by Meg Ripley
He heard another shuddering breath. “My sister, Nikki, is our Alpha. She has been for a long time, and we haven’t had any issues until recently. Now, everyone is fighting with each other, and there’s some doubt as to whether Nikki can actually fulfill her duty.”
Drake swiveled in his chair and leaned back, enjoying his morning view of the D.C. skyline. His work was hard, but he liked to indulge in the little things every now and then. “That sounds like a pretty simple situation. The clan just needs to get together to vote.”
“It’s more complicated than that,” Piper explained. “Everything changed once Nikki found her mates.”
“Mates? As in more than one?” Drake questioned.
“Yes. Three guys who she swears she’s fated to. And they’re incredibly controlling. She can’t go anywhere or do anything without them, and she follows them around and does whatever they want. I’m concerned about their intentions. It’s like they’re taking over our clan, and that’s not how it’s supposed to work.”
He could hear the worry in her voice, and it gave him an unsettled feeling in his shoulders. Drake had seen shifters change a little when they’d found the person they were supposed to be with, but it was usually for the better. And three mates? That wasn’t impossible, but certainly rare. “Let me get some information from you, and I’ll meet with my men.”
“Huh. I’d think this is something the clan could handle itself, or if not, their local conclave should be more than capable.” Hudson rocked back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. As a lion shifter, he was always calm and collected—until the moment called for him to be otherwise. Then, anyone not on his side would be in deep shit.
“I know.” Drake had been ready for that argument since it was the first thing he’d thought of when he’d heard the situation. “But we all know how useless the conclaves can be, especially when things get complicated.” It was because of the conclave that the Special Ops Shifter Force had been created in the first place. They were specialized and determined; they didn’t turn shifters down who needed help just because it was risky.
“Please tell me this is the kind of mission where we get to blow shit up.” This came from Flint, who sat at the other end of the table, digging at his fingernails with a pocketknife. Drake already knew without asking that the wolf probably had at least three other knives on his person, not to mention a gun or two. Flint was always prepared in his own way.
“It doesn’t sound like it. In fact, I’m not sure I need the rest of you there at all. I figured since I’m a bear, I should be the one to handle it. I can get in, pose as a potential new member of the clan, and see what’s really happening.” Drake knew this was the best plan of action, but it also excited him. He’d spent plenty of time with the other shifters on the SOS Force and enjoyed it, but being with a clan of bears was a completely different feeling.
Garrison, subtly fashionable in a dark charcoal suit that gave no indication of his civilian career as a construction foreman, gave a single nod of his head. “Sounds reasonable. But of course we’ll be ready to take action if you need us.”
“Of course,” Drake replied with a smile. “I’ve already talked to the VA to get some time off, and my sister agreed to keep Lindy for me. All I need is a plane ticket and I’ll be good to go. Unless, of course, there are any other missions that need my attention first.” He scanned the room.
Garrison rolled his shoulders, itching to set his dragon’s wings free. “Things have been pretty quiet, actually. For a minute, I was starting to wonder if the rest of the shifters had forgotten about us.”
“Yeah, right,” Flint retorted. “We’re making too much of a reputation for ourselves. People will always be causing shit somewhere.”
“All right. I’ve got to get packing. I’ll be in contact.”
The rest of the day was spent making preparations. Drake had no idea how long he would be gone, but his time as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant had prepared him for almost anything. He was an expert not only in medicine, but in survival and several forms of combat as well. He could be gone for months at a time and still need nothing more than what he could fit in a pack.
No, the preparations that took the most time were the ones that involved Lindy. He found her in her room. “Hey, honey. Can we talk for a second?”
“Sure, Daddy.” Lindy beamed up at him from the floor where she had a Barbie’s legs imprisoned between her own as she ran a bright pink comb through its hair. She’d put her own hair in a single braid over her shoulder, the end of it adorned with a tiny purple bow that matched her shirt. She had an entire organizer on the wall of ribbons and clip-style bows, and her hair was never without one.
He sat on her bed and folded his hands in front of him. Drake had been gone a lot when he was on active duty in the Army, but that was before he had a little girl at home to worry about. He could get completely absorbed in his work without having to think about what might be happening back home. Now, it was completely different. Even his day job as a physician at the VA often kept him out of the house for long hours, and missions with the SOS Force could send him away for days or weeks. No matter how many times it happened, he’d always felt bad about it. “I’ve got a new mission, sweetie.”
Her little hands paused a moment, the comb holding a fringe of Barbie’s hair in midair. She turned to him with big blue eyes, the same eyes that her mother had. With her platinum blonde hair, Drake always thought she looked like an angel. “How long are you going to be gone?”
Drake sighed. It wouldn’t be so bad if he could say, exactly, but special ops missions were unpredictable. “I don’t really know, but I can tell you I’ll be getting this done as quickly as possible so I can get back to you. And in the meantime, you get to stay with Aunt Glenna.”
Lindy’s eyes widened a little, this time with excitement. She rose from her place on the carpet and grinned. “Is Hallie going to be there?”
“I made sure of it,” he said with a soft laugh. Hallie was Lindy’s cousin, but the two of them had been lifelong best friends. She would be a good distraction while Drake was away.
