by Terra Wolf
“I'm falling in love with you. I know it's completely crazy. But it's the truth. And here's more of the truth: I left Louisiana because my father is the clan chieftain. He's also one crazy asshole who I can't stand. So if you’re going back home, I will go with you. I can't stay here. And honestly, at this point, if you were leaving I wouldn't want to.”
He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her into him. She reached up on her tiptoes and laid a kiss on his lips. “So I guess we both have our secrets then, huh?”
He nodded, leaning his forehead down to touch hers. “I guess we do.”
“So if we’re together are we considered one of those power couples?”
He laughed at her. “Yeah. I think that's why Ty has a bit of a problem with us.”
“Yeah, I guess I can understand that. So your dad is a chieftain?”
“And you’re Bradwick royalty?”
“Yeah, I guess things just got a lot more interesting.”
“Yeah, they did.”
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia
Olivia stood grasping Sam's hand at the bottom of the stairs to the den. “Do I look all right?”
Sam raised an eyebrow at her. “You look fine, why are you so nervous?”
“Because this is the first kind of political thing I've done. Usually my dad handles all the stuff or my brothers. Bianca and I just always kind of hung back. We stayed out of the spotlight.”
“Well, now is your chance to shine, sweetheart.”
Olivia rolled her eyes at him. “I guess so.”
She ascended the stairs in front of him but never let go of his hand. She hoped that this conversation would go better than she was anticipating. But as she entered the home, she could already feel the tension. Clearly Ty hadn't believed Sam that they weren’t staging some sort of coup against him. She understood why the local Itan was convinced that they had ulterior motives for being in this town. She really had just been on a vacation, and then she happened to find Sam, but that was an unexpected benefit of her little escape. She walked into what looked like a living room. The place had darker furnishings but a woman sat in a chair by herself, beaming at them.
She stood up and extended her hand to Olivia as soon as she entered the room. “Hi, I’m Mia! It's so nice to meet you. Please come in.”
Sam dipped his head at her and he and Olivia sat side-by-side on the sofa.
“Can I offer y'all some sweet tea? I think there are some scones in the kitchen too.”
“Sweet tea would actually be great. It's the one Southern thing I haven't done since I've gotten here,” Olivia said. “I don't know how you all do it. This humidity would kill me. I can literally feel my hair rising as I'm talking right now.”
Mia laughed. “I guess it's something you just have to get used too. I’ll be right back.”
Olivia's knee bounced as they waited for Mia to come back with the tea. Just as she reentered the room with a tray Sam put his hand on her leg to try to calm her. “You need to relax. You’re giving off a very weird vibe.”
Olivia nodded at him as Mia poured the tea on the coffee table that sat adjacent to them. Just as Olivia went to reach for her glass, a large man in a Sheriff's uniform entered the room and Sam and Mia stood. Mia crossed the room in a couple strides and flung her arms around him giving him a kiss full on the mouth while Sam casually sat back down.
“I guess this is the Itan?”
Sam nodded to her. She felt her heart flutter in her chest. She knew she needed to calm down, as they hadn't done anything wrong, but still she was panicked. Her mother always said she was a worry wart.
“Olivia, I presume?”
Olivia stood and offered her hand. “It's nice to meet you.”
He had a hard grip on her hand as he shook it. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”
She nodded. “As do I.” He let go and sat in a chair across the room near the front windows. Mia delivered a glass of tea to him and sat sipping her own.
“So tell me about your business here.”
“I came for a vacation, to be honest. Since you know that I'm part of the Bradwick clan, I'm sure that you know about my family. And about my sister Bianca.”
“Yes, I was sorry to see that you recently lost her. I'm sure that's been very hard for you.”
“Yes it has,” she said, taking another swig of tea out of her glass. She needed a moment to collect herself before continuing. “It's been hard on my whole family, but I was there when it happened. It's been especially difficult for me, so I came to Grayslake to get away from it all. But unfortunately, while I was here some events have started to transpire back at home. I have to leave immediately to get back to my family.”
Sam raised an eyebrow at her. “Events? You never did say why your brother called you.”
Olivia took a deep breath. “We have Wolverines that neighbor our territories. They’re feisty and scrappy and they make ridiculous accusations whenever they get a chance. They also like to drink a bit more than they should. Since I've been gone there has been an allegation made against my sister and my family. According to a Wolverine, Bianca was seeking the attention of one of their men. Apparently this guy has lost his mind or something, I don't really know, but it’s led my father to believe that they will attempt to attack us. And although we have a lot of territory and a lot of members in our clan, the Bradwicks are an old family. We don't have a ton of allies anymore, and if the Wolverines really make a claim to our territory, I don't know that we can stand against them. So you understand my need to get home, to make sure that they see that the family stands together. I don't really want to cut my trip short, as I really like it here, but I don't have another choice.”
Olivia looked at Ty and saw that he was considering her situation. He set his glass down on the side table and leaned forward, his badge shining in the sunlight coming through the window. “So you really didn't know that Sam was from the Louisiana clan?”
