A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas

by Terry Spear

  “Yes, we’re ready to go.” Eddie sounded anxious.

  “Okay, we’re coming to get you.”

  A car pulled up, and a male passenger got out. He was another of Rafe’s men, Harvey Walton. “I’m supposed to drive the car to your place, right, Dr. Denali?” He was another former elite service member, this one an Army Ranger. Though it seemed someone with that kind of training shouldn’t just being delivering a car somewhere, these guys were all buddies of theirs: hard-charging, ready for any emergency or mission no matter how big or small. Rafe paid them top dollar no matter what the situation entailed.

  “Holly, this is Harvey Walton. Not only will he make sure your car and belongings arrive at my home safe and sound, but he will protect them with his life on the way there. This is Dr. Holly Gray, and the car is hers.”

  “The honor’s all mine,” Harvey said.

  She smiled and shook his hand. “Thanks.”

  “My pleasure.” Harvey winked.

  “Her parents and sister and brother will be at the house when you arrive. I’ll see you later.”

  “Right, Doc. Doc.” Harvey took the key Holly offered to her car and got in to drive off.

  Holly had a couple of bags of clothes, her computer, and files she was taking with her. Afterward, they drove to her parents’ place and loaded everyone and the belongings they would need for a couple of days. The rest of their belongings would arrive after that, and since they would be staying at Aidan’s place, they didn’t need to take as much with them as Holly did. Like Holly, Greg had dressed in his own clothes. He didn’t trust the driver with their Christmas presents though. Not that he would steal anything, but Greg was afraid when the guy had to sleep, someone might break into the car.

  “We have safe houses we stay at.” Harvey looked stern, annoyed Greg would even insinuate he couldn’t keep their stuff safe, but Aidan knew he was just pulling the teen’s leg.

  Greg looked at the large plastic bags of gift-wrapped presents and back up at Harvey. “You promise you’ll protect them?”

  “With my life.”

  Aidan smiled, but the truth was, Harvey would. No one stole anything from him without paying for it.

  “All right.” Greg helped the driver load the presents in the car, though there was barely enough spare room to do so.

  It was a good thing too, because they didn’t have room on the plane for anything more.

  “Oh, Holly, I totally forgot. Marianne grabbed your phone and gave it to me for safekeeping. Jared called a dozen times or so. I didn’t answer it and put it on mute.” Margaret pulled the phone out of her purse and handed it to Holly.

  “Thanks, Mom. Has Ronald tried to get ahold of you?”

  “We all have our phones turned off, but yes, each of us has received calls from him.”

  Greg pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Even me.”

  “Text messages?”

  “Yes, just saying he needs to talk to us. And asking what the hell is going on,” their dad said. “We shut them all off in case he could be tracking us.”

  “Okay, good, though I think they can be tracked with the right equipment unless you pull the battery out, and you can’t with these phones,” Holly said. “He wouldn’t be able to catch up to us anyway, and I doubt he’d want to at this point. Not once we’re out of his territory.”

  Once they arrived at the airport and were loading up the plane, Aidan got another call. Expecting it to be Ronald again, he was surprised to see it was Rafe. He was certain Ted or Mike—or any of the guys who’d come to help them on this adventure—had apprised Rafe of the situation.

  “I knew you’d get yourself in a bind if you went anywhere near where the Seattle pack was staying,” Rafe said.

  “Yeah, well, I’ve got another doctor on my team now, and we’re going to solve this longevity issue one way or another. If Jade hasn’t talked to you yet about it, I’m bringing Holly with me for Christmas.”

  “This sounds serious.”

  “It is. Here’s the kicker. Her pack’s blood cells show they haven’t been having the issues that the rest of us are.”

  “You’re kidding. What the hell is going on?”

  “Not sure, but when we checked Nick’s blood, it was the same as Holly’s. I’ve tested Holly, and her aging process appears to be as slow as it should be. I want to test her parents—with their permission, of course—to see if there is any change for them. What’s interesting to note is their lupus garou family roots date back to 795. What if they haven’t changed because their genes are more stable or able to fight off this change?”

  “Sounds like you’ve finally got a possible lead. That’s great.”

  “Mike will probably tell you I gave him some of Holly’s blood. I was going to try it on me first, but he wouldn’t let me.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “It’s just like a regular blood transfusion. Did the guys tell you our schedule?” Aidan assumed they would have.

  “Your place, then to the Bigfork, Montana, pack to deliver Nick, and then to the chalet?”

  “Correct. As long as Nick likes the pack well enough and wants to stay for a while. If not, I’ll take him wherever else he’d like to go.”

  Nick opened his eyes and interjected, “I’ll stay with the Montana pack through the holidays at least. That way, you can see your brother and continue working on your research.”

  “Okay, did you hear that? Nick says he’ll stay with the Montana pack through the holidays.”

  “Good. I won’t mention it to Toby yet, until we know you’re on your way.”

  “Sounds good.”

  They ended the call, and Holly’s parents said, “Yes, we’ll give you a sample of our blood.”

  “Mine too,” Marianne said, “and I hate giving blood, but for this, I will.”

  “We give permission if she wants to,” her mom said. Her dad concurred.

