She would have grinned if not for the three centuries of alpha sitting over there like Mount Vesuvius on a very ugly August day.
“You. Dixon,” Ty’s father snarled.
She pulled her chin up and stood stiff. “Lana.”
Old Tyrone’s eyes bored into her, and she dipped her eyes in the required sign of submission. It was his pack, after all. She’d give him that. That and nothing else, even if it killed her. But the words he uttered next surprised her.
“You look just like your mother.” His voice had a hint of surprise in it, maybe even wonder.
With the nose of my father. That part, she decided to keep to herself.
She couldn’t help but lean away from his piercing stare and winced when the floorboard creaked underfoot, betraying her anxiety. The minute she glanced at Ty, though, she felt surer, stronger. Because his eyes held the truth. This wasn’t about the past. It was about the future. Their future together.
Ty stood down his father. “This is Lana. My mate.” He bit down on the final T like a dog on a juicy bone. “She stays.”
The old man didn’t answer. He just growled, setting off what seemed to be a telepathic duel in which their eyes did the swordplay, slashing and leaping and parrying in deadly thrusts.
“She’s the enemy!” The old man’s voice joined in the fight, shaking with anger.
“She’s mine!” Ty retorted, immovable as the hills.
As surprised as Lana was at Ty’s words, she was more surprised at her reaction. She liked his possessiveness—loved it, in fact. Because he was hers as much as she was his.
“Don’t make me do this, Dad,” Ty warned.
His father grunted so low that Lana’s knees shook. “Do what?”
Ty’s lips stayed still, but his eyes blazed with the answer. Leave. Or fight you. Your choice.
She held her breath. Ty would do that for her? Leave the ranch? Deep down, she knew he could never start anywhere else. His world was this ranch. But he meant it. She could see it in his stony expression. God, what was she asking of her mate?
She half expected the earth to start shaking, given the sheer power swirling through the room. But it ended in a stalemate with Ty stomping out of the building, Lana firmly in tow.
“There’s no dealing with him when he’s like that,” Ty muttered.
She blew out a long breath, wondering if the old man was ever any other way. The man was a hazardous chemical, a boiling cauldron. Yet Ty had stood up to him.
“You’re the one who really stood up to him.” Ty said, pulling her attention back to the present. To bed, to the peace of the house, the peace of another night together.
She rubbed her cheek against Ty’s chest. Heaven is here, she decided. Right here.
Ty’s deep voice went on, insistent. “No one’s ever stood up to him like you did.”
“It was you standing up to him,” Lana said, running her chin along the stubble of his jaw.
“It was both of us. And if it wasn’t for your idea about the land trade, who knows what he would have done.”
She allowed herself a small smile. Ty’s father had returned to find he’d missed three crises. The rogues were one. Lana, the forbidden Dixon was another. The third was the land dispute: turning a portion of Seymour Ranch over to the state as parkland was a sure recipe for trouble. Lana had mused over the problem for days. How to protect the pack from the outside world?
The answer came to her after Ty drove her to the proposed parkland at Spring Hollow one day, trying to gain a little distance from his father’s wrath. The man had been threatening Lana with everything from death to dismemberment and banishment, and the confrontations were getting so bitter, she feared how it would all end.
So she and Ty had taken a time out to visit that lovely piece of land, where a tiny stream watered a wooded grove. The minute they stepped out of the car, she felt the magic of the place. An oasis in the desert, with leafy shade, a babbling brook, and soft earth underfoot. No wonder the late Mrs. Seymour wanted to protect that land. Seduced by the melody of birdsong and rippling water, she and Ty made love under the cottonwoods.
“You don’t hear that much any more,” he commented as they lay clasped together afterwards.
“Hear what?”
“The spotted owl.” He signaled with his eyes the next time it cooed.
It took her twenty minutes to find the bird in the dappled shadows and half a day to realize the implications. A little research quickly paid off. The spotted owl was a threatened species.
“I got it!” Breathless with her discovery, she’d burst in on Ty, his father, and the pack elders in what seemed to be their tenth crisis meeting in three days.
The old alpha met her with his usual scowl. The one that hadn’t quite killed her—yet. “If you so much as—”
She cut him off, and even Ty’s jaw hung open at that. “I have your solution. Listen.”
The room went deathly quiet.
She dug in her heels. “The Seymour Ranch issue. I know what to do.”
An elder scoffed audibly, and even Ty gave her an incredulous look.
She spoke directly to him, telling herself it was only Ty she had to face, and not an entire troop of hostile shifters. “The owl, remember?”
Ty gave her a slow nod, his eyes warm with the memory.
“The Mexican spotted owl,” she explained for the benefit of the others, “is an endangered species. A protected species.”
Nothing but blank and angry faces. They just weren’t getting it. Lana all but stomped her foot in exasperation. “We can—I mean, Twin Moon Ranch can declare an adjoining section of its own property a preserve to protect the owls, doubling the size of the Seymour donation. Yes, I mean it,” she insisted to the dismissive faces. “But Twin Moon Ranch would retain the right to that land. That will do it!”
Ty seemed to be the only one who was taking her seriously. “Do what?”
