Stanley (Red Wolf Book 2)

by Dawn, Crystal

  “We need things, expensive things. There are some ways to put off some expenses. We go to my old house and move my furniture and appliances here and I can give notice. My appliances are better than those we have. Once that’s done, we can use the pack house appliances for one of the houses you’re working on. I have a washer and dryer, but it’s a small one. There’s also a dishwasher and a small freezer.”

  “I like how you think. Money will be less of a concern in a few months so this will be a big help for now. Have March get some guys, take two trucks so there is only one trip. Is Del cooking supper?”

  “Yes, Del is cooking tonight and I’ll get March and some of the guys to help out.”

  “I hate to let you go. Are you sure that Abs won’t be problem? I don’t like the idea of him showing up.”

  “I can’t imagine him waiting around for nearly a month just in case I come back rather than sending someone else after my stuff.”

  “It does sound unlikely.” I admitted reluctantly. “If he shows up, you get the hell out of there.”

  “Don’t worry, I want nothing to do with him. I’m stronger now anyway and he might think twice.”

  “The guys a psychopath. They don’t think right at all.”

  “True. We’ll be careful and I’ll see you tonight.” I pulled her into my arms and kissed the stuffing out of her. When I pulled away, she was in a daze. A satisfied smile curved on my lips. I was winning her over one kiss at a time and loving the hell out of it.

  I watched her walk away feeling a sense of protectiveness far beyond anything I’d ever known. It made me want to stop her, but I knew she wouldn’t like it. I remembered that saying, about loving someone and setting them free. Now it made more sense than ever before. She was my mate, but one that stood beside me. Never would she appreciate being locked away to keep her safe.

  Even though I understood her need for freedom, it was hard on my alpha ass to give it to her. The only way I could handle it was to dig into my work so I had no time to worry about my female. A sense of accomplishment washed over me as I examined the neat files with all the old no longer relevant paperwork tossed out. The room no longer smelled like dust and dirt and the floors were shiny and clean. The old window covers had also been tossed out and I would look for a better option at a later date.

  My nose itched from all the dust and went to clean up. Once I’d taken a shower and dressed, I wandered out to the kitchen. It was a gathering point in many pack houses. I grabbed a drink and finished it off quickly. My throat had been dry and I felt better now. There was activity in the yard and I saw that one of the trucks that had gone with Rachel was already back. She was not.

  One of the younger wolves that had been at the challenge came in. “Where is Rachel?”

  “She sent us ahead with a list of tasks.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Marks, your second.” The pup said. Okay, he was a teenager.

  “You related to March?”

  “He’s my brother. Our mother liked names that started with M.”

  “I see. How far are they behind you?”

  “I’m not sure. We were told to leave as soon as we were loaded. They hadn’t started to fill their truck.”

  “Next time stay with her for protection. The alpha mate is to be protected whether she likes it or not.”

  “B-but what if she turns me into a frog?”

  “Maybe a princess will kiss you and turn you into a prince.”

  “Could that really happen?” He asked like he wasn’t sure, but he wanted to believe it really could happen.

  “You never know. Keep a lookout and let me know when they get here.”

  “Yes, Alpha.”

  I decided to take a nap. It would pass the time and I hadn’t slept well since I’d gotten here. The door would be locked and that would help. When I got there, I was surprised to find a Maisy sitting on my bed.

  “You know better than to come in here.”

  “The other female isn’t here so we can have sex.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “It’s not just because she’s here that I didn’t want you in my bed. Wolves mate for life. Once they make that choice, no one else interests them.”

  “But the old alpha mated many times and had sex with many females.”

  “There was something twisted about your old alpha. He was not a healthy example. I’m nothing like him and I only want my mate.”

  “What will I do?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “All I’ve ever done is satisfy the alpha and fight other females when he wanted me to. I can’t do anything else.”

  “Isn’t there anything you want to do? Haven’t you ever wanted a job or wanted to learn about something?”

  “When I was younger, I wanted to be a healer. Alpha James said wolves never get sick so we didn’t need a healer.”

  “Did you finish high school?”

  “Yes, but I never got any schooling after that. We weren’t allowed to have books. Alpha James said books were a waste of money and time.”

  “I think you need to forget what he said and start thinking like you used to. Maybe we can get you a job at the hospital and you can go to college part time. I bet Rachel could help you.”

  “Why would she help me? I’ve tried to take her mate.”

  “She’s your alpha, she will help you. That woman is good on the inside. We’ll discuss it after supper when she’s back.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Alpha.” Maisy slipped out of the room quietly. Who would have thought a fighter like her would want to be a healer. Maybe that was why though. She’d seen so much pain and injuries that had to heal on their own.

  I knew I’d never get to sleep now. My talk with Maisy had only reminded me of what James had done to his pack. There was a sickness in that family and so far every male, and they were all male as far as I knew, had been tainted by madness. When I thought about it, it worried me that there might be more of them out there terrorizing the very packs they should have protected. It also occurred to me that others might know about Rachel and Megan. That thought was most disturbing.

