Collision Course

by Julie Trettel

  “You didn’t know, did you?”

  I shook my head. “Nope, but I have a lifetime now to make up for the last eight years I’ve missed.”

  “I’m sure you are doing just fine. Is her mother here too?”

  “Yeah. She was so exhausted I didn’t want to disturb her. I’ll bring her down and introduce you later.”

  “How did this even happen?”

  I laughed. “This mission took me home.”

  “There’s a home? I always pegged you as a nomad.”

  “Wasn’t always. I left my Clan a long time ago and never looked back.”

  “But this one took you back there?”

  “Yup. Good thing too.” I smiled at my daughter as I watched her scarf down two sausage biscuits.

  “If you need any help, or a babysitter, I’m almost always here.”

  “Thanks, Sondra. I appreciate that. Hopefully, we won’t be here long. We’re going to look at a rental Kyle’s offered me in town.”

  “Really? A bear living in wolf territory? Never thought I’d see the day.”

  “We’ll see how it goes.” I was a little nervous about that too.

  I excused myself, grabbed a plate, and joined Macie. She stayed quiet throughout the meal giving me an unsettled feeling.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Just taking it all in. It’s all so new.”

  “Are you excited to see San Marco?”

  She nodded, but I could feel her nerves.

  “Hey, look at me. I know this is probably a little scary now that you’re here, but your mom and I are right here with you.”

  “It smells different here, Baine. I guess I didn’t expect it all to feel so different.”

  “I know, kiddo. You get used to it after a while. At this point, it smells like home to me.”

  “Will it ever for me?”

  “I hope so, but remember, this is only a trial. Your mom agreed to three months. You can hang for three months, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Do you think the wolves will like me?”

  “Is that what you’re worried about? They are going to love you. No matter what, short stuff, just be yourself.”

  She bit her lip and nodded as she focused on the remainder of the food on her plate.

  When we finished, we scraped our plates into the trash and put them in the dirty dish bin.

  “Bye, Sondra,” Macie said with a wave as we walked by the reception desk.

  “See you later, Macie. And welcome to Westin.”

  My daughter finally relaxed a little and even smiled. While we were waiting for the elevator she looked around. “The Lodge is nice.”

  “Yeah, I think so too.”

  “How come we’re not just going to stay here?”

  “What? This isn’t a place for you and your mother to live permanently. You deserve a house with a yard to run and play in.”

  “That does sound nice.”

  “How about we go wake your mother and get out of here then.”

  She nodded and I could see a spark of excitement in her eyes again.

  Olivia was up and pacing the room when we returned. I handed her a breakfast sandwich I’d made before they closed the kitchen. I noticed she was already showered and ready to start the day.

  “Mom, you’re up. Can we go check out this place now?”

  “Let her at least eat something first.”

  As she sat down, I walked over and rubbed her shoulders. I loved how my touch instantly relaxed her.

  “I didn’t mean to freak you out. Macie was hungry and you were sleeping so well.”

  “It’s fine,” she said, but I could tell it wasn’t.

  She ate quickly and soon we were on our way back downstairs. We went out the side door closest to my Jeep.

  Olivia frowned. I couldn’t imagine why. Macie was carrying her booster seat with her so I didn’t see the problem.

  “We’re riding in that?” my kid asked.

  I sighed. “What’s wrong with the Jeep?”

  “It’s not very safe.”

  “Of course, it is.”

  Olivia sighed.

  “I can leave the top up if it makes you feel better.”

  “It’s cloth. How is that going to protect us in an accident?”

  I scowled. “This has the highest rated roll cage installed. It’s perfectly safe, I assure you.”

  “Tell me we can get a more appropriate vehicle.”

  “You hate the Jeep.”

  “I don’t hate the Jeep, I’m just not comfortable with Macie riding in it.”

  “I have my booster, Mom. I’ll be okay.”

  “I’m not going road racing with her in it. She’ll be fine, O.”

