Copyright © 2021 Theresa Hissong
Smashwords Edition
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Disclaimer:
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The names of people, places, things, songs, and bands are all created from the author's mind and are only used for entertainment. Any mention of a song or band, in the book has been given proper credit for use.
This book is for adults, 18 and older only, due to content.
Cover Design:
Michelle Sewell
RLS Image Graphics & Design
Editing by:
Heidi Ryan
Amour the Line Editing
Formatting:
Imagine Ink Designs
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
About the Author
Other Books By Theresa Hissong
Chapter 1
The full moon had occurred on the Summer Solstice, and the Ward wolf pack was gearing up for several flights to the north end of the trails again only two days after their break.
Mason Ward flipped through the applications for a part-time, temporary pilot to help them deliver much needed supplies to the area’s residents. Summer brought with it the rush to prepare for the following winter. Every day in the Alaskan wild was a day to gather, harvest, and stock up on everything the residents would need to sustain their lives living off the grid.
“Three applicants,” Mason complained. “Last year, we had twice as many.”
“Everyone is busy this time of year,” Aspen reminded him.
Mason huffed and dropped the applications on the desk. “I already know the first guy. We interviewed him last year. He had a bad reputation.”
“I didn’t call him back,” Aspen admitted while she worked. “The female will be here soon to see you. Remember what Nash said.”
“I remember,” he replied and patted the desk. “Let me know when she arrives. I need to take a load of supplies up to the cabins. Fury is waiting had doon me.”
Of course, Nash, the alpha to the pack, had reminded him to take care with the humans they were hiring for the summer. The last thing they needed was for word to get out that there were werewolf shifters in the state. As far as they were concerned, the entire paranormal community thought them rogues. Each and every one of his family members were marked for death just for being a wolf. It didn’t matter that his pack wasn’t bad. They didn’t care.
He started the ATV and checked the attached trailer. The plane that had come in earlier in the day carried a pallet of dried goods they’d need for the upcoming winter. Mason looked out at the snowless landscape and sighed to himself. He missed the snow. Having snow on the ground kept them safer. Even though the summer didn’t last long in Alaska, the green landscape made their animals stick out.
A pain squeezed at his heart as he tried to forget the night his pack and family were killed by a bear clan who had thought they were doing the world justice by taking out the wolves, but in all reality, they’d been wrong. Nash and Mason had vowed to one day find them and get their vengeance, but that wasn’t the right thing to do. It was hard enough hiding from humans, and slaughtering a clan of bears would leave evidence of their existence. Mason agreed with his brother. It was best to stay hidden.
“Hey,” Fury greeted as Mason arrived, killing the engine. “If you’ll help unload, I can divide all of these supplies.”
“I would help, but I have an interview soon.” Mason paused as the sound of a small bush plane echoed off in the distance. “Looks like she’s early.”
“She?” Fury frowned. “Haven’t heard of many female pilots around here.”
“Neither have I,” he replied and looked over his shoulder as the plane crested the top of the mountain, making its decent into the valley where Ward Air & Transportation resided.
“Good luck with the interview.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Mason replied and unhooked the trailer for his cousin-in-law.
As soon as he was clear, Mason hurried back to the terminal. Aspen was standing by the back door as he entered through the front. “Nice landing.”
Mason had missed her touchdown because of the building being in his way, but he had watched as the pilot came in smooth and unnerved by the slight wind coming down through the valley. He had to admit the female pilot was experienced.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Aspen announced. “I have to get the schedule finalized for next week.”
Mason nodded and pushed through the exit. The plane had parked and was shutting down. He walked slowly, waiting at a safe distance until her plane was safe to approach.
Mason walked toward the plane as the door swung open. He still couldn’t make out the female’s features because of her dark sunglasses and blue baseball cap. She jumped down quickly, her feet landing softly on the tarmac. His eyes roamed from her long legs up to her shapely hips, and when his eyes got to hers, he felt his beast push at his skin.
“Mason Ward?” she asked in a husky voice.
“Clarise Hines?” he replied, scenting the air. Her sweet scent overpowered everything else, and he gnashed his teeth together to keep his wolf from showing its sharp fangs.
“Actually, people call me Charlie,” she replied and closed the door. “Clarise is just for the legal paperwork.”
The moment she removed her baseball cap and ruffled her long, blonde hair, Mason knew exactly what was happening, and he was floored. The female pilot was his mate. He wasn’t going to deny it like his brother had done with his mate, Isabell.
“Welcome to Ward Air,” he announced once he got his fucking hormones under control. Pushing the wolf back was hard, but a stern reminder to the animal about secrecy shut it up. “Come inside and let’s chat.”
