Delivered: (The Blackpaw Prophecy, Book 1)

by Leona Crowley

  As the image fills the screen, I can’t contain my excitement. I jump up from the chair and point at the monitor. “That’s it! That’s the house I’m looking for. Oh, wow. That was too easy, right? I can’t believe you found it so fast. Is it still for sale? How much is it? Can I go look at it?”

  “Are you sure this is the one? This is a very big house. It isn’t my listing. Are you sure you saw my sign in the yard?” Turning the computer to face her, she retrieves the information. “Here we go. Eleven-thousand-seven-hundred square feet, not including the basement, on just over fourteen acres. Private access to the lake with a dock and boat ramp. Nine bedrooms in the main living area and two more in the finished basement. Seven full baths and a half bath, a large kitchen, lots of closets, an office, a large great room, and two fireplaces. It’s been on the market just over a year, and the price has been reduced twice. I’m not sure, but I think the sellers are out of state.” She continues to type quietly.

  “I just sent a message to the listing agent to get more information and to see if we can look at it today. Now we wait for his reply.” Amanda is still typing, and the printer behind her is coming to life.

  Holy crap. What am I going to do with an eleven thousand square-foot house that has eleven bedrooms? This is surreal. I don’t even want to know how much it costs. I’m pretty sure it’s out of my price range. I still cannot get over how effortless this is. I haven’t been here more than thirty minutes and I found the house.

  Amanda’s ringing phone distracts me from my thoughts. She answers the call and walks into the back room, out of earshot. Should I look at her computer for the address? She returns before I can make up my mind.

  She looks hesitant to tell me what she learned. “That was the listing agent, and he can meet us there if you’re genuinely interested. But there’s a catch. The asking price is eighty-five thousand dollars, which seemed low to me for that amount of square footage and the acreage. The previous owner was in the middle of a major remodel when he died unexpectedly. The house is unfinished and in need of serious repairs. A portion of the main floor is livable while the repairs are being done but not during the winter. To be ready for winter, the repairs would need to begin immediately.”

  That sounds like a lot of work, but I let her continue before I say anything.

  “The owner’s family lives in Texas and wants to get rid of it as quickly as possible. So far, you’re the first nibble.” Amanda takes a breath and raises her eyebrows. “Still interested? He can meet us out there now if you are.” She waits patiently for me to process this information.

  “Yes. Let’s go. Wait, did the man die in the house? That would be creepy.” I grab my purse off the floor beside the chair I was sitting in.

  “No, he didn’t. That was my first question. He died in Texas while visiting his family during the winter.” She sends a final message to the listing agent and gathers her things. “You can ride with me. No point in taking both cars. Yours will be fine where it is. We won’t be gone long.”

  “Thank you so much. I still can’t believe you found the house that fast. Are there a lot of contractors in the area? Are there any you would recommend? If they want to sell quickly, how soon do you think closing could happen?” My mind is racing with questions and lists of things to do.

  “Hold on. Slow down. Let’s look at it first. It’s a big house for one person. Try to go in with an open mind. The repairs sound substantial, so you really need to look at the whole picture realistically. We have long, cold winters up here. Try not to get too excited.” Backing the car out of the parking space, Amanda pulls onto Main Street and heads north.

  ◆◆◆

  The last three weeks have flown by in a flurry of activity. I made an offer on the house almost immediately after arriving to see it, and before we finished walking the property, the owners had given verbal acceptance over the phone. Later that same day, we had a signed contract and a closing date.

  I tried to keep myself busy while waiting for the closing. Getting familiar with Wolfton and taking day trips around New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Through the Adirondacks in upstate New York and down into Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut along the shore. Stopping in antique stores, local shops, and cafes. Learning the area, the history, and the people. I still feel like an outsider, but not as bad as when I first arrived.

