“You could still be happy, girl. I’ve told you that Mali has indicated that he wants to claim you as his mate. He’s a good man and a decent wolf. He’d give you a good life and lots of pups.”
“No, I won’t ever be willing to accept Mali. I have to be true to my heart, and I can’t mate with one man when I clearly love another and know that the other man is my true mate. I’d be miserable, and I’d make Mali miserable as well. If I can’t have Michael, then I won’t mate with anyone.”
“You’re sure you won’t change your mind?”
“I’m absolutely sure, Uncle Ezra. I don’t want anyone but Michael in my future.”
“All right, girl. I accept your decision. I only want you to be happy, Ariane. You know that, don’t you?”
Ariane walked over and kissed her uncle on the top of his head. “Yes, I know. You’ve been a good parent to me since I came to live with you, and I want you to know I love you very much.”
“I love you too, girl. Now, what are you going to do to make this all turn out the way you want it to?”
“There isn’t anything I can do. Michael isn’t in love with me, and he made that very clear last night. He was horrified when Maddie told him about his heritage and even more so when he found out that I was also a wolf. As much as I want him, it’d be wrong to put him in a situation where he’d be unhappy.”
“You didn’t tell him before…” He cleared his throat. “Before you got close?”
Ariane felt shame and couldn’t meet her uncle’s eyes. “No, I didn’t tell him at first. I was afraid that if he knew, he’d send me away.”
“So, what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to let him walk away?”
“He has already made up his mind. He doesn’t want me, and I’m just going to have to accept it.”
“That’s bull, girl. You don’t have to accept anything. You’re a female shape-shifter who has met her mate. Now you need to get out there and reel him in. You chase him down until you let him catch you and then you spend the rest of your life showing him how much he’s loved.”
Ariane felt a flicker of hope. “Do you really think I can do that? You realize that if he does accept me, he’ll most likely want me to go to Houston with him. He’s not likely to stay here in the mountains with us.”
Ezra sighed heavily. “You can do anything you set your mind to, Ariane, and you can get anything you want if you just work at it. If you love him, then fight for him. I know you would be leaving for Houston, but I can live with that if I know that you’re happy.”
Ariane put her arms around her uncle and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, thank you for loving me and for believing in me. I’m going to make you proud.”
Ezra raised his arms and hugged her back. “I know you will, girl. You’ve always made me proud.”
Ezra smacked her on the ass, causing her to squeal. “Now get your butt in that shower and get cleaned up, then go and get your man before it’s too late.”
Giggling, Ariane went racing toward her room, already thinking of ways to change Michael’s mind about her.
* * * *
Maddie and Remus had just come off the path through the woods when they spotted Michael standing near the work site.
“Michael,” Maddie called out.
Michael turned and watched them as they made their way across the field. He raised his hand in greeting and waited for them to join him.
“Good morning, Michael. I’m pleased to see you here this morning. Are you all right?” Remus tried to sense the emotions coming from his brother-in-law.
Michael hesitated before he answered “Good morning, Remus, Maddie. Truthfully, I think I’m numb. I still haven’t gotten everything clear in my head yet, but I’m working on it. As for this morning, well, we’re here to do a job, and I think that’s what we should concentrate on for now.”
Remus winced, gave him a small smile, and then took a deep breath as he and Maddie joined him beside the construction company’s work trailer. “Okay, if that’s the way you want it.” He stared into his mate’s eyes and then back over to Michael. “Would you excuse us for one minute, Michael? There’s something I need to discuss with Maddie before we get started. We’ll be right back.”
“Sure, Remus, take your time. I’m just going to walk down by the river and look around.”
Opening the door, Remus gently but firmly pushed Maddie inside ahead of him and then shut the door behind them. He released her arm and watched amusedly as she scurried to the other side of the desk. “Do you have something you’d like to tell me, Maddie?”
“No, I can’t think of anything. Don’t you think we should get back outside so you can introduce Michael to the crew? They should start arriving any time now.”
“All in good time. Right now I want you to tell me what you’re planning.”
Maddie reached down and started shuffling the papers on the desk. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m not planning anything.”
Remus frowned. “Mates never lie to each other. Do you want me to turn you over my knee?”
Maddie paced back and forth behind the desk several times before turning and facing her mate. “Oh, all right. I’m coming up with a plan to get Michael and Ariane together. Just how did you know that I was planning something?”
Remus chuckled. “We have a psychic bond that formed when we mated, woman. You haven’t learned to shield your thoughts yet, and they come through clear as rain.”
“You’re not supposed to be listening to private thoughts, Remus,” she complained.
Feeling bad about his mate now, Remus smiled at Maddie and held out his arms. She came flying around the desk and allowed herself to be swept up off the floor in a crushing embrace. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll get through this, and we’ll help them any way we can.”
“Really, you’ll help me get them together?” Maddie’s voice was muffled against his shoulder.
Gripping her hair, Remus pulled Maddie’s head back and covered her lips with his own. Wasting no time, he plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, trying to absorb as much of her taste as he could. As usual, when he touched his beautiful mate, his cock began to swell. He knew they had to get moving before he spread her out over the desk. Before he had time to release her, the door to the trailer flew open, and in walked his brother Ethan. He almost laughed at the pained look on his brother’s face.
