His Stubborn Mate (The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series, Book 2)

by Theresa Hissong

  The idea piqued his wolf’s interest, causing the animal to push at his skin. He had to fight the thickening of his canines, as well.

  He heard her plane and hurried outside, watching as she came in smoothly for a landing. It took her only a few minutes to taxi to the building, killing the engine as soon as she was parked in her new spot.

  “Welcome back,” he called out as she opened the door. He held it open, stepping back when she slid to the ground.

  “Hey, thanks,” she replied as a gust of wind caught her hair. She wasn’t wearing the baseball cap this time, and his wolf responded when her scent surrounded him.

  He bit his tongue to keep from blurting out how beautiful she was. Charlie was different than before. This time, she looked more like a movie star than a rough and tumble Alaskan woman. He couldn’t tell which one he liked better.

  She still didn’t wear any makeup, and it didn’t matter if she’d put on half the cosmetics counter. Because her beauty was all natural. Her full lips didn’t need any assistance, either. Neither did her sapphire eyes.

  “Can you show me to my room?” she interrupted his thoughts.

  “Sure, yeah,” he said after clearing his throat. “Right this way.”

  Once inside, Mason turned to the right, pointing toward the first hotel-style room on the left of the short hallway. “This is your room for the next two nights. If you need anything, let me or Aspen know. I’ll get it for you.”

  “I brought everything I need.” She shrugged and held out her hand for the key. “I don’t require much.”

  Mason dangled the key over her palm and released it, making sure he didn’t accidentally touch her even though his wolf was chomping at the bit to just wrap the female in his arms so he could push her into the room and mate her properly.

  “Oh, right…the touching,” Charlie noticed, taking the key without complaint.

  “Get settled,” he ordered. “Aspen is making dinner for everyone. I’ll come get you around six.”

  “Thank you, Mason,” she replied and closed the door, locking him out. His wolf protested, but he tamped it down and left to prepare for the final flight of the day. He had to pick up a hiker at the north end and would be back before it was time to eat.

  Charlie felt her heart flutter when a knock sounded on the door. She knew it was him, and her body responded.

  It’d been a long two days away from them, but during that time, she’d researched everything she could about the things she knew were true. What she had found stunned her.

  The chat rooms and discussion boards online talked about the pack of wolves who were considered no better than the worst gangs and drug lords in the world. Those wolves were being round up for their crimes, and it was no wonder Mason and his family hid out in the forest. She didn’t blame them.

  “Charlie?” Mason called out from the other side of the door when she didn’t immediately answer.

  “Coming!” she hollered. Hurrying along, she put her hair up into a messy bun and grabbed the jacket she’d hung on a peg by the door. When she walked out, Mason was there, taking a step back. The movement was obviously normal for him and his family, but it bothered her more than it should. She didn’t even know the man, and all she wanted him to do was touch her so she could know for sure if his instincts were right.

  “Dinner’s ready,” he announced, but didn’t turn to head toward the kitchen. Instead, he leaned back against the wall across from her room. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she answered. “We can talk about it after dinner.”

  “Now, you have me worried.” He frowned and pushed away from the wall. The lightweight boots he wore didn’t make a sound as he approached. In fact, he moved so close to her, Charlie could feel the warmth coming off his skin…and that mating scent.

  “I just have questions,” she chuckled. “Don’t worry.”

  “Fine,” he replied and held out his hand indicating she should walk ahead of him. “Dinner first.”

  Mason watched her as she ate, and it didn’t really freak her out. It was obvious he was worried about what questions she had for him after their meal.

  She talked with Aspen, Isabell, and Harper the most. The male shifters were reserved, and she knew it was because she was an outsider to them. They might have seemed human, but it was obvious how their animal nature made them leery of her.

  “Go on. I’ll clean up,” Harper offered.

  Everyone said their goodbyes, and Aspen and Isabell even hugged her before they left. Nash stopped and spoke softly to Mason as he waited by the door. When she locked eyes with him, his were hazy yellow and there was just a hint of one canine over his full bottom lip.

  “Do you want to come to my cabin to talk?” The thought of going to his cabin made her legs shake a little.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Show me the way.”

  The walk up the hill to the four cabins didn’t take long, and when he opened the door to the first one on the left, she fell in love. It was simple, like most cabins in Alaska. Upstairs was a loft with a bed, and the bottom was used for the kitchen, living area, and a bathroom.

  “Can I get you anything?” he asked, heading over to his refrigerator. “I have beer and water.”

  “I’m fine, thank you,” she answered and took a seat on his overstuffed couch. “I have questions.”

  She didn’t waste time.

  “I’ll answer whatever you want to know,” he admitted. Mason took to a recliner next to her and sat on the edge of the seat. She didn’t want him to worry about her knowing what they were. So, she relaxed her pose and drew her legs under her to get comfortable.

  “The internet search I did came back with a lot of information,” she began. “I don’t believe it, but there was something in a few news articles that concerns me.”

  “What did they say?” he pressed. His eyes turned a hazy yellow again.

