by Sydney Addae
“Gem would disagree with you,” Silas said recalling the time a witch poisoned several full-bloods. “Maybe it has something to do with her calling? Have you looked into that?”
Pensive, Angus shook his head slowly. “No. I didn’t think of that. I’ll check with her mother, she would know or know how to find out. If this is because of that, we’ll be moving back to her home.”
Silas nodded. “Understood.” He didn’t like it, Shyla’s home was in Maryland, not too far from the West Virginia state line. He’d grown accustomed to having Angus here, bouncing information off him, talking face to face. It would be a significant change having his Beta living in a different state but with mates, Angus had no choice. “Have Gem do a full check-up when she arrives. Let her know in advance so we have whatever she needs.”
“Great idea. I’ll contact her today,” Angus said, his face brightening. “I’m praying to the Goddess it’s not serious.”
“So am I.” Silas stood and slapped Angus on the back. “Whatever you need is yours, you know that.”
Angus nodded. “Yes. Yes, I do. Thanks, Alpha.” Angus left.
“Jasmine?” Silas walked around his desk and left his office headed toward their rooms.
“Silas?”
He smiled. “Your big, bad wolf is coming for you.”
“Hmm, really? When? Do I have time to get my red cape and basket?”
He laughed, a deep belly roaring sound. After all these years, she still aroused and delighted him. Rounding the corner he pressed the elevator button. “No time for that. Your wolf is ravenous and doesn’t want anything that could be in a basket.” He stepped inside and pushed the button as the door closed.
“Not even an apple or a cherry?” she said.
He laughed as the elevator stopped and the door opened. “Well maybe a cherry,” he drawled as his stride lengthened. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened it.
“Your kids are visiting,” Jasmine said. “Aww, don’t look so sad. They don’t live here and will eventually go home.”
“Very funny,” he said adjusting his pants and looking around the room at David, Jackie, Adam, and Renee. “Where are Rone and Rese?”
“Working? I don’t know. Renee and Adam just arrived. Bella’s at the club practicing for a performance and Storm’s taking a nap.”
“Daddy,” Renee said standing to hug him. Jackie moved close for a hug as well. Adam did a one-armed hug and David hugged him last.
Silas went to the sofa, waved his hand for Adam to move over and sat next to Jasmine. Turning slightly, he pulled her close for a kiss. “I owe you for that.”
“I hope you do.”
“What did I miss? Why are they here?” he asked.
“Jackie was hiding from mama, David came to tell me about Canada, Renee wanted us to see something about the wedding and Adam came for food. Your pups.”
Filled with pride, Silas looked at the four; they weren’t talking but looking at something in a magazine. “They’re ignoring us; we can go into the room...” He looked at Jasmine and thanked the Goddess for bringing her into his life. She was just as beautiful and sexy to him now as she been the first time he took her over 20 years ago.
“Later big wolf. Something’s going on with them, we have to be patient.”
CHAPTER THREE
“THIS IS THE PLACE YOU wanted to come?” Razor, a descendant of Grandfather and a guest of Silas, asked his mate, Trista. “There are a lot of full-bloods and breeds here.” He stood behind her looking at the huge building that housed a large number of stores.
“Yes, I want to buy some clothes and a few things for the house to go with the furniture,” she said turning to face him. “Is this difficult for you? We can order things online if you prefer.”
Jarcee had been assigned to help the new pack members acclimate to the area and pack life. He had warned Razor about this before they left the compound. Newly mated pairs didn’t venture into places like this; his beast would not allow anyone brushing against her, no matter how innocent. If they persisted he would call La Patron before allowing them to go inside. For now, he stood a short distance and hoped sane minds prevailed.
“This isn’t a good idea, there are too many people, my beast is uneasy,” Razor said drawing her close. “I understand now what our friend tried to explain earlier, it’s too soon.”
Trista looked at the mall and then nodded. “Okay. There is a store near home, we can stop and order what we want.”
Or you can go home, turn on the computer and order anything just as easily, Jarcee thought but didn’t say anything.
“That is a good compromise, don’t you agree?” Razor looked at Jarcee.
“Yes, it is,” Jarcee said looking around searching for the sound he heard. He held up his finger and started walking away from the car. The sound grew louder. It was a child.
Jarcee walked faster and stopped at a car with a couple kids sitting in the back seat. One child was crying and the other sat looking out the other window.
“Are you alright?” Jarcee asked.
The child looking out the other window jerked and stared wide-eyed at him.
“Are you alright?” Jarcee asked again, slowly so not to scare either of them.
The kid nodded. The one crying stopped and stared at him. “He always cries when my mom leaves us in the car. She had to go to the store, she’ll be back soon.” The kid shrugged as if sitting in a locked car in the middle of the mall parking lot was the most natural thing in the world.
“Okay.” Jarcee turned and headed back to his vehicle. “Sir?”
“Jarcee? Is everything alright?” Silas said.
“Is it normal for humans to leave their children locked in cars in parking lots at the mall?” He was confused. It seemed negligent to him, he would never have done it with any child left in his care.
