by Bonnie Vanak
After she dried her hair and dressed, she went outside to her private balcony, sitting at the black wrought iron bistro table. Nia sipped the coffee Aiden had poured for her, and listened to the bird song in the trees on the hillside below her cottage. She adored this time of day, when the world awoke, and the ranch came to life.
It was the only safe time during the day she and Nikita had to share together. The only time they dared to be together during the day, before the rest of the pack stirred.
But with Aiden sharing her bed, she didn’t dare bring her sister here. Nia stared at the mountains, the sweep of dew-soaked pasture, and wished she, not Nikita, had been first-born. Her sister had suffered too many years in hiding, with too few precious reprieves of enjoying life.
A life hidden away. What kind of life was that? Never to find a mate, mother children? Always hidden in darkness?
She turned her cup around slowly, staring into the liquid as if trying to divine the future.
A noise below. Her stomach clenched. Gods, no, could she…
Nia peered over the balcony. Her twin climbed the steps leading to the private suite and then sat at the table with a defiant look.
“Got coffee?” Niki asked.
She whipped her head around, listening. Only birdsong, the distant whinny of horses and the murmurs of the two trusted ranch hands who fed them. Dear goddess, Aiden was only a few feet away.
“Sweetie, Aiden’s in the kitchen. You can’t risk it!”
“I’m lonely. So lonely.” Nikita bit her lower lip. “I miss you and wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Guilt pinched her. Before, they’d traded places: a few days of Nia taking the basement suite, a few days of Nikita pretending to be her. But with Aiden here, Nikita was forced to hide away.
She slid her hand across the table to grasp her twin’s. “I miss you, too.”
Nikita studied her with an astute look. “Are you happy now that you are mated to him, Nia? You look different. I want you to be happy.”
Happy? Satisfied, yes. But she’d never be truly happy until the curse was lifted from their people. And it would take a tremendous act of sacrifice on her twin’s part to accomplish that.
“Aiden’s been good to me.” True enough.
Nikita tilted her head, a gesture Nia had learned to mimic. “What’s it like?”
Nia smiled, knowing the question beneath the question. “It’s wonderful. A little frightening at first, because Aiden is so intense…powerful…”
“Big,” her twin finished.
They laughed. Nia leaned forward, tracing the rim of the coffee cup with her finger. “It’s everything I expected, and more. Beneath the open sky and the cool air, it was like being bathed in starlight.”
She talked about the experience for a few moments, delicately omitting details, focusing on the thrill of changing into her wolf and running through the woods.
Torment swirled in her twin’s blue eyes. “I should summon the Silver Wizard and present myself to him, and that would break the curse.”
All of Nia’s relaxed enjoyment vanished.
“No!” Panic clogged her throat. “You’ll die. You can’t be with him. He’ll take you to the afterworld and I’ll never see you again. You know you can’t go there and return to earth. You’ll die!”
Tristan would take her beloved twin away, and she’d vanish like the mist rising over the mountains.
“There has to be another way,” she told her sister.
Nikita looked at her with eyes that had seen too much. Wise, sad eyes, much like her own. “There is no other way. Unless you want Aiden to die. And he will die if he remains here, Nia.”
“I’ll return with him to his ranch. I just need a little more time to talk him into it. The disease won’t touch him there.”
“And he’d never leave here, not until he feels this ranch is safe and operational again.” Nikita gave a rueful smile. “The pride and honor of a real alpha male. Never leave a job half finished, or your mate’s home and pack in jeopardy.”
Her nostrils twitched. “I’d better get back to my place before your mate comes out here and thinks he’s seeing double.”
Her twin stood and dropped a kiss on her head. “Congratulations, little sister. I’m happy for you.”
Nikita leapt over the railing and Nia watched her land on her feet. She waved and went into her room just as the door to Nia’s bedroom opened.
Aiden walked onto the porch, carrying a tray filled with two plates and more coffee. “Who were you talking to?”
“No one. Just myself.” She sipped her coffee, relief spilling through her as she heard the downstairs door quietly shut. “It’s the best conversation I can have.”
“You were quiet this morning. Everything okay, Nikita?”
She set down her cup, trying to hide her shaking hands. “Don’t call me that. Please. Call me Pixie. Or Blakemore.”
Aiden raised his dark brows. “All right. But answer my question.”
She thought of her twin safely tucked downstairs in her luxurious prison and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Everything’s fine.”
He sat on the chair Niki had just left. Nia held her breath, hoping he would not notice her sister’s scent, or the fact the chair was warm. She was starving, and her stomach grumbled, but until she sensed that Aiden didn’t suspect anything, she could not eat nor relax.
Aiden blinked a moment, then set about slathering his toast with butter. Nothing wrong. Everything was okay. Nia dug into her eggs with a happy sigh.
“I’m so hungry.” She ate a forkful of eggs.
“You hardly ate anything last night at our mating dinner, except for the liver. And sex makes you burn calories.” Aiden winked at her.
“You’re just saying that because you want a good excuse for another workout,” she teased.
“I don’t need an excuse, not with you. I wanted to serve you breakfast in bed, but if I did that, there’d be no breakfast for me. I’d be too busy nibbling on all your delicious parts.”
