Muscles growing stiff, Ronni eased from the bed and pulled on the T-shirt she normally slept in and a robe. Barefoot, she padded from the bedroom quietly, pulling the door closed behind her.
In the kitchen, she made a cup of herbal tea. On her way outside to sit on the porch swing, she heard movement upstairs. She left her cup on the counter and climbed the stairs.
Alex’s room was dark and he was sleeping soundly so she continued down the hallway.
“Willow?” Propelled by her mothering instinct, Ronni pushed open the door and walked into the dimly lit room. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I guess so.” Lying on her stomach, Willow was propped on her elbows, knees bent with her feet in the air. In front of her was an open photo album and a flashlight.
Ronni sat on the edge of the mattress. “What are you looking at?”
“Pictures of my mom.” Sadness tinged Willow’s voice.
Ronni’s heart ached for the young girl who’d never had a chance to know her mother.
“She was very pretty,” Ronni said gently. “You favor her.”
“Thanks!” Willow’s cheeks momentarily plumped.
“What is she wearing in this picture?” Ronni tapped the photo of a raven-haired beauty looking over her shoulder at the camera, arms outstretched and wearing a cloak made of panels of black material cut and sewn to resemble bird feathers.
“Her transformation robe. She wore it for her first raven shift.” Willow’s eyes widened and she clamped her hand over her mouth.
“It’s okay.” Ronni leaned toward her with a smile. “Your dad told me that you are Tlanuhwa.”
“Oh, good.” Willow rolled her shoulders. “I thought I had messed up.”
“How old is your mother in the picture?”
“Sixteen.” Willow traced the outline of her mother’s cloak with her finger. “I’ll be sixteen next month.”
Understanding dawning, Ronni felt her heart sink. Mary had mentioned Bodie’s interest in the Co-op sanctuary as a place for the traditional ceremony performed at that age.
If Bodie had asked Gavin about access to the land, he would’ve explained that only Co-op members were allowed inside the protected area. Membership was exclusive to the pack. Generally, humans were only admitted to the Walker’s Run pack if they were mated to a pack member.
The prickly feeling in Ronni’s stomach made her nauseous. Had she been duped? Was Bodie’s attention simply a ruse to gain access to the Co-op’s sanctuary for his daughter’s first shift?
“I wish I could wear my mom’s robe for my transformation.” Sadness had quieted Willow’s voice more than usual.
Ronni’s heart swelled and broke at the same time. She couldn’t fault Bodie’s drive to do whatever it took to protect his daughter. She had the same instinct for Alex. The situation with Jeb had prompted her to accept Bodie’s interest. The big difference was that he had outright known her situation yet remained silent about his own agenda.
Regardless, she would make sure his daughter had a safe place to undergo her ceremony. Even if Bodie was simply using Ronni for access to the sanctuary, she would not put Willow at risk by backing out of the relationship now.
Compartmentalizing the turbulent emotions Bodie had uncapped, Ronni focused on the young girl who ached for her mother. “What happened to her robe?”
“It burned up.” Willow gave her a matter-of-fact look. “Dad says anything touching our skin when we shift turns to ash.”
Apparently, there were commonalities among the two shifter species.
“Enisi said there’s no reason to spend a lot of money on something that’s going to disintegrate after one use.” Willow’s sigh sounded near tragic. “I’m supposed to wear that.” Her gaze slid to the flowery housecoat folded over the edge of the dresser.
“No matter what you wear, I’m sure it will be an exciting day for you.”
“You’ll be there, won’t you?” Willow looked at Ronni with eyes so much like her father’s, set in a delicate feminine face, and her fragility tugged at Ronni’s motherly instincts.
“That’s up to your father, hon.”
“Oh, he’ll want you to come.” Willow’s smile erased the worried expression she wore when Ronni had come into the room. “I know it.”
Ronni wasn’t as convinced. “Well, you have school tomorrow.” She stood. “It’s past time for you to be asleep.”
Willow slipped the photo album under her bed, scrambled underneath the comforter Ronni had made, and wiggled into a comfortable spot. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Ronni turned off the flashlight and laid it on the nightstand, then pulled the door closed.
Coming down the stairs, she watched Bodie shuffling into the living room, bare-chested and wearing his plaid pajama pants.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
Not by a long shot.
He gazed at her with such expectancy and sincerity that Ronni was tempted to confront him about his ultimate agenda. But it was late and she really didn’t want to fight. Bodie had been good to her and Alex. She sensed that he did care about them and he was putting forth a real effort to make things work, just as she had done in the beginning of her mateship with Zeke.
“Couldn’t sleep.” She closed the distance between them. “I was going to sit on the porch but I saw Willow was up. She’s all tucked in now.”
“Are you ready to be tucked in?” His warm fingers laced through hers and led her into the bedroom. “Are we good?” he asked, climbing into bed after her. “Something feels out of sync.” He scooted closer to her, draping his arm over her hip as she turned to face him.
“You’re tired and overthinking.” She kissed his forehead. “We’re fine.”
