It was impossible not to like Tania, and Melissa felt herself softening. She felt just a tad bit guilty for her earlier, jealous thoughts. “Well, there’s really not much to do yet. I’m waiting for Mali this morning. He’s doing some remodeling for us both here in the office and upstairs. I don’t really want to unpack anything until he’s finished.” She indicated the chairs at the desk. “You’re welcome to sit a spell and visit.”
Tania glanced out the window like she was looking for something, and then took a seat at the desk, across from Melissa. She turned her chair sideways, and then stretched her legs out in front of her. Her eyes kept darting to the front windows.
“Is something wrong?” asked Melissa.
Tania frowned. “No, why would you ask that?”
“You keep looking out the window like you’re looking for something or someone.”
A blush rose up Tania’s neck and settled in her cheeks. “Oh, sorry, I’m just curious about the town. I’m new here, and this is the first chance I’ve had to get out and look around.”
Melissa laughed. “Join the club. I’m new, too, and trust me when I tell you there’s nothing much to see. I should know. I’ve been over it from one end to the other.” She smirked. “It took me about five minutes.”
Grinning, Tania relaxed back into her chair. “Okay, so what brought you to this neck of the woods?”
“Well, a love of my boss and a desire not to have to find another job. Then, of course, there was my lack of a life and the hopes that I could find one if I moved somewhere new.”
“You worked for Michael before?”
“Yeah, I’ve worked with him since I graduated college. I helped him, and his former partner, set up their firm in Texas.”
“What on earth possessed him to move his company here?”
Melissa sighed wistfully. “Love! He fell in love with a local girl, and she wasn’t happy in the big city.” She smiled. “Truthfully, I don’t think Michael was happy there either.”
“That sounds so romantic,” Tania groaned longingly.
“It was, and it’s one of the reasons I wanted to come with him when he moved here. Ariane told me a long time ago that there were a lot more men here than women. It kind of gave me hope for the future, if you know what I mean.” She watched Tania steal a look out the window again. “What brought you to this area, Tania?”
Tania turned back around to face Melissa. “I just wanted a change of scenery for a while. They had an opening for a teacher, so I jumped on it. It’s only temporary, though. They have a permanent replacement coming at the end of the first semester. I won’t be here long enough to even think about the single men.”
“Boy, that’s a depressing thought.” Both women’s heads turned when the door opened.
* * * *
Tania looked up and felt her pulse speed up at the sight of the two men walking through the door. They were even more handsome than she remembered from their visit two days ago. “Well, well, well! What brings the mountain’s very own welcome wagon here,” she teased.
Melissa snickered. “Hi Latan, Ethan, what can I do for you today?”
Ethan walked over and stood beside Tania’s chair. He leaned down and inhaled deeply, then let out a low growl that her sensitive shifter hearing picked up. He turned and met Melissa’s eyes with his own. “Just like the lady says, we’re the welcome wagon, and we’ve come to welcome you to Takoda.”
“Thanks, guys,” Melissa replied. “I was going to ask Michael when he got back, but since you’re here, I’ll just pick your brains.” She flashed them a big smile. “How did this little town get its name?”
Latan took up a position on the other side of Tania’s chair before answering Melissa’s question. “The Indians considered this a safe haven. It was a place they used to trade goods, and they didn’t tolerate fighting here. The name Takoda means ‘friend to everyone’. If you’re really interested in the history of this area, you should find some time to sit and talk with Remus.”
Ethan snorted. “Yeah, he’s a veritable bottomless pit of useless information.”
Melissa covered her mouth and coughed, obviously trying to smother a laugh. “Thanks, I just might do that.”
Ethan leaned over, his shoulder pressed tight against Tania’s back. “Latan and I would like to take you to dinner tonight.”
Tania glanced up into Ethan’s mischievous gaze and smiled. “Dinner, huh?”
“Well, dinner and getting to know each other better,” Latan said. An extremely lecherous look accompanied his words.
Tania glanced over at Melissa before answering the tempting invitation. It surprised her to see a wistful expression on the other woman’s face. She quickly looked back up at Ethan. “Sounds great, guys. Why don’t you pick me up around six?” She felt a strange, warm feeling wash over her and saw the pleasure echoed in both men’s eyes.
Latan grabbed Ethan’s arm and dragged him toward the door. “Six, you got it! We’ll be there with bells on.” He grinned at her, and then focused his attention on Ethan. “Come on, bro, we’ve got some work to get finished so we’ll have time to go home and get cleaned up before we need to pick her up.” He glanced over at Melissa. “Oh, yeah, sorry, Melissa. I almost forgot to tell you that Mali is gonna be running late this morning. He had a problem to straighten out on another job. He said he wanted to finish that one before coming here to start a new one. Something about being able to give you his full attention then. Anyway, he’ll be here sometime around noon.” He pushed Ethan out the door, peeking back over at Tania one more time. “See ya later, pretty lady.” The door closed loudly behind him.
“They are a force to be reckoned with. How in the world are you brave enough to take them on at the same time?” Melissa’s voice didn’t sound like she was jealous, more like she was in awe of Tania.
