by T. S. Ryder
"I can fit you in next Thursday at three." Jackie pinched her phone between her shoulder and ear, pen poised over her appointment book.
A rancher wanted to meet with Myles for an investment into his land. Her boss never turned down meetings with farmers or ranchers, although he was very stringent in who he invested in. It was one of the things Jackie admired about him.
The rancher agreed, and Jackie penciled in the name before she thanked him for his call and hung up. Setting the planner aside, she did a quick google search of the man. Myles liked to have background information on potential investments.
She looked up as his distinctive smell curled into her nostrils, trying to calm the instant increase of her heartbeat and the blush that rose in her cheeks. Myles smiled at her. Jackie stood, snatching up her appointment book and quickly finding the current day.
"The oil company called with updates to your—"
"In a minute," Myles interrupted. He set a box on her desk. "I thought we could chat a little. I still don't know much about you."
Jackie's face went scarlet. Myles seemed amused at her reaction, giving her a cocky grin as he flipped open the box. The scent of powdered donuts hit her hard and she moaned, her mouth watering. She shook her head as Myles nudged them towards her.
"I can't. I'm on a diet."
Myles's brows rose. "Why?"
He sounded so genuinely surprised that Jackie floundered for a moment. Her face was so hot that she was sure she could fry an egg on it. "Well… health reasons, really. My family history puts me at a high risk of diabetes and heart issues, so I just want to take better care of myself."
Myles nodded seriously. "That's a good reason. I'd have had to give you a lecture if it was all about your looks. You're damn hot the way you are."
Jackie's eyes widened, and for a second she forgot how to breathe. It wasn't as though she thought of herself as unattractive, although she was certain some people would label her as such. When she’d first started gaining weight she had hated her body, which only made everything that much worse. It was only after she stopped thinking of herself negatively that she had begun to be able to shed the pounds again. What she had told Myles was the truth; she wanted to be healthier. A smaller dress size was just icing on the cake, so to speak.
But Myles Foster had just called her hot. Jackie wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"Thank you," she mumbled.
Myles grinned broadly, clearly enjoying her reaction, and closed the box of donuts. "So this diet of yours. What can I bring you?"
"Um… I can have a 100-calorie snack between meals. Except Mondays. Mondays are my cheat days, when I don't have to worry about calories or sugar."
"Hmmm. Donuts on Mondays, then." Myles nodded. "Good for the start of the week, right?"
Jackie nodded, still aware her face was uncomfortably red. She smoothed down her tan pencil skirt, frantically thinking of how to respond to that. Scarlet had never been interested in her as a person.
"So, you like donuts?" Jackie could have died the moment the words left her mouth. What sort of idiotic question was that?
Fortunately, the phone rang right at that moment and Myles gestured for her to answer it. She snatched it up gratefully, her face burning.
"This is Billy from the PR department," the voice on the other end of the phone said without preamble. "There's something on channel ten Mr. F needs to see."
Billy sounded so grim that Jackie relayed the information at once. Myles's expression darkened and he strode into his office, turning on his TV. Jackie followed him, her black pumps sinking into the thick rug as she joined her boss beside his desk.
Myles flicked to the channel Billy had directed them to. It was one of those talk shows that were little better than supermarket tabloids, always digging up dirt on celebrities, or making it up in some cases. The talk show host, Maggie something or other, sat on a couch with a blonde supermodel. She was skinny as a broomstick, with breasts that were so huge it was a wonder she didn't topple over when she stood.
"Kathy," Myles muttered, then let out a string of curse words that had Jackie's jaw dropping. She didn't even know what half of those words meant!
Shaking her head, she turned back to the TV. Maggie had her hand on Kathy's shoulder, a sincere, comforting expression on her face.
"For our viewers who are just tuning in, I'm here with Kathy Morrison, a woman who claims to be Myles Foster's mate. Now, Kathy, you were just telling me that you and Myles mated ten years ago?"
Jackie's jaw dropped. What the hell? She had no idea that Myles was a mated male! That's what werewolves called it instead of married–mated. Jackie always thought it sounded rather overly sexualized, but somehow, looking at the blonde bombshell on the TV, it fit.
"Yes. I never came forward with it because we never got official permission from the government, and I didn't want to cause Myles any trouble. But after ten years of being ignored, I can't hold it in any longer."
Two perfectly formed tears ran down Kathy's face. Jackie peeked a glance from the corner of her eye at Myles. His expression was dark as he turned off the TV.
"My mother always told me Kathy Morrison would come back to bite me," the werewolf said. An animalistic growl rose in his chest, making Jackie shiver.
"Is she your mate?" Jackie ventured, twisting her hands.
"She was a fling," Myles snarled, his hands clenched. His canines were distinctively longer as he gritted his teeth, and his five o'clock shadow seemed to darken. "We slept together a few times, but I was careful. We never mated."
Jackie took a deep breath. This was a PR nightmare. It was illegal for werewolves to mate with humans unless they went through a long, stringent application process with the government.
