by Delta James
“Do you think you’ll ever find peace, Griffin? Bethan isn’t the only one who worries about you.”
“I used to think that what you and Bethan have would never be possible for me. But lately, I find myself wondering what it might be like. But I don’t believe that place will be here with you. Now what is it you need me to do?”
“I think you know that Skylar has found a new mate—Dylan Grainger of Calon Gwyllt. You know him?”
“By reputation only. He’s cut from the same cloth as Micah. He should be able to handle her.”
Ioan nodded. “I agree. And he felt called to her. He was the one they sent to reintegrate her and the women with her back into our society. According to some, he did an excellent job, but the Ruling Council in North America has their panties in a twist. He placed more than one of the women in the same pack and allowed one of his own unranked males to claim one.”
“Were they the right pairings?”
“According to Grainger, yes. And the rumors reaching across the pond are that he’s right. Micah left an envelope to be hand-delivered to any mate Skylar might take if he died before her. I also want you to give him a rundown on what you saw over on the continent. I’ve sent some information to Grainger and asked him to see what kind of support and coalition we might be able to form in North America. I understand there’s to be a gathering in New Orleans.”
“That’s Jean-Michel Gautier’s territory… he’s always been something of a mystery.”
Ioan nodded. “Yes—smooth as silk and ever so charming, but he can be lethal, especially if he feels his pack is being threatened. And now with having a mate—one of Skylar’s girls—I suspect even more so. The gathering will be various packs that Grainger is sure we can count on for support. Grainger said he feels they will be willing to form a coalition of more progressive packs and would welcome your involvement both from a strategic standpoint and as a first contact back to Calon Onest and those who will stand with us.”
“You don’t believe we can avoid a conflict, do you?”
“I hope we can avoid a war within the shifter community. My fear is that any conflict that became that large and that global might well draw the attention of humans who don’t know about us into the fight. But I do think a fight of some kind is inevitable. Take a day or two to rest and collect your thoughts…”
“And assure my big sister you aren’t sending me into imminent danger?”
Ioan laughed. “That too. You don’t mind going, do you?”
“Not at all. I’ve always wanted to see the United States and one of the cities I especially wanted to explore was New Orleans.”
Chapter Four
Madeline Stone, Maddie to her friends, sat on the small balcony to her townhome in the French Quarter in the heart of the Crescent City. Maddie was becoming more and more convinced that something was brewing within the shifter community.
She had come to know about shifters when the year before she had been snatched off the streets of London. The small pack of rogue wolves had planned to turn her and return to their home in Eastern Europe. She had been fortunate in that Oliver Halsey, the international businessman, had seen the kidnapping, followed the men back to their rented cottage outside of London and dealt with them. Watching him and her attackers shift from human to wolf and back again had been terrifying and fascinating at the same time. Oliver had respected her decision to remain a non-shifter, but asked that she keep their secret, to which she had readily agreed. She felt it was the least she could do.
But the incident had spurred her interest and imagination. Quietly she began to utilize the investigative training she had acquired from her former job as a paralegal for a prestigious law firm in Chicago to learn more about the wolf shifter society in general and the pack based here in New Orleans.
One of the things that fascinated her was that the pack that called her city and the surrounding area their territory was led by an alpha who descended from the city’s most famous and beloved pirate, Jean Lafitte. Jean-Michel Gautier was known to be a great benefactor of the city and one of its wealthiest. He had a much grander townhouse not too far from Maddie that had been in the family for hundreds of years and a large plantation estate outside the city. Both were known to have been routine stops all along the Underground Railroad.
Maddie had moved to New Orleans more than a decade previously when her marriage had come to a bitter end. Her therapist had suggested writing as a way to deal with her feelings of anger and betrayal. That first novel had struck a resonant chord with the public and had launched Maddie’s career. Two books later it became apparent that her calling was as a romantic suspense writer. She quit her job as a paralegal in Chicago, relocated to New Orleans and never looked back.
Maddie now wrote under two pen names in two very different genres—contemporary romantic suspense and paranormal/fantasy erotic romance. She purposefully avoided using wolf shifters as her characters and had become known for her series about dragon shifters. She often wondered if other authors knew that shifters truly existed. She also questioned if one or more of the more noted paranormal erotic writers were shifters themselves.
Since she knew about and was fascinated by the wolfen society, Maddie kept her ear to the ground. She had learned about an incident earlier in the month at the nail salon she patronized. She’d only been able to translate bits and pieces of whispered conversations. From what she had overheard and been able to understand, a group of wolves outside of Gautier’s pack had invaded Gautier’s territory. As far as she knew, they had been run off, but she noticed that she no longer saw any of the members of his pack by themselves.
She also noted an increase in activity at his townhouse—there were always two to three men… never any of the women. She knew both from Halsey and her own observations that women were cherished and protected in the wolfen society and that an alpha, such as Gautier or Halsey, was a law unto himself. It would make sense then that if there was trouble, Gautier would keep a constant presence in the city and the women of his pack close to home.