Tania laughed. “Together is the only way I’d even consider taking them on.”
Melissa frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. Together, they’re not a threat.”
“A threat!” Melissa stared at Tania as if she thought she’d lost her mind. “Surely you don’t think either of them would harm you in some way?”
“No, of course not. From what I can tell, neither of them would even be capable of physically harming a woman.” Her ability to sense their innermost emotions had shown her that. She laughed. “There are other ways to harm, though. I like the idea of taking on both of them because that insures that I can keep it casual. There’s no danger of anybody getting serious.”
Melissa looked at her with sadness in her expression. “I guess that’s where we differ. I’d give anything to find someone to be serious about.”
Tania stood and headed for the door. “Don’t worry, Melissa. Your time’s coming. I’ve always believed in fate. Somebody with your honest nature is bound to have a true ma…um, love out there, just waiting to find them.” Vanard had warned her to be careful not to reveal anything about the pack to the humans living in the town. She opened the door and looked back over her shoulder. “Just be patient, sweetie. You’ll find him. Listen, I’m gonna head out since you’re not gonna unpack until after the sawdust stops flying. I’ll check back in a few days and see if you need any help, or maybe even before that if you think you might like to have lunch sometime.”
“I’d like that a lot, Tania. It was nice visiting with you this morning. With Michael gone, I don’t really have any real friends here.”
“Aren’t you friends with his sister?”
“Well, yeah, I am, kind of. I mean, I’ve known her for a long time, but we’re not really friends. To be honest, I never really feel very comfortable when I’m around her and her husband. For some reason, and I’m sure it’s all my fault, I feel like I’m an outsider whenever they’re around.” The poor woman looked embarrassed, like she regretted saying anything.
“Believe it or not, I know what you mean.” She glanced out the door at the building across the street where she
knew Kaugh had set up his own office, and then back at the troubled woman. “Consider me your newest friend, Melissa. I may not be around forever, but friendships should be able to stand the strain of distance.” She looked back over at the other building. “Just promise me you’ll be careful about meeting any new people. Be sure and ask Michael before getting too involved with any of the locals.” Before Melissa could have time to question her about the advice, she waved goodbye and shut the door behind her.
Tania walked slowly down the street toward her car. She’d purposely parked it directly across the street from the front door of Kaugh’s new office. She was going to have to find a way to get in there and see what he was up to, and fast, before the members of Remus’s pack took matters into their own hands. She cringed when she thought about how furious Remus was going to be when he found out she worked for the National Council. He was bound to come to the conclusion that he wasn’t told about her because they didn’t trust him. She snorted. For all she knew, he might be right. She hadn’t been able to pick up any feelings of mistrust from the members of the Council when they’d briefed her on her assignment, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. They knew about her gift and sometimes took great care to mask their feelings.
Vanard would be the one to suffer the most. The Alpha would be very angry with him for lying to him. Tania was leaving and wouldn’t have to suffer Remus’s wrath. Unfortunately, Vanard wouldn’t have that luxury.
Her instructions from the Council had been clear. She was to track down Kaugh, find out what he was up to, and then eliminate him after she uncovered everyone working with him. She’d been close to nailing him in California, and then discovered his ties to Constantine. It was vital that they get their hands on the research material. It should lead them to everyone involved in their activities, as well as help her to free up any unwilling research subjects they might be holding. The Council wanted no stones left unturned and nothing to come back and haunt them after Kaugh was gone.
They’d not been happy after Remus had taken out Constantine. He’d left too many questions unanswered, and they were all paying for it now. His rage over his mate’s capture had driven him to make too many mistakes.
Tania was going to have to find a way to do her job and avoid the pack members that Remus had watching the doctor and his associates. She chuckled. “At least my life’s never boring,” she whispered. Opening her car door, she slid inside and thought about her dinner date with Remus’s brothers. “At least for one night, I’m gonna put myself first.” She smiled, started the car, and drove back up the mountain to her cabin.
* * * *
“Damn, that is one hot little number!” Sean Cross licked his lips as he watched the sexy redhead drive away. He turned from the window to stare at the desk where his boss sat, working on the computer. He’d worked for Vincent Kaugh for the last five years and had no complaints. Kaugh paid well and didn’t care what methods Sean used to accomplish his goals. Well over six feet tall, he had dark hair and eyes, with his most predominant feature being the wicked scarring along the left side of his face. He’d gotten those scars courtesy of one of Kaugh’s test subjects several years ago. “She was in that architect’s office for a long time. You think she’s one of the wolves?”
Kaugh glanced up from the file he was reading and regarded the most dangerous of the three men he’d brought with him to Wyoming. “Yes, I think it’s probable that she’s one of Remus’s wolves. From what I’ve gathered from Constantine’s notes, they rarely have any business dealings with outsiders, although things may have changed since Remus became the Alpha. There’s not a lot said about their outside interests once Remus was mated to Maddie.”
Sean snickered. “Do you think we could bring the visiting redhead in for one of your special injections?”
