Aspen Valley Wolf Pack (The Complete Series)

by Amber Ella Monroe

  Luke fished out a t-shirt and pants and pulled them on. Looking around him, he realized that only eight scouts were present tonight. Their next regularly scheduled meeting wasn't until the following week so the call to meet had been a little unexpected.

  "Well don't you always have guests?" Patrick, a fellow scout, inquired. He pushed off a wall, dropping his cigarette to the ground and squashing it with the toe of his boot.

  "I'm still in business, but she's different. I'm looking after her for a friend."

  "She?" Patrick grinned. "I get it now. I can tell when a man has got fresh pussy waiting on him. No wonder you were late."

  "It's not like that," Luke grumbled. "Her brother is a good friend of mine."

  "Uh-huh," Patrick replied, skeptically. "We all know where you'd rather be."

  "Enough about me. That call was pretty sudden. What's going on?" Luke asked.

  "More murders. We have reports of almost two or three shootings in almost every county east of Aspen Valley. At the rate this is going, and if it doesn't stop, these killers could wipe out a whole Pack if they wanted to," Grim said.

  "What have the cops been saying about this?" Luke asked. "I presume nothing since the killer is still at large."

  "They're saying the evidence doesn't add up and that none of the crimes can be linked. They claim these are random incidents. Even though the killer has been cornering stray, rogue wolves, we know better."

  "Of course we do," a shifter named Frederic offered from across the barn. "This is another ploy to chase us out of the area…maybe even annihilate us all."

  Grim pounded his fist down onto a makeshift table. "We won't stand for it. As a Pack, we're now taking matters into our own hands. A dozen other surrounding Packs are doing the same too. The Alpha and I had a long talk this afternoon and he's given us scouts the responsibility of bringing down anyone and anything threatening our livelihood. We can't wait for the police on this one or we'll all be shot dead when we least expect it. Our murders have been swept under the rug. Our coroner has two dead shifters at his station now. He found the cause of death to be gunshot wounds. However, the murderer tried to cover it up by throwing the carcass out onto busy highways where the bodies were rolled over a whole bunch of times. They were labeled roadkill until Coroner Jack picked them up."

  As Grim continued to hash out the details and discuss strategies, Luke's mind kept drifting to Cassie and not just because she'd been the center of his attention since she arrived but because of the incident that drove her to seek the safety of the mountains. He had no doubt that the two crimes were linked even though the cops were saying these were random occurrences not necessarily carried out by one person or group.

  What if Cassie really was onto something? What if she had gotten so close to finding out who was causing such fear among the wolf community that she'd rattled fear in the perpetrator himself?

  It was possible that Cassie had encountered clues that no one else could…or perhaps, no one else dared to pursue. Before bringing the story to his fellow scouts, he had to be certain that the facts added up. But would Cassie be willing to revisit her research and share her findings? By doing so, would it trigger the bad memories that caused her to hide in the valley to begin with?

  Chapter 11

  "Did you have a good breakfast?" Luke asked as Cassie pulled the door to the cabin close and locked it.

  "Lots of oatmeal and fruit," she replied. "Plus the chocolate candy bar I forgot to eat yesterday on the car ride here."

  Luke grinned. "Sounds good, but we'll wrap up a bit early right before lunch. I'll show you where the market is. They have a small restaurant there and Pat owns the grocery store. She can pretty much order just about anything so if you need something over the next couple weeks, let her know."

  "I'm pretty stocked up for now. As far as food, I kind of put myself on a diet."

  "Why?" he asked, narrowing his gaze.

  "Well look at me."

  "I am looking at you," he said.

  It seemed like his eyes undressed her as he made his point by staring long and hard.

  She blushed and gestured toward her hips.

  "I gained like ten pounds these past few months, just in case you haven't noticed.

  They walked down the path to his work truck.

  "I haven't noticed," he told her. "A little advice: Don't diet. You're perfect. And by the way, once we make our rounds this morning, you'll have worked off that chocolate bar…and the breakfast. I guarantee it."

  "Then let's get started."

  They reached his truck where he opened the door for her. He took the mini cooler that stored some drinks and snacks and pushed it toward the center of the seat and then gestured for her to get inside. When she swung her bare legs into the truck, she didn't miss his lingering look on her thighs. The tiny shorts and fitted tee she wore weren't exactly secretary or office help type of attire.

  "There were reports of the weather being in the mid-eighties today," she noted.

  He tore his gaze away and cleared his throat. "That's okay. I want you to be comfortable."

  Luke pushed the door close and walked around the front of the truck to get to the driver's side. Cassie admired his manly, sexy gait. His trimmed beard made him look older than his years and a little rugged. She loved it. Even though he was ten years older than her he carried himself better than the guys she was used to dating back in Aspen Valley. Luke was nothing like the young men fresh out of grad school that would say anything to get her in bed with them. He didn't have to say anything at all.

