by Lauren Dane
“Gotcha. I’m curious myself but guessing that they aren’t happy with it. There was that mess with their demoted Third turning up dead and it looked like a family hit. Can’t imagine that engendered much positive feeling between them and Cascadia.”
“Yeah. Well, we don’t want to go getting in the middle of this situation, Nick. The Pellinis are powerful. Who knows? Maybe when this is over they’ll remember that we didn’t take sides.”
“I’m not sure it’s wise to not take sides. This is the mafia, Ben! They’ll bring us all down if we let them.”
“Just feel them out for now, Nick.” Ben frowned for a moment and relaxed. “Nina Warden and the youngest sister will be there along with Lex and one of the guards for Nina. How many people are you taking?”
“I’ll take one of my men as backup. I have no doubt that the Mediator will have a full retinue of guards and I’m not fooled by how hot Nina Warden is. She’d rip my throat out as soon as look at me if I threatened hers. I haven’t met the youngest sister, is she a guard too?”
“No. Not the youngest one. Cade says she’s just administrative help and he didn’t sound like he was hiding anything. If she’s female, I’m guessing you’ll charm her. But don’t screw this one, Nick. The last thing we need are two angry Wardens down here ready to kill the wolf who hurt their baby sister.”
Nick shrugged. “Like I can help it. But you know, I do have control over my cock, thank you very much. Sheesh.” He grinned at his brother, who snorted. “I’m off. I want to grab some coffee before I get there.”
He saw his personal assistant and one of his guards in the hall and they all headed out.
* * * * *
“I can’t believe you made us get up at five.” Tracy held on to her latte like it was her lifeline as they drove up the winding drive to the resort.
Nina laughed. “He said early. And you slept for most of the way here.”
“I had to keep my eyes closed to keep from seeing you maul each other. Jeez. The honeymoon is over. I thought you weren’t so hot for each other after the first six months.”
“I’ve got news for you, sweetie, this mate thing is like sexual crack. I think I know why your mom was so unhappy all those years. Your dad was gone so much, she must have gone up the walls. Not being around Lex for long periods of time makes me very unhappy and when I’m with him I just want to touch him, nuzzle and snuggle with him. It’s irresistible.”
“Blech! So I’ll be all horny like you two are all the time?”
Lex chuckled. “Is being horny a bad thing?”
“I suppose not if you have a mate to satisfy your urges. But really, do you have to do it in front of me and Megan?”
“Jealous?” Nina smirked at Tracy over her shoulder and laughed.
“I am!” Megan said and patted Milton’s head.
“Wow, this is some place,” Tracy said as they pulled up to the main building. The drive had taken them up a hill into dense foliage. The grounds were landscaped in a lush manner so that even though it was full winter, it was still green.
There were some lovely water features and what looked to be a hedge maze that Tracy thought she’d take a look at later on.
The main building was done in the Craftsman style of architecture, dominating the grounds with its natural wood beams, and beautiful stained glass in the windows. Tracy loved the signature style, it felt very indicative of the spirit of the Northwest. She saw that there were many small outbuildings in the same style grouped all over the grounds.
“I’m going to check us all in, I’ll be right back,” Lex said and leaned over and kissed Nina. “Stay out of trouble. Megan, shoot her if she looks like she’s going to get out.”
Nina sighed and flicked his ear.
Once he’d walked into the building, she turned to look at her sisters-in-law in the backseat. “So, let’s take Milton for a walk.”
“No. We’ll wait. Come on, he’s going to have a stroooohh…” Megan’s eyes glazed over. The other two women followed her gaze and saw the men getting out of the cars just over from where they were parked.
“Holy hot studly dude,” Nina breathed as she watched the man in the dark suit get out of the Porsche. “Correction, holy hot studly wolf. That’s Nick Lawrence. I met him briefly when Lex and I were on our road trip down to San Francisco this last summer.”
“I’m all sweaty all of a sudden. And we have to sit in a room with him for a day or so? Whew, that’ll be a treat. Maybe we should make up stuff to have to mediate. I bet he’s cute when he’s mad.” Tracy snickered.
