by Terry Spear
The director called, “And action.”
Guy looked so much more confident this time that whether he made it or not, Heather felt Enrick’s talk with him had helped.
Then Guy began to walk across the rocks, this time taking it easy all the way across, with enough confidence that he could do it, but not so rushed. In fact, he looked like he was really concentrating on his footing, feeling every step for movement. And then he was across. He hurried to see Missy and began talking to her.
Cameras on that side were filming the close-up of the two of them while they said their lines.
Heather swore everyone had wanted to cheer Guy when he made it across the creek perfectly dry this time.
Missy had looked the most relieved of all. Though everyone breathed in a bit of relief, glad to see the shoot was continuing so they could break for lunch next.
Enrick wrapped his arm around Heather’s shoulders and leaned down and kissed her. Whatever Enrick had said to Guy must have helped, and she was feeling a lot better about the talk they’d had.
Though she was dying to know more about it.
When they finally broke for lunch, Heather said, “He’s really a wolf?”
“Aye, he is. He has been wearing that damn hunter’s concealment.”
“Why? Did he know we were wolves before he got here?”
“Aye, but we couldn’t talk about any of it here.” Enrick got on his phone and texted Grant. He paused, texted some more. “Okay, Grant said we’ll have to have him come and have a private dinner with us, and we’ll discuss all this.”
“Wow. He’s really a wolf.”
Enrick looked down at her.
She laughed. “You’re still the real deal to me. He might be one of us, but you’ve lived here as one of us all our lives. I wouldn’t give you up for anything. You did have me worried though. I wondered what you had said to him.”
“Only good, hearty words of encouragement.”
“Coming from one of you, that’s what I worried about.”
He laughed.
She smiled and kissed his lips.
They both had Scottish salmon sandwiches for lunch before the next scene played out. She couldn’t wait to go to the dinner meeting where they spoke with Guy and learned the whole truth about where his family had come from in Scotland. She knew the single female wolves would all be a-twitter once they knew about him. But like Enrick, she really couldn’t wait to return to their chamber to enjoy their mated couple status.
Maybe when Enrick wasn’t working, after the film shoot was done, he could drop by and help her out at her shop, if he wanted to. She even wanted to ask Maynard if he had any old recipes he wouldn’t mind sharing with her.
“Since you’re the second-in-command for Grant and Colleen, I assume we’ll stay at Farraige Castle.”
“Nay. I don’t want you to have that commute day in, day out. We’ll either live at Argent Castle like you do now, or we’ll find a place of our own.”
“Somewhere between. Aye, we can do that.”
“But closer to your shop.”
That was another reason why she loved Enrick. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
“Ah, lassie, I think I have loved you from the time I saw you fall into the creek and had to save you when you were a wee thing.”
“You teased me about that!”
“Aye, with my brothers looking on and telling me I was going to mate you, what else could I do?”
She laughed. “Well, they were right.”
“Aye, they were.”
Chapter 23
“Okay, let’s go meet some more of the family,” Enrick told Guy once the afternoon shoot was a wrap, glad Guy had finally come clean about who he was and how he was kin to the clan. They actually had a fair number of women in the clan who were not directly related to the MacQuarries, but their families had joined their clan to ensure they were protected from other wolf packs and clans, while owing their allegiance to their protectors. He suspected they would be ecstatic to learn Guy was a wolf and still unmated.
It didn’t take long for Enrick’s brothers to arrive at the conference room, and Colleen and her cousins were there too to meet with Enrick and Guy.
He looked a little uncomfortable as everyone waited to hear his story, Colleen offering for everyone to take their seats.
Heather soon joined them and took a seat next to Enrick.
“Okay, so you’re a wolf,” Grant said, but before he could say anything more, there were a couple of astonished gasps.
Enrick noticed Heather and Colleen exchanging glances, and he swore the women were already making plans. Matchmaking? If one of their kind ended up falling for the actor, they would have to travel all over, not be able to shift when they wanted, wouldn’t have a pack to fall back on, and would be leaving their beloved Scotland behind.
Then again, to be with an actor who was seen as one of Hollywood’s hottest stars? One of the women might be able to live with it. Being in the tabloids, in the news all the time, might be harder to take.
They could always return here to be with family and get away from all the fame and tabloids for a time.
“You are welcome to come stay with us, even live with us, should you ever tire of being a hero of the big screen,” Grant said.
“Eventually, I’ll have to quit because everyone will wonder how I manage to look so young over the years and try to learn who my plastic surgeon is,” Guy said.
They all laughed.
“That is the problem with stardom,” Guy said. “Though I never figured my career would go this far.”
“I can’t believe you were wearing hunter’s concealment,” Enrick said, still finding it hard to believe any of this.
“Your grandfather sent my grandfather and grandmother away with my mother and uncle and they ended up in America.” Guy shrugged, as if what had happened so long ago didn’t matter.
But it did matter, and Enrick suspected that was why Guy had been sort of hostile toward him in the beginning.
“Hell, your family actually lived here? At Farraige Castle?” Grant asked.
“Yeah. They did.”
