by Vivian Arend
Evan smiled broadly. “Actually, I was kind of hoping you’d become Betas for the pack. Saves us fighting and all that.”
It was like a curtain lifted. Somehow Shaun had known this was coming. “Betas? For Takhini?”
Evan shook his head. “You have this issue of repeating everything I say. I’m using small words, Shaun. You want to help lead or not?”
Shaun stared across to where Gem leaned on the back of the couch. She had a secretive little smile on her face, and he paused. Holy shit. “You knew. You knew about this too, and you didn’t tell me?”
Gem shrugged. “Caroline approached me earlier. She wanted to be sure I was okay with a human being a part of the pack.”
Damn, he was the last to learn anything. Still, ego aside for a minute— “Do you want this? You’ve given up your home in the south for me, do you really mean to give up your personal freedom and help run the insanity?”
“There’s a difference between not having something because it’s taken from you and offering to give it up. Huge difference.”
“Yes or no, love?”
Gem nodded. “I think it would be a lot of fun to try as new experience.”
Shaun shrugged. “Can’t be worse than hanging out with Evan like I used to.”
They grinned at each other. Shaun wanted to race over and pick her up, carry her all caveman-like down the hall to one of the back bedrooms. His wolf approved of both ideas. Damn thing was already preening from being given the Beta slot.
Evan rocked forward and shot to his feet.
“Drinks all around to celebrate.” He hung his head out the door and hollered. “Caroline, bring in the hootch. They said yes.”
A loud cheer poured in the open door, and Shaun rolled his eyes. “The pack knew? Fuck it, Evan, everyone in the pack knew before me?”
Caroline walked in and winked at him, the moonshine in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other. “A few of them were taking bets how long it would be before you figured it out.”
Sheesh. “Nice. Nice to know I’m starting with them all shaking in their boots over my mighty authority.”
Caroline handed Gem the wine then passed Evan the bottle. “You’re not the one they want to impress. They’re hoping Gem thinks they’re special.”
Oh, they did, did they? Shaun sauntered over beside the couch and faked a menacing glare as he stared into Gem’s eyes. “I know she’s something special, and that’s more than enough, right?”
Gem winked at him. “Right.”
Shaun sat next to her, the girls continuing to chat. Evan passed him a tiny glass of something that smelled familiar.
His wolf twitched.
Shaun raised his glass as Evan proposed a toast. “To the Takhini pack’s new Betas. May you find happiness in serving the whole crazy lot.”
The instant the glass touched his lips, something tight wrapped around his throat. A loud cry of surprise rose from Gem, and Shaun whirled. He fell to the floor, trapped in his clothes.
He’d shifted to wolf without meaning to and the tight collar of his T-shirt was choking him.
“Shaun? What happened?”
He tugged on the clothing awkwardly with his wolf teeth as Gem attempted to help him, Evan laughing mercilessly in the background.
“I’m not sure, I’ve never had that happen before.”
“You shifted when we first met, remember?”
Dangerous territory. Here be monsters. “Umm, frankly, no, but I’ll explain about that later…”
Shaun took control of himself and shifted back, his shirt tangled around his head, the rest of his clothing a mess.
By now Caroline was giggling as well.
“Sure, laugh at the sickie. What the hell is up?”
It took a couple minutes to get himself back together. Gem very sweetly refrained from laughing. He picked up the shot glass from the ground.
“Sorry about the mess.”
Evan shrugged and reached forward with the bottle again.
Shaun’s belly quivered and his wolf howled in dismay. The world spun again.
“Shaun? Holy shit.” Evan pulled the moonshine away, and Shaun stared up at his Alpha from his haunches, back in wolf form.
“This is getting really boring, really fast,” he complained to Gem.
Evan sat uneasily, shaking his head from side to side. “Oh man, I don’t believe it. Sorry, dude, but I think I know the cause of your problem.”
For the second time in less than five minutes, Shaun adjusted his T-shirt over his human chest. “Tell me, because flashing to wolf while I’m at twenty thousand feet could be more than awkward.”
Evan placed the moonshine bottle on the side table away from Shaun then pointed at it. “You must be having a reaction to this.”
Shit, no. “To your hootch?”
Evan nodded. “It’s not your typical Jack and Coke. I’m not saying you can’t drink, just not my special family blend. Your wolf is trying to stop you from getting looped again.”
“A reaction, eh? That would explain why I had that hangover.” Among other issues. Gem was giving him this very concentrated stare, and he wondered how much it would hurt when she found out about his little memory faux pas. He really needed to tell her the whole story as soon as possible.
His Alpha looked apologetic. “Sorry, man. I had no idea. It’s not that common a reaction, but looks as if you won’t be swilling the ’shine with me anymore.”
