by Linda Wisdom
Agnes fingered her handbag and seemed to have recovered her composure. “Stasi, dear, do you have any more of those French corsets you showed me a few weeks ago?” she whispered. “Perhaps red or purple? Floyd so enjoyed what I purchased, that I thought I’d pick up a few more.”
“I’m outta here.” Horace hopped off the counter and disappeared into Blair’s shop.
Blair did likewise.
***
Jake left his truck in the care of a parking valet whose jacket bore the name Snow Farms Resort embroidered in dark green on the front pocket. The young man refused the money Jake held out.
“We’re not allowed to accept tips from Pack members, Mr. Harrison.”
Jake’s grin showed a lot of teeth as he tucked the bills into the man’s pocket. “Good thing I’m not family, then.” He headed up the steps to the lobby and crossed the marble floor toward the front desk.
A clerk spied him and immediately picked up a phone and spoke quietly into it.
“Your mother is in the Crystal Room having her tea, Mr. Harrison,” she told him before he could say a word. “She would like you to join her there.”
“I guess it’s too early for a drink,” he muttered, thinking a couple of shots of JD would go down very well right about now, but he’d settle for a strong infusion of caffeine.
He followed the clerk’s directions to a large lounge that offered a few tables and a bar along one end. He ignored his mother seated at a table by the window and paused long enough at the bar to request a cup of coffee before heading her way.
“Vera.” He accorded her the barest of nods, hating himself for waiting until she gestured for him to be seated. He told himself it was only good manners and not his bowing to the Alpha female.
She gazed at his worn jeans, work boots, and navy T-shirt topped with an open navy and green plaid flannel shirt.
“I would have thought you would dress appropriately for this visit,” she murmured, picking up the china teapot and starting to pour the contents into a second delicate cup.
“I’m dressed appropriately for my work. And no tea for me, thanks.” He glanced up with gratitude when a waitress left the coffee in front of him. He wished he’d asked the bartender to add a shot of Jack Daniels to it after all. “So when did you move up the food chain to become Baxter’s mate? And what happened to Suzanne?” He mentioned the Alpha female he’d known as the Alpha’s mate.
Vera fingered the oval pendant she wore; it featured a gold wolf’s head with dark emeralds for eyes. He knew the Pack leader wore a larger version but with black diamonds for the eyes. The pendants were passed down over the years to each successive Alpha and his mate. Jake knew for a fact that the pendants were also drenched in blood from battles instigated so that the winner would have the honor of wearing them.
He’d never been so grateful he had been born a dog instead of a wolf and had never been considered worthy of fighting for even a lower position, much less Alpha. That was another reason why he was able to exist so easily away from the members of his Pack. He’d never been part of their social structure, so he didn’t need them the way they needed each other. He truly was a stray dog.
Vera squeezed a hint of lemon into her tea and added one lump of sugar, stirring her tea with a silver spoon.
“Suzanne stepped down as Alpha in 1943,” she replied.
Barely four years after he’d left the Pack. That was one nice thing about being a Were. They aged a lot slower than humans, so Jake looked to be in his mid-thirties, rather than his actual ninety-seven years.
“Stepped down, or was forced out?” He knew his mother well. She’d coveted the Alpha female’s pendant of authority for as long as he had lived among the Pack. And while Suzanne had been the warm and fuzzy part of Pack life, Vera could easily have taken her on and won. No one had fought Suzanne for the honor because they all knew she was the heart and soul of the Pack and looked after them the way a nurturing mother would. No one could have continued her work with the same fervor she showed. Vera was the exact opposite. She’d pushed his father to fight for Alpha rank and he died in a fight that had lasted as long as snapping your fingers. Jake had left the next day and never looked back. His mother hadn’t bothered finding him all these years. So why was she bothering to talk to him now?
“Stepped down.” Her dark eyes were cold as ice. “She’s been in seclusion since then.”
