by Meg Ripley
Fortunately, thanks to her mates, Nikki was ready for that. “Clint and Max will stand in for me as proxy. It’ll be fine.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “No. I’m sorry, but no. That’s not how this works. We can postpone the meeting and vote when you’re feeling better.”
Nikki sighed. She should’ve known this would be a fight. “Please just do this for me. I don’t need everything to stop in its tracks just because I ate something that didn’t agree with me.”
“But why go ahead with it when we can put it off for a mere day and do things properly? I don’t understand, and you know how I feel about your mates. I’m not sure I trust them to make the same decisions you would.”
That only made Nikki want to argue harder against her. “Piper, as your Alpha, I’m commanding you to run this meeting and to accept Clint and Max as my representatives. I’ve already made the call, and you’re not in a position to argue against it.” She gritted her teeth as she fought another wave of nausea, refusing to give in either to her sister or to whatever this was that was making her feel like complete shit.
Piper sighed. “Fine. But I don’t like it, and I don’t see why you’re doing this. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up.
Nikki set the phone on her nightstand with a thud and flicked her hand at her men. “Just let me rest for a little while, please. Wake me up before you go to the meeting, okay?” She rolled over, turning away from them. It was beyond irritating that Piper should think to question her. Nikki was the Alpha. She was the shifter whom Piper and all the others had vowed their loyalty to.
But she also had a point. Why did Nikki insist on going through with the meeting? What would it hurt to delay the vote for a day or two, when they’d already been without a medic for several months? It wouldn’t really make a difference. Nikki told herself that the only real point here was that she was in charge and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. She pulled the covers up over her shoulder and sank into a deep sleep.
8
Drake pulled up to the clubhouse and parked on the side of the driveway amongst a line of other cars. The place was packed for the meeting, and he wondered if everyone always made a point to come or if this was something special. He wasn’t even sure how well he’d be received at the meeting. There was no doubt Nikki’s men wouldn’t want him to be there. But just the thought of seeing her again, her wavy blonde hair vibrant around her shoulders and the smolder in her bright blue eyes, sent a shiver of pleasure down Drake’s spine. There wasn’t much that could keep his bear away.
Piper met him at the door, a wrinkle of concern on her forehead. “I need to talk to you,” she whispered as she pulled him aside and down a hall. “Nikki isn’t here.”
“What?” He felt his spine stiffen and his skin tingled with the sudden urge to force the thick, shaggy fur that was hiding just beneath to the surface. “Then where is she?”
“At home, I guess,” Piper said with a roll of her eyes. “She called me and said she was sick. That’s fine, and those things happen, but she should’ve just postponed the meeting. After all, we’re supposed to be voting in a new medic. She should be here for that.”
“If she’s sick, then I should go to her and see what’s wrong.” The bear inside him had reacted to the strange news, but so had his medical training. “Maybe I can help.”
Piper grabbed his arm before he could dash out of the room. “That’s not all, Drake. She asked me to run the meeting, but she sent Clint and Max to stand in for her. I think you know as well as I do that there’s something fishy about that.”
“Definitely.” Drake shoved his hands in his pockets as he tried to think. “I managed to get something from Nikki and Max to take to Fern. She told me there was definitely some magic at work, but she hasn’t gotten back to me yet about the specifics of the spell. She said it would take some time.” He’d been checking his phone almost constantly as he waited for some communication from the witch, and he was starting to grow impatient.
“I’m not surprised,” Piper replied. “I knew something had to be going on, and I trust Fern to help us out. For now, we’ve got to stop this. These guys are up to something.”
“I’ll see what I can do. You just need to act as normal as possible.”
Piper made a face. “I’ll do my best. I’m heading down to the basement. The meeting will be starting soon.”
“I’ll be right there.” Drake stepped outside. He desperately wanted to shift and talk to the Force, but since they were on their way to California, it was unlikely they would be in their animal forms. He pulled out his cell and dialed, reaching Flint.
“I’m on the road,” the weapons sergeant reported in his gruff voice. “I wasn’t about to risk all my babies on a plane.”
If his own situation wasn’t so dire, Drake would’ve laughed. There was nothing more important to Flint than his weapons, many of which he’d built himself. “What’s your ETA?”
“I’m just past Willow Creek, so less than an hour. I’m balls to the wall, Boss, but I gotta say this is way out in east bumfuck.” The road noise that came through the phone indicated Flint was flying down the highway.
“What about the others? Have you talked to them?”
“They’re on a bird somewhere. I can give you the flight number if you want to track it.”
“No, I don’t have time. But let them know as soon as you can that I think shit’s about to hit the fan here. The clan is about to have a meeting, but I think these guys the Alpha is with are keeping her from attending. Two of them are here in her place. As soon as you arrive, I want two of you guarding her house. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Ten-four.”
They hung up and Drake went back in the clubhouse. The other shifters, some of whom had been lounging around having drinks, were all heading to the basement. He followed them, since Piper had told him that was where the meeting was to be held. He found himself in a large room with chairs assembled facing one end. Piper was standing at the front of the room, shuffling through some papers and keeping her distance from Clint and Max. The two men had solemn and intimidating looks on their faces as they watched the shifters gather. Drake took a chair near the back.
