by Jessica Lee
Sliding his arms onto the wood, Eion nodded once. “The price range is close to what I’d expected.” He threaded his fingers. “But I want the ranch sold sooner rather than later. List it at the lower end of the market.” Eion tapped the chart Josie had prepared.
Josie grinned. “I’ll do everything I can to get you a buyer as soon as possible.”
“Excellent,” he said. There wasn’t any reason to linger in Little Crow Pass. He’d seen all he needed to see and done all he could to make things right with Kris, considering the situation. The guy didn’t want anything from, or to do with, him. Couldn’t blame him. But at least he’d gotten to see him one last time.
And Liv.
He steepled his fingers and the image of her riding up on her mustang that morning flickered across his mind. The sunlight glistening off her long dark hair had beckoned to him. Beautiful long legs had straddled the powerful animal beneath her saddle. The very sight of her had stirred his groin, and the beast beneath his skin. It had taken a lot of control not to yank her off her damned horse and onto his lap. Eion’s blood hummed in his veins.
“I understand,” Josie added, bringing him back to the moment. She dipped her chin in acknowledgement. “Let me get a few forms that you’ll need to sign, and then we’ll get everything moving.” Josie stood and maneuvered around the table, motioning for another employee in the process. A wiry young man, who couldn’t be more than twenty-two, hustled from across the four-room real estate office. “James, if you would, see if Mr. Mandrake here,” she nodded in Eion’s direction, “would like something to drink while I grab some paperwork from my office.”
“Sure thing, Ms. McAllister.” He ran a set of long fingers through his sandy blond curls. “Then I need to head out to the Wilsons’ place and get that For Sale sign up.”
What the hell? Eion drew back in his seat. Liv and Kris are selling?
Josie snapped her head toward Eion, her eyes wide, then back to James. “Okay. That’ll work, but there’s something I need to give you first.” She shuffled James off somewhere, heads together in hushed conversation. Damn. It wasn’t like her attempt to keep Kris and Liv’s decision confidential had any point, since it was about to be broadcast to every passerby very soon.
Drumming his fingers on the polished surface of the table, Eion’s head spun with the new revelation. He figured things were difficult with Kris injured and their dad gone, but he had no idea it had gotten to this point. Memories flooded his mind. Him, Kris, their father, and of course Liv, all on horseback racing across the land at full speed. He could still hear her laughter on the wind as she had closed the distance between them. A smile bloomed on his face. Christ. Every one of them loved that ranch. Eion shook his head. This was so damn wrong. He slammed his fist onto the wood. The phone’s receiver at the other end of the conference table jostled on its base.
At that moment, Josie, stepped back in, a stack of papers in her hand. “Here we go. This shouldn’t take too long,” she said, resuming her seat.
“Good.” He sat forward. “Because I have a few things to take care of this afternoon.”
A half an hour had passed before Eion was back in his truck, heading home. He still hadn’t figured out how he was going to get more information about what was going on down at the Wilson ranch. Not without having to beat it out of Kris. But one thing was clear; he wasn’t going back to Screaming Eagle yet.
Up ahead, his headlights caught the colorful display of the new red, white, and blue sign sitting proudly at the entrance to Kris and Liv’s property. Acid churned like a wicked science experiment gone bad in his gut. He worked his fist on the leather wrapping his steering wheel. The engine revved under the added pressure he’d applied on the pedal beneath his foot. Somehow he had to figure out a way to help Kris…and Olivia. If they didn’t really want to sell the place, which he couldn’t fathom they did, there might be something he could do.
It wasn’t like he was a greenhorn when it came to ranching. Hell, it was the major industry his pack relied on in Screaming Eagle, even if the whole idea was a contradiction: wolves overseeing cattle. As rising alpha, it had been Eion’s responsibility to learn everything he could about the business, and he was damn good.
Now if he could convince Kris to trust him again, open up about why they were selling…
Eion pulled into his driveway. His own For Sale sign would be up soon, but his situation was different. He didn’t need the property. The only reason his godparents had even acquired the ranch had been for him to spend his high school years in the town and gain first-hand knowledge of life as a human. The donation of the home and land back to Eion had been their gift to him as their rising alpha, but he had had no intention of coming back to live in Little Crow Pass.
This year marked his thirtieth birthday and when the clock struck midnight in six months on New Year’s Eve, he would assume his destined place among the shifters of Screaming Eagle.
But he hadn’t been able to resist a one-time visit back to Little Crow to personally place the ranch up for sale.
Later inside, Eion stepped from his shower, a white towel hanging low on his hips as he padded into the bedroom. Sinking onto the edge of the bed, he swiped his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it away from his face when his cell on the nightstand rang. He glanced at the display. Mandrake One. Eion sighed, snagged the phone from the table, and answered as he fell back on the mattress.
“Hello, Father.”
“Eion, my son. I hear you’ve been in Little Crow Pass for a week now. When were you planning to inform your alpha?”
He stifled the groan in his throat. “My duties are being covered by my brother, so I didn’t see the need to trouble you since I’ll be returning soon.”