Jake felt a lump in his stomach at her words. He knew there had to be a lot more to the story than an Alpha female giving up her pendant and position, not to mention her mate of many years, without a fight, but he also knew that his mother was more than capable of fighting dirty, while Suzanne would have given up her position if she thought it was for the good of the Pack. “What’s going on, Vera? Why is the Pack moving in up here? And don’t say they’re not. That’s the only reason Roan would be here—and the parking valet talked about Pack.” Acid dripped in his gut as he watched his mother’s features soften at the sound of her younger son’s name. His brother was apparently heir apparent for the position of Pack leader as long as he was willing to fight dirty enough to keep it. Knowing Vera, Roan had been raised with that intent and his eye was on the prize.
Jake picked up his cup and drank down the hot brew while Vera appeared to consider her answer. Before he could blink, his cup had been refilled. Roan clearly believed in hiring an efficient staff.
“Over the years the Pack has almost doubled in size. Baxter feels it’s time for it to split before hostility grows too high. That means we need a new territory for the second Pack. The resort’s sale came at an opportune time and we took advantage of it. Naturally, Roan will lead the new Pack.”
“Talk about timing. What a perfect chance to give Roan the responsibility he craves and get him out of your fur all at the same time.” Jake tipped his chair back and barked a short laugh. “Of course. And with Roan up here as Pack leader for the new Pack, you wouldn’t have to worry about his mate fighting for your position. Was this your idea or Baxter’s?”
Vera picked up her teacup, pinky delicately extended, and sipped her tea. “It was a Pack decision. Besides, what is the problem with a Pack living up here? It’s not as if there isn’t plenty of open land for hunting.”
Jake sat forward, the front legs of his chair thumping on the floor. “Plenty of open land as far as you’re concerned might not be other people’s idea of plenty of open land. What you really want is for Blair and Stasi to sell you their land, since they own a good portion of the area.” He shook his head. “Ain’t going to happen. They want to keep the land untouched and they know the best way for that to happen is to keep it all their own. They’ve protected it for over 100 years. No way they’ll change their minds just because you want them to.”
Her lips stretched in an icy smile. “People often change their minds if offered the right incentive.”
Jake rested his arms on the table. “Get this clear, Vera. We’re not talking about novices fresh out of the Witches’ Academy. They’ve been in this world longer than you and I combined have been on this earth and they have power you can’t even imagine. I’ve seen them at work. You haven’t. The land belongs to Blair and Stasi and there’s no way they’ll give it up just because your precious Pack thinks they should have it. And speaking of Blair, what was going on between you two this morning? Why do I get the idea you’d met each other before?”
“I have no idea what you mean.”
“Of course you don’t.” Past experience told him if his mother didn’t want him to know something, he wouldn’t be able to pry it out of her. He knew the same would happen with Blair.
Her face was a perfectly smooth-featured mask showing absolutely no emotion. Thanks to her bloodlines, she had never needed Botox injections or a few nips and tucks to look as icily elegant as she did then. “You have no idea what is involved here.”
He stood up, pushing the chair back with more force than necessary. The legs made a scraping sound on the polished wood floor.
“I have a pretty good idea, and it’s apparent your showing up this morning had nothing to do with seeing how your son was doing. Do us both a favor, Mom, and don’t bother me again.” He walked off.
“There’s more, Jake!” she said after his departing figure, but he ignored her.
Jake’s steps faltered as he crossed the lobby and saw Roan standing near the front desk. The younger Were pushed away from the counter and walked toward him.
Roan’s dark red sweater was cashmere and his designer jeans fit him like a glove. Jake knew he should have felt like a poor relation in flannel and frayed denim, but he had moved beyond any sense of inadequacy years ago. He felt no sense of family with the woman who’d borne him and the man he had once called brother. Even though they’d shared the same den years ago, Roan was a stranger to him, and vice versa.
“So you saw Mother,” Roan spoke first, watching him with the same dark eyes Jake had.
“Oh yeah, great conversation, caught up on old times, you name it. Just one of those Hallmark moments.” Jake started to walk away, but Roan moved to block him. “Look, Roan, what promised to be an incredible morning for me turned into a shitty day because Vera decided to make an uninvited morning visit. Right now, all I want is to head home.”
