As Mina signed the credit card bill at the reception counter, she chatted with the friendly receptionist, who had earlier introduced herself as Allison. Allison was a pretty, blond werelion. “My dad owns this hotel,” she'd told Mina matter-of-factly. When Mina raised a brow at her, she'd shrugged and said, “One day, I'll run it. But now, I have to learn the ropes. And I mean, all the ropes. I just finished my chambermaid stint, so now I'm posted to the receptionist's desk for six months. And after this, it's kitchen duty.”
Mina had been impressed. “Wow, and I mean it. Wow! You're doing a fantastic job! Your dad must be so proud of you. Many rich little heiresses would be happy to be prancing around town, spending their family's wealth instead of helping in the family business and working their way up.”
“I'm not an heiress. I'm a Hunter.” Allison had answered with a nonchalant wave of her hand, but Mina heard the pride in her voice. “My dad is the Alpha of the Hunter pride.”
“Oh! You're the Alpha's daughter.”
“Uh-huh. It's both a boon and a bane, if you know what I mean.”
Mina didn't know what she meant, but she wasn't about to let Allison know that. Even though Allison was friendly, she was still a shifter. Mina didn't tell Allison after the attack by the red wolves. She didn't want to display any weakness at all in front of a shifter. She had to be on her toes and on her guard at all times.
Chatting about her new job with Allison should be harmless though.
“This is my first day at Snow River Construction,” Mina said as she signed the bill.
“You'll do fine. You look great,” Allison smiled encouragingly.
“Thank you, Allison. But I don't know what to expect at Snow River...”
“Oh, those wolves are nice.” Allison grinned.
Mina froze. “Wolves?”
“Yeah. Didn't you know? Snow River Construction belongs to the Snow River pack. The Snow River pack is one of the largest and most powerful wolf packs in Misty Valley.”
Mina opened her mouth then clamped it shut. She definitely didn't know that. The company profile just stated that Snow River Construction was committed to building environmentally friendly, high quality homes and modern, well-designed commercial buildings. There was some writeup on their key personnel and a mugshot of each head of department was posted on their website. Looking at all those smiling, handsome human faces, she'd had no reason to think that these prim and proper gentlemen and gentlewomen in smart jackets were all wild, deadly wolves. She had checked out the websites of a few other businesses in Misty Valley, and the ones which were owned by shifter packs or clans seemed proud to broadcast that fact in bold, flashing letters.
She had done her research on Snow River Construction, and there was no mention at all that the company was owned by the Snow River wolf pack.
As a knot formed in her stomach, Mina turned to ask Allison, “Are all the employees at Snow River Construction...werewolves?”
Allison nodded. “As far as I know, yes.”
“And...um...do you happen to know...the CEO of Snow River...”
“The CEO?” Allison frowned. “Oh, you mean the Alpha. That would be Declan Grant. He's pretty nice.” Allison peered at her and asked, “What do you want to know about Declan?”
Mina stifled a gasp and shook her head quickly. “Nothing.”
When Allison gave her a look, Mina hurriedly forced a smile to her face and said, “I loved my stay at Hunter's Lodge. I'll definitely recommend this place to my family and friends!”
“Really?” Allison beamed.
“Yes,” Mina answered sincerely.
“Your family will be coming to visit from New Moon City?” Allison sat up and leaned forward eagerly.
“Yes. My mom is definitely making a trip down to Misty Valley once I get settled in my job.”
“That's fantastic!”
“Yeah. I called her last night, and she wanted to make the trip, like, yesterday.” Mina rolled her eyes. “But I told her to give me a month or so to get used to everything and find my way around, so I can give her a proper guided tour of Misty Valley.”
Allison grinned. “Nice. Well, good luck, Mina. And relax. The Snow River wolves are really nice. And their Alpha...is just dreamy.” Allison winked.
Mina managed an awkward smile as she bid her new friend goodbye and walked out of the hotel.