“Good grief, Remus,” Ethan said. “Can’t you two keep that stuff confined to your own room? Isn’t it bad enough that we’re forever walking in on your intimate moments all over our house? Now you have to invade my work space as well?”
Remus would have worried at his brother’s words if he hadn’t seen the humor in Ethan’s eyes. He so loved giving them a hard time. He felt Maddie push back on his shoulders, making it possible for her to look at Ethan.
“Better watch what you say, Ethan. You never know how I might react to your words,” she warned.
Remus watched her close her eyes, then Ethan yelped loudly as a book flew off the desk, hitting him in the butt before dropping to the floor. Ethan looked stunned, while Remus roared with laughter. Carefully, he sat Maddie on her feet, never taking his eyes off of his brother.
“Geez, Remus, can’t you control her at all? I didn’t think she had any control over her powers, but that looked pretty damned controlled to me.”
Maddie gave the men a saucy grin. “I’ve been practicing, guys.” She glanced at her mate with an innocent look on her face. “Remus, are you joining me?” Maddie walked out of the trailer, leaving Remus to smile crookedly at his brother before he followed her.
* * * *
Michael had been talking to Melissa on his cell phone, just checking in to make sure there were no details that he forgot in his haste to get away. When he saw Maddie and Remus leaving the trailer, he quickly told her he would call her later and disconnected the call. He was a little worried about his administrative assistant. She sounded very subdued, a condition definitely not norm
al for her. He knew that she didn’t enjoy her working relationship with Peter as much as she did with him, but there didn’t seem to be anything he could do about it. If this job went as well as he thought it would, he would go back before the month was up so she wouldn’t have to be alone in the office with him any longer than necessary. He hoped he would be able to convince Peter to bring her in as a partner before the year-end, which would put her on an even footing with both men.
Michael brought his thoughts back to the present as Maddie and Remus joined him. “Well, guys, are you ready to rock and roll on your new house?”
* * * *
Remus laughed out loud at Michael’s choice of words, they seemed so out of character for him. “Rock and roll it is, Michael. But, first, I want to introduce you to the foreman you’ll be working closely with, if I can find him.”
Remus looked around carefully then finally spotted Mali over by the temporary supply shed talking to some of his men. “Hey, Mali, can you give us a minute of your time?” Remus yelled out to the man, who merely nodded and waived his hand. They all watched as he swiftly walked toward them. He was a tall man, well over six feet. He had brown hair sprinkled with gray and the type of muscular body that went with construction work.
Mali stopped next to Maddie and removed his hard hat before speaking. “Good morning, Maddie, Remus. It’s a beautiful day to get started on your dream.”
Maddie smiled at him while Remus took over the introductions.
“That it is, my friend. Mali, this is Maddie’s brother, and the architect of our dream house, Michael Barrows. Michael, this is the man who’s going to make sure your designs come out in reality just the way you want them, Mali Wind River.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Barrows.” Mali took a step closer to Michael and thrust his hand out in greeting. Michael responded in kind and shook the man’s hand.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wind River. Please, call me Michael.”
“And I’m Mali to most everybody.”
Just as Michael released his hand, Mali froze, and then took a step closer. Remus watched him sniff the air around Michael and nearly groaned. Oh boy, now it’s gonna hit the fan!
Mali took two steps back and growled low in his throat. If looks could kill, Michael would be lying dead on the ground from the one Mali was shooting him.
“Mali!” Remus called his name loudly like a stern warning and punctuated it with a small growl of his own. Immediately, Mali backed up and lowered his eyes.
“Forgive me, Alpha. It won’t happen again.”
Although he felt sorry for the poor man, Remus couldn’t condone any such actions against his mate’s brother. “See to it that it doesn’t. He’s here to do a job, and you will work with him.”
“Yes, sir, I understand completely. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get the men pulled together to get started.”
“Very well. Get your teams organized and then meet us in the trailer because we need to go over the designs with Michael to make sure that everything is clear and understood between the two of you.”
Nodding, Mali hurried off toward the other gathering workers.
Michael took a step toward Maddie, watching as Mali hurried away. “What the hell was his problem?”
Maddie frowned at Remus. “I’ll take Michael into the office and explain it to him.”
Remus glared at his mate when she spoke. “No, you will remember your place, Maddie. I’m the Alpha of Wind River, and it’s my place to handle situations between the males. I love you, but you have to step back from this.”
Looking at his mate’s angry face, Remus turned his attention to Michael, who had the same angry expression on his face. “Michael, you and I need to have a talk, and we need to have it now before you have any more dealings with Mali. Will you join me in the trailer?”
Michael glanced at his sister then at Remus. “Sure, Remus.”
Once they were inside, behind a closed door, Remus indicated for him to have a seat. The two men watched each other for several moments before Remus decided to talk. “Michael, I see no reason to beat around the bush with you, so I’m just going to tell you straight out. Mali considers you his competition.”
