by Kimber White
“Keep your shit straight, Dale,” he said, his eyes still locked with mine. “Are you new here?”
I blinked hard and thrust out my hand. “Uh. Yes. I’m Abby. Winslow.” God. I don’t know why I did that. A part of me wanted to crawl under the nearest desk until Hurricane Lanier moved through.
Lanier smiled full-on this time and took my hand in his, shaking it firmly. His body heat seemed to travel from my palms straight to the center of my chest, warming me, making me blush even deeper. I knew what he was in an instant. But, instead of fight or flight, my body cried out kiss or fuck.
“Sebastian Lanier. Good luck, Miss Winslow. If Landon’s got Dale showing you the ropes, you’re going to need it.”
The moment he let go of my hand, the air seemed to suck straight out of the room. He gave me one more glance over his shoulder and strode out of the office with the same determined purpose as when he came in, leaving me shuddering in his wake.
Chapter Two
So, for twenty-one years living in Wild Lake, I’d only heard the rumors about werewolves. Four hours into my coveted internship, I’d met two of them up close and personal. Both Dale and the congressman let the leg trap incident pass without explanation. The two of them retreated behind Foster’s closed door. I heard muffled shouts from Foster. When Dale emerged, his color looked gray and his eyes stayed that glinting yellow, wolfish color until he got his breathing under control. As the workday ended, Dale simply stormed past my desk without a word.
“See you in the morning, Mr. Thorp,” I called after him. But, he didn’t even bother to turn his head to acknowledge me.
“Ignore him.” A feminine voice came from the cubicle beside me. Then, large, owlish blue eyes beneath a mop of curly brown hair appeared over the top of the wall.
“Oh. Uh. Good tip.”
The owner of the blue eyes came around the wall and extended a hand and a friendly smile. “I’m Grace.”
Grace had deep creases around her mouth and wore hoop earrings big enough to double as bracelets. But, she had a kind face and an earnest handshake. She was also the first genuinely friendly person I’d met since I got here.
“Abby,” I said, slinging my messenger bag over my shoulder. “Is it always that intense around here?”
Grace nodded as we made our way to the elevator then rode it down. “Pretty much. It’s gonna get worse the closer we get to the election. Just keep your head down and your work done. You’ll be fine.”
“What do you do for the congressman?”
Grace smiled. “I’m a legal secretary. I do a little bit of everything. If you have questions about anything, just come find me.”
I wanted to hug her. I settled for a sincere thank you and another handshake as we emerged from the underground parking lot. Grace pulled out her key fob and her car bleeped somewhere close by.
“You parked on this floor?”
I chewed my bottom lip, considering whether I should tell her I took the bus. I could have gotten off at the lobby level, but she’d been so nice, I hadn’t wanted to stop talking to her. I don’t know why I did it, but I told her a little white lie. “No. I’m one floor down yet.”
Grace smiled again and waved at me over her shoulder as she headed toward her car. I waited a few seconds until she was out of sight, then I stepped back in the elevator and went back up to the street level. I slipped off my heels and pulled my ballet flats out of my messenger bag and booked it for the bus stop four blocks over. I got there just as the crosstown number seven pulled into the stop.
“How was your first day?” Iris, the driver, gave me a twinkling smile as I climbed on board. Iris was seventy if she was a day and had the sweetest disposition of anyone I knew, even when some drunk asshole threw a wall of obscenities at her from behind the safety glass after a particularly long day.
“Good,” I said as she passed my fare card through the scanner. “They’ll keep me busy.”
“Busy’s good. You got class tonight honey?”
I slid into the seat behind Iris and raised my voice so she could hear me behind the glass. “Yeah. Property Law. Six to ten. Am I gonna make it?”
Iris’s shoulders shook with rich laughter. She reached over and pulled the lever to close the door with a great heave, and her long gray ponytail swung with the effort. “Baby, you know you’re gonna make it. With time to spare. But please tell me you brought something to eat besides a banana and a sad little yogurt like the last time.”