  “That the wolves are all bad,” she stated, knowing that wasn’t entirely true. “I know you’ve told me about them, but I want to know why you’re nothing like them. It sounds like they are more like feral animals.”

  “Basically, they are feral,” he answered, resting his elbows on his thick thighs. He clasped his hands and took a deep breath. “Thousands of years ago, the wolves were led by an alpha who was a barbarian. He forced them to rape and pillage throughout England. There was a war, and the other shifter types killed most of them off. The white wolves were very few, from what I remember hearing when my parents told us our stories. They were hunted and killed, too, but they were not connected to that alpha.”

  “Connected how?” she asked, confused.

  “We have a magical connection to our leader,” he admitted. “Nash is ours, and without him, we will grow weak and die.”

  “That doesn’t seem fair,” she gasped. Did they have no free will?

  Charlie watched as Mason wiped a hand over his face.

  “It’s not,” he cursed. “When your leader is a villain, you have no choice. If you have a good alpha, they would never order you to do bad.”

  “But they can, right?”

  “Nash can order us to rage and destroy an entire town, but he wouldn’t do that,” he admitted. The more she got to know the Ward family, the more she understood their living arrangements. “You saw what happened in the bigger cities, right?”

  “I did,” she said as she nodded.

  “So, you understand why we have to stay hidden?”

  “I do,” she replied, sliding her legs free so she could plant her feet on the ground and scoot to the edge of the couch, taking the same position as him. “My statement still stands. I know what you are, but I would never tell anyone. It isn’t my business. What is my business? Working and flying. That’s all I’m here for.”

  “And about the information that we are possible mates?” he pressed, raising a brow.

  As much as her body wanted to jump in his arms to test his theory, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe that w
asn’t the greatest idea. At least, not until they knew each other better.

  “I’d rather just work here for a while, Mason,” she sighed.

  He nodded, but the look on his face told her he wasn’t too happy with her decision. The hazy yellow to his eyes was back, and she felt a bit of shame over hurting his feelings.

  “Mason,” she began, waiting until he looked into her eyes. He kept them downcast, and if the touching thing wasn’t an issue, she’d have reached out to him. “Look, it’s not that I don’t want to touch you…it’s…well, it’s just that I don’t know you. I’m human, and all I’ve ever known is to date like one. Your kind…they’re different. It’s hard to process.”

  “I want to tuck you against my body and protect you,” he blurted, finally speaking with a full mouth. She held back a gasp of shock when both of his canines were visible. “My wolf. It’s pushing me to touch you to see if his instincts are correct.”

  “Woah,” she said, throwing out her hands when he began to stand.

  “I would never touch you against your will, Charlie,” he balked, reaching for his empty beer. “Just know, if I do make contact with you, it’ll either be by accident or because you beg me.”

  Chapter 4

  Charlie shook hands with the couple she was flying to the north end of the trail the next morning. She’d spent the morning studying the maps again to familiarize herself with the mountains, lakes, and valleys in the area before it was time to leave.

  “The flight should take just under an hour,” she advised. “Meet me at the yellow plane in fifteen minutes with your packs.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said. They’d arrived right on schedule, and Charlie was ready to make her first flight across the pass. If she stuck with it, she had a feeling working with the Wards was going to become her career.

  Mason had already left with a load for one of their local clients, and he’d passed her on his way out the door. He wasn’t acting as rejected as he’d been the night before, but she did notice how his eyes changed when she was near.

  The information she’d found on the internet said that the shifters’ eyes change a lot when they are close to shifting, and she wondered why. Then again, she tried not to take the gossip online to heart.

  “Here is your flight log,” Aspen said as Charlie approached the desk. The couple was out at their vehicle getting their backpacks and weapons ready. “The weather is good this morning, but expected to turn sour later today. By three, we are expecting rain and high winds. Mason’s going to be cutting it close getting these shipments out today.”

  “How many does he have left to do?” Charlie asked, frowning. She could easily take one load for him if it meant they were both done sooner. Weather in Alaska was known to change quickly.

  “He’s on his way back now to pick up his second delivery, but he has another one after that,” Aspen announced.

  “If it looks like the weather is going to change, I can always pick up the third order and deliver it.” Charlie reached for the two manilla folders on the desk. Both of the scheduled shipments were an hour and a half flight each way, but in opposite directions. There was no way Mason would be able to do them both and return before the storm hit.

  “That would be great, Charlie,” Aspen sighed. “Take your hikers and see me when you get back. I’ll talk to Mason, too.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she replied and handed over the folders. Once she had her log book in hand, she pushed through the back door and headed over to her plane to start her pre-flight procedures.

  Once they were in the air, the couple took pictures and talked excitedly about the next four days on the trail. Charlie had never hiked the area before, but planned on doing it once the weather cooled a little. She wasn’t much for the summers in Alaska. Fall and winter were her favorite.

  “All right, we are going to land in ten minutes,” she advised over the headsets. “I’m going to attempt to get you right by the trailhead. The weather is going to change this afternoon. So, be prepared for wind and rain.”

  “Thank you,” the husband replied. “We are going to find shelter early.”