Maddie had often considered trying to get a closer look at Gautier’s estate along the Mississippi. She had resisted thus far as she considered it to be an invasion of his pack’s privacy. Yes, she was fascinated with their society, but it seemed bad manners to repay Halsey’s defense of and trust in her last year in that manner. But it was often so very tempting.
She began to think that Gautier was keeping tabs on what was coming in and out of the port. As New Orleans was one of the largest ports of call in the world, he could easily be smuggling something into or out of the United States. As she sat sipping her sweet tea, Maddie began to muse if perhaps it was someone as opposed to something.
Deciding that until she had more information, she was not going to be able to focus and write, she messaged one of her fans who worked at the port. The woman had often offered to give her a private tour. Maddie decided now was as an excellent time to take her up on her offer. Arranging to meet Cassie later that day, she left her perch and went and got ready. Her thought was she would drive by Gautier’s townhouse on her way to the port.
* * *
Geoff, the omega of the New Orleans pack, watched the vintage roadster drive slowly past the townhouse. He kept himself concealed behind the curtain. When Peter, one of the other members of the pack, approached, he prevented him from appearing in the window as well.
Peter watched the obvious object of Geoff’s attention. “What interests you about that roadster?”
“Not so much the roadster, but its driver. That’s Madeline Stone’s car, and that’s Ms. Stone driving it.”
“So why do we care about that?”
“Because last year she was almost turned without her consent in London. Halsey stepped in and prevented it and asked her to keep our secret. As far as we can tell, she’s done so, but Halsey asked Jean-Michel to keep an eye out for her.”
“Does Halsey think she’ll make trouble?”
“I don’t th
ink so, more that someone might try for her again. She’d be a prize—wealthy, young, and beautiful. No apparent family ties. She’s been doing some research on our society. Doesn’t seem to be inclined to do anything with it. Halsey is convinced that she’s just curious. But, you know Jean-Michel, he’s not inclined to trust non-shifters.”
“Do you think she knows about our pack?”
“Absolutely,” said Geoff, calling Jean-Michel. “A couple of others, including JD, have noted her driving by here.”
“She could just be interested in the architecture.”
“Could be, but I’m with Jean-Michel—better safe than sorry.”
After a brief conversation with their alpha, the decision was made to invite Ms. Stone to the estate for a sit down. The gathering of the various alphas of several packs was less than a week away, this was no time for a nosey non-shifter to put a fly in the ointment so to speak.
“So, Geoff, how’s life now that you have a mate?”
Geoff’s smile said more than words could convey. “Everything you’ve ever heard about finding your fated mate… and then some.”
Peter laughed. “I didn’t think much of her when she joined us.”
“She was a bit of a spitfire when she first came.”
“A bit?” Peter laughed. “More than a bit.”
Geoff chuckled. “Maybe a bit more, but she got over that quick enough and you have to admit she’s brought a lot to our pack.”
“On that we are in complete agreement. Not sure I want to know how Jean-Michel pulled that one off. It’s surprising that we ended up with three of the Bae Diogel girls, but I think everyone agrees we were damn lucky to get them. And Jean-Michel’s mate, Darby…”
“Now that’s a spitfire. I’ve actually seen her spar with some of our men. If anyone attacks the estate, she’s going to be in the fight regardless of what Jean-Michel tells her.”
“She has no fear of him whatsoever.”
Geoff nodded. “None. She respects him and loves him to the moon and back. But Jean-Michel says when she thinks she’s right, she doesn’t even think about the fact that disobeying him is going to get her put over his knee.”
Geoff picked up a set of keys and got ready to head out. He said to Peter, “Why don’t you head down to the port and see if you can get a look at the manifest for those two freighters that came in late last night. I think I’m going to go see if I can locate Ms. Stone and figure out what she’s up to.”
“What if you can’t catch up with her?”
“Then I’ll go sit and watch her townhouse for a bit. Sound like a plan?”
Peter nodded. The two men got ready and left the townhouse.
Geoff moved quickly. He hoped he could intercept Maddie’s car and follow her. He’d known it was a long shot and when he saw Peter exit their neighborhood, he knew he’d missed her. Geoff headed back to the street on which she resided and found an inconspicuous place to wait and watch.
He watched cars come and go, but began to take a greater interest in a particular late model SUV. He jotted down the license number and texted it to Peter—the pack’s resident computer guru.
Geoff was a bit surprised when a text came through from Peter with a picture of Madeline Stone. She was at the port. Geoff told him to keep an eye on her and then follow her back to her neighborhood but not to turn down her street. He would remain where he was.
Geoff texted JD, the beta of the New Orleans pack:
Geoff: Madeline Stone is at the port. I’m thinking poking around. Peter is keeping an eye on her. I’m camped outside her home and been keeping my eye on an SUV I haven’t seen before. I sent the license to Peter.
JD: Per Jean-Michel, we had word just a bit ago that visitors may be arriving. Keep a close eye on Stone. She is to be kept under surveillance and if things get dicey, bring her under our protection and get her out to the plantation.
Geoff: Understood. I’ll keep you advised.