A few minutes later, Piper opened the meeting. “Thank you all for coming. First, I want to let you know that Nikki is ill and won’t be with us this evening. She has assigned Clint and Max to act on her behalf, and she’s asked me to run the meeting.”
Whispers rippled through the crowd. Drake was sure the other shifters were more concerned with Clint and Max being at the head of the room instead of Piper.
She cleared her throat and ran through the minutes from the last meeting, most of which were fairly mundane. “As you all know, tonight we vote on a new medic. The person who gets this position will be in charge of handling all the medical business of the clan. This will include dealing with illness, injury, births, deaths, and everything in between. The medic will act as a liaison between our clan and any hospitals or doctors that our members may deal with. You will be on-call at all hours, so anyone who’s interested in this position must be willing to work around the clock. The job comes with a monthly stipend. Anyone who would like to be considered for the position, please stand.”
The crowd was full of movement, but only one man rose to his feet. Drake didn’t know the shifter, but he saw the critical look on Piper’s face. Max gave the man a nod of approval.
Piper waited a long moment as she scanned the audience. “Is there anyone else?”
From off to the left, a woman began to stand. Clint glared at her, and she immediately took her seat again.
So that was it, or at least part of it. Clint, Max, and Neal were going to take over the clan from the inside. They would incapacitate Nikki until the club had become their own, as their hand-picked members got all the top positions. Drake suspected this was just the beginning of it.
Fortunately, he knew one way to foil their plan. He stood up confide
ntly, ignoring the fierce glower from Clint and Max. “I’d like to nominate myself,” he said boldly, making his way out to the center aisle and stepping forward. Everyone turned to look at him, but he kept his focus on the leaders at the front. “I’ve got extensive medical training in several fields, I’ve worked at some of the nation’s top hospitals, and I’ve been educated in both shifter and human physiology. I don’t want to sound immodest, but I think I could be an asset to this clan.”
Clint balled his hands into fists. “No. You’re too new; you’re not even an official member.”
But Piper put her chin in the air. “The bylaws allow it. Actually, anyone can be voted in, even if they’re not an official member. It’s more important that we get the right person for the position, especially when we’re talking about our healthcare. Let’s put it to the vote.”
Max looked ready to dive across the front of the room and tackle her, but he was confident enough in the man they’d picked that he nodded. “All those in favor of Mason as the new medic, please raise your hands.”
A smattering of hands went up throughout the room. Drake purposely kept his eyes focused on the front, even as tempting as it was to turn around and count them.
“All those in favor of Drake, please raise your hands.” Piper’s dark eyes buzzed with determination.
Drake didn’t need to count the vote at all this time. It was a vast difference, and he was in.
“This isn’t right,” Clint asserted. “We’re here on behalf of Nikki, and I don’t think she would agree.”
Piper shrugged. “You know the popular vote wins. If you don’t like it, you’ll have to take it up with them. Congratulations, Drake. Nikki and I will meet with you soon to go over your duties.”
“Thank you.” Drake took his seat, and he wondered for a moment just what he’d done. He’d told himself that he wasn’t there to get involved, just to solve a problem and get out. But now he was in up to his neck. That was all right if it helped Nikki. She might not understand it now, but hopefully she would later. And the gratitude and relief on Piper’s face let him know he was on the right track. Now, he just needed to figure out the triad’s next move and get ahead of them.
9
Nikki rolled over at the sound of the door slamming, sending a shock reverberating through her sore head. Clint and Max had woken her briefly to let her know they were leaving, and it felt as though they’d only been gone a few minutes. Neal tried to intercept them at the bedroom doorway, but they pushed right past him and to Nikki’s side.
“You need to do something to stop your sister and her new friend,” Clint demanded. “This is getting bad.”
Nikki blinked as she pushed herself up to her elbows. Neal rushed to her side to adjust the pillows behind her so she could sit up. “What are you talking about? What happened?” She felt much better than she had earlier, but she still wasn’t quite awake.
Max, his dark hair disheveled and his brows drawn down in anger, glowered at her. “Mason was the best man for the position of medic. Everything was set in stone. Then she got together with that asshole Drake, and he nominated himself during the meeting!”
“That wouldn’t be such a problem if he hadn’t won the fucking vote,” Clint growled.
Nikki put out a hand to stave off their assault of complaints as her foggy brain fought to catch up. “Wait a sec. You’re saying that Drake was voted in as the new medic?”
“Exactly.” Clint looked ready to start World War III.
She shrugged. “I don’t see what the problem is. He’s got the qualifications, and if the clan wants him, then that’s the way it is.”
“But he’s far too new. We don’t even know if we can trust him, and my gut tells me we can’t,” Max argued.
