Chapter 5
When the door shut behind Bo as he headed off to work, Reika looked at Cades and Karly with a smile so broad that her cheeks hurt. She had lots of practice putting on a happy face so no one knew how bad she felt inside.
Cades, female alpha and hybrid wolf, looked at Reika with an arched brow and said, “You don’t have to pretend to be happy to see us, but just know that Bo has the best intentions. You’re important to him, and like any male of worth, he’s going to make sure you’re safe even if he has to trust others to keep you so.”
She opened her mouth to retort that Bo had no idea what he was getting himself into by putting his pack on the line to help her, but she could tell from the fierce look in Cades’ eyes that nothing Reika could say would make her leave the house. She’d seen a young man standing out in the front yard, and she had a feeling he wasn’t the only one around, which meant taking off — even if she could find a way to ditch the two women — wasn’t going to happen.
Face it … you’re stuck.
She sighed audibly and let her unnatural smile drop. “I appreciate you both being here.”
Karly gestured to the small kitchen table, and Reika sat down. Karly, with long black hair and delicate features, used tongs to place a thick cinnamon roll on a plate in front of Reika while Cades poured a mug of coffee and set it in front of her. Karly said, “I’m trying out a new recipe for these rolls, so tell me what you think.”
Karly and Cades joined her at the table, and Reika picked up the glazed treat and took a bite. She was unable to stifle the happy hum as the delicious flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar exploded on her tongue.
Ben would love to have this recipe.
“It’s so good, Karly. You’re very talented,” Reika said, putting the roll down and fixing her coffee with cream and sugar.
Karly smiled brightly, and both she and Cades took bites of theirs, and for several moments, there were only pleased murmurs and happy hums as the three of them ate their rolls.
Karly picked up her coffee mug and took a sip. “Bo said you’re from Columbus. Is your home pack very big?”
“Just a little bigger than yours, from what he told me. My family is small, just my parents and my younger brother, Ben.”
There was a bit of silence, and then Reika added, “It’s not that I don’t appreciate what Bo’s trying to do for me, but I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. It’s bad enough that the two wolves from the WAA were injured trying to help me. I don’t want to add to the blood on my hands.”
Cades reached over and put her hand over Reika’s. Even though Cades wasn’t a true wolf and didn’t shift, Reika could feel her power as alpha. “There is no blood on your hands, Reika. The wolves who were hurt, that’s on the lynxes, not you. And it’s not just Bo who wants to see you safe. It’s all of us. It’s awful what happened to you, what you’ve suffered knowing they were waiting for you, and we’re not about to let you go off on your own. Bo found you when you needed a champion, and his pack supports you one hundred percent.”
The sincerity in Cades’ words touched Reika deeply. She placed her other hand on top of Cades’ and said, “Thank you.”
It would be harder to leave Bo behind, now that he’d gotten his pack involved, but she was even more certain that she had no choice. He was a male of worth, a wolf of honor, and he deserved to live a long, full life and find happiness, not shoulder her burden and die for her. She just couldn’t let that happen.
As they finished their breakfast, Reika found out that both women had children; Karly’s son, Remy, was almost a year old, and Cades’ daughter, Lyric, was five months old. The women had seemed to enjoy having a day off while their children were watched by their mutual grandparents. The three sat on the couch in the front room and watched daytime TV. They talked about everything except the lynxes and her blood-debt, for which she was grateful. It was easy to relax around Cades and Karly, who had funny stories to share about the pack members, including Bo. Cades had grown up with Bo, who was a few years older than her, and remembered him as the dark, brooding guy who was quick to stand up for his friends and never backed down from a fight. Apparently, he hadn’t changed much since high school.
Wistfully, Reika felt like she could be friends with both of them, if she were sticking around. They were just the sort of girls she liked hanging around with. She didn’t have many friends in her home pack because her future loomed like a shadow over her. As it grew closer to her time to be taken away, the friends she did have drifted away, as if they were afraid to be sucked into the lynx clan just by being her friend. She didn’t fault them for wanting to protect themselves, but she’d been lonely.