  Mason had marked the few dry cabins available for use on the map, and she’d given them the information. The first one was too far for them to make it on the first day, but they assured her they were seasoned and had a sturdy tent for the evenings.

  Once they were on the ground, she unloaded their things and left them to themselves. She called over the radio and was surprised when Mason answered instead of Aspen.

  “N99 Charlie Alpha Romeo. What’s your ETA?” he responded.

  “Forty minutes,” she replied. “Ward Air, I am available to deliver supplies to Mr. Dupree.”

  “Affirmative,” Mason replied. “Aspen will see you on the ground. Fury will be waiting to load. I’ll be back in two hours.”

  “See you then,” she replied and signed off.

  A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She was going to like her new job. It sure beat being stuck in a hospital all day. As much as she loved being a nurse, she desired the freedom she felt when operating her airplane.

  The wind came sooner than expected, but it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Mason held his bush plane steady as his wheels touched down at home.

  “Welcome home,” Aspen said over the radio. “Tie down. It’s about to get bad.”

  “10-4,” he replied. “Have you heard from Charlie?”

  “She’s seventy miles out,” Aspen said, the radio going silent.

  “Fuck,” he blurted into the small confines of his cockpit while shutting everything down. He’d hoped she would have been closer, but it looked like the weather was going to beat her. “I’ll be in soon.”

  Aspen signed off, but another crackle over the line kept him in his seat. “N99 Charlie Alpha Romeo to Ward Air. Everything is smooth out here.”

  “Charlie,” he said into the mic. “Winds pick up twenty miles out. Watch yourself coming over the mountain.”

  “Got it,” she replied. “I’ll be on the ground in thirty.”

  He hurried out of the plane and was met by Fury with his tie down straps. They worked to secure his plane, and afterward, his cousin’s mate left him alone to wait for the human female.

  He heard her plane before he saw her, and he watched as she came in for a landing. Her wings dipped left and right as the wind swirled around them. He wasn’t worried, yet. It was always tricky during bad weather, but bush pilots could handle a lot of what was thrown at them. He knew she was experienced, but how well?

  The tiny, yellow float plane bounced twice before the wheels stuck to the ground. He released a breath when he heard the engines power down so she could taxi in.

  “Nice landing,” he praised when she finally opened her door.

  “It wasn’t that bad.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve flown in worse conditions…a lot worse.”

  “Where are your straps? We need to tie down for the day,” he announced.

  The wind blew the few hairs that escaped her hat, swirling them around her delicate face. He wanted to tuck them back, but he refrained.

  She opened a compartment and dug around inside, removing the straps. Instead of handing them over, she raised her brow and set them on the ground. “Not to be rude or anything.”

  “Not rude at all,” he chuckled and waited for her to be clear before he squatted down to retrieve them. “But you can hand them to me anytime.”

  “Not yet,” she smirked and started work on her own straps.

  Mason laughed and walked around to the other side of the plane. She was going to be stubborn as hell, but he was up to the challenge.

  “Ah, crap. It’s starting to rain,” she squealed. “Hurry up! I’m going inside.”

  He watched as she jogged toward the terminal, looking back over her shoulder when she reached the little overhang at the door. He’d just finished his inspection of their work and sauntered toward the building, ignoring the cold rain as it dropped ar
ound him. Her reaction to the rain put a smile on his face. He hadn’t felt a reason to smile like that in a long time.

  “Scared of the rain?” he asked as she opened the door. He caught it before it could close and waited a few seconds before following her inside.

  “I hate the rain,” she admitted with a shrug as she removed her light jacket. “I love the snow. Snow is much easier to live with. Mud sucks.”

  “Good point,” he agreed. “Want some lunch?”

  “Actually, yes,” she moaned, placing her hand over her stomach. “I’m starving.”

  “Come up to my cabin,” he suggested. No, really, he was demanding it. The thought of having her all to himself set his wolf to prowling. It wanted to be free so it could rub its scent all over her body. “I’ll make you something.”

  “Sounds good,” she replied and crossed the terminal to use the front door where a bucket of umbrellas sat for anyone to use. She waited outside once she was covered, and they fell into step beside each other as they walked up the hill.

  The sound of the forest around them grew heavier as the rain picked up. He heard Charlie grunt when she stepped into a small puddle. Thankfully, she was wearing weatherproof boots and her feet wouldn’t get wet.

  “Let me take off my boots,” she said as they reached his porch. “I’ll be right in.”

  Mason went into his kitchen to start preparing her a sandwich. He called out over his shoulder for her to take a seat, but when he looked, she was already there. Gods, she looked like she belonged there, and hopefully one day, she would be there for good.

  “Here you go,” he said, setting the plate down on the table. She pulled it over once he walked away. “You eat first. I’ll be there shortly.”

  “No, I can wait,” she offered, but Mason set the package of meat on the counter and turned toward her. She had no idea how the shifters really did things, and he needed to clear that up. “What?”

  “Well, shifters are respectful. Well, most of us are,” he began. “In my world, females eat first, and the male will wait until she eats before taking what’s left for himself. It’s a thing.”