“Good.” The muscles in his face relaxed and a soft smile touched his lips. His eyelids lowered until they closed. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”
Although Ronni sensed sincerity in his words, she wasn’t sure if he was referring to their relationship or the fact that she was the key to helping his family.
In the end, she figured it didn’t really matter. He would get access to the sanctuary; Jeb’s harassment had stopped. All in all, a pretty fair bargain. Still, she couldn’t help but wish it could’ve been more.
* * *
The next day, Ronni found herself knocking on Gavin’s partially opened door. Having no intention of betraying Bodie, she was still obligated to inform the Alpha of what she had done. “Got a few minutes?” she said, slipping inside his office.
“Of course.” Gavin pushed aside the survey map on his desk and waved his hand toward the chairs in front of his desk.
She eased down into the chair, perching on the edge. “I showed Bodie my wolf.”
Gavin’s thoughts did not register on his face. “Have you claimed him?”
“No.” She had intended to do so, but her emotions were still reeling from last’s nights ups and downs. “We’re still figuring out that part.”
“You know the law.”
A Wahya could only reveal his or her wolf to a human if the person was the wolfan’s mate. Or if the human was in peril.
“I trust Bodie and his family,” Ronni said. “I wouldn’t have moved them into my home if I didn’t.” It wasn’t a lie. Even though she felt betrayed by Bodie’s ultimate agenda, she did trust him with the Co-op’s secret because he was a shifter, too.
“A slumber party is not a mateship.” Though Gavin’s tone was civil, there was an irritable growl in his voice. “This doesn’t simplify the situation with Jeb.”
“I thought the matter had been settled.” She hadn’t heard from him in several weeks.
“Brice and I have been handling his ridiculous petitions so you wouldn’t have to deal with him.” Gavin leaned forward, resting his arms on top
of the desk. “He still insists on you and Alex returning to Pine Ridge. Things would be much simpler if you were in a mateship.”
“I shouldn’t have to claim a mate to be safe from a predator like him. I should have control over my own life and my son’s until he comes of age.”
“The law is the law.”
“It’s archaic and demeaning. Human laws, as poorly written as they may be, are at least inching forward.”
“Brice is working to modernize the Woelfesenat’s mindset and outdated laws.”
“And what are you doing?” Ronni challenged. “As long as the Alphas keep practicing the old ways, progress will remain an elusive, unrequited dream.”
Gavin’s face darkened and he seemed to chew his words before he spoke. “Do you love Bodie?”
“That isn’t the point. For you to ask is a cop-out.”
“As Alpha, it is my job to protect and guide this pack.” Gavin’s voice was level but strained. “You and Alex are not impacted by Jeb’s actions in isolation. As I’ve said before, the most expedient way to minimize his disruptiveness to you and this pack is to eliminate his only advantage by circumventing him with a mateship.”
Gavin stood and walked to the window looking out into the woods behind the resort. “Bodie is a good man. He risked his life apprehending those poachers. That alone is enough to bring him into the pack, so revealing your wolf to him isn’t a significant concern to me.”
“But you are concerned about something.”
Gavin took his time gathering his thoughts. When he turned back to Ronni, his face was grim. “In the past, when our species was threatened with extinction, there was a practice that when a she-wolf’s mate died, his closest male relation claimed her as his own.”
“What?” Making it to her feet while her head was exploding was a miracle in itself. “That’s ridiculous.”
“We thought so, too, until Brice had a conference with our councilman. It appears Jeb’s claim may be valid.”
“This can’t be happening.” Ronni’s stomach churned and her knees weakened. “Why does he have all the rights and I have none?”
Gavin gently clasped her arm and helped her to sit down. “Brice is challenging the custom. And it is just a custom, not a law.”
“Why can’t the Woelfesenat simply tell Jeb no? Why does this claim have to be challenged?”
“The practice began during a time of widespread upheaval and fighting among the packs. Since you and Alex fled Pine Ridge during a violent transition, Jeb asserts that the custom continues to be relevant.
“The Woelfesenat is obligated to at least consider his petition because you remain unmated. That is why I asked if you love Bodie. If you do, a mateship is a simple solution. The council will not rule against an established mate-claim.”
I just can’t shake the bad luck that’s been following me.
Over the last year and a half, she’d lost a husband and fled her birth pack to save her son. The few possessions she and Alex brought with them to Walker’s Run were lost in a fire a few months later. Just when her life seemed to have righted, Jeb had to show up and turn everything upside down again.
She was so sick and tired of being tossed around by situations beyond her control. Would she ever be able to make a decision that wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction to the chaos?
“Regardless of what happens in your relationship with Bodie, the pack will stand with you against Jeb.” Gavin squeezed her shoulder. His assurance only increased the knots in her stomach.
No matter the obstacles, Jeb was a man determined to get what he wanted. Unchecked, he would continue to escalate until violence erupted. Ronni wouldn’t endanger packmates who had been so good to her and Alex.
“I’ll talk to Bodie.”
There was a quick rap on the partially open door before Bodie himself walked into the room. “Talk to me about what?” He brushed a kiss against Ronni’s cheek before sitting in the chair next to her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I called him before you stopped in.” Having returned to his desk, Gavin shuffled papers into a folder and dropped them into the desk drawer.
