by Jana Leigh
Cloe shook herself out of the memories she had been indulging in, and looked around at her home. She lived in a small cabin a few miles from the Pack house. To her left, she could see the outline of the Rocky Mountains and to the right flat grassland, she could run free. Sighing she pulled on her gloves, and looked around again, having a strange feeling someone was watching her.
Cloe threw her leg over her newest purchase and smiled. She could not wait for her best friend to see what she received last night. Teagan was her best Enforcer, and her best friend, and assistant. When she went through her rebellious stage, Teagan had been the one who understood and joined her. Together they had formed their own little biker club, which turned out to be the Enforcers of the Pack. It was funny when you thought about it. She was the only female in the group, but she was the leader and the strongest.
Her father had made sure of it.
Revving her engine, she took off from in front of her little house that sat on the edge of town and cruised her way into town. Her office sat right in the middle of town, across from the Pack house where her parents lived. She had built her practice up to include five doctors, three for the shifters in town and two for the humans. She did not see patients much anymore since she was the Beta of the Pack. She still on occasion helped when they needed it, and continued to study new ways to help the shifters different physiology during her down time. The other doctors in her practice looked to her as an expert.
They had built a nice and profitable little Pack, and they stayed under the radar from most of the other Packs that were in the United States, on purpose. It was because they had more than just wolves in their Pack. So far, they had sixty wolves, thirteen cougars, six bears, three eagles, and two foxes as permanent members of their Pack. That did not count the humans who also lived in the town, or the transient members who came and went at different times of the year. Seriously, you can"t expect a polar bear to remain here in the heat or a leopard to stay in the winter. Many more have since moved on, but only after taking a blood oath to protect their secret. So far, no one had told anyone about their small town.
A member of the Pack owned all the businesses in town and Cloe and her Enforcers protected all of them. If someone new came into town, the Pack knew it. So, when she pulled up outside her practice, and noticed the large truck parked in front of the diner, her protective instinct flared. A human named Sue owned the diner, and she was looking out the large front window with a panicked look on her face. That could only mean one thing, strangers were in town, and something unusual had happened. It happened a lot, since they were just off the only highway that led to Denver from the east, but from the look she was getting from Sue, they were more than just crazy tourists.
Cloe nodded and pulled out her cell phone. She pushed her speed dial, and a deep voice answered immediately. “What?”
“Diner, now.” She said gruffly and shut her phone. It was nice to be so in tune with her Pack. She only had to speak a few words for them to respond.
She stalked across the narrow street, and was about ready to open the door when she felt an arm reach around her, and pull the door open. Smiling, she did not have to look to see, her best friend had arrived. Not that it was much of a challenge, since he lived over her practice, in the small apartment she had renovated. After she returned from college, she had lived in the apartment for a few years, until she built her little house out in the country. She loved her town, but she needed a little space sometimes. When she moved out, she gave the apartment to her lead Enforcer and best friend, so he would be on hand in town if needed.
“What"s up?” He said in her ear softly.
Cloe wished Teagan were her mate. He was the kind of man she was attracted to, tall and strong, not to mention gorgeous. Teagan stood a few inches taller than she did, about six feet four. He had long blonde hair, and could have posed on the cover of a magazine. Of course, it would have to be a biker magazine or a tattoo magazine, but still he had the looks. His long chiseled features accented his full mouth. Cloe felt a tingle every once in awhile when she looked at him, but she never told him, because she did not want to ruin their friendship over sex.
When they were younger, Teagan had flirted with her, until she beat the shit out of him, since then they had been best friends. They had matching tattoos on their shoulder that only they understood. It was two wolves howling at a red moon. All the Enforcers had the tattoo, and no one but them, knew what it meant, although many asked. Blaine, one of their Enforcers, was a tattoo artist, and one night had a dream of an attack on the Pack. He had woken and called Cloe asking if everything was okay, and then explained what he saw. The battle had been vicious and bloody, believing that it was a vision given to him by the spirits, Blaine drew a picture. Cloe and Teagan had asked to be marked with the tattoo. They wanted a reminder of what they were training for, because they knew that someday, they were going to have to defend their Pack.
Cloe shrugged and looked into the diner and saw a long table in the back filled with large men. They looked a little like bankers, she was confused why Sue had looked so panicked. She had thought the Hell Angels had rolled into town, when she first looked at the small human who owned the diner. What were these men going to do, audit her to death?
“Breakfast sounds good.” She said softly, entered the diner, and smiled when Sue bustled over to them, grabbed two menus, and motioned for them to follow her. Sue led them in the opposite direction of where the strangers were sitting. She gave them the corner booth and let them settle down, before leaning down and whispering, “Those men are asking a lot of questions about the town and your father.” She then looked over her shoulder and made sure she had not drawn any attention. “They also wanted to know about you and your mom. I ignored their questions, but they have been sitting there for more than two hours. I think they are waiting for your father to show up.”
“Did you call him?” Cloe asked.