I shrugged and sank into my chair as Iris shook her head and tsked. She knew me too well. She took more interest in me than my own mother did most times. To the point I knew next week, Iris would probably have a heaping container of soup, stew, or whatever deliciousness she brewed in her own kitchen for me. My mother was either passed out on the couch or running through the house trying to get ready for her latest hot date with another of a long string of loser boyfriends. I tried not to think about it.
Twenty-five more months. Tops. I’d finish my law degree and get the hell out of that double wide. I could go earlier if I broke down and applied for student loans. But, I didn’t want to start my career under the yoke of all of that. I’d been under my mother’s roof this long. I could finish this out. One day at a time.
“Work on anything interesting today?” Iris practically sang the question. Her deep brown eyes brightened as she looked at me in the overhead mirror.
Interesting indeed. I pressed my forehead against the window glass and watched the street signs whizz by as Iris hit the highway.
Sebastian Lanier.
My skin still prickled where he’d taken my hand to shake it. I played with the button on my shirt, just below where his breath touched my skin. Just the thought of it heated my blood and sent a shiver skittering across my shoulder blades. Who was he? The name meant something, but I couldn’t place it.
I couldn’t shake the image of the lethal edge of that rusted trap as he carried it as though it weighed nothing. An object meant not to just to capture, but to injure, to torture. The thought of those brutal spikes driving into skin and bone made my mouth go dry. Poachers, he’d said. On Wild Lake lands. And he thought Congressman Foster had something to do with it?
“Baby girl?”
Iris’s smooth voice brought me out of my head. The bus had stopped right in front of the Law School complex. Its two-story brick exterior didn’t match the rest of the architecture at GLU. It was the only building covered in ivy, though right now, most of that was brittle and brown. I looked behind me, but I was the only passenger left on Iris’s bus.
“You’ve got stars in your eyes, Abby. You thinking about some man?”
Heat flamed my cheeks as I shot her a smile. I tried to cover but Iris knew me too well.
“Sort of,” I said.
Iris turned in her seat and slammed the bus into park.
“You got time,” she said. “Spill it.”
I rolled my eyes and felt the blush spread to my neck, no doubt making my skin a bright shade of pink. Iris rested her chin in her palm and twisted in her seat. Yeah. No way I was getting off this bus without clueing her in.
“You ever heard of Sebastian Lanier?”
Iris’s eyes went wide and she clucked, shaking her head. “You’ve lived here your whole life, Abby. You mean to tell me you haven’t?”
“The name’s familiar.”
“Well, it should be. He’s Wild Lake Outfitters, honey.”
Wild Lake Outfitters. Holy shit. They were the reason this town existed, pretty much. One of the largest retailers of hunting, fishing, and sporting goods in North America. The world, maybe. Wild Lake’s water tower was painted blue and silver with the company name and logo, a stylized wolf’s head with pine trees behind it.
Sebastian Lanier. That was Sebastian Lanier. In my mind I had pictured him as some gruff, gray-haired, long-bearded old man. As if he’d fit right into the cast of Duck Dynasty. I didn’t expect the gorgeous hunk of man I met today.
“That’s wh
o’s got your eyes all glassy?” Iris cocked her head and grinned.
“What? No. I sort of ran into him. That’s all.”
“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t mind running into him. Under him. Mmm. What’s he like?”
“Uh. Purposeful.”
Traffic behind us started to honk. Iris waved a dismissive hand. Her bus. Her rules. Everybody else could sit tight or go around.
“Well, you be careful with a guy like that.”
“Iris. What? I’m not with a guy like that. I just said I sort of met him. That’s all. Besides, what do you mean?”
Iris’s eyes grew dark and the smile left her face. She picked at a spot on her nail and wouldn’t meet my eyes for an instant. I slid out of my seat and squatted next to her.
“It’s okay. I know he’s one of, uh . . . you know . . . them.”
Iris gave me a hard look. Her flint-gray eyes filled with the wisdom she’d earned in her thirty years of driving this bus. She put a hand on my shoulder and leaned in. “Oh, yeah? What else do you know about them?”
