by Martha Woods
“First, what do you know about me and my business ventures, Sky?”
She hid a smile, satisfied with his use of her nickname. That was a good sign, right? “You are a self-made billionaire. You take your work seriously and your business is all about real estate. Oh, and you recently began buying out companies, revamping them, and selling them for hefty prices.”
He nodded. “Good, you did your homework.”
She grinned and pulled her chair closer. Catching a whiff of his masculine scent, she stifled a groan. Ignoring her attraction to Liam was going to take great effort. Somehow, she managed to stay focused.
By the end of the day, she had his daily schedule for the next few weeks organized. Being in his company for hours, she also learned more about his personality and preferences. He wasn’t much of a talker and he liked his space. So she made a mental note to try her best to be as quiet as possible. She snorted inwardly‒ she knew her quietness wouldn’t last long.
* * *
Liam eyed Sky from beneath his lashes. She was curled up on his couch, focusing intently on his laptop screen. She had slipped off her shoes and her red toenails peeked out from under her pants. Her hair had come free of its bounds over the course of the day and the silky, blonde curtain of hair framed her face. Realizing that he was staring, he shook his head and glanced at the time. It was well past nine pm.
“I didn’t realize it was so late. You can retire for the night.”
She glanced up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Oh, no I can work a little longer. I’m almost finished sorting through your emails.”
“Sky, stop. I don’t even remember seeing you eat anything.”
“I went downstairs for lunch while you were video conferencing with your business associates.”
He frowned. “That was six hours ago.”
“Mhmm.” She returned her attention to her task.
Rolling his eyes he got up. “For goodness sake, I know this a probationary period but I don’t want you to kill yourself trying to prove that you can do the job, Sky.”
“I’m fine. Really.”
“Don’t you want to go and call your family and friends in Miami?”
She glanced up and there was no missing the sadness in her eyes. He had seen it before. But like the last time, she quickly covered it up with a smile.
“I can make calls tomorrow.”
He sighed. “Well, I’m done working for the night and so are you. Let’s go.”
Her eyes flew back to him and they widened as she realized that he was heading toward the door. “Oh, okay. Just let me shut this down.”
He heard her soft footsteps behind him as he headed down the stairs. “You should eat something. I’m sure Farah retired for the night so feel free to help yourself.”
“Thanks. Can I get you anything?”
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned, forcing her to stop. Standing on the step, she eye to eye with him. “No, I’m heading out.”
“Oh. So um, how did I do today? Any feedback will help me to be better tomorrow.”
Liam shoved down the smile that threatened to break through his serious demeanor at the hopeful look on her face. “Maybe I should wait until the end of the one week to give any feedback.”
Her face fell and then she smiled. “Are you teasing me, Liam?”
He drew in a breath. Hearing her call his name did something to his insides. “Maybe.”
“Who knew you were capable of teasing?”
“I’m full of surprises.” Was he bantering? He never bantered. “Anyway, I should get going.”
She opened her mouth and closed it. He knew she was about to ask where he was off to at that time of night. He was glad she didn’t bother. He hated when people questioned him and he sure as hell didn’t want to talk about where he was going.
“Have a good night,” she said.
He wouldn’t. “You too. See you tomorrow.”
He could feel her eyes on his back as he walked out the door.
* * *
Heaving a sigh, Liam trudged toward the clearing of trees. There were cabin-like houses scattered about and the scent of wolves permeated the air. He shifted back into his human form and pulled the clothes from the small sack that had been tied around his neck.
Fully dressed, he squared his shoulders and marched toward the biggest cabin. It was the home he had grown up in. He should be happy to return home, most people were. But he couldn’t be, not when he knew he had his father to contend with. Since moving back to Boulder Junction, he’d only been to his childhood home twice and both occasions had been to see his mother and brothers - well, one of them, since the other seemed to hate him.
As he approached the cabin, wolves appeared from behind trees and bushes. They towered over him and he stopped to deliver a nod in greeting. They all lowered their heads out of respect for the future alpha of their pack, a title he was trying his hardest to avoid. He reached out a hand to affectionately rub the nose of a brown and white wolf that crouched before him. Liam smiled. It was his youngest brother Michael, the only one who didn’t see him leaving to make his own path in a life as a betrayal to the pack. Michael was carefree, loving, and accepting like their mother, and his only ally.
“Hey, kid.”
The wolf huffed and growled. Michael never appreciated being called kid. Liam chuckled and continued toward the cabin. He mentally prepared himself to take in the sight of his ill mother who was visibly withering away, and to deal with his father’s lecture on family duties.
The door opened before he reached the porch. A broad shouldered man, almost the same height as him, stared at him with cool disdain. Green eyes much like his own narrowed. “What brings you by?”
Liam sighed and pushed past his brother. “I’m here to see Father, Lucas. Where is he?” He didn’t have time for his younger brother’s pettiness.
“What are you here to see him about? What, have you decided to take on your responsibilities?”
The resentment in his brother’s tone normally would have hurt, but not tonight. There were more important matters to deal with than his fractured relationship with his immature sibling. If there was indeed a hunter in town, they were all in danger.
