by Linda Wisdom
“What would happen to this Suzanne once she wasn’t Alpha?” Blair asked. “I thought it was a standard practice for Alpha females to be very strong physically and mentally. You’re making it sound as if she wasn’t.”
“She was very strong in other ways. She looked after anyone who needed help and was there to advise any youngling who didn’t feel comfortable going to their parents.” It was obvious that the female Were held a soft spot in Jake’s heart and Blair wondered if he was one of the Weres Suzanne had advised. “Even when I was still with the Pack, she was urging Baxter to consider splitting it before it grew much larger. There were always battles to move up the chain of command, although no one dared challenge Baxter. He fought hard and dirty. But none of the females had challenged Suzanne. She made sure there was day care for the whelps, even counseling services were made available. Packs stuck together, but ours was stronger because of her, not because of Baxter.”
“And with Vera?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Knowing her, she ignored all that Suzanne worked for—or found someone to run it for her. Vera has always been interested in Vera.” He paused for a second. “And I’d say she’s up here to help Roan acquire your land. A real power trip for her, with her mate leading one Pack and her son the other.”
“Tell them good luck on that,” Blair scoffed.
“How much land around here do you own?” Jake asked.
“A lot,” Horace piped up as he busied himself cleaning his claws. He didn’t wither under Stasi’s warning glance, instead opting to mimic zipping his mouth shut.
Blair and Stasi looked at each other.
“The resort’s land was a parcel we weren’t able to purchase and this sale went through so quietly we didn’t know about it in time,” Blair said finally. “We’ve spent quite a few years acquiring land whenever we could. It was our way of protecting the area. What we hadn’t yet bought, we cast a ‘not interested’ spell on until we could. Which obviously doesn’t work on Weres,” she said ruefully.
“Has your agent mentioned anyone contacting him or her about buying your land?” Jake asked.
“Ebenezer called a couple of weeks ago to say that a developer had shown some interest, but he gave them the same spiel he gives anyone else who calls, ‘the owners aren’t interested in selling.’ They wouldn’t find it easy to look for a legal loophole in getting the land because they’d only end up buried in paperwork. Ebenezer loves nothing more than mountains of paperwork.”
Jake shook his head. “The Pack will do whatever it takes to get what they want, and it won’t necessarily be a legal loophole. They haven’t been stopped before and they don’t expect to be this time.”
“Remember last October when we were almost burned at the stake? After that, there’s nothing a Pack of Weres could do that would scare us.”
“I don’t know about that. They can be truly nasty creatures. Present company excluded, Jake.” Irma popped into view, seating herself on one of the easy chairs with Phinneas perched on the arm.
Blair’s and Stasi’s screams were shrill enough to make Jake clap his hands over his ears.
“The least you could do is give a warning and not just appear like that!” Blair gasped, holding her hand over her heart.
“Sensitive ears, here,” Jake muttered, still feeling a ringing sensation bouncing around inside his head.
Unfazed, Irma looked from one to the other. “Do you want to hear what Phinneas and I found out up at that fancy hotel, or not?”
“They popped up to the resort to do a little eavesdropping,” Blair explained to Jake. “They promised to be careful so no one would notice them. Please tell me you stayed out of their way.”
“That’s not easy to do since they saw us, but I had a lovely cover story all ready just in case. I spoke to one desk clerk who was just lovely. I told her I’d been there on my honeymoon and liked to revisit the place. She’s very sweet but not very bright, because she believed me,” Irma chattered away. “I admit I did peek in on some of the rooms and suites and even nosed around the spa.” She turned to Stasi. “No wonder you and Trevor enjoy going up there so much. Too bad it’s only open to Weres now.”
“No wonder Trev couldn’t get a reservation,” Stasi commented. “I’m going to really miss their famous chocolate soufflé.”
“It’s a far cry from that small mining camp that used to be up there,” Phinneas said, pushing his ancient spectacles up on his long nose. “Why I remember—”
“Not now, please, Phinneas,” Blair interrupted. “Just tell us what you learned.”
Irma rummaged through her black clutch handbag. “We did our best to eavesdrop, but we weren’t able to find out anything from anyone working there. Thank goodness they assumed we were just there reliving our past and left us alone. All of their conversations had to do with their work and they felt they weren’t being paid enough. But the resort owner, Roan something, and his mother were talking in his office about his plans to turn the resort into a Pack colony and now all they needed was the surrounding land, which they’re confident of getting. It all sounded like some kind of cult to me.” She sniffed and turned to Jake. “Do Weres have cults?”
“Not exactly.”
“I’ll call Ebenezer in the morning and warn him he might get another call,” Blair said. “Anything else?”
“Many of the Weres working there are lovely people, for wolves, but the ones in charge have nasty dispositions and like to show their teeth. I wouldn’t want to spend much time around them. After awhile, Phinneas and I were told to leave. They actually told us that we weren’t wanted there. Very rude.” Irma smothered a yawn. “I wish I could tell you more, but we can always go back up there and make sure to stay out of their way. I’d like to see more of the spa. Good night, children.” She smiled and winked out of sight with Phinneas close behind.
