by Eve Langlais
Ellie threw a hateful glare Colin’s way before turning her back on him to retrieve the plates. He watched as she artfully balanced five plates laden with food on her arms and hands before hauling them over to the table of rowdy complainers. Her demeanor changed in an instant. Cordial, lighthearted, almost … flirty. Colin’s wolf let out a jealous growl. Why did those crotchety old bastards get something he didn’t? His preternatural hearing didn’t miss a syllable of the banter exchanged, and by the time Ellie made her way back to the counter Colin’s wolf was as cranky as he was.
Good. At least they were both on the same page now.
“That your fan club over there?” Colin jerked his head toward the table. The words came out a little gruffer than he’d intended.
Ellie’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch before narrowing once again. “Maybe.”
Colin’s wolf didn’t appreciate her vague answer. No one at that table could’ve been younger than seventy. And all but one of them wore a wedding band. Colin was almost embarrassed that he’d checked each one of their left hands when the opportunity arose.
“Is that why they get cinnamon roll preference?” He wouldn’t let it go. Couldn’t. His own stubborn pride refused to. It was a damned pastry for shit’s sake! What was the big freaking deal? And why did that stupid chunk of baked dough on his plate prod her to treat him like a second-class citizen?
“Something like that.”
Another vague answer. Colin couldn’t back down from the challenge in her deep blue eyes. If she was going to push, he was going to push right back. He met her look for look and slowly dug his fork into the cinnamon roll, pulling off another healthy chunk. He swirled it around the plate to coat it in the sweet icing and popped it in his mouth, letting his eyes drift blissfully shut, as he chewed.
“Mmmm. I have to say, Frank’s cinnamon roll does seem like it must taste better than all of the others.”
Ellie’s expression went from plain angry to enraged in a beat. She snatched the plate out from under Colin’s hovering fork. “That’s it. Get out!”
The cook poked his head out of the service window, his expression no longer playful but stern. “Give that man back his breakfast, Ellie. What in the hell is wrong with you? Last time I checked this was my place, and you don’t have the right to kick anyone out of here.”
Her face turned a shade of dark pink. Either from anger or embarrassment. Guilt stabbed at Colin’s chest. He’d baited her. Practically dared her to take their little tiff a step further. Mostly because her anger amused him. That, and Colin had an insufferable habit of refusing to back down from a fight.
Ellie’s eyes glistened as though she might cry and Colin’s wolf let out a forlorn howl in the back of his mind. To hurt one’s mate was a serious offense. One that required atonement. It didn’t matter whether they’d only just met each other or not.
“Look, I’m sorry.” Colin acknowledged the guy in the service window first and then Ellie. “This is my fault. I was giving you a hard time and I shouldn’t have.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” the owner replied. “Your breakfast is on the house.”
“I’m sorry too, John.” Colin tried not to be annoyed that Ellie apologized to her boss and not to him. “I shouldn’t have let my temper get the better of me.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” he said to Ellie. He bucked his chin in Colin’s direction. “Apologize to him.”
Ellie’s gaze dropped and her jaw took a stubborn set. “Sorry.”
Colin wrinkled his nose. She totally wasn’t sorry. He could smell the lie on her. He cocked his head to one side as he continued to study her. How had he missed the spark of magic that clung to her? He’d been so preoccupied with the suddenness of the mate bond, and then her show of temper, that he hadn’t even noticed. He thought her merely a woman, but could she be more? A witch, perhaps? It seemed that Colin’s mate was full of surprises.
“Can we start over?” He offered her his hand. “I’m Colin Courtney. And don’t apologize. Everyone has bad days.”
She looked down at his hand but made no move to shake it. “Enjoy your cinnamon roll, Colin,” Ellie said as she rounded the counter and headed toward the little store area. “Have a good rest of your day.”
Well. So far, his relationship with his mate was off to a stellar start.
