by Carol Davis
Peter lifted his chin and took a deep breath. What he picked up from it made him smile and give Luca a very knowing nod. “We suffered the fever too,” he confessed. “My brother was sick for several weeks. But we learned to adapt. There’s a strong community here. You’ll find everyone to be very loyal and strong. There’s not a problem you can present to us that we can’t help you solve.”
Murmurs of agreement echoed around the room. No one even seemed to think that that point was worth a “maybe” rather than solid confirmation. Luca thought Malachi might have something to add—that scar certainly suggested that he’d been through a terrible trauma—but all he did was nod.
“I miss my family,” Luca said after the nodding and murmuring had died down.
Judith leaned forward in her chair and braced her hands on her knees. “My daughter has gone to Louisiana,” she said, as if that was completely beyond the realm of imagination. “She’s learning to be a healer, and she wanted to know about the old remedies they use down there. It’s been eight months. You would think she’d know everything there is to know by now.”
“The old ones, Judith,” Peter reminded her. “Their knowledge goes back hundreds of years. That’s a lot of information.”
No one said anything, but a bit of knowledge seemed to float around the room.
“What?” Luca asked.
“Judith has a phone,” Alexander said with a chuckle. “We all do. Don’t let her pull you into her tale of woe. She talks to Bethany at least three times a week.”
“It’s not the same,” Judith complained.
Then it was Malachi’s turn to sniff the air in Luca’s direction. He did it so elaborately, with a great deal of twitching of his nose, that the others fell silent again and waited for him to speak. Judging by their expressions, they thought Malachi would share something helpful, something encouraging.
Instead, he asked quietly, “Are you of Reuben’s line?”
Reuben? Luca had to think carefully. Recalling who that might be made him shudder a little. “He was my great-grandfather’s brother. A shame in our family. He was sent away long before my father was born. He broke a promise to one of the elders. I don’t know exactly what it was.”
“He was my great-grandsire,” Malachi said. “A good wolf. Loving and strong.”
Luca opened his mouth to respond, but Malachi gestured him back into silence. The older wolf’s expression was so stern that Luca didn’t dare argue with him.
“Are you sure of your bond?” Malachi asked in a tone as commanding as anything Luca had ever heard from the elders on the island—even from the alpha. “With Allison? You’ll dilute the blood of the pack. You must be sure.”
“I’m sure,” Luca said.
“I hear doubt in your voice.”
Luca took a deep breath. “I did have doubts. I was unsure about leaving my home and my family. I was unsure what kind of life I could have—if I could provide for my mate and my children in a place that’s unfamiliar to me. Here, where there are so many humans.”
“You thought you were alone,” Henry said.
“I did,” Luca agreed. “It was a very frightening prospect. On the island, we work together.”
“We do here as well.”
Was this all of them? Luca wondered. Just these few? It seemed unlikely that such a small group could provide everything that he would need, no matter how generous and kind they were. The pack on the island was nearly sixty strong, and even that seemed like a small number sometimes—particularly compared to billions of humans, something he tried to avoid thinking about.
His apprehension must have been clear on his face, because Henry got up from his chair and guided Luca over to a window.
“Russell has told us what he said to you,” Henry said, gesturing toward that enormous expanse of mountains. “Perhaps you’ve forgotten, since you were burning with fever.”
“I—” Luca began.
Henry lifted a hand, with his first two fingers pressed together. “There are many hundreds of us nearby, young Luca,” he said softly. “These mountains are home to more wolves than you’ve seen in your lifetime. Across this land, there are thousands. Some live among the humans. Others live in seclusion. You will have as much privacy as you seek, but you will never for a moment be alone.”
He gave Luca a minute to think that over, then grasped the back of Luca’s neck in his hand.
“When you’re ready,” he said, “we’ll make you one of us.”
Then he returned to his seat and picked up one of the fragrant muffins Helene had set out for the group to enjoy.
“We are one,” Peter said in a rumble that came from deep in his chest.
“We are one,” the others agreed in unison.
Twenty-Two
“Good to see you back, Al.”
She looked up and smiled at Roseanne, who was standing in Allison’s office doorway with a hand curled around the doorframe. As always, Ro looked as relaxed as if she were in the middle of a Caribbean vacation. Her face was curved into a slight, wistful smile; people who didn’t know her well often thought she was spacey, or that she wasn’t paying attention, but Ro never missed a trick.
“Thanks,” Allison said. “Lots to catch up on.”
“After you get settled, let’s sit down for a few minutes and go over some stuff. There’s something coming up on the horizon that I think you’re gonna like.”
“Really?”
“They’re saying Dan should get it, but it’s got your name written all over it.”
That was all Ro would say. Allison watched her walk away, strolling casually through the office, around the secretaries’ cubicles, until she disappeared around a corner.
Something new.
Ye gods. All of a sudden, her life was nothing but new things.