“How about you mind your business and get out of my way before I have to kick your ass, Lucas?” A growl rumbled deep in his chest and his eyes glowed yellowed, as he tried to hold on to his temper.
Lucas sneered and stood down. He knew without a doubt that Liam could easily take him down. He watched with something akin to hatred in his eyes as Liam passed him and exited the living room. When he entered the kitchen, he stopped.
“Mom, what the hell are you doing?” He rushed toward her, taking the cup she held in her hand. “You should be lying down.”
“Liam, my darling. I didn’t know you were stopping by tonight. What a pleasant surprise.” She swatted at his hands while he gently pushed her toward a chair. “Stop fussing, I’m not dead yet,” she said with a chuckle.
His jaw clenched. “Please don’t joke about your death, Mom.”
Leah sighed. “I was just getting some water, dear. I was going to go right back to bed.”
Liam studied his mother’s pale features. She looked like a slight breeze would topple her over. “Couldn’t Dad have gotten it for you? Or Lucas or Michael?”
He was tempted to pick her up and take her home with him, where he could hire a private nurse; where she could get better care. The middle of the woods amongst a pack of wolves was no place for a woman suffering from stage five brain cancer. He had offered many times to take her away, but she insisted that her place was here with her husband and her pack.
Swallowing a curse, he poured the water into the glass and placed it in her hand. She smiled up at him and took a few sips. “Oh, my sweet boy, you were always so gentle and caring growing up -”
“And those qualities will have to go when he takes on leadership of this pack.”
Liam stiffened at the sound of the gruff voice
. It was the voice that had reprimanded him many times for not being a true wolf. His father, Isaac, stood in the doorway. He was a towering figure with cold green eyes staring at Liam. There was a time when he was intimidated by the old man. Now that he was older and just as imposing as his father, he regarded him with indifference.
“Good night to you too, Dad.”
“Stop treating your mother like a child. The exercise will do her good.”
Liam shoved down the urge to throttle his ignorant parent. Isaac had always detested weakness and Leah needing assistance in her ill state was considered weak. His wolf snarled inside of him as his anger mounted. Taking several deep breaths, he reminded himself that he wasn’t there to fight with anyone.
“There’s a hunter in town,” he blurted out. There, he said it. Now he could leave.
“What?” Isaac straightened, his eyes flashing with menace.
“You heard me, Dad. So I suggest you reign in the pack until he or she skips town. I just came to issue the warning.”
“How do you know this?” Isaac growled.
“Oh, you know. The hunter tried to kill me with an arrow made of pure silver, that’s all,” Liam murmured sarcastically.
Leah gasped and Liam immediately cursed his insensitivity. He should have taken the conversation outside. “I’m fine, Mom. It was no big deal.”
Isaac was silent as he contemplated what he’d just heard. Liam took the opportunity to escape. He took his mother’s hand. “Come on, Mom. Let me help you to bed before I go.”
Liam held on to a frail Leah as she climbed into bed. He stared down at her with a frown. “Come and stay with me.” He knew what she would say but he had to try again. Maybe, by some miracle, she would see reason and accept.
Leah smiled and rubbed his much larger hand gently. “You know I can’t leave your father, Liam. He would see me leaving as a betrayal.”
“Just like he saw me leaving as a betrayal.”
She averted her gaze, taking on an aura of despair. “Why did you leave, Liam? You are his oldest son. You knew you were next in line to lead out pack.”
Liam gritted his teeth. He’d never quite explained to his mother his reason for leaving because he knew she wouldn’t understand his need for freedom and independence.
“Why I left no long matters, Mom. Years have passed and I’m back now.”
“But you refuse to take your place as alpha.”
“I didn’t come back to be accepted back into the pack, much less lead it. I came back for you.” When he’d gotten that phone call from his father two months ago, he hadn’t hesitated to come back home. If his mother only had months to live, he would put aside his pride and resentment of pack life and run home. “I came because you asked me to.”
“Yes, my dear Liam, so you could fix your relationship with your father and Lucas and so you could look out for my baby, Michael. I wanted us all to be together again… a happy family.”
“Mom -”
Liam grunted and closed his mouth. He was about to tell her that they had never been a happy family. The dysfunction had nearly driven him insane. Seeing his father’s treatment of his mother had bothered him, not to mention how he treated his children. There had been no gentleness, no display of love, no real parenting on his part. Isaac had children out of duty, to procreate and strength the pack, and that was what he expected of all the males. Females were seen as nothing more than breeding machines. He wanted no part of such a ridiculous and archaic government. Unfortunately, most wolf shifters refused to let go of the old ways.
“I’m going to go, Mom.” Yes, it was best if he left before his father or brother decided to start trouble. He didn’t want Leah to see him fight with any of them. He bent down to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
“And you’ll think about taking over?”
She looked up at him with hope in her eyes and he didn’t have the heart to tell her no. “Sure, Mom. I’ll think about it.”
She smiled. “You’re such a good boy.”
He gave her a slight smile. Yeah, that’s me. A good boy. He was seriously contemplating doing something that he was against just to make his mother happy.
