by Bianca D’Arc
“I’m glad Seamus and Moira volunteered to show you the town. We could probably stay here, if you like it,” Matilda began.
“Really?” Eamon looked excited by the prospect. “I mean, Clan Home is great, but I like the ocean.”
Of course he did. Eamon was a selkie, and his seal side craved the water. Which was why they’d lived in California in the first place.
“It’s colder up here than it was down south,” she reminded him.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Eamon said, shrugging. “As long as I’m near the water, I’m good. Plus, Moira’s here, and she told me there are merpeople. I’ve never seen any.” Eamon sounded intrigued by the idea.
She gave him a one-armed side hug as the others started moving toward the exit. “We’ll talk more about it, but staying here is high on my list of possibilities.”
“Will the bears let us?” Eamon asked.
Matilda tilted her head. “I’d say there’s a very good chance they will. Just keep it under your hat for now, and we can sort this out later, okay? See the town. Consider the possibilities. That’s all I ask.”
“Will do, sis,” he told her, detaching himself from her side to go join Seamus and Moira as the group walked together out of the restaurant and down the street.
The Town Hall was conveniently located next to the clinic, and Moira and Seamus took Eamon farther along to show him the beach and the secret entrance to the water the town had put in for the merfolk, in one of the buildings. Matilda knew they would keep him entertained for a while, and Eamon needed time to see the town and form an opinion of the place before she sprang the rest of her news on him.
Georgio left Matilda at the clinic, finding it hard to let her out of his sight. It was Sam who nudged Georgio back into motion.
“Don’t worry, you’ll see her, again.” Sam fell into step beside Georgio, still grinning.
“Am I that obvious?” Georgio asked, laughing at himself a bit.
“She has that effect on a lot of men, but if it’s any consolation, you’re the only one I’ve seen her give a second glance,” the lion Alpha admitted as they walked into the Town Hall. John was there, waiting for them, as was Nansee, the leader of the mer folk who had accepted John’s invitation to take refuge in the cove.
John introduced Sam to the mer leader, and then, they all went into the conference room, where a video conferencing screen had been set up in the center of the U formed by tables and chairs. Everyone took a spot at the table, and introductions were made, where necessary. Greetings were exchanged before they all got down to business, and it seemed John had a bit of a surprise for them when he invited Arlo to patch in via videoconference.
Apparently, they had intel on the people who had been hunting Matilda at Frank’s place. Arlo provided a briefing on the background and then launched into the findings they’d made so far. “The plan was to sell any shifters they could recapture to another collector in the Middle East. With your permission, we’d like to pass along this intel to someone we know who operates in that area.”
“Who?” both John and Sam immediately asked.
“Have you run across the Golden Jackal? He’s a mercenary, but he’s one of the good guys. We’ve worked with him before, and he’s definitely one of us, though he does take somewhat questionable jobs from time to time if the money is right. Personally, I think he does it to keep his reputation on the shady side. It helps in the circles he runs in,” Arlo explained. “Thing is, there’s some circumstantial evidence that a few shifters have already been transported to Saudi Arabia under less than legit circumstances recently. The Jackal has connections there and can not only confirm intel, but act on it, if need be.”
“I’ll foot the bill,” Sam said at once. “I know the Jackal. I’ve run into him before overseas. He’s a good man, despite the fact that he tries really hard to hide his true allegiance to the Light. I don’t want any other innocent shifters suffering in a menagerie. I’ll gladly pay the expenses to check things out and free them, if needed.”
“That’s very generous, Alpha,” Arlo said. “I’ll start the wheels turning as soon as we’re done here. Thank you.”
“Tell the Jackal I’ll be in touch tomorrow for a preliminary sit rep,” Sam told Arlo, then sat back, having said his piece.
Georgio noticed he tapped a few times on his phone—probably setting a reminder to call the Jackal, as promised. Sam was a busy man, running a business empire, his home Clan and the entire lion people. Georgio didn’t envy him his responsibilities. Sam didn’t even have a mate to help share his burdens.
