“How do you keep other people out?” I asked curiously.
“The application process; we make it so frustrating for humans with no connection to the pack that they finally give up, and if they don’t, we find a reason to deny the application. It can be pretty funny to watch rich people get all upset about being excluded by such a prestigious community,” Tera grinned.
“What subdivision is it?”
“Wolf Creek.”
I whistled in a little awe; that was one of the most prestigious areas in this part of the state. “Are all werewolves that rich?”
“Most of the wolves are employed by the pack in some fashion and the pack has a lot of diversified assets. Plus since the land is all owned by the pack, it isn’t as expensive as you might think to live there.”
“Do you work for the pack?”
“I do. I train German Shepherds to guard the community,” Tera said proudly.
“You do? I wouldn’t have thought they would like being around wolves.”
“I get them when they’re puppies and they are raised with the pack. Dogs are really pack animals so they feel like they are a part of our pack, which makes them very protective. Since we smell the same to them in either form, they always recognize us as pack and they offer quite a deterrent to curious humans.”
“You mean those who get denied residency in Wolf Creek?”
Tera grinned. “Yep, and the ones that nose around before they apply. Some people just don’t respect the fact that a gated community means no one comes in unless they are invited. The dogs guard us and our families and sometimes we let them run with the pack as a reward.”
“It’s safe for them to run with the pack?”
“No one in our pack would hurt the dogs. They are totally loyal and we love them.”
“Dizabell could run with the pack?”
“Her legs are awfully short; she will be safe and the pack will protect her but I don’t think she can run with the pack.”
I sniffed, a little offended on Dizzy’s behalf.
“I’m thinking of Dizabell, Xandie; you just don’t realize how fast we can run. We’re fast in our human form, but as a wolf, even the Shepherds can’t keep up. You’ll understand once you’ve changed for the first time. The sense of freedom is unbelievable; you won’t want to slow down or stop for Dizzy.”
“All right, I can see the sense in that.”
Tera slowed the car and turned left and I caught my first glimpse of Wolf Creek. Large imposing walls ran down each side of the gatehouse as far as I could see.
The big guard manning the gate studied me closely, then nodded at Tera before opening the metal gate. The gate itself was made from heavy wrought-iron bars that curved into a scroll at the top, and the scroll ended in sharp-looking spikes to discourage people from climbing the gate. Of course I would have thought the daunting size of the gate guard would have been deterrent enough.
From the gate house on it seemed like your average gated community. Upper class homes with large lots and a big strip of green fields, streams, and trees winding through the center of it.
The road we traveled wound in and out of hills and valleys, areas of dense foliage could be seen from the car, and the stream that traversed the greenbelt narrowed to a tiny little brook at one point and then gradually widened to the point where a bridge crossed it.
I was fascinated by the bounty of nature surrounding me. “This is amazing.”
“The river empties into a small lake at the base of the compound,” Tera said encouragingly. “It’s a beautiful place to live.”
“I’m not ready to think that far ahead,” I said softly, turning my attention back out the window to watch the passing scenery.
As we turned up the drive to another, smaller gate house, I saw the lake Tera had spoken about. It was pretty with trees surrounding it and a little rowboat moored to a small pier. The island in the middle of the lake looked ideal for a picnic on a warm summer’s day.
It was all too easy to picture myself sunning on that island and dipping into the lake when the sun’s rays became too hot.
The guard at the compound gate let us in without a word and I got my first look at Connor’s compound. A large Tudor-style home stood out imposingly at the top of a large hill; a few smaller, less imposing cottages were scattered around between the house and the gate. Another stone wall separated Connor’s property from the rest of the subdivision.
Like a king and his loyal subjects, I thought sourly.
Then we were pulling up in front of Connor’s home and there was no time left to ponder my strange situation.
I heard the commotion the minute I put one foot outside of the car. Epenie’s shrill yell nearly stopped my heart.
I discovered firsthand how much faster I was as a werewolf.
One moment I was halfway out of the car and the next I was in the house standing between E and the large wolf she’d been trying to beat senseless with a rolled-up newspaper.
He looked over my shoulder to glare at her, growling from deep within his throat.
I immediately growled back; she was here for her safety, not to be threatened by this bully.
In the next second Tera was standing with me shoulder to shoulder in front of Epenie and adding her own growl to the mix. Dizabell stood at our feet adding her own yips of outrage.
Suddenly Epenie stepped around me and raised the newspaper to swat the man right on the end of his nose as she yelled up at him, “Don’t you growl at me, you overgrown, hairy excuse for a man! Bad dog!”
“I am not a dog!” he bellowed, ending in another outraged growl. Then almost faster than I could blink, the man went down on one knee with Epenie bent across it as he delivered slap after slap to her upturned posterior.
As soon as I recovered from my shock, I ripped Epenie off the man’s lap and pulled her behind me again, where she stood glaring over my shoulder and rubbing the sting out of her bottom.
Suddenly we were all yelling, growling, and barking at once. I’m sure to a passerby we would have all looked certifiably insane.