“It’s not your duties as overseer that I’m concerned about, and you know it,” his father growled. “There is still much to be done in preparation for your succession. There are meetings that need to be planned with the other packs. Alpha dinners that take time to arrange. You have to start acting like an alpha. Act like you want this or they’ll eat you alive. And you know I’m not necessarily speaking figuratively,” he grumbled. “You need to be here where you belong, not running some fool errand that could have been handled by someone else. I don’t know what my brother was thinking, giving that place to you.”
“They’re sentimental. I didn’t hate my time here, and I appreciated the gesture.”
“Eric was always a bit too soft for his own good,” his father added. “We don’t have time for your trip down memory lane, and I didn’t think I’d have to remind you what a fragile time this is for the pack. A shift in power is at hand, and as an alpha family, we can’t afford any signs of weakness because you are not making it a priority.”
Closing his eyes, Eion sucked in a calming breath. He’d been groomed for this moment his entire life. He’d almost forgotten the peace that came with his time in Little Crow Pass. Even with the stress of seeing Liv again, he hadn’t realized how good it felt to be away from it all, if only for a few days.
“Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly, Sir,” Eion said, his voice steady, cool.
“Good. So when shall we expect you?”
“I’ll call you when I know more.”
“What does that mean?” his father bit out.
“Exactly what it sounds like. You’ll know when I do.”
“What is going on there, Eion? There has to be more to it than your desire to oversee selling that ranch. I’m old, but I’m not stupid. I didn’t like what I saw when you returned from that place the first time. You’d changed. Something happened while you were in Little Crow, but I didn’t push you on it, because you were a grown man, and at least you were back. Now…now whatever is going on there is threatening your future. What are you hiding from me?”
“Nothing.” Eion fisted his other hand. “I’ve got business to take care of with the ranch, and it looks like a former friend of mine might need a little help while I�
��m here.”
His father grunted. A familiar vocalization from his childhood that said I ain’t buying that story.
“And this friend is more important than your responsibility to the pack?”
This time Eion didn’t choke back the sound of irritation rolling from his throat. “It’s not a choice of them over us. For God’s sake, it’s a visit, not a permanent move. I think the pack and any preparations will be just fine without me for a few days.”
The line hung open, soundless, for what felt like minutes rather than seconds.
“Tell me about the woman.”
Eion’s jaw fell, unable to speak from the shock of his father’s command.
“Eion?”
He swallowed hard, searching for moisture and doing his best to restart his larynx. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he managed to say, the words coming out like they’d been dragged over sandpaper in the process.
“Like I said, my age hasn’t inhibited my observation abilities. Do you think you’re the first male to be distracted by an infatuation? Hardly.” He scoffed. “Your sudden desire to help this friend of yours during a critical time in your rising, your erratic behavior as of late… There’s a woman.”
“What I’m doing here is my business, Father. Not yours or anyone else’s.” No way in hell was he about to engage in a heart-to-heart about Liv with his father. Not that the alpha was actually capable of one. The man had never taken the time to truly get to know Eion beyond the fact that he was his first-born son and successor. That had been all he’d ever cared about, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to hear that his son, his heir, was not only infatuated with a human, but had bonded with her.
“If it’s affecting the pack, make no mistake, Eion, it’s my business.”
“This doesn’t affect the pack,” Eion spat back.
“Make sure you keep it that way,” his father barked in return. “And whatever you’re up to, get over it, and get your ass home.”
The line went dead.
Before he could pull it back, the cell phone landed against the wall with a loud crack, littering the floor in a multitude of shattered pieces. “Dammit!” Eion rolled from the bed and onto his feet. “I’ve been trying to get over it,” he growled, and snatched the lamp from the table. With a hard swing, the light fixture joined the phone on the floor in a graveyard of busted glass and plastic. “All I’ve done for more than a decade is try to get her out of my head,” he shouted into the empty room, air sawing from his lungs. “I can’t…” With a groan, Eion dropped to his knees, shards of the debris biting into his flesh as his head fell back between his shoulder blades. “I love her,” the three words tumbled from his lips as if they bubbled up from his soul, refusing to remain buried.
He’d loved her back when he was eighteen, but he couldn’t admit it to himself. She’d been his best friend’s little sister, four years his junior. He’d never allowed himself to think of her as anything more than a pesky little girl.
But now…years had gone by, and Liv had grown into an independent, strong-willed, intelligent, not to mention beautiful, woman. All of which was reinforcement to the bond that he hadn’t counted on. He admired and respected her. Liv was a woman of substance, and she had knocked him on his ass.
Eion ran his hands through his hair and dragged them down over his face. He stared in stunned silence at the shadows draping the room. The only sound penetrating the emptiness was the loud thump of his pulse in his ears.
A part of him had always held onto the hope that it was an act of nature holding him hostage, bound to the past and Liv. Just some type of confused chemical or psychological tie between his wolf and the woman. His people believed the souls of their wolves were ancient. They lived on after the body died, moving from host to host—shifter to shifter. With each reincarnation, their immortal beast passed on its wisdom through instinct, and their wolf was where a mating bond began.
There were no actual emotions involved.