Declan.
The Alpha of the Snow River pack.
It couldn't be a coincidence. This world, this town, was too small.
She was going to see her white wolf again. And she would see him every day. He was her boss, the big boss of Snow River Construction.
Mina sucked in a lungful of crisp morning air. Declan Grant, her boss, her benefactor and savior.
Mina quickened her steps, almost running down the street in excitement.
No doubt Declan would be in human form this morning, but she would know him.
She recalled Allison's words and huffed. Dreamy, eh?
As she marched down the street, she was surprised to find herself clenching her fists and gnashing her teeth. Why was she feeling...annoyed, at Allison?
So what if Allison thought Declan Grant was dreamy?
Mina shook her head, trying in vain to clear it. She was all wound up, feeling all proprietary and possessive, jealous even. What was wrong with her?
He wasn't her wolf. She hadn't even seen him in human form. Yet...she just knew that she would recognize him.
Mina started to run. She couldn't wait to see her white wolf again.
CHAPTER FIVE
Mina skidded to a stop at the side of the curb. She blinked. Then she blinked again.
It couldn't be.
She couldn't be seeing what she was seeing. The last time she'd seen it, it was nothing more than a crumpled heap of metal and broken glass. She had seen her car die. She'd heard her little green car wheeze its last smoking breath and watch those bright head lamps blink off. She thought she would never see those beautiful head lamps light up again.
Yet, here she was, standing in the middle of the street, staring into those shiny, winking head lamps.
Mina rubbed her eyes repeatedly. She wasn't hallucinating.
There was no doubt about it. It was her little old beat-up Toyota, except that it wasn't so beat-up anymore. Its body was smooth and shiny, with not a single scratch or dent in sight. It wore its new coat of lime green paint proudly, and the muddy tires had been washed and polished. Even the windows had been fixed.
Mina stood gaping at the car, until the horn tooted loudly. Mina squealed. She'd recognize that toot anywhere. It was her car! And it was...beautiful!
She charged straight towards her car, and put her hand on the warm hood. Mina blinked at the three ladies in the car, who were grinning at her. The woman in the driver's seat gave her a two-finger salute and hopped out of the car. “Here you go, love.”
The other two women got out and leaned against the purring car. Mina stared at them, speechless. “Well?” one of them prompted.
“W-what...how...” she spluttered, gesturing wildly at her car.
“We resurrected your car. That's what we do.”
“We're the Magical Mechanics...”
“...with just a little bit of magic...”
“...and some attitude...”
“...we can fix anything!”
Mina gaped at them. “Magic? The Magical Mechanics? You...you're witches.”
“Yup. I'm Layla...”
“I'm Kaylee...”
“And I'm Peyton Wilette.”
Mina was still gawking at them. “You're sisters,” she said at last.
“Triplets,” they corrected in unison and rolled their eyes together. Mina couldn't help laughing. They were so alike in looks and mannerisms. It would have been impossible to tell them apart if not for their different colored hair. All three witches were
tall and curvy with intelligent, intense black eyes. Layla had short, black hair. Her sister, Kaylee, was a brunette and Peyton had flame-colored, wavy hair.
“How...did my car get here? I mean...”
Peyton snorted. “By tow truck, of course.”
Layla wagged a finger at her sister and turned to Mina. “The Snow River wolves called us. Told us to bring the car in and get it repaired pronto. We told them it'd cost them double for the rush job.”
“Double?” Mina gulped. “How much do I owe...?”
Kaylee waved a hand. “You don't owe us anything. Your company paid us already. Enjoy your car.”
The three witches grinned and sauntered off. They were dressed in tight tees, hip hugging jeans and boots. They looked good and they knew it. Mina heard the witches laugh and flirt with the blokes as they sashayed back to their garage down the street.