She thought about closing her office door to give herself some privacy until she’d finished wading through her In box (both email and snail mail, and the huge pile of interoffice paperwork), but the low hum of life in the office was so blissfully familiar that she couldn’t bring herself to shut it out. It was just what she needed right now: a sort of musical backdrop while she reoriented herself and made some plans for the rest of the week.
And the rest of her life.
One by one, about half the staff came by to say “welcome back” and bring her up to speed on the latest news and gossip. Tosh from office services brought her a donut and a stack of files, along with a copy of the latest PRVistas magazine. This issue had a woman on the cover, one not much older than Allison. Rising Star! the caption said.
“You’ll be on that cover one day.”
Ron Daystrom, one of her bosses, was standing in the doorway. As usual, he’d shucked his suit jacket, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up most of the way to his elbows. He looked a little rumpled and dusty, as if he’d been hauling old boxes around—but she knew all he’d been moving were sheets of paper.
“Good trip?” he asked.
“Busy.”
He leaned in and peered at her a little. He’d done the same thing at her interview, she remembered: looking into her, it seemed like, as if he had x-ray vision. Or, she realized now, as if he were a wolf—although he wasn’t.
It was best to confess to him, she decided. He’d find out about Luca sooner or later. “I… ran into an old flame,” she said.
“Ahhh.” He grinned.
“He… came back with me.”
“Sounds serious.”
“I think it is.”
“Which, from you, means that you know it is.” Ron smiled warmly and chuckled a little. “Honestly, Al, that’s a good thing. We all work our nuts off, but bottom line… it’s only worth it if you can go home at night to somebody who cares. Somebody you’re working hard for.” He stepped into the office and straightened a framed photo of the Rockies that was hanging a little crooked. “I was glad when you asked for the time off. And I’m even more glad you hooked that fish.”
He winked at her,
then went back to fussing with the picture, which seemed completely unwilling to hang straight.
She was surrounded with good people, she reminded herself. At work, at home… all of them interested in her welfare. Even Julie, who’d sent a series of texts saying she’d call and they could have some extensive girl talk after her honeymoon was over. She seemed determined to forget everything bad that had happened during the week of her wedding. That was sensible, Allison thought—starting her marriage off on the best possible footing. She’d suspected that that might include ending their friendship, but Julie had never been one to hold a grudge.
Even when her wedding reception had ended with three people being arrested for assault.
“Ronnie?” she said after a minute.
He raised an eyebrow and stepped away from the picture, ready to listen.
“You’ve been married a long time.”
He nodded in acknowledgment. “Nineteen years in November. Of course, we got married when I was six.”
Allison grinned, then asked, “Does it ever happen—are there times when you’re in the middle of doing something, and all of a sudden it comes into your head that you love Fay so much that it takes your breath away?”
Ron looked past her out the window for a moment. She could tell he was thinking about his wife—who was genuinely one of the sweetest people Allison knew, a terrific wife and mom, and the manager of a successful flower shop—and letting the warmth of his love for her wash through him.
“Yeah,” he said finally. “Couple times, I thought I was having a stroke.”
Allison burst out laughing at that, and Ron joined in. That was his sense of humor; if things got a little too mushy, he’d deflect them with a joke. It wouldn’t do, after all, for the boss to get teary-eyed in the middle of the day.
“Have a drink with us sometime soon,” he offered. “After you get your bearings. You and Mr. Old Flame, me and Fay.”
“We’ll do that.”
No, she thought after Ron had walked back to his office—there was no way she could have given all of this up to go and live on Luca’s island, no matter how beautiful it might be. No matter how much she loved him.
In spite of all the doubts she’d had during the week of Julie’s wedding, she knew now that she and Luca belonged together—and it seemed like nothing less than a miracle that he’d been willing to come here with her, to a place he’d been genuinely frightened of. He’d given up everything that was important to him to come to Colorado, and no doubt that would impact him for the rest of his life.
But he’d seemed all right this morning. Interested in exploring the area. Getting to know Helene and Russell.
They’d be all right, she hoped with all her heart.
Both of them.
Twenty-Three
Allison arrived home just as the sun was beginning to dip behind the trees. Luca watched her car make its way up the long driveway, and got out of his chair as she parked in front of the house.
Her car, he’d been pleased to discover, was larger than the rented one, which Russell had helped her deliver to the rental agency’s office at the airport the day before. He thought he might even enjoy riding around in her SUV, provided they didn’t need to go very far on a busy highway.
For now, he was glad to see her climb out of the car with a broad smile on her face. She had some things with her, he noticed: a tote bag stuffed full of papers and books, and a pink cardboard box he thought might have come from a bakery. When she reached him, she set everything down on the chair he’d been sitting on, then embraced him, looking for a kiss.
He was glad to oblige.
When she drew back, her face was flushed a little. That made the wolf come to attention, eager for them to go on inside, to the bedroom.
Wait, Luca told the animal.