“Enough!” An authoritative voice boomed out with power from the top of the stairs.
All of the wolves present dropped their heads and shoulders in submission; Dizzy rolled over onto her back. I was shocked at my impulse to bow down to him in response to the raw power sizzling across my skin.
Epenie gulped loudly and backed away from Connor, back toward the large man who’d just been paddling her bottom with such zeal.
It said a lot about Connor that she thought the other man the safer of the two.
“Tera, take Alexandria and our guest into my office at once.” His tone brooked no argument.
“This way,” Tera said softly and I found myself following her without question, picking up Dizzy and pulling E along behind me.
Suddenly the unknown future looming before me was terrifying in a way it hadn’t been before. How was I going to resist a man that had the power to make me and every other werewolf in the pack buckle down in submission before him?
* * *
Once we were all in the office, Tera closed the door behind us and I turned to Epenie in concern.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine, I’m just angry. That overgrown goon kidnapped me!” she said shrilly.
“He was just trying to protect you, Epenie,” Tera said quietly. “You hurt his feelings when you hit him with a newspaper and called him a dog.”
Epenie arched an eyebrow. “I suppose it wasn’t disturbing at all for me when a giant man knocked on my door, then scooped me up and dumped me in the back of a van like a sack of potatoes. He didn’t say so much as boo; every time I asked what was happening and why he was taking me out of the city, he just grunted that he was following instructions.”
“Tuck isn’t much on conversation, but he’s really a nice guy and he was just following instructions,” Tera defended.
“Whose instructions?” Epenie demanded.
“Mine,” Connor said as he opened the door and came into the room.
We all froze at the quiet authority in his tone. He looked us each in the eye in turn as he walked to sit behind his big desk.
Even Epenie seemed to lose most of her bluster in the face of his calm, unapologetic demeanor.
“Oh,” she said meekly.
“Ladies, please have a seat.” Connor waved a hand, indicating the chairs in front of his desk.
It felt like being called to the principal’s office after misbehaving. I satisfied myself with a scowl in his direction before sinking into the chair on the left. Epenie and Tera quickly sat in the two chairs to the right of me, Epenie wisely choosing to position herself between Tera and me.
“Epenie, I’m sorry if you were frightened. I was tied up here with some urgent business or I would have come for you myself and explained everything fully. I’m afraid that Alexandria has been targeted by a rather unsavory element, which unfortunately has also put you at risk. I felt the most expedient way to ensure your safety was to bring you to my home with Alexandria.”
“Xandie is in danger?” she asked, sitting forward in her chair with concern.
“Yes, the wolves that tried to kill her would still like to finish the job and would use any means necessary to reach their objective, including you.”
“How could they use me?” she asked, baffled.
“Bait,” he said succinctly.
“Thank you for considering my safety, but I don’t think I belong here.”
“You will be perfectly safe. Tuck knows he owes you an apology and will offer it at the first opportunity. It’s not as bad as it seems. You’ll have the freedom of the grounds and the chance to learn about us firsthand. I can promise you there is nothing on the Internet that will give you as much information as you will find here.”
My eyes narrowed as I studied Connor; he was a perceptive man, using Epenie’s love of learning and research to win her over to his way of thinking. What would he use against me?
Epenie visibly relaxed and even managed to smile at Connor. “That would be quite an opportunity and I don’t want to do anything to put Xandie at risk.”
I rolled my eyes; now she was kissing up to him. Of course to be fair, there hadn’t been a chance to fill her in on the whole mate thing.
“Tera, show Epenie to her room so she can settle in. I’ve put her in the room next to Alexandria’s.”
Tera stood to lead Epenie from the room and I jumped up.
“Hold the phone! I am not staying here,” I said firmly.
Connor looked at Tera and jerked his head toward the door. Tera and Epenie immediately left the room, shutting the door behind them.
I spun on my heel to face him, squaring my shoulders and glaring up at him. “You can’t just take over my life without so much as a hello.”
He smiled. “Hello, Alexandria.”
“Very funny. I meant what I said; I am not staying in your house.”
He walked around the desk, coming to stand in front of me. Not liking the nearness of his body, I backed up a few steps, only to have him follow.
The retreat and advance lasted until I found my back against the office wall. Connor was as close to me as possible without actually touching my body; I felt surrounded by him, engulfed by his scent.
I looked away from him, trying to avoid eye contact. One finger stroked down the side of my jaw before he used it to turn my face back to his. “I want to make this as easy as possible for you, but I cannot allow you to put yourself at risk. You have to stay here so I can keep you safe.”
“I understand that I have to be in Wolf Creek, but I won’t be forced to share a home with you.”
“This is your home too.”
“No, it isn’t,” I said vehemently.
“You’re my mate,” he said softly.
“I won’t have my future decided for me.”
“It’s not in your control any more than it’s in mine; you were born for me just as I was born for you.”
He leaned in closer, inhaling me as if he could absorb my very essence. My nostrils flared in response; he still wasn’t touching me but I felt him everywhere at once, his scent surrounding me and filling my senses.
