by Leela Ash
“I’ll be fine,” Ella assured him. “I’ve done worse. And I will do it again.”
Luke offered her half a smile, a gesture that nearly made her melt, and she turned away quickly. Damn man and his ridiculously handsome features. She couldn’t let herself fall into this trap. She wasn’t ready. She would never be ready.
“Okay then. Take care of yourself. Say hi to Mikey for me.”
Ella froze, surprised that the man thought to think of her son. “I will. Thank you,” she said, her eyes softening despite herself. “I’ll see you later.”
Luke nodded and headed out, and Ella inhaled deeply, her chest prickling with the stressful sensation of having to repress some really intense and complicated feelings. She was glad he had gone so he couldn’t see the look on her face, but at the same time, she wished she hadn’t shooed him off like that. It had been kind of nice having him around. Helping her. Caring for her. Even her ex hadn’t done anything like that.
Oh well.
She glanced at her watch and cursed. The truth was the truth. She had to pick up Mikey. She had to get this man out of her head and try and go back to figuring out her new normal. It couldn’t be with this guy. She barely knew him. And whether she wanted to find out more about him or not, it just wasn’t the time. She had a child to raise.
6.
“Yeah, I can’t believe the deal I got on this land!”
Luke furrowed his brow. Something about this wasn’t sitting well with him.
“It does sound like a great deal,” he agreed to the woman on the phone. It was another person who was moving to Stonybrooke, who had gotten land and a house for a steal. Who was the real estate agent out there just giving these places away like this? What was going on?
“It was a godsend, really,” the woman replied. “I was hoping maybe you could help me out with a few things while I get settled in.”
“Sure, yeah,” Luke agreed absently, his mind still working on figuring out why this was giving him such a bad feeling. There was something off here. The wolf could sense it, but there wasn’t much rationalizing he could do at the moment to figure out what it might be. He would have to check into it more to figure things out.
“Great! When are you available?”
“Let’s schedule an appointment for a week from today, if that’s all right. I would like to get a lay of the land and evaluate the place. Sound good?”
“Sounds great,” the woman said. “Thank you so much!”
“Yeah, don’t mention it. I’ll see you then.”
They hung up and Luke gazed off into the distance, his mind working a mile a minute. Whatever was going on, he didn’t like it.
He knew what his father would have said. It was all part of the conspiracy somehow. Everything tied into the conspiracy. And the only reason it was called a conspiracy was because they hadn’t gathered the proof they needed to show the rest of the pack that they were being played.
But he had no proof of anything. Only a hunch that something weird was going on. He couldn’t let himself go to the pack about something like this, especially with no solid theory to back up the feeling he was having. They all thought he was insane. Just like his father. But Luke had known exactly what his father was talking about. They had been acutely aware of the strange goings on around them. The outsiders working to infiltrate Stonybrooke once and for all and make it their own. He couldn’t possibly allow himself to doubt this now.
And yet there really was nothing for him to go on. He had to keep his mind forward focused. Figure out the next step in his life and with his clients, he had to not go around chasing theories. All he really had to go on was the heebie jeebies. He would just have to keep his eyes and ears open, that was all. There was nothing else to be done about it. Nothing at all that could be done.
When they hung up, Luke sighed and stretched, his mind wandering back to Ella. She had been really fast to dismiss him. It had stung a little, but he understood. She didn’t want to have those feelings toward him any more than he wanted to have them toward her. Maybe a little space would do them some good. It was ridiculous to be so drawn to somebody that he didn’t even know, and she probably felt the same way. It was just an attraction. Nothing more, nothing less. They could get over it and deal with it like mature adults. They didn’t have to spend more time together than was necessary.
No, his only goal should be in helping her to get her house ready for the market, or livable come winter time. Whichever way it worked out, he would do his job and get out of her hair. And that would be the end of that. Whether they liked it or not. He wasn’t going to drag her name through the mud because he was interested in her, and he wasn’t going to complicate her life. She had enough going on. A jerk ex, a little boy. Yeah, he was better off just staying out of it.
But the conclusion left him restless, and he stood from the stool behind the counter and exhaled deeply, wishing he could shapeshift into his wolf form and let off some steam. He couldn’t quite do that, but he could do the next best thing and head out to take a walk. He had more than enough clients to keep him busy. And if he missed a call from anybody, he would just have to check his messages. He had to take a break.
He headed out the door, wishing that there was anywhere in Stonybrooke that still felt like home to him. He was tired of the place. Sick of living there and seeing his defeat in his face again and again. The other shifters had forced him out of the pack. When they hadn’t believed him or his father, he’d had enough. He’d told them off. He’d left the pack. And they hated him for it. Now he kept his head down and just did his best to stay out of trouble. He was sick of the politics. Sick of the corruption. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was when his father was alive, before the outsiders had come in and disrupted everything.