  I picked up a few things for the house while I was traveling around. A few pieces of furniture that I’ll need to stay there, like a bed, and a few other small things. A couple lamps, an end table, a bedside table, and some artwork. I’m not sure where I’ll put any of it, but at least it’s a start.

  Tonight is my first night staying in the house. I still can’t believe I bought it. This place is massive. I’m sure you could play arena football in the basement. When you come in the front door, there’s an office to the left. Just past the office is a short hallway lined with closets that lead out to the three-car garage. Just past that hallway, the room opens to the kitchen. It has a huge island in the middle, and a dining area.

  A hallway off the kitchen splits, with one way leading to the basement stairs and the other going through a butler’s pantry. Past the butler’s pantry is a short hallway to the master bedroom. To the right of the kitchen is a huge great room with a massive stone fireplace. Opposite the fireplace are large windows that look out over the deck and the lake.

  Across from the office, off the foyer area, is a hallway to the bedrooms. There are four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry closet downstairs and the same upstairs. There are temporary walls and doors at the beginning of the hallway to the bedrooms as well as at the top of the stairs, which makes the main living area and master suite livable while the repairs are being made. The four bedrooms upstairs seem to need the most work. And I’m almost positive something is living up there.

  The master bedroom is huge. The king-size bed I purchased looks tiny in the space. I’m glad they could deliver it today. There is plenty of room for a sitting area in the corner. The fireplace in the bedroom is smaller than the one in the living room, but still has a presence. The bathroom is the biggest I’ve ever seen, with a separate shower and a claw-foot tub. Two walk-in closets, one a little smaller than the other. I don’t think I’ve ever owned enough to fill two closets.

  I have three contractors coming in the morning to do a walk-through. The realtor vouched for two of them so I’m hoping it’s productive. I want to go over everything with all of them together to ensure that they all get the same information. I’ve walked around several times, taking pictures and making detailed notes about what I currently see and what I envision. I tried to split it up room by room to simplify things. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.

  I also hope that doing it this way will speed up the process. Both realtors were adamant that the repairs needed to begin immediately to ensure they were completed before winter. I don’t want to think about leaving if the house isn’t ready. I’ll do some of the work myself if that’s what it takes.

  I am starting to get a little worried about winter. The people talk about it like it’s a state of mind and not just a change in the season. I get the impression they spend the rest of the year preparing for it and learning how they can do it better for next time. I know the house needs work, but I’m not sure that I am ready for winter. Aside from a coat and snow boots, I’m at a loss for how to prepare. Maybe Ruth Ann can talk me through the basics.

  I like walking from room to room and getting to know the house. I’m comfortable here. The atmosphere in this house is different than the house I had in South Carolina. It feels like it has the potential to be home, even in its unfinished state. I love the kitchen area and can’t wait to cook something. This kitchen needs a big crowd to cook for. It has the space, now it just needs the people. Maybe one day.

  I’ve sent lots of pictures to Sarah. She can’t believe how large it is, and she loves the big fireplace and the lake just as much as I do. Neither of us has ever had a fir
eplace and I can’t wait to start the first fire. She still says I’m crazy for doing this. I’m starting to think she might be right.

  I haven’t heard from my wolf since the first night that I arrived in Wolfton. That was weeks ago, and I miss him. I didn’t realize how much he’s become a part of my life. This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing him in my dreams. Thinking about that makes me nervous. Have I made a big mistake, or am I on the right path? Has he abandoned me? I was so sure when I put the offer in for the house. I stayed busy but, in his absence, the doubts have slowly weaved themselves back into my thoughts.

  CHAPTER 3

  Jack

  I ride with Grant into town today for the monthly town council lunch. Dakota’s Pub is our usual place to gather to discuss town business and today is no different. We have a formal meeting once a quarter at the mayor’s office, but I prefer this laid-back setting. The food and the atmosphere seem to make it easier for people to talk openly and the topics for discussion are usually on the lighter side.