“No, I don’t think he will either.” The precise princess tone in his mate’s voice snapped Shaun’s attention to her face.
The uber-polite smile she wore was…kinda scary. He swallowed hard. “Gem?”
She batted her lashes a couple times before delicately laying a hand on his arm. “Darling. So. You have no memory of shifting to a wolf the night we met? But you remember everything else, don’t you?”
Oh boy. Damn those gods of karma—as soon as possible didn’t mean right here, right now. Caroline suddenly got very busy doing something, but Evan happily stared, his gaze darting back and forth between Gem and Shaun as if he was watching a Wimbledon tennis match. Shaun wondered if having an audience was safer than dragging her from the room to complete his confession.
He motioned with his head for Evan to turn away. His Alpha shrugged as if confused, but his smile got wider. Asshole.
So be it. Time to man up—or wolf up. Whatever.
“No. I don’t remember anything between talking with Evan—”
“—and drinking my hootch,” Evan cut in.
Shaun squeezed the bridge of his nose. What a great thing, having a helpful friend in an already tough situation. “Yes, and I was drinking his hootch. The next bit I remember is waking up with you in the morning.”
Gem patted his arm gently. “That must have been simply terrible for you.”
The softer her voice, the more frightened he got. “It was. Wait…I mean it wasn’t. I mean, I loved finding out we were mates, at least once we got past the fighting bit, and I have treasured every touch and every minute since… Oh shit.” The longer he spoke, the higher her right brow rose. So much for sweet-talk—this conversation had gone south faster than an out-of-control tailspin. He cupped her face in his hands. “I was going to tell you, but…”
Faint music drifted through the shut door. Everything else went absolutely still as Shaun scrambled to find the best way to beg for forgiveness.
Evan’s loud burst of laughter cut the silence. “Shaun, you mean you can’t recall your first kiss with Gem? That’s terrible. I remember her kissing me in perfect detail.”
This time both Gem and Shaun stiffened. Shock rolled through him as he watched her eyes widen. “You…you kissed Evan?”
Evan shot to his feet. “Oh dear, cat’s out of the bag. Caroline, maybe we should—”
Shaun flung out a hand. “Whoa, puppy. You aren’t going anywhere. You kissed my mate and you didn’t tell me?” He turned to Gem in consternation. “You kissed him and never said a word?
”
She gave him a dirty look. “You’re really going to give me heck for not sharing that tidbit of information when you can’t remember the first time we made love?”
Good point. Backing down immediately seemed vital to his continued health and happiness. “Right, you’re right. I mean, it was only a kiss, and not anything else, but I’m still surprised…”
He stopped, distracted by Gem’s reaction. She had flushed red, her mouth opening wide before she slammed her lips together.
Evan snorted.
Shaun spun to give his friend the evil eye. “What else did you do to her, you bastard?”
Caroline snickered in the background, and when all three of them pivoted to face her, she raised her hands in protest. “Sorry, just reacting to the sheer wolfishness of the moment. Let me summarize. Evan kissed Gem, Gem mated with Shaun, Shaun can’t drink Evan’s hootch. Sounds about typical for a day with the Takhini pack. You guys want to return to celebrating becoming Betas?”
Evan lifted his glass in the air in agreement before tossing the evil liquid back. Shaun discovered Gem nestling herself tight to his side. She smiled up at him as she tangled her fingers in his hair. Her lips twitched with amusement as she spoke quietly. “I think we can leave the rest of this discussion for later, don’t you agree?”
“You’re going to kick my butt, aren’t you?”
The innocent delight in her eyes said more about forgiveness than pain coming his direction. “Most definitely. But we can do it in private. Don’t you think you deserve to grovel for a while?”
Shaun breathed a sigh of relief. Groveling in private could be enjoyable. He’d have no problems letting her chastise him for his mistake in keeping secrets too long. Hmmm…punishment. “I definitely deserve whatever you want to hand out. You should make it real official and dress-up for the occasion. Any chance you have thigh-high five-inch-heeled leather boots and a whip somewhere in your luggage?”
Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Shaun!”
He grinned. Oh yeah. Apologizing was going to be a ton of fun.
Shaun led her back to the couch and tugged her halfway into his lap. The light brush of her lips across his cheek reassured him as he turned to speak to Evan. “So…where’s the rule book for being Betas? My mate and I have to check to see what regulations we can break first.”
Gem leaned against his chest and sighed, her fingers curled around his thigh. Something caught his eye, and he laughed as he lifted her hand into the air.
“You have pink nails.”
The bright flash of her smile warmed him more than any hootch ever could. “And toes. I found this great little shop downtown that does fabulous manicures and pedicures. I have a standing appointment every week.”