  I knew I wouldn’t feel okay until my Rachel was home. The aroma of cooking food, delicious and nearly done, wafted through the house telling me it was time for my woman to be here. More than anything, I wanted to sit down with her and enjoy what smelled like a delicious meal. After that, I wanted to take her back to our room and make sweet love to her for hours. I wanted to mate with her, but she wasn’t ready and I could respect that since she still had a few days left.

  I decided to go out to the kitchen to wait and I saw Del was busy getting food ready. Getting a glass, he filled it with tea from the pitcher on the table. I hadn’t sat there long before I heard the second truck pulling into the yard. Thank the goddess my mate had finally returned. Going outside to meet them, I saw the truck was fully loaded. My mate certainly had a lot of stuff, but some was furniture which they could make use of.

  “Everything went well?” I questioned when I saw concern on her face.

  “He left a note for me.”

  “What did this note say?”

  “This time when I catch you, you will know the meaning of true suffering. Then I will go after your sister using your magic against her. Stan, that witch has always scared me. What can we do?”

  “I know nothing of magic. I do know we can’t let him ruin our lives. We do what we’ve been doing and you study and work on your magic. Put protective spells around us and hope your witch council finds him and puts him away where he can’t hurt anyone. Beyond that, what else can we do?”

  “Maybe we should request the protection of the council.”

  “What would they do?”

  “They might find a strong witch willing to stay here for a while.”

  “A witch body guard? Do they even do that?”

  “Sometimes under the right circumstances. If they want to catch him bad enoug
h, they’ll find someone.”

  “Let’s eat, talk to Maisy, and then we’ll sleep on it.”

  Chapter 4

  A Stitch in Time

  After we finished eating, Stan had explained Maisy situation and I had been stunned. That Maisy wanted to go to college was the first shock that she wanted to be a nurse to help ease others suffering was the biggest one. I was often was used as a healer, but I wasn’t a nurse. I used spells and herbs for healing.

  Once I talked to Maisy a little, we decided on a plan. “We can get you on at the nearest hospital but you have to start as a nurse’s aide. Once you are hired and have the training you need, I think that you’ll qualify for all kinds of scholarships. Nurses are in demand. I’ll help you with the forms and I’ll call tomorrow to get you an appointment.”

  “Thank you alphas.” She said as a single tear ran down her cheek. Maisy turned and hurried away.

  In the morning, Abs threats didn’t seem as terrifying as they had the day before. Besides, there was so much to do. It seemed the work around the pack never ended. Somehow, Ezra had not only gotten the pack’s books straightened out, but he and Stan had found several hidden accounts siphoned off the packs account and reclaimed them.

  “It seems all the higher level members had a rainy day account. Everyone knew the end would come soon and they all wanted to save their own asses.” Ezra said cussing which was unusual for him.

  Tomorrow he would start working for Megan. It was an easy gig, he was working at home using the pack’s computer because he, like the other members, had nothing. Once he was making money and got ahead on things, he would buy a computer. The poor guy was so grateful for such a small favor it was unbelievable.

  The next problem was dealt with too. Liza had no sewing machine. We found one at the pack house that James’ last mate had owned. It was older, but in perfect shape and all the needs she had were met when we discovered it and a well-stocked sewing room in one of the locked rooms in the house. It looked like the room had been a nursery originally, but for now, Liza took it over.

  “You know if you need to, you can take whatever you want home. I sew a little, but I can’t do what you can.” Liza had already sewed clothing for two of the females that had found jobs with Reese’s pack. They both had full wardrobes, with not only work clothes, but nicer clothes to go out in since they were both single. One of the ladies even had children which now also had clothing.

  This had brought up the point of schooling. None of the children went to school and it was a wonder the state hadn’t intervened. Reese had kindly offered to let them go to Howlington where the teachers were aware of the problem and would help them acclimate the easy way. We had happily accepted and Jenna’s two kids would be going to school tomorrow with Ezra’s kids.

  Things were slowly getting back to the way they should have always been. The third house was being worked on and Stan had started his business although so far, it was odd jobs. He had found a list of James’ former clients. There seemed to be plenty of work for all the males and any females interested in hard labor. I was impressed with what Stan had accomplished and I knew he had bigger plans for the future. I only hoped we would get through this early rebuilding without any snafus. That wasn’t too much to ask for, was it?

  I still had a couple days left before it was time to make my choice. We would mate or I would have to leave, simple as that. The love was there and I couldn’t imagine leaving but this world was so different from my own. Sure, witches were part of the paranormal world too, but they didn’t kill rabbits and eat them raw. There was no need to battle for hierarchy, although fighting bothered me less than the other objections.

  My decision needed to be made soon. There was also the problem of Abs to deal with. The choice was to go on the offensive or wait to see what he would do. The damn witch had always been hard to figure out and I had to admit he scared me. The male was cruel and I had fought him to make sure he didn’t rape me as he had some of the other captives. He was waiting for me to weaken so he wouldn’t risk injury.

