His green gaze sharpened. “You got pretty far into MacDowell’s book, I see.”
“Couldn’t help it, Jake. With an imagination like mine, how could I resist something as exotic as rich werewolves? Is it true that Wallace Enterprises owns the Chrysler Building?”
“I believe so. It’s through a dummy corporation, but that sounds right. The Wallaces have major holdings in New York. Howard Wallace was elected president of the Were Council last fall in Denver.”
“And yet both of his sons have mated with humans. I find that amazing.”
Jake sighed. “I find it depressing. Don’t Aidan and Roarke understand that they’re Wallaces? It’s the proudest werewolf name in North America, and they behave as if they have no sense of tradition or solidarity.”
“Apparently they fell in love.” The minute she said it, she wished she hadn’t. Last night had been all about the love between her and Jake, and that statement might make him think she wanted to use that love as an excuse to defy tradition. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“I know.” He pushed away his plate, even though he’d eaten only half of his omelet. “The Wallace brothers are a sore spot for me. I grew up hearing about the mighty Wallace dynasty from my mother. I could hardly wait to meet members of the Wallace pack because I just knew we’d hit it off and share common values. Not so much.”
“Jake.” She shouldn’t say anything, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “I’m trying not to take offense, but you’re sitting at the table with a member of the other species, the one you so object to the Wallace brothers taking up with.”
He glanced at her and had the decency to look embarrassed. “You’re right. I apologize.”
The mood was permanently ruined now. Maybe that was just as well. Anger at his attitude could keep her from feeling the pain when he left. “It’s probably time for me to drive you over to your cabin so you can rendezvous with the Hunters.”
“I’ll help you with the dishes first.”
“Never mind the dishes, Jake. Let’s get this over with.” That was harsh, but damn it, every word out of his mouth since they’d sat down to breakfast had made her feel like a second-class citizen. She wouldn’t tolerate that, not even from the one she loved.
Jake took the hint and left the dishes. The trip over to his cabin was made in silence, a heartbreaking contrast to the closeness they’d felt all through the night. But Rachel felt Jake moving away from her and closer to his new pack. They wouldn’t want him to have close ties to a human female. Jake might choose to give up that little mental telepathy trick they’d discovered last night.
The Hunters’ SUV was parked in front of Jake’s cabin when they arrived, and that irritated Rachel even more. They were too blasted eager, in her estimation. Jake had lived in Polecat for many years, and they seemed ready to pluck him out of there as if he had no roots in the community.
So maybe it was a human community and not one of their precious Were packs. Rachel realized her attitude was deteriorating rapidly, but the sight of that black SUV sitting in front of Jake’s cabin got her back up. They had to know she’d be bringing Jake home, and apparently they didn’t trust her to deposit him and leave.
When she pulled in beside the SUV, Jake cleared his throat. “You can just drop me off.”
“I don’t intend to do that, Jake.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I drop you off and drive away, it’ll look like I turned tail and ran away from those two werewolves. I realize I’m not supposed to know they’re werewolves, but I do, and I don’t want them to think I was intimidated by them.”
“Does it matter what they think?”
She glanced at him. “It does to me. At this point, I represent my fellow humans. I’m an emissary for my species.”
“All right, then. Let’s go over and say hello.” He opened the passenger door, picked up his duffel, and stepped down.
“Fine.” She climbed down from the driver’s side. She hadn’t been expecting to meet the Hunters when she brought Jake back around the lake, so she hadn’t taken much time with her appearance.
But as she walked around the front of her truck toward their vehicle, she reminded herself that she was an internationally recognized artist. Collectors from all over the world, including a few werewolves, according to Jake, gladly paid high sums to have her work in their homes and office buildings.
She didn’t know what the Hunters had going for them, but she refused to let them treat her like some riffraff that the heir to the Hunter throne had been dallying with. Jake loved her, even if he might not ever admit that to them. Maybe he shouldn’t, come to think of it. She was still a little worried about the dungeon and the maggot-infested crusts of bread.
The Hunters, who were apparently gifted with good manners, got out of their SUV to greet Rachel and Jake. They both wore designer sunglasses. Ann smiled at Jake first and Rachel second, but that wasn’t so surprising. She knew Jake better. They had history.
Bruce was more reserved. He shook hands with Jake without smiling and nodded in Rachel’s direction. Bruce telegraphed brisk efficiency, as if he hoped they could dispense with the pleasantries and get this show on the road.
Rachel wasn’t inclined to indulge him in that. “We didn’t have much time to chat yesterday,” she said, directing her conversation mostly to Ann. “But I’m thrilled that Jake is reconnecting with family again. I’m sure he’s missed that.”
“His family has missed him, too,” Ann said. “Having him back in Idaho will be wonderful.”
“I’m sure it will be.” Having him leave Polecat would be quite a bit less than wonderful, but that was her problem.
“We should probably get in there and start packing,” Bruce said in an ill-disguised attempt to move Rachel along.
Rachel chose to let herself be moved. “Yep, don’t want to hold you up.” She had no interest in a prolonged visit with these two. “I should be going, anyway. I have an important project to finish, so it’s time I got to work.” She glanced at Jake and her heart constricted. His jaw was clenched as if anticipating a blow. She understood the feeling.
