by Ellen Lane
He huffed a bitter laugh. What a fucking question. “I’ll be better when we cull Ephraim and anyone blind enough to follow in his footsteps.”
Frowning, Tempest gazed up at him. “Solomon are you sure we’re going about this the right way? If Ephraim taints the water, or meddles in something even more dangerous, we could be facing a huge problem.”
Solomon had known Tempest forever. She wasn’t trying to question him. She was the type of woman who liked to exhaust all her options finding the right answer. Unfortunately, she’d underestimated just how thin he was stretched. “I’ve doubled down on the protection around the settlement,” He returned, an edge to his voice. “Informed everyone what’s at stake. Hell, I’ve done just about everything short of announcing to the world that we’re slaughtering each other. There’s not exactly a fucking handbook on how to avoid pack wars, Tempest.”
To her merit, she didn’t immediately snap at him. Instead, Tempest merely crossed her arms over her chest, gazing up at him warily. There were few in the settlement that could look Solomon in the eye when he was in a mood, but she was one of them.
“Hey,” Her dark eyes searched his face for a long moment. “I can handle this. And so can you.”
Solomon couldn’t help the growl that rumbled up his throat.
“Tempest...I let a pup die...A fucking pup-”
“You didn’t let anything happen,” She immediately countered, dropping her hands to her hips. “Ephraim broke a peace pact and attacked us. The Elders didn’t think he’d go so far, and neither did you...even if you knew, deep down, that they were wrong. You did your job as Alpha, Solomon, and you’re still fucking doing it.” She squeezed his bicep firmly. “You’re protecting us the best way you know how. Don’t you dare blame yourself for Ephraim Dozier’s crazy.”
Everyone kept telling him that, but it would be a hell of a lot easier if his pack members weren’t injured and dying. He opened his mouth to argue his point, only to see Tempest’s gaze dart over his shoulder, an eyebrow-raising.
“She emerges.”
Solomon smelled her a split second before Tempest spoke and swallowed a groan as he turned. They were at least half a mile from the center of the settlement, but his sharp eyes picked out the flash of blonde and hobbled pace that announced that Georgia had left the safety of Anne’s cabin.
“What the hell is she doing?”
At his inquiry, Tempest huffed a laugh. “You’d better go make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.”
“Me?” Solomon eyed her incredulously. “I’m in over my head as it is.”
“You brought her here, Solomon.” This wasn’t funny, so why the hell was Tempest smiling like she knew something he didn’t? “You’d better keep up with her.”
He took a moment to spare her a sharp glare before starting back towards the settlement, his stomach churning in a strange mixture of annoyance and anticipation. With every step he took, the scent of lavender and vanilla grew stronger - almost as if luring him in.
Solomon didn’t know what he expected to find when he returned, but it wasn’t the sight that greeted him. Georgia had found a long tree branch to use as a makeshift crutch and hobbled all the way over to Natalia’s place - a good fifty yards from Anne’s. Natalia was in charge of the cubs while their parents went on runs - and had even gotten her degree as a teacher to educate them until they were teenagers. She was fiercely protective of her charges, having never been able to have pups herself, so it surprised the shit out of Solomon to find Georgia perched on her front steps.
The human woman herself seemed to have attracted a small crowd of onlookers- most of whom were young female wolves - and all of them were doing their best to watch her without seeming obvious.
Natalia herself stood at the edge of her porch, a wolf pup in each arm - and she was fucking smiling.
“They’re beautiful.” Georgia gazed at the squirming puppies in Natalia’s arms. They had only just learned that they could shift, and probably wouldn’t change back for hours. Babies that young were rarely cognizant of whether they were wolf or man-shaped. One was biting at Natalia’s shoulder while the other whined pitifully. “How old are they?”
“A little over a year.” The older woman was beaming. “They’re just figuring out how to change, so excuse the ruckus.”