“The others with him aren’t so bad either,” Megan murmured, checking out the other wolf she guessed was a guard and one who looked like a sexy accountant. “Man, I need to get laid.”
Nina laughed, surprised. “Well, well, well! All three of them certainly look like prime mattress material. Go for it, Megs.”
Lex walked out of the building and stopped when he saw Nick. Back in the car, the women watched as they talked for a few moments.
“Ugh, I feel like the little woman sitting out here in the car! Gah! Well, at least Lawrence walks like a man with not much to hide. He’s a ladies’ man though.”
“How can you tell? Jeez, you can’t be that good.” Tracy leaned forward between the seats.
“He has a cocky walk. A loose, self-confident walk. He’s extraordinarily good-looking and well-groomed. He’s got the chick magnet sports car. It only stands to reason. Plus, he’s the second son. He has the freedom that the oldest one wouldn’t have had. Look at the difference between Cade and Lex. Don’t think I don’t know what Lex was like before he sniffed me.”
Lex walked back to the car and looked suspicious when they all got quiet but for stifled giggles when he got inside. “What is going on?”
“Nothing. I was just saying that Nick Lawrence was a ladies’ man and explaining how I knew. Get us checked in all right?”
Lex narrowed his eyes at her and then handed her a map. “We’re around the corner in a bungalow. The dog will have space and Megan can be nearby to keep an eye on you.”
Nina smiled. She loved how sweet he was under that tough wolf exterior. “Thank you, Scooby. We should get our crap unloaded then. It’s coming up on the meeting time.”
He pulled the car around and they moved the stuff into the bungalow, fed and watered Milton and let him do a quick run.
“Go on, I’ll be up in a second,” Tracy called out. “I just want to let him run a bit more before I go.”
“You know where it’s at then?”
“Yes, Lex. You showed us on the map four times already. And I won’t be late, I promise. And no, I’m not going to change. It’s stupid. He’s going to mediate a buffer and I don’t need pantyhose for that.”
Nina shoved Lex up the walk and Megan waved back at Tracy and then moved to flank Nina.
Tracy let Milton run a few minutes more and took him back inside, made sure it was warm enough, gave him a treat and opened up the drapes so he could look outside. He liked to watch the birds and squirrels. Taking one last look in the mirror, she headed out to the conference room where they’d be meeting.
It was a nice day, crisp but unseasonably warm, and she only needed a light jacket over her T-shirt as she walked along the path. Her heart caught in her throat as she watched a man with caramel hair and a bit of salt-and-pepper at the temples walk into the building in front of her. He had on pants with a pleat so sharp it probably cut paper, expensive shoes and a wine-colored sweater. The perfect mix of formal and casual to go with the perfect haircut. Very attractive in a professorial way. Still, she had the urge to jump on him and muss him up.
The man was in charge. His very demeanor indicated he was self-assured and oh-so-very dominant. Mmm, dominant.
She laughed to herself and went in behind the man, who was quite obviously the Mediator. There was a coat rack just outside the room and she took off hers and hung it up. The room was warm enough for humans and definitely warm enough for wolve
s. She couldn’t resist a quick look in the window to catch her reflection. Her lipstick was still on nicely and she gave her hair a quick fingercomb and went into the room.
Nick looked up from the paperwork on the table in front of him and caught sight of the woman that had just entered the room. Shoulder-length, tousled golden-blonde curls framed her face. The sweet heart shape and pixie nose were set off by the ring in her eyebrow. Freckles dusted her cheeks and drew his eyes up past her high cheekbones to the green eyes. They were wide and glittering with hidden mischief. Her lips, stained red with shiny gloss, curved up on one corner like she had a secret.
She reached up and tucked her hair back and more piercings, running the length of her ear, showed. When she turned and waved to Lex he could see the outline of both nipples, each pierced by a ring, through the tight black T-shirt she had on. Her features seemed petite but she was long and lithe and sexy. Her legs were very nice legs, showcased by the worn and faded jeans she was wearing, but her ass was spectacular.
