“Midway Industries?” she mumbled. “That’s the same company who makes custom weapons, isn’t it? Rifles and guns, right?”
“Yes, it is. They’ll bring jobs and money to the entire County, not just Aspen Valley. It just so happens that the tract of land that would most benefit them is remote and virtually uninhabited, but unfortunately, the wolf pack has made claims that it’s not.”
“Haven’t you listened to them?” she asked.
“There’s no evidence. No homes, no cars…nothing indicates that this area has become the permanent resident of any of them.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Dad? These are wolf shifters we’re talking about. They live in homes too, but they also run free through the woods. Do you really think they’re going to cut down all those trees to build homes instead of preserving their natural habitats?”
“This isn’t the only tract of land they have access to in Aspen Valley,” he countered.
“Apparently they’re adamant about keeping this one. I visited the area. What may look like dozens of miles of forest and barren acreage to you, is home to them. Is money more important than retaining the natural resources of the state and the respect of the citizens, including shifters?” she asked.
Dad frowned. “You’re barking up the wrong tree. We won’t demolish everything. Midway Industries will do everything they can to salvage what they can. They’d like to acquire the land but would rather not deal with the local shifters.”
“They don’t want to deal with them because maybe they know they’ll be met with opposition. Do you know what Midway Industries is known for? Clearing out forests to use in their weapons manufacturing operations and then building huge retail centers that drive the local shops out of business. Is that what you want for Aspen Valley?”
“I want to do all I can for the local economy. My term is up next year and I doubt I’ll be running again. Why are you so concerned about this?”
“Because I actually have friends who live out there,” she stated. “These investors from Midway Industries aren’t concerned about Tellevue County. They’re just concerned with their bottom line. Who’s going to piece our County back together when Midway Industries exhausts all we have and then moves onto the next money hungry politician?”
Her dad gave her a side-eye that rivaled all others. “Are you calling me money-hungry? There’s a time and place to question me about things, but this issue isn’t up for discussion—certainly not with my daughter.”
“So you’re going to let this happen?”
“Plans have been underway for months. The President of Midway will be flying in from Texas next week to get some signatures and it’ll be a done deal.”
“Unless the wolf pack can prove their case, right?” she inquired, hopefully. “Because what it seems to me is that someone on your council has made it their priority to keep the wolves quiet and at bay.”
He rose swiftly to his feet. “You have a lot more things to worry about, Chelsey, and this isn’t one of them.”
“Please Dad. I’m just asking you. I promised my friends that you’d at least listen to what the leaders of the wolf pack have to say. I know sometimes you have to make decisions that won’t benefit everyone, but please…for me…”
He frowned.
She approached him. “I told them you’d at least listen to what they have to say. Your staff won’t even direct the calls to you.”
“Who would like to speak with me?”
Chelsey rushed to her purse on the nightstand and pulled out a business card from it. She handed the card to her dad with shaky fingers.
Her dad inspected it and read the name aloud. “Dane Magnus. I’ve heard of him.”
“Then that’s great, right?”
“Not sure, but he seems to have a fondness for acquiring real estate.”
“They said—I mean, my friends said that he’d like to talk business with you.”
“I’ll call him,” her dad stated. “In the meantime, I don’t want you conducting any more business on my behalf. That’s my job. You’re my daughter and you shouldn’t be doing anything to jeopardize your safety in my name.”
“Understood.”
“Besides, if you want to play the part of a nice politician, you should seriously consider the job I mentioned,” he said, grinning.
“I have seriously considered it,” she said. “For right now, just consider me the friendly mediator between the wolf faction and the money hungry politician.”
He chuckled. “Mediator, eh? I think you should seriously consider that as a career path.”
“I just might.”
31
Chelsey had watched the sunset many times before, but never while sitting by the lake and never with anyone else. As she rested back against Brock’s chest and threaded her fingers with his, she felt at peace, and nothing—not even the new chapter of her life that she’d be entering shortly—could take this moment of happiness away from her. It was too bad that she had to leave to soon to head back to campus. Even with the current dilemma surrounding Brock’s pack and her dad’s involvement, all she could do was think about what the next days, weeks, months—even years would hold for them.
They were seated on a blanket beneath a tree that had previously shaded them. The descending sun faded into the horizon, displaying a mix of muted orange and red colors. Mingling with the smell of freshly cut grass and a calming breeze was the spicy, irresistible essence of the man embracing her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
“I could sit out here forever,” she said. “I’d forgotten how relaxing being with nature could be.”
“It’s the small things like this in life that are worth living and fighting for,” he said. With his finger still locked together, he lifted their hand and kissed the back of hers.
“Thanks for bringing me here. When I first met you, I would have never guessed that you were the type of man to enjoy anything other than your Harley or going to the bar.”
“Looks are deceiving,” he replied. “When I first saw you, I didn’t think you were the type to hook up with guys at the bar.”