But nobody wanted to believe that the corruption had gotten as deep as it had. They had defeated Thames and that had been enough for most of them to believe that there was no more threat to the council. But Luke’s father had known. He had been on the inside. He had seen the bribery. He had seen the way, one by one, elder after elder had submitted to the harsh reign of the outsiders’ dogma. They were trying to take over the town piece by piece. They wanted all the power they could get. They wanted access to the ancient relics and the Serah stone. They wanted everything that meant something to the wolf shifter legacy. And they wanted to destroy it and utilize it all for a sick and twisted agenda. Dark magic. Chaos and corruption. They wanted to bring back the old laws and enslave those they deemed weaker than themselves.
Luke believed every word his father had told him. Things had gotten much more difficult since he had passed away. Nobody took Luke serious anymore. They had only attempted to out of respect for the council. But even his father had been ignored. Laughed at. And now, with him gone, they felt even more free to laugh at his legacy. It was infuriating.
Luke sighed. Walking was supposed to calm him down, not get his mind running in circles and working him up even more. He couldn’t let himself obsess like this. Those assholes weren’t worth it. He had to make do with the life he had been given now. Maybe, one day, he would be able to get out of Stonybrooke. Or maybe, even better than that, it would improve and become the place he had remembered it being during his childhood. A place of integrity and mystique. Magic and mystery. Incredible power.
Not this sewage dump of corruption that the outsiders had turned it into. He missed being connected to the true wolf shifter power. The council had preserved it for so long, only to have it misused and usurped by these morons. It was sickening. He couldn’t stand for it. He wouldn’t.
And if he found out those assholes had anything to do with the suddenly booming real-estate market, so help him….
“Luke, what are you doing out of your hole?”
Luke glared at the sound of Pierson’s voice. It seemed like he couldn’t catch a break lately. Even the good things had bad things about them. Even his peaceful walk turned out to be stressful. Maybe he should just
run off in the woods and let the wolf do its thing for a while. Fuck this place.
“Pierson.”
He acknowledged the man, gritting his teeth tightly. Pierson sighed.
“Look, man. I miss the days when we were friends. You remember that?”
Luke sighed. “I had tried to forget.”
Pierson scowled. “I know things are shit with the pack, but you know you’re always welcome back. We give you shit but you know it’s not personal.”
“It’s not personal?” Luke exclaimed, flabbergasted. “What about insulting me and my father’s integrity isn’t personal? Do you even hear yourself sometimes? That isn’t how you treat a friend.”
“Well, we aren’t really friends right now. But we could be, you know? I always wanted you to come back. You know that. It’s important to me.”
“I don’t think we could. Not after the way you’ve treated me,” Luke said, shaking his head. “I know what I know. I’m not insane and neither was my father.”
“Whatever you say, man,” Pierson said, holding his hands in the air. “But I do know that you and I aren’t really going to be able to get along the way we used to if we don’t talk it out.”
“What is there to talk about? Why do you suddenly want to be my friend? I was two seconds away from killing you the other day. You really know how to get under my skin.”
“That’s just because we miss you. We want you back. You betrayed us. Abandoned us. This was supposed to be your family. We could have been there for you after your old man died, you know. But you just took off. Left us in the dust. You were all butthurt about everything and didn’t even stop to think that maybe we could help you.”
“If you had wanted to help me, you wouldn’t have ostracized me because I believe my father’s word. And because everything he saw was something controversial and you were all too chicken shit to face it.”
“Hey, no need to call names. I’m trying to be level with you, man. This isn’t fair to anybody. You left us, and we want you back.”
“You have a funny way of showing it,” Luke snarled. “Look, sometimes the old days and old ways were great. They were wonderful. But you know it isn’t the way it used to be. And until you guys are willing to open your eyes and face up to the fact that it’s different. It’s wrong. And we have to change it. I can’t be a part of it. I can’t deal with you all.”
“Whatever, man. You’ll change your mind.”
Pierson turned away, but there was doubt in his voice.
“You know I won’t. That’s why you’re trying to speak civilly with me about this. Because it’s what you want, and you know it isn’t going to happen.”
Pierson sighed. “Whatever. Have a nice life, traitor.”
Luke sighed and shook his head slightly. Why was it so difficult for wolf shifters like Pierson to swallow their pride and admit they might be wrong? Why were they all too cowardly to oppose the outsiders that were destroying their town from the inside out? He was getting sick and tired of it.
So much for a peaceful walk. He wasn’t going to get any peace whatsoever. It just wasn’t happening. And that sucked.
But it was what it was. He would just have to keep his head down and ignore Pierson and the others. He would do so even more pointedly now that he knew they wanted him back in the pack. They hadn’t conducted themselves in a way that would feel particularly welcoming. No, if he was going to have any shot in hell of going back to a shifter community, it would be as an alpha in a position of power. He would never bow down again.
7.
“Mikey! That isn’t a toy. Where’s your hammer?”
Mikey quickly lost interest in the heavy, boring hammer beside his mother as his blue eyes sought the squeaky red hammer that his father had given him. Ella sighed, wondering if her boy ever missed the man. He didn’t show much indication of caring either way, but still. Genetic bonds were supposed to be pretty strong. What was she going to do as he grew without a male influence in his life? She could fix things up and do home repair all day long, but that didn’t give her the same qualities as a male role model for her son would.
