by Meg Ripley
“Thanks, but no. I’ve already got a place lined up.”
“Wonderful. Why don’t I show you around a little?”
As the pair headed off, Nikki let out a long breath and leaned her head back, trying to calm herself. That was beyond strange, and the first thing she wanted to do was forget about it. The physical reaction she’d had to Drake’s presence must have been some sort of fluke. Nikki had been feeling a little off lately as it was, and maybe her bear just had bad timing in expressing some anger. She made a mental note to herself to shift later in the evening and get out into the woods. That always put her head on straight.
She tried to get back to her tasks, needing the distraction. It was just starting to work when a shadow appeared in her doorway. Nikki looked up to see Neal, looking serious and somber.
He strode into the room without asking permission. “I need to talk to you.”
“Clearly,” she remarked, setting aside her pen and gazing up at him. He was so easy on the eyes. “What is it, hun?”
“The new guy.” He bit each word off like they were curses. “I don’t like him.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “It’s only his first day here.”
“And one day is all I need to get a solid impression from someone. There’s something suspicious about him. You need to get rid of him.”
Nikki narrowed her eyes. “I can’t just chuck him out for no reason after granting him membership.”
“Membership?” he roared. Neal was the quietest of her men, but even he was starting to blow up. Clint and Max must’ve heard or sensed it, because they were suddenly in the room, too. The three of them always astounded her with their ability to know what was happening with her or the others. The bond between them was strong, and even though the current situation was uncomfortable, knowing the strength of their ties comforted her.
“Just temporary membership,” she reassured Neal. Nikki looked at the other two. “What about you? Is there a problem with Drake?”
Clint and Max exchanged a look. “I think we have enough men around here. You need to balance out the clan,” Clint demanded.
Nikki sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. So, this was what it was all about. “Look, the clan isn’t some collective that I have to carefully curate to please everyone. It doesn’t work like that. If it did, I might not even have let you guys in.”
“But don’t you think it’s odd that he would just show up out of the blue like that?” Max argued. “Who knows what he’s up to? What if he’s not even really one of us?”
“I would’ve sensed it, and Piper would have, too.” Nikki had to admit she really didn’t know much about Drake, but her bear had most definitely reacted to his. He was a shifter; no doubt about it. “If you’re uncomfortable about the situation, keep your eyes open and let me know if you see anything worth reporting. Sound good?” She had no doubt this meant they would bring every tiny thing back to her like children tattling on the playground, but the idea made her smile. They were dedicated and protective, and she couldn’t ask for more in her mates.
“Good enough for now,” Clint grunted. “But this isn’t going to end well.”
“It’s almost time for dinner. Go get things set up, and I’ll be in to join everyone in a little bit.” She shooed them away with a flick of her hand, wondering just how much trouble this new guy was going to cause.
When she finally tore herself away from her work and headed out of her office, she found Piper and Drake chatting in the living room. He was seated comfortably on the leather sofa, looking completely at home, and Piper was leaning close as they talked. Her bear started to rage once again, and she pulled in a deep breath to try to settle her. “How are things going?” she asked amiably.
“Oh, just fine,” Piper said with a smile. “I’ve given him a full tour of the clubhouse, and I was just going over some of the local scene with him. I think we should all take a trip down to Humboldt Bay.”
“Yeah, that’d be great.” But in truth, Nikki knew she’d have to bow out of such a trip. The last thing she needed was to see Drake without his shirt on, and there was no telling how her three mates would react if they caught her gazing at his solid abs for just a fraction of a second too long.
“There are a lot of great ways to get outdoors around here,” Piper continued. “I could show you this hiking trail that—” Piper stopped abruptly as two angry men came bursting in through the front door.
Nikki shivered as she felt the resentment and rage pouring off them. It was Justin and Matt, and clearly the argument between the two of them wasn’t over yet. “What is it now?” she asked with a motherly sigh. “I thought I told you guys to work it out.”
“Yeah, we’re working it out all right,” Justin snarled. His blonde hair was slicked back, and the tattoos that scrawled up his neck exaggerated the fury in his eyes. “Genius here came over to help fix the walls, and he doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing! He’s making it worse!”
“Excuse me, but it’s not like you’re a master carpenter either. I’m doing my best based on the video I watched.” Matt raised his eyebrows, challenging Justin once again.
“Like you can learn everything from a fucking video,” his rival growled. “All you’re going to do is make things worse, and my landlord is going to shit a brick!”
Matt, normally the slightly calmer one of the two, rounded on him. “Right, cause your landlord isn’t already going to shit a brick over all the beer stains you’ve left on the carpet. You trashed that place long before I ever came over.”
“What are you implying? That I’m trash?” Justin launched himself at Matt.
Nikki’s claws extended as she jumped forward, but Drake was faster. He was between the two men, shoving them apart with authority. Justin and Matt dropped their fists in shock, not expecting the new guy to interfere.
“Hey! Settle down!” he barked.
Justin glared at him. “What the hell?”