Just thinking about mates made Georgio want to smile. He had one, now. And she had him. He couldn’t wait to do things with her. The everyday stuff of life. Making dinner. Fixing up the house. All the normal things he’d never gotten to do with a woman who would share his life and his home. Forever.
While Georgio and the Alphas were meeting next door in Town Hall, Matilda was in the clinic, visiting Frank. He looked much better today and was talking with a bear of a man when she came in. The two were laughing like old friends.
“Mattie! Have you met Gus?” Frank asked, his voice full of joy for the first time since they’d met. He seemed younger than he’d looked before. Freer, somehow.
Matilda stepped closer to the bed and looked at the other man. “No, we haven’t met, but I’ve heard a lot about him from Georgio.” She held out her hand for a polite shake, and Gus took it. His grasp was gentle. Considerate. And his eyes, as they met hers, seemed to see right inside her.
“Welcome to Grizzly Cove,” he said gently.
She felt like he really meant the words. Something about him was both spooky and comforting.
“Thanks.” She turned to look at Frank, joy filling her at his improvement. “You look a lot better today,” she told him.
“They’re taking good care of me,” Frank said, smiling as best he could with his mouth still a bit swollen.
“I’ll leave you two to visit, but I’ll be back later, Frank.” Gus made his way toward the door. “Good meeting you, Matilda. Tell Georgio I’ll be over tomorrow unless he calls to cancel.”
“Will do. Nice meeting you, Gus.” She smiled at the other man as he left.
“Nice guy,” Frank commented once Gus was gone. “Very peaceful to be around.”
“So, shifters agree with you, then, as we thought,” she said, pulling up a chair to Frank’s bedside and taking a seat.
“I haven’t had any problems since I got here, and I can’t tell you what a relief it is to be able to be around people, again. Some of these folk are easier to be around than others, like Gus. He has a gentle vibe around him. That fellow they call Big John is very intense, and right now, while I’m still at a low energy level, he’s hard to be around for long, but it’s not like it was back at the office. Even though John’s intensity impacts me, it’s not super uncomfortable or anything, just sort of…distracting, I guess.” Frank’s eyes were clear, his speech earnest. Matilda was impressed.
“I’m so glad for you. Did Gus say he could help you more? He’s a counselor, of sorts,” she hedged, in case Frank might be uncomfortable with the more spiritual aspects of Gus’s calling.
“A shaman, you mean?” Frank’s eyes twinkled. “It’s all good. Few people know this, but I have a bit of Native American blood on my mother’s side. Gus sussed it right out. I’m very comfortable with him, and he did say there were a few techniques they could try to help me, once I’m healed enough to try.”
“Any word on when that will be?” she asked, concerned. She still felt guilty about bringing her troubles to Frank’s door.
“Doc says he’ll probably spring me tomorrow or the next day. He wants to be sure I can take care of myself completely before he sets me loose. Honestly, it’s no hardship to stay here in the clinic. It’s not busy at all. Sven and his lady spent a lot of time just visiting with me, and they brought friends of theirs for me to meet. It’s been like a party, only without the loud music and
obligatory small talk.” Frank winked at her. “I’m having a grand time.”
“The town is nice, too. There’s a beach behind this clinic, and it’s really picturesque,” she offered. “There’s a hotel on one end of Main Street. It looks nice. And new.”
“But you aren’t staying there?” Frank asked, his gaze narrowing a bit. “Is that because you’re staying with Georgio?”
Matilda found herself chuckling, even as heat rose to her cheeks. “Actually, yes. I am staying at his place. For now, anyway.” She wouldn’t talk about how she planned to stay with Georgio forever. Not until she’d had a chance to tell her family, first.
“Give the guy a chance,” Frank urged. “I heard that he stayed out there looking for you when everybody else gave up. The boy’s got staying power. And you make a good-looking couple.”