CHAPTER 3
The bell above the door chimed at Ellie as though it was as angry with her as everyone else. She stepped out into the cool early-morning autumn air and took several deep, cleansing breaths to slow her racing heart. Her cheeks flooded with heat and she waited for the breeze to do its job and banish the color she was certain had settled there. The sound of her pulse rushing in her ears mingled with the breeze, but it wasn’t enough white noise to drown out her thoughts.
She’d absolutely lost her freaking grip in there. What was wrong with her?
Just last weekend, she’d contemplated for the millionth time the fragility of humans. Their short lives, delicate bodies, susceptibility to illness. Any day could be their last and Frank and the other members of the Liars Club were just another reminder that death was an inevitability that would soon catch up with them.
You used to be human too. Stop thinking of them like they’re aliens.
Ellie banished the thought from her mind. Humans got sick. Humans died. Humans possessed free will that allowed them to do simple things like leave the boundaries of their own towns. She hadn’t been able to do any of those things in a long damned time. She wasn’t human. She wasn’t a ghost. Truth be told, she had no idea what she was.
A freak. That’s what you are, Ellie.
The bell above the door rang and she hustled around to the side of the building, unwilling to face whoever had just walked outside. She was angry and embarrassed and it would be bad enough to have to go back in and face John, Frank, and the others after her little temper tantrum. A truck door opened and slammed seconds before the loud engine growled to life. She let out a slow breath as the crunch of gravel beneath tires trailed off into the distance. If she ever saw Colin Courtney again, it would be too soon.
Ellie leaned against the log exterior of the building and took a few more minutes to calm herself down. The more she thought about it, the more she realized the worst part of the entire situation hadn’t been the cinnamon roll, or the affront to Frank, or even the way Colin had managed to push her buttons. It was the way he’d strode in there and had the audacity to be so goddamned confident and good-looking.
She didn’t think she’d ever seen as striking a man as Colin. Tall, every inch of him corded with thick muscle. Expressive blue eyes and hair the color of early-autumn wheat. His face could have been chiseled from stone, square jaw, sharp cheekbones, and a straight nose that made his face seem almost too symmetrical. Ellie thought men like that only existed on television and in magazines, airbrushed to perfection. For a second, she’d thought his ribbing was meant to be playful. Or flirtatious. That, of course, had set her already-heated temper on fire. She couldn’t flirt back. Couldn’t even entertain the idea of it. All it would get her was a heap of disappointment.
One of the many problems of being a freak of nature was that there weren’t any other freaks of nature to keep company with. Encounters with eligible men were few and far between. Most of them one-night stands that promised no possibility of anything more. Really, how could she ever have an actual relationship with anyone? There’s no good time to start up a conversation with the words, So … It’s probably time I tell you that I’m practically indestructible and can never die. Oh, and by the way, I hope you like this tiny town, because I can’t ever leave.
Anyone with even a shred of sense would tuck tail and run for the hills.
Ellie pushed herself away from the building and straightened her spine. A personal pity party wouldn’t make her feel better, nor would it change what had happened to her. She’d learned a long time ago that living in either the past or the future would only bring her hearta
che and so she stayed in the moment, attached herself to the present. It was the only way to keep her sanity intact.
She dusted her hands down the front of her shirt and apron and smoothed her palm over her hair as she rounded the building and went back inside. Frank and the others were engaged in a heated debate over whether or not the ponds near the dump would freeze over before the snow flew, and she was grateful they were too wrapped up in their own speculations to pay any attention to her. She slipped past the counter and through the swinging doors into the kitchen, where she found John doing prep work for the potential lunch crowd. Weekenders on their way back to the city from Stanley and those who owned vacation cabins in Lowman often made the Sourdough their last stop on the way home.
“John, I really am sorry.” A lump formed in Ellie’s throat as she swallowed her considerable pride. “I don’t know what got into me. I mean, I’ve never lost my temper with a customer—with anyone—like that before.”