Michael’s face showed his shock. “Competition for what?”
“Ariane.”
“But, but that’s ludicrous. I barely know the woman,” Michael cried.
Remus snorted. “That’s funny, from what Maddie tells me, you know her pretty well. Her scent is all over you.”
Michael sprang to his feet, his face a mask of anger. “Now wait just a damn minute. That’s none of your business, Remus.”
Remus pointed back to the chair. “Sit down, Michael, and have the courtesy of hearing me out.” He waited patiently for Michael to take his seat again before he would say anything else. “You misunderstand me. I’m not against you being with Ariane, in fact, I’m very much for it. She says you’re her mate, and I believe her. It can be very rare for a shifter to find their true mate, and when it happens, most of our world will celebrate.”
“Most of your world, but not all?” Michael asked.
“Mali never found his true mate. I guess he’s given up hope that he’ll ever find her. When Ariane moved here a little over a year ago, he liked what he saw. He wants to make her his mate, and that makes you his rival. Normally, a wolf would back off in the face of a true mate.”
Michael looked puzzled. “So, what’s different this time?”
Remus stared at him for a minute before answering. “I’m sorry, Michael. My people don’t see you as a true mate. Unlike Maddie, you aren’t embracing your heritage or searching for your inner wolf.”
Michael jumped up and began to pace back and forth in the small room. “How the hell can they judge me? I just found out about my so called inner wolf last night.”
Remus studied Michael for a moment. “Do you feel like Ariane is your mate?”
Michael stopped pacing and glared at Remus. “I don’t know what I feel, Remus. I feel drawn to her, like I need to be around her.” He laughed harshly. “That doesn’t even make sense to me. I’ve only been with her the one time. It’s like I can’t get her out of my head or the smell of her perfume out of my nose. Hell, I don’t even think it’s perfume. I think it’s her skin. I don’t know if that means she’s my mate, or I’m just horny. I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time.” He grimaced. “I know that sounds tacky, and I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what I’m feeling.”
Remus smiled and felt his first glimmer of hope. “Sounds to me like your heart knows something that your mind doesn’t yet.” He sighed. “I believe that, just like Maddie, you have an inner wolf. I don’t believe that you’ll be able to physically find your wolf until you mentally find him. You’re going to have to accept in your heart and mind that you’re one of us. Once you do that, everything else will come into focus.”
“How do I do that?” he asked.
“While you’re here on the mountain, keep an open mind. Spend some time with Ariane and explore the feelings you have. Nothing may come of it, but then again…”
“What about Mali?”
“He’s not a concern. I’ve already gotten his promise that he won’t bother you again. He’s an honorable wolf and will keep his word.”
Michael snorted. “He’s not really the problem now. How am I going to get Ariane to forgive me for being such an ass last night?”
Remus was startled when the door opened and the object of their conversation stepped into the trailer, closing the door behind her. Although she spoke to Remus, her eyes never left Michael. “Forgive the interruption, Alpha. May I have permission to speak?”
Surprised, Remus could find no reason not to allow it. “Of course, Ariane. What’s on your mind?”
Looking at Michael, she directed her comments to him. “Michael, you’re talking to the wrong person. If you want me to forgive you and give you another chance, then maybe you should be talking to me.”
&nb
sp; Before Michael could respond, Remus rose from his chair with a smile on his face. “I’ll just leave the two of you to talk in private.”
* * * *
No one said anything until Remus had shut the door behind him.
“I’m sorry, Michael.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing here, Ariane. I was a total jerk last night. I didn’t mean anything that I said. I let fear guide my tongue.”
“Fear of what, Michael? Fear of me?”
“No, honey, fear of myself, fear of the unknown.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you be afraid of yourself?”
Michael sighed. “When I look at myself, I see my father all over again. He was a terrible husband and father, so cold and unyielding. He made my mother’s life miserable until the day she died and then continued to make Maddie’s and my life hell. I have been, and I am, afraid of being just like him in any relationship. I saw my mother so beaten down.”
At her gasp, he rushed to continue. “Not physically beaten, but emotionally beaten, which I happen to think is worse. A physical beating you can heal from, but I don’t think it’s ever possible to completely heal from mental abuse. Ariane, you’re so young and beautiful, both in body and spirit. I’d hate to be the one who drove that beautiful spirit out of you.”
Ariane took two steps toward him and then stopped and smiled. “Michael, the first time I caught your scent, after you’d visited here with Maddie to plan the new house, I knew you were my true mate. You’d hugged your sister and then got in your car and drove away. You passed me on the drive, and the look on your face would have driven anyone away. You looked like you couldn’t stand the sight of me. Then, when I went to get Maddie for our shopping trip and hugged her hello, I caught your scent on her clothes. My heart, and my wolf, told me that you were the one we wanted for life. None of that has changed for me, and it won’t ever change. I don’t know if Maddie told you, but shape-shifters, just like wild wolves, mate for life. There is no other for us, only our true mate will make our lives complete. If you want us to have a chance to get to know each other, all you have to do is ask me. I haven’t changed the way I feel about you.”
Martine, Missy - Denying His Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8