“Yessss!” The little girl dove under her bed and yanked out her bright purple suitcase. “How many Barbies do you think I can fit in here?”
“At least two or three, but you’ll need clothes and pajamas, too,” he reminded her. In truth, Drake would gladly have let her bring an entire trunk of Barbies. He’d been successful at keeping her from turning into a zombie in front of a tablet like so many other children, and he hoped he could keep things that way for a little while longer. “And don’t forget a swimsuit. Aunt Glenna told me they just opened the pool for the summer.”
“Yay! Can I bring my goggles, too? I like to see underwater!”
“Of course.” He watched fondly as Lindy unzipped her suitcase and began flinging clothes inside. He picked them up and folded them, replacing them neatly. He loved her enthusiasm for life.
Lindy whipped open her bottom drawer to retrieve her swimsuit, plucked her goggles from a rack in her closet, and nestled her Barbies in next to several pairs of socks. She stood up and turned back to the dresser and stopped abruptly. When she turned back around to look at her father, her eyes were glistening. “I’m going to miss you, Daddy.”
He opened his arms, his body filling with warmth as Lindy fell into them. Drake planted a kiss on her head, noting the scent of green apple shampoo. “I’m going to miss you too, shortcake. But you know I’ll be back as soon as I can, and you’re going to have such a good time with Hallie that the time’s going to fly by.”
“Yeah.”
Drake rested his cheek against her head. The kid had shot up like a weed, but he could still fold her up and hold her in his arms. He loved it, but his love for Lindy was painful. It was impossible to see her gorgeous face and not think of the terrible fate her mother had met on the day Lindy was born. Drake knew he should’ve been able to save her. He was trained to handle all types of medical situations, after all. But all the best
specialists in D.C. had been with her, and they assured him that she was in good hands.
Drake had known they were right. After all, he was too close to the situation to be able to handle it himself. It was one thing to put your hands into someone’s guts and piece them back together when you didn’t know them. It was something else when it was the person you loved more than anything in the world.
He glanced up at the framed picture of Amanda on Lindy’s dresser and then quickly looked away. “Listen, while I’m gone, I need you to do me a favor.”
Lindy knuckled her eyes before pulling back enough to look up at him. “What’s that?”
“I need you to come up with a list of fun things we can do together. I know I’ve been working a lot lately, but maybe we can have some daddy-daughter time when I get back.”
“You mean like the zoo?”
“The zoo could be fun.” Actually, it was kind of a terrible place for shifters. But he would go if Lindy wanted to.
“Or the circus? It’s been so long since we’ve done that!”
“We can see when they’re in town again,” he assured her.
“Or the movies, or we could go shopping. Oh, or there’s that new frozen yogurt place that Hallie said she went to.”
He was going to miss her. Lindy was the ray of sunshine in his life, the person who made everything else worthwhile. It killed him to have to leave her, even though he knew she’d be in good hands. “Yes. You make a list, and when I get back, we’ll work on crossing everything off.”
Lindy sailed out of the back of Hudson’s car and up the front walkway. “Hallie!”
“Lindy!” The girls squealed and jumped and hugged each other before they disappeared into Hallie’s room, Lindy’s suitcase bumping along down the hallway behind them.
“Thanks for keeping her,” Drake said, turning to his sister. “You can see she’s real heartbroken.
Glenna gave him a sympathetic smile. “Hey, this is a lot better than the way she was when you’d drop her off a couple years ago. There was nothing I could do to stop those tears except wait them out. And she still misses you when you’re gone. We talk about it a lot.”
“Yeah?” The guilt over raising a motherless daughter wasn’t easy to deal with, but it comforted Drake to know she still had a good female figure in her life. “You think she’s doing all right?”
“I do, and I also think you worry too much. She’s going to be fine, now and for the rest of her life. You got everything you need for the trip?”
It was a joke, Drake knew. His sister had often teased him for taking so little with him when he traveled. “I’ve still got that Swiss Army knife you gave me fifteen years ago, so I can handle anything. My plane leaves in a couple hours, so I’d better get going.”
Lindy came rushing back down the hallway and Drake scooped her up in his arms. “You be good for Aunt Glenna, okay? I love you.” His bear revolted inside him, not wanting to let his cub out of his sight.
“I love you too, Daddy.” She squeezed him tightly around the neck, choking off his air supply, but he didn’t mind.
Glenna waved to Hudson in the driver’s seat as Drake got back into the car.
“You sure you don’t need the rest of us?” Hudson asked as he pulled out onto the road. “You know we’re here, anytime you need us.”
“Yeah, I know.” And he truly did. Drake knew that the bond formed between him and the men he served with was one of the strongest ones possible. They were now their own clan and a force to be reckoned with, and he was lucky to be part of something like this.
The drudgery of airport traffic, waiting in line for the security check, and the long hours on the plane evaporated quickly when he landed in California and took his cell out of airplane mode.
“Piper? I’m here.”
3
Nikki sat behind her desk. She’d straightened it up from her argument with Piper, and now that it’d been a few days, she felt silly about it. They were sisters. They both cared about the clan. There was no need for the two of them to fight.
