by Trina Lane
Jaryn quietly released a long breath. “You know, we have a pretty good school system here for a small town. Mostly because kids from several surrounding areas travel here for their education.” Nicole stiffened and tried to pull her hand away. “Please don't back away. I know you aren't sold on the idea yet, but every cell in my body is screaming to me that you are my mate. My wolf wants to claim you then sing to moon in celebration. I'm telling you this because I want to be honest with you, but you also need to know that I will never force you to complete our mating bond. I would never take away your right to make the choice for yourself. If you were to walk away from all that we could be, my life would never be complete and that is something I would have to deal with. However, if you agree to become my mate, I would not only make sure that you never again feel alone or scared, I would love you more than the deepest fathoms of the ocean or highest peaks reaching into the sky. Whatever the future holds, we would face it together."
"Tell me something?"
"Anything."
"Do they give all you shifters lessons in charm as pups? Why is it that every one of you I've ever encountered always knows exactly the right thing to say? I even fell for Adam's lines without a second thought...before he kidnapped me. Is there a class you take that teaches you how to be suave, romantic and seduce women, or is it something woven into your genetic code?"
Jaryn tilted his head back and laughed so loud that he was sure the entire restaurant looked in their direction. When he glanced over at Nicole, her arms were crossed and she had the most adorable look of consternation on her face.
"And what, may I ask, is so damn funny?"
Jaryn nodded for Susan to go ahead and take his plate. He frowned slightly when Nicole gestured for the same, given that she'd only eaten half her meal. But he wasn't about to cross swords with her on that topic at this moment.
"I wasn't laughing at you. I was thinking about my Beta, Shaun. He's perpetually unlucky with women. Every ex of his I've met always says the same thing. He's a good guy and means well, but he has a tendency to speak first and think second. That, and you'd have better luck getting him to wear a man thong than you would getting him to open up about anything personal."
Nicole lips threatened to inch out a smile. “If he's so difficult, why is he your Beta?"
Jaryn leant forwards over the table and stared into Nicole's eyes. “Shaun's mouth may run away from him on occasion, but he's the most loyal person I know. He'll do anything for the pack and its members, even if it means a personal sacrifice. And he may have a hard time expressing personal emotions, but never doubt that he feels them. In fact, his emotionality gives him the drive to fight tooth and nail for what he believes in."
"And you? Were you born with your charm?"
"I am the Alpha for my pack, as my father was before me. Diplomacy and a certain amount of charm are skills I've had to learn by necessity. But when I say those words to you, I'm not speaking as Alpha of Phantom River Pack, I'm speaking to you as Jaryn Chaunterel. I'm a man, just as any other, and I've found the woman who's destined to share my life. I'm willing to do everything within my power to make that possibility a reality."
"So you're willing to say whatever it takes, regardless of how you feel? What's a lie, if it gets you what you want?"
"No, Nicole. I don't lie, not to you. And when we complete the mating bond you'll know me better than any other person alive because not only will we share our lives, but our thoughts and emotions. I'll be an open book to you."
Nicole turned to look out the window beside them. Jaryn sensed that she was fighting some battle within herself. He'd give anything at this moment to have cemented their bond, so he would know what she was thinking...how she felt about everything he'd thrown at her today...how she really felt about everything that had happened to her. She was tired and stressed from her time on the run. Had he overplayed his hand?
"How can you possibly blindly accept that we're going to fall in love, that our lives will magically fit together and we'll live in some idyllic Shangri-La?"
Jaryn reached across the table and turned Nicole's face back towards him. He picked up her hand and held it between his. His larger palms swallowed her delicate fingers. “I believe in the mating bond. I've never met a pair of true mates who didn't love each other with ultimate passion and devotion. As for making our lives fit? We are two intelligent individuals. With work and compromise and the desire to make it happen, I know it's possible. I'm not saying there won't be bumps along the way. I'm sure we'll argue and on occasion annoy each other, but at the end of the day, I have faith that my life will be better for having you in it, and I hope in time you'll think the same."
"It sounds too good to be true. I'm scared to believe. You're asking me to believe that I've travelled from hell to heaven in two days. That's not realistic."
Jaryn frowned. He and Shaun had a lot to discuss tomorrow about the investigation. He wanted to get to the bottom of what exactly was going on in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, and shut down Broyles’ operation for good. But tonight, his mate and building their bond came first.
"Will you at least think about accepting me as your mate? Will you help me with our investigation?” he asked.
Nicole met Jaryn's eyes for a long moment. “I'll do everything I can to help you. I owe it to those I left behind. The rest...we'll have to see."
It was something. Right now Jaryn would take whatever he could get.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Four
* * * *
Jaryn sat at his desk going through phone messages that had been logged into the system. Some of them were current clients, some prospective. There was one from the ASC, and the remaining dealt with pack business. At least he'd finally be able to give the chairman some solid news on the investigation front. He handled the business issues for both the pack and his and Shaun's architectural and contracting firm out of the office on Main Street, wanting to keep his home a sanctuary. The restrictions disappeared if there was an emergency within the pack, but most of the members respected the imaginary lines Jaryn had drawn when he took over the Alpha position from his father.
