“I wasn’t talking about that kind of ownership.” He kissed her one last time and then hopped off the porch, heading to his truck. Again with the mind games. She had no way of deciphering them and frankly couldn’t be bothered anymore. If she stressed herself out about every off-the-wall thing her men did, she’d be ready for an institution.
Patrick joined her on the porch, closing the door heavily behind him.
She turned long enough to give him a cold stare. It was true she was jealous, but she didn’t want it pointed out for her.
He chuckled, a darkly masculine sound. Before she could react, he had her turned, lifted, and sitting on the porch rail. Patrick took up residence between her legs, both hands on her ass. “You’re angry with me,” he said as he nipped her earlobe.
“Forget it. I’m just stressed.”
“I’ll take care of you tonight when I get home from the mine.” He scooped her up under the arms and held her in the air long enough to kiss her lips before setting her on her feet. His strength astounded her. These were real men, not like the sniveling jerks that worked with her in the call center back in the city.
They made her leave her car at her little house to ensure she couldn’t run off and get into trouble when she was housebound at their place. She rode with Evan, and Patrick followed in another company truck. The familiar bumpy roads calmed her ragged nerves, making her feel alive. The light filtered down through the network of leaves tangled above the roadway, creating an array of images on the dashboard.
“I should really start to fix up my house. I haven’t done anything to it since I arrived besides clean it.”
Evan continued to watch the road as he drove. “Garret wouldn’t approve. There’s no point in fixing it if you’re staying with us.”
She sighed. Garret says. “Yes, but it’s good for a woman to be independent. What if something happened between us? I’d be stranded out here with a worthless shack.”
“Nothing will happen. We mate for life, Cassidy.”
She laughed out loud. He sounded like an animal. “Swans mate for life, right?” She tried to stifle her chuckle when Evan continued to look serious.
“So do wolves.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” she said, trying to recall her high school science lessons.
He briefly turned her way. “Our wolves do.”
“Your wolves?”
His jaw clenched. She watched the small point of stress as he stared straight ahead. “The Wolves of Climax. They’re unlike any others in the world.”
“I would still feel better.”
“You’re upset because of Garret. I’ll have him talk with you and set things straight. Hopefully put an end to this ridiculous waiting period.”
“I don’t think he’ll even hear you. He’s obsessed with this stupid inspection.”
“He doesn’t want to lose the mine, Cassidy. Without a license, it’s just a bunch of useless copper. We won’t be allowed to excavate a handful.”
She did understand. Garret was a relatively young entrepreneur, running a successful mining operation. He was always stressed about production and competition from the Rockfords. She needed to stop being so selfish and think about him for once. When she looked at the situation from his perspective, her anxiety eased. He just didn’t want to lose this legacy. A lot of people counted on the Gregor mine as their only source of income—including her. She had no reason to be jealous. What she needed to do was support the man she loved.
“You’re right. I’ll behave.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her but didn’t comment. As they approached the secluded cabin in the woods, she felt that sense of belonging. She wanted this to be her forever home, however rustic. Cassidy didn’t need a fancy house, jewelry, and other material goods to make her happy. She wanted what she’d always sought but never attained—a family, roots. Surely she’d survive one week of isolation.
Chapter Three
Garret hung up the phone and then kicked over the garbage can in the corner. The inspector wasn’t giving them any advance notice before showing up. He’d hoped for at least a week to prepare, a couple days even. She was showing up first thing tomorrow morning, and he still had a shitload of work to get done bringing the mine up to snuff. He played by the rules, but an inspector would find any minor fault to hold over his head—a miner not wearing a hardhat, a fence not up to code, or a single employee not having the current WHMIS certification.
“Bad news?” asked Matthew.
“The inspector will be here tomorrow morning. I can’t have any mistakes.” He knew it had to be the Rockford wolves who reported them. There was no way he’d lose everything he’d worked to build at the mine because his rivals were out to get him. It seemed the whole world was coming down around Garret. For once it would be nice if life wasn’t a battle. On one hand he had the Rockfords and the inspector. He also had to worry about hunters and loggers. There was also the new revelation that Evan discovered earlier. Garret just couldn’t afford any more worries at the moment—not with the inspector’s visit looming so close.
Once this bullshit was settled, he’d be able to devote his time to revenge and other issues his wolf was itching to deal with. Until then, he knew Cassidy was in good hands with Evan and Patrick. He’d make sure she was never alone. Every one of his pack mates was capable of defending her, each highly trained by him personally.
“Travis is checking every truck and machine to make sure there’re no ministry violations.”
“Good. Make sure that temperamental gate out front is working properly, too,” said Garret. His mind was processing a thousand things a minute. What he’d love right now was a good run through the forest, but that would have to wait until tonight.
The door flung open, allowing the afternoon light to stream in through the entryway. It was Evan.
“I thought I told you to stay with Cassidy.”
“She’s with Patrick for now,” said Evan.
Of all the men, she had to be alone with Patrick. Red continually fought his feelings for her. He wanted her but played uninterested half the time. With Garret’s unique ability to sense emotion from his pack mates, he’d ascertained that Patrick loved the human girl. Revealing those feelings was another thing entirely.