  Something had been missing from Cassie's love life for a long time. She hadn't quite pinpointed it before, but now she was almost certain what it was. More responsible men like Luke who had a bit of mystery surrounding them. Men had become too predictable these days and that was boring. Why would she settle for the rich playboy who had already bedded every woman in town when she had access to a rugged mountain man who was both seasoned in age and experience?

  Even if she could experience what it was like to be with an older man for just one night, she'd be satisfied enough to come to her own conclusion. Was she just not interested in men or was she just being choosy? Funny…just last night she'd teased Luke about being picky when it came to his dating life, but she'd been doing the same.

  Luke slid into the driver's seat and started up the engine. He looked at her and grinned. "Ready? We've got a lot of ground to cover."

  "I'm excited. I brought my journals and everything," she said, pointing to the small satchel next to her feet.

  Luke laughed. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a journalist."

  Chapter 12

  "Does all this land belong to you?" Cassie asked as she sat on the back of Luke's truck. As she'd requested, they'd stopped next to a lake so she could snap a few pictures of the scenery.

  "Just about. There are three main landowners out here. The Nathaniels, the Landers, and the Lombardis. My eldest brother and I split my dad's estate fifty-fifty shortly before he passed away. And then when my brother died in the house fire, the twins got his share."

  "So the family lodging business was being run by your brother before he died?

  Luke nodded. "For the most part, my brother was the brains behind why we became so profitable."

  "But I thought you were the one in charge of building and renovating the new model cabins. And keeping things running."

  "I was. I guess you can say we equally transformed it into what it is today."

  It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he remained quiet after that. Instead, he leaned against the side of the truck, looking out at the lake.

  "Do you miss him?" Cassie asked.

  "Yeah, I do…after all these years. I looked to him for guidance but he used to claim I never listened to him. But I was listening. More than he'll ever know. I should have gotten over his death by now."

  "I understand. Trust me. I know what it's like. Like with my parents being gone, I want to move on but t
he void still exists. Not just a physical void but the emotional ones they used to fill when they were here."

  "Yes, my sentiments exactly."

  Cassie drew in a deep breath, pulled her legs up toward her, and then rested her chin on one knee. "It's so beautiful out here. I could stay all day and do nothing but daydream and write."

  "It's certainly peaceful, that's for sure, especially if you park yourself right under that big oak tree in the shade. You might see a wolf or two out here jumping in and out of the lake trying to catch lunch but you won't find any aggressive wolves out here. This stretch of land was deemed a non-hunting zone by the State decades ago. Which is why it's so peaceful."

  "So I've been told. And according to my research, this is why the camping grounds come highly recommended in several regional magazines. Not all areas with wolves living about can get a recommendation like that," she said.

  Luke nodded. "That's mostly what keeps Lombardi Lodging in business. Along with the help of my neighbors, we plan to keep this a danger-free zone."

  "About last night…" she started.

  He turned to her, his eyebrows drawn together in concentration. "What about it?"

  "You never answered me. Are the wolves harmless because they're natural wolves or shifters?"

  "Most wolves are harmless. The same can be said about most humans."

  "Aspen Valley is full of shifters. What about here? Do shifters live out here? You would know if they did, right?" she questioned him.

  When he didn't answer right away, she continued, "You've been living out here your whole life. While you were giving me the tour, I saw several homes that looked like permanent residences with kids playing in the front yard."

  "It's not my place to tell which families are shifter-kind or not. That's forbidden actually."

  "Forbidden by who?"

  "The Pack."

  "Do you know a lot about the Packs that live around here?"

  "Pack," he corrected. "As in one wolf pack."

  "So that means this one wolf pack that lives out here either consists of natural wolves or shifters," she concluded. "Right?"

  Luke chuckled under his breath. "Neil used to tell me that you had your dad's personality and his talent for digging for the right answers. He was absolutely right."

  "He said I had talent? That's a first." Cassie smiled. "Once I started doing research about these murders, I realized that I wanted to do more research on the shifters themselves. Their history. How they thrived before they were ever discovered. I think it's so fascinating."

  At that moment, Luke's cell phone rang. He fished it out of his back pocket and appeared to contemplate about answering the phone.

  "Excuse me for a moment. I've gotta take this one."

  Cassie nodded, fully understanding that he'd spent a good chunk of the morning with her when he could have easily left her in the office cabin by herself thumbing through the instruction log his niece left.

  Luke's voice drifted off as he moved away from the truck, inch by inch. She had a couple weeks to get to know Luke, but his retreating back told her that he had more important things to do than taking her on tours of the property or listening to her ramblings about shifters. What she did know about him was that he liked drawing structures and repairing things. Maybe if she switched the conversation up a bit and away from shifters in general, she'd learn a whole lot more about him.

  When he turned around and came back toward the truck, Cassie anticipated what he would say by the worried look on his face. The look was almost the same as the one he sported yesterday when the wolves howled out into the night in warning.

  "I hate to do this…but something happened at one of my cabins and I need to get out there stat."

  Cassie frowned. "Well, what happened? Is there anything I can do?"

  She slid off the truck and landed on her feet, dusting off the back of her shorts with her palms.