“I didn’t know they changed so young.” Georgia stared, transfixed, at the squirming canines. For the first time, Solomon took in her eyes - a deep gray color like the sky before a storm. “How do they know to change back?”
“They don’t.” Natalia hitched one of her charges up higher on her hip. “Calm down Matthias. You’re all right.” When her attention returned to Georgia, she chuckled. “But they get the hang of it eventually. Might take a few hours or a few days, but they always change back.”
The smile on her lips died when she caught sight of Solomon striding towards them. “Alpha.”
The single word was enough to scatter the crowd of onlookers as Georgia looked around so quickly her curtain of damp blonde hair tangled around her neck.
She had showered, that much was evident - and she was dressed in some of Anne’s old clothes. The gray t-shirt and jeans barely fit - Georgia was decidedly bustier than the healer, her pert breasts all but spilling from the low vee of her shirt. When her gaze rose tentatively to Solomon’s, he was surprised to find less raw fear than nervousness there. “What are you doing out here?”
It was best he didn’t give her a chance to defend herself. He’d already proven oddly weak where she was concerned. “I... I was doing what you said,” she finally managed, raising her chin stubbornly. It was almost like she thought she could stand up to a full-grown wolf Alpha.
Damn, she was cute. Too cute for her own good.
“What I said?” He didn’t recall encouraging her to totter around when she was injured.
“You told me to educate myself.” She shrugged. “I don’t know nearly as much about Shifters as I’d like, especially considering I live in Dockery. I was just asking Natalia here some questions.” She smiled at the elder woman, but Natalia was still focused on Solomon.
“I was just...she was curious, Alpha. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Even if the crowd was gone, Solomon wasn’t idiotic enough to think he wasn’t still being watched. They weren’t usually so liberal with their secrets when tourists came around, but Natalia was a kind soul. She wasn’t the type to lash out at anyone - Shifter or human. It was why she was good with the pups.
He wasn’t about to punish her for it now. “It’s fine, Nat.” He waved her off, noting her relieved smile as she disappeared into her cabin to tend to the other children. Georgia frowned as she left before turning her attention back to him. “You scared her off.”
At the accusation, Solomon only stared at her, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “Wouldn’t be much of an Alpha if I wasn’t good at scaring people.”
Georgia’s gorgeous mouth turned downward into a frown. “You don’t scare me.”
Solomon moved forward in a flash, until there were scant inches between them. He could smell Anne’s shampoo in her hair, and the mint of toothpaste. Christ, what he’d give to taste it. “I did yesterday.”
Even if Georgia put on a brave front, her racing pulse and wide-blown pupils were a dead giveaway. She was scared shitless. She smelled of fear, sweat and female...and something else. “I... well...yesterday you saved my life.” She swallowed thickly, barely able to hold his gaze. “I’m sorry if I offended you. But,” she forged on, “If I’m stuck here, I am going to do what I can to learn about your kind.”
Tenacious little thing. Even when she was intimidated and outnumbered, she still stuck to her guns. It was a quality he admired in his pack members, but from a little human? Pleasantly surprising.
Solomon wasn’t supposed to be pleased. He was supposed to be strict. The woods were dangerous, his pack needed structure, and a human asking questions was more distraction than anyone could afford.
“If you have questions, bring them to me.” The words were out before he could stop them.
When Georgia’s eyes widened, he hastened to continue. “Look, Georgia...your little ‘visit’ couldn’t have come at a worse time. At best, you’re a distraction. At worse, a hinderance. People here have things to do. If you have questions that need answering, come to me. I’m there in the far cabin.” He pointed across the large clearing, wondering what the hell had come over him.
“Don’t you have things to do too?” Georgia gazed up at him from the steps, her expression tentative. “If there’s as much chaos as you say?”
Solomon raked a hand through his hair impatiently. He wasn’t the most eloquent at the best of times, and he certainly wasn’t used indulging humans. He was brusque and to-the-point - and hell if he was going to change just because the little human smelled like an angel.