She stepped closer to him. He’d worn his sunglasses, so she couldn’t see his eyes. Might be just as well. “Take care of yourself,” she said softly.
His voice was husky. “You, too.”
She turned and fled. Hearing the grief in those two words nearly destroyed her. Somehow she got her truck started. By some miracle nobody was on the road, because she backed onto it without looking and peeled out.
She didn’t remember the drive back around the lake, but somehow she pulled into the parking spot beside the path leading to her cabin. Leaving her truck, she hurried down the path, fighting tears all the way. She didn’t dare break down. Lionel would show up in less than thirty minutes, and she instinctively knew that if she let go, she’d still be crying when he arrived.
I love you, Rachel.
The words brought her to a screeching halt. She looked around, almost expecting to see Jake. But of course he wasn’t here. He was at his cabin with Ann and Bruce.
Yet he’d sent her a message with the words he hadn’t been able to say before she’d left. Taking a calming breath, she focused all her attention on him and returned the favor. I love you, Jake.
Warmth enveloped her, as if he’d mentally wrapped his arms around her. She knew that in his mind, he had.
Then he sent one more word winging over the lake. Always.
She concentrated on him with all her might. Yes, my love. Always. And that would have to sustain her. Walking toward her cabin, she vowed that it would.
She hadn’t locked up because she’d known she was coming right back. As she opened the front door, she thought about the breakfast dishes waiting for her. She might not be able to face them without breaking down.
So she’d leave them. Might as well walk straight out the back door and over to her shop. Work would help. It always did.
She’d
taken two steps in that direction when she heard a soft noise behind her. And something didn’t smell right, either. Maybe she was developing Were sensitivities.
She started to turn around, but before she could, someone grabbed her from behind. She would have screamed, but a hand holding an acrid-smelling cloth covered her nose and mouth with a grip like iron. She struggled for only a second before everything went black.
Chapter 23
Ann and Bruce had come armed with packing boxes and offered to tackle that job. Jake hadn’t moved in years, so he gladly turned the chore over to them. He was about to call a local real estate agent about selling the cabin when he had the strangest feeling, as if his contact with Rachel had been abruptly cut off.
Although she hadn’t sent him any more messages after her last one, he’d still sensed a connection humming between them. Now there was nothing, as if the line had gone dead.
Well, maybe that’s the way she wanted it. Because her dramatic exit had meant they’d left important words unsaid, he’d sent them to her telepathically. When she’d returned his message, his heartache had eased a little.
Hers might have, too. If so, she’d probably retreated to gather her forces. Maybe she’d gone out to her shop and immersed herself in her work. He could picture her doing that.
If plunging back into normal life helped her, then he didn’t want to interfere with that. In fact, he might as well do the same. He made his call to the real estate agent, who arranged to come right out with the necessary papers.
Considering how long Jake had lived in Polecat, he was surprised at how quickly his connection to the community could be severed. A couple of phone calls to the utilities took care of that. Once the real estate agent arrived and he’d signed the listing papers, he’d be cut loose from his former home.
The way Ann and Bruce were working, they’d have him packed up in no time. They’d convinced him to leave everything except his clothes and his food. They’d even talked him out of taking any of his books.
While both of them were busy in the kitchen sorting through the cupboards, he glanced over the books and decided they were right about leaving them. He’d read all the paperbacks and didn’t plan to read them again. He wouldn’t need Alaskan hiking-trail information anymore.
And now was the time to jettison Alaskan Artisans of Today. He should take Rachel’s note out, though. He didn’t want some stranger to find it and sell it on eBay. But the note wasn’t there. He riffled through the pages, thinking he might have tucked it in a different section.
Finally he turned the book upside down and shook it. No note. Okay, that was strange. Or . . . maybe not. He thought of all the snooping Rachel had done prior to his coming home from San Francisco. She’d probably noticed this book. If she’d opened it and found her note, she might have taken it out, planning to ask him about it eventually.
With all they’d had going on, it was no wonder she’d forgotten the note. Come to think of it, she still had his favorite T-shirt, too. He’d noticed it draped over one of her dining chairs this morning and had meant to stuff it in the plastic bag with the other dirty clothes. But their discussion during breakfast had become awkward and she’d been eager to get him out of there. He hadn’t remembered to grab the shirt.
“If you’re considering taking that book, I would advise against it.”
Jake glanced up to discover Bruce gazing at him from the kitchen doorway. “It’s an expensive book.” Jake hadn’t planned to take it, but he didn’t care for Bruce’s commanding tone. “Besides that, it would be a good souvenir of my life here.”
“It has Rachel Miller in it. You’d be better off leaving it here.”
That might be a true statement, but something about it bothered Jake. Finally he figured out what it was. “How do you know Rachel’s in here?”
Bruce’s gaze shifted. Not much, but enough to give him away. “It was a good guess, judging from the title.”
“I don’t think you were guessing, Bruce.”
The older Were shrugged. “Okay, I looked at it.”