It had been a change from when Jaryn was growing up. When his dad had held the Alpha position, their home would frequently be bombarded at all hours with wolves needing their Alpha for anything from settling a squabble between members, to those filing for permits to build on the pack-held land. Jaryn had sworn at a young age that when he was Alpha, the home he would someday share with his mate and pups would be a home, not a conference centre. He was available day and night, but there was no need to bang on his door unless it was an emergency. In the two years since Jaryn had taken over, the new system seemed to be working well.
He'd also implemented the bi-weekly pack meetings. The meetings gave him, Shaun, and the enforcer of their pack, Cooper Tessen, a chance to touch base with all the members. Most of the time the meetings ended up having the atmosphere of a large family get-together. They didn't have a huge pack, only around a hundred members including the young. The meetings allowed Jaryn to update the pack with the status of their business ventures in the area, and address any issues that came up day by day. The business portion of the meeting took up a relatively short amount of time, and the rest was spent socialising with friends and family. Wolves were always very social creatures, and no matter how stressed his life was at any given time, Jaryn always looked forward to spending time with his family, friends, and pack members.
They all congregated at the two thousand square foot lodge the pack had funded and built on their land. That reminded Jaryn—he really needed to talk to Shaun about organising a committee to tackle the proposed small meeting house for more intimate gatherings. Jaryn had been tossing around the idea of possibly opening up the lodge to the public. Maybe even finding the funding to design and build a small-to-medium sized chalet with guest rooms groups could rent for corporate retreats or weddings. Jaryn didn't want the pack to be responsible for
running a full time resort, but corporate retreats or weddings would be acceptable. The rest of the time the rooms could be used for visitors to pack members or housing the occasional dignitary from the council. Phantom River's land backed up to Glacier National Park, so he suspected they wouldn't have a hard time selling the location. There were natural creeks that bubbled in the spring, grassy meadows, and certain areas where there were enough trees that any structure built would maintain a secluded feel. The pack had enough land that a small parcel allotted to be open to public use wouldn't encroach on the members’ homes and lives. The income generated would add to the already successful pack-owned businesses in the area, and it would allow Jaryn to provide jobs for both pack members and non-pack residents. He'd have to run some numbers and see if something of that nature would be feasible.
God, he hated accounting, but unfortunately being Alpha included the tedious job of balancing and managing the pack's accounts. Too bad they didn't have a member who was an accountant or financial planner. Jaryn would love to delegate this part of his responsibilities.
Jaryn's head jerked up as the door to his office hit the wall with a bang and saw Shaun standing in the doorway with his feet braced apart, arms crossed and a decisively annoyed frown on his face. It seemed it was time to pay the piper.
"And when were you planning on telling me—your Beta, not to mention your best friend—that you'd found your mate? I had to hear it from Gillian at the diner over my stack of pancakes. I nearly incinerated my throat inhaling scalding hot coffee!"
Jaryn smiled and leant back in his chair. “Good morning to you too, Shaun."
"Well?"
"Have a seat. I wanted to talk to you about the possibility of a new business venture for the pack, and then there's—"
"Jaryn! So help me God...” Shaun clenched his fists at his sides.
Jaryn couldn't help the smile from spreading across his face even further. It was one of his greatest perverse pleasures to rile up Shaun. That, and thoughts of his dinner with Nicole last night had immensely lightened his mood from a few moments ago at the prospect of tackling the accounting.
"Her name is Nicole Holland, and I met her yesterday at the bank when I was there to make the deposit from the Anderson project."
Shaun came into the room and sat in the chair across the desk from Jaryn. “So that's why I couldn't reach you for the pack run? Everyone was looking for you. Is she a shifter?"
"No, Nicole is human. Well, mostly human. Sorry about bailing on the pack run. I meant to message you, but one thing led to another and the day got away from me. Then it was time to meet Nicole for our date, and quite frankly I forgot about everything else."
"What do you mean mostly human? It's kind of an either-or situation."
"She swears up and down that she's one hundred per cent human, but her body responded to mine as if it recognised her mate, and I can sense wolf in her somewhere. It's faint but definitely present."
"Maybe she had a wolf shifter in her family several generations removed or something? So what happened?"
"We shared a very nice dinner at Cureso's."
"Did you claim her?"
"No."
"Why not?"
Jaryn stood and started pacing. “It's complicated."
Shaun scoffed. “No it's not. If you're lucky enough to find your mate then you claim them. You've waited your whole life to find your mate. Why would you procrastinate on something like that?"
"How about because I only met her yesterday? I am not a slave to my wolf. And she's more than a prize I won in the genetic lottery. When I claim my mate, I want us to be more to each other than strangers giving into our baser instincts.” Jaryn thought about Nicole's experience at the hands of Broyles. His eyesight wolfed out.
Shaun stiffened in the chair. “What's wrong?"
"There is something I haven't told you yet."
