by V. A. Dold
She concentrated and she was a human again, and completely naked. This was going to take a lot of practice.
Simon sank the eight ball for the win. “YES! That’s two in a row.”
Cade was glowering at his brother, apparently he really didn’t like to lose. It didn’t help that Stefan had dropped by and had been poking the grumpy wolf with barbs all night.
Anna stepped in. “How about one last game?”
“Yeah, Cade, I want to see Simon and Rose beat you a third time,” Stefan teased.
“How about you go home instead,” he growled.
“Aww, come on, you big baby,” he goaded. “Speaking of babies, how’s my nephew doing?”
When he reached for Anna’s belly Cade launched himself at him.
Simon struggled to break them apart as Rose squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for the fighting to stop. And for everyone to get along again. She really wanted Cade to be in a better mood.
Suddenly the men stepped back from one another and laughed.
Cade shook his head. “What just happened?”
Simon rubbed his heart. “I have no idea, but I feel great, like I’m crazy happy.”
“Yeah,” Stefan agreed.
Cade cocked a brow. “Has Rose’s gift manifested yet?”
“No, we were just talking about …”
They stopped laughing and turned toward the women.
Anna looked at Rose with her brows raised too.
“What?” she squeaked as she suddenly felt like she was in a spot light.
“Sweetheart, when we were fighting what were you doing?” Simon asked.
“Nothing.” She shook her head.
“Were you thinking anything?”
Rose felt the heat rise up her neck to her face. “Yeah, kind of.”
“What exactly?”
“I just wanted the fight to stop and for you all to get along.” Then she whispered, “And for Cade to be in a better mood.”
Simon grinned at her, and the look in his eyes was kind of unnerving.
I want you to try something for me, think that you want Stefan to be really sad.
“That’s ridiculous,” she protested.
“Please, baby, just do it for me.”
She breathed a big sigh and closed her eyes.
A few seconds later, Stefan started to cry. “What did you do?” He glared at Simon through the tears.
“Rose is my mirror opposite. She can control emotions.”
“No way!” Rose and Anna said at the same time.
“Yes, way,” Simon chuckled.
“Too bad your gift didn’t manifest until after the conversion. That would have come in handy against Travis,” Stefan sniffled.
“Huh, I wish I’d gotten something cool like Anna did.”
“You have no idea how powerful that gift is,” Cade said. “You can walk into any situation and change the emotions, effectively changing the minds of any person there.”
“Now it sounds kind of creepy,” she said with a leery expression.
“Trust me, babe, it will be great.” Simon wrapped her in his arms.
Thomas and John walked in from the guest suite wearing serious and determined expressions.
John went to Rose and gave her a hug. “I’m so glad we got you back, Momma Rose.”
“I’m glad you’re all here. We’ve decided to petition the wolf goddess for conversion.”
You could have heard a pin drop, no one breathed.
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” Anna asked.
“Yes, we discussed it and decided joining the family completely and moving here is what we want.”
“The situation Rose was just in isn’t clouding your judgment?” Cade asked.
“That was just one of many factors, I don’t care to give a laundry list of reasons. This is what we want. So, what do we have to do?”
“Nothing. I’ll tell Emma you’ve requested the petition and she’ll take care of it,” Anna assured them.
“Okay, so how long does that take?” John asked.
Cade shrugged. “Don’t know. We’ve never done it before. I guess we’ll find out as we go.”
“Oh, so now what should we do?” Thomas frowned.
“Stay with us, we can talk to Isaac about work for you and you can decide if you want to build a house here or live somewhere else.”
Thomas stuck his hands in his pockets. “That sounds like a plan.” He nodded.
He tipped his chin toward the table. “What ya’ll got going on here?”
“We’re just playing one last game before Simon and Rose head home.”
“If you want another game, we will take you on after they leave,” John offered.
“Perfect, you guys can re-inflate my manly pride when these two beat me again. Now, how about that game?” Cade said.
They secretly let Cade win the last game before they went home. They could’ve won all three games against Cade and Anna, Rose was a regular shark. He’d have to use that against Stefan someday soon and beat him too. Watching him lose to a woman would be priceless. “How are you feeling, cher? Are you tired?”
Rose yawned. “A little.”
“Unless you want to spend the night as a wolf I wouldn’t chance a shift,” he warned.
“I certainly don’t want that. I can practice again tomorrow.”
Simon held his mate on their newly installed porch swing. The moonbeams shone through the trees, ethereal streams glowing in the darkness. As a human, you couldn’t see them so clearly. The night birds were singing, and a light breeze caressed his skin bringing the perfume from the magnolia tree across the yard. Life was pretty great. He rubbed his chin in her silky hair, ran his palm up and down her arm, and pulled her closer.
“Cher, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do with my time. I don’t want to go back to the Le Beau Corporation, at least not, right now.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I made a few calls. There is a desperate need for posttraumatic stress disorder dogs and other psychological and physical needs of returning veterans. I’d like to start a charity to help the men.”