“Frank! I didn’t know you were such a buttinsky!” She laughed at Frank’s interference, taking it as a sign that he wanted her to be happy.
Frank was such a nice guy. She hoped Gus could help him with his sensitivity problem, because Frank was more animated than she’d ever seen him. He wasn’t the kind of man who was meant to live as a hermit. He seemed to genuinely like being around people.
“Are you planning to go back home soon?” Frank subsided, shifting the subject slightly.
“Home?” For a moment she had to think what he meant. “To California? No,” she replied with a bit of wistfulness. “I’ve already decided I don’t want to go back there. I wouldn’t feel safe.”
“Probably for the best,” Frank nodded. “You know, I have a lot of holdings all around this country, and others. If you end up needing a place to go, I’d be happy to help.”
Matilda reached out to cover Frank’s hand with hers. “That’s very kind of you,” she told him. “But I think I’m going to stay here for the time being. Did you know Sam brought my little brother to town? We had lunch together, and now, Eamon’s getting a tour while Sam’s in some big meeting that I’m actually supposed to be at, myself. But I wanted to see how you were doing, first.”
“Do me a favor and tell Sam I’d like to see him before he leaves,” Frank asked.
“No problem. I think you’re his next stop, after the meeting. I know he wants to see you, too. At the very least, he wants to thank you for helping me, but I suspect he has other items on his agenda. I’m just another cousin, and I don’t work in his business, so he doesn’t tell me much,” she went on, smiling. The Alpha lion didn’t share much with anyone.
She spent a few more minutes talking with Frank then took her leave and headed next door to the meeting already in progress. The doctor walked over with her and remained briefly to give the Alpha a report on Frank’s progress. Gus was already in the meeting room when they entered, seated at the table, to Matilda’s surprise.
She took the open seat next to Georgio and exchanged brief greetings with everyone. They introduced her to Nansee and the others she hadn’t met, yet. It seemed the meeting had grown from just the Alphas to include a somewhat larger contingent from Grizzly Cove.
Sven made his report as soon as things settled down, filling them in on the damage that had been done to poor Frank. Matilda cringed at the details of broken ribs and contusions, but Sven said Frank was healing at a faster-than-human rate, which led him to believe that the man had some sort of latent magic. Gus added his impressions about Frank’s reported sensitivity to being around people, which had led him to become a recluse, living alone on a mountaintop.
“What are your impressions of the man?” John asked Georgio point blank. “You’ve been in action with the fellow. We all know how that reveals the true nature of a person.”
“He started out as a crotchety old mountain man, but he revealed many facets to his personality as we spent time together. It’s clear the initial persona was a protective device, meant to scare off people who came around his cabin. I’ve never seen him actively use magic, or sensed it around him, but you know there are better folks at sensing that stuff than me.” Georgio nodded to Gus. “Frank is resourceful and good in a crisis. Even as injured as he was, he remained clear-headed and calm.”
“How was he when he learned about shifters?” John wanted to know.
“Well, as I’ve already reported, he saw it over the cameras he had watching the cabin area. We didn’t see his initial reaction, only the rather calm way he was when we got back down to the bunker. He was thoughtful, full of questions, more bemused than confused, I’d say. I know he was already puzzling over why he was comfortable around Matilda and myself. He seemed to take the revelation of what we were more as a solution to that puzzle than something to be afraid of.”
“Do you agree with that assessment?” Sam asked Matilda.
She nodded. “Georgio described it perfectly. Frank was very cautious when I first approached him, days before Georgio arrived, but after our initial interaction, he welcomed me—albeit cautiously. I think he was trying to figure out why I didn’t irritate his senses, now that I realize he had that problem.” She paused for a moment, trying to put her thoughts into words. “When we saw him after the battle up top, he seemed somehow satisfied to finally have an answer to his questions about why having us around wasn’t painful to him. He was also quick to agree not to make our existence public. He let Georgio verify things on the equipment in his communications room.”