  I could tell by the look on her face that it wasn’t okay at all. Strike two for the day and it was still morning. Begrudgingly, they got in. Macie was all smiles in the backseat.

  I was sure to drive the speed limit which made the journey feel longer than ever. I took them on a tour and showed them the town. Olivia softened some. San Marco was beautiful and it was hard not to fall in love with it.

  My tour concluded at the Alpha house.

  “Kyle keeps his office here, but he doesn’t actually live here. His parents still keep the residence. I guess in some ways it’s similar to Kano and your father now.”

  “What happened to make his father step down?”

  “I wasn’t here yet. Westin Force is a product of that. From what I’ve heard, there was a big fight between Westin and the Bulgarian wolves over the lineage of Kyle’s mate, Kelsey. The Bulgarians attacked and Jason nearly lost his life. Power transferred to Kyle at that time. Kelsey was able to save the former Alpha though.”

  “Kelsey saved him?”

  “Yeah, she’s um, well, she’s a powerful witch and Alpha she-wolf.”

  Olivia’s eyes widened in fear.

  “Relax. She’s perfectly safe and I promise you’re going to love her. The breeches back then that allowed the Bulgarians to infiltrate the area have long since been secured. With Westin Force headquarters right here, there is no place safer on this planet. Come on. Keep an open mind and just meet her, okay?”

  Olivia

  Chapter 24

  The fact that Baine couldn’t understand why I didn’t want Macie riding in his Jeep and why I was upset about exposing her to a witch just showed how little he knew about children. Witches scared me, but the fact she was also an Alpha she-wolf was terrifying.

  I didn’t know much about wolf shifters, but I knew that female Alphas were rare and dangerous. He thought nothing of exposing our daughter to that. I was starting to question his judgment and my choice in bringing Macie here.

  I had to admit the town itself was adorable. It smelled funny though and didn’t feel like home. The surrounding woods provided me a tiny bit of comfort. I just wasn’t sure this place ever could be home to me.

  I’d been on edge with a sense of doom hanging over my head ever since I’d woken to an empty room with no idea where my daughter was. It left me feeling unsettled and hard to stay positive about any of this.

  The house we walked up to was huge, far bigger than the one I’d grown up in. Baine had explained there were five Westin siblings, all mated now. Mary and Jason Westin, the former Alpha and Pack Mother still lived here, but Kyle Westin worked out of the Alpha office.

  Baine knocked on the door and an older woman opened it, a kind smile lighting up her face when she saw my mate. I was shocked when she pulled him into a tight hug. My bear didn’t see her as competition, more as a curiosity.

  “Welcome home, Baine. I’ve heard you got more than you expected on this mission,” she said before turning to me and then squatted down to Macie’s level. “You must be Macie Laine.”

  Macie smiled. It was hard not to relax in the woman’s presence and Macie shocked the hell out of me when she hugged her.

  “Do you know I have a grandson about your age. He’ll be here shortly to help me bake c
ookies today. If it’s okay with your mother, would you like to join us?”

  “Mom, can I?”

  “Um?” I looked to Baine who nodded. I could tell he trusted this woman. “Yeah, I guess that would be okay.”

  “Fantastic. Come on in and make yourselves at home. Kyle’s in his office,” she told Baine before turning a critical eye on me. “You must be Olivia. I’m Mary Westin.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” I didn’t want to like her, but she made it hard not to.

  Baine linked his fingers through mine. “I’m going to steal her away for a minute, Mary. I want to introduce Olivia to Kyle.”

  “Of course. I’m going to take Macie to the kitchen, unless you’d prefer she stay with you. I’ll just be in the kitchen getting things prepped.”

  “Um, shouldn’t she meet Kyle first?” I asked.

  “Yes, she should,” a male voice said.

  I wasn’t sure what I expected from the Alpha of the largest wolf pack in the world, but the handsome man standing before me in jeans and a black T-shirt certainly wasn’t it. He was far too young to be an Alpha.