“No. I had no idea until you invited us here and all of this came to light. Sam and I had a little bit of a come to Jesus moment right before we got here. We told each other everything.”
Ty set his hands into a steeple below his chin. “And what did the two of you decide?”
“Well we…”
Sam interrupted her. “Olivia hadn't told me why she needed to go home. This changes things.”
Olivia's breath caught in her chest. What did it change? Did he no longer love her just because there was possible danger around the corner?
“She wanted me to go home with her. To continue our relationship there, but I think that we need to perform a mating ritual. I need to claim her, so that way the Wolverines see that she has the Louisiana clan behind her as well. They would never think to attack two clans.”
“That's an interesting concept,” Ty said as he leaned back in his chair.
“But Sam, I thought you didn't want to accept your birthright. I thought that's why you left your family,” Mia said from the corner.
“As long as my father still lives, I can't go home. But that doesn't mean that I don't have some friends there still, friends that will fight with us if I ask. If my birthright helps Olivia out, then I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make this work.”
Olivia's heart swelled in her chest. She couldn't make him do that. This wasn't his responsibility, and it wasn't his fight. “We can discuss that at another time. That's not what’s important right now. What's important is that I get home to my family and see if this is even as big a deal as my younger brother says it is. He does have the tendency to exaggerate a little bit. But I still want Sam to come with me.”
Ty nodded. “This is a very unique situation. Nomad going out with the Princess. But as long as you don’t bring those Wolverines here, I don't have a problem with it. No offense, but I'd rather the two of you not be in my territory much longer. The relationship makes many of our clan members uncomfortable.”
“But how do they even know?
”
“If you really think that innkeeper doesn't gossip when she plays cards at the local church? Then honey, you have another thing coming to you,” Mia said, smiling.
Of course, Lucy. She had them figured out from the moment that she met them. She probably knew that they were meant to be together before Olivia or Sam did.
“I should've known,” Sam said, shaking his head.
“Yes, we should have. So what does this mean? We’re free to go?”
Mia clapped her hands together. “There's one more thing. We’re hosting a little bit of a party tonight, just getting some of the locals together. End of the summer thing, ya know? A local caterer is doing all the food, so you know it will be fabulous. Have you heard of Cadence?”
Sam nodded. “Yeah she makes cakes sometimes for the inn.”
“Fabulous! So we’re going to go out back and let you meet some people, and assure them that you're leaving, make everyone else feel little bit more comfortable.”
Ty stood from his spot near the window. “In case I don't get to see you at the party, Olivia, I hope that things work out between your family and the Wolverines. I know what nasty little creatures they can be. Always trying to take on someone twice their size. Don't underestimate them.”
Olivia nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”
Mia and Ty walked out of the living room while Sam and Olivia sat clutching one another.
“You want to be my mate? Really?”
“If that's what keeps you safe. Anything.”
“I don’t know what to say, Sam,” she said. It was the first time in a long time she was truly at a loss for words. Olivia always had a comeback, but this time she was dumbfounded. He really cared about her that much.
“Let's just go eat. If there's one thing I learned about Grayslake, it’s that they really know how to throw a party.”
He stood and took her hand, leading her out of the living room and toward the back of the house through the kitchen and into the backyard. Night was just beginning to fall and some teenagers were lighting up a bonfire near the back of the property. Tables and tables of food stood in front of them and everything smelled absolutely delicious. Loud country music blared out of speakers and people began to dance. Olivia held Sam's hand as she smiled, watching Mia and Ty scoop up a little girl and dance together. Ty may have looked rough on the outside and a little stoic to her, but she realized that that was just his position weighing on him. When he was with his family, he looked so much more relaxed.
“Is he always like that?”
Sam shrugged. “I've only known him a couple months. But he seems happy, don't you think?”
He did. Olivia wondered if she would be happy like that one day, twirling around with Sam and a child. Was that in her future?
Sam took a deep bow and held his hand out in front of her. “Can I have this dance?”
She smiled broadly and curtsied at him. “It would be my honor.”
He pulled her in close to him and they swung around spinning, as the stars began to come out. She could hear laughter all around her—people truly having a good time.
For a moment, everyone seemed to not have a care in the world. And even Olivia could let go of the Wolverines and her family back home for an evening. They would leave in the morning, and then she would have to face the real world once again. But for now, for tonight, all she needed was Sam, the music, and the moon.
Chapter Fourteen
Sam
Sam spun Olivia around like she was a ballerina. She giggled at him, her dark ringlets falling into her eyes. He couldn't believe the nervous girl from the den had so quickly changed into this fun-loving dance partner of his. The music stopped and turned to a slower tune, but Olivia was out of breath. As much as he wanted to continue dancing with her, he knew he should grab a drink. Maybe that would even loosen her up a little more. It certainly couldn’t hurt to try.
“Want me grab you something from the bar?”
She paused, chewing on her lower lip for a moment.
“That is, unless you're ready to go?” he offered. “I know that you're ready to get back your family.”