“Sure, lead the way,” she replied, holding her hand out like she was allowing him to take the lead.
He turned for the building without making a comment. He had to remember the female was human and not one of his kind.
“Nice place you’ve got here,” she said as they entered.
Mason’s eyes fell on his sister’s, and when she stood up, he noticed Aspen’s nostrils flare. Her eyes widened, but she recovered quickly. “Hello, I’m Aspen Ward. We spoke on the phone.”
“Charlie. Yes, I remember,” she stated, holding out her hand to shake. Aspen finished her greeting and made an excuse to leave them alone. The stern look wasn’t missed, because his baby sister had noticed his mating scent.
It didn’t matter to Mason, because he was going to take Charlie into Nash’s office and lock them inside. He couldn’t touch her even if his wolf was begging for him to just take the female into his arms and run away with her.
There was something different about Mason Ward and his sister, Aspen, but Charlie couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Have a seat, Charlie,” Mason offered, pointing to a green suede chair in
front of a rather large desk. It was like any other aviation office she’d seen; large desks, filing cabinets, and photos of various places in the state of Alaska. There was even a tiny model plane sitting on the corner of the desk. “So, tell me a little about yourself.”
“Well,” she began. God, she always hated interviews. Damn it…couldn’t they just ask about her experience, go for a flight, and make their decision? “I was born in Eagle, Alaska. My parents moved me to Anchorage when I was about to start school, and I basically lived there until I was eighteen. Started flying lessons at sixteen and eventually started flying hikers and residents after high school. I’ve flown everywhere in the state; from Kavik on down to the Kenai Peninsula, and now, ten years later, here I am.”
“That’s impressive,” he replied, steepling his fingers while resting his elbows on the desk.
He didn’t intimidate her, but she could tell he wasn’t soft by any means. The tall, muscular man with short, dark brown hair was quite the woodsman, but something about him appealed to her. And yes, she would even admit it was on all levels. He was hot…she wouldn’t lie about that, either. But it was his scent. There was a wildness about him, which was obvious, but she couldn’t nail down what it was that lingered in the air. Pine? Spice? Whatever it was, she wanted to bottle it up and keep it close.
Quit being weird, Charlie.
“My grandfather was a bush pilot for many years,” she admitted. “He quit back in the nineties when he crashed not far from here. His back hadn’t been the same, and he knew I loved being in the air. So, when he offered to get me into lessons, I jumped at the opportunity. I’m sorry…I’m rambling.”
“No, it’s perfectly fine.” He shook his head, but Charlie saw the slight lift to the corner of his lip. The half-smile produced a dimple that melted her panties. “It says here you have a nursing degree from Washington State.”
“Yeah,” she chuckled. “I needed something to fall back on in case I don’t find a job flying planes.”
“That’s a good plan,” he agreed, giving his head a slight nod. He flipped through her application and checked off a few things, and she sat up straighter in her seat when his scent reached her again. “Well, would you like to take a flight?”
“I’d love to,” she beamed. Flying was her favorite thing to do. Nursing was great, but it kept her indoors too much. After a while, she craved the mountain air and the thrill of the escape from society.
“I’ll follow you to your plane,” he stated and stood from his seat.
Charlie looked away when his tight denim jeans protested from the thick muscles in his thighs tightening and relaxing as he stood. When she reached for the door, Mason was there, grabbing the knob and turning it to pull the door open wide. He stepped back, giving her a little personal space before jutting his chin out in a silent offer for her to go ahead of him.
It was the end of June, and thankfully, the weather hadn’t been terrible. She still needed a light windbreaker and jeans. She preferred the winter, though. Believe it or not, it was easier with the snow and iced-over lakes and rivers.
Mason opened the passenger door to her three-seater float plane. It was small, but had enough room for two people and a load in the back. The job description was perfect for her. “May I jump in?”
“Come on in.” She smiled, thankful for his respect. “I’m ready when you are.”
She handed him over the second headset, but frowned when he carefully took it from her. He had put on a hoodie and gloves, too. As soon as he closed the door, she stifled a moan from the scent. When she looked into his golden eyes, a memory tickled the back of her mind. She’d seen those eyes before, and she immediately knew what she’d sensed the moment she had walked into the terminal.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, trying to not be fazed by her co-pilot and possible new boss.
Once she realized he was a shifter, it made sense to her. They lived out in the wild to stay away from the majority of humanity. The sister was like Mason, too, and she wondered how many more of them lived on the property.
It was common knowledge down in the lower forty-eight that shifters were a real living and breathing thing. Some panther shifters down in Mississippi had been filmed several years prior and had given away their secret.