Chapter 5
Skylar paced outside of Liam’s bedroom, waiting for him to come out. It was still quite early, earlier than he usually started working. But the suspense was killing her. Her one week had been up yesterday and he hadn’t said a word about her employment status. Was he waiting on her to ask him? Should she even be the one to enquire or wait for him to say something?
“I’m going crazy,” she hissed.
Maybe it was unprofessional of her to be waiting outside of his bedroom. She paused. Yes, it was totally unprofessional. She ran agitated fingers through her hair and let out a breath. She refused to let him see how desperate she was for the job so she decided on going back downstairs.
Skylar forced out a smile for Farah’s benefit when she walked into the kitchen. The older woman chuckled under her breath and shook her head. Skylar’s eyes narrowed. “Good morning, Farah. And what is so funny?”
“You, child.” She snorted and opened the oven, letting out the delicious scent of fresh biscuits.
Skylar’s mouth watered and her stomach growled. She had been so anxious she hadn’t bothered to get anything to eat before heading upstairs. She watched with hungry eyes as Farah placed the baking pan on the huge island. “What did I do?”
“I saw you run up the stairs earlier and you were mumbling to yourself. For a second I thought, just maybe, hanging around Mr. Conway drove you to insanity. But then I remembered that your one week trial is up.”
Skylar snickered. “His constant silence is maddening, isn’t it? But that isn’t what’s killing me. It’s the waiting. I mean, shouldn’t he have said something yesterday?”
“Relax, Sky. I’m sure you’ve got the job.”
Her eyes widened and she jumped up, gasping. “How do you know? Have you heard something?”
“No, she hasn’t.”
Skylar whipped around and immediately flushed. “Mr. Conway - Liam, hi, good morning. Should I have brought your coffee up? I can make you a cup now.”
“Please, calm down. You look like you’re ready to jump out of your skin. Are you always so energetic in the morning?”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
Liam smirked. “I heard your little feet rapidly pacing in front of my bedroom not so long ago.”
Skylar pursed her lips, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I’m not a creepy weirdo, I promise.”
“I know. You’re just anxiously waiting for me to tell you that you’ve got the job so you can breathe easy.”
“Yes, I mean I thought you would have said something -” She stopped when she realized his smug expression and Farah beaming. “Wait, I got the job?” Letting out a delighted squeal, she threw a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, too loud. Thank you so much. I would hug you right now but that would be inappropriate.”
Liam let out a laugh and then seemed surprised himself. He cleared his throat. “You’ve been great so far, very efficient, and you work magic with numbers.”
Wearing a broad smile, she held out a hand. When he enveloped her hand with his, her breath hitched. She didn’t have much physical contact with him, but the few slight brushes here and there always cause a catastrophic reaction on her inside.
She ignored her galloping heart and the tingling warmth that spread up her entire arm and said, “Thank you again, sir.”
Liam swallowed, glancing down at their entwined hands. “You deserve it. And this is yours.” He released her hand and handed her an envelope.
Skylar glanced at him with knitted brows before looking inside. “Oh, no, you don’t have to pay me. I haven’t worked a month yet.”
“I thought I should pay you for the trial period, or you can just think of it as an advance. I figured I would pay you in cash this time around. And you haven’t had a day off, so take today.”
&
nbsp; “Okay, thanks.” She stared up at him, not sure what to say next and he stared back. Luckily, Farah interrupted the awkward silence.
“See? I told you.”
Skylar’s gaze jumped to her and she pranced toward the woman who had become a friend in just a matter of days. Throwing her arms around Farah, she said, “You’re stuck with me now.”
Farah rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, no, now I’ll have to suffer through you chatting my ears off every day.” She pinched Skylar’s cheek and returned to preparing breakfast.
Skylar took a deep breath and let it out. Things were coming together. She had a great job, a generous employer, and a new friend. She didn’t feel so alone anymore. Sure, she had her father, but he wasn’t much in the way of company. Glancing at Farah, she grinned. At least now she had someone to talk to. And with her salary, she would pay off her mother’s medical bills sooner than expected.
“Are you alright, Sky?”
She blinked and glanced at Liam. “Huh? Oh, yes, I’m fine. I think I’m going to go into town and celebrate.”
His brows shot up. “That small town doesn’t offer much in the way of celebration.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just so excited right now, I can’t keep still. It’s time I explored the town anyway.”
He nodded. “Will you be alright on your own?”
“I’ve gotten used to being alone.”
Liam gave her a strange look. “Alright.”
“I’ll see you guys later.” Skylar turned and ran to fetch her car keys.
* * *
Cayden pulled the police cruiser over and eyed the woman across the street with interest. He’d been in Boulder Junction for a week now and it was the first he was seeing her. He watched her as she chatted with Mrs. Porter, the librarian and biggest town gossip. When the stranger smiled, her entire face seemed to light up. She was gorgeous, petite, and blonde, with legs that seemed endless in a pair of shorts. He knew he shouldn’t allow anything or anyone to distract him from his mission but he couldn’t help himself. How long had it had been since he’d last gotten the opportunity to simply sit and appreciate a female?