“Stop it!” I said, feeling too vulnerable by far.
“Shh…” His breath feathered my ear, sending shivers through me. “You know I would never hurt you.”
“No, I don’t. I don’t know you at all.” I barely recognized the thready voice as my own.
“Your wolf knows me, she knows me as her mate.”
I closed my eyes, taking a deep shuddering breath. “My wolf and I are one and the same. Not separate entities.”
He rested his forehead against mine; I could tell he was struggling with himself to regain control of the situation.
A tear escaped from the corner of my eye. “Please, this is all too much for me to deal with right now. I can’t handle this on top of the whole werewolf thing.”
He straightened away from me with a sigh. “Don’t cry, I’ll try to be patient. I know I’ve handled this badly, Xandie; almost losing you completely has ruined all the plans I had to give you a normal courtship, to woo you as you deserve. I won’t force you, because you’ll never truly be mine unless you choose me. I want you to choose me as I choose you because there is no one else you will ever want.”
The sound of my nickname on his lips felt so right, it was hard not to throw myself into his arms, but I knew more than anything I needed time.
“I’ll try to think about everything you’ve said.”
He smiled. “Though it goes against the grain to have you anywhere but in my home, the guest cottage next to Sebrina’s is empty. You and Epenie can stay there, provided Tera stays with you.”
“Thank you,” I said in relief. Then another thought occurred to me. “Who’s Sebrina?”
“Sebrina is our resident vampire.”
“Vampire?” I was frozen in place as I soaked in the possibility he was serious. “Vampires are real too?”
Connor merely nodded as he called Tera back to the room, using the intercom system on his telephone, and explained the new arrangements. Soon Epenie, Dizzy, and I were walking to the guest cottage to explore our new home.
Our cottage was pretty plain but the one next door was fully landscaped with flowers and exotic plants. It was beautiful.
“Sebrina likes to garden,” Tera said as she saw my wonder. “Wouldn’t expect it of a vampire, would you? There isn’t much about Sebrina at all that’s typical or expected. You’ll like her.”
I wondered how long I would have to wait to meet the vampire next door; it was dark, so shouldn’t she be stalking the grounds looking for food? I looked around nervously. “Will I need a cross?”
Tera laughed. “Goodness, no. Sebrina is Jewish and that stuff doesn’t typically work anyway. Besides it would hurt her feelings if she thought you were afraid of her. Sebrina is the vampire ambassador to the werewolf community. We have a wolf living with the vamps too.”
It was rather disconcerting to find out everything you thought of as make believe was real. It raised all sorts of questions about what other creepy crawlies lurked in the dark.
“Sebrina probably spent the first part of the evening in her garden and went to shower; she’ll be over later to meet you, I’m sure. She’s been as curious as the rest of us,” Tera called over her shoulder as she bounded up the stairs and into the cottage.
Tuck and E seemed to have made up their differences. He was carrying our belongings and Epenie even managed to say thank you with a smile as he left the luggage on the front porch.
Tera ran back to get her truck with all my new clothes. I frowned as we carried everything into the house. There was a lot more stuff being brought in than I’d packed but I decided I didn’t want any answers as to why at the moment.
Sometimes ignorance is bliss, or at least a little momentary peace.
Epenie looked at me closely for the f
irst time once we were alone. “Xandie! I can’t believe how much weight you’ve lost. You look fantastic!”
I grinned and spun in a circle. “It’s called the werewolf diet.”
“Wow, that’s almost makes me want to let one bite me,” Epenie said with a wink.
Tera walked in at that moment and wriggled her brows at E. “Really? I’d be happy to oblige.”
“I said almost,” Epenie said tartly.
We all laughed, relieved to be released from all the tension in the main house and collapsed onto the couch and chair respectively.
“What’s for dinner?” I asked, realizing that I hadn’t thought about food in over four hours and I was ready to eat.
“Pizza?” Tera asked as she picked up the phone.
Epenie and I were quick to agree and Tera ordered five pepperoni pizzas for delivery, along with a pound of baked ziti.
I hoped it would arrive soon.
* * *
The pizza was good and as it turned out we wouldn’t get to meet Sebrina tonight because she’d been called to the vampire council meeting.
It somehow made the reality of vampires a little more natural sounding to hear they had council meetings like any other community. At least it made me more comfortable with the idea.
Epenie seemed to be taking the idea of vampires and werewolves in stride, eager to learn more about their respective communities.
It had been a very long day and I for one was tired. Epenie and Tera agreed that they too were past ready to hit the hay and we all went to our rooms.
I’d just pulled my new nightgown over my head when Dizzy jumped up from the bed excitedly; she stood in front of the bedroom door, looking back at me with a wag of her tail.
“What did you hear, girl?” I asked.
She gave a soft woof and then looked back at the door. I opened the door and followed her into the living room of the cottage, and then I heard the soft scratching and whining at the front door.
The Alpha's Reluctant Mate Page 5