  Baine shook hands with him. “Kyle, this is Olivia, and our daughter, Macie.”

  He held his hand out flat and Macie high fived him. “Careful not to let my mother spoil you too much.”

  Macie giggled as she followed Mary Westin into the next room.

  “Come in, please, and welcome to San Marco. It is very nice to meet you, Olivia.”

  “Thanks,” I said softly.

  “My mate will be here shortly. Kelsey is dying to meet the woman who tamed this guy.”

  “You know him well?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Yeah, you could say that. Saved my ass more than once.”

  I nodded. It seemed feasible that Westin Force would also run personal security for the Alpha heading them up.

  “Fishing,” Baine surprised me by saying. “Kyle is shit at fishing and Kelsey likes fresh fish. It’s our little secret.” He winked at me.

  “You’re shit at fishing,” I pointed out.

  Kyle burst out laughing.

  Baine just grinned. “Still better than this guy. And I’m not terrible at it, I just don’t enjoy it.”

  “Then why do you help him?”

  He shrugged. “He lets me blow shit up and play with my new toys afterwards.”

  “Of course he does.”

  “Just don’t mention it to Kelsey, okay? She thinks I’m a fishing God now.”

  I laughed. I highly doubted his mate was that clueless.

  The door opened behind us and I turned to see a beautiful tall blond walk in juggling a small child on her hip while ushering a boy in ahead of her.

  “Hey, you’re back! I hadn’t heard.” She leaned over and Baine kissed her cheek.

  A low growl erupted from me.

  The woman just smiled. “You must be Olivia. I’m Kelsey.”

  She seemed entirely unaffected by my little outburst and graciously didn’t even point it out. The lady before me was nothing like I imagined Kelsey Westin would be. I was having trouble reconciling the two.

  “Who are these cuties?” I asked trying to divert the attention off of me.

  “This is little Jason and Zander.”

  “Are you here for the cookie party?” I asked the older boy.

  He smiled. “Yeah, grandma makes the best.”

  “I have a little girl about your age, she’s in there helping Mary now.”

  “Cool. Is she a bear like Baine?”

  I hesitantly nodded.

  “That’s so cool. Are you one too?”

  “I am.”

  “Awesome. Can I go meet her? Her name’s Macie, right?”

  “Uh, yeah.” I was surprised he already knew that and that he seemed excited to meet a bear.

  I turned questioning eyes towards Baine.

  “I promise, O, she’s perfectly safe here.”

  “Nothing will happen to her in my territory, Olivia. You have my word. She’s under my full protection.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I simply nodded.

  “Come on, let them deal with business. We can hang out and chat,” Kelsey said as she led the way to the living room.

  I stopped at the entry and looked around surprised by the open floor concept and homey feeling of the room.

  “It’s great, isn’t it?”

  I nodded. There was a big TV, several couches, a giant dining room table and a huge stack of toys in the corner. It was comfortable and there was a feeling of love and family within the walls. Just off the dining room side, I could see Macie and Zander chatting away in the large kitchen.

  “This is definitely a great room.”

  We settled down on one of the couches and little Jason scrambled off his mother’s lap to attack the toys.

  “I know it’s your first day here and you haven’t even begun to settle in, but we’re all so excited you’re here, and more than a little curious. There’s a few others that want to stop by and meet you, but only if you’re up for it.”

  “Um, yeah, sure. Might as well get it over with.”

  She grinned. “Like ripping off a band-aid.”

  “Exactly.”

  In no time at all, the room was filled with new faces.

  “Hi, I’m Elise, Kyle’s sister. You look so normal.”

  Kelsey snorted. “What did you expect, E?”

  “I don’t know. Magical superpowers or something. She tamed Baine.” She spoke as if I weren’t even sitting right there. It was funny though. “He doesn’t even look at women. I assumed he was gay.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “I assure you, he is most definitely not gay.”

  “They’re true mates,” a dark-haired girl blurted out.

  “Really?” Elise asked. “Are you sure, Emma? I heard he had rekindled with his childhood sweetheart.”