“You can’t be out here.” He deadpanned. Crouching, Solomon swept her into his arms in a smooth movement as a muffled sound of surprise escaped her. “And if you won’t stay put at Anne’s, you’re going to need some place to stay.”
She was just as soft as he remembered - softer, even. Somehow, he remembered to pick up the stick she’d been using as a crutch and kept from burying his nose in the silky strands of her hair - even if it was a close thing. “There’s an extra bedroom in my cabin.”
He expected her to refuse - to flat out tell him no with that defiant look in her eye he was coming to crave. Instead, Georgia’s cheeks merely flushed. “And I can’t leave the cabin?”
Solomon swallowed a curse. “You can leave. Just...tell me when you’re gonna. You don’t seem to get that things aren’t honky dory around here, princess.” He crested the steps to his cabin easily, setting Georgia down on the porch so he could open the door.
“Are you at least going to tell me what’s going on then?”
At her inquiry, Solomon merely sighed exasperatedly, gesturing into his home. “Get inside. Then we’ll talk.
Chapter 8
It was homier than she’d expected.
Of course, Georgia had only seen a few rooms in Anne’s house, but she’d assumed that since all the cabins in the settlement looked similar, they’d be the same on the inside.
But Solomon’s space was something altogether different.
Where the entirety of Anne’s house was devoted to her healing, Solomon’s was cluttered with comfy, hand-carved furniture and different animal skins. Despite the fact that the morning wasn’t frigid cold, a fire crackled in the hearth, illuminating several pictures on the walls. There was a small kitchen, which she was surprised to see had running water and electricity - and a nicer oven than she had in her townhouse!
There was even a laptop on a desk pushed into the corner of the living room, with a wireless internet router whirring away.
Georgia wasn’t quite sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this. The settlement had to be pretty far from the powerlines that supplied the town, and Vincent had always led her to believe that shifters lived more like animals than humans. Instead, Solomon’s cabin looked like something from the pages of a home magazine - if that home housed a single male.
“Sit.”
Georgia meant to tell Solomon that she wasn’t a child, but all that came out was a squeak as he plucked her up by her waist and deposited her on the couch. Even though she knew Shifters were strong, seeing and feeling were two totally different things.
She watched the huge male make his way around the couch and disappear into the kitchen, craning her neck to try and catch an additional glimpse of him. When the site of her injury twinged in response, she forced herself to relax.
Relaxing meant trying to adjust on the couch so she was comfortable. Not remembering how easily Solomon had spirited her away from Natalia’s cabin or how amazing he smelt - like pine, spice and something earthy that she couldn’t quite identify. Relaxing certainly didn’t involve wondering if there was a woman who lived with Solomon, and if she wouldn’t be upset at the discovery of another female in her territory.
That particular notion drew a frown from her. Scanning the room, Georgia searched for evidence that a woman might live there. Smaller clothes, high-heeled shoes or a bag...but she didn’t find any. Everything hung up on the peg near the door was Solomon-sized, from huge flannel shirts to a pair of almost threadbare jeans.
All it took was the sight of them to remember that he had been wearing absolutely nothing the previous day when he’d rescued her. That magnificent body of his had been absolutely bare, every muscle, every inch of him so intricately male that it was suddenly all she could think about.
Jesus, she was losing her mind.
“Here.” When he pressed a mug of something warm into her hands, Georgia jumped. The man had barely touched her in all her time here, and still, something as scant as his hand brushing over hers sent a jolt of awareness through her system. She caught a whiff of him again, somehow quelling the reactionary shiver it sent through her - before she managed to thank him.
Georgia didn’t even know what he was giving her. Hell, it could have been poison and she would have still thanked him for the gift of watching his large form settle in the armchair across from her. Never mind that the man was frowning like someone had just killed his goddamn dog - or that she was probably as welcome in his cabin as a rat infestation.
