“Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked in curiosity.
“For making me so happy.”
The next day, most of the pack gathered at the Victorian. Everyone was curious about Trent and what would become of him. Even the few wolves he’d befriended had turned their backs on him. By kidnapping Harper, he had ostracized himself.
Trent stood in the center of the pack, waiting to be sentenced. He looked pale and nervous. Ramsey was content to let him sweat it out a while longer. Besides, he didn’t have much of a choice. His guest of honor hadn’t arrived yet.
His gaze rested on Harper, who was surrounded by wolves sworn to protect her should Trent break free. He’d seated her toward the back of the crowd, as far from Trent as possible. He still wished she would have stayed home, but he understood why she felt the need to be present.
The alphas approached him.
“Are you going to begin soon?” Gabriel asked.
“I’m waiting on someone.”
“Who? Most of the pack is already here,” Connor said.
“I’m waiting for…”
A flash of light nearly blinded them. When they opened their eyes, the sorcerer stood in front of them.
“I’m not late, am I?” Eric asked.
“This is your missing person?” Connor asked incredulously. “What? I don’t see him enough around my own house, now he’s attending pack functions, too?”
Ramsey shrugged. “I can’t proceed without him.”
“Fine. He’s here now, so get on with it,” Gabriel said.
Ramsey nodded and the four men walked toward Trent, stopping directly in front of him. The werewolf clenched his jaw and tipped his head back to look up at Ramsey. When Ramsey stared him down, Trent dropped his gaze to the ground.
Ramsey turned to face the pack, his gaze briefly resting on Harper.
“As you know, we’re gathered today because Trent broke pack law. He not only abandoned his own mate, but he abducted mine. To make matters worse, both women are pregnant.” He briefly met the gaze of everyone gathered. “Obviously this one is personal for me. Had Trent not taken my mate, he would have received a lighter sentence, but that’s not the case.”
Ramsey turned to face Trent. “The laws you’ve broken are part of the foundation of our society. For these transgressions, the penalty will be severe. Are you ready to be sentenced?”
Trent nodded.
Ramsey motioned for Eric to step up beside him.
“Trent Matthews, for a period of ten years you will not be allowed to shift into your wolf form. And to guarantee you don’t, the sorcerer is going to put a spell on you.”
Trent’s eyes widened. “But…”
“And if you ever come near my family again, I’ll do something much worse to you,” Ramsey growled.
Trent snapped his mouth shut and nodded.
Ramsey took a step back and yielded the floor to Eric. The sorcerer began weaving his magic. A soft green glow enveloped the accused, and a moment later, the sorcerer lowered his hands and nodded to Ramsey.
“It’s done.”
Ramsey removed Trent’s bonds and motioned to the Denver wolves. He would be sorry to see his friends go so soon, but he was anxious for Trent to reach Colorado. The sooner he was out of Ashton Grove, and away from Harper, the better.
Eric shook Ramsey’s hand. “I’m tired of dealing with pack issues, but if you need me for anything, let me know. I don’t mind helping with things like this.”
“Thanks again for coming. I had a back-up plan, but I don’t think it would have been as effective.”
The sorcerer vanished the same way he’d appeared. Ramsey looked around and saw Trent being escorted off the property. He looked for the alphas and noticed they were heading his way.
“You were right. I don’t like it,” Gabriel said. “The punishment was too severe.”
“If Harper hadn’t called me, I never would have found her. The punishment wasn’t severe enough,” Ramsey said. “But I thought it would teach him a lesson, something he might remember the next time he thinks about defying our laws.”
“I may not agree with it, but it was creative.” Connor grinned. “And you got the job done without beating him senseless. I’m impressed.”
“Well, now that we have the unpleasant business out of the way, I have something good to share. Harper and I are going to get married.”
Gabriel smiled. “I wondered how long it would take you to realize that having her as your mate wasn’t enough. So when’s the big day?”
“We haven’t discussed it yet. I told her we’d make the arrangements once things with Trent were settled.”
“You know, the women would probably like to help,” Connor said. “They could probably get something together in a few days. We’ve certainly worked with shorter time frames before.”
“I’ll mention it to Harper. It might be a good bonding experience for all of them.” Ramsey smiled. “I honestly don’t care how long it takes as long as it ends with her walking down the aisle.”
“I’ll have Aislinn call her tomorrow,” Connor said.