“Who are you?” Matt asked. But they both calmed down, and Drake let go of them.
Nikki figured the introductions could wait until later. “Look, I told you two that you had to share the cost of the damages and work together to fix them. If you’re having another little spat, then you need to just get over it. We’re all members of the same clan, and we have to get along with each other at least most of the time.”
Justin shook his head. “I’m not doing it. The asshole can give me the money for a contractor to come and fix it.”
“Fuck you!” Matt roared. “You were just as responsible for those holes in the walls, and I think some of them were there before I even came over.”
“Guys,” Nikki warned.
Justin turned on her. “This is your fault. If you didn’t force things, maybe we could just leave each other alone.”
“Yeah,” Matt piped up. “You think you know everything just because you’re the Alpha, but I’m starting to think you’re just a stupid bitch.”
The two of them advanced on her, finally working together as they got in her face. Nikki was strong when she was in her other form, but she couldn’t take the two of them alone. She took one step back, waiting for Clint, Max, Neal, or all three of them to suddenly show up to her rescue. That was what they did any other time, but they were nowhere in sight.
And apparently, she didn’t need them. Drake, who’d been behind them only a moment ago, was suddenly between her and the two men. He shoved them backwards with force. Nikki’s mouth slackened as she watched the exchange. Her inner bear surged, her blood singing as it flowed toward Drake.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Justin flung Drake’s hand away from his throat. “You want to come in here and act like you know everything? Or like this is your clan? I’ll bust you up.”
“I’ll get him first,” Matt argued.
With one swoop, Drake grabbed each of them by the neck and thunked their heads together. Justin and Matt fell away from each other with loud groans, holding
their heads and reeling away from Drake. “Let that be a lesson to the two of you,” Drake intoned. “Nikki is your Alpha. That doesn’t mean you get to argue with her when you don’t get your way, and it doesn’t mean you can try to threaten her into changing her mind. You listen to her, no matter what she says, because that’s how clans work. Am I right?”
Justin blinked up at him like a helpless cub. “I…guess.”
“Oh, you guess?” Drake challenged. “You guess that’s what happened when you took an oath to be in this clan?”
Nikki couldn’t watch this any longer. She strode forward, putting herself between Drake and the two troublemakers. “All right, that’s enough. I think they get the point. Justin, Matt, get the hell out of here. I don’t want to hear another word from you until that house is fixed. Piper, why don’t you go show Drake the town like you said you were going to. I’m done with all this for today.” She marched toward the doorway, not even sure where she was heading.
But her three mates showed up before she could make her exit. “What’s going on in here?” Max demanded.
“Too little, too late,” Nikki replied. “Let’s just go.” She shoved past them.
“What the hell is this noob doing interfering in clan business?” Clint asked, following her. “I told you he was bad news.”
“Shut up or he’s going to hear you.” She turned and strode through the house, grateful it was so big. It gave her room to just move. She didn’t know what the hell was going on with her bear, and she didn’t want to think about it any more than she had to.
“Like we give a shit. He needs to know we don’t want him here,” Max argued.
But Nikki couldn’t agree. Someone who was willing to stand up for her—and someone who had no reason to feel any true loyalty toward her yet—couldn’t be a bad person to have around. Sure, it’d been a little awkward, but she could deal with that. “Just don’t worry about it.”
Clint took her by the arm and spun her around to face him. They were in the upstairs hallway now, a long and wide corridor with numerous rooms that opened up on either side, with no one else in earshot. “We can’t just ignore this.”
“You weren’t even there,” Nikki pointed out.
“Maybe not.” Max’s dark eyes were furious, and he looked like he was fighting off a shift. “But we got there in time to know he interfered with clan business, and he’s not even truly one of us yet. That’s simply not acceptable.”
She pressed her lips together, irritated. “Are you really going to tell me he was wrong in telling Justin and Matt that they’re supposed to do as I say?”
Neal sighed. “That’s true enough.”
“Good. Then so should you. And I’m telling you to just leave this alone.” She stared at the three of them, feeling so many emotions swirling inside her that she couldn’t even quite identify them.
“Fine,” Clint acquiesced, “but be careful around him.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Nikki walked away, but she could feel the distance increasing between herself and the three of them. Damn it, they could be annoying, but for some reason, she needed them desperately. She couldn’t seem to stay away from them for very long, nor could she stay mad at them.
4
“Well? What do you think?” Piper whispered as she and Drake stepped out the doors of the clubhouse. The woods butted right up to the back of the house and the trees rustled softly in the summer breeze.
Drake gave her a small shake of his head. “I couldn’t say just yet.” And he wasn’t going to talk about it there. He and Piper were taking a big enough risk just with him being there to observe. Drake knew if the rest of the clan figured out he was an interloper, they could gang up on him. They could do the same to Piper, and he wondered if she truly understood the risk.
“I’m heading out for a run,” he said after a moment. “Want to meet up with me later for a bite to eat?”
“How about The Vintage Vine? It’s downtown.”