Proving Myles hadn't mated Kathy would be an easy enough task; werewolves had a physical reaction to being around their mates, the most important of which was that their heartbeats synchronized and they could feel their mate's pain. Public opinion was already against most werewolves, though, and this would not be good. Myles managed to circumvent most anti-werewolf biases with sizable donations to various charities and keeping his nose clean. But the tide could quickly turn against him.
Jackie straightened her suit jacket and turned to her boss. Myles scowled fiercely.
"Tell me about Kathy and the rules around werewolf mating."
Myles's brow furrowed, but he sat behind his desk and gestured for her to sit as well, which she did.
"I met Kathy when I was quite young. She was hot, I was flooded with hormones and we had fun together. We had sex a few times. I broke up with her after my dad died and I became the pack's Alpha. I couldn't afford distractions, and she wasn't mature enough to share my new responsibilities with me. But we never mated."
Jackie nodded at him to continue. Some part of her thought she should be embarrassed about the topic of conversation, but this was her job, and she was a professional.
"Mating is more than just having sex, despite what people think." Myles steepled his fingers. "There are rituals that werewolves have to go through. Many of us prefer to include marriage ceremonies now, too, but in order for a mating to occur a male and a female have to verbally pledge themselves to one another on the night of a full moon, and then share blood while having sex."
"And you never did that?"
"I made sure that I never saw her during the full moon, just so no accidents could happen."
Jackie nodded. "Okay. I'm going to have the PR department arrange for you to give an official statement concerning what you just told me–although I'd leave out the part where Kathy was immature. You'll garner more public sympathy if you paint it as a tragic end to a young romance."
"I don't care about public sympathy," Myles growled. "She's got her fifteen seconds of fame—"
"With all respect, public image is what you should be concerned about right now," Jackie interrupted. Myles's eyes narrowed but she ignored his displeasure. "Legally, she's got nothing on you. But the i
mportant thing is to make sure this blows over as quickly as it can, and attacking her personally, no matter how justified, will only fuel the media frenzy."
Myles scowled but he nodded. "You're right. Get PR up here so we can start getting this settled."
Jackie nodded and headed back to her desk as Myles continued to grumble behind her.
"Kathy Morrison… as if I'd mate her. I'm the Alpha, dammit. My mate needs to be special."
She knew the words weren't directed at her, but Jackie couldn't help but feel a bit crushed by that. His mate needed to be special. Of course she did. Jackie shook herself. Mooning over the boss wasn't professional. She was here for her job, not to get into the werewolf's pants, after all.
Jackie pushed her disappointment aside and phoned the PR department.
Chapter Three
With reporters swarming the sidewalks outside the office building and Kathy Morrison's declaration on every news celebrity channel, the PR department decided that Myles ought to keep a low profile for a few weeks. He agreed, adding that with this news he would need to return to his pack and reassure them.
He wouldn't go alone, though, and with her appointment book in her purse and a notepad in her pocket, ready to take down any phone messages Myles would get, Jackie found herself being driven out of the city to his packlands in his BMW.
Jackie had never been a country girl. She thrived in the excitement of the city. This trip was definitely not something she was looking forward to. She became even less enthusiastic when she learned that it was just going to be the two of them, and that they weren't going to be staying in a city, or even a town, but rather with his family on their farm.
This was going to be one awkward visit.
The packlands were mostly farmland. Wide, flat fields boasting John Deere tractors and various crops stretched as far as the eye could see, spotted with barns or braces of trees which served as windbreaks. The air was hot, dry and dusty, and Jackie couldn't help but wish she hadn't only brought her business suits along. Summer dresses would be much more suitable for this type of environment.
Myles stopped the car in front of a two-story house. It was painted white with a red roof and had a balcony porch on the front. Lilac trees grew at each of the four corners, and on either side of the front step were rosebushes. A three-car garage sat off to one side, and there was a barn a little way from the house.
"Home," Myles said helpfully. "What do you think?"
It was smaller than Jackie expected. For some reason she had been picturing an all-mahogany mansion with dozens of servants lined up on either side of a marble pathway to escort them into a gold-plated entrance hall. The house was very lovely, but it was far more humble than she thought the billionaire Alpha of a pack would have.
"It looks very cozy," she finally decided on. "Do you live here by yourself?"
Myles laughed. "No. This is where my mom and sister live. Well, Tamara has her own house, but Mom gets lonely since I'm off in the city so often, and my brother Charles has a farm on the other side of town. So Tamara moved in with her four girls."
"You don't have your own house out here?" Jackie's brows rose.
"No. I have my own room here, and that's all I need. I have a large pack, Jackie. I might be a billionaire, but I also have responsibilities and I don't like to waste money on myself. Except when it comes to stuff like this car." He shot her a grin. "I do need to indulge once in a while."
"Responsibilities like what?"
"Making sure everybody lives comfortably. I try to keep jobs on the packlands for members of the pack, and there are a lot of building projects that need to be done. One thing about being a werewolf is that you're not really welcome off packlands. It's hard to get a job when people keep expecting you to turn into a monster and eat them."
Jackie winced. The bias against werewolves was alive and well in the world. She knew that Myles had been lobbying governments to give packs better resources to build their infrastructure and get their kids into college and university, but he was facing an uphill battle.