A flush lit her face. She took a bite of sausage and then pointed to it. “This is good. But I bet you can whip up something that tastes equally delicious.”
He grinned, poured honey over his toast and licked it off with his tongue. Her entire body clenched with need.
Aiden ran his tongue around his lips. “I know something else I can do with honey.”
Oh wow, there was a promise in his seductive smile, in the way his dark gaze twinkled.
“So do I.” Her gaze dropped to his lap. “I think I’ll try it out later when I’m hungry for…an Aiden sausage.”
He grinned and she grinned back.
This was what she’d always dreamed her mating would be like; a close intimacy between two Lupines who vowed to remain together forever, sharing their lives, dreams, and secrets.
Secrets. She had quite a few big ones. Nia set down her fork. She should tell Aiden what was going on.
The memory filled her mind, clear as water. Her father, lying on his deathbed, a rare moment of clarity when the horrible seizures and convulsions hadn’t affected him. His blue eyes, dulled with pain, but still sharp with intelligence. His withered hand reaching for hers, the fingers gnarled and claw-like, while her twin stood outside the bedroom, weeping.
He’d wanted to talk to her alone.
Promise me, pumpkin. Promise me you’ll never betray our people to outsiders and tell them of this damn disease. Promise me you’ll do everything to protect your sister from being carried away by the Silver Wizard, and keep her hidden from everyone. It’s a lot I’m putting on your shoulders, but you’re the strong one and I’m counting on you to hold it together.
Nia blinked away the memory. For five years, she’d faithfully held to her father’s promise. She could not break it now, not even for her mate.
She watched Aiden eat his breakfast. For such a big male, he had impeccable manners. A lump formed in her throat. Her father had been like that, setting t
he example.
Promise me you’ll never betray our people to outsiders…
Deathbed promises were sacred. If she broke her oath, she violated everything that had ruled her life since her father and brothers had died.
Aiden and his men seemed safe—for now. The disease only struck males who had contact with the land for at least two weeks. But it was best to get the males off her ranch, away from danger. After seeing one of Richard’s men with symptoms of the parvolupus, she couldn’t be certain the disease hadn’t mutated and shortened the incubation period.
“What are our plans for today?” she asked.
He sipped his coffee, his dark gaze holding hers. “First I’ll tour the grounds, get an idea of how much work your ranch requires in repairs so I can give orders to my men on what to fix first. After that, I’ll hold a formal meeting with your people to let them know my expectations, and what they can expect of me.”
Acid churned in her stomach, ruining the delicious taste of the eggs. “Must they remain here?”
He gave her a curious look. “Of course.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to send them back to your ranch? I expect I’ll be living there, with all the females your males want to mate with.”
Aiden’s gaze did not waver. “Not when your ranch looks like shit. I want my men, hell, our men now, to start pitching in with repairs. You have them at your disposal.”
“This ranch is falling apart. I’d rather just go to your place.”
Please believe me. I can’t risk you getting ill.
“After all you’ve done to keep your home together, you want to abandon it?” Aiden shook his head. “No. We’re staying here.”
She slammed down her cup, making the china rattle. “Damn it Mitchell, don’t I get a say in this? It’s my property. And what gives you the right to dictate this?”
“The ranch isn’t yours until I deed it back to you, which I will do when it’s properly fixed.” He ate a piece of bacon, his face brooding. “You’re used to doing everything your way, and that’s going to end now.”
“And do everything your way? I don’t think so.”
“Eat your breakfast. We’ll talk as we tour your ranch.” His mouth thinned. “And maybe then you’ll level with me and tell me what happened to all the men. Not even a damn cowhand working your stock. Or any stock to speak of. Why did you sell it all?”
Nia pushed back her plate. “I’m not hungry.”
He set down his fork, his body rigid. “You will eat. You’re my mate now, and I’m going to care for you. You’re lacking in protein. Eat.”
“Fuck you, Mitchell.”
“You already did that last night and in the shower, Blakemore.” Unsmiling, he regarded her. “There are some things I’ll learn to compromise on, but your health and welfare aren’t among them. Eat.”
Sullen, she picked up her fork and began to eat. When they finished their breakfast, Aiden cleared the table.
Then they walked outside the cottage. On her front porch, Darius, Kyle, Dale, Jackson, Garth, J.J., and Raphael lounged on the steps and in the faded, rusting furniture. They stood upon seeing them, nodded in respect.
Dismay filled her. “What are you doing here?” she asked them.
“We’re here to help assess repairs. Aiden asked us,” Raphael said.
“And run any intruders off the ranch so they’ll never return. I’m leading the team to track every inch of this land. I’m Aiden’s best hunter. If there’s a gnome lurking in your woods, I’ll find it.” Kyle cracked his knuckles.
More males exposed, in danger of catching the disease the longer they remained on her land. And these were mated males. Hadn’t she heard enough sobbing and wailing as the mates of the dying expressed their sorrow? She couldn’t bear to see it happen again.
Nia threw Kyle a cool look. “Anything with a nose can track down a gnome. Even Aiden could do it. They smell as bad as your feet, Kyle, only they don’t stink as much. I’ll stick with my females hunting them down.”