She chuckled, a heated blush fanning across her face. “It was my first time doing that. I figured that I didn’t have anything to lose. But actually, I gained something.”
“We both did,” he said.
“About us…” she started.
“Yes…?”
“How certain are that I’m your…how did you put it the other night…intended?”
“There isn’t a thread of uncertainty left in me. My birthmark would never have transferred to you if you weren’t. We’ve been identifying our mates this way since the beginning.”
“What if I had chickened out? Because I almost did. What if you and I never met that night?”
“Fate would’ve brought us together again and again until the mating was confirmed. But understand that meeting an intended mate isn’t a privilege, it’s a gift. Some of us never meet our mates. And some of us are more attentive than we realize. The attraction was there the moment I saw you, so I guess it holds true that we’re drawn to our mates in ways we can’t deny.”
She sighed. “I don’t know if I can be the woman you want. I—”
“You are the woman I want. You don’t even have to question that,” he said.
“I barely know where I’ll be living in three months,” she replied.
“With me, if you want. Or I'll come to you.”
“Isn’t it too soon to be moving in together?”
“If you say so, but I'm sensing that our connection is deeper than I first thought,” he replied.
"The mating and all that, right?"
"That too, Chelsey."
"Wait…there's more to this that you're not telling me?"
He traced the back of her neck with the tip of his nose. "I hope so. We can go at your pace, but know this, Chelsey: you are mine. Completely and utterly mine. I’m already committed to you because I know the value
of a true mate versus someone I was with just to pass the time. I’m ready and I’ll be waiting when you are.”
She smiled. “Well, that’s romantic.”
“It’s the truth. You’ll do what you planned to do before we confirmed this. You’ll graduate, weigh your career options…whatever you need. We’ll handle everything together. Just know that I want to be in your life.”
“Hmmm…whatever I need?”
He pressed his lips to the back of her neck and kissed along her nape. “Whatever. You. Need.”
She lifted to her knees and spun around to face him. Only seconds passed before their lips met with an urgency that seemed to grow every moment she stayed with Brock.
They were so consumed in their public displays of affection that they barely heard Brock’s phone ringing beside them. Whoever it was called back a second time.
Brock parted from the kiss and picked up the smartphone from the ground. “It’s Raoulf,” he said.
“Your brother, right?”
He nodded and answered the call.
She was already straddling him and didn’t want to stop their intimate session, so she continued teasing him with kisses to pass the time. He didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m kind of busy right now…” Brock told his brother. “Well, when is he coming back? Look, I can’t afford to get arrested again. Las time I walked away with a slap on the wrist.…This sounds more long term to me and I don’t have the patience right now for it….I can get it to you tonight. Can you meet me at LIVE?…Right…Okay….”
By the time Brock got off the phone with his brother, she’d gotten them both hot and bothered.
“If you keep this up, Princess, I’ll be taking you out here on the ground,” he groaned, pressing his mouth against the column of her throat.
“You wouldn’t…?”
He chuckled.
“You would,” she said, pressing her sex against his arousal. “Well in that case, why don’t you take me back to your place so we can get you taken care of?”
“That’s my intention. I’ll need the bed for what I’m going to do to you tonight. There’s no way I’m going to let you go back to campus unsatisfied. But first things first…I have to go drop something off to my brother at LIVE.”
She frowned and groaned.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be long. Wanna come?”
“Yeah, I do,” she said. “I could use a drink anyway.”
He grabbed her hands and helped her up. “Let’s get a head start then. The rest of the night will be ours.”
32
LIVE Nightclub had a private back entrance. About a dozen patrons were seated out on the back deck drinking beer, chatting, and laughing loudly. Only a few of them were women. When Chelsey walked up with Brock, she expected to feel out of place and unwelcome, but the opposite happened. Brock was well known by nearly everyone in the crowd, and he greeted them as he walked through the tables.
“Hey Brock. Didn’t know you were back in town. What’s happening?”
A slim, tattooed guy with a goatee pushed off of the railing and extended his hand. They greeted each other with something that looked like a cross between a handshake and a fist pump—maybe both.
“Hey Archer. I’ve been busy,” Brock said. “I see that you’re still holding it down out here.”
“Of course I am. Leo pays me well to bounce for him,” Archer replied, and then his gaze landed on her. “Busy indeed, eh?”
“Archer, this is Chelsey, my intended.”
“Lucky you.” Archer grinned. “So it’s true what they say then? The bad guy always gets the good girl.”
Brock chuckled. “I guess you can say that.”
“Um…nice to meet you,” she said, anxious to redirect the attention from herself to Brock.
They held a few minutes of light conversation before Brock excused himself by saying that he’d only stopped by to drop something off. He then led them to the far back corner of the deck. There was a sole male sitting at a large table big enough to seat four, but what was really strange to Chelsey was that he was the only one there. He was wearing a black hood that covered his eyes and his gaze was directed toward the table. Both of his hands were on his mug of beer. It almost looked like he was meditating or deep in thought about something. Odd…this wasn’t exactly the type of place Chelsey would think someone would go to meditate or seek solitude.