“I thought I was meeting with you, Brice and Tristan.”
“They will be here shortly.”
“I hope so. Ronni and I have plans for a late breakfast.” Eyes trained on Gavin, Bodie casually draped his arm across the top of Ronni’s chair and she looked at him. Really looked, long and hard, at him.
Not an ounce of trepidation or fear oozed from Bodie’s relaxed posture. Cool, collected, fearless, Bodie demonstrated no concern that he was in the presence of a wolfan Alpha who wielded the ultimate power in pack-related matters.
Her lovesick heart thumped happily while her rational brain crossly detailed the reasons why it shouldn’t.
“Everything okay, beautiful?” Bodie brushed aside her hair and kneaded her shoulder. “You seem tense.”
“It’s probably nerves.” Gavin shifted his gaze to Ronni. “She just informed me of showing her wolf to you, which under ordinary circumstances is a significant violation of our law.”
Now the tension creeped into Bodie’s body. His hand on her back withdrew. He sat a little taller in his seat and his shoulders broadened and his back stiffened. “If you’re about to tell me she’s getting punished, then you and I are going to have a big problem.”
“Not at all.” An infinitesimal smile played on Gavin’s lips. Maybe he thought it amusing that Bodie had threatened him.
Ronni did not. Her stomach clenched so hard she forgot to breathe.
“I find her unsolicited confession quite timely and appreciated,” Gavin said. “It makes the discussion about last night’s incident easier.”
“I appreciate the assist from Tristan and his team. Things would have ended differently if they hadn’t arrived.”
“If not for your efforts, the poachers would still be at large.”
“They went after Ronni, wounded one of your men, and ruthlessly killed nearly two dozen animals and birds. I had to bring them to justice.”
Resting his arms on the desktop, Gavin steepled his fingers. “Which brings me to the reason why I invited you here. On our first meeting, I told you that membership was exclusive, but on rare occasion a select few outside our congregation have earned their place because of special service to the Co-op.”
“Joining the Co-op was never a factor in apprehending the poachers.”
Bodie’s dedication and commitment to do the right thing could’ve cost him his life, but he didn’t back down. Pride pearled in Ronni’s chest.
“I didn’t believe it was.” Gavin leaned back in his chair with his hands folded over his silver belt buckle. “When we met, I said you might be a kindred spirit. Your actions last night proved you are. And since Ronni has shared her wolf with you, I’m sure you understand that the Co-operative is how the Walker’s Run wolfan pack hides among humans.”
Bodie nodded.
“If you accept membership into the Walker’s Run pack, you and your family will have a one-year probationary period to learn our ways and customs.”
“Great.” Bodie leaned forward, mirroring Gavin’s posture. “I’m particularly interested in why a reasonable Alpha, like yourself, allowed Jeb the freedom to harass Ronni within your territory.”
“Bodie,” Ronni whispered urgently, shaking her head no, because he had practically issued a challenge in his ignorance of wolfan etiquette.
However, the gleam in his eyes when he gave her a soft smile suggested he knew exactly what he was doing.
“That is a complicated subject requiring more time than I’ve allotted today,” Gavin said mildly. “Brice will answer any questions regarding our laws.”
Realizing her Alpha had not taken offense, Ronni released an audible breath.
“However,” Gavin continued, “
Ronni and I were discussing a permanent solution to Jeb’s intrusive meddling.”
“What is it?” Bodie reached for Ronni’s hand and she swallowed to keep her throat from closing.
“Ronni could claim you as her mate. A mateship supersedes any rights Jeb thinks he has and will effectively end his ability to interfere in Ronni’s and Alex’s lives. Do you find that agreeable?”
“Absolutely, I’m agreeable. What do we need to do, and how soon can we do it?” Excitement flushed Bodie’s face.
All the while, Ronni’s heart began a slow descent into her stomach. Bodie had said she could set the pace in their relationship, but at the first opportunity, he’d gone back on his word. Now she couldn’t help wondering if all of his promises would be so easily broken.
Chapter 27
The full moon dappled the woods with muted light. In her wolfan form, Ronni loped behind Bodie flying slightly ahead of her. Days had passed since Gavin had invited Bodie to join the pack and put the idea of a wolfan mateship into his head. The sooner the better, Gavin had said.
Bodie had let Ronni decide when, and knowing Gavin was anxious to settle the negotiations with Jeb, she had selected tonight.
Bodie veered to the right and she followed, keeping pace as if her paws weren’t weighted with doubt.
Zeke had claimed her when she needed protection from Jeb and, although she had believed Jeb had died a short time later, he had been a specter haunting their mateship. She didn’t want that to happen with Bodie.
He changed direction again.
“How much farther?” The question drifted from Ronni’s mind.
“Just ahead of us,” Bodie answered.
“I’m glad you can hear me in this form.” Although they had shared thoughts while both were in their human bodies, she wasn’t sure the telepathic communication was possible while she was a wolf and Bodie was a raven.
He gave her a quick glance. “I can now, but not when you didn’t know I was a shifter.”
Captivated by the She-Wolf Page 21