With a glance at Mason, she wondered what type of shifter he was, because his yellow eyes didn’t match the icy blue of the panther shifters. With more and more information being leaked into the world, she already knew there were bears and wolves, but she’d never seen any of them on television or in real life.
“Let’s take a flight over the pass,” Mason announced, breaking her thoughts. “I’ll show you the north end of the trail where we drop off hikers. On the way back, I’ll direct you over a few of the customers we deliver supplies to during the year.”
“Sounds good to me,” she replied and started her plane.
As they taxied out, she called over the radio to Aspen, Mason’s sister, and let her know they were leaving. The younger woman gave them the weather report and wished them a safe trip.
Once they were in the air, Mason pointed toward the mountain range. “The head of the trail is that way.”
She steered the plane and sat back for their flight. It really didn’t matter to her what he and his family were, because Charlie needed the job more than she needed to be in anyone’s business.
The deep green forest dipped and rose into gray, metamorphic rock mountains. The sky ahead of her was a deep blue, and the sun was high above her head. The light would be around until after midnight, and she had all of that time to get the lay of the land. Even if Mason dropped her off without an offer of employment, she would still work her way around the area to investigate.
A heard of caribou grazed along the edge of a mountain lake, and a little farther ahead, Mason pointed out a black bear. “The residents keep their landing areas free of predators when they’re expecting a package, but sometimes, you’ll be coming in for a landing and a grizzly or black bear will be hiding in the forest. So, be careful.”
“Will do,” she responded and banked right when he instructed.
“The runway we’ve made at the north end of the trail is twice as long as what you’ll need. There it is,” he pointed out through the front window. She dropped a thousand feet in elevation to get a better look, turning the plane to the west so she could make a loop and pass over it, heading south.
“How many hikers do you have this summer?” she inquired.
“So far, we’ve booked thirty-two groups,” he sighed. “I really could use the help. We have to get supplies out to the few residents we service and get the hikers in and out. I’ve seen enough of your skills. Would you accept the job and fly for us when needed?”
She would be on-call, and was perfectly happy with that. She held a permanent residence in Anchorage next to the hospital, but had quit her job recently. If they needed her, she could be there in just over an hour.
“I’d love to fly for you,” she admitted.
“Perfect,” he replied. “Head west so I can take you over to the furthest cabin we service.”
The rest of the flight was spent with Mason showing her the seven residents who used Ward Air & Transportation for their drops. She made notes on her iPad, locking in the coordinates for future reference.
He gave her pointers on landing at some of the trickier locations, and she added that to the notes on her screen. Booker Dupree’s place was accessible by the landing strip in front of his cabin, or she could land on a lake not far behind it, but he’d noted it took longer to ice over during the winter. He’d recently cut the runway in the front of his property for them to land on if the lake wasn’t available, but she had a float plane and could access the water during the summer. Landing on thin ice was always ill-advised. So, she’d have to take precautions before delivering anything to Mr. Dupree.
“I think I have all of the information down,” she admitted as she returned to the airfield, landing her
plane smoothly.
“We always go over things several times before we fly with a load. I can answer any of your questions if you have them.”
“Thank you,” she replied, pushing open her door.
“Come inside so you can meet everyone,” he offered once they met at the front of the plane.
She watched him from the corner of her eye. He moved with grace just like the shifters she’d seen on television while she was in school. The word had spread for about a year, but after that, most of the focus had been off of them once the humans realized they were no threat. A few reports of rogue wolves had surfaced last fall, but it hadn’t lasted long. They were some sort of gang and were running a drug and theft ring in the south. Once they were apprehended, everything went quiet again.
Charlie still wanted to ask him what animal he was, but she refrained. That was until she walked into the terminal and came face to face with six pairs of identically colored eyes like Mason’s.
Every single one of them flared their nostrils when the wind picked up behind her, and she froze in the doorway. She wasn’t one to run away from anything, so she squared her shoulders before taking the next step.
A big, burly man with a beard whispered something to Mason and narrowed his eyes on her new boss. She didn’t miss the sound of a growl coming from the man’s throat, either. The sound was cut off when Aspen, the receptionist, jumped to her feet.
“How was the flight?” she asked as she interrupted the two men.
“It was great,” Charlie replied, tightening the baseball cap on her head. She didn’t take her eyes off of Mason or the bearded man, and they noticed.
“Charlie, I’d like you to meet everyone,” Aspen continued, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “This is my oldest brother, Nash, and his wife, Isabell. My cousin Harper and her husband, Fury.”
The bearded man named Nash walked forward and held out his hand. His wife came to his side and watched closely. “Welcome to the crew.” With a quick handshake, the deal was done.
His Stubborn Mate (The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series, Book 2) Page 1
