her wolf the minute she walked through the door. He'd claimed her as one of his without question, never mind asking for permission, taking her into his pack.
It figured. With Michael, pack came first.
Like this, she'd never be a danger or threat.
"Who is it?"
"Steven McDaniel's attorney." Michael's happy demeanor vanished. He didn't like the intruder on his territory. Annoyance radiated from him and filled the room. He swept a long strand of dark hair from his face. "When he couldn't get in touch with you, he paid us a visit. Apparently, it's important he speak with you." His amber colored irises homed in on me, making it clear who he was addressing. "As in now."
I knew an order when I heard it. I bowed my head, accepting defeat.
Noah rose and offered me his hand. I took it and looked at Angie.
I knew it was stupid to worry about her. She was solidly trapped in Michael's thrall. From now until eternity, she'd do whatever he told her. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as he could control the wolf inside her. I felt bad about it, though. I'd promised I'd protect her. I hoped Michael allowed me to keep my word. He wouldn't hurt her unless he had to, I knew that. Still, I couldn't prevent my concern.
Noah guided me through the enormous expanse of Michael's home. Even having seen it before, I felt overtaken. The furniture consisted of so many antique pieces. I'd loved studying them as a teenager. I'd often imagined where they'd come from, wondering how Michael had found them.
We made it to the office and Noah stopped. "He says he has to speak to you alone." He didn't sound happy as he shared the news. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here."
"Okay," I responded and squeezed his hand.
Even when I let go, the connection between us didn't break.
I had to ask him what he'd done.
It was obvious something had changed.
I went into the office and saw an middle age human male seated at Michael's desk. He was looking over paperwork. As soon as he saw me, he stood and swept his hands over his suit.
"Ms. Carthy?"
"Yes," I answered and asked, "You are?"
"Clifford Montgomery," he said formally, and reached over the desk to shake my hand. By his demeanor and scent, I knew he recognized me. I immediately stepped forward and followed the motions. With the shake completed, he motioned to a chair. "Please, sit."
I did and he looked over the papers again.
"I'm sorry we didn't meet under happier circumstances," he told me, sounding solemn. "Steven was a good man. I'm sorry for your loss."
My heart sank at the reminder. Steven.
I p
ictured his face. His cheeky grin.
"Thank you."
"There are two signatures I need from you." He pulled papers aside and said, "The first is in regard to his will. That's why I had to come to you immediately. His assets as it pertains to you are liquid. The others will be sorted out soon, and I can't release anything until this has been taken care of."
"This being what, exactly?" Maybe the house? Or his car? "What did he want me to have?"
"He left you a sizable amount of money."
I hadn't expected that. Cautious, I questioned, "He did?"
"Yes, Ms. Carthy." He studied the papers. "A little over two point five million dollars."
My mind felt like it had separated from my body.
That was more money than I knew what to do with.
No, it wasn't possible. I'd misheard.
"Two point five million dollars?" I gasped, struggling to breathe.
"Yes."
"No, he wouldn't do that," I attempted to correct him. Steven had always been logical and precise. I remembered his mother and father. "He'd have left everything to his parents."
"Don't worry about them," he told me, confident as he kept going. "They are very well taken care of. I assure you, he looked out for them as well. They'll be receiving much more than this. They'll live out their lives in absolute comfort and luxury."
Comfort and luxury?
I couldn't comprehend it.
Steven had money. I knew that.
But a millionaire?
He pushed papers toward me and said, "Please, sign here."
I did, feeling dazed, confused, and thinking I was dreaming.
"Very good. Now for the other matter." His voice had changed, taking on a cautious edge. "Mr. McDaniel hired several private contractors. Don't worry, they've been paid, that's not why I'm here. I'm the executor of the will, so I've seen to it. It's the content of what they found I need you to sign for. He wanted this to come directly to you." He lifted his head and said, "Only to you."