Roan’s dark eyes examined him. “What did she tell you?”
“That you’re going to find a way to cheat Blair and Stasi out of their land because you want it all for yourself. Do yourself a favor. Don’t even think about it.” A gentle snarl vibrated deep in Jake’s throat. He might be a dog, but he was a dog who’d killed more than squirrels and rabbits.
Roan showed his status by not stepping back, but smiled and cocked an eyebrow. “So that’s how it is. You’re fucking the red-haired witch. I thought I smelled her on you. What we need is for the good of the Pack, Jake. Just because you’ve been away from the Pack for so many years doesn’t mean you still can’t have feelings for what goes on. And what about Jennifer? Why didn’t you ever contact her after you left?”
Jake froze. “That bond was broken when I left the Pack, Roan. And it was between Jennifer and me. It had nothing to do with anyone else.”
“That’s what you think. Think about it, Jake. She could easily be your way back into the Pack,” Roan said in a silken voice, one that implied so many possibilities for Jake if he returned to the furry fold.
So why did Jake read something more ominous into it?
“Why am I so important all of a sudden?” Jake demanded. “I’m not like you, Roan. And no matter what any of you think, I don’t give a damn that I’m no longer with the Pack. I’m happy with the life I’ve made for myself, and I don’t need any of you.” He stepped around Roan and this time, the younger Were didn’t try to stop him.
Jake wasn’t surprised to see his truck idling in front of the resort when he stepped out. He settled behind the wheel and started up the engine, turning on his CD player and listening to Nirvana. His visit to his mother had turned out as badly as he expected, but it was nothing that a little rock ’n’ roll wouldn’t cure.
“Thank the Fates I’ll be back to normal once I get back to Moonstone Lake.” He shifted gears and did a passable imitation of getting the hell out of Dodge.
During the ten minute drive he mentally smacked himself upside the head for letting Blair get away that morning. He decided he’d head straight for her place. After last night, he doubted there would be much trouble talking her into a little them time.
He guessed he’d also have to admit that Blair was right. They were good together. She knew about his animal nature, she’d seen him kill, and she understood that wasn’t everything that made up Jake Harrison. He also suspected that if he was stupid and tried to back off now, Blair would go after him with a ferocity that would make his mother look like a mewling puppy.
Memories of just how he had given in to the saucy witch’s charms, and how often, brought a ball of heat to his gut. He pressed down a bit harder on the accelerator and the large engine roared.
But whatever ideas Jake had come up with involving Blair and whipped cream screeched to a halt when he reached the town’s outskirts and heard what sounded like a battle.
“Why do I have the feeling I’ll find Blair in the middle of whatever’s going on?” he muttered, speeding up to reach Grady’s BBQ Pit a few seconds faster.
It was a good thing Jake didn’t try to anticipate what he’d find, because the scene that spread out before him was way beyond anything he could have imagined.
An RV the size of a train, and the color of barf, took up most of the open lot above Grady’s place. And if he wasn’t mistaken, there was an army of elves that had to have come from the Underworld swarming all over the place, most of them bare ass naked, while Agnes was standing nearby screeching like a banshee, with her partner in crime Marva standing next to her as pale as a ghost. And yep, there was Blair, smack dab in the middle of the insanity.
Jake pushed open his door and climbed out of his truck.
Blair was retreating to the sidelines, her gray wool peacoat flaring open to reveal a cobalt sweater and dark wash jeans that hugged her curves. It wasn’t easy for Jake to keep his mind on the problems at hand when the witch had that spark of ire in her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder at his approach. She looked as if she wanted to grab him, and not in a good way. He hadn’t realized he’d left the truck’s engine running until it abruptly died. Blair at work.
“Do not even think of leaving here,” she called between clenched teeth.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” he told her, ready and waiting to see the show or dive into the fray if need be. He was nothing if not adaptable. He continued walking toward her. “What the hell is going on here? Why haven’t you gone off all hexster on them?” he asked.