“Look, I don’t want to hear about your little trip up to the logging camp. I never gave you permission to dive headfirst into a potential firestorm like that. You were alone, and anything could have happened. We just got Matthew back, but you were willing to sacrifice yourself?” Evan was his most loyal. He knew that anything he assigned to Evan would be done to complete satisfaction. If Garret told him to kill, he knew he would without question. But when it came to Cassidy he was proving difficult.
“We still have to deal with the loggers, but I’m concerned about Cassidy’s well-being right now.”
“I know, I know…the kidnapping plans you say they’re hatching as we speak. I’d like to see them take her from Patrick.”
“It’s not that. Cassidy thinks you don’t love her. She thinks you’re embarrassed of her or something. It’s to the point she wants to move out and stay in her own house. I had to fight her just to get her home.”
“You do something to her?” asked Matthew.
“Of course not.”
“Then why’d you tell her to keep our relationship a secret?” asked Evan.
Garret couldn’t remember what he said two minutes ago with the amount of stress he was under. He dealt with human issues too often when his wolf just wanted to be free to run the forest. The only thing he recalled was telling Cassie to keep their relationship quiet because if the inspector found out she worked for the mine, it would be an inappropriate union. Cassidy also didn’t have the current training since so much had gone on in Climax since she arrived. With Matthew finally back home, Garret hoped for some normalcy. But even that was put on hold for another week.
“Look, the inspector has to be our number-one priority right now. Without th
e mine, where else would we find employment this far north? You think I’d work for the Rockfords? Hell, no. We’d end up keeping to our fur most days and surviving the best way we know how. If that happened, do you think Cassidy would enjoy running with wolves?” Garret scoffed. “Lose the mine and lose the girl, Evan.” He hoped his last comment would set Evan straight, encourage him to help with the preparations.
Evan stormed out of the trailer. The human girl was driving him mad. Garret couldn’t wait for the day he could officially mark Cassie and end all this posturing. A mating would bond them all, but he had to be sure Cassie was ready for it. There was far more than commitment involved. Her whole world would change, erasing everything she thought she knew about humans and animals, myths and fantasies.
“He’s losing it,” said Matthew. “Is he capable of breaking pack law?”
Garret shook his head. “He’s just in love.”
After going through some more paperwork, ensuring all their numbers were in order, he went outside to check on his crew. He continually thought of Evan and the struggle he must be going through. Garret took him into the pack when his own family group was killed by fire. Although it was the fault of the loggers trying to threaten land owners to sell by intimidation, Evan blamed himself. His alpha had told him to clear out the den, but he thought he had time and went after their enemies. The young shifter only saw red rather than logic. By the time he returned, the fire had spread and he couldn’t get to the other wolves trapped in the fiery bracken around the den.
Garret knew the story well, not just from recounts by Evan, but from firsthand knowledge thanks to his alpha gift. Every emotion—the guilt, the pain, the regret—would filter through him as if he’d experienced it himself. His pack mate lived in a constant state of compliance, terrified to not follow orders and become guilty of another tragedy.
As much as Garret appreciated the devotion and compliance from Evan, he also wanted him to enjoy life, give him some attitude once in a while like Travis and Patrick. They weren’t just wolves, but men. Men were allowed to make mistakes.
* * * *
Patrick finished feeding Cassidy. It was a pain in the ass babysitting a human who couldn’t shift and eat raw meat like the rest of them. He had to hunt a wild turkey, clean it, and then barbecue it out back. As much as he felt burdened by the responsibility of caring for her, part of him thrived on knowing she needed him—needed the pack. He wanted to own her, possess her. But at the same time he felt the need to keep his distance. Until Garret marked her, Patrick wouldn’t know for sure which path he should follow.
They played a second round of cards, war, the most boring game he’d ever encountered. He only agreed to keep Cassidy entertained until some of the pack showed up to take over. Since she would be trapped in the house for a week, they had to think of different ways to keep her amused.
“Can I see your tattoos again?” she asked. They were lying sideways on opposite sides of the bed, the cards in the middle.
“Not now.”
She frowned, tossing another card down. “Why didn’t you join in earlier at the house? You just watched.”
“Watching can be good.” He played his hand.
“We’re alone.”
Patrick could smell her. She was wet. The little human was always wet. He’d love to flip her over and fuck her right now, but something inside Patrick warned him not to get too close when they were alone together.
“Not for long. The sun’s setting, so they’ll be home soon.” His concentration was fucked now that Cassidy’s pheromones filled the room. He shoved the cards into a haphazard pile, ending the game, and crawled to her side of the bed. “What else comes out after dark?”
She shrugged. “Bats, raccoons?”
“Wolves. Would you like to meet one again? Remember the day by the lake when you met one face-to-face?”
“How do you know that?”
He smirked. “Garret told me.” His answer appeased her. In truth, Patrick’s wolf was clawing within him, demanding another direct encounter with Cassidy. It was too risky, and besides, it would be wrong to invest so much of his heart in a woman Garret might very well decide not to mark. It was best to remain guarded until things were official.