At least that was what Eion had always believed. He’d refused to see it as anything more. Because more meant he’d crossed a line, failed his father and his pack. What kind of an alpha was he if he didn’t have the control to resist falling for a creature considered beneath their species—a human girl? Was he defective because he’d bonded to a female who would dilute the bloodline?
Eion shook his head, knocking the negative dialogue from his mind. He couldn’t believe his feelings for Liv were an abomination.
Problem was, admitting how he felt didn’t make their relationship possible. No. Acting on his emotions would be the worst gift he could ever give the woman he loved. He would be condemning her to a life of rejection, or even death, from the most radical and purist of his kind.
Chapter Eight
“I’ll get it!” Olivia yelled, exiting her bedroom in scrubs and working her hair into a band at the back of her head. Another knock sounded as she neared. “Coming!” She picked up her pace. “Hold your horses,” Olivia added under her breath.
Giving up on her hair, she grabbed the doorknob, allowing the band to slide down. She pulled the door open less than halfway and stopped. Eion stood on the other side.
“What are you doing here again?” God help her, but she couldn’t stop her gaze from crawling over his body, head to toe. The man was a feast for the eyes, even at seven thirty in the morning. He wore a dark blue shirt tucked into a pair of faded and broken-in jeans that hung low on his waist. Black boots finished off the look, the toes scuffed and well worn. Very nice.
“If you and your brother have a few minutes this morning,” he began, tugging her attention back to why he was there, “there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.” Eion hit her with a smile, showing off his pearly whites. Had he noticed the detour she’d taken on her way to his face? Heat raced to her cheeks and warmth filled other regions she’d rather not admit.
The steady click-and-thump of crutches signaled Kris had entered the room. “Mandrake,” her brother called out as he rounded the corner. “We’re not interested.”
“Just give me a few minutes.”
Curious as to what he had to say that could be so important, Olivia opened the door the rest of the way and allowed Eion in.
Stepping over the threshold, he removed his beige wide-brimmed hat. His dark hair hung loose at his shoulders. She followed on his heels as he approached her brother, doing her best to calm the butterflies in her gut from his overwhelming presence.
A normal person does not hang on to a crush this long, Olivia. She breathed deep and mentally shook herself.
“Say it quick so we can get on with our day,” Kris said, the snarl in his voice hard to miss.
Eion nodded and turned to face them both. “I couldn’t help but notice the For Sale sign that went up on your property yesterday.”
Reflex had her gaze jumping to her brother’s. She couldn’t risk Eion reading the pain in her eyes. The very sound of his voice uttering the words For Sale pierced like a knife into her heart.
“Thanks for pointing that out.” Kris maneuvered over to the couch and dropped down onto one of the cushions. “If that’s it, you can let yourself out.”
Eion cocked his head at Kris.
“No. That’s not it.” He crossed his arms, biceps bulging, stretching against the confines of his shirt-sleeves. “And if you could possibly rein in the sarcasm for one minute, we could get to the point.”
The daggers in Kris’s eyes were a lethal threat. His jaw ticked out a steady rhythm.
“Take a deep breath, Kris,” Olivia intervened, moving between them. “Let’s just hear what he has to say before you try to kill him.” She turned to Eion. “What is it, besides the obvious fact that we’ve decided to sell?” Olivia clutched her upper arms, suddenly feeling very exposed and chilled.
“So this isn’t something you really want to do?” Eion asked.
“God, no,” she spat in response. “I’m sure you can remember how great it was growing up
here and how much our father cared about this land.”
“I do remember. That’s why I was so surprised when I saw the sign.”
Sighing, Olivia sank down beside her brother. “The ranch isn’t bringing in the capital we need to stay afloat anymore. As much as it hurts to sell, we really don’t have a choice at this point.”
“I’d like to help,” Eion continued.
Speechless, she swung her gaze to Eion, then to her brother.
“We don’t need your help.” Kris tapped his crutch against the hardwood. “We’re not a charity case, Mandrake.”
“I’m not saying you are.” Eion’s eyes narrowed.
“Then what did you have in mind?” Olivia eased back and crossed her legs, ignoring Kris’s slight growl at her impudence.
Eion lowered himself onto the oversized sofa, propped one knee on top of the other, and perched his hat on the armrest. “I have a proposition.” Eion toyed with the brim of his Stetson.
“And what is that?” Olivia arched a brow, their gazes locked, and it was as if a sizzling charge of electricity bridged the gap between them. Goose flesh raced up her arms, forcing a shiver. Olivia ran her palms over her forearms, chasing away the chills.
If only it were that easy to erase his memory from her head and move on with her life.
Kris huffed, the sound breaking their connection. Liv glanced at him then back at the man who made it hard for her to stay objective.
“While I’m here waiting for a buyer for my place, I’d like to spend some time on your ranch, work with your hired hands. I’ve got a lot of experience. I run our ranch back home, and I’ve made some connections that could bring a higher dollar for your cattle and new breed stock for next year’s market.”
Olivia risked a glance at her brother. The expression he aimed at Eion said he wasn’t sold.
“What’s in it for you, Mandrake?”