“Yes, he was on his way down, said he was going to try to find you first.” Sue said, then stood, and waited with her pad as if she was taking their order. Cloe hated to tell her the men had wolf hearing, and if they were listening, close enough they would have been able to hear their entire conversation. She looked over at the table, and none of them was looking at them, so they must not have thought that Teagan, or she was a threat.
She did not know if she should be offended by that, but she shrugged her shoulders and looked at the menu briefly.
“Usual.” Teagan said and nodded.
Sue wrote something down on her pad and laid it on the table, then yelled over her shoulder to the cook. “Two specials Stan.” She never understood why Sue insisted on carrying the little pad, she always just yelled the orders across the diner, it did not matter who was in, she just bellowed. Cloe used to think it was funny, because you could hear what everyone ordered, but now she did not like to broadcast what she ate.
Her mother would yell at her later for having her spicy little breakfast filled with cheese and sausage. Adele warned her time and time again, that she needed to set an example, and eat healthier. „HA", like that was going to happen. Another one of the perks of being a wolf was the amazing metabolism that they had. Of course, if she did not train everyday with her Enforcers, she may have an issue. However, she kept her figure trim and lean, and told her mom that she was a doctor and knew how to eat. That had earned her a slap in the back of the head, but it was a small price to pay for having her favorite breakfast.
Teagan and Cloe had the same thing every time they came in, a breakfast burrito with the works. Looking down at the piece of paper that Sue had set on the table, Cloe raised her eyebrows. It said one word, WOLVES. Sue recognized them as shifters, which impressed Cloe.
Cloe looked over to the table and saw the large man who was sitting at the edge of the table was looking at her intensely. She knew he recognized her wolf, and probably also recognized her power. She was sure at this point; he was trying to figure out who she was. He was not what
you would call handsome, more like interesting. She could tell even from his sitting down, that he had a firm and well-built body. His haircut was close to his head, and his hard features made her instantly think he was a Beta also. He had a rounder face than Teagan, but with hypnotizing eyes, even from where she sat, she could tell they were a beautiful green color, almost like fresh cut grass. The thing that bothered her was the instant attraction she felt just by looking at him.
The bell over the door jingled again, and she pulled her gaze from the man, and saw her father stalk into the room, and pause for effect. Most people would be afraid when her father walked into a room. He was tall and imposing, and usually made weaker wolves quiver a little, from the power he gave off. She looked at him for the first time in a longtime, and really studied him. Gray peppered his dark hair more and more, over the last few years, but he was still handsome. He loved to tell people she got her looks from him, her mother who was just as beautiful as he was handsome, would slap him in the back of the head and laugh.
“Alpha Bryan.” She said as a form of respect. She usually only addressed him like this in a Pack meeting, but with the strangers all turning and looking at him, she was only going to show him the respect he deserved.
Her father nodded, and headed directly over to the table where the strangers were sitting. Cloe and Teagan stood and followed, so they were flanking him on either side.
She knew they made an imposing sight, and grinned in satisfaction when she saw the wolves at the table respond to them. They all shifted so they could see the Trio walking toward them, at least they were not stupid wolves, and she thought and studied each of them in turn while she listened.
“So, what can I do for you?” Her father asked loudly as he drew close to the obviously leader.
“Sir, are you Bryan Pragan?” A wolf down the table that sat with a stack of papers in front of him asked. Cloe had been surprised the leader did not speak first. It was customary for the visiting lead wolf to address the Alpha first.
“Who is asking?” Her father smirked at the lack of respect the visiting wolves were showing. She stepped up and growled lowly, in a warning to the wolves to show their respect.
“No disrespect Alpha, but could we talk in private? I apologize for my second; he tends to speak before thinking.” The man said in a deep voice that rolled over her. Looking closer she saw it was the man she had been looking at earlier, the one with the amazing green eyes. She had been right. He was the leader, and much better looking when you got closer. Holy shit, he was sexy too, she thought as she was finally close enough to see him clearly, his piercing eyes made her cream her panties a little. Broad shoulders and a slim waist, he was built like a bodybuilder. He was just her type; she thought and looked at him hungrily. The only problem she could see was that he was dressed like an uptight professional who really needed fucked till his eyes crossed.
“You can say whatever you want in front of my Beta. We have no secrets.” Her father said firmly. Cloe stood a little taller and grinned at her father"s words. She knew that he valued her opinion, but it still made her feel good when he said something like this out loud.
“Okay, I have a message from Oliver. The Seer"s Prophecy is back in play.” The man said, shrugging at the lack of protocol. If she had to guess, she would say that, the wolf deliberately made this statement to piss off her father.
Her father took a step back and inhaled loudly. “Who the fuck are you?” Cloe felt her father"s tension and stepped in front of him, Teague did the same on the other side. She did not know exactly what they were talking about, but she remembered the Seer"s Prophecy. She knew they were talking about her, but it did not matter. She would protect her father with everything that was in her. When she was younger, they trained for the day that someone would come and ask questions about Prophesies or destinies. Her mother and father had left their Pack in Europe, because of an incident with the Council"s leader. Rogues kidnapped his daughter, and her parents felt like someone within the leadership helped plan it. They would never take the chance with her life. She, after all, was one of the Chosen, whatever the fuck that meant.