“That sounds great!”
“Would you be interested in doing that with me?”
She raised her head from his chest. “Really? You want me to help?”
“I won’t do it without you, cher.”
Snuggling again. “All right, I’m in. What do you want me to do?”
“I’d like to provide trained PTSD dogs free of charge to the men. We’d need to fund their travel and housing expenses for an extensive stay. I think we should consider building a training and housing compound.”
“Do you have a property in mind or do we need to see what is available as options? Have you researched or visited existing facilities?”
“I haven’t visited any in person, but I’ve done extensive research. My old commander Mark Anderson just retired and he’d like to work with us. I asked him to visit the top locations and report back to me.”
“That’s a great idea, we can take the best operations and duplicate or improve on them.”
“I’d also like to have a branch of the charity to locate and ship the dogs that soldiers adopt while on deployment home to them. I can’t begin to explain how important those dogs are to the men and when they are sent home they have to leave them behind. It’s traumatic for both the man and the animal.”
“I recently saw a special on television about that. There are people in the war zones who’ll locate the dogs and help ship them back. It was forty five hundred dollars per animal. That would be the easiest service to start and could be offered right away.”
“Great, let’s get that up and running while we put the rest in place. We’ll need experienced trainers and psychiatrists at the compound. The men will need medical assistance as well as learning how to handle the dog they’ll receive. Plus, applicants will need to be screened for their physical and psychological needs. Every dog will then
be trained for their owner’s specific disability so it helps its owner with their exact needs. I want to provide the best help while protecting the dog’s safety.”
“I can look into that and interview candidates,” Rose offered.
“Perfect. Eventually I want to expand to physical service dogs and seeing-eye dogs. Mobility service dogs are trained to work with wheelchair-bound clients, walkers, and people with balance issues, things like that. They can even do cool stuff like get the remote or turn off a light. Can you verify the trainer can do all that?”
“Absolutely.”
“When we choose a site for the project, I want to leave room for a breeding kennel and puppy building. That way we can pinpoint the perfect breeds and bloodlines we prefer and raise them from birth. I know labradors and golden retrievers are excellent, but I’m sure there are other breeds too.”
“I love puppies! So, what does a PTSD dog do?”
“They sense when a person is experiencing panic and alert them to this change in mood. The dogs do this by physically providing a “shield” either in front of or behind the client to make them feel protected. The dogs also nudge their owner or alert them in other tactile ways so the client uses the dog as a comforting presence, stroking the dog or talking to the dog gently.
“I’d like you to organize a fundraising ball to kick off the charity. Your experience and expertise will be invaluable.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun! I love organizing fundraisers. Is there a wealth base in the area to support a ten thousand dollar a plate dinner?”
He Laughed. “No problem, there is a lot of money in New Orleans. What about the dance?”
“I’m thinking a glamorous ball, not a costume affair. If we want the big money we need to let them show off their wealth and bling. No hiding behind a mask.”
“I like that.”
“Do you know many single successful men and women locally?”
“Yeah…why?”
“Have you ever been to a date auction?”
Laughing again. “A what?” His vibrating chest tickled her ear.
“It’s an auction where the local men and women agree to be auctioned off for a date. Dinner, dancing, all very respectable.”
“Oh, I have one single successful brother you can auction off, right now.” Simon grinned.
“I bet you have. Emma and Anna can help me with the auction lineup. You, my love, will need to deliver a wallet pulling speech to promote the project.”
“A speech I can do, no problem.”
“Combine the plate fee and the money raised from the auction and you’ll have a good start.”
“How much time will you need to organize this shindig?”
“Provided a venue is available, caterer, musicians…as quickly as four weeks.”
“Holy cow, you’re fast.”
“I’ve done a hundred of these. They’re all pretty much the same.”
“Let the planning begin.” Simon set his shoulders and took a breath. “Mon amour, I have something else I wanted to talk with you about.”
Rose sat up to see him better. “What, babe?”
“I love you with every fiber of my being and I know human women dream of a wedding. Would you like a wedding with your friends and family here to celebrate with you?”
“No.” She said without a second of hesitation.
“Really?”
“I only have Anna, Thomas and John as friends and my only family is Jack and Michael. Besides, as far as I’m concerned the mating was much more binding than any marriage could ever be. If for some reason we need to be married then we can do it quietly with a justice of the peace.”
“If you’re absolutely sure?” He searched her face.
“Absolutely.” Smiling, she snuggled again content with the world.
The next morning, Rose was enjoying coffee with her team. “Emma, can you handle the auction singles? You’re the only one who has lived here long enough to know the people available.”
“I would love to, I have several in mind already.”
“Anna, would you work on a list of attendees we can invite? You have your finger on the pulse of the business and financial community.”
“Piece of cake. Cade can help me.”
“I’m going to preview venues, caterers, and the music options. I’ll also need printed invitations, a decorator, and security.”