Mina ran her hand down the side of her car in a daze. Her company had paid for her car to be repaired and delivered to her. She smoothed her palm down the gleaming paintwork, and saw a card tucked under the windscreen wiper. She picked up the small white card and flipped it over.
“The Magical Mechanics. If it's broke, call us. If it ain't broke, call us anyway,” she read aloud.
Mina smiled and slipped the card into her pocket. Maybe she'd call them tonight and buy them drinks. They had done a fabulous job with her car, and she didn't get a chance to tell them how much she appreciated it.
She shut off the engine and pulled the key from the ignition. As soon as she stepped away from her car, the front doors of the ground floor office burst wide open behind her. Mina whirled round in shock.
The office doors of Snow River Construction were thrown wide open, and scores of men and women were crowded at the entrance, beaming at her. Her car had been parked directly in front of her new office.
“Welcome!” they cheered. “Welcome to the...”
“...pack!” someone yelled.
A few hands clapped over a young man's mouth. “Shut up, Carter!”
While Carter struggled and spluttered, the rest of the staff hurriedly shouted over the commotion, “Company! Welcome to the company, Mina!”
“Oh.” Overwhelmed, Mina put a hand over her heart. She honestly didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected this.
She looked up at the smiling faces crowded around the door, and saw the concern and worry in their eyes. In a flash, she knew who they were. If Declan was their Alpha, then these nice, sweet, friendly people, her colleagues, were the white wolves who had saved her last night. They had so bravely fought those red wolves off and saved her life. And they had contacted the Wilette witches and gotten them to salvage her car.
And now, they had thrown the office doors wide open to give her a rousing welcome.
Mina stared into each and every face, and tried to smile and show her immense gratitude. All she managed to do was curve her trembling lips, and blink rapidly. Then she burst into tears.
Immediately, she found herself surrounded by strong, warm bodies, and arms wrapped around her shoulders comfortingly. They ushered her into the cool, air-conditioned office and closed the front doors.
“There, there,” a motherly voice cooed. “The poor dear. She must have suffered a dreadful fright. Shoo, shoo. Make space for her. Don't crowd her. You're scaring her.”
“No, no, I...I'm okay,” Mina said, swiping at her eyes. “I'm so sorry. I don't know what's come over me. You've been wonderful, all of you.” She looked around the circle of faces. “Thank you. You saved my life last night. You saved me, you saved my car, and...I don't know how to thank you, all of you...” she said earnestly.
A tall, middle-aged lady in slacks and a long sleeve blouse smiled and patted her hand gently. “You're part of Snow River now. We take care of our own.”
Mina gave her a lopsided smile. “You're very kind. But I haven't even done a day's work for Snow River Construction.”
“Well, then let's get you started, shall we?” a powerful, male voice boomed from the entrance.
Mina gasped at the tall, broad-shouldered man as he came striding towards her. That man was...gorgeous. He exuded confidence, sex appeal, animal magnetism, and raw, masculine power. Mina licked her lips as he headed straight towards her, staring into his handsome face. His sandy blond hair was tousled, and she saw his brilliant blue eyes gleam with good humor and satisfaction. He was wearing jeans and an open collar white shirt which accentuated his perfect tan. Mina tilted her face to stare into his deep, blue eyes. She recognized him. She'd recognize him anywhere.
“Declan,” she breathed.
He smiled, and she saw a brief flash of heat in his eyes the instant his name left her lips.
Carter cleared his throat. “Mina, this is Declan Grant, our Alpha...ouch!” Carter spun round angrily as someone slapped him over the head. “What? Okay, fine, he's our supervisor!”
“Not supervisor, you moron!”
“Manager!”
“Top Manager.”
“Big Boss!”
“Yeah! Declan is our big boss! The biggest! You get the idea, Mina.”
Mina heard laughter and teasing all around her, but she hardly registered anything, other than the fact that Declan Grant was standing just inches from her, gazing straight into her eyes.
“Hi,” he said very softly.
“Hi yourself.”