“When?” Although Jake had been on the phone for the past half hour, he’d been right here in the living room. Until a few minutes ago he’d thought Rachel’s note was still in the book. Because of that note, he certainly would have noticed if Bruce had pulled the book off the shelf.
Bruce waved his hand dismissively. “I couldn’t tell you exactly, but I looked at it and saw she was in it. If you take it with you, that’s waving a red flag. Don’t do it. Anyway, Ann wants to throw away all the meat in the freezer. She sent me out to make sure you’re okay with that.”
“I don’t care about the meat in the freezer,” Jake said quietly. “But I do care that you and Ann came in and went through my stuff when I wasn’t home.”
Bruce flushed. “Don’t make accusations without proof, Jake. Your parents taught you better than that.”
“Oh, but I have proof.” Jake hefted the book in both hands. “This book is special to me. If you’d picked it up while I was here, I would have been very aware that you had looked at it.” Now Jake wondered if Bruce had taken the note, but it wasn’t the main issue.
No, there was something else going on, something that worried him far more than knowing the Hunters had searched his cabin. They would have had multiple opportunities to do that, because once again, he hadn’t bothered to lock up. He just wasn’t in the habit.
Then again, it might not have mattered if he’d locked the doors or not. If they were determined enough, they would have found a way to get in. Jake had never worried about tight security in this cabin.
He gazed at Bruce. “Maybe you should have a seat. In fact, I think Ann needs to come in here and sit down, too.”
The Were’s blue eyes narrowed and his tone turned icy. “How dare you give me orders?”
“I’ve been asked to be your alpha, Bruce, and life doesn’t go well for those who lie to the alpha.”
“I haven’t lied to you!”
“Okay, you aren’t telling me the whole truth, which is pretty much the same thing. Unless you intend to overpower me and drag me to Idaho, which I can assure you isn’t going to happen, I’m staying put until you tell me what’s going on.”
Bruce turned his head. “Ann! We have a problem. You’d better come on in here so we can straighten it out.”
Ann walked out of the kitchen, a paper towel in her hand. “What’s the matter?”
“I’d like you and Bruce to sit down.” Jake gestured to the sofa. “We need to talk.”
“He says we’re not telling him everything,” Bruce said.
“Oh.” Ann walked over to the sofa and settled down with a calm expression on her aristocratic features, but she balled the paper towel into a tight wad the size of a golf ball. “What do you want to know, Jake?”
Jake waited for Bruce to take a seat next to his mate. At last he did, although he frowned at Jake as he did so. Jake moved to the easy chair, sat down, and looked at these two Weres who had been family friends for longer than he’d been alive. Yet he couldn’t shake the idea they’d betrayed him.
He took a deep breath. “Let’s start with the alpha position. Is there one after all?”
“Yes.” Ann tightened her grip on the balled-up paper towel. “Keegan really wants to step down.”
“But there must be other candidates who are already living in Idaho. Why come all the way to Alaska to get me?”
“The Hunter pack has been impressed with your efforts with WARM,” Bruce said. “We admire the leadership qualities you’ve displayed. You’re intelligent and even tempered. At least, that’s what I thought until five minutes ago, when you started acting crazy and throwing accusations around.”
Jake sighed. He should have known the setup was too good to be true. “But somebody’s mighty worried about my relationship with Rachel Miller, aren’t they?”
Ann swallowed. “There have been some . . . concerns. Her signature wolf looks exactly like you, Jake.”
&
nbsp; “No, it looks exactly like my father, but that’s neither here nor there.” He decided to make a guess and see how they reacted. “How long has the Hunter pack had me under surveillance?”
“It’s not just the Hunter pack,” Ann said. Then she gasped and looked at Bruce. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, but he was going to find out, anyway.” Bruce looked at Jake. “No matter which wolf Rachel Miller has been carving over and over, you can’t deny that you’ve acted with increasing recklessness when it comes to her.”
“No, I can’t deny it.” Some of Jake’s righteous indignation seeped away. “So this is a rescue mission, then?”
Bruce nodded. “We need a pack alpha, and the . . . Consortium thinks you should leave the area. You’ve made excellent progress with WARM, but you’re putting those efforts in jeopardy. We need you in Idaho, and you’d be out of harm’s way. It’s a nice little two-for-one deal.”
It was a long speech, but Jake latched on to one particular word in it. “Consortium?”
“A like-minded group of Weres that keep an eye on potential breaches of security and quietly take care of any we find.”
“Breaches?” The word sent icicles of fear into Jake’s heart. “What makes you think there’s been a security breach?”
Bruce gazed at him. “The Consortium is thorough, Jake. We have documentation.”
Shit. Suddenly Rachel’s worst-case scenario didn’t look so paranoid. “But the Were Council knows about this Consortium, right? You’re acting under its direction.”
“Well, no, Jake, because they would want to regulate us and tie our hands. We’re far more effective operating under the radar.”
A chill went down Jake’s spine. “Sorry, but I can’t go along with that. I’m no big fan of the Were Council or WOW, but at least they operate out in the open.”
Bruce eyed him with irritating smugness. “Doesn’t matter whether you approve of us or not. You won’t report us to the council or anyone.”
“Watch me.” Jake stood and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He still had Howard Wallace in his list of contacts.
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