Gabriel clapped him on the shoulder. “Bring her by tomorrow when you come to work. She can talk to Kiera and they can get started on a few things.”
Ramsey nodded. “Right now, I just want to get her out of here.”
“Then go rescue her from her bodyguards and go home,” Connor said. “You don’t have to stick around.”
“I’ll do that.” He shook their hands. “See you tomorrow, Gabriel.”
Harper was still surrounded by wolves when he reached her side. Even though Trent was gone, they hadn’t abandoned their post. The Texas wolves were the last to go, stopping to share a few words with Ramsey.
“We’ve enjoyed our time with your pack,” Vaughn said. “We were thinking that maybe it’s time for a change. Think your alphas would welcome us?”
Ramsey grinned. “I’m sure they would, but you might want to talk to them first. Things around here are never quiet. You might change your mind.”
“We’ll do that. Maybe we’ll see you around.”
“Have a safe trip home.”
After the wolves walked away, Harper wrapped her arms around Ramsey’s waist and leaned into him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Fine. I’m just glad Trent is gone. It’s hard to believe that it’s finally over.”
“Are you ready to go home?”
“Actually, I want to go shopping,” she said.
“For the baby?”
“No. For a wedding dress. I know we still have to sit down and plan the wedding, but I’m going to need a dress no matter when or where we have it.”
“I don’t think I’m the right person to take you dress shopping.”
“Well…”
“I could take her,” Chloe said as she walked up behind Ramsey.
Harper looked surprised. “You would do that?”
“Sure.” She smiled. “It might be fun.”
“Would you mind?” Harper asked Ramsey.
He wasn’t sure how he felt about his ex-girlfriend taking his mate wedding dress shopping, but he figured they had to get to know one another sooner or later. Why not now?
“If that’s what you want to do. I don’t have a problem with it. Just call me if you’re going to be out late so I won’t worry.”
She hugged him tight and kissed him. “I’ll be home before too long. Promise.”
Ramsey watched the women walk away with mixed emotions. He wanted Harper to fit in, but he worried about what they would talk about. He was the only thing they had in common, and he definitely didn’t want to be the subject of their discussion.
Harper looked at one dress after another, feeling a little overwhelmed. How was she supposed to make a decision? There were so many styles and fabrics, and did she want blush, white or ivory? She hadn’t realized there would be so many choices.
“Have you found anything you l
ike yet?” Chloe asked.
“I’m not sure. They’re all so beautiful. How did you decide on one?”
“Mine was easy. There weren’t too many choices for a pregnant woman. Well, not for one who was five months along anyway. Since you aren’t showing yet, you can have your pick of dresses.”
“I think I just want something simple.” She flipped back through the rack and pulled out a white satin dress with a burgundy embroidered bodice and hem. It was strapless and flared out at the hips. “What about this?”
Chloe smiled. “That’s really pretty.”
“But?”
“Are you sure you don’t want something more traditional?”
Harper bit her lip. “Ramsey would probably like traditional, wouldn’t he?”
“It’s not about what he wants.”
“You know him pretty well though.”
Chloe sighed. “I’m sure you know him just as well as I do, if not better.”
“But you were together for a while.”
“Yes, we were. And then he went to Denver and things fell apart. In the end, things turned out the way they were supposed to. I was meant to be with Michael, and not just because we have a child together. I really do love him.”
Harper smiled. “So you found your happily-ever-after.”
“Yes, I did. And if I’m not mistaken, you’ve found yours with Ramsey. He deserves to be happy. I’m really glad he found you.”
Chloe selected a dress off the rack and showed it to her. “What about this one?”
Harper looked at the lovely white confection. It was an off the shoulder design with a lace bodice and full skirt trimmed in lace. There was a think band of seed pearls around the waist.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I’ll try both dresses on and see which one I like better.”
Harper went into the dressing room and tried on the burgundy and white gown first, and while it looked nice on her, it wasn’t quite what she was looking for. Next she tried on the dress Chloe had picked out, and fell in love with it. It was absolutely perfect, and she knew Ramsey would love it just as much as she did.
“Find one?” Chloe asked. “Or do we keep looking?”
“No, I found one. The one you picked out was perfect,” Harper said as she stepped out of the dressing room. “It doesn’t even need to be altered.”
Chloe smiled. “Great! Do you want to keep it at my house until the wedding?”