“They’re staying here together?” Jake asked.
“Yes, and none of us want to think what they might be doing,” Blair said.
Stasi glanced at the clock. “I’m off to message Trev.” She left the room with Bogie and Horace trailing behind her.
Jake waited until she was out of the room before he turned to Blair. “Her way of leaving us alone?”
“More like her and Trev having phone sex,” she replied. “He was supposed to come up last weekend, but he’s in the midst of a big case that’s giving him fits. And I’m sure when he finds out why he couldn’t get a reservation up at the resort, he’ll want to make their lives miserable. Stasi will tell him not to worry, even though we’ll both miss the spa and their chocolate soufflé,” she said with a sigh.
“How do you two get involved in so much drama?” Jake asked, moving over to the chair Blair was curled up in. He picked her up easily then sat down with her in his lap.
“We’re just lucky, I guess.” She looped her arms around his neck. “Still, you have to admit we are fun.”
“Crazy fun.” He kept his arms loosely around her waist. “It’s going to get nasty, Blair.”
“Nothing we can’t handle.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Have you ever gone up against Weres before?”
“No, but that won’t stop us. We’re very tough.” Her eyes lit up.
“I said that Baxter’s only soft spot was Suzanne, but I’m sure he has feelings for Vera, and I think it’s safe to assume she’s not bothering to keep him calm the way Suzanne did,” he said quietly. “He’s always been a vicious son of a bitch who’d kill you as soon as look at you. He and Vera are a perfect match.”
“Then why did an Alpha like him mate with Suzanne, when she sounds more like a pussycat than a wolf?”
He was quiet for a long time before he answered. “This goes back years before I was born, and it’s a story that’s rarely mentioned. Suzanne was very beautiful. What I heard was that Suzanne was in love with my father and vice versa, but Baxter also wanted her and what he wanted, he got. He made sure that Suzanne had no choice but to mate with
him.”
“Don’t tell me. And Vera was in love with Baxter?”
He shook his head. “I’d say Vera was only ever in love with Vera. She settled for my old man, who was second-in-command. Vera…” he was hesitant to even say the words.
But Blair wasn’t. “Was willing to take second best and bide her time until she could get what she wanted.” Her blue-green eyes glittered with fury. “Honestly, Jake, this kind of story belongs on a soap opera.”
“Vera knew how to push my father’s buttons. She’d hint that he could be Alpha if he’d gather enough of the Pack on his side; let them know he’d be a better Alpha if only they would side with him. Instead, he was killed, because all she cared about was being top bitch.”
“No wonder you left.” Blair lightly brushed his hair away from his forehead, allowing the silky strands to slide between her fingers. She left them there, gently combing through his hair in a comforting gesture.
“It was as good a reason as any. I just wanted out.” A sigh escaped his lips at her soft touch.
“I’m still amazed that you managed so well all these years without your Pack. Without that connection that so many Weres require.”
“There were times when it wasn’t easy; at first I was so angry I welcomed getting into fights with strange Weres. But that wore thin, and I did my best to fly under the radar if I had to venture into other Pack territories,” he admitted. “Once I got the charm that hid my nature from other supernaturals, I felt a lot safer. But despite the fact that growing up I never really felt a part of the Pack, there were times I wanted to die from sheer loneliness. There have been Weres banished from their Packs who do die because they can’t handle being on their own.”
His remembered emotional pain was echoed in her eyes, which glittered with tears.
“But you survived and that says a lot. You’re a stronger Were than all of them put together,” she said, continuing to soothe him with her touch.
He smiled. “If life was the way it should have been, Baxter would have mated with Vera and my father would have been with Suzanne, but Baxter and Vera fucked up two lives that suffered for their selfishness.” He closed his eyes, savoring her tender contact and the sweet scent of her skin.
“Did Suzanne and Baxter have children?” she asked softly.
He shook his head, but not enough that the action would dislodge her touch. “Suzanne had been badly injured when she was young and required surgery.”
“But don’t Alphas look for a fertile female to carry on their own bloodline?”
“Yes, but lust overrode Baxter’s need for his own heir. If he was desperate for one of his blood, he would have found a way to do it, but he’s never acknowledged anyone as his blood. Roan’s a lot like him, and probably why Baxter named him his heir. That, and I’m sure Vera insisted on it.”
“You guys would be a family therapist’s dream.” Blair idly combed the sides of his hair back with her fingers. She liked that he kept the black locks slightly shaggy; it suited his laidback style. “You took after your father, didn’t you? It’s obvious that Vera and Roan are type-A personalities and you’re not. Although no way I’d call you submissive.”
“My dad was happy with his position as second. He knew he wasn’t cut out to be a leader.” Jake’s features tightened. “But that didn’t stop Vera from pushing him into a fight that sent him to his death. And once Vera challenged Suzanne, she had exactly what she wanted. But I was already gone; I had no idea.”
She used her hands to smooth over his beard-rough features, soothing the bitterness that lay over him.