“Well, that was one wolf out of many. I’m convinced it was a fluke. Every other wolf has proved dangerous, possibly killer. It must have been lame or something.”
“Lame? Guarantee you that wolf was in peak form.” Patrick was proud of his rare red wolf. He had it under good control most days, their relationship strengthening with each passing year.
“You’ve seen it before?”
Patrick had to push away his pride before he said something he’d regret. He supposed taking care of Cassidy was better than being at the mine right now. Garret probably had the men doing cartwheels getting ready for the inspection. This wasn’t the first bump in the road for Gregor Mining, and he doubted it would be the last.
“I have.” He didn’t want to continue the conversation, so he pulled away from her. It was late. The other four should be arriving anytime unless they chose to have a run before settling in for the night. Now that Matthew had been found and some of the mysteries uncovered, Garret wasn’t being such a hard-ass about shifting on their free time. Good thing, because Patrick often felt more at home in his fur, used to living feral before joining Garret’s pack.
She rolled to her stomach when he walked away from the bed.
“Aren’t you afraid of them? I’d swear you were afraid of nothing.”
He kept his back to her, fiddling with the two-way radios on the dresser. “I’m afraid of many things. The difference between a man and a coward is facing those fears head-on. Like my fear of you…”
“Me? You’re afraid of me?”
More than she could ever know. He was scared of his growing feelings for Cassidy. She was fragile, so he worried constantly about her. Each time she went missing, a piece of his heart was displaced. The fact he’d have to share her with his pack also concerned him. He’d need to get his possessive streak under control, the one that demanded he fight off any rivals—including his best friends.
“I’d take on a bear before facing off with a slight thing like you.” He turned around. Fuck, she was beautiful. Her long brown hair hung around her face in loose waves. There was wholesomeness about her that drew Patrick in.
“I’m harmless.”
He walked toward her, bracing one knee on the bed. She rose up, kneeling in front of him. “You’re poison, little one.”
She frowned. Patrick ignored her, trailing a finger down her neck to the collar of her shirt, a slow, sensual drag. He could practically taste her being so close.
“You’re slowly seeping into my veins, changing the way I think, the way I feel.”
Cassidy reached out a hand, rubbing it against the stubble on the side of his face. “That’s not a bad thing,” she whispered.
He wanted to kiss her, to lose himself in her heat, but the door pounded open. The passion in the moment fizzled away, and Patrick left the room to join his pack mates.
“Skipping off work, eh?” Travis tossed his coat onto the back of the sofa and crashed into one of the lounge chairs. He lifted up his booted feet one at a time and crossed them on the coffee table. “You’re one lucky bastard. It was a fucking nightmare at the mine today.”
“Looks like everything’s golden now. We shouldn’t have any troubles with the inspector,” said Matthew, pulling off his shirt. “I need a shower.”
The last two came inside, slamming the heavy wooden door shut. “Where’s Cassidy?” asked Garret.
“The wee one’s in bed. She looks tired,” said Patrick. His hackles came up as his wolf urged him to claim what was his. Instead of acting, he clenched his jaw down hard and forced himself to sit on the sofa beside Evan.
“Nonsense,” said Garret. “I’ve been thinking of her all day. She’s the reason I made it to the quitting bell.” His alpha made his way to the bedroom.<
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“What’s your problem?” asked Evan. “You gonna pay for a new couch?”
Patrick looked down where his hand gripped the arm of the sofa. He hadn’t even noticed the damage he was inflicting, his wolfen strength crushing through the wood of the frame. “I’ll be out taking a run. A long one.”
He’d get himself so exhausted that he wouldn’t care about anything but sleep. Patrick wondered how long he’d be able to keep it up before he acted on his urges.
Chapter Four
Garret walked into the bedroom, bringing the freshness of the outdoors inside. His dark hair was slightly matted from wearing the hard hat all day, and his nearly black eyes were narrowed and seductive. Cassidy felt uniquely vulnerable. Patrick had once again left her feeling unconnected and wanting. Now she had to deal with Garret after the hurtful things he’d said to her earlier. She didn’t want to keep their love a secret from others because she was proud of each and every one of her men. Their relationship might be unconventional, but it was hers and she wouldn’t hide it. Apparently Garret didn’t feel the same way.
“Have you eaten?”
She nodded. “You all take good care of me.” But it wasn’t enough anymore. She needed more than her basic needs met. She wanted a concrete commitment she could trust. No more secrets, no more games.
“Evan told me you were upset earlier,” he said. “Tell me.” His voice always carried a slightly dominant edge. It was titillating and hard to deny.
But Cassidy didn’t want to explain how she felt and appear needy and clingy when it was probably just her imagination running wild. “Nothing. It was nothing.”
His brow creased and he crossed those heavily muscled arms over his chest. “Tell me,” he repeated.
“I just–I just feel like you’re either embarrassed by me or want to hide our relationship.”
“Because I told you not to let the inspector know we’re together?”
She nodded again, swallowing hard.
Stacey Espino Page 3