Ginger and Thyme (Kootenai Pack Book 4)

by Lynn Katzenmeyer

  “Are you learning anything?”

  “We mainly talk about my dreams.”

  “Oh, I guess I never thought much about where you see yourself in five years. It’s good he has you looking into career goals,” Evan dropped the buns on the grill.

  “No, my actual dreams. Like that I have at night. He thinks they’re an insight into my past. He thinks if we can unravel those we can figure out where I’m from and why Cain found me feral.”

  Evan nodded, the bun now toasted he plated the order, “He never asks me about my dreams.”

  “I didn’t know bears could dream,” I teased. I accepted the plate for the customer.

  “We have to do something for those six months we’re asleep.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ginger

  Easterville, Minnesota

  2 years ago

  I hate visitors.

  They disrupt the careful balance I created. Worse than visitors were new members. Cain and Lee refused to turn anyone away. In two years, we grew from nine wolves and a bear to a few dozen shifters. Wolves, big cats, three types of bears, and all of them needed things.

  Things it was up to me to find ways to provide. A constant stream of demands from housing that would accommodate a lioness and her cubs on the run from a brutal pride to finding a suitable job for a rogue wolf with no skills and a severe onion allergy.

  “The Alpha Council is requesting another review,” Jen’s voice raised above the rabble of the Tooth and Claw pub. The giant mate of the even more giant Beast of Barrow had become a somewhat regular fixture in Easterville, “Andrew can probably hold them off until November, but they’re coming.”

  I stalked closer to Earl’s booth. The high-backed booth was the most private table at the Tooth and Claw also had the best view of the restaurant floor. Pub legend said the original owner, Earl, used to sit there while doing paperwork and could see if so much as a saltshaker was out of place.

  Lee and Evan now used that table for any important meetings that couldn’t fit in Evan’s tiny office.

  Cain was at work in the Holden Garage and was missing the meeting. I had no idea if Lee would tell him all the details of Jen’s visit. Last time I overheard the Alpha Council’s demand for a visit, the house was overrun a week later with strangers.

  None of us slept well for weeks afterwards. It took over a month before we felt comfortable in the rec room again. It wasn’t healthy for us. We were supposed to be a family and having strange alphas invade our safe places was not ideal.

  I slid into the booth beside the Beast. My wolf rebelled against the proximity of the Alpha Council Enforcer, but this was more important than our fear.

  “I will coordinate the review,” I offer, “I can talk to the administrators at Easterville College and see if they will rent out a lecture hall or auditorium for us. I’ll talk to the Carlson’s about reserving a block of rooms at the Bunk and Galley for the incoming Alphas. First week of November might be tough with the Hallow Fest but I can negotiate something that will work.”

  Lee’s smile didn’t meet her eyes. Her lowered voice was tinged with concern, “Are you sure you can handle that?”

  “Of course, she can,” Evan jumped in, “If she can coordinate a wedding, she can handle an Alpha Council visit. I’ll give Sabine more shifts to cover when Ginger needs to work on the council visit.”

  That was a win-win in my eyes. The lioness was always looking for more shifts, especially now that she and Jackson were planning on getting their own place soon. But she also hated feeling like a charity case.

  She wasn’t the only one. The desire to pull their own weight and earn their place was a common trait among Rogue Shifter Council members. If I needed something done, I could ask, and people would volunteer to assist me. Most of the time I was better off just doing it by myself. Eagerness to help did not equate to ability to do so.

  Cain wandered into the Tooth and Claw after closing.

  “Have you seen Lee?” he asked.

  “She’s talking to Jen and Evan upstairs.”

  “Oh, why?”

  He joined me in lifting the chairs onto the tables so I could clean underneath.

  “Alpha Council wants another review of Easterville,” I explained.

  Cain stiffened, “This isn’t good.”

  “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, it’ll go smoother than last time. I’ll-”

  “-Lee had such a hard time with them coming last year.”

  I sighed, “We all had a hard time with them coming last time.”

  “And then Kendrick’s mate… but Jen’s not with him anymore. What…” Cain started pacing.

  “Cain, can you focus for a second?” I snapped my fingers in front of his face, but he was lost to me focused on Lee and her as always.

  He finally paid attention to me, “Oh, sorry Ginger. Did you say something?”

  “I’ll take care of it, Cain. I’ll take care of everything.”

  He reached out to touch me but pulled his hand away before physical contact could be made.

  “What would we do without you, Ginger?”

  ***

  The next week and a half was a flurry of activity for me. I found particular joy in the challenge of coordinating with the Alpha Council and the Pack Alphas around the humans for our covert meeting. I was on a first name basis with half the Council by the time the review rolled around.

  The pub was packed on Halloween. The Hallow-Fest Halloween Festival was expected to bring in more customers than usual, but with the added visitors for the review, it was triply so. With my coordinating the review, Lee offered to take my shift working in the tin-bin. I took joy in knowing that I wouldn’t have to sling burgers in the tiny food truck, in costume, no less.

  I spent most of the festival at the college printing out the welcome packets with my lackey, Jackson. I still detested the wolf. He set my hackles on edge since he first arrived. But over the last year he’d mellowed out some. I still didn’t understand what Sabine saw in him, but who was I to judge? I’d never been kissed much less fallen in love.