“Why did our grandfather send your family away?” Lachlan asked.
“My grandfather didn’t see eye to eye with yours. He fought his rule at every turn. Your grandfather hated to kick the family off the land, but he really didn’t have any choice. He couldn’t have that kind of constant dissent and still run the pack, my grandmother said.” Guy let out his breath and ran his hands through his hair. “You have to know I objected to where the film was being set in the beginning. You can’t imagine how much I didn’t want to come here, to see the people who were in charge now. But the director loved this castle and he felt everything was right for the film. You were giving the director everything he needed—the castle, grounds, background actors with full dress, horses, wolves even. Hell, you don’t know how much I didn’t want to see the wolves in the film because I knew just who and what they were.”
“Hell, I’m sorry, Guy,” Enrick said.
Guy shook his head. “It’s not your fault. And thanks, by the way, for the pep talk to get me to cross that creek. By telling me I was one of you, that made all the difference in the world. I didn’t think it would, but it did.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Enrick glanced at Heather. She smiled at him and patted his leg, confirming he’d done all right after all. Then Enrick frowned. “You’re…you’re a distant cousin then.”
Guy smiled. “Yeah. That must be why we look so much alike. Your brothers, too, but you are the spitting image of me.”
“Well, I’ll be. This is a cause for celebration.” Enrick slapped him on the back. “Despite my grandfather having differences with yours, my brothers and I and the rest of our clan won’t let that stand between us. You’re welcome
to return anytime to join us. You will always have a home with us.”
Grant and Lachlan agreed with Enrick.
“And with us too,” Ian said.
“Yes, we’ve been friends forever. And if you’re looking for a girlfriend…we have several eligible she-wolves who would love to date you,” Heather finished.
Guy smiled. “She’s not in the tabloids, thankfully, but I’m dating a wolf right now.”
“Oh, the ladies will be so disappointed,” Heather said.
Enrick knew the men wouldn’t be. They didn’t need to lose one of their single lasses to a star in America.
“Thanks for the offer to visit though. I would like that. I guess I can’t convince you to join me in America where you could continue to be my double, Enrick. You’re perfect. You could teach me more of your sword-fighting skills and some of that Gaelic you were speaking that charmed the ladies and impressed the director, and help me perfect my Scottish brogue.”
Enrick chuckled. “My home is here, but truly, you’re welcome to come and stay with us at any time and we can assist you with your brogue, weapons training, and Gaelic.” He was puzzled though. “Why were you afraid to get near William when he had been injured as a wolf? You knew he was one of us and he wouldn’t have harmed you.”
“I was staying in character. How would it have looked if I had been all macho and unafraid of an injured wolf? I was pretending to be afraid of the wolf. William.”
Enrick would hate to have to playact at all times in front of the camera, and off. He could imagine being mobbed everywhere he went if anyone thought he was Guy. “And swimming out to sea?”
“Are you kidding? I would never have been able to swim in that cold water and for as far out as you’d swum. I mean, I know how to swim, but I stick to my heated swimming pool. By the way, you’re a great double. If you had my voice down, you could replace me.”
Enrick laughed. “No way. I could never speak all your lines and get them right.”
“I don’t either all the time.”
Enrick shook his head. “This is the life for me.”
Guy glanced at Grant and Lachlan. “Not me either,” Grant said.
“You’re in charge here. Totally understandable.” Guy looked at Lachlan.
“Nay, like my brothers, this is home for me, but you’ll always have a home with us.”
“I have to ask if it’s all right if I say we’re related,” Guy said.
“Aye,” Grant said. “It is our honor to be related to a popular wolf like you.”
“I will be sure to mention why we look so similar if anyone asks if we’re related. I just hope no one realizes Enrick is playing some of my parts and that he’s better at them than I am,” Guy said, smiling. Then he grew serious. “The other wolves that fought yours… They’re from a lupus garou pack, aren’t they?”
“Aye. We’ve had trouble through the ages with them,” Grant said.
“Then they are my enemy too. Is there any way I can help?”
Enrick appreciated Guy’s offer, particularly after what their grandfather had done to Guy’s. “No. We don’t want you embroiled in this.”
“I am. Not only because of them trying to sabotage the movie, but I’m one of you, even if our kin had trouble with each other in the past. I certainly don’t hold it against you. I just didn’t know how you would react if you knew who I was,” Guy said.
“Like you’re a long-lost cousin! Hell, you’re a wolf like us. That makes all the difference in the world. Do you want to go for a run with some of us tonight?” Grant asked.
“Yeah, sure. I would love to. My grandmother taught me never to resent what had happened between her mate and your grandfather. That they’d both been stubborn asses. She gave him grief for it for many a year because she had wanted to stay in Scotland, but it wouldn’t have worked out for them to try and move somewhere else, not without a wolf pack to back them. And she was committed to her wolf, no matter how outspoken or contentious he could be.
“When she was grown, my mother met Douglas McNab in Nebraska. He was a Highland wolf whose family left Scotland to find their fortune in America. We ended up in Montana as a family, no pack. We finally moved to Los Angeles where I’ve been in theater since I was young, an extra in every film I could get into. To begin with, those that had anything to do with sword fighting. I’d been practicing for years, but not as long as you have, and certainly not in any real battles.”