Several hours later, Geoff had no doubt that the SUV was camped out waiting for Madeline Stone to return home. Peter texted him:
Peter: MS had lunch with a high-placed employee at the port and spent some time in the main office. She’s getting in her car and heading out; looks like she may be headed home.
Geoff: Stay with her but turn off at the street she lives on. I’m well concealed, but can see her place perfectly. I’m staying; spell me if you can. There’s an SUV that’s been here all day. Go back to the townhouse, grab something to eat, and then bring me something. Park a couple of blocks away and don’t let anyone see you. I’m sitting in a little grotto between two houses; there’s a large laurel hedge that’s between me and her place and the SUV.
Peter: Got it. See you soon.
A half an hour later Geoff watched as Maddie returned to her home, pulled into her private drive, and went into her house. He hoped he was in for a long, dull evening.
* * *
Maddie entered her home and moved into her office. She sat down and made notes of what she’d learned earlier in the day. She was convinced now, more than ever, that something was amiss in the shifter society and that Jean-Michel Gautier was an integral part of it. There were several things that weren’t clear: How would humans be affected? Was Gautier part of the solution or part of the problem? What could she do to ensure that whatever was coming didn’t cause irreparable damage to her city or the people who dwelled within?
Maddie worked for several hours both on her shifter project and on her current novel. By the time she looked up, night had fallen. She wandered into the main part of the house, made sure it was closed up tight and headed up the stairs. She walked up to her master suite on the second floor, got undressed, took a shower, and climbed into bed. About the time her divorce was finalized and she began writing romance novels, she began sleeping nude. She had come to love the freedom it gave her and now preferred for romantic partners to either leave when they were finished or at least stay on their own side of the bed. The woman who had once loved to snuggle, now felt confined and imprisoned with anyone sleeping too close.
Her last thought before she closed her eyes to fall asleep was that it might be time to call Oliver Halsey up in the Hamptons to share her concerns. He had given her his private number and encouraged her to call should she ever find herself in need of assistance. Oliver Halsey, now there was a sexy alpha wolf. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Peter had joined Geoff and encouraged him to try to sleep while he kept watch. Geoff felt he’d barely closed his eyes when Peter’s low warning growl awakened him immediately.
“What is it?” asked Geoff, coming fully awake.
“There’s more than one wolf in that SUV and they’re moving toward Stone’s place. Very stealthy. Should we call Jean-Michel?”
“No, JD told me Jean-Michel wants her kept safe. If needed, we’re to intervene and then bring her to the plantation. If those wolves know who she is or have figured out she’s snooping around the port, it’s time for her to enjoy Jean-Michel’s hospitality.”
Geoff shook his head and smiled ruefully.
“What?” asked Peter.
“Kidnapping some human and taking her to the plantation if she doesn’t want to come along? Darby and Summer will be fit to be tied.”
Peter chuckled. “That’s what you get for marrying a spitfire. You have to know that it’s a source of amusement to those of us who remain unmated that you ended up with the hellion and JD ended up with the angelic Megan.”
Geoff laughed as well. “Yes, JD and I find it quite amusing as well. But Megan has her moments. She just tends to act out when it’s just the two of them. There’s been more than one round of crashing pottery.”
They watched for a few moments more. It became apparent that the wolves from the SUV planned to break into Madeline Stone’s house. As they knew she was there, the indication was that they meant to do her harm.
“We’d best go fetch our guest and get her home,” said Geoff as t
hey slipped out of their car and they too headed to the house. “God help me… Summer is going to have a meltdown.”
Peter tried hard not to chuckle, but failed miserably, which elicited a low growl from Geoff before he too started to laugh.
Chapter Five
Maddie was having a decidedly sexy dream involving a wolf shifter. Even though she was an active participant in the dream itself, some part of her stayed aloof and recognized that it wasn’t Oliver Halsey who was the focus of her desire. She couldn’t see his face, but knew that he was a shifter and not a human. She had often wondered how that worked. She knew from the incident in London that should a human be bitten or have their blood intermingled with that of a shifter, that the human victim would be forever changed into a shifter.
In Maddie’s dream she was trailing a large brick wall that ran from what she assumed was the front of the property down to the banks of the Mississippi. She knew that there was danger all around and that keeping her presence concealed was of paramount importance. She was creeping toward a large antebellum mansion, when she felt two arms wrap around her.
One hand came up so that it covered her mouth and prevented her from screaming. The other wrapped around her waist and was pulling her back into a strong male body. She could feel both the strength with which the arms enfolded her and the muscled body that she was being held against. She knew that the arms that held her were those of a shifter. She became acutely aware of the hardening cock that began to nudge at her backside straining against his jeans.
“You are in danger, cwningen bach. You need to stay safe and do as you’re told.”
Maddie found she was unafraid. She didn’t recognize the voice of the shifter who spoke but found it and his presence comforting. She felt him nuzzle her neck and growl softly and possessively. The sound seemed to resonate within her and she shuddered… not from fear but from something far more primitive and powerful.