She sighed, her thoughts inadvertently returning to Luke. Now there was a man who seemed like a good influence for a kid. He owned his own business. He was strong, quiet, helpful, and in shape. He clearly took care of himself, and she got the feeling that he wasn’t the type to compromise either. He was strong in ways she really wasn’t. It would be nice for Michael to have a man like that around.
Ella gritted her teeth and shook the idea away. There was no way in hell she would ever be able to justify entertaining such a ridiculous thought. The squeak of her son’s little hammer brought the smile back to her lips and she retired the topic once and for all. No, she didn’t have to worry about whether or not she would be a good role model for her son. Of course, she would be. Just because she wasn’t a man didn’t mean she wouldn’t have anything of value to offer him as he grew. That was ridiculous.
She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of the phone ringing. She furrowed her brow, wondering who it might be, and swiped Mikey up off the floor. She had been working on the trim in the living room and he didn’t need to be unsupervised near the tools.
“Hello?” Ella answered, setting Mikey gently in his playpen. So much for his twenty minutes of free exploration. He didn’t seem to mind though and sat down with a soft thunk, squeaking his hammer in the air and slamming it against the floor with a happy laugh.
“Miss Smith? This is Mr. Grier. Do you have a few minutes to speak?”
“Certainly,” Ella said, a nervous fluttering beginning in her stomach. “May I ask what this is regarding?”
“Oh, just the simple matter of the loan. I wanted to make sure that everything has been going well. And….”
Ella gritted her teeth. If something went wrong with the loan she’d taken out, then she would be out on the street. There was no way she would be able to afford this place without the extra money that the bank had secured for her. The Stonybrooke Banking Association had been eager to help her get on her feet and had even pointed out several other properties on the market in the town. It seemed almost odd how readily they had put themselves out there to help her.
And yet it had been part of what had sold her on Stonybrooke. It seemed to hold a sort of small town charm. Where everybody knew everybody else and were genuinely helpful. She loved the idea of living in a tightly knit community as her son grew. He would have a whole extended family should anything ever happen to her. He wouldn’t be left alone with people who didn’t care about him.
Not that she expected anything to happen like that, but a mother tended to think about those types of things. At least she did. She couldn’t speak for all mothers obviously….
“Miss Smith, let me be blunt here,” Mr. Grier said after a brief silence. “I am going to need the first repayment on the loan as soon as possible. You know how these things can be. We agreed on the terms not long ago and I am just checking in to see that everything works like clockwork. You own this land, of course, but wouldn’t it be a shame if something were to happen? You must keep up on these payments if you want to keep it. That’s all I’m saying.”
Ella frowned, her anxiety mounting. “Of course, Mr. Grier. I understand.”
“Now, I only call to say so because of the rapidly accruing interest on said loan. And, of course, hidden fees, taxes and the like. You understand. It would be best to take care of as much of this as soon as you possibly can or else the property may be foreclosed upon. You do understand the agreement, don’t you?”
Ella blinked. “Yes, I know how the loan was set up to work, Mr. Grier. You explained it to me yourself. Now, I appreciate your concern for me, if that’s what this is and not concern about your money, but you can rest assured that I will be able to make the payments as we discussed. And on schedule. Is that all?”
“Yes, my dear. That is all. Thank you for your time. Have a nice day. You and your, um... Child.”
The receiver clicked, and Mr. Grier had hung up before she had a chance to respond. What a strange man. She was sort of irritated, to be honest. They had already spoken about the payments and now it felt like he was calling to bully her into making hers early, or maybe even pay more than she could afford so she wouldn’t have to worry about the loan defaulting. Maybe the bankers weren’t as selfless as she had originally thought after all.
Ella sighed, distressed now, and walked slowly to the other room. A small headache was beginning to bud in her temples and she sighed, looking down at her watch. Soon, Luke would be over to discuss the details of their project and it would be time to put Mikey to bed.
“You ready for some dinner, little man?”
Mike smiled at her and some of the stress from the conversation with Mr. Grier dissipated. How could she let some pushy old geezer make her feel bad when there was a young, beautiful being full of light and potential staring right at her? No, she would choose to be happy and work on her house as planned, not letting the veiled threats of a money-grubbing jerk get in the way of her happiness. She had worked hard to get where she was at right now. And she was going to keep this place and fix it up, no matter what.
8.
“Are you okay?”
Luke quirked his brow when Ella let him inside. There was something off about her energy. Her typically light-hearted expression was weighed down with something heavy, and Luke’s first thought was her ex.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s not a big deal. Are you hungry? There are leftovers again.”
Ella was clearly trying to deflect from her true feelings and Luke sighed. “No, thank you. I ate before I came over.”
“Oh,” she murmured, almost sounding disappointed. Or maybe she was just distracted by whatever it was that was bothering her. Either way, Luke didn’t like it and he wanted to be able to step in somehow. Make her feel better again. Happy. She deserved to be happy.