“One second.” A few moments later, he returned. “Jasmine says it’s not normal and if she were there she would call the police. Is Razor and Trista with you? At a mall?”
“Yes. They’ve decided there are too many people to go inside, we were leaving when I heard the child crying.”
“Crying?”
Jarcee gave a full explanation.
“Good thing Jasmine isn’t there. Wait around a bit, if the mother doesn’t return in 10 - 15 minutes call it in. If you don’t my mate will try and drive out there.” He sighed. “Who does that to their kids?”
Jarcee had no answer and didn’t respond. He returned to his vehicle, explained what happened to Razor and Trista and leaned against the truck to wait. The child had started crying again. The pitiful sound tugged on Jarcee’s heart reminding him of the days when the pups were smaller in the nursery and he’d stood guard. It always bothered him when they cried, even for a short period before their nurses or Mistress took care of them.
Someone else, a black woman with a short haircut, walked over to the car. Jarcee wondered if she were their mother but doubted it because she came from another part of the parking lot. Like him, she asked questions, looked around and then pulled out her phone. He could feel her frustration and aggravation. Feisty thing, he thought, watching her. She stood around 5’6 or 5’7, nice curves, smooth skin. If he was alone he would say hello.
Jarcee smiled. The woman called the police. He decided to wait and make sure before leaving, just in case she hadn’t called the cops, but someone else.
Losing Sarita to kidnappers was never far from his thoughts; he’d been extremely vigilant over his charges since then. A few minutes later a police car drove past them. The woman with the short hair waved to stop them.
The police car pulled up behind the vehicle with the children. The officer walked over and talked to them before looking around. He took the kids out and placed them in the back seat of the police car where it was cooler. Jarcee hadn’t thought of that when he spoke with them. They had to be uncomfortable in this warm weather.
The woman and the cop talked a little longer, and then sh
e walked off. Something about her called to his wolf. She smelled divine and walked with her head high, facing forward. She looked classy like Mistress and dressed really nice.
“Police are here,” Trista said.
Jarcee continued staring at the woman until she entered the mall. What was it about her that attracted his beast?
Jarcee nodded and returned to the driver’s seat. He’d just started the car when a woman ran behind them yelling and waving her hand. “Where are my babies?” she asked the police officer.
“In the air condition of my car,” the officer said.
The woman started explaining; claiming she was only inside for a minute or two, but the cop didn’t buy it. Good for him, Jarcee thought as they drove by. Some people weren’t cut out to have pups. He looked in the rear-view mirror at Razor and Trista. Would they make good parents? Probably. Trista was a natural nurturer, which worked well for her mate.
“Stop! Hey!” the kid yelled out the window.
The police turned and waved for Jarcee to stop.
“Sir, the police just stopped me,” Jarcee said.
“What? Why?” Silas asked.
Jarcee rolled down his window and smiled at the kid in the back seat.
“Hi,” the little boy said. “Are you going home?”
Jarcee nodded. “Yeah.” He looked at the officer who walked over to him.
“You know these boys?” the cop asked.
“Not really. I heard the little one crying about 10 minutes ago and checked on them.” He glanced at the red-faced woman who was talking on the phone wiping tears.
“That was 10 minutes ago?” the cop said looking at the woman.
Jarcee shrugged and looked at the boys.
“Were the windows rolled up or down?” the cop asked.
“Down a little, not all the way up or down.”
“You said the little one was crying?” the officer looked at Razor and Trista in the back before returning to Jarcee.
“Yes, I heard him across the parking lot.”
“Do you know why he was crying?” the cop asked.
Jarcee hadn’t asked. “No. The older one said he always cried when she left them in the car.”
The cop looked at the woman again and then at Jarcee. “Can I have your name and number, we may need you to come in and provide a statement.”
“Sure,” Jarcee gave him the information. “Just so you know I was going to call it in but I saw the lady walk over to them and she beat me to it.”
“Why didn’t you call it in immediately?” the cop asked.
Jarcee didn’t want to get involved but that happened anyway. “I thought she had just run in and was coming right out, that’s the way the older one made it seem.”
“Sounds like this is a pattern,” the cop murmured as he continued typing on his tablet.
Jarcee looked at the boys again and smiled. The older one looked at him and then at his mom, and then at the cop. He seemed too young to look that worried. Maybe this had happened before.
“Thank you for your time,” the officer said stepping away. Another car pulled up behind the police car. A woman stepped out and identified herself as someone from Social Services. The mother started crying in earnest as Jarcee drove off. He updated La Patron who was glad the cop didn’t want much else.
“Which store are we going to?” Jarcee asked them as he pulled onto the highway and headed toward the compound.
“The place with the furniture,” Trista said. “I’ll look in the book and order towels and linens, that kind of thing. Good thing we bought groceries yesterday.” She looked at Razor.
“I’m still hungry,” he said before kissing her forehead. “We can eat while we’re out.” He looked at Jarcee. “Do you have time for that?”
Jarcee nodded. “I have to be back by seven tonight, so we’re good.”