"Oh fuck, don't tell me she's married. Damn, I hate it when that happens. Not that it occurs often, but it just fucks up the lives of everyone involved."
"She's not married."
"A lesbian? No, that wouldn't make sense. The fates wouldn't destine a wolf to mate with another who didn't share the same sexuality."
Jaryn raised an eyebrow and stared at Shaun. “May I remind you of Eric?"
Shaun waved his hand. “That's different. Eric had locked himself so deep in the closet even he couldn't find the key. It was clear from the day they met that Carl was Eric's mate. It was his own fault that the stubborn jackass wouldn't admit it."
Jaryn conceded the point. Eric had been more than a little shocked when he'd identified Carl as his mate. Jaryn really had never understood what had made Eric keep his sexuality so deeply buried. Then again, Eric was quite a bit older than Jaryn. The wolf had grown up in a different time—a time when living openly as a gay man could have serious repercussions.
It had taken a while but the two were now deeply in love with each other, and Jaryn smiled every time he saw them laughing and holding hands together. At pack meetings, the two could frequently be found snuggling together on one of the couches. Jaryn hoped that Eric and Carl had many happy years together before them.
"So what's the problem?” Shaun asked.
Shaun's voice brought Jaryn back the problems of the present. “She had a less than pleasant experience with another shifter where she came from. She's running from a bad situation with one wolf, and suddenly finds herself being told that she's the mate of another. It's made her somewhat resistant."
Shaun frowned. “What do you mean running?"
"When we met, I immediately scented her anxiety and came to find out...” Jaryn took a deep breath and turned to face his Beta. “For the past year and half, she's been held prisoner by a wolf in the Northwoods. I suspect he's the person we've been searching for."
"Are you shitting me?” Shaun exclaimed.
"According to Nicole, this wolf—Broyles—has been ‘recruiting’ shifters and humans alike for a long time. He runs an isolated compound, and I suspect there may be more to his little fiefdom than simply building a pack by whatever means necessary.” He thought of the scar on the back of Nicole's neck and clenched his hands.
Shaun stood so quickly that the chair screeched across the floor. “That mother fucker! We have to go to the council. We need more information. You have to make Nicole tell you everything she knows."
Jaryn held up his hand to halt his Beta's tirade. “She's already agreed to help. I'll talk with Nicole, but you have to understand that what she went though is going to be difficult for her to talk about. We can't browbeat it out of her. Not to mention the gaps in her memory—"
"Wait, what gaps? You didn't say anything about gaps."
"I was getting there. There are several voids in Nicole's memory. She said she'd be in one place of the compound then, as if time had simply stopped, she'd wake up in another. There's no way for us to get information about what happened during those times, but at least now we have somewhere to start. I want you to investigate Adam Broyles. Call our old contacts and get their support if you need access to classified databases. I want to know everything about him. Where he came from, where he went to school, who his associates are. We're going to take this bastard down for interfering with the lives of others.” His world went grey and his fists balled at his sides. “And when I get my claws on him for hurting my mate...” Jaryn growled.
"Consider it done.” Shaun turned and left the office.
* * * *
Nicole stuck her head out the door of her little cabin to check the weather. She tilted her head back and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face. Maybe she could even forgo her jacket today...
"Can I help you with something Ms Holland?"
Nicole opened her eyes to see Landon watching her with a smile on his youthful face. “Good morning. Can you recommend someplace where I can get breakfast?” She touched the face of her comm-unit, which Jaryn had given her a few days ago so they could keep in touch. She rea
d the time. “Maybe I should say brunch."
The device was the latest and greatest in technological advancements, way better than the one she'd been able to afford on her teacher's salary. The nano-based unit was transparent and could be manipulated in an infinite number of configurations to suit the user's needs. Currently it was moulded around her wrist. However, with a few quick adjustments she could have a flat panel tablet with immediate access to the world network or, just as easily, a telecommunication device with integrated ear piece. Another convenience was that the entire device was powered by solar energy, so she never had to worry about charging a battery.
"The diner is where most everyone gets their grub. It's only a couple of blocks away. Just turn left onto Main. You can't miss it. Has the original neon lighting from the nineteen-fifties. They'll even serve you breakfast for dinner with a smile."
"Perfect! Looks like it's going to be a nice day. Is it always like this, this time of year?"
Landon nodded. “Mostly. Where are you from?"
"I grew up in Chicago, went to school in Madison and have been living in Wausau."
Landon scrunched up his face. “Where the heck is Wausau?"
Nicole giggled at Landon's perplexed expression. “It's in the northern half of Wisconsin."
"Cool. I bet you get wicked winters there. That means when things turn white around here it shouldn't scare you too much."
Nicole liked the sound of Landon's laughter. The kid was friendly and if his behaviour around Jaryn had been any indication, he had a great deal of respect for the Alpha of his pack. That eased a little bit of the tension in Nicole. After constantly seeing the hopelessness and resignation in the eyes of the inhabitants of Adam's compound, it was nice to see genuine affection and respect in Jaryn's pack members. Landon's eyes were as bright and happy as a teenager's should be.