Deep lines framed Iris’s mouth and crinkled the corners of her eyes. In her seventy-some years, she’d seen every kind of person there is. She could size you up with just a glance, and her instincts were never wrong. My heart thundered behind my ribcage as she fixed her razor sharp gaze on me.
“I just met him, Iris. That’s all. Shook his hand.”
“Just be careful, baby.” She reached up and smoothed a lock of hair out of my face where it sprung loose from my ponytail. “Those wolves bite. Best to keep your distance.”
“Well, thanks for looking out. It’s nice to have someone who does.”
She leaned forward and put a kiss on the top of my head, catching me off guard. I stiffened and nearly overbalanced on the balls of my feet. Stinging tears formed in my eyes. Again, I tried to cover. Put my armor back in place. Iris knew better. She hooked a finger under my chin and lifted my head until she had my eyes.
“You’re special, Abby. Don’t you ever let anyone make you feel like you’re not. You got a piece of shit mamma and had an Invisible Man for a daddy. It does me no pleasure to say it. You keep your head on straight like you have been and you get the hell out of here the first chance you get.”
She pointed over my shoulder toward the building. “That’s the way.”
I rose to my feet and wiped my eyes. “Thanks, Iris. I mean it.”
She clucked again and waved her hand. Then, she threw up a middle finger toward the back of the bus as a new round of honking rose to a crescendo behind us.
“Hurry up!” she called after me as I headed down the stairs to the curb. “And I meant what I said. Steer clear of those wolves, baby. They’re nothing but trouble for girls like you!”
My back stiffened as her words carried over the quad, and I got a few blank stares from some of the other students hustling into the building. A new blush heated my cheeks. I turned around and thrust my chin out at Iris as she kept on waving then drew a finger across my neck, gesturing for her to shut it.
Her loud, infectious laughter had me smiling as I turned and readjusted the weight of my bag and headed into the building.
My breath hitched and gooseflesh spread across my neck as if I had some premonition. Wolves, she said. Stay away from wolves. I wonder how my life would have turned out if I had listened.
Chapter Three
If I had any intentions of heeding Iris’s warning, they were shattered the next morning when Dale sat on my desk. Day two and he’d already started making a habit of it. He cleared a space and plopped his wide rear end on the edge of it then leaned down to talk to me.
“Field trip today,” he said, plastering a smile on his face.
“Okay?” Just yesterday he’d warned me this job would involve hours of staring at my computer screen. Which it had. I wondered why the sudden change.
Dale pulled a thick brown envelope wrapped with a rubber band from beneath his arm. “The congressman is working on the draft of a new wetlands conservation bill. He’s had some input from some of the local landowners around here. Which he values, of course. But, some hold more sway than others, and that’s just a fact. One in particular requires special handling. That’s where you come in today?”
“Special handling?” I did not like the near smirk on Dale’s face when he said it. Smarmy seemed to be his default mood.
“In person,” Dale offered by way of explanation. “We’ve got some reports and the congressman’s notes on some of the language. We need them hand delivered.”
My mouth went dry. In person delivery. I hoped this VIP constituent could be found within walking distance. He never asked, and I’d never found the occasion to tell Dale Thorp I rode the bus.
“Wild Lake Corporate Headquarters off of Exit 19. You know where that is? At the base of the water tower. You can’t miss it. Look for the giant bronze wolf statutes.”
“I, uh. I’d be happy to do it. It’s just, I don’t have a car today.”
Dale gave me a quizzical look then reached into his jacket and pulled out a single key. “You do have a valid driver’s license though?”
“Of course.”
Dale lobbed the key at me and I caught it one-handed. “Silver Town Car on the first floor. My parking spot is marked. Try not to take more than an hour. When you get back, I need you to sink your teeth into an eminent domain memo we need by early next week. Grace has all the particulars.”
I grabbed my messenger bag and slid Dale’s file into it. It strained the straps to close it, but I managed.
“Who do I ask for when I get there?”
Dale gave me that shit-eating grin again. “You’re seeing Lanier.”