  “Emma? Are you Painter’s mate?”

  The girl smiled brightly. “I am. These three are Ben and Shelby’s kids. I watch them during the week.”

  I smiled back at her. “It’s nice to meet you and put a face to the name.”

  Out of everyone in attendance, I was most excited to meet her because her mate was also on the Force and I had a million questions on what to expect.

  “Taylor’s free tomorrow night. If you are too, why don’t we plan to do dinner at Shelby’s tomorrow? Us girls of the Force have to stick together.”

  I nodded appreciatively. “I’d love that. I’ll check with Baine.”

  A pregnant lady waddled in with a toddler and an older child with her.

  “Sorry I’m late to the party. I’m Maddie. This is Oscar and Sarah.” She set the little girl down as I watched her run to where little Jason was playing.

  Macie had friends back home, but I knew first-hand how difficult it could be to really make friends as the Alpha’s daughter, or in her case granddaughter, or now niece even. People were always looking for ways to advance their position within the Clan and I doubted the wolves were any different.

  Growing up, I’d always had my brothers and cousins, as well as Baine. Watching Oscar head to the kitchen to help with the cookies and all the littles playing on the floor reminded me of life growing up in the Clan. None of my siblings or cousins had kids yet, and it hurt my heart knowing she would never have this. Yet, when she finally emerged laughing with Zander I wondered if just maybe there was hope she’d find a piece of that here.

  “They seem to have hit it off nicely,” Kelsey said happily.

  “I’m glad for it,” I told her honestly.

  “Zander has plenty of friends, but he learned at far too young of an age to keep them at arm’s length.” She gave me an apologetic look.

  “I may not be a wolf, but I was an Alpha’s kid too. I get it.”

  She nodded. “I know you do.”

  “It’s hard on a mama’s heart to watch though.”

  “It really is. Macie is the only grandchild of the Alpha, well, forme
r Alpha. My brother was forced to assume the position when our father was captured.”

  I could tell she truly understood that. “Is he mated?”

  “No,” I sighed.

  “Oh wow, that’s gotta be hard on him,” Elise said. “I mean, when that happened to Kyle, at least he had Kelsey to help him through it.”

  “I’ve never really considered that.”

  “Pack Mother’s do so much more than people give them credit for,” Elise insisted.

  “I wouldn’t know. My mother died when I was very young. I don’t remember her at all. My parents’ bond hadn’t fully sealed, leaving my father behind to raise us, and run the Clan all on his own.”

  “Wow, that’s really impressive. He must be a great man,” Kelsey said.

  “He is,” I told her proudly.

  “Mom, can Macie come over tomorrow and play?” Zander ran into the room and asked.

  Kelsey looked to me for approval. “I’m honestly not sure what we’re doing tomorrow.”

  “If you come to dinner, you could drop her off at Kelsey’s for a bit,” Emma suggested.

  Maddie laughed. “When Emma sets her mind to something, consider it done. She’s already convinced me to take the triplets for the evening so it’ll be just you ladies.”

  “What about Ben?”

  Emma shrugged. “He can find something to do for a few hours.”

  “Um, okay.”

  I was still a little overwhelmed meeting everyone, but it was easy to forget I was in a room full of wolves. They all went out of their way to make me feel welcome and soon we were laughing and chatting like old friends.

  When Baine and Kyle finally came out, I was all smiles. He stood in the door and watched me with a look of wonder on his face.

  “Are you ready to go check out the house?” he asked.

  “Sure. Let me see if I can wrestle Macie away from the kitchen.”

  I got up and walked in to see Mary surrounded by kids as she handed out fresh baked cookies.

  “Would you like one, too, Olivia?”

  “I certainly wouldn’t turn that down. I’m sorry to say our time’s up though. We have some more exploring to do.”

  “Oh. Guess I’m leaving,” Macie said sadly.

  “We’ll see you at school, Mace,” Oscar said. “It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”