Maybe if she insulted them enough, they’d get the idea and leave.
Far from looking insulted, Kyle laughed. Dale punched his arm playfully. “You forget to shower again, wolf? Damn, I thought Arianna cured of you of that little problem.”
“Kyle’s feet smell like roses compared to yours, Dale,” Darius put in.
“Want to hold a contest? My feet are bigger and smell way worse,” said Jackson.
Nia stared, trembling inside. These males were determined to do as their alpha asked. They had a loyalty that ran as deep as her females had for her. She looked at J.J. and Raphael, and instead of seeing two strong alpha males whose friendship bonded them to Aiden, she saw their coffins, and their mates weeping over them.
She thought fast. The disease seemed to strike faster in unhealthy males. And it was concentrated in the areas frequented by the pack. Maybe she could buy time in sending them to the furthest borders of the ranch.
Nia glanced at Aiden, who folded his arms across his chest and looked cold and stiff. She’d hurt him with her words.
Better to hurt him with words than to watch him die…
“If you’re going to stick around, then go to the west and northern borders. Lots of territory. The gnomes have been sneaking in by using the mountain pass. I can’t cover that ground because it’s remote, rocky and dangerous to access on anything but foot and I have too damn much to do around here. There’s a dirt road leading from the lodge to the mountains you can use to access the pass, but you’ll need a four wheel drive.”
All of them looked at Aiden.
Aiden growled deep in his throat. “Do it.”
The males jumped off the porch and headed to their trucks. Aiden didn’t look at her. “Let’s go. We’ll start with the barns.”
Chapter 9
Five hours later, she and Aiden returned to her cottage. Exhausted, Nia sat out back on her balcony as Aiden showered. A cool breeze played with her hair, drying the sweat on her body.
Aiden was furious.
To his credit, he said little, but judging from the tension in his broad shoulders and the lines bracketing his firm mouth, he was pretty pissed she’d let things slide this long. When he’d seen the main barn, with its weathered exterior, withering floorboards, rusty farm equipment and leather harnesses going to rot, he’d turned away and muttered.
“You should have let me know. I’d have sent my men sooner.”
Sorry honey, I was too busy trying to hold things together and save my pack from dying. Didn’t have time to host a barn raising.
The shower shut off. Nia went back inside. Aiden left the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his lean waist, his black hair wet and curled at the edges. Water beaded in the hairs on his muscled chest.
She glanced away, not daring to want him all over again.
“You should have told me.” He sat on the bench near the window and scowled. “One day that damn stubborn pride of yours will get you in trouble, Blakemore.”
“Not as much as your pride will, Mitchell. Did you think you could bring your men in here and steamroll over my pack, acting as if you could save the day?”
“Someone had to save your pretty little ass because you were too damn proud to ask for help! Did you want to wait until everything was at the point of no return?”
“Why are you yelling at me? I did the best I could, considering I had nothing!”
“I’m yelling because I don’t want you to live like this anymore, damn it! I don’t like seeing you hungry and alone, and hurting!”
She stared, her stomach working into nervous knots. He cared. But that could turn disastrous. “Then don’t stay here. You got what you wanted, so go home.”
“Never without you,” he growled. “You’re mine. Where you go, I go.”
She stared up at him. “You won’t like where I’m going, Mitchell. Straight to hell.”
“Then I’ll join you.”
He backed her up against the bed and when she fell upon
it, he covered her.
Their lovemaking was fiery, filled with all the anger and the passion she felt.
Aiden’s cell phone rang. He rolled over and thumbed it on. “Report. We’re both here.”
He switched the phone to speaker and Darius’ worried voice came over the line.
“No signs of gnomes on the outer borders. But there’s some dead wildlife that we found, two deer, a few squirrels and about three rabbits. Looks like disease got to them.”
“Damn,” Aiden said softly. “Did you save any of the carcasses?”
“One of the rabbits. Bagged it with gloves and put it on ice when we got back to the lodge. We burned the corpses. If it’s some kind of wildlife virus, we don’t want it spreading.”
“What was the sex of the animals?” she asked.
Aiden threw her a puzzled look.
“Male, least the deer were. Didn’t examine the others too closely. All we saw was they had fur missing, placed by these weird black scales, like a fungus.”
Her heart slipped to her stomach. No wonder the gnomes had fled. They were too smart to stick around because the parvolupus had begun to mutate, affecting other life forms.
Could it get any worse?
“Thanks Dar. See you at dinner.”
Aiden shut off the phone.
She slipped out of bed, dressed and went outside. So many conflicting emotions and feelings. She didn’t want to have Aiden Mitchell in her life. She’d spent years running everything, thank you very much, and now he’d charged into her life and took over.
They butted heads like two fighting rams. And yet the lovemaking left her breathless and craving more.
And they faced a disease that could kill even a strong male like Mitchell. Nia closed her eyes, remembering the pain etching her father’s face as he gasped his last…
Promise me you’ll never betray our people to outsiders…
She needed clarity.
Aiden poked his head out the door. “Where are you going?” he asked as she descended the steps.