“It wouldn’t be an imposition?”
“Of course not! We’ll drop it by the house and then I’ll take you home.”
Harper was surprised by Chloe’s generosity. She had thought things might be awkward between them, but surprisingly they’d gotten along very well. She could easily see herself being friends with Chloe. Well, if Ramsey was okay with it. She didn’t want to do anything that might make him feel uncomfortable.
The dress nearly depleted Harper’s account, but it was worth it. She would just have to talk to Ramsey about paying for the rest of the wedding. As much as she hated to push the rest of it off on him, it couldn’t be avoided.
On the car ride home, Chloe talked about her little boy and the joys of motherhood. Harper asked a ton of pregnancy questions and listened intently to her answers. Overall, it was a good bonding experience.
Two days later, Ramsey sat across from Connor, drinking a cup of coffee. He wasn’t sure why the alpha had asked to meet with him. Did it pertain to his job as pack enforcer? Or was it something else?
“I hear that you’ve been in contact with the El Paso pack and Denver pack,” Connor said.
“Yeah. They called me the other day.”
“As you know, with the demon war coming, we need to get our numbers up. While we’ve all enjoyed being part of a small pack, it keeps us at a disadvantage.”
Ramsey took a sip of coffee. “Does that mean Finn, Vaughn, Levi and Deacon are all moving here?”
“Yeah. And it seems you spoke to a few other people, too.”
“Levi’s cousin, Alden, and Vaughn’s twin brother, William.”
“They’re coming here, too,” Connor said. “This brings me to the reason for this visit. I’d like to expand on your job.”
“Expand on it how?”
“I’d like to make you a recruiter. You did a nice job with the others. I’ve already contacted the pack in Dallas, one in New Orleans, and one in Oklahoma City. If we get any calls from them, I want you to handle it. They’ve already been told about the demons, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“You’re serious?” Ramsey asked. “You really want me to do this?”
“You seem to be good at it. That’s six wolves joining us because of whatever you told them. I know Ashton Grove is small, but I already talked to Matt about housing. He has two vacant lots for sale.”
“What good are lots without something to put on them?” Ramsey asked.
“One lot is big enough for six duplexes, and the other can hold a small apartment building.”
“How small?”
“Sixteen units.”
Ramsey took another swallow of coffee. “I take it your company would build them?”
“Yes. Matt offered to donate the land and Cassie’s father said he would help Matt design the buildings. We just need the materials.”
“Let me talk to Deacon and Levi. If you can guarantee them a duplex, they may chip in some money. As an engineer, Deacon has cash to spare.”
“And Levi?” Connor asked.
“He and his cousin come from money. Same goes for Vaughn and Will. They’re family owns a large ranch outside of El Paso.”
“So we just might be able to make this work. I’m sure Matt and Cassie will help a little, like they usually do.”
“Then I guess I have my marching orders.”
Connor stopped him. “One more thing. Gabriel and I talked, and we’re going to pay you five hundred dollars for every recruit that moves here. Since this is going to cut into your free time, it only seems fair.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but we want to. You’re doing us a favor by tackling this. It isn’t a small project.”
Ramsey nodded. “All right. Give them my number and I’ll get started right away.”
Chapter Nineteen
When Ramsey got home, Harper was still out with Kiera. They were finalizing the plans for the wedding, which was only a week away. He smiled at the thought of making her his wife. Before Connor’s meeting, he had thought about taking her on a honeymoon. But if wolves were going to be calling at all hours, it would be best to wait.
He was actually excited about his new job. It had been nice speaking to the other wolves about his pack, and he looked forward to doing it again. Granted, he’d already met Finn and Vaughn, and had known Levi and Deacon for years. But he’s spoken to Will, whom he’d never met before, and he hadn’t had any problems recruiting him. Maybe it was something he would be good at.
He sat on the sofa and picked up the TV remote. After flipping through channels for several minutes, he gave up and turned it off. It amazed him that he had over two hundred channels and couldn’t find anything to watch.
Realizing he hadn’t checked his email in a while, he pulled out his laptop and checked his messages. He had a short one from Deacon that he answered, and a lengthy one from Sabrina that he deleted without reading it. He answered a few other messages from friends and one from his cousin in his Phoenix. When he was finished, he put the laptop away and walked into the laundry room, thinking he would occupy his time by doing a load of clothes or two.
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