"So you have a lot of work to make sure everybody is taken care of."
Myles nodded. "It's not always easy. I could easily lose all my money if I move too quickly on everything I want to be done around here. And that's not to mention the other packs out there that also need help. Anyway, I think I see Mom peeking through the curtains. Come on, they'll be dying to meet you."
***
Myles's family was warm and welcoming, giving Jackie unexpected hugs. The littlest of his nieces immediately wanted to drag her off to see all the highlights of the farm. By the time the tour was done, dozens of vehicles were parked in front of the house, and crowds of people were greeting Myles. They all brought casseroles, salads and desserts with them. Several long tables had been produced, stacks of paper plates and plastic cutlery were set out and everybody started eating.
Jackie hung back, not certain where she and her diet fit into this impromptu potluck. Myles was always talking with somebody or other, and though she felt like she ought to be at his side, making appointments or something, she couldn't muster up the nerve to push her way through the werewolves.
"Hey," a deep, male voice said behind her.
Jackie jumped and turned to see a man standing close to her. His build was similar to Myles's, broad shoulders, ropes of muscles on his arms. His shirt was undone, showing off a chiseled eight-pack. His hair was wheat-blond, eyes a pale blue, his skin red and peeling with sunburn.
"Hi," Jackie said. "Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts."
The man smiled. "You going to eat? We have plenty."
Jackie shook her head. "I'm feeling a little… um… out of sorts right now."
"Care to sit on the swing with me, then? A beautiful woman like you shouldn't have to spend a social gathering alone."
With a smile, Jackie nodded. Were all werewolves smooth talkers, or had she just not been exposed to enough men in her life? Well, it could be the latter. It wasn't like she had men falling at her feet. A couple of boyfriends over the years, but that was all.
"I'm Harley, by the way. Are you the Alpha's human mate I've been hearing so much about?" Harley settled on the swing beside her.
"God, no." Jackie couldn't help but laugh. "I'm his personal assistant. Jacqueline. Jackie. And the human mate you've been hearing about isn't his mate. She's just a woman looking to stir up trouble."
"Ah. Well, we'll all be glad to hear that, then." Harley pushed against the porch with his toes, making them swing back and forth gently, though he actually looked a little disappointed. "So are you married then? Boyfriend?"
Jackie's face reddened. "Um…"
"I'm getting too personal. Sorry. When you grow up in a pack like this it's hard to remember that not everybody shares everything with anybody else the way we do around here."
Jackie nodded, understanding. She glanced over the crowd, finding Myles. Was he writing a check? She narrowed her eyes. "What is he doing?"
Harley followed her gaze and snorted. "He likes to do that. Pack members come to him, tell him what they need for their farms or families, and he writes them checks so they can buy whatever they want."
Damn. Just when she thought she couldn't be more attracted to him. Jackie's pulse fluttered. "That's so sweet."
"That's his responsibility. He's our Alpha. He has to look after the welfare of the pack. But he likes to pretend that he's being oh-so-generous by giving out a couple thousand here and there. The man's worth billions. So why do we have to go to him begging for enough money to buy a new tractor or patch up our roofs?"
Jackie frowned at Harley's bitter tone. "It's not really that simple. He's got to keep enough capital to keep his businesses going, and then there're investments and other things he's got to keep on top of so that he can keep increasing profits. He told me that he was hiring pack members to build new houses and stuff."
"He's doing that, yeah, but a lot of us think he ought to be doing more."
Myl
es handed a check to an elderly man and scanned the crowd. His face lit up in a smile when he spotted her, but the smile quickly turned into a scowl when he saw Harley beside her.
"Oops," Harley muttered. "I don't think I'm welcome."
If the brief flash of a canine was any indication, Harley was right. Myles strode through the crowd. The people parted before him, and the buzz of conversation died as every eye landed on the Alpha and where he was headed. Jackie jumped to her feet as he got close, but Myles ignored her.
"Myles," Harley greeted lazily. "It's been a while since you've visited home."
Jackie gasped as Myles seized Harley by the collar. Muscles bulged and strained as the Alpha lifted the other werewolf bodily from the ground and hurled him off the porch. Harley rolled several times and sprang to his feet.
A growl like thunder shook the air as Myles advanced on the other werewolf. Harley crouched, fists raising.
"You are not welcome here," Myles said.
Harley growled, his eyes darkening, his exposed canines lengthening.
Myles leaped lithely forward, seizing the other werewolf by the throat and hurling him backward again. "Are you challenging me?" he roared.
Harley dropped his chin to his chest and backed away towards the vehicles. Myles advanced, making the other werewolf move faster.
"Never show your face here again, do you hear me?" Myles shouted after him.
Jackie pressed her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had never seen anybody as angry as Myles was at that moment. And why? Was this because Harley thought he ought to be doing more for the pack? Her gaze followed the Alpha as his shoulders roped and hands clenched. There had to be more than that to it.
The other werewolves were going back to their conversations, but the buzz seemed nervous now, anxious. Myles's sister Tamara pushed her way to her brother and put a hand on his shoulder. Myles turned towards Jackie, and she fled into the house, unable to look him in the eye.