His reaction outside had spoken clearly enough - she didn’t belong here, and he would do everything in his power to contain her and protect his people.
Georgia was still deciding if she was mad at him or surprised at the lengths he went to ensure his pack’s safety.
She could feel his eyes on her as she sipped what turned out to be a savory beef broth. The flavor was amazing - so much so that a soft sound of appreciation escaped her as her stomach awoke to a suddenly gnawing hunger.
Besides that singular sound, however, the silence in the cabin was thick enough to cut with a knife. Even though Solomon had promised her a proper discussion, they could hardly seem to look one another in the eye.
Georgia gave it until she was finished with her soup before clearing her throat. It seemed that if she wanted answers, she was going to have to push the envelope. “Your home is lovely. I never imagined that you guys lived so well!”
It was, apparently, the wrong way to begin the conversation.
Solomon’s frown turned to a full-on glower. He set his own cup aside. “I’m sure you were picturing caves in the mountainside?” Disapproval as rife in her tone, and his low growl was enough to make her squirm in her seat. “That we dress in the skins of our kills and bathe in lakes and rivers?”
Now it was Georgia’s turn to be defensive. “I did not. I just...you guys are a way out from Dockery and I always wondered how you got electricity and fresh water out here is all.”
She didn’t bother to add that Vincent had almost certainly implied that Shifters lived in barely serviceable dwellings and almost never worried about cleanliness. Georgia was doing her best to push everything Vincent had ever said from her mind. It made perfect sense when she considered she could count the times her ex-husband told her the truth on one hand.
Her answer seemed to pacify Solomon somewhat. At the very least, he didn’t look like he wanted to rip her head off anymore. After a tense moment, he even answered her.
“It wasn’t always like this.” He folded arms over his massive chest as he settled back in his chair to continue. “Up until about five years ago, we were getting our water from wells and running solely on generators. I considered solar panels, but no distributor wanted to come up and meet. Then Tempest came back from school and started making changes. She’s the one who really turned this place around.”
Tempest...the name sounded familiar. It took Georgia a full minute of racking her brain to remember where she’d heard it before.
When she was still in nursing school there’d been a huge commotion in Dockery when a single female wolf left the mountains to go to school in New Yor
k City, over five hundred miles away. It made all the papers and even the nightly news when it happened - Shifters were a notoriously secretive people and when their kind did venture off their territory, they didn’t usually broadcast it to the world.
But this girl was different. She was bound and determined to fit in - even if the world didn’t want her to.
Of course, the press had eventually died down, and she had forgotten the woman’s name. Until now, that was.
“Tempest...is she the one who went away?”
Solomon nodded once, curtly. “Against everyone’s wishes except the Alpha’s...but she’s a stubborn one. She had to have her way.” Even though there was an edge of disapproval to his words, Georgia could have sworn she saw pride gleaming in his eyes. At that moment, she couldn’t help but be a little jealous of this Tempest. “Got her engineering degree in half the time. Then she worked with the town to get us hooked up - helped lay the lines herself. My dad would roll over in his grave if he knew we had fucking Wi-Fi.” When the corner of Solomon’s mouth twitched up in a half-amused smile, Georgia’s breath caught.
He had dimples. Dimples.
She was so screwed.
“You Dad...was he Alpha before you? Is it something that’s passed down?” She didn’t think she could talk about Tempest anymore without wanting to punch her, and Georgia needed a new line of questioning to concentrate on.
Anything but those dimples.
She got her wish when they disappeared. “No.” Solomon’s answer was gruff, reluctance evident. “It’s not passed down. You challenge for it, and if you win, the Elders uphold your claim.”
“The Elders?” Vincent had never mentioned anything about this.
A beat passed before Solomon answered, as if he were toying with the idea of how much to tell her. “The Eldest in the pack. They’ve been around the longest - seen battles won and mistakes made. They help keep order - keep one wolf from deciding that hostile takeover sounds like a good idea.”