She shook her head adamantly. “That journey can wait until morning. Tonight I just want to dance and eat and have a good time. Before we have to go back and deal with all the drama, does that make sense?”
He nodded at her. “It makes perfect sense. So what would you like from the bar?”
She cocked her head a little to the side. “An amaretto sour? I mean, if they can make me one. If not, lemonade with a shot of vodka would be great.”
So the girl had a drink. Something else he would have to learn about her. He kissed her on the cheek before leaving her out on the grass that had become the dance floor and made his way toward the makeshift bar, which was mostly tables with a couple guys standing behind them, pouring drinks. It wasn't fancy, but it didn't need to be. It was just an end of summer picnic with a bunch of shifters, nothing strange about that. The first guy behind the table was someone that Sam had encountered a few times in the den. His name was Van, and he was a nice guy, one of Ty's brothers. But Sam hadn't had too much interaction with him.
“Do you know how to make an amaretto sour?”
The guy raised an eyebrow at him. “Course I do. And what are you drinking, because I know that's not for you.”
“Always bourbon.”
Van nodded as he began to work. “So I heard you're leaving town, got yourself a woman and everything.”
Sam looked over his shoulder and noticed Olivia talking to a couple other clan members. She had a bright smile on her face, not a care in the world. “Yeah, something like that.”
“A Bradwick girl. I never would've thought you the type.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Those girls are trouble. I met the sister once, and she seemed all poised, smart, and pretty relaxed, but deep down, she had a lot more going on.”
Sam didn't want to gossip about Olivia’s sister but at the same time he wondered if Van had information about this whole Wolverine issue. He pretended to be interested in a few of the bottles on the table while he continued the conversation. He held up the bourbon he wanted and passed it to Van.
“What do you mean? Olivia is feisty, but I like that about her.”
“No it wasn't that. Her sister didn't want the territory. Kind of like you in that way. I don't know if there were family issues or what the problem was, but this guy passed through here few months ago, said that sister was going to be with a Wolverine, bring their two territories together. I guess her parents weren’t too happy about it.”
“Wait, her parents knew she was with a Wolverine?”
“Knew or found out the rumor, I’m not really sure. And you and I both know that there can definitely be a difference. But yeah, as far as I heard they told her that she had to call it off immediately. But of course, then you know what happened.”
“Yeah, I know what happened.” Van set the drinks down in front of Sam and he stood holding the chilled glasses for a moment longer than he should have. Questions swirled in Sam’s head.
“You okay?” Van asked, looking concerned.
“Yeah, I just… something doesn’t make sense. You said that the Wolverine came through here? Ty didn't mention that.”
Van shook his head, “I don't think he knew. Those guys are pathological liars though, so I don't even believe all the crap he said. He was only here for a day, stopping through.”
“Stopping through on his way to where? There's no Wolverine territory in the South.”
Van shrugged. “I didn’t think to ask. I mean, this guy was drunk off his ass spouting crazy stuff. I just try to keep my head down and just listen to these types of matters if you know what I mean. You get better information that way.”
“Yeah you do.” Just like when you were standing at a makeshift bar and you find out there could be enemies among the group.
Van smiled reassuringly. “Enjoy the
drink man, and good luck on your trip.”
Sam raised glasses up to him, still confused by the information. “Yeah, thanks.”
As he walked back over towards where Olivia was standing he was trying to make sense of what he had just heard. A Wolverine in Grayslake? And a couple months ago, just when he arrived. Was Ty so focused on Sam that he hadn't noticed that Wolverines wandered into their territory? He was tempted to find Ty and ask him. But first he would deliver the drink to Olivia, check in with her. But as he continued to walk over toward the group of people that Olivia had been talking to, he realized he couldn't see her in the crowd anymore.
The caterer, Cadence, was standing there, talking to a few clan members that Sam wasn't familiar with. “Hey, did you see where Olivia went?”
Cadence shook her head. “I'm sorry but I didn't. She was just here a moment ago, nice girl, that one.”
Sam craned his neck, searching the crowd, but Olivia was nowhere to be found. The ice was beginning to melt in her drink. He swished the ice cubes around and scanned the crowd once more. Where was she?
Chapter Fifteen
Olivia
“Let go of me!”
Olivia had a man flanking her on either side, gripping her upper arms. She attempted to drag her feet at first, but now she was kicking and threatening to bite them if they got too close. One moment, she was standing talking to some clan members and the caterer, Cadence, about heading back home, and the next, a group was shuffling her toward the woods. And now here she was, standing in the dark with two strangers leading her to an unknown location.
She was in so much trouble.
“I swear to God, you better let me go, or you're going to be in some serious pain.” Freaking asshole, as soon as she could she would let him have it.
One man laughed, a deep cackle. They were both slightly shorter than her but a lot stronger. How had she gotten grabbed? How could she have not been paying enough attention to realize that as the group moved toward the trees a couple of the guys were pulling her away. She just been so enamored with the party, she let her guard down. That was a mistake.