“There were no transmissions or recordings,” Georgio put in. “Frank was willing to keep his information to himself, and I deemed him trustworthy.”
“What did he see, exactly?” Gus wanted to know.
“Judging by the camera angles, he saw both of us shift, and he definitely saw the fireballs the mage was throwing at us. I think he was more shocked about that than about our wild sides,” Georgio replied.
“Kinkaid owes the man a debt for helping Mattie when she needed it,” Sam said, in a clear voice. “I’ve also done business with Frank a time or two, and while a sharp customer, he was always scrupulously fair. I’d thought of him as a friend in the business world and was saddened to hear of his affliction. I knew he’d given over a lot of his authority to his managers, but I hadn’t realized he’d become a hermit. If you decide you can’t allow him to stay here in the cove, I’ll make a place for him.”
Chapter Seventeen
Sam’s offer was more than Matilda had expected, but she thought it was the right thing to do. Frank had a real problem and clearly needed magical help to overcome his limitations. He’d helped her when she most needed it. It felt right that she—or her Clan—should try to help him. Her inner lioness approved.
“I’m prepared to extend the invitation for Frank to stay. It just needs approval by the Town Council, which is why there are so many of my guys here. What do you say, boys?” John asked the other bears who had come to the meeting.
A chorus of ayes met John’s question, including one from Georgio. Matilda hadn’t known he was part of the Town Council.
“All right, then. We’ll ask the human to stay,” John said, satisfaction clear in his voice. “It’s up to him if he wants to stick around, of course, but if he does, and things work out the way I hope, I’ll pursue an alliance with him. It couldn’t hurt to have a billionaire of Frank’s caliber as an ally.”
Matilda was surprised by John’s practicality, but she shouldn’t have been. The Alpha bear had a reputation as a keen strategist.
Speaking of which… Matilda knew they wouldn’t get a better time to make their announcement, since both of their Clan leaders were here. It was a bit more public than they’d expected, but they’d agreed last night that, if they could get John and Sam together, they’d claim each other as mates so there could be no question of who they had told first, and therefore no showing of preference for one Clan over the other.
“Is there any other business before we adjourn?” John asked. He was smiling at them. He probably knew they were up to something.
“As a matter of fact…” Georgio began.
�
��We have something to say,” Matilda added.
“I thought you might,” John said, satisfaction in his tone.
Was it really going to be this easy? Matilda wasn’t sure what kind of reception she’d expected from the bear Clan, but it certainly wasn’t this teasing sort of welcome.
“Georgio,” she reached for his hand, and he clasped hers openly, above the table, “is my mate.”
She looked from John to Sam and back again. John was grinning. Sam looked a bit more reserved, but not hostile. She took heart from that. Sam had never been an overly demonstrative Alpha.
“What do you have to say about this, George?” Sam asked, deliberately challenging Georgio with the nickname and his tone, but Georgio didn’t rise to the bait.
Georgio squeezed Matilda’s hand and replied to the Alpha lion in a gentle voice. “I love her with all my heart and knew from the moment I first saw her that we were meant to be together. Matilda is my mate, and she’s made me the happiest man in the world by accepting me as hers.” Georgio looked her way, then, and Matilda’s heart just about melted.
She heard a throat clearing, which dragged her focus away from her beloved. She looked over to find the two Alphas grinning and slapping each other on the back.
“Looks like we have a party to plan,” John said, his tone happy.
The meeting broke up after that, and everyone made a point to come over and offer their congratulations to the new couple. Sam and John waited until the room emptied out before approaching, together. Georgio wasn’t sure what that meant, but if the Alphas were going to gang up on his new mate, they’d better prepare to get bloody.
“Where do you two plan to live?” Sam asked flat out when the last well-wisher departed.
Matilda’s shoulders tensed, but Georgio was happy to deflect some of the tension. “My house here is secluded and set up for recovery. There’s also plenty of room for Eamon, if he wants to stay. He already knows Seamus, and Moira is family.”