My fingers froze on the buckle of my bag. I pasted on a bright smile and tried to keep moving so Dale wouldn’t notice my reaction. Sebastian Lanier. It seemed quite literally, Dale intended to feed me to the wolf.
“Is Mr. Lanier expecting me?” I asked, though my tongue felt like sandpaper. My heart thudded in my breast. God, what was wrong with me?
Dale’s eyes raked over me and I swear they settled on the pulse beating near my temple. I wondered how much his werewolf senses told him about my inner turmoil.
“Relax,” he said, reaching out to grasp a strand of my hair. I’d worn it down today, holding the thick mass of it back with a black headband. He rolled it between his fingers, and for a second, I expected him to lean down and sniff it. If he had, I’d already done the mental calculations about how hard I could smash him with my bag. Something bad was brewing with Dale Thorp. I just prayed this wouldn’t go down the path I feared. He had creep vibe oozing out of every pore. I needed this internship, but not that badly.
I slung the strap over my shoulder, pulling my hair out of Dale’s grasp. He straightened his tie but didn’t leave his perch on my desk.
“Do I just ask at the front desk or is there some special entrance I need to know about?” I asked, keeping my voice toneless and flat.
“What? Oh. Right. Just ask at the front desk. Bas knows I’m sending someone over.”
“Is there anything else? I mean, am I just handing him these files, or was there some message I’m supposed to convey or take back?”
Dale finally stood and shrugged. “Just the files. I’m sure Mr. Lanier will let you know if he wants to send any message back.”
Great. After what I saw yesterday, I couldn’t imagine Lanier had anything kind and gentle to say about Dale or the congressman. I also had a strong feeling that whatever was in that file, it wasn’t something Lanier would be happy to see. I just hoped he wasn’t a kill the messenger type.
I gave Dale a curt nod and headed for the elevators. He called out to me as I pressed the down button.
“Like I said, relax. I’m pretty sure Bas won’t bite.”
Chapter Four
Wild Lake Outfitters World Headquarters sat on a hill off the exit. The bronze wolf sculptures stood twenty feet high and overlooked a churning water fountain. On any
given day, you’d see a dozen or more tourists lined up to take their picture in front of the massive sculpture. The store sat behind it, constructed to look like a hunting lodge with blond timber and a high arch with custom floor to ceiling glass.
I’d been in the place exactly once, though most of the people I knew in Wild Lake had worked here at some point or another if they didn’t currently. More than just a hunting and sporting goods retailer, the place had a nature center, a giant freshwater aquarium featuring fish from the Great Lakes, and a petting zoo with rare albino deer in an adjacent paddock.
I straightened my skirt and headed for the corporate offices sign toward the back of the building. I took a glass elevator up to the third floor. I couldn’t stop myself from chewing on my thumbnail as I waited for the doors to open.
Sebastian Lanier. I never expected to see him again so soon after yesterday’s tirade. What kind of mood would he be in? Would his eyes still hold that contained fury? And if they did, would he blame me for the simple fact that Dale and Congressman Foster sent me here?
Cowards. That’s the best thing I could think to call them at the moment. Dale in particular. I didn’t know what bad blood flowed between those two, but he obviously sent me here today because he didn’t want to carry out this job himself. Well, there was nothing to do but take a deep breath and do my job. Internships were about grunt work. I wasn’t afraid to do it. It wasn’t just Dale’s and the congressman’s recommendation I could earn. I wouldn’t mind making a good impression on Lanier either. I just couldn’t help thinking about the impression he’d already left on me. One that had me positively panting as I stepped off the elevators and met the receptionist at the end of the hall.
I brushed a hair behind my ear and took a deep breath. “I’m from Congressman Foster’s office, Abby Winslow. I’m here to see Mr. Lanier.”
The receptionist shuffled papers on his desk and gave me a pleasant smile. He was long, lean, with manicured nails and jet black hair sculpted into a side part. He tapped an ear piece and looked back down the long hallway toward the inner offices. “He’s just getting back from lunch. Why don’t I set you up in Mr. Lanier’s office and he’ll be in shortly? Can I get you anything to drink? I’m Curtis, by the way.”