  “So, who’s coming from Kootenai?” Jackson asked for the third time. He was about as subtle as a hammer in a glass shop.

  “Marquis,” I repeated for the third time in as many hours. My sore fingers continued to manually collate the packets because the print shop had an error that of course couldn’t be fixed by the work study kids in time.

  If you want something done right.

  “Oh, not Biel or Lorde?”

  “Nope, Marquis.”

  “Can you double check?”

  I set down my stack to sort, “No, I can’t double check. I know. I have told you already it’s Marquis. Now are you going to do as I asked or leave?”

  Jackson’s face contorted in a series of expressions before he went right back to work without complaint.

  “Thank you,” I said, getting back to work myself.

  When we finally finished, the festival was still in full swing. Jackson swung by the community daycare to pick up Sabine’s cubs to take them to the trick or treating while I took the long way home.

  The review would be a long day and I wanted to make sure everything was in order. I laid in my bed staring at my timetable until dark. Slowly, RSC members filtered into the house. Their comforting smells and sounds almost enough to lull me to sleep. But it was still too dangerous to sleep in human form. My wolf needed to protect me.

  I shifted and curled on my bed.

  Sleep pup. We will have enemies in our den in the morning.

  ***

  I woke early, shifted, and got ready for the day. Everyone was on edge. Almost the entire RSC was in the living room muttering under their breaths, leaving their breakfasts untouched. Hands full of notecards, practicing the speeches. I asked everyone to prepare.

  “If we do this right, we won’t have to do this again,” I remind them. I stood on one of the ottomans to be seen over the crowd, “We need to show the Alpha Council once
and for all this isn’t a wolf pack. This isn’t their jurisdiction. That what we do is none of their business.”

  The RSC murmured agreement. But I wanted them to feel the truth of my words deep in their bones. They needed to be convincing. They needed to be confident. They needed to be the strong community that Cain created.

  “We are a family. Tell the Alpha Council who saved you,” their ears perked and eyes that had been half on me were focused now, “Tell your story. Know you are safe here. We protect each other. We care for each other. Cain and Evan and Lee took us in, but we made this a home. Don’t let these pompous wolves take it from us. Who’s with me?!”

  My speech wasn’t as eloquent as I’d wanted it to be, but it did the job. Looking over the faces of my family, they were as resolute in our mission as I was. We were going to do it.

  I coordinated who was driving which car and taking which groups, so everyone made it safely. Once we arrived at the college everyone went to their assigned tasks. Hanging signs for the AC group meeting, handing out folders at the three entrances, or watching out in the human areas to make sure there wasn’t any suspicious activity.

  I sat at the main entrance table and handed folders. My wolf was on high alert inside of me. Powerful alphas from around the country and their mates or betas were here. The Alpha Council itself would also be present.

  Jen and Andrew stopped by my table. They wouldn’t be welcome inside the review, but they would be outside watching for signs of trouble.

  “Are you Ginger?” I recognized the voice from dozens of phone calls over the past few weeks.

  “Alpha Hill, welcome,” I got up from my table to greet my primary contact from the council. I extended my hand and shook it.

  He felt familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

  My wolf growled inside of me but didn’t say why.

  Don’t trust them

  I don’t trust any of them

  But stay away from those two in particular

  Why?

  Don’t ask questions you can’t handle, pup

  “Ginger, this is my mate, Celeste.” The woman tickled the back of my mind even more than the Alpha did. Had I known them before I got my wolf? Was that even possible?

  “Nice to meet you. I hope you find this review suitable and we can cease the need for more of these,” I said, shaking the woman’s hand.

  She stared at my eyes for longer than I was comfortable with before breaking the contact, “So you organized this entire event?”

  I nodded, “And if you’d like to head inside, we should be getting started soon.”

  “If you ever decide being rogue isn’t for you,” the woman slid me a business card, “Give me a call. Our pack is always looking for bright and organized young women to join.”

  “I’m quite happy where I am. But thank you.”

  Once all the Alpha Council representatives were seated in the hall, it was time. A show of force and solidarity.

  “Okay, file in, act casual and together. We are not afraid,” I said to the RSC members as they go inside, “You can do it. We can do it.”

  Once we were all seated, the RSC stood one after the other. Each gave their story. Mid-way through the hours long testimonials, it was my turn.

  I chose to go in the middle to go unnoticed, unimportant, but still present. Still a part of the Coalition, but not in charge.

  “I’m Ginger. I was feral for longer than I can remember. Cain Harris found me and over the next several weeks taught me to be a person again. With him, I could be safe. The Rogue Shifter Coalition is not a pack. No one person makes decisions. We don’t want to be in packs. We don’t want you. Just as you didn’t want us.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Rosemary

  Red Rock, Arizona

  1 year ago

  The scraping of metal on porcelain filled the dining room as we ate. Simon and I were only back for a week before heading back to school, but the Hills didn’t seem particularly eager to catch up with us.

  “Soo...” Simon said, trying to start a conversation, “You mentioned you were on Alpha Council business earlier this month, how was your trip?”