“Emma, do you think Isaac would be willing to act as auctioneer?”
“Oh my goodness, he will be tickled you thought of him.”
“Perfect! We don’t need a professional auctioneer. We want someone the people will recognize and enjoy. Isaac has the perfect combination of celebrity status, charisma, and humor.” Rose was brimming with excitement. She was in her element.
“Is there anything else we can help with?” Anna asked.
“Once I have a short list of venues and venders, I’d love to have you both give your opinions on the final choices.”
“I’m game, Emma gave me a clean bill of health so I’m no longer tethered to the bed.”
“I would be honored. And if you need a printer, I have a friend who does magical things with calligraphy and has a top quality shop.”
“If she has your endorsement, she’s hired.” Rose beamed. “Are you both available to have a coffee powwow in two days to see where we are at?”
“I am, Cade won’t let me leave the house without him until the threat against us is ended. I’m not allowed to go to the office so I work from home.”
“I have all the time in the world so just let me know.” Emma patted her hand.
Everyone had a task and they were off to a great start.
It had been two weeks of whirlwind planning. Rose blew a strand of hair from her eyes as she reviewed the final list of singles for auction. This was going to be a resounding success. She traded that list for the invitees’ roster. Running her finger down the response column she was pleased. There would be three hundred attending and twenty singles auctioned. That would guarantee three million raised plus the auction. I can’t wait to tell Simon.
He was meeting Mark at the airport and settling him into an extended stay hotel. Once the facility was built, Mark would play a major roll in management and publicity. For now, Simon wanted his input into the bones of the organization. There was no one he trusted more than Mark to help build this service. He had the connections in the military and Washington as well as first hand experience in the needs of a returning vet.
She smiled to herself as she recalled his shining smile when Mark accepted the position of Vice President for The Unforgotten Hero Foundation or TUHF. They had the land purchased and the contractor and architect were working furiously to have designs ready for the kick off ball.
Her heart fluttered when her caller ID read Simon. “Hey, babe, how did it go?”
“Great! Mark looks wonderful, I could barely tell he had a prosthesis. He has a hi-tech design that lets him walk without a cane or anything. I asked him to research providing a service for rehab and custom fitting. How is your day going?”
“Perfect, everything is coming together. Have you heard if the scale model will be ready for display at the ball?”
“They’re on track to have it to me a few days before so we can review it ahead of time.”
“YES! I really want that on display, it makes the need real for the donators. Did you ask Mark to attend and speak?”
“I went one better, he is now one of your auction singles.”
“That’s great! The ladies are going to eat him up.”
“I have a call coming in. I’ll be home in ten minutes. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Everything was ready except her. Crud, what am I going to wear?
Chapter 17
The Ball
Rachel Jorgenson’s heart pounded as she glimpsed the mile long line of sleek vehicles, each worth more than her house. Her king cab ¾ ton stuck out like a crawfish on a plate of prime rib.<
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Craning her neck she spotted a hidden area at the back of the lot. She tried to pull out of the line of Bentleys, Mercedes…Oh my god is that an Aston Martin? But NO! The man in the orange traffic vest forced her to follow the cars to the valet at the grand entrance. She groaned when the tuxedoed man with white gloves reached for her door handle. I am so going to kill Emma. Why the heck did she have to use this as payback for curing her stallion? It made no sense at all.
Come to the ball, it’s for a very worthy cause. It’ll be fun, Emma had said.
“Fun like a root canal,” Rachel grumbled, none too happy Emma failed to mention Stefan, the ego maniac womanizer, would be there.
When she’d first met the Romeo years ago, he’d ignored her completely, never even noticing she was alive. Of course she’d been sixteen and to her he’d looked very mature and manly. He still could have at least noticed me, she thought, or at least acknowledged I was in the room.
She wasn’t sure of the exact date, but about the time of her eighteenth birthday she had even started to have dreams about the infuriating man. Hot dreams. Really hot dreams. And that just pissed her off more.
She bit back a few choice comments she was aching to fling at him. And having grown up with only her father and a few cowboys, they would be juicy words. She hid in a group of attendees. I’m such a coward. Even though she was sure he wouldn’t know who she was or notice her for that matter, she didn’t want him to see her in the spray on gown Emma forced on her. For fuck’s sake, I’m not Madonna or Miley Cyrus. People are going to think I’m walking around wearing pasties in this thing. She still wondered how Emma had gotten a dress the exact color of her skin with black lace strategically placed.
With her heart heavy, she watched him flirt with a group of beautiful women across the room. Sighing, why do I let him get to me like this?
Stefan Le Beau caught the attention of a waiter carrying a tray of champagne and offered the refreshments to a group of ladies. As he greeted each with a smile and a flute of bubbly he realized he had dated each of them in the past six months. Making small talk as he tried to extricate himself from his self-made fiasco, he scanned the room for any women he hadn’t dated.