Caroline and Gem high-fived each other, and Shaun stared across the room at Evan. A deep sense of family rolled over him with a satisfying thud. Maybe this wasn’t what he’d been looking for, but in the end? All of it was exactly what he needed. The pack, his mate.
In spite of looming bear wars, an overzealous father-in-law and more responsibility than ever before—his life was damn near perfect.
Epilogue
Shelley Bradley leaned against the side of her stuffed-to-the-brim car and stared over the escarpment toward Whitehorse.
She was really doing this. Really moving home after all these years.
Just the thought that word made goosebumps rise, but she stiffened her spine and took a deep, bracing breath. Home wasn’t about the place, it was the people. Which meant she was walking into the best possible of situations—
And the worst.
Caroline was there, just a thirty minute drive away. Shelley was going to show up and give her a call, and within minutes her sister would be pounding on her door and hugging her breathless. Caroline loved with everything in her. Shelley had missed her terribly.
The rest of the pack…not so much.
Good with the bad. It had always been this way, but at least this time it was going to be about Shelley’s choices. About her facing the world and making a difference, and not some random impulse of the universe, or someone else in the pack choosing Shelley’s future.
No, she was taking life by the scruff of its neck, and the Takhini pack troublemakers would just have to deal with the new and improved Shelley Bradley. The one who took names and made people take notice…
Well, maybe that part after a few months. For now Shelley was going to get settled in quietly, enjoy time with her sister, and fly under the pack radar. Her choice, no one else’s.
She took another deep breath, feeling the clear northern air soak into her lungs along with a heady sense of control. She could do this. She was doing this, and nothing was going to stop her. Shelley lifted her chin determinedly and headed back to the driver’s seat. It was time to face her future.
She opened the door just as a gust of wind whirled around her like a miniature tornado, lifting her hair and carrying the scent of distant mountains and wilderness.
Far into the wild woods of the northeastern Yukon, Tanner Micah cursed as he pulled back his hand, a fresh cut on his hand dripping with blood.
“You okay?” his partner asked, his flashlight swinging wildly from side to side into the opening they were exploring. A rock fall off one of their mining tunnels had exposed the small cave, and dust motes swirled in front of the beam of light as they peered into the gloom.
“Something sharp caught my wrist. Shine that light over here,” Tanner ordered, putting down the shovel he’d been using to widen the opening.
Jason obeyed, and a second later a spotlight fell on a grisly scene.
“What the hell is that?” Jason whispered in horror.
Bones. An entire pile of them, big and small, all mixed together. Floor to ceiling of the small space.
“We stumbled into a burial ground, I suppose. We should close it up,” Tanner said.
“Damn good idea.” Jason was already backing away, his voice gone soft. It was eerily quiet all of a sudden, and Tanner couldn’t wait to reseal the entrance.
They hurried through their task, piling rocks rapidly as if they had to close off the space before it was too late. Jason scrambled out of the mine as soon as they were done, but Tanner paused, brushing a hand over the reformed rock wall.
“Sorry for disturbing you,” he whispered before joining his partner on the surface.
Jason was staring into the distance, his normal cheerful chatter subdued. “I think I’ll call it a day.”
“Me too.”
“And you need to shift. Heal that up,” Jason pointed toward his wrist.
Tanner nodded. The cut itched. A change would help it heal faster.
He stripped down so he could shift to his puma, taking his time in animal form to stretch his muscles and sniff the air. The scent of the wilderness seemed somehow crueler and more dangerous than usual.
A gust of wind struck, ruffling his fur as it swirled around him, cold as ice.
He ran.
I hope you enjoyed Shaun and Gemma’s story. The series continues with SILVER MINE, where Shelley and Chase race to save the outcast shifters.
About the Author
With over 2 million books sold, Vivian Arend is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 50 contemporary and paranormal romance books, including the Six Pack Ranch and Granite Lake Wolves.
Her books are all standalone reads with no cliffhangers. They’re humorous yet emotional, with sexy-times and happily-ever-afters. Vivian pretty much thinks she’s got the best job in the world, and she’s looking forward to giving readers more HEAs. She lives in B.C. Canada with her husband of many years and a fluffy attack Shitzu named Luna who ignores everyone except when treats are deployed.
www.vivianarend.com
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, li
ving or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Black Gold
Copyright © 2017 by Vivian Arend
ISBN: 978-1-941456-65-1
Edited by Anne Scott
Cover Design © Sofie Hartley of Hart & Bailey Design Co.
Proofed by Sharon Muha
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations.
First electronic publication: September, 2011
Second electronic publication: December, 2017
www.vivianarend.com