“Probably because with the mood I’m in, I’d end up blowing up the whole area. While you were swapping memories with your mom, Agnes’s elves showed up,” she said, sweeping her arm in a graceful arc toward the scene before them. “If I wasn’t trying to avoid adding another 50 years to my banishment, every one of the little buggers would be toast by now. In the short amount of time they’ve been here, their RV has increased the smog level by a good thousand percent, they’ve flashed every woman who’s had the bad luck to cross their path, drunk a couple of cases of beer, and almost given Agnes a heart attack. And it seems Roan told them that they couldn’t park that nauseous hunk of metal up at Snow Farms, but that there was no reason why they couldn’t stay down here. Then there’s what’s gone on in the last five minutes, when one of them flipped up Marva’s skirt to reveal a very scary pair of granny undies, and now Grady’s threatening everyone with his twelve-gauge shotgun.”
Resisting a strong urge to laugh, Jake followed her gaze and saw the elderly man standing at the back door with the large weapon clutched in his trembling hands. Jake pinched the top of his nose and closed his eyes, while the sounds went on around him. He dearly hoped the shotgun wasn’t loaded, but knowing Grady, it was not only loaded, but his ammunition wasn’t buckshot or rock salt.
“Blair, that horrid little man must be stopped!” Agnes shrieked. “He’s urinating against a tree!”
Blair’s ire seemed to include the world around them. Jake looked past her and saw a few other elves choosing various trees and bushes for the same purpose. Hell, even when he was in dog form, he only watered plants out of humans’ sight.
Jake strode purposefully past Blair and approached the RV. “Enough!” His roar rivaled any Alpha Were and broadcast enough power to stop the elves; although he wished a few had finished pissing before they turned around or fell back on their bare asses.
He paused long enough to make sure Agnes wasn’t going to faint, then he quickly steered the woman and Marva toward a nearby picnic table and sat them down with Stasi there to pat their hands and offer comfort. Then he turned to confront the elves.
Blair quickened her pace until she almost plowed into Jake’s back. He could feel her power increasing unti
l it was getting hard for him to breathe.
“Okay, you can back it off a bit and dial down on the magick,” he advised under his breath and relaxed when she did. “These guys can’t be elves.” His Were sense of smell was pretty offended by what was in front of him and considering that as his dog self he had tangled with more than his share of skunks, that said a lot.
One grungy looking elf, with a smelly cigar poking out of a corner of his bearded mouth, ambled over to him. “Who’re you to talk, Rover?” He grinned, displaying discolored teeth. “Easy to tell what part of the dog park you’re from, and it ain’t no leader of the Pack.”
Jake’s growl moved up his throat, but to give the grimy elf credit, he didn’t back down.
“This is Alberic. You might call him the boss of this group.” Blair didn’t sound too happy about it, either. “Agnes hired elves through Mickey Boggs and this is what she got. And sad to say, they are real elves.”
Jake swallowed a curse. “Agnes didn’t listen to you when you told her it might not be a good idea?”
“She thought she was getting a great deal on some cute elves to run around the carnival as local color, so to speak, and also man some of the booths. Instead, she got them. I was thinking maybe you could, you know, kind of herd them.”
Without looking behind him, he snaked his hand back to grasp the back of Blair’s neck and brought her forward. She cast him an apologetic look and mimed zipping her mouth shut.
“Let’s get something clear, shall we?” He spoke to the elves in a low voice that fairly vibrated with power. “The nice people around here don’t know what I am, and I intend to keep it that way. So if word gets out I will know who opened their mouth and then I will head over here to have a chat with them. Got me?”
Alberic apparently was now wary enough to realize that teasing Jake any further might not be in his best interests. “Look, we’re here to do a job and that’s it. We were told to come up and play the part of cute smiling elves and when the time comes, we will. But give us a break. We drove straight here from a fair in Texas. We’re just blowing off some steam, okay?”