John set his knife down on the cutting board and turned to face her. His pitiful expression only managed to make the golf ball–sized knot in her throat feel more like a goose egg. “I know. Sometimes, being out here … it weighs on people. You get used to a routine and having things a certain way and any disruption seems like a big deal. I get it. Maybe you should take a couple days off and go to town. Mingle with civilization.”
If only. Tears stung at Ellie’s eyes, but she threw her shoulders back and stuffed her stupid emotions to the soles of her feet. “Sure.” There was no point in arguing or telling John that she didn’t need time off. She had a feeling it wasn’t a suggestion. But she wouldn’t be going into the city. She wouldn’t be going anywhere. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She was so far from fine it wasn’t even funny. “I really am sorry about the outburst.”
John responded with a wink. “It’s all good.”
It really wasn’t, though. Nothing had been good for a long damned time.
Ellie left the kitchen and went back to her station behind the counter. She busied herself with clearing Colin’s empty plate, silverware, and coffee cup from the counter and wiping it down. As far as John, the guys at the table, and anyone else in Lowman was concerned, Ellie had only lived here for a little over three years. What none of them realized was that in reality she was older than the town itself. Had lived here since before it had been settled and had never left.
Over the years, she’d developed a system to keep her existence more or less a secret in order to not raise any suspicion. She’d come out of the hills for ten or fifteen years, rejoin their little society, and get a dose of human interaction before telling everyone she was “moving.” Then she’d go back into hiding, hole up in her little cabin in the woods until anyone who might have known her was no longer around—or alive—to recognize her. She’d reemerge with a new name and a new story and start the process all over again. That way, no one wondered why she never went anywhere, never aged, never got sick, never got hurt, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It was easier this way. And after two centuries of the same routine, she was starting to get used to it.
Until Colin Courtney walked through the door and reminded her of all the things she wanted and would never have.
Damn him.
* * *
Colin hadn’t wanted to leave the Sourdough, but he had an appointment to keep and he wasn’t about to miss it. The drive to Garden Valley passed in a blur as his tires ate up the miles of winding highway through the steep canyon of Highway 21. His brain was too full of Ellie to think about anything else. Not his appointment, his excitement at becoming a sentry, or his own worries over how his alpha would react when he found out. No, the only thing on Colin’s mind was Ellie’s haunting beauty and the way she’d claimed his wolf with nothing more than an angry frown and a few shouted words. She was definitely one of a kind, and she’d made it pretty damned clear exactly how she felt about Colin.
Problematic considering what she was to him.
Colin’s wolf let out a forlorn howl in the back of his mind. The animal was loath to leave his mate behind. The animal didn’t give a shit that she’d obviously rather sit through a double root canal than spend time with them. The animal didn’t care that Colin had obligations and appointments that needed to be kept. The animal had only one fuck to give and that was for his mate.
The mate bond trumped everything. Including familial obligations. Including pack obligations. It was the most sacred of bonds. Once a wolf chose its mate the only thing that could break the connection was death. There was a reason why werewolf mates died in pairs. One couldn’t live without the other. If anything were to happen to Ellie—a virtual stranger—Colin’s wolf would never recover from the loss. It would slowly drive him mad until the other members of his pack had no choice but to put him down. Even now, the animal urged Colin to turn his truck around and race back to her.
Sorry, buddy, that’s not going to happen.
Colin rolled into Garden Valley, a town not much bigger than Stanley and about thirty miles from Lowman. The area was a major hotspot for second homeowners thanks to its generally mild winters, early springs, and gorgeous scenery. Colin always marveled at the difference a few thousand feet in elevation could make. He’d come to love Stanley in the months since they’d settled there. Loved the Sawtooths, Redfish Lake, and the surrounding territory that the pack hunted every full moon. But there were times, the previous winter specifically, when he wished that Liam had chosen to relocate the pack to Garden Valley instead.
He’d likely be making regular trips to Garden Valley now that he’d been accepted into the sentry’s ranks.