Declan smiled, and Mina almost melted into a puddle right there at his feet. He had the most gorgeous smile. His entire face lit up, and the corners of his eyes crinkled, making him even more attractive, if that was even possible. It should be criminal to be so attractive. Mina totally understood what Allison meant when she said that Declan was dreamy. He was...a walking wet dream.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Declan narrowed his eyes.
“Huh? Like what?” Mina shook herself.
“Like you're thinking of...”
“Biting and licking you all over,” Mina murmured under her breath as her tongue darted out to wet her lips.
“I was going to say 'getting me to answer some questions about the Snow River pack',” Declan said with a lopsided smile. “But...” He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. “I like the way you think.”
Mina gasped and felt the heat creeping up her face. “I...”
“Come, Mina,” Declan announced, taking her hand. “I'll show you our latest project. It's situated at the edge of the lake. The houses are built close to nature, and we've incorporated solar panels in our design. State of the art and environmentally friendly!”
The middle-aged lady quirked a brow at Declan and said, “You're conducting the new staff orientation yourself?”
“Yes, Iona,” Declan answered with studied patience. “I am.”
“Hey, I can orientate her!” Carter volunteered eagerly.
“Thank you, Carter, but she's mine.” Declan smiled, but everyone heard him growl the words.
Iona glanced at Mina and cocked her head at Declan. Mina couldn't read the question in her eyes, but she saw Iona's lips move soundlessly to form the word 'human'.
Declan growled louder in response, and turned to usher Mina towards the door with a hand on the small of her back.
Once the office doors had swung shut behind them, Mina looked up at Declan's stern face and asked tentatively, “Is everything all right?”
“Yes, darling. Everything is going to be all right,” he answered with a grim smile.
CHAPTER SIX
Declanstared at the curvy redhead beside him, his nostrils flaring at her sweet, delicate, maddening scent. Iona was right. She was human, wholly human...and she was unmistakably his.
His wolf had prowled to the fore last night and rammed against his human mind and body. Declan usually trusted his wolf instincts. His beast would rise when it sensed danger to the pack. As the Snow River Alpha, it was his duty and responsibility to
protect the pack. He had his trackers and his sentinels, but his wolves only relayed information and intelligence to him. As their Alpha, he had to use the information and decide on the best course of action. Should they fight, or should they wait and watch? How many wolves would he have to sacrifice if they took on a hostile rival pack that was causing trouble in his territory? Would he be able to solve the problem without a full-blown battle between the packs?
Declan always believed in diplomacy before bloodshed. Every wolf in his pack was precious to him. He would rather not risk their lives if he could help it. But sometimes, it couldn't be helped. For the good of the pack, some sacrifices had to be made.
But last night, his wolf was highly agitated, anxious and angry. His human mind couldn't quite grasp what had gotten under the skin of his wolf, but he knew it had to be something serious, something big. He had been working in his study at home when his wolf suddenly jolted up and clawed viciously at him, demanding to be let out.
He had charged out of his house as a great white wolf, and stood on the top of his front steps and howled.
His pack responded to their Alpha's call almost immediately. Down the entire street, wolf howls sounded from the houses and a minute later, white wolves burst from the front doors of the houses and ran to meet their Alpha.
The Snow River pack followed their Alpha out of Misty Valley, running down the empty highway. Declan directed his wolves into the forest flanking the highway, and the white wolves moved swiftly and silently through the trees. In wolf form, he could scent her.
She was near, so near Misty Valley. His wolf knew exactly where his female was, and when the scent of her fear hit him, he exploded in rage. His female was scared, and she was hurt. He heard gunshots, and he smelled her blood.
And then he saw the Red Fangs pack swarming around a battered green car. He saw the Alpha of the Red Fangs, Rhett, clawing through the broken windscreen to reach the frightened female in the car. And he saw Logan, Rhett's second-in-command, lunge at the human woman.
Growl for Me: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 3