It was almost five when Bo’s truck pulled into the driveway in front of the house, followed by a large black SUV.
Bo got out of his truck, rubbing at his right leg before he moved up the front walk. Once more, she wondered about the extent of his injuries. The doors to the SUV opened, and Reika recognized Michael and his wife, Shyne, as they got out and followed Bo into the house.
Bo smiled at Reika when he opened the door, taking off his jacket and hanging it on a hook next to the door. “Hi, sweetheart! You remember Michael and Shyne.”
“Nice to see you again,” Reika said and smiled at them.
“You, too, Reika.” Shyne smiled easily and then moved to talk to Cades and Karly who were putting on their coats.
“Did you have a nice day?” Bo asked.
A very small part of her wanted to be bratty and tell him that, in fact, she didn’t have a good day under the watchful gaze of an alpha female and an angel mate. But looking into his rich, hazel eyes and seeing the earnestness there, she couldn’t say it.
“I did. Cades told me a bunch of stories from when you were younger.”
His smile faltered, and he cast his narrowed eyes towards Cades, who pulled on her jacket, smiling innocently. “I don’t know what she’s talking about, Bo.”
He grunted under his breath and thanked Karly and Cades for hanging out with her for the day. As Reika said goodbye to them as well, Bo shut the door and turned to her. “Michael and Shyne are going to join us for dinner. There’s a strip mall not too far from here. It has a few clothing stores in it and some restaurants nearby.”
He left her in the front room with Michael and Shyne so he could take a quick shower and change. Michael plopped down on the couch with a yawn, and Shyne smiled fondly at him as she came to stand next to Reika.
“I wanted to see if you’d like to come hang out at the community center with me tomorrow. I teach some fitness classes for the older wolves who live in the development where the center is, and the staff could always use a hand in the office.”
Reika didn’t know what to say. Shyne seemed like a sweet woman, and she didn’t want to insult her, especially since she could guess that Bo had put her up to it.
As if sensing her hesitancy, Shyne smiled softly. “When I first met Michael, I had a few were-hyenas who were interested in me, and they really came on strong and freaked me out. I stayed with Michael after that, but the first few days when I was alone in the house without anyone to talk to while he worked made me batty. I know it’s not the same situation, and I don’t mean to belittle what you’re going through, but it’ll be fun to hang out and get to know each other. The wolves in the retirement development are so fun, and someone always offers to make lunch for me. I know you’ll be welcome.”
When Shyne was being so kind, Reika couldn’t say no. “Sounds good. What time?”
“I’ll pick you up about nine, and just dress in jeans or whatever. I don’t expect you to workout or anything, unless you want to.”
Reika made a face, and Shyne chuckled. Shyne had Hispanic-skin, jet black hair and warm, brown eyes, and even though she wore jeans and a thick sweater, Reika could tell she was fit.
Bo walked out of the bedroom wearing faded jeans and a long sleeved, button down shirt. His dark hair was slightly damp, and he had a jaw full of stub
ble that she imagined would abrade her skin just right when they kissed … when they touched … when he slid down her body and rubbed against her thighs.
Oh, shit.
Her whole body heated at the wicked thoughts she couldn’t seem to get a handle on, and she met Bo’s eyes as he came to her and reached for his jacket. She saw the lust that flared in his eyes as he drew in a slow breath. He was so close that she could have kissed him, she could have touched that stubble with her fingertips, but instead she took a big step backwards and forced herself to think about unsexy things like …
Drawing a blank on anything unsexy, she fisted her hands at her sides and clenched her teeth together. Bo seemed frozen in place for several seconds, and then he grabbed his jacket off the hook and held it out to her. “We’ll get you a coat when we go out, sweetheart. You can use mine for now.”
Before she could ask what he was going to wear, he moved a hooded sweatshirt from another hook and pulled another jacket from underneath. She slipped the too-big leather coat on and was surrounded immediately by the delicious scent of him. It was going to be a long night.