Kaugh pulled off his reading glasses and frowned up at his employee. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Sean jumped forward, in a protective stance, when the back door to the office opened. He relaxed when he saw it was the other two men Kaugh had brought along on this trip. Marty Dyer barely looked human at over six feet tall, with a bushy dark beard and long, stringy hair. He resembled the shifters in their half-formed wolf states. Their companion, Calvin Ames, was what he would consider a pretty boy. Although six feet tall, he had a baby face framed by blond curls and deep blue eyes. He stayed as far away from him as he could get at all times. He nodded to the two men.
“Come on, boss. You give her one of your injections so she can’t shift, and then give her to me for a couple of hours.” His two co-workers snickered.
“I don’t think so,” Kaugh said, shaking his head. “My formula is too expensive to produce to be wasting it on your love life. Once we get everything in place, you’re welcome to take her any way you want, only without the help of my serum.” He turned back to the computer. “Of course, that didn’t turn out too well the last time you tried it, if I remember correctly.”
“Do tell. What happened?” asked Marty.
Sean looked angry for a moment and then shrugged. “I hadn’t been working with Dr. Kaugh for very long when he brought in a new female for his studies.” He ran his hand along the scars on his face. “Let’s just say she had an objection to my loving personality.”
“You tried to fuck one of the female wolves?” Calvin’s voice held a note of disgust.
Sean looked at Calvin and wondered what upset him more, the fact she’d been a wolf or that she’d been a woman. “No, I didn’t try and fuck one of the female wolves. She was definitely not a wolf when I tried to gain her interest.”
“That’s enough out of the two of you. We have more important things to discuss.” He pointed to the computer screen. “All of Constantine’s records are here, and lucky for me, he was one meticulous bastard when it came to records. Everything we’ll need to finish my work is here. Well, almost everything.”
“What else do you need, boss?” Marty asked.
“All Constantine’s years of research were based on two subjects. The first was a fully grown female, already mated, with one child. It was early in his career, and the testing was immature and not terribly informative. Years later, when he was better funded and had completed his education, he acquired a second female subject. This one was extremely young and unmated. He had access to her for years, and his testing was broad and produced a great many results. He lost control of her for a brief period, and then was lucky enough to get his hands on her shortly before he died. During that time, he completed a short battery of tests on her, right after she’d taken a mate.”
“I’m lost, boss. How does this help you?” Marty was looking more and more puzzled.
“It’s simple, Marty. Constantine’s work closely mirrored mine over the years. We both had the same goals, but went about proving our theories in a slightly different way. A few years ago, we compared notes and discovered that if we pooled our information and resources, we could both attain our goals a little faster. With all his research at my disposal, all I need is his test subject to accomplish what I’ve been working toward for over twenty years.”
Sean gasped, drawing the other men’s attention. “You mean…?”
“Exactly,” Kaugh replied. “I need Maddie Wind River to finish my work.”
“Hell, I don’t see how that’s gonna be possible.” Calvin paced up and down the office. “She’s the mate of an Alpha, and she’s always surrounded by wolves guarding her. Can’t you just use another female wolf that’s the same age?”
“No, using a different wolf would make the tests invalid. I know it won’t be easy, but we’ll think of something.” Kaugh thought for a moment, and then smiled. “Maybe we need to go about things in a different way. The answer might be to grab someone who’s less guarded, less important to the pack, but important enough to Maddie to make her come along willingly.”
“You got someone in mind?” asked Marty.
Kaugh grinned. “Yeah, I do. Her brother, Michael, woul
d be perfect. He’s been living in Texas up until now and doesn’t have any close ties to the pack with the exception of his new mate. According to Constantine’s notes, Maddie would do anything for her brother. He’s the only family she has left.” He looked over at Calvin. “Get busy and find us a secluded house or cabin. I need somewhere we can transfer our equipment and not have to worry about nosy neighbors hearing or seeing anything.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Calvin assured him.
“You two keep an eye on that office across the street. I want to know who comes and goes, and more importantly, I want to know the minute Michael gets back in town.”
Sean followed Marty and Calvin out of the office and hoped like hell that Kaugh wasn’t biting off more than he could chew this time. Something told him that Remus was someone that he wouldn’t want to have as an enemy.
* * * *
Mali gripped the steering wheel tightly as he tried to control the mating heat that threatened to consume him. He’d parked his truck down the street from Michael’s office to give himself time to get his wolf under control before facing his mate. My mate! I can’t believe I’ve finally found her! Her scent had overwhelmed him the instant he’d touched her hand. If it hadn’t been for his Alpha interfering, he would have carried her off right then. Damn, Remus, how could you do this to me? The pack had strict rules about mating with non-shifters, and Remus had been quick to remind him of that. Mali couldn’t mate with Melissa until she knew about the wolves and was in complete agreement with the mating. Mali snorted. Like I’m gonna give her a chance to say no. He didn’t really believe there would be a problem. He’d sensed Melissa’s arousal in the few minutes they’d spent together. Everything was perfect until Remus dropped his little bombshell. He’d told Mali that he would have to wait until Michael and Ariane returned from their honeymoon to mate. His Alpha thought Michael should be the one to tell her about the wolf shifters because they’d been friends for many years, and she trusted him.
Martine, Missy - Changing Their Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3