  “Okay, at the house, I’ll take your blood samples and examine them. Marianne is probably too young to show anything different, but I’ll check it just in case.” Aidan sure hoped Holly’s blood would prove to be a life-changer for them. If it made a difference, he hoped it would be long-term and not something that had to be added to the bloodstream periodically.

  * * *

  They finally arrived at the airport closest to where Aidan lived while the sun was beginning to rise. Another driver with a limousine picked them up. Everyone was wolf tired.

  Their driver dropped by a coffee shop for coffee, doughnuts, and hot chocolates. All the grumbly wolves perked up and were feeling better right away. Though most were planning to take a nap later.

  Then they drove the rest of the way to Aidan’s home, which was situated on a hill with a fantastic view of a lake and surrounded by pines, firs, and hemlocks.

  “Beautiful,” Holly said, loving the setting as much as the house.

  “It’s so sparsely populated out here that you can run as wolves to your heart’s content. No real wild wolves out here, just black bears, red and gray foxes, cougars, bobcats, lynxes, to name a few.”

  “This is like paradise,” Margaret said, “always living in the wilderness.”

  “And you live here all by yourself?” Holly couldn’t imagine living alone here for months at a time. With a mate, sure. But before that? He must have been a recluse.

  “Ted and Mike live with me. But yeah, I used to live here all by myself. I was busy with my research. But I was flying to various pack locations to get blood samples and would spend some time getting to know the pack members. Now, some of them send their blood samples to me monthly. In the beginning, I met with each of the packs to personally talk to the leaders and their people. I can’t imagine living alone now. And I’m glad I don’t have to.”

  “I know what you mean,” Nick said. “I thought I could get used
to living alone, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know where other packs were, and I didn’t want to live just among humans. You can’t know how much this means to me, being with my own kind again.”

  “We’re thrilled to see you again too,” Margaret said. “I’m glad Aidan is taking you to a pack where I hope you can be at home. We’d love to visit you when you’re all settled.”

  “I’m all for that.”

  Margaret said, “We hope we’re not going to be too much of an imposition for you, Aidan.”

  “Not at all. Even if I was there, it wouldn’t be a problem. The house would have been empty for the next three weeks, so I’m glad you’re staying here. And I have plenty of rooms here, so feel free to take whichever room appeals, and you’re free to stay as long as you like.”

  They hauled their stuff into the expansive living room. The room was centered on a massive stone fireplace, with a large, carved oak coffee table, a sculpted rug, and seating for a dozen people. Bookshelves covered one wall, with floor-to-ceiling windows on another.

  “It looks like you could throw big parties here,” Holly remarked.

  “For wolves only,” Aidan said. “Rafe has parties for humans and a few wolves at his place because of his business dealings. Mine are strictly for wolf friends and family. I have enough bedrooms for overflow guests when we have them. Seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and the master bedroom and bath. It’s a nice wolf retreat.”

  “I hope I can return and enjoy the company and place a little longer someday,” Nick said.

  Aidan nodded. “Absolutely. If you ever need a ride from where you’re living, we can send the jet.”

  “Even better.”

  Holly couldn’t believe it as she looked at the high vaulted ceilings and all the ornately carved wood cornices and tried to envision the house decorated for Christmas. She’d thought the cabin would have been fun for Christmas. This place was even better.

  The dining area and kitchen were open to the living area, making the house feel even bigger. Double fridges, ovens, huge granite counters—perfect for a chef or two. She could see why Ted and Mike would like to prepare meals here.

  “You’re going to leave Ted or Mike here to cook meals, right?” Greg asked. “I’ll help.”

  “They’ve got to guard—” her dad began to say, just as she opened her mouth to say the same thing.

  “Fine by me,” Aidan said. “We’re just going to Montana and then to Rafe’s place, so there’s no need for you to go with us. And then you can go home to your families once you’ve taught Greg all you know.”

  They laughed.

  “My regular maid comes in daily when I’m in residence, and I have another bodyguard who will be here, and a woman who can cook too,” Aidan said.

  “We’ll have to check in with Rafe,” Ted said.

  Aidan shook his head, though he didn’t look like he really minded.

  Everyone checked out each of the bedrooms to decide which room they would stay in. Her parents picked one of the rooms that had a view of the lake. Both Greg and Marianne took rooms that overlooked the pool.

  Holly had to peek at the master bedroom. When she walked into it, she was impressed. It was like a corner apartment with a view of the pool from one window and the lake from another. The king-size bed sat against one wall, a fireplace opposite it with sofas and a coffee table. High vaulted ceilings added to the enormous size of the room. Just beautiful. And way too big for just one person.

  Aidan joined her, running his hands up her back in a light caress. “Well, what do you think?”

  “Do you sleep alone?”

  He chuckled. “Always.”

  “Then I think you need some company in that big bed.”

  “We’ve got a date when we return.”

  “Agreed.” She headed for the bathroom. Her jaw dropped when she saw the beautiful, apricot-colored tile, the chandeliers casting sparkling lights on the arched ceiling, and… She stared at the long shower with three showerheads! One had a long, winding handheld showerhead. “Okay, now, you shower alone, right?”