“First of all, it demonstrates good will,” Lana said, ignoring the old alpha’s scowl. Like he’d ever appreciate the subtleties of land negotiations. “If we—you—declare the land a nature reserve and vow to keep it off-limits to the public, Seymour Ranch will be forced to do the same.”
There, she thought, watching realization dawn over her audience. She savored the moment for all of three seconds before steaming along while she still had momentum. “At the same time, Twin Moon could cede public right of way to that isolated patch of land you own over near Slide Rock State Park.”
The gathered men grew darker still. Convincing conservative old wolves to give away land? No easy task, but Lana knew exactly how to handle them. She’d been through the wringer with the elders in her home pack on more than one occasion.
She put her hands up before they could protest. “It’s a small parcel with no practical use to the ranch—but it’s got scenic value. That’s our ace. The public will still gain access to new land, and Mrs. Seymour’s wish to set aside Spring Hollow will be respected. Most importantly,” she gathered her nerves and looked old Tyrone right in the eye, “the pack will avoid unwanted visitors. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
She folded her arms and shut her mouth. There. Let them chew on that.
There was a collective scratching of heads, a few surprised stares, but no rebuttals, no complaints. Just a weighty silence that stretched on and on.
“And you think they’ll go for this?” one of the elders ventured.
“I know they’ll go for this,” Lana said. “I can draw up a formal proposal and have it ready for the state authorities by tomorrow.” Plus copies for Seymour Ranch and the usual environmental watchdogs, she made a mental note to herself, already working out the details. She’d need the original deeds, and maps, and a thousand other things, but that part was all routine. “They’ll take the deal, believe me.”
Nobody seemed too inclined to believe her, but then again, no one was protesting her plan. Not even the mighty old a
lpha.
“How’d you figure this all out?” Ty had asked, once he’d found the hinge to his jaw.
“It’s what I did at home, silly. It’s my job.”
The elders frowned. Did she really dare speak to the upcoming alpha that way? But Ty just cracked into a grin that was all love layered with pride, and for the next minute, all Lana did was drink it in. Forget the elders, forget his father.
Mate. My mate. She still couldn’t fathom her luck.
Ty’s father tilted his head as if seeing her in a new light. “That will do,” he grunted, dismissing her.
She managed a firm nod, then made for the door. She got as far as the second hitching post on the right before leaning into it, hard. Jesus. Had she really stood up to the old alpha?
Her pulse was still racing when the council house door opened and Cody came out. His eyes sparkled as he came up to her, like he’d just surfed down the biggest, baddest wave of his life.
“I’d kiss you if my brother wouldn’t skin me alive,” he said, coming right up to her. “Oh, what the heck,” he said, glancing left and right. Then he leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You did it!” He was like Huck Finn in a second skin, always excited to embark on a fabulous adventure that was sure to go wrong a hundred different times. She wondered if he’d ever grow up.
If only he was aware of the obstacles still ahead of them. Lana didn’t know what the hurdles would be, exactly, but they were out there. The only constant in the tumultuous world of a wolf pack was trouble. Sooner or later, it’d be back, for sure.
Ty came out then, and all her worries fled. With her mate, she could accomplish anything. They could accomplish anything.
The door slammed against the wall as Ty’s father stormed out of the council house like the back edge of a hurricane: all dark and mumbly, yet weary. He pulled up two steps away from Lana, and though he fixed her with those laser eyes—just like Ty’s, yet nothing at all like Ty’s—the hand he raised was pointing right. Lana followed it to another low-slung building with dusty panes of glass.
“That one,” he barked. “That office. I want her where I can keep an eye on her,” he snapped, then stormed away.
Cody gave Lana another winning grin, then ambled off, leaving her and Ty alone. She caught her mate in a loose hug and leaned her forehead against his chest. God, it felt good to be so close. To know she’d never have to let go again.
“Throwing down a challenge, is he?” she managed, picturing the musty files the old alpha would be heaping on her desk soon enough.
Ty shook his head and pulled her flush against his body, ignoring the elders filing past. “He’s already sold on you, sweetheart. Not that he’ll admit it.” Then he released her and turned firmly in the direction of his house.
Our house, he insisted, pulling her closer.
She slipped a hand into his back pocket as they walked side by side. Home. The sweetest four letter word ever. She could stay—not just as Ty’s mate, but in her own right.
``But no more work ‘til you’re fully healed,’’ he added.
This time, she didn’t mind the bossy tone one bit. “I am healed,” she insisted. “Or just about.”
“Well, no work until we’ve had some time for us.”
“That, my love, will never be enough.”
But hell, they’d certainly given it their best shot over the past days. In the cabin, up at his lookout, in every room of the house. And now they rolled slowly out of bed, still tingling from their lovemaking. They shifted and loped into the night, Ty’s long stride perfectly matching her quick footfalls. She was glad to work her stiff limbs and even gladder to be running side by side with her mate. The hushed voices coming from the desert on this moonlit night were no lies. Ty was her destined mate, all hers. Now and forever.