She bent her head toward her work. The other clan members who’d come to spend the weekend in the remoteness of the clubhouse were lounging by the pool, pouring drinks at the bar, or relaxing in front of one of the televisions that dotted the house. They were enjoying their time off and knowing they could be themselves there, but Nikki couldn’t afford to take that time off. She hadn’t gotten nearly enough done during the week. She still needed to balance the books, pay some bills, and check in on her investments.
Her phone rang several times before she realized it, and she snatched it up without looking at the screen. “Hello?”
“Hey, Nik. It’s me.” Piper, too, seemed completely back to normal. “Got a second?”
“Sure.” Nikki turned back to her computer.
“I’ve just met a bear who’s new to the area and looking for a clan. He seems like decent guy, so I was wondering if I could bring him to the clubhouse this weekend to see how he fits in.”
That got her attention. Nikki looked away from the computer and leaned back in her chair, smiling to herself. Piper hadn’t mentioned any guys in quite some time. “Oh, really?”
“Don’t say it like that. We’re just friends, and I think we could help him out. Besides, he’s got a medical background, and I know we’re needing someone in that position.”
“Hmm.” The timing couldn’t have been better. The previous medic they’d had moved out of the state for a new job. They could skate by for a little while without a doc in their clan, but having one of their own was much safer than taking someone to the hospital if anything happened. Their physiology was obviously different; they couldn’t risk anyone taking notice. Nikki wasn’t completely sure about bringing in someone new for the job, but it didn’t hurt to check him out. “Sure, why not? I’m here anyway, and it’s a better opportunity than a formal meeting.”
“That’s what I thought, nice and relaxed. We’ll be there in an hour or so.”
They hung up, and Nikki once again lost herself in her work. She enjoyed keeping things straight for the clan. It was one of the many ways she took care of her people, even though pushing around a little bit of paper probably didn’t seem all that important to anyone else. But she maintained their money and their connections in the rest of the world, both of which could keep them safe if anything should happen.
She was just submitting a payment to their attorney for helping out one of her members who’d been blackmailed when she heard a new voice in the clubhouse. Nikki froze in place, listening without looking up. The newcomer was in the front foyer, and while she couldn’t quite understand what he was saying, his voice was low and smooth. It alternated with Piper’s voice, and something lurched inside Nikki’s stomach.
They were approaching, and Nikki resumed her work. She didn’t need to appear as though she’d just been sitting there listening to them and waiting for them when they walked in.
“Hey, Nik!” Piper chirped as she escorted the newcomer in. “This is Drake Sheridan. He’s brand new in the area and came from the east coast.”
Nikki stood and started to come around to shake his hand, but the edges of her vision blackened. She leaned on the corner of her desk as the wave of dizziness passed.
“Are you all right?” Drake took a step forward, but she waved him off.
“I just stood up too fast. Sorry about that. It’s very nice to meet you.” She forced a smile and shook his hand, immediately feeling strange once again. Drake was a shockingly gorgeous man, the kind of guy you saw on TV, but certainly not in Eureka. His short brown hair was styled with a casual look that was somewhere between messy and neat, and it suited him. He carried himself with a confidence that didn’t overflow into arrogance, and his pristine smile was reflected in those dark blue eyes that reminded Nikki of the sky just after sunset.
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” he replied in that smooth voice of his. “And I truly appreciate the chance to join your clan. It�
��s never easy when moving to a new area.”
“Do you move around a lot?” She’d felt the heat of his palm against hers as they shook hands, and now, even with her hands draped at her sides, she could still feel the imprint of it like a brand against her skin. What the hell’s the matter with me?
“Wherever my job takes me,” Drake explained. “I haven’t had the privilege of settling down for a while, but I’m hoping my current job here will make things a little more stable for me.” He smiled again.
Nikki’s heart leaped into her throat, but that was nothing compared to everything else she was experiencing. The sensation of another creature fighting and growling inside her, something much bigger than herself, made her skin feel tight. Her bear was trying to get out. “That’s…good,” she said lamely, trying her best to keep cool.
Piper had been watching the exchange with interest. “What do you think?” she pressured.
But the truth was that Nikki wasn’t really thinking at all. She couldn’t. It took too much concentration to control herself, but that didn’t make sense. Why should this man make her feel this way? She’d already found her fated matches, but the thrashing of her inner beast—and the feeling that the floor was rolling like an ocean beneath her—told her something else was going on. Turning away to seat herself at her desk again, she tried to clear her head.
“Of course it’ll take us all some time to get to know you, but I’ve never believed in turning our own kind away just because they’re strangers. I’m willing to grant you temporary membership, and we can see how things go from there.” It seemed like the best solution at the moment, and one that might get him out of the same room for a little while.
“Um, Drake, I forgot to ask you if you have a place to stay,” Piper said to the stranger. “We have plenty of extra bedrooms here if you’re needing one.”
Shit, no! Don’t offer him that! Fortunately, Piper couldn’t hear her thoughts while they were both in human form. She didn’t need her sister to know how much this man was affecting her. Instead, she pasted on another smile and waited to see what he had to say.