Trista relaxed and leaned against Razor. No one would guess a few months ago her sister tried to kill her and take Razor as her mate. Trista had been sold into servitude in Mexico with an uncertain fate until Renee and Storm, her mate, arrived. Trista’s luck started changing on that day. She was like a child living in wonderland, wanting to see and try everything at least once.
CHAPTER FOUR
FAYE FUMED OVER FINDING those kids in the back seat of a locked car. Jail would be too good for their mom. She hoped the woman spent years in prison doing hard labor or something like that. Fortunately, the cop hadn’t been too far when she called it in and had the kids out of the heat.
If she didn’t have an important meeting she’d consider hanging around to make sure the kids were okay. Leaving them with the officer, she saw the tall, fine guy leaning against the silver SUV from her peripheral vision. He was tall, really tall, almost seven feet. She wondered what color his eyes behind his sunglasses were. Did he play basketball or something? Pity she didn’t have time to investigate.
Her new boss and the Office manager waited for her at a restaurant inside the mall. Why anyone would want to meet in a place like this was beyond her, but ownership had its privileges. Lengthening her strides, she entered the glass door, stopped and looked to see if the handsome guy still watched. Disappointment coated her throat as he returned to his car and pulled off. If the timing had been better, she would’ve approached him, started a conversation.
Oh well, win some, lose some. She looked at her messages for the name of the place where the meeting was being held and headed to the large screen with a map of the mall. Once she located the restaurant, she headed for the escalator.
In the distance, she saw Mr. Nelson, the owner of the real estate company where she hung her license. He seemed like a fairly nice man even if his eyes tended to wander. She shook his hand and smiled at his assistant while trying to recall the woman’s name.
“Ready?” he asked waving toward the restaurant. “Beth says they’re ready for us.”
“I asked them to hold it a few more minutes, so you’re right on time,” Beth said with a weak smile in an attempt to be friendly.
“Thank you, Beth, I really appreciate it,” Faye said, not addressing the fact she was eight minutes early. Being on time was something she prided herself on.
They were seated at a table that would seat six comfortably. The atmosphere was cozy; a person could forget it was the middle of the day and relax. She looked at the menu and was impressed by the variety and the prices.
“I’m glad you’ve decided to work with us. Your resume is impeccable; I’ll be pitching to some commercial clients to help you get started.” He said.
Faye nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate it. I’ve sent out a few notices to companies I’ve assisted in the past, telling them about the opportunities here. The land is beautiful and unspoiled, there’s a lot that can be done in the valley.”
Beth’s gaze flicked around the room before landing on the table.
“There are a lot of zoning restrictions in the city but other areas are opening up. I’ll make sure you get that information to pass along to your clients,” he said.
Faye looked at him. “Is there commercial land available in town?”
He took his time answering. “No. There can only be so many structures with height restrictions, for now, there’s a freeze. When we return to the office I’ll show you the best areas for commercialization.” He didn’t sound too convincing and she wondered about that.
“I was under the impression, from all the data I researched... this is a good place to expand. Was I wrong? I don’t recall reading anything about strict or stricter than normal zoning laws,” Faye asked.
“When we get to the office, we’ll go over it. For now, let’s enjoy lunch.” His tone held a touch of finality that rubbed Faye the wrong way. But she was new and wanted to get along.
No one spoke for a few moments. The waiter took their drink orders.
Faye looked around. It was a big mall, lots of foot traffic. The area wouldn’t support another one, but another strip mall would work, maybe a couple
of professional buildings and offices. It was something she’d look into for sure.
“Have you shopped here?” Beth asked looking at Faye. “Here in the mall?”
“No, this is my first time here. It’s nice. I’ll look around when we’re done.” She paused and looked at the small woman. “What about you? Do you shop here?”
Beth nodded. “Sometimes they have really good deals. Just have to know where to look and look at the right time.”
“I heard that,” Faye said as she leaned back while the waiter placed drinks on the table and proceeded to take their orders. The boss informed the waiter he’d be paying the tab. That was always nice. Considering the percentage he’d be taking from her commissions, he should be buying her groceries as well.
Lunch was pleasant, her first opinion of Nelson and Beth hadn’t changed, she was more certain they were lovers. Their body language, hers more than his, betrayed them. The last thing Faye wanted to do was get caught up in office romances or politics. She’d seen that at one of her past jobs and refused to deal with it again.
For the most part, she kept the conversation on the community, gathering information. Beth had lived in the area for almost 20 years and was a well-spring of information.
Sensing the two needed to be alone and that there were better things she could do with her time, Faye pushed away from the table. “Thanks for lunch and all your advice. I’ll be in the office in the morning to go over the maps. I have a delivery in an hour, so I need to get back.” She smiled at Beth instead of her boss to make sure they were cool.
“One other thing,” he said. “There is a symposium on real estate trends coming up soon. I always take a couple people from the office; all expenses paid and would love for you to consider it. You’ll have an opportunity to network, possibly find new clients. Think you’d be interested?”
Excited, Faye smiled brightly. “That would be great. Give me a date and I’ll make it happen. Thank you, Mr. Nelson. I appreciate you considering me.”