He should be horrified. He should be mentally sneering and looking for the woman in the Jones New York suit and the two-hundred-dollar haircut. Instead, he stood openmouthed and panting over a woman who he wouldn’t pick up hitchhiking.
Tracy nonchalantly looked for the Mediator while pretending to be all business. Waving to Lex and Nina, she did a quick sweep of the room and stopped when she saw Nick Lawrence close up.
Everything got still and quiet as her eyes were drawn to the sable black hair that she just knew was cut to perfection every six weeks. It looked soft and silky and she clenched her hands at the thought of running her fingers through it. His eyes caught hers and pulled her into their deep blue depths. His features were beautiful, almost pretty, and yet the width of his shoulders and the power hinted at in his legs overcame it. It was clear he was a man. A big, bad man who could be scary if he needed to be. He wouldn’t be the Enforcer if he wasn’t physically the strongest and most fearsome wolf in the Pack.
She shivered. And then felt confused. Why on earth did that matter? She’d never been one to go after the jock type and most especially the clean-cut, corporate-suit type.
“Tracy? You ready to get started?” Lex asked, jolting her out of her thoughts.
“Uh, yes. Yes. Sorry.” She walked over to their table and sat next to him. Behind them both, Nina watched with a puzzled look on her face.
Professor Studly stepped forward and everyone stood again. “I’m Gabe Murphy, the Mediator for the National Pack. This doesn’t appear to be an overly complicated situation so I’m hoping we can cut the shit and get this thing banged out by the end of business today.”
He held out his hand to Lex, who shook it.
“I’m Alexander Warden, Lex to most people. I’m Enforcer and Second in the Cascadia Clan.” He inclined his head slightly, showing the deference due the Mediator but not an inch more.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lex. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Gabe stepped to Nick then, who was still staring at Tracy, but forced himself to focus on the Mediator. “Nicholas Lawrence, Enforcer and Second in Pacific Clan.” He too gave the inclination of his head.
Acting by strict protocol, Gabe moved back to Lex, where Nina stood forward. “Nina Reyes–Warden. Second.”
Gabe couldn’t help but grin. The woman clearly thought the whole thing was bullshit. It showed in her body language and the way she met his eyes. He liked that. “I’ve also heard about you, Nina. It’s nice to finally meet you, your reputation proceeds you.”
She snorted. Lex looked horrified and Tracy and Megan kept their gazes down so as not to laugh.
“I’ll take that as a compliment then, shall I, Gabe?”
He laughed then. “Absolutely.”
He then dealt with the other members of each group. Despite his normally calm demeanor, his heart sped up when he shook the hand of Tracy Warden. Normally he’d have been none too thrilled to meet someone with a facial piercing, at the very least turned off, but on her it was wicked sexy. Made him wonder if anything else was pierced, and if she had tattoos.
“Okay, do you all know each other?” Gabe asked, looking around at them, forcing his mind off stripping those clothes off Tracy Warden and searching out the answers to his questions.
“I’ve not met anyone from Pacific.” Tracy was surprised that her voice didn’t crack under the pressure of all that testosterone in the room.
Gabe took her hand, led her over to the others and introduced her to Nick. When Nick touched her hand her body tightened and erupted into gooseflesh. Oh shit.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tracy.” Nick said this in his usual debonair way but he was fighting down panic. Fighting back the urge to push her back to the table behind her and grab the flesh of her neck between his teeth.
She knew she must have mumbled something and met the others. She realized this as she sat in the chair next to Lex and began to take notes. The time began to tick by and she didn’t quite know where it had gone.
The feel of her hand in Nick’s had warmed her. Turned her insides molten. She was achy and her wolf was agitated. Several times Lex had to repeat himself when he asked her a question as she found it increasingly more difficult to pay attention.
Nina watched her sister-in-law with careful eyes. All the fidgeting and distractedness was unlike her. “Excuse me, can we take a break?” Nina asked, standing up.
Lex turned around, concern on his face. “Are you all right?”