Shyne offered the passenger seat to Bo so she could join Reika in the second row, and Bo accepted. Michael and Bo talked about a car Bo was restoring, and Shyne discussed a movie she and Michael had seen the previous weekend. Reika liked Shyne and found her witty humor and easy smile infectious. By the time Michael parked in front of a store called Mona’s, she’d let go of all her worries concerning the lynxes and decided to just enjoy herself.
“Alright, we’ll be here when you’re done,” Michael said as he turned and winked at them.
“No way, baby, you’re not getting off that easy.” Shyne laughed. “Get your cute ass out of the car and hold my purse when I go try things on.”
Michael made a face at her, but Reika could see the affection flashing in his eyes. “Thanks for complimenting my ass, love, but no.”
Shyne leaned forward slightly and brushed her fingers across his cheek. “You remember the sexy little black number I bought for Christmas as a surprise?”
Michael’s brows rose, and he grinned. “Oh, yeah.”
Shyne sat back with a wicked, triumphant smirk and said, “If you ever want to see it again, you’ll move. Now.”
Michael stared at her in shock, and then barked out a laugh. “Got me there. Alright, alright.”
Michael got out of the truck and jogged around to Shyne’s side so he could open her door. Bo got out and walked around the front of the SUV towards Reika. Shyne winked at Reika and chuckled. “Men.”
Bo opened Reika’s door and held his hand out to her. “They’re funny,” she said to him, as she squeezed his hand tighter so she didn’t slip on the still icy parking lot.
“I’m glad you think so. Michael’s the smartass of the group, in case you didn’t realize.”
“I picked up on it.”
Mona’s was a boutique store owned by a rogue wolf — Mona herself — who greeted them when they walked in the front door as if they were old friends. After a quick up-and-down look, the older woman took Shyne and Reika by the hands and pulled them into the clothes racks, calling over her shoulder for Bo and Michael to have a seat.
An hour later, Bo was paying for several pairs of jeans, sweaters, underclothes, a winter jacket, and two pairs of shoes. Michael was cuddling Shyne as she sat on his lap and thanked him for buying her a new sweater.
“I’ll pay you back, Bo, I promise,” Reika said as Mona handed her two bags with her clothes inside.
Bo took the bags from her hands and gathered them both in one hand. He placed his hand on her elbow and ushered her towards the door. “I didn’t ask you to, Reika. I promised I would take care of you, and part of that is making sure you don’t freeze to death with no clothes or starve to death without food.”
Michael opened the back of the SUV, and they stowed the bags. As Bo held open her door for her, she looked up at him and said, “My protests aren’t making a difference, are they?”
He smiled. “Not really.”
“I’m not going to stop protesting.”
“I’m not going to start listening,” he countered.
She chuckled and lifted onto her toes and kissed him once, softly, before climbing into the SUV. “Thank you.”
He nodded and shut the door.
They ate at one of those fifties-style burger places, and Michael and Shyne kept the conversation light and funny, talking about the pack and the small town of Allen.
When they said goodbye to Michael and Shyne once they were back at Bo’s house, Bo shut the door and locked it. He hung their jackets.
“You asked them to go with us so that we could go in Michael’s SUV and have less chance of the lynxes finding us while we were out?” She looked up at him.
He nodded. “That’s one reason, and also that I knew you’d like Shyne, and Michael is one of my closest friends. Did you have fun?”
“I did. It was nice to not really think about anything serious for a change.”
“Then my mission was a success.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.
She took in a slow breath and the scent of him, dark and spicy, a combination of his cologne and the wolf underneath, washed over her. Her mate.
It would have been so easy to fall into his arms and tell him how to break the blood-debt, ask him to fight for her because they were mates and she wanted him, but she fought against the urge. With another whispered thanks, she took her new things into the bedroom and put them away. After cleaning up, she changed into one of his T-shirts and settled into bed.