  Sam Dugan has owned Dakota’s Pub for a long time. He’s an older guy with some gray on top, but he has a young soul. The man loves two things: beer and motorcycles. Owning Dakota’s provides plenty of beer and he rides motorcycles every chance he gets.

  Dakota’s is a typical bar. It serves food, which makes it a good place to hang out. The place is named after a dog Sam had when he was younger. He once said the dog was good to him and that he wanted to repay the loyalty in some way, so Dakota’s Pub was born. A long bar runs down the right side after you walk in. There are tall counter-height tables in the middle, booths along the opposite wall to the bar, and a stage in the back-left corner. A few pool tables fill the area past the bar on the right, with some additional booths along the back wall.

  Wolfton is not a regular town. Which means that the council is not a regular town council. We are a shifter town with almost half the town being shifters. Mostly wolf, but a few others have made this place home as well. The council tries to make everything fair to ensure that humans and shifters coexist happily together. Each species of shifter is represented by an alpha for that species. As well as the town mayor, who happens to be a human, the town doctor, the chief of police, and the chief of Wolfton Fire and Rescue. There are nine total council members representing the wolf, bear, cougar, fox, eagle, dragon, and human members of our community.

  I’ve been on the council since I formed the Blackpaw Pack, named such because the right front paw of my wolf is black. My last name is also Negrescu, which is Romanian for black. Not long after I joined the council, I was voted into the lead spot. I don’t mind it most of the time, but occasionally the politics get on my nerves.

  Shifter men are larger than humans on average. I’m six foot four, muscular but fit, and the largest in my pack. I hate to shave, so I usually have some scruff on my face. My dark-brown hair needs a trim, but I can’t be bothered. I usually just run my fingers through it. My normal attire consists of jeans and a black T-shirt with the Blackpaw Construction logo.

  My pack consists of nine males, and we all live together in the pack house. Packs usually live and work together. Pack members have a tight bond braided around strong cords of trust and loyalty. It takes time for that bond to grow and develop. You become a family. That family usually doesn’t split up too easily.

  No one in my pack has mated. They can’t choose a mate until I do. At thirty-six, I’m coming into maturity, ready to settle down and find my mate. That task has started to move up on the priority list, for me and for them.

  Finding a mate for an alpha isn’t easy. Shifter communities are small and try to remain isolated from other shifter communities for secrecy. To ensure the growth of the species, shifters can mate with humans. Alphas are the exception to that rule. Only alphas can produce more alphas. Alphas are a must in pack communities and are necessary for the survival of the species.

  The only way I can produce alpha shifter offspring is to mate with another wolf shifter, preferably an alpha female. But they’re not that common and are usually promised to an alpha at birth. Those promises form alliances between packs. That promise can only be broken if either of the two find their fated mate.

  A fated mate is the shifter equivalent to a soul mate. The big difference being that the bond is stronger and cannot be denied. Fate has determined who your mate will be, and there is nothing you can do about it. The bond between fated mates is powerful and starts to form instantly after you become aware of their presence, usually by scent. The affection, the desire, and the love begin immediately after the first touch, no matter how slight and even if by accident.

  A soul-deep kind of love that completes you in some way, making you whole like nothing else can. Those who have found theirs say that it can’t be explained until you experience it and that they never want to live without it. To deny the mating bond with a fated mate will cause both to literally go insane. I try not to think about it, and no one talks about it.

  Finding one’s fated mate is not that common. Many choose a mate based on what’s best for the pack, what alliances can be formed, or what pairing will produce the best offspring. None of those reasons have anything to do with love or attraction. If you find your fated mate after you have claimed another, there isn’t much you can do about it. The mating bond is permanent, regardless of who you choose. Not all who wait for fate’s kindness are blessed. Fate doesn’t work that way, and everyone knows it.

  I like it up here in the mountains and we’ve made a good home for ourselves. I own Blackpaw Construction, and we stay busy. We have a good reputation. All members of the pack work on the construction team except Tanner. He runs Blackpaw Security, which is mostly computer surveillance. It would drive me crazy to sit behind that computer all day, but he likes it.