“And wolf fights?” Enrick asked.
“The occasional fight. I saw a cute she-wolf near Bigfork, Montana, when I returned to the state to see other family, and was ready to ask her out when a male wolf came to chase me off. Man, was he growly, and a Navy SEAL to boot. I quickly learned he was courting the woman.”
Enrick smiled. “That would do it.”
“You’re lucky to have Heather. She has real spunk. When I learned she’d pulled a knife on the woman who’d contaminated the food for that one meal, I was amazed and wanted to applaud her. Wait, don’t tell me that woman is with the wolf pack that sent the wolves to attack your kin.”
“Aye, she is,” Enrick said.
“You didn’t turn her over to the police, did you?” Guy sounded concerned.
“Nay. We couldn’t,” Heather said. “Not when she’s a wolf. But we’ve resolved that issue. She’s working for me at my shop.”
Guy’s eyes widened a bit. “And the wolves who attacked your people?”
“They’re McKinleys, under Kilpatrick orders. They’ve been banished from the region and the pack,” Grant said.
“They were trying to put the film behind schedule and discredit you and your wolves.” Guy rubbed his chin in thought.
“Aye. They were angry we got the contract to have the film made here instead of at their castle,” Enrick said.
“Man, I’m glad the film didn’t take place at their castle then. I imagine they would have even been angrier with me if they had known who I was related to.”
“I agree,” Grant said. “It worked out best for all concerned.”
Enrick knew how just the touch of fame Guy had was impacting him and his brothers when they went to Edinburgh and fans of Guy thought any of them were him. Now for them to admit they were related to him? Enrick could just imagine everyone wanting to talk to them in an attempt to be friends with Guy through them.
Enrick wondered how Guy handled his fame back in the States. “So how in the world did you find a she-wolf you were interested in courting while you’re off making films all over the place and have human women at your beck and call?”
Guy smiled. “You know how we are. The notion of settling down with one of our kind is the only way to go. Just finding one who wasn’t already taken is the problem. Rest assured, I had no intention of ever turning a woman into a wolf. In the business I’m in, I hadn’t found any wolves who are actors. Not that I want to mate an actress. I would probably be too overly protective with her if she was off with some leading man somewhere else, while I was in a film at a different location.”
“And she would feel the same way about you and some leading lady,” Enrick said.
Guy laughed. “Yeah, true. It didn’t matter. The social circles I was in, I never seem to meet up with any of our kind. A lot of people believe I’m from the big city, but I’m really from a rural way of life. I finally finished the Viking movie and I had a break. I went back home to Montana, and there she was. Alice Hawthorn, a writer, had joined our small wolf pack, and when I saw her, we just connected. There have been ups and downs, of course. She hasn’t wanted to get into the limelight with me, walking down the red carpet at premiere showings, all that bit. I want her to be with me, if we’re going to make this work. She can take her work with her wherever we end up.”
Julia tilted her chin down and gave him a look that said it wasn’t that easy.
Guy smiled
at her. “Well, right, that’s what she says to me. That traveling around to different locations isn’t always conducive to writing. I want her in my life, so I’m hoping we can find a way to make this work.” He drank some of his water. “Being around a whole pack here in Scotland that are truly family is a real eye-opener.”
“Aye, just wait until they learn you’re a wolf like the rest of us. I’m sure you’d have all kinds of interest. Too much interest,” Grant said, “so you’d better let everyone know you’re courting a wolf already.”
“I hate to admit I worry about that. Do you think it would be a good idea if I let your pack members in on the secret? This can’t get out.”
“You know it. And, aye, they need to know you’re one of us. We’re like all wolves. We don’t let it be known that’s what we are, so you won’t have any problem with us, and everyone will treat you like the family that you are,” Grant said.
“All right. I’m game if you are.”
“Aye.” Grant smiled.
Chapter 24
Maynard had prepared a special haddock-and-chips dinner to honor Guy, and they all went downstairs to the great hall to celebrate their kin’s return home to the pack. Grant and his brothers, Colleen and her cousins, Heather and her brothers, Ian and Julia all attended the dinner to learn more about the actor. They enjoyed visiting with him and making him feel like he was a full-fledged member of the pack.
After that, several went with him to run as wolves by Argent Castle, and that became a regular nightly routine for the weeks that followed.
Now the filming was finally coming to an end.
That night, Heather was snuggling against Enrick and he was caressing her arm, neither of them able to drop off to sleep right away.
“Are you thinking about Edward and William biting the villains tomorrow?” she asked.
“Aye,” Enrick said. “The other five wolves will be fighting the other villain’s men, who are our own MacQuarrie extras, so no problem. But the two who bite the doubles for the villainous actors? Everyone will be on edge about that. Lachlan has tested and retested the arm that will be wearing the armor and extra padding. William and Edward have perfected the chomping down on our men’s arms, growling and looking super vicious without biting down too hard. But any mistakes that could lead to turning one or both men could prove disastrous.”