“I just need a break. I think I need a piece of fruit or something.”
“Of course, we’ve been at this for a few hours. Let’s take half an hour and then we’ll work through lunch. I took the liberty of ordering in, I hope you don’t mind.” Gabe stood, smiling.
Nina nodded and moved forward. “Tracy, honey, can you come with me, please?” And before Tracy could answer she found herself being dragged out of the room.
Just outside the building, Nina hustled her around the side. “What the hell is going on? Are you all right?” Nina examined her through narrowed eyes.
“Wha—what do you mean?”
Nina rolled her eyes. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just tell Lex and then it’ll be all dramatic. I’ve been watching you, Trace. You’re the attention-to-details queen and for the last two hours you’ve been mooning—and yes, I said mooning—over Nick Lawrence and he’s been just as bad.”
Tracy put her head in her hands, unable to deny it. “Oh god, Nina. I think he’s my mate!”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“Do you think I’d kid about something like this? I’ve never been affected by a male like this before. I want to rub my face all over him. I want to give him my neck. I want him!”
“Nina! Where the hell are you?” Lex yelled from the doors around the corner.
“I’m back here. Go get me some fruit and a bagel or something, please.”
He came around the corner, emanating menace. “What is going on, Nina? Are you all right?”
Nina sighed and patted his arm. “I’m fine. Thank you, baby. Now, please, I need to talk to Tracy alone. Can you please get me something to eat?”
“Are you pregnant?”
She stared at him, mouth agape and then burst out laughing. “No, studly. I’m not. I promise. This is female-type stuff, though, so I’d appreciate the privacy.”
Thinking that he may be sent off to retrieve tampons or something equally horrifying, he set Megan on watch and headed to get some food.
Nina giggled and turned back to Tracy as Megan hustled over to them. “He thought I was going to send him for feminine hygiene products or something. I’m going to have to keep that reaction in mind for the future. Now, back to you.”
“What am I going to do?”
“What do you mean? If he’s your mate, there’s only one thing you can do!”
“Mate? What the hell did I miss?” Megan hissed.
“Tracy is pretty sure that Nick is her mate,”
Nina explained in low tones.
Megan’s eyebrow went up. “Well, nice one! He’s a hot number.”
Tracy’s misery was chased away when she had to laugh at her sister. “He’s from another Pack.”
“And?”
“I’d always imagined my mate to be from Cascadia.”
“Yes well, I’d always imagined my mate to be a human man with a normal job who didn’t turn into a wolf at will and carry a gun. We don’t always get what we think we want.” Nina’s face softened. “But a lot of the time we get what we need.”
“Just get a good sniff and let him get one too. Nature will take over from there, Trace.” Megan’s matter-of-factness was a comfort and Tracy snorted.
“I need some time alone,” Tracy said with a sigh. “I need some fresh air and time to think. We’ve got fifteen minutes left. I’ll be back.”
“Are you sure?” Nina looked concerned.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Nina hugged her and Megan followed. “I’m happy for you, Tracy. This is a good thing, you know,” Megan murmured into her ear.
“I hope so.”
They walked back into the building and Tracy headed down the path and ended up at the hedge maze. She wandered down the first wide lane and headed left, toward a bench near a fountain.
Sitting down, she put her head back and looked up at the sky.
That’s how Nick found her. When she’d left with the others, he’d tried to talk himself into staying in the room. Tried to pretend that what he was feeling was just raw lust but had failed. His wolf had chafed at that and pushed him into getting up and out of the room and he’d followed her scent on the wind.
“Hi,” he said as he approached the bench.
She sat up slowly, her eyes meeting his, and everything else simply ceased to exist. “Hi.”
Dropping onto the bench beside her, he couldn’t resist any longer. “I need to know.” He leaned in, put his face into her neck and breathed in deeply.
It hit him then—her pheromones slamming into his system, twining with his senses, luring him, seducing him. Her scent called to him, her chemicals tangoed with his and he groaned, his entire body hardening with want for her. Not just physical desire but the need to possess her in every way.