  He shook his head. "A garbage disposal unit malfunctioned. My guests say it's been like that for two days. I should fix the problem now before they try and shove any more food down inside. It shouldn't take but a few hours. And maybe we can do an early dinner instead of lunch."

  "Okay." She grinned. "I'll make the grilled cheese and you grill the fish."

  He smiled, nodding as he held the door open for her.

  Once Luke was seated and backing the truck out onto the dirt road, Cassie glanced down at her watch. It wasn't even noon yet, but it felt like she'd spent an eternity with Luke.

  "I have a few more hours on the clock. I'll work on some office stuff in the meantime," she mentioned on the way to the cabin.

  "Don't work too hard. We got a lot accomplished today with you learning about how I operate things," he said.

  When they reached the cabin, Luke made sure that she was inside. He almost looked hesitant about leaving her, casting an unresolved and longing look in her direction when he set down the small cooler near the foyer. Nonetheless, he left her and drove off to take care of his business, leaving her to ponder why she had a burning need to remain at his side.

  Chapter 13

  Cassie had dedicated a few more hours to the Lombardi lodging business after Luke dropped her off. With a little music playing in the background and her mind drifting off to memories of a shirtless and toned Luke, the time had passed quickly.

  By the time she got done with the project she was working on, Luke still hadn't called or indicated that their dinner plans were still on. She hoped it was true what they said: no news meant good news. He could've been so caught up in his work that he hadn't even realized that dusk was settling in. Or maybe he'd forgotten about what they had planned. Her belly wouldn't and couldn't wait on any man, so Cassie had managed to get in a quick, light lunch right after a half hour of yoga. But after yoga, there was still no word from Luke, so she had treated herself to a much needed hot shower.

  Even now, she nibbled on her bottom lip as she dried her hair wondering if she should be worried about him not showing. Looking out through the back window at his front yard, she could confirm that he wasn't home yet. Or at least it looked that way.

  Get a grip! Stop feigning for this man.

  You're clearly too young to get his attention like that. He only thinks of you as his friend's innocent kid sister.

  He doesn't have time for you…he has a business to run.

  The little voices in Cassie's head persisted, creating more doubt than promise.

  Sighing, Cassie grabbed a wide-tooth comb, plopped down on the sofa and began untangling her damp, curly hair. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that her cell phone's message indicator was flashing. Sure enough, when she checked the voicemail, there was a message waiting for her from Luke.

  "Hey, it's Luke. I'm out on the porch. With the food. I know it's kind of late. I don't blame you for not answering. Um…I'll come by tomorrow before I head out to do my morning property checks."

  "Ugh," Cassie grumbled. When had he come by? She didn't hear anyone knock or anything. She replayed the message and this time she checked the time. Coincidentally, she'd been in the shower the same time he'd been standing on her porch with the food.

  She didn't want him to think that she hadn't answered the door on purpose, so she ignored the time and called him back. Surprisingly, she didn't have to leave a message. He answered on the first ring.

  "Cassie," he greeted.

  "Hi. I missed your call and the knock at the door."

  "That's okay. It was later than I realized."

  "I did some yoga earlier so I must have been in the shower. You could've just come right in. You have a key, right?" she asked.

  There was a pause. "I didn't want to invade your privacy or your space. After all, that is your temporary residence. I would never just use a key to barge in without your permission."

  Cassie smiled into the phone, admiring his thoughtfulness. "Well, you have my permission. My brother trusts you. I trust you. It goes both ways. You and I…we're cool, right?"


  "Yeah."

  "Plus if you ever have extra food, I wouldn't want to miss out," she added. "By all means, do barge in with food."

  Luke chuckled. "Don't worry. Won't happen again."

  "Um…I was expecting to finish our chat and stuff. Can you still come by?" Cassie blushed. Heat raced up and down her arms. Her request that he come back by surprised the heck out of her. When had she ever been this straightforward with a man?

  "With the food, you mean?" he asked.

  "Doesn't have to be with food." She bit her bottom lip and then added, "Just yourself is fine."

  Next came a long pause and shallow breathing on the other end.

  Cassie thought he'd decline until she heard the sound of keys jangling on the other end of the line.

  "I'm walking over now."

  Chapter 14

  "I didn’t see your truck out back earlier," Cassie said.

  They were both seated on the couch, each with a beer in hand, and winding down for the night.

  "Sometimes I run home," Luke said, appearing to be in a daze and focused on her hair.

  She had French-braided her hair quickly after Luke had accepted her offer to come over, so it must have looked a mess.

  "I know my hair is one curly mess," she said. "But my stylist is miles away from this place, so bear with me."

  He grinned. "I wasn't thinking that your hair was a curly mess. I was thinking that you have the most beautiful hair I've ever seen. And it's been like that since I first saw you."

  "I didn't always love my hair. It used to take my mom over an hour to wash, detangle, and blow dry it back then. Thank God I was paying attention when she did it. I've been wanting to cut this thick mane into a short bob for years now."

  "Don't," he said almost too quickly. "I mean, I like your hair this way."