  I was in the sewing room talking to Liza about what needed to be done next. There were so many people wanting to work that needed new clothes so they looked presentable. A shriek shook me out of my thoughts.

  “Liza!” One of the teenager yelled. “Berta has ripped part of her seam.” I thought it was nice that they’d brought it to Liza’s attention, but goodness that scream was horrible.

  “Bring her to me. A stitch in time saves nine.” Liza replied. “I need to take care of this before it becomes a bigger problem.”

  It was amazing where a person could find answers. What Liza said made me realize something. I knew the saying, didn’t everyone? Yet until now, I hadn’t realized I was just letting my problem grow. The witches’ council never did anything without a hard push. That reminded me of another saying my grandma had loved. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If I wanted my problem dealt with, I needed to raise a little hell. That decided, I went to my room and pulled out my personal laptop. It wasn’t hard to pull up my email and send an email to everyone of any importance. I expected the best response from Marissa, a witch mated to Damon who was a werewolf councilman.

  Why would wolves care? My sister was a red wolf and that meant I probably was too. I had my feet firmly in both worlds whether I mated Stan or not. That realization made me see all my delays meant nothing. I was already in the position I feared most but without the wolf traits I needed to survive. It made me realize I loved Stan and wanted to be with him and that was all that mattered. Now that I’d made the decision, I felt a weight slide off my shoulders.

  As soon as Stan returned with his work crew, I would be ready to inform him. Maybe this would take some of the pressure off him as well. My email began to ping, I was getting answers. I began to go through what was mostly the same old shit. We don’t have the man power or it will cost money. Then in the pile of bullshit, I found a gem.

  I discussed this with Damon and we are interested in visiting as soon as we can. I understand your situation and we can stay in Howlington if needed. I’m tired of asshole male witches trying to bully us girls. We will leave in the morning and I expect us to be there tomorrow night.

  Marissa

  I’d hoped for a good response, but Marissa was amazing. Someday when I grew up, I hoped to be just like her. Meanwhile I had a pack to help run and tons of bad shit to help undo. Before I started any big jobs, I thought I should call my sister first. The phone rang three times before Megan answered breathless.

  “Megan speaking.”

  “Hey Sis. I just wanted to warn you that guests might be descending on you soon.”

  “Marissa already called. Since none of the guys live here and Stan’s house is empty, we’ve got plenty of room.”

  “Did I interrupt something?”

  “Nothing that doesn’t get interrupted all the time.” Megan giggled as I heard a growl in the background.

  “I’m sorry about that. I just wanted to warn you.”

  “Reese will have the guys get everything ready in the morning and I’ll inspect it. To be honest, I’m glad you’re finally pushing to get that asshole Abs dealt with. Females are suffering, maybe even dying and no one seems to care.”

  “It’s that it hasn’t hurt me yet mentality. The council doesn’t realize he has his eyes and spies set on them.”

  “Marissa is a bit of a legend around here. Well, Damon too, but he’s not a white wolf.”

  “We aren’t either.”

  “We are the next best thing and eventually word will get out. It will give hope to many alphas who know they’ll never be able to mate a white wolf.”

  “What about the common wolves. Don’t they matter?”

  “It will help them too, because more of the regular females will be available to them.”

  “Sound a tad unfair.”

  “It isn’t. Reese and I are fated. Just like you and Stan are. Would you want anyone else?”

  “No, I wou
ldn’t.”

  “So you’ve decided?”

  “I have, but I haven’t told Stan yet so keep your lips closed.”

  “Where is your mate?”

  “He’s started a work crew doing odd construction jobs. It’s a start until he begins to take on larger jobs. How’s Ezra doing?”

  “He’s amazing. I can’t thank you enough for sending him to me. I think he has a photographic memory. He can fly through a filing and get them done quicker than anyone I’ve seen. If I double check one, they’re always perfect.”

  “I’m glad it’s working out. He has a big family. Four kids and two are adopted. I think they want to adopt more once they have the means. They are just really good people.”

  “I figured that out. He’s a complete gentleman in person. I think he watches the kids while he works and still gets so much done.”

  “We have some good people that have lived some hard lives. I’m glad things are getting better. I better get back to work.”

  “I’ll see you when Marissa and Damon get here.”

  “Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Now it was time to take care of Maisy’s employment first. I dialed the Howlington hospital and got an answer on the first ring. “Howlington Hospital, how may I direct your call?”

  “I need to speak to someone in charge of hiring.”

  “I’ll connect you to Brenda Hook. She’s in charge of hiring.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” I heard the beeps that told me I was still connected.

  “Hello, this is Brenda Hook in personnel. How may I help you?”

  “I was wanting an interview for a nurse’s aide position.”

  “Do you have any experience?”

  “No, and the job isn’t for me.”

  “I’m sorry. Without experience I can’t help you.”

  “Maybe I should have mentioned that Reese told me to give you a call?”

  “Yes, that would have helped. Is this for a member of the old James pack?”

  That name griped my ass but it would take a while to change it. “Yes, it is.”

  “Bring her here this afternoon and I’ll talk to her.”