  Preston has a side hobby making Blackpaw Ale, which we all benefit from. Sam has begun serving it here in the pub, which means it’s starting to make money. I still have to pay for it when I come to Dakota’s. I’ll have to work on that.

  “Hey, Sam. How are you today?” I approach the bar in greeting.

  “Good, Jack. How about you?” Sam places a beer on the counter and slides it toward me.

  “Can’t complain. Will you put in my usual order, please?” I take a long swig from the beer while I check out who’s here today.

  “Already in. Should be up in a few minutes. You mind telling Preston that I want to increase the amount of Blackpaw Ale I keep on hand? I almost ran out last week.” Sam wipes down the counter.

  “Sure thing, Sam. I’ll have Preston give you a call.” I walk to the back of the bar where a few other council members are already waiting. We meet in the back, hoping to keep the eavesdropping to a minimum. Town business is usually uneventful, but sometimes it gets interesting.

  Taking my seat at the head of the table, I wait for my lunch to arrive and the chatter to quiet down. I watch as Charlie Fulbright makes his way across the bar. He looks tired. Shifters don’t age as quickly as humans, and we generally have longer life spans. Charlie’s in his sixties, I think, but looks much older. He’s been mayor of this town for some time, and it’s starting to take its toll.

  He’s carrying his usual pile of folders and papers. How he keeps it all straight is beyond me. His wife left him a few years back, and he hasn’t been the same since. I think she took off to Florida. He eats at the diner a lot. Rumor has it that he and Ruth Ann are keeping each other company.

  “Jack, you ready for this? The mayor’s office has been getting calls all week. We haven’t had a new human in town in a long time. And never one who bought a house intending to stay as fast as she did. No one can figure out if she knows about shifters or not. Most are leaning toward no.” Charlie pulls out the chair next to me and drops his stack of folders on the table.

  “It does seem strange that she just shows up and buys a house so quickly. What did Ruth Ann say? Did anyone talk to Evelyn?” I finish my beer and motion to Sam for another. “Isn’t she from the
South somewhere? I thought they hated the cold. She had to have a reason to choose here of all places. This town isn’t easy to find, and no one advertises it.”

  “Ruth Ann and Evelyn both said they couldn’t get anything out of her. None of their tactics worked. Both mentioned that she was meeting a friend, but no one ever showed up. Ruth Ann even gave her dinner on the house and still nothing.” Charlie shakes his head, then continues. “I talked to Amanda as well. She said the girl knew exactly which house she wanted and didn’t want to look at any others. She even tried to talk the girl out of buying the house, but she was determined and wanted the closing to be as soon as possible.”

  Charlie stops talking as Sam delivers drinks to the table. Then he continues. “I thought there might be a connection between her and the previous owner. So far nothing has turned up.” Charlie takes a big gulp of his water. “Didn’t you want to buy that house not too long ago?”

  “Yep. I was waiting for the price to come down some more. It needs a lot of work. But it would be perfect for my pack. Plenty of room to be comfortable and to grow. I guess I waited too long.” I nod toward Sam as he puts my bacon double cheeseburger and fries down in front of me. “Thanks, Sam.”

  Charlie stares at my burger with big eyes. The man’s always on some type of diet. When food is around, he just seems miserable.

  “Where’s Fred? He’s been up to something lately. He’s acting even sketchier than usual. Do we need another representative for the foxes besides him? It’s hard to believe that that lying cheat is their best choice for the council.” I take a big bite out of my burger.

  For a fox, Fred Sullivan is pretty typical. Foxes are always up to no good. They’re also smaller than wolves on average, both the man and the beast. He manages the pawn shop on the outskirts of town. The human owner disappeared about a year ago. Fred has been telling everyone that he retired to Florida and left him in charge of the store. No one believes it.