“What do you think you could have done?” She kept her voice soft.
“Tried to talk my old man out of fighting for Alpha. Reminded him that listening to Vera only brought him pain.”
“Would you have been able to succeed?”
Jake thought about it for a moment. “No, but I would have felt better if I’d at least have tried. Didn’t you ever wish over the years you’d done something differently?”
“Many times, but I also knew there were some things I couldn’t change. Fate is one of them.” She pressed a butterfly light kiss against his brow. “Sometimes we can change the direction of our lives, but sometimes we’re destined to follow the path we were given. You followed your path and look where you ended up.” She brushed another kiss across his forehead and down his cheek to a corner of his mouth.
“With you?” He smiled, having no difficulty knowing what he should say.
“With me,” she confirmed, turning her attention to the other corner of his mouth with a bit of a nibble along with the whispered kiss. “And what a good boy you’ve been, too.”
“I admit I never expected to have a hexster in my life.”
“Well, maybe I can’t turn furry once a month, but I do have a few surprises you might like better, because trust me, the last thing you want anywhere near you is a witch suffering from PMS.” She smiled against his cheek.
“Come on, baby, show me your stuff,” he growled… literally.
He shifted her in his lap until she moved enough to straddle him. She knelt on the chair, with her knees on either side of his thighs and her hands resting lightly on his shoulders while her bottom was snuggled against his lap. Jake placed his hands on either side of her waist… and waited. He cocked an eyebrow in silent inquiry.
Blair smiled and leaned forward as she purred, “Come on fur boy, let’s conjure up some sexy magick.” She snapped her fingers. The lights immediately blinked off, but the thick darkness was staved off as the candles scattered around the room immediately flared to life.
Chapter 10
Blair slid her mouth over Jake’s, tasting his coffee and Baileys, knowing he tasted the same from her. But she also savored the dark flavor that was intrinsically his. She ran her tongue across his lower lip, which obligingly opened.
“Um, this is nice.” She drew his lip between her teeth and gently pulled back.
Jake gripped her hips and kept her centered on the part of him that needed her most. Only too happy to help out, she rocked back and forth over an erection that was threatening to rip his jean’s metal zipper to shreds.
“Very nice,” she continued, now focusing her attention on his ear.
Jake found it hard to breathe as Blair nipped on his earlobe then ran the tip of her tongue against the ultra-sensitive spot just behind his ear.
“It would be real easy to rip those jeans right off you,” he said hoarsely, then groaned as she giggled softly in his ear. He settled for sliding his hands under her sweater and finding the lace edging on her silk camisole. “What color?”
“Mocha with cocoa lace.” He shuddered as she breathed the words in his ear.
He groaned again. “Panties?”
“Thong, same color.” She continued leaving butterfly kisses along his jawline. She knew there was nothing better than an old-fashioned make-out session.
Jake closed his eyes and searched for air, but his starved lungs couldn’t seem to find any.
“You’re killing me here.” He hissed a curse when her nimble fingers danced over his zipper and pressed lightly against the bulge.
“I don’t know, you feel awfully alive to me.”
“Miss Fitzgerald, are you trying to seduce me?” Jake asked.
Blair giggled at the famous line from The Graduate. “All I need are black sheer stockings, which I have tucked away in my dresser. And ribbon garters.” When Jake leaned forward, she returned his kiss with equal hunger, holding nothing back.
“Black stilettos?”
She nodded. “But of course, and a black lace teddy would be a nice touch, too.”
“I was right, you’re trying to kill me with mental pictures.” Jake slid his hands up under her camisole to find warm silky skin. His Were nose caught the scents of jasmine, sandalwood, and vanilla; he’d never smell them again without thinking of her. His pillows held the same fragrance, and he already knew he’d sleep well with the aroma surroundi
ng him.
Blair released his shirt buttons and dotted kisses across his chest, the crisp dark hairs tickling her nose.
“Good thing this is a big chair,” Jake’s voice was raw with desire.
“And that we’re flexible.” She tugged at his zipper and palmed his cock as it sprang free. “No boxers or briefs. What a wild guy you are.”
Jake didn’t see himself as wild. Not when the woman seducing him was weaving a spell that ensnared him as closely as any trap. But this was a trap he’d willingly be caught in. He grasped her head, bringing her face to his, their tongues tangling as they kissed deeply, and by then neither cared if they had to breathe. He pushed her jeans down and tried to wiggle out of his—her sweater was hiked up to her neck and his flannel shirt hung open while her hands danced under his T-shirt.
Oh yeah, it wouldn’t be long before he’d revisit that nirvana that was Blair.
But even knowing wasn’t the same as feeling. She rose up on her knees and slowly lowered herself onto his aching cock, enveloping him in wet heat. Once she was all the way down, she stopped. He felt the tiny pulses of her inner muscles as she tightened them around him. He sucked in a breath, wondering just how much sensual torture she was going to give him before she put him out of his misery. The tiny logical part of his brain whispered the hope Stasi wouldn’t walk in at the wrong moment.