Nikki took a moment to think about Drake. Her stomach swirled, but not in the way that made her feel sick. Drake was charming. Handsome. Great personality—and ass. He could be tough when he needed to, but she could easily imagine him at the bedside of someone ill. Really, she couldn’t think of anyone better to be the clan doc, and at the moment, she wished he was the one tending to her strange illness. “I think he might surprise you. You just need to give him a chance.”
“When the rest of us have had to fight our way up through the ranks?” Neal questioned.
“I wouldn’t exactly say you fought…” Nikki reminded him. It was more like they’d slept their way to the top. Nikki swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stretched, feeling the need to move around a bit.
“You have to overthrow the vote,” Clint commanded. “You have the power to do that. Call an emergency meeting and tell everyone that Mason is the new medic.”
She scowled at him. “I’m not doing that.”
“You’d damn well better,” Max growled. “It’s the right thing to do for the clan.”
“What’s right for the clan is my decision.” Appalled by the threat, Nikki crossed the room to her closet. She was still dressed from earlier in the day, and she quickly grabbed a pair of running shoes. “I’m going out for a walk. We can talk about this later.”
But the men followed her right out the back door. “Nikki, you can’t just let this go,” Neal said, catching her arm. “Your clan needs you, and you can’t just let this new guy take control. There’s no telling what he might do.”
She snatched her arm away from him. “I’m well aware of the situation, thank you. Leave me be while I think about this.”
They still followed her, and Clint jogged around to get in front of her. “You’re not leaving until you fix this.”
“Watch me.” Nikki let go of her human form, feeling strength and vitality come rushing back to her body as her inner bear became her outward shape. She reveled in the solidity of her muscles, the thickness of her hide, and the steadiness of her gate as she bound away from them and into the woods.
She didn’t like being angry at her mates. It seemed completely wrong, but so did their demands. It left her in a place of uncertainty, somewhere she wasn’t used to being. She needed to just get away and clear her head.
But someone else was already in it. Nikki, are you all right?
She recognized Piper’s thoughts immediately. Well enough. Tell me what happened tonight. It would’ve been nice to ignore the situation for a little while longer, but that didn’t seem likely.
I wasn’t expecting it, but Drake said he wanted to be the new medic. Almost everyone voted for him except a handful.
Nikki followed the flow of the creek that ran through the woods behind her house. It would fork soon, and she could follow it to the left to get to the clubhouse or to the right to get to Piper’s house. There was a definite advantage to living in the middle of nowhere. And what about you? Do you think he’s right for the job?
Honestly, I don’t think we could find anyone better. He’s talked to me about his medical background. Plus, he’s a nice guy. I was glad to see so many people on his side.
Interesting that she should put it that way. Nikki didn’t like to think of anyone in her clan taking sides, but there was a division among the members that couldn’t be denied. You don’t think he’s up to anything?
No, came Piper’s firm reply.
Nikki made a right at the fork in the creek, heading toward Piper’s. She and her sister had been at odds with each other lately, and Nikki didn’t like that. She wanted them to be a team again, both of them looking out for the needs of the clan. I’m coming over.
Nikki, you need to get home so we can talk about this. It was Clint. He’d shifted.
In a little while. I’m going to Piper’s first. Nikki ran a little faster. Why couldn’t he understand that she just needed time alone? They were always around her. Most of the time, she saw that as a good thing. Right now, it just wasn’t what she needed.
Now Max was interfering in her conversation. You don’t have time for a social call. You have to take care of this, right away.
There’s nothing to take care of! Piper’s voice was so l
oud in her mind that Nikki shook her head in aggravation. You were there, and you saw the vote just like I did. Leave her alone!
But Nikki knew that the guys were right, at least in one sense. Drake might be the right person for the job, but she did need to get home and take care of business. If her mates were unhappy, then that wasn’t a problem she could just run away from. Fine. I’m coming.
Nikki! Piper protested.
Just stay out of it. Nikki turned and followed the creek back up to her house, although much more slowly than she had when she’d left. Was this what it was always like for someone who’d met their fated? She loved spending time with her guys, but why should it be that they could never get any time apart to just be themselves? Did she truly have to give every single part of herself to them?
She forced the thoughts out of her head as she emerged from the woods. Her face hurt as her muzzle melted away, and she missed the pure power of her ursine body as she stood on two feet once again. Nikki longed to spend an entire day as a bear, languishing in the woods, playing in the creek, and just listening to the birds. Or, if she’d made it to Piper’s house, they could’ve sat on the porch and drank wine while bitching about men. She felt burdened with the sense that anything like that was long in her past.
“About time,” Clint snarled as she stepped up onto the porch. He was human again, too, but he didn’t look as though his time as a bear had improved his mood. “You’ve got to get rid of Piper.”
“Easy now, Clint.” Neal emerged from the sliding glass door with a tall pink drink in his hand. He gave it to Nikki as he pulled out a chair by the patio table, inviting her to sit. “She’s had a rough day, and I’m sure she just needs some time to relax. We can all talk about it like mature adults.”
At least one of them was willing to be reasonable. Nikki accepted the drink and took a sip. It was one of his famous adult smoothies, with plenty of fruits and plenty of alcohol. “Thank you, Neal.”