  “Most enlightening,” Celeste said. The Alpha Female looked up from the table and shared a meaningful look with her mate. His lips quirked in a knowing grin. What did that mean?

  “Care to share what it was about?” I asked, “As the future Alpha pair, I’m sure we’d benefit from hearing about your experience.”

  “Well, as Simon probably remembers, there is a group of rogues in Minnesota that has been stirring up quite the controversy in recent years.”

  Simon nodded, “Alpha Redding said something about that. Christmasville or something?”

  “Easterville,” Celeste corrected, “And it’s quite fascinating the characters they have in their little Coalition. Simon, you should represent Red Rock at the review next year. I’m sure you’ll find it enlightening.”

  “I’m sure Thyme and I will enjoy it,” Simon said. He gave me a reassuring smile that did nothing to ease the tension I was feeling at the table.

  Celeste had always been my biggest cheerleader at Red Rock. It was her idea for me to take over for Thyme. If she had intended to invite me along, she’d have included me.

  “Alpha Redding says you’re excelling at the training he gives you,” Alpha Hill said, “You’re doing well for yourself out East, son. How are your academics?”

  “If I keep up this pace, I should be able to graduate a semester early,” Simon said, knocking his fist on the table, “Knock on wood that keeps up.”

  “My classes are going well,” I jump in, feeling the need to remind them that I was in school too.

  “Should we plan for a mating ceremony over Spring break?” Beta Ramon asked, “Nona has several ideas.”

  “Oh, that sounds like a marvelous idea, doesn’t it, dear?” Celeste said to Alpha Hill.

  “Sounds like a distraction from their studies,” Alpha Hill remarked.

  Beta Ramon’s mate grinned at me, her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, “I can take care of every detail. Just give me a color scheme and an invite list.”

  “That is a very generous offer, Nona,” I said before Celeste could react, “But I think we’ll give want a little while after graduating before having a big hullabaloo. For purely aesthetics, of course. Humans are getting more and more judgmental about young weddings these days. Not like when you were young.”

  The older couples at the table devolved into talking about the good old days when they got officially mated right out of high school and no one batted an eye.

  Simon went for a run after dinner with his father and Beta Ramon leaving Celeste, Nona, and I to clean up.

  “So how do you like it out East, hon?” Nona asked.

  “It’s a little cold but I can handle it.”

  “I remember my out of pack education. Beta Ramon and I were sent to a pack in Norway. Neither of us spoke the language. In Oslo, most people spoke English but in the pack? Whoa boy no they did not.”

  Celeste and Nona shared a knowing laugh, yet another joke I wasn’t in on.

  After Nona left, I took the opportunity to talk to Celeste, “Jules is getting his residency soon and-”

  “That hasn’t been decided yet. Alpha Redford could prefer Jules remain unmated through-”

  “No, he won’t want that. Four years is long enough. After this semester I want to go back to my mate. I’m sick of being Thyme. She’s not coming back you all just need to accept-”

  Celeste struck me.

  I cradled my stinging cheek in my hand.

  “My son will not be mateless. And if Thyme does not come back, you and he will be mates.”

  I backed out of the kitchen and hid in my room.

  “Jules, you need to get me out of here,” I whispered into his voicemail. We spent so much of our time playing phone tag. But I couldn’t do this anymore, “I can’t pretend to be Thyme another day. They’re talking about mating ceremonies
and I don’t.... Just call me back okay?”

  The next morning, I woke up to a voicemail from Jules.

  Rosie, say the word, and I’ll pick you up.

  Over the next six weeks our game of phone tag got more insistent. He felt my urgency at seeing him again and I felt his excitement at having me back.

  “I’m almost done with my certification. There is a ceremony, a sort of graduation back in Boston when it’s over. Can you come? We can leave together from there and start our life together.”

  I wouldn’t miss it for the world

  “I sent you an email with all the details. Oh, Jules, I’m so excited to see you again. Anything to get out of here before Celeste gets her claws in me at Red Rock.”

  Rosie, I got your email. I’m so sorry. I’m so so unbelievably sorry. My heart sank when I listened to his voicemail. I’m going to miss it. I have an interview for residency the next morning and I can’t risk not being back in time. But I promise I’m going to be at the Red Rock Solstice Barbeque. Your parents are still going to be there right? We’ll be together then. I promise.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ginger

  Easterville, Minnesota

  November 1 year ago

  Days blend to weeks to months to years. More members join the RSC, and my days seem endless. My to-do list was once pages long now feels like miles.

  With each new shifter, more things piled on.

  They needed housing.

  They needed jobs.

  They needed food.

  They needed clothes.

  If they had kids, the kids needed to go to school. Unless of course they had their animal in which case then they needed private tutors.

  I spent much of my days coordinating with Ed and his team the building of new cabins on the Harris land. Getting permits and updated surveying. The locals thought we were building a camping rental situation. And I guess that sort of was true. I doubt the humans would be thrilled if they knew the truth.

  Many rogues arrived without human paperwork. So that was another thing to coordinate. Driving them to Mainsbury to have Arcadia create drivers licenses. Which was a whole other hassle for Arcadia.