“Did you have a good day?” she asked. “Did Helene and Russell—”
“They brought some people to meet me.” He listed the names for her, and she nodded at each one. “I like them all,” he said. “They seem… good. Strong. They told me some of the history of their pack.”
“They are good people,” Allison told him. “They’ve helped me out with all kinds of things.”
She leaned back a little, looking up into his face. She was giving him time, he understood: allowing him to speak without being rushed. He did feel a little rushed, though, because the sweet aroma drifting out of that pink box told him that she’d brought him a treat, something to enjoy after dinner. Or before dinner, if his sweet tooth got the best of him.
“I think…” he said slowly, then cut himself off for a moment. “I think there’s a place for me in this pack.”
“Really?”
He nodded, then tugged her in close again and burrowed his nose into her hair. She hadn’t been gone all that long, but having her with him again was a balm to his soul. He’d needed this all day: her scent, the feel of her in his arms.
“I wasn’t sure,” he told her quietly. “When we were there at the hotel. I started to doubt the gods. I didn’t feel what my brother told me he feels—he said he’s certain that Abby was meant for him. That he never doubted it, not for a minute, in spite of what happened to them. I had doubts. But I think—”
He stopped again, looking past Allison at the mountains, where the colors of the trees and the sky were changing as the sun went down.
“It was too much,” he said. “There, among all those humans. There were no wolves nearby. I felt as if I couldn’t think clearly. I think… I think the bond was there all the time, but there was too much noise. Helene says I couldn’t hear the sound of my heart beating.”
Allison grinned at that. “She’s pretty smart.”
“Do you—”
She cupped his cheek in her hand and stretched up on tiptoe for another kiss. “Yes. I felt the same way. I feel the same way.”
“Humans… try, Allison. You try something out to see if you like it. Clothing. A home. A car. A relationship. Wolves aren’t like that. We do explore relationships, when we’re very young. But if there’s a bond—”
“It’s forever. I know.”
She turned so she could see what he was looking at, and they stood side by side for a minute, watching the changing colors of the mountains, each with an arm looped around the other one’s waist.
Tonight, Luca promised himself, they would come outdoors when the sky was fully dark, and Allison could show him the stars she had spoken about. He had seen the stars, of course—had spent many a night admiring them from his favorite spots on the island—but he was sure that here, with her, they would look completely different.
“Russell has offered to help me send messages to my family,” he said after a while. “When I’m ready.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“I want to tell them that I’m safe. That you and I are together.”
She nodded. “I’ll tell my family the same thing. They’ll probably show up at some point.”
“I would like to meet them. Finally.”
“I’d like to meet your family too.”
Luca pulled in a deep breath. “For now—our family will be here, in the mountains. Helene and Russell and the others. I need to make a home here, so the wolf will be comfortable. It’s yearning for the island as much as I am. Once it’s made its place here, I may be able to go home for a short while.”
“They’re good people, Luca. I think a lot of them came here from somewhere else. It’s easy to settle in here, you know. To think of this as home. It didn’t take me very long at all, and I started out thinking I’d never be able to bear being so far away from my family.” She nestled against him, holding him a little tighter. “We’ll make our own family. And look how far you can roam out here. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried. The island is only a few miles long.”
After another couple of minutes she tugged at him, urging him toward the house. She picked up the tote bag and the box on their way p
ast the chair, and he held the door open so she could enter. Then she put everything aside quickly and he carried her into the bedroom.
So good, he thought as he explored the soft, warm parts of her that he loved the best.
So right.
She’d told him the truth about this place. He could see that already—how close to the heart of the world it was. And this new pack had embraced him quickly, without reservation. Maybe their history had made them willing to do that, to reach out to a stranger and welcome him as one of them. As much as he loved the wolves of his own pack, their isolation had made them suspicious of strangers and all to quick to reject anyone who seemed different.
Humans in particular. They’d done their best to drive Abby away, even though Aaron had said she was his mate, that he had no doubt whatsoever that the bond between them was true.
These wolves, in this new place, had accepted Allison, and Luca himself, without question.
As the day’s light faded away, he explored her slowly and tenderly, kissing, licking, stroking her soft skin with the tips of his fingers. What he had told her was true too: now that the wolf was at ease, he had no doubt that the bond was there. That she was, now and forever, the one the gods had intended for him to find.
When their lovemaking was finished—for now—they would have some dinner. Then they’d go outdoors and look at the stars. Perhaps they would couple again before they went to sleep.
Tomorrow…
She had to return to work, he supposed. But that was all right. She’d come home to him at the end of the day. And he would find work of his own after a week or two; two members of the pack had told him about jobs he could do. Repairing things. Tending animals. Helping with crops.
That would occupy a lot of tomorrows.
She was making a soft sound deep in her throat, a purr of contentment. Back in the city, their lovemaking had been intense; it had felt rushed more often than not, as if they needed to complete it and then move on to the next thing—even if that was more sex. They’d been playful, but hurried.