It was cold and empty, and after awhile, she did what she had done the night before and walked into the family room and cuddled against him. It was the second best night’s sleep she’d ever had.
* * * * *
“So it’s pretty simple,” Susan, human mate of a werewolf and the woman who ran the community center, said as Reika sat in a chair behind a metal desk. “Enter in the information for the flyer, make it look pretty, and then print out fifty copies. Then when you’re done with that, you can print out address labels, and we’ll run them around to the houses after lunch. Sound good?”
Reika had worked in the Dean’s office of the community college she went to for her office management degree. She hadn’t really expected to go to college, but her parents wanted to give her every opportunity to meet other wolves. So she was very familiar with the tasks she’d been given, and it would be no trouble at all.
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Good.” Susan squeezed her shoulder. “You’re a lifesaver. I’ve got so much to do. Hey, maybe if you finish up early, you can start working on the monthly newsletter.”
“Sure, Susan, whatever you need. I’m here as long as Shyne is.”
Susan clapped her hands happily and then set to work at her own desk across the room. Reika heard upbeat music suddenly and knew that Shyne had started her exercise class. The retirement development was for wolves who were part of the Tressel Pack but didn’t want to participate in the rankings, had stepped down from their rankings due to injury or age, or were the human mates of wolves who had died. The development had several dozen homes, the community center, and 24-hour security in the form of a revolving tour of pack members.
Shyne had picked her up promptly at nine, and Reika had noticed a car pull away from the curb in front of Bo’s home and follow them. When she asked, Shyne said that it was a wolf from the retirement development who Michael and Bo asked to follow the two women during the day to make sure they weren’t followed and to keep an eye out for trouble.
The day passed quickly. Shyne appeared at lunchtime and told her they were going to lunch with one of the she-wolves from her class, and Reika spent an hour in a homey kitchen enjoying the most delicious chicken and dumplings she’d ever had. After lunch, Reika and Susan walked around the development and handed out flyers, and then Reika worked on the monthly newsletter until Shyne finished for the day.
Susan hugged Reika tightly. “I could use you here, Reika. Part-time, a few days a week?”
Reika felt the blood drain from her face. “Susan, I—” She didn’t know what to say.
Susan glanced at Shyne, who subtly shook her head. Susan smiled breezily and said, “Just think about it. Take your time and let me know. Thank you so much for your help today, Reika.”
Reika smiled tightly and said goodbye, leaving with Shyne.
When she pulled in front of Bo’s home, Shyne put her hand on Reika’s arm and stopped her from opening the car door. “It wouldn’t be so bad to live here, would it? Bo’s pretty awesome. Michael speaks so highly of him and how much he suffered with his injury and everything. And the pack is so cool. I’m not even a wolf, and they treat me like I’ve lived here my whole life. Of course, that might be because Michael would kick ass if someone didn’t treat me right, but I’d like to think it’s because I’m so charming and sweet.”
Reika chuckled at Shyne’s attempt at humor. “You are sweet, Shyne. My life is really complicated.”
“Life is complicated. I lost my parents before I learned how to read, and then the woman who took me in died when I was twelve, and I spent six years in a group foster home before I had to leave at eighteen. I know all about how complicated and difficult life can be. Granted, I wasn’t arranged to be married when I was in elementary school, but I do know how valuable a good man is, and how rare real love is. You’re scared, I get that. But don’t give up on finding real love because of fear. Just my two cents.”
Reika opened her mouth to tell Shyne that she really didn’t know what she was talking about. It wasn’t that Reika was afraid to love Bo because a part of her was already half in love with him anyway. She was afraid to give into that love because he was the kind of guy who would go off to fight for her and might die. And she was definitely afraid of that. Instead, though, because she didn’t want to hurt Shyne’s feelings and she genuinely liked her, Reika patted Shyne’s hand and said, “I appreciate you spending time with me today, Shyne, and I’ll consider all you said.”
The Wolf's Mate Book 5: Bo & Reika Page 6