“Sounds good. See you there at eight.” Drake didn’t wait for her response before he charged into the woods, waiting just until the thick leaves and tree trunks concealed him from sight before he let his true form loose. His palms widened as his fingers thickened, the stout claws jutting out. Drake could feel the new strength in his back and limbs as he dove forward onto all fours. The twinge of pain that spasmed through his face as it turned to a muzzle was not what he could call comfortable, and yet it was comforting to know he’d been released from his human body for a short while.
The woods behind the clubhouse butted up to the Headwaters Forest Reserve, and Drake didn’t know how he’d been managing to live in the city for this long. When was the last time he really got outdoors, not just heading from a building to his car and then back again? His muzzle twitched as he relished the fresh air, washed clean by the nearby coastal waters, and he plunged into the thick undergrowth beneath the redwoods.
Drake! How’re things going? It was Hudson.
Well, I’m here, Drake replied as he turned toward the thicker parts of the woods, making sure he stayed away from the trails where he might run into random hikers. Are any of the others shifted? The members of the Force could only communicate like this when in their animal forms. It was a much more secure way of catching up since Drake didn’t need to worry about being overheard.
As far as I can tell, it’s just me. I had to get out and get away for a bit. Just had a meeting with some of the big wigs in the Army about some new communications tech I thought might be useful to them. But the guys with all the chest candy are too old to understand it, and those that do are a bunch of slick sleeves. He made a noise of disgust that translated even through his head.
Drake made a deep, huffing noise that was the equivalent of a laugh. Sorry, man.
Anyway, how are things going in California? Think there’s really something going on, or are you just searching for grid squares?
No, there’s definitely something happening. I just don’t know what it is yet. Piper had her own theories, but nothing very solid. Upon meeting Nikki, Drake didn’t sense much of anything suspicious. It was those three guys, though, that had him hung up. Them and something else.
What is it? Hudson had sensed his hesitation.
And even knowing that the other members of the SOS Force were the closest family he had, Drake still wasn’t sure how much he should say. But this wasn’t just his mission. He might’ve been the only one in the field, but every mission the Force took on was shared equally among the men. I can’t quite explain it, but I felt this crazy pull toward the Alpha, Nikki. It was like my bear started thrashing as soon as I was near her.
So, she’s hot?
A downed tree blocked his way and Drake easily lumbered over it. The undergrowth was a little thinner there, and he broke into a slow lope. There was too much energy inside him, and he needed to get it out. Well, yeah. But I don’t think it’s just that. I’ve met plenty of fine women, and they haven’t done this to me. If I’m being honest, this is a lot like what I felt when I was with Amanda.
Damn. That’s heavy.
Drake had to agree. He’d been head-over-heels for Amanda when he’d met her, and it didn’t matter what form she was in. There had been this deep need to be with her, to protect her; to not only make her his, but to belong to her as well. Drake couldn’t say things were that intense with him and Nikki—after all, he’d only met her that afternoon—but something had definitely clicked inside him when the two arguing members had gotten in her face. For all Drake knew, this was what they did all the time and they’d never dream of hurting their Alpha, but he’d had no choice but to jump in.
You want my advice? Hudson’s voice interrupted Drake’s thoughts. Keep your distance. Remember, you’re in there on an undercover mission to help their clan, and that means you have to keep yourself emotionally distant. You can’t get wrapped up in the people there, no matter what they’re going through. Tell me more about these three guys.
Drake did the bes
t he could to describe the situation, going only off first impressions. Clint, Max, and Neal had made it quite obvious that they wanted nothing to do with him, so they hadn’t exactly hung around to chitchat. They’re strange, that’s for sure. They’re protective of Nikki, and I can understand that if they’re her mates. But they act like they don’t want anyone to get close to her, not even members of the clan.
And of course just the fact that there’s three of them is a little suspicious, Hudson added. I mean, how many people could she possibly be fated to?
I don’t know. I’d like to think there’s more than just one person out there for each of us. Drake closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated on the feel of the breeze through his thick fur. It was thoughts like that which had helped him get through some particularly long and cold nights once Amanda was gone. He didn’t like the idea of replacing her, not for himself or for Lindy, but he didn’t like the idea of spending the rest of his life alone, either.
If you say so. Hell, I haven’t even found one yet, Hudson remarked. So, what’s the plan?
That was the hard part. This wasn’t the kind of mission where Drake and his men could just bust in guns blazing, although he was sure Flint would’ve loved that. No, it was going to require patience more than anything. There are two guys in the clan who’ve been fighting with each other, and they don’t seem happy with the way Nikki is handling their dispute. I’m going to try to find some time to talk to them and see if they can give me anything useful. That, at least, will be a start.
I’ve got to get back to the office. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me. I know for a fact that your Force phone works.
Of course it did, because Hudson had given each member of the SOS Force a top-of-the-line phone so they could always get in contact with each other, no matter what form they were in. I’ll do that.
Hudson was suddenly no longer in his mind, but their conversation had left Drake with a deep need to speak to Lindy.