When Brock held out a chair for her to sit down, she realized that the lone man was Raoulf, Brock’s brother. Just as Brock took his seat, Raoulf lifted his attention, his gaze roaming back and forth between herself and Brock.
“Hello Brother,” Raoulf said, removing his hood. “You’re a little late.”
It was the first time that Chelsey had seen his full face and she didn’t know whether to run or blush. The man was dangerous-looking and attractive. Brock and his brothers had stellar genes, that was for sure.
“Yeah well, I wasn’t exactly in a rush to get here either,” Brock said.
“I can tell why,” Raoulf stated.
Other than the same facial structure and hardcore mannerisms, the two brothers had a lot of differences. Chelsey thought Brock was dark and mysterious, but after seeing Raoulf, she now deemed Brock a saint. Maybe because she knew that she could trust him now and that he was no longer a stranger. Or maybe it was because the contrast between the two brothers was like night and…midnight. She hadn’t been paying Brock’s brothers any mind during the aftermath of the raid on her dad’s home. Plus, they’d all been trying to hide their identities and wearing hoods similar to what Raoulf was wearing tonight.
Raoulf had jet black hair and brushed the top of his shoulders and eyes the color of jade. He had what looked like an old scar down the side of his face.
“Has my bro been giving you any problems, Chelsey,” Raoulf asked her.
“No…just the opposite actually,” she said.
“I bet,” he replied and then turned back to Brock. “I talked to Dane this morning. He thinks he can handle situation number one, but in the meantime, I’ve been called to handle situation number two.”
“Hmmm, if it ain’t one thing it’s another,” Brock said.
"Yeah, exactly…" Raoulf's eyes landed on Chelsey again and his nose flared."And from the way I sense things, you've got a hell of a year coming up."
"So it seems," was Brock's quick reply. “Can you believe my luck?”
“I most certainly can. You deserve this,” Raoulf commented. “Did you bring it?”
Brock pulled out a black satchel from his leather coat pocket and pushed it across the table to Raoulf. Without looking at it or opening the satchel, Raoulf stuffed it into the inside of his jacket pocket.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Brock commented.
“You know me well enough not to question my strategies,” Raoulf replied.
Chelsey didn’t know what the heck they were talking about, but even if she were privy to any of their inside knowledge, she doubted that she’d understand. She had to remind herself that Brock was in an alternate line of work. And, of course, she’d never forget that he was more animal than he was human.
“I’d come with you, but now isn’t a good time.”
Raoulf flipped his hood back over his head. “No brother, don’t explain anything. I understand completely about who and what you must cherish now.”
His green eyes paused on her for a while before landing on the table again. He tilted his mug of beer to his lips and guzzled it down in just a few gulps. “Time for me to go,” he said. “Too many eyes in this direction now that my famous brother has arrived.”
“Well, I just can’t help it. I’m just that dashing,” Brock joked.
“And I’m the rebel without a cause.” Raoulf rose and grabbed his helmet. “Tell Dane I’m outta here, will ya?”
“Take care, little brother.”
“Ditto.”
Raoulf left the area, leaving Chelsey and Brock alone at the table.
He grasped her hand in his. “Someday, I’ll tell you all about it, but the rest of this night is about us. Remember what I told you?”
“Yeah,” she said, then leaned over to meet his lips with hers. The kiss was short and sweet, leaving her wanting more.
Somehow she managed to forget about where they were to focus on what she needed the most. Brock lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather and sat her on his lap. Her sex pulsed against his arousal and her lips burned as he kissed her hungrily over and over again. They were so absorbed in the taste and feel of one another that they barely noticed when a panicked hush fell over the crowd. Police sirens blared in the distance, growing louder as they approached the nightclub. Only then did they pull back from their intimate embrace. A couple of folks began to flee the area. One took off on his motorcycle and a handful took to the dense woods behind the building. The police cars coming to a screeching halt near the club must have been the backup because several un-informed and armed policeman rushed onto the deck.
“Everybody freeze! Stay where you are. Hands up and don’t make any sudden moves. That includes transforming if you happen to be a shifter. Just don’t do it.”
She’d never had a gun pointed at her and fear forced her to remain still as the policeman had ordered. She was still straddling Brock’s lap, but the heat between them had vanquished and all that remained was Brock’s frustration and her fear and confusion.
“Dammit,” Brock muttered behind her.
“What’s going on?” she asked Brock between clenched teeth as the cops began I.D.ing everyone left out on the deck.
“I have no idea,” he replied.
“Hey! You two!” a cop shouted at them. “Separate.”
Slowly, Chelsey removed herself from Brock’s lap and turned around only to find herself face to face with one of her dad’s friends and colleagues. His eyes narrowed and a flash of recognition crossed over his face.
Rogue Wolf Page 27