They nestled together on Ty’s hill and lifted their muzzles as one. To warm up, they let out a mournful howl that acknowledged the pain of the past, then moved on to a long, happy howl for the future, one that sang on and on into the night. Around them, the desert listened, maybe even shed a sentimental tear. Destiny was smiling on them, and she never wanted it to end.
Her lips curled in a canine grin as she squeezed closer to his side. There didn’t have to be an end.
This was only the beginning.
THE END
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love
Kristin
By
Ariana Hawkes
Chapter One
Dina and Lauren sat on their close friend Melissa’s balcony, enjoying the last of the summer sun. Half of the trees in the nearby park were already turning to the orange and red of early fall. Dina usually didn’t enjoy the cold of winter, but this year she couldn’t wait to be snuggled up with her big, sexy bear mate, watching her belly grow bigger every day.
She and Lauren snuck glances at Melissa as she walked around her apartment, putting together some drinks and nibbles. They could hardly contain their excitement at the secret they were about to reveal to her. They had recently met their mates through Shiftr, a secret dating app that connected human women with shifter men. Lauren had got together with Connor, her sexy bear-shifter, and, according to the rules, she was allowed to tell one other person about the app’s existence. She’d picked Dina because she was her number-one best friend. And now Dina had got together with Logan, her own bear-shifter mate, it was her turn to pass on the good news to someone else. The choice had been between their two closest friends, Melissa and Kristin, and since they couldn’t decide which one, they’d wound up flipping a coin.
Dina was tanned and glowing from her honeymoon in Mexico, while Lauren was blooming with vitality, and her belly was huge.
“Are you sure you’re not having twins?” Dina said as she held her hand on Lauren’s belly, feeling a series of firm little kicks.
“Yeah, I had a scan,” Lauren replied, with a smile. “And I was so nervous the whole time. Imagine if they’d seen a little bear in there!” Dina laughed and rubbed her own belly, with deep affection for the life growing inside her. She was just starting to feel kicks, or so she thought.
“I can’t wait to find out if they’ll be shifters too,” she said.
“Apparently it might take years before we know. Connor says that pure-bred bear shifters usually have their first shift around age 12, but no-one really knows with half-humans,” Lauren said.
“I don’t care either way. As long as they’re strong and healthy, I couldn’t be happier,” Dina said.
Melissa came out onto the balcony with a tray of food. Then she went back in and returned a moment later with two tall glasses of something dark red and garnished with mint leaves, and a glass of rosé.
“Two pomegranate mojito mocktails!” she said proudly. Dina and Lauren eagerly sipped from the straws.
“Wow! I totally can’t tell that it’s not alcoholic!” Lauren exclaimed.
“It’s the mint,” Melissa said. “It convinces your brain that there must be rum in there too.” She stared at her glass of wine and sighed.
“I feel bad for drinking in front of you guys though.”
“No, don’t be silly,” Dina said. “You’ve had a tough day. You deserve it.”
Melissa visibly relaxed as she sipped her wine, the tension leaving her pretty features.
“I do love working for a charity,” she said. “But I just hate the way the bureaucracy gets in the way of, you know, helping out people in trouble. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about work. Let’s see your honeymoon photos!”
Dina pulled an album out of her purse, and opened it on the table. The three women pored over the photos excitedly. There was one picture after another of Logan and Dina looking deliriously happy on a Mexican beach.
“Your husband is so handsome,” Melissa said, with her usual sweetness. Logan did look amazing in his board shorts. His powerful shoulders and pecs and abs glistened in the sun. Dina looked adorable next to him, in a stunning red
polka dot one-piece. It had wide, white shoulder straps, and a cute white belt at the waist. Her long black hair was loose, and her hazel-green eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
“It was such an amazing vacation,” Dina said dreamily. “I wish we were back there. All of us together!”
“When are you getting married, Lauren?” Melissa asked.
“As soon as this one’s out of me and I go back to normal size,” Lauren said with a cackle. “I’ve dreamed of my wedding and the dress I’ll wear for so long that I don’t want to go through it with a baby bump!”
Lauren had already had her shifter mating ceremony, and the public wedding was just for show, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t super excited for it.
Melissa’s fingers drummed on the table, and she suddenly reached out and took a large gulp of her wine.
“So, I have something exciting to tell you girls,” she said, her blue eyes brighter than ever.
“What is it?” they replied in unison.
“I’ve started dating someone!” she said. Lauren and Dina stared at her for a moment. This was great news, but it hadn’t been part of the plan at all.
“Who?” Lauren asked, recovering first.
“Someone from the wedding!” Melissa said, deliberately making them wait.
“Who?” Dina prompted, as she and Lauren held their breath.
“Timo!” she said, and Dina and Lauren exchanged a quick glance.
“That’s great!” Lauren said. “He’s a great guy.”
“Yeah, I really like him,” Dina added. He was a member of Logan and Connor’s bear clan, so they both knew him well.
“How’s it going?” Lauren asked.
“Well, I think,” Melissa replied. “We’ve only been on three dates, and he seems to like me, but he hasn’t kissed me yet.”
“He’s pretty shy, so that doesn’t surprise me,” Dina said, aware that Timo was one of the more retiring members of the clan.
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