Her father drilled them for years; a stranger came around asking questions, she was to smile and answer politely, and then turn and run. She had an emergency fund set up that would last her for a while in hiding until her parents came and got her. That of course, was before she became the Beta of the Pack. Now there was no way she was going to run.
She was ignoring the pull she felt toward the stranger, Cloe stepped back when her father touched her shoulder. She had almost walked to the man and ran her hands all over his body, if it had not been for her father, she would have. What the hell was wrong with her, she frowned and looked around making sure that no one saw her. Shaking her head a little, she saw Teagan staring at the man intently and then at her, she swore he looked like he was going to kick the stranger"s ass, grab her, and run. What was that all about, she wondered?
The man and the rest of his party all stood up, and her father growled and pulled her behind him. “Get the fuck out of my territory.” He said quietly, and Cloe felt the power flow out of him.
Teagan, not knowing what was going on yelled, “The diner is closed!” Fuck, her dad was pissed, because she could see her friend struggle to stay standing; she even felt the compulsion to fall to her knees. But the men never wavered; they must belong to a powerful Pack to withstand her father"s power.
Chairs and tables cleared quickly. Cloe did not take her eyes off the men who were standing in front of her father, but she knew the patrons of the diner had left. Soon, the rest of the Enforcers would arrive, because someone who left would call them all to let them know the Alpha and the Beta were in trouble.
“Hang on.” The leader held out his hands and looked at her father, trying to seem like he was harmless. Ha, like her father or anyone else in a five-mile radius would actually believe that. “I have proof.”
Bryan steeped forward and got nose to nose with the man and growled. “I do not care, take your message, take your Prophecy, and shove them up your ass. Better yet, shove them up Oliver"s ass, he will know why.”
Cloe laughed and said. “I believe that was your invitation to leave.”
“I wish I could.” The man said. “My name is Darien; I am the Beta from the Denver Pack, and the representative of the New Council Pack. My brother is the Alpha of the New Council. Please just listen.”
Her father stepped back and looked at the man who did not even flinch when her father got in his face, and was impressed. “Let"s go to my office.” The man nodded, looked at Teagan and her before following her father out of the diner and across the street. The other men trailed behind slower, and Cloe stood with her mouth hanging open. When the man named Darien walked by her, she got a good sniff of him. He was her mate, she knew it, though she should have realized sooner. She also did not think the man actually realized it. He had been so focused on her father, and talking to his men, he had turned his head when he walked by her. Well, this was gonna suck, she thought and brought up the rear.
Teagan walked next to her and said, “What the fuck is going on?”
“Not sure, but I need to go to the clinic real quick. Can you and the rest of the Enforcers cover this?” Cloe asked which earned her a frown from her second in command. She knew he was going to get suspicious now, why would a Beta leave her Alpha when something was happening? Cloe did not want to answer him; she needed to call her mother.
***
Teagan, of course, did not argue. He just nodded, and watched as she turned in the other direction and walked quickly away. He paused for only a moment, before turning and following the strangers as they entered the meeting place of the Pack. The rest of the Enforcers were standing at the door waiting. He knew the town was currently on lock down until this was resolved. Like with many small towns, the phone tree gossip was probably on fire about what the strangers wanted with their Alpha. If their motley little Pack was anything, it was cau
tious. He just wondered about the man who seemed to be the leader. Never, had he felt that type of pull toward another wolf.
He had been born to this Pack. Before Cloe and her family came, it had been a mess.
Their old Alpha didn"t know the meaning of the word loyalty, or leadership. He ruled with an iron fist, and those who did not do as he asked would pay the price.
He was small when Alpha Bryan drove into their town with his family. The Alpha had decided the humans in town did not know their place. He expected them to pay him part of their earnings for being in his territory. Never mind that he had just moved the Pack in the area a few years before. When he attacked the gas station owner for refusing to pay him, it had been a mistake. One that Teagan was glad he could witness.
From the moment he saw the girl in the car peaking over the seats while her mother tried to push her back, he had been lost. She was his best friend and Beta, and he would follow her into the bowels of hell if she asked. All of her Enforcers felt the same way.
Cloe had gained their admiration, and respect, for the way that she treated them, but more importantly her intelligence. All of them knew she should be the town doctor, which alone should have taken most of her time.
When Cloe returned home from college, she built her practice, at the same time as she trained to be the Pack Beta. She was amazing, all of them would agree that she was the heart of the Pack; something about her drew people to her. Not that she paid attention; no, Cloe was a typical genius. She was usually so wrapped up in her thoughts that she did not talk to people. If she did, it was short sentences with only a few words. The town learned to speak Cloe long ago, she did not have the patience to stand there and have a conversation with people when she was on a mission, which was usually. That was one of her most endearing qualities.