Colin pulled into a parking spot at the Boise National Forest substation and killed the engine. Wade Robinson, the territory’s director, worked a day job with the Forest Service, which gave him an in with the human goings-on in the wilderness areas so many supernatural creatures called home. Colin wondered how he managed to juggle both jobs. Did he never sleep?
The offices were closed for regular business on Sunday, which was why Wade had chosen today to meet. Apparently, regular office hours for the SMT were whenever his human job was done for the day/weekend/whatever.
“Hi, Colin.” Wade greeted him at the door with a friendly smile. “Thanks for driving down today. Come on in.”
Colin followed Wade into the building. Tall and sleek, Wade’s human form was very reminiscent of his animal form. He was one of a handful of mountain lion shifters in the territory and had a reputation for being pretty damned formidable when he had to be. Colin had to admit he was a little envious of the male. Werewolves were different from shifters in that the way to become a werewolf was to be bitten by one. Not so for shifters. They were born dual natured. Some weird mystical process didn’t invasively insert another consciousness into their brains and bodies. And unlike werewolves, a shifter could transition from one form to another with ease no matter the time of the month. Completely painless. The transition for a werewolf was incredibly painful and avoided at times other than the full moon. Lucky bastard.
“Have a seat.”
Colin settled into the chair opposite Wade’s desk. His stomach muscles tightened with anxious anticipation. He was about to be assigned to his dream job and his wolf had claimed a mate. So far, today was turning out to be pretty damned epic.
Wade fixed Colin with a serious stare. “I have to say, I was pretty surprised to get your application considering how your alpha feels about the sentry.”
Colin figured Liam’s opinion of the sentry would come up, though he hadn’t expected it quite so early in the conversation. He guessed it was best to get it out of the way sooner rather than later, though.
“Honestly?” There was no way to sugarcoat this. “Liam doesn’t know I applied. I haven’t told him yet.”
Wade leaned back in his chair. His lips pursed as he considered Colin. “I’d like to move forward hav
ing a solid relationship with the pack. I can’t say this is the way that’s going to happen.”
Colin had hoped his keeping his application from Liam wasn’t going to be as big a deal as it apparently was. It wasn’t as though he’d planned to keep it a secret forever. There were no secrets in the pack. But he’d wanted his position to be solidified before he went to Liam with the news.
“I understand that and I totally agree.” Colin would be damned if he wasn’t 100 percent the professional. “Of course Liam will be made aware of the situation. As soon as I get back to Stanley. I wanted to wait until after our meeting so I had all my ducks in a row when I talked to him.”
Wade nodded. “I get that. You’re more than qualified for the position I need you for and I’d hate to lose you before you even get settled in because of Liam’s bias.”
Colin smiled. Gods, it felt good to know he was going to make a difference. That he was valuable. “It sounds like the Sawtooth Mountains Territory is light on sentry enforcement.”
Wade let out a chuff of laughter. “The entirety of the Boise National Forest is light on sentry enforcement. It’s such a sparsely populated area for both humans and supernaturals alike. No one wants to be stationed out here. Especially those who have established packs somewhere else. But this area is attractive to rogues and troublemakers. It’s the perfect place to hide out and stir up trouble. This area isn’t nicknamed The Badlands for no reason. It’s got a growing reputation as being someplace where anyone can get away with anything. I want to squash that rumor—and the reality it’s creating—for good.”
Which was exactly why Colin wanted to work as a sentry in the first place. It was also a position that could be potentially dangerous under certain situations. Which would be the main bump in the road as far as Liam was concerned. He’d been a high-ranking member of the sentry once, and one of his missions had gone south, causing the death of an innocent shifter whose brother later nearly killed Liam and his mate in the name of vengeance. His worries were totally founded, but that didn’t mean Colin wasn’t going to be a stubborn son of a bitch until his alpha saw things his way. Colin wanted this job. Period.