  He laughed and folded his arms. “Yes, and the shower has so many showerheads for the resale value. You know Rafe is in the real estate business. All our places are built with resale in mind.”

  “Okay, just checking.”

  She eyed the large tub, big enough for two, and the window behind it with a view of the lake. She checked out the closet and found it stretched way, way up so it had racks and shelves four racks high.

  “You could fit a whole family’s wardrobe and more in here,” she said. “Just wow.”

  He’d only used the bottom two poles for his clothes. A built-in ladder was used to reach the upper clothing poles and shelves.

  “You can put your clothes on the lower poles, and I can move mine up to the next level.”

  She stared up at the upper poles and shelves. “I’d have to do a lot of shopping to fill all this up.”

  He laughed.

  “I’m not moving in with you permanently.” She didn’t want him to feel she thought this was her home now.

  “Temporarily then?”

  “Yes. Until we can get somewhere with your research and we can deal with Ronald.”

  “Or, I can get you to agree we’re perfect for each other.”

  She smiled. “You might get tired of stumbling over me in this place.”

  “I doubt it. I’m sure that I’d find even more of a reason for you to stay.”

  She sighed. “We’ll see.” She wasn’t jumping into a wolf mating and then regretting it for the rest of their mated lives—since wolves didn’t believe in divorce. “We’d better go find Nick and take him to Montana before they wonder what happened to us.”

  Aidan drew her to the window that overlooked the pool, and she saw her brother, sister, and parents looking at the pool. She laughed. “I guess we’re on our own then.”

  Aidan got a call on his cell phone as they left the bedroom and headed into the living room where Nick was lying down on a couch, sound asleep again. Poor old wolf. “Rafe,” Aidan whispered to Holly.

  She assumed it was about the guys going with them. If she were Rafe, she’d say the bodyguards would have to go with Aidan.

  He answered the phone. “Just a sec.” He took her hand and moved her out on the deck that overlooked the lake. “Yeah, Rafe?” He put the phone on speaker.

  “Ted and Mike go with you. I’ll send a couple of other men to watch over the place. Your cook and housekeeper can do the rest. I want to make sure both you and Holly and her family are protected, just in case Ronald has any notion to cause trouble for them.”

  “All right.”

  “Thanks, Rafe,” Holly said.

  “Holly?” Rafe asked.

  “Yeah, and thanks for letting me come to see you for Christmas.”

  Rafe laughed. “Don’t be surprised if Toby calls you his aunt. He calls all the guys who work for me uncle, and he doesn’t have an aunt yet.”

  She smiled at Aidan. “Okay, thanks for the heads-up. And that’s fine with me.”

  “Jade would like to talk to you too, Holly. She can call you.”

  Holly gave him her phone number, thinking it was nice that Jade wanted to talk with her personally before she visited.

  “We’re leaving as soon as I can wake Nick,” Aidan said. “I’ll let Ted and Mike know about the bodyguard status. Talk later.”

  After they ended the call, Aidan took Holly into his arms and kissed her. “The whole family is ready for me to be a mated wolf. They think I can’t look after myself out here.”

  “They think you need more than just work to do.”

  “Well, that too. You sure could change my mind about work anytime.”

  She laughed. She could imagine neither of them getting any work done.

  “Let’s get y
our parents’ and sister’s blood samples before we go.”

  “I’ll go find them.” Holly found them sitting around the pool. “Hey, unless you’ve changed your mind, can Aidan check your blood before you go swimming?”

  “Yeah, sure,” her mom said.

  After he took samples of their blood, he checked the cells over. “They all look good. No changes.”

  Everyone let out a sigh of relief, but Marianne was the first out the door of the lab room. “Going to swim. Last one in is a slowpoke wolf.”

  Holly said goodbye to her parents, and to her sister and brother, who were already in the pool. “You ought to come in,” Greg said.

  “Water’s great,” Marianne said.

  “Later! Have fun.” Holly told them about the setup with the bodyguards and then said goodbye.

  Her mom and dad hurried out in swimsuits and both jumped into the water, amusing Holly. She swore for the first time in her life, her dad really didn’t care about returning to the business.

  “We’d give you another hug, but then you’d be all wet,” her mom said.

  “Save it for later. Love ya! And Merry Christmas! I’ll open my presents when I return.”

  Then she left the pool area to find a new bodyguard crew arriving. Rafe, or his administrative assistant, sure was fast. She guessed with the kind of wealth he possessed, he could get things done with a snap of his fingers. That must be nice. She also assumed he had a lot of headaches in his line of work.

  Aidan was waking Nick. “Sorry, Nick. We would have tried carrying you out of here so you could sleep, but…”

  “I’m fine. I’ll sleep on the plane and be wide awake when we arrive in Montana.”

  “How’s your wrist?”

  “Good. Don’t even notice any sprain at all.”

  “Good.” Aidan unwrapped it and checked him out anyway, and Nick shook his head, indicating he wasn’t feeling any pain. “All right. Let’s go.”

  Then Holly got a call, and Aidan glanced in her direction, looking concerned, probably figuring it was Jared or Ronald.

  “Just Jade.”