Martine, Missy - Denying His Wolfen Heritage [A Wolfen Heritage 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Denying His Wolfen Heritage

  Before Michael could say anything else, Peter came walking through the office door. Expecting a welcome-home greeting, Michael was surprised at the first words out of his mouth.

  “What the hell is going on with you, Michael? Why are you re-scheduling some of our biggest clients?”

  Incredulous, Michael turned to give Melissa an inquisitive look.

  “Don’t look at me, Michael. I didn’t tell him anything about your schedule.” She seemed insulted that he would think such a thing.

  “No, Michael, she didn’t tell me anything. I had lunch with Andrew Morrison last week, and he asked me what you were doing that required putting his factory plans back a month. Needless to say, I was shocked since I thought all our jobs were on schedule. You should’ve told me yourself and not let me get caught unaware in front of a client.”

  Michael narrowed his eyes and counted to ten in his head before he spoke to his partner and friend of many years. “Being a full partner in this business, and the fact that I’d only adjusted my own schedule, led me to believe I could wait and discuss it with you when I got back today. Perhaps you’d like to come into my office to discuss this in private, where we should’ve been discussing it all along.”

  Without another word, Michael turned and walked down the hall toward his office, not caring whether Peter followed him or not. This wasn’t the first time Peter had talked to him like he was an employee, but it was going to be the last if he had anything to say about it.

  Peter walked into Michael’s office, took one look at his face, and shut the door. “Okay, before you explode all over me, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything in front of Melissa. I don’t really have any excuse except that I was caught by surprise when I didn’t know about your plans, and it made me feel like a fool.” He set his briefcase down on the chair and ran his hand through his hair. “I just want this firm to grow Michael, and that means devoting yourself to it twenty-four-seven whether you like it or not. What on earth possessed you to take a month off?”

  “It’s not really a vacation, it’s a job. But, before you get excited, it’s a freebie, not a paying job.”

  “A freebie? Who the hell are you doing a freebie for?”

  “I’m designing a new home for Maddie and her husband. Their cabin burned down a few weeks ago, and this house is my wedding present to them.”

  “It’s going take a whole month to design one house?”

  “No, but I plan on staying on site while it’s being built so I can handle any problems that might come up. This is important to me and my family, and it’s not open for discussion, Peter.” It hadn’t escaped his notice that his friend had not even asked about the fire. He’d known his partner wasn’t a family man, but he never realized he was an asshole before today.

  Before Peter could answer, the door burst open, and a young woman came strolling in. At five feet ten inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, Cynthia Carlisle drew stares wherever she went. She looked more like a model than an associate architect. They’d hired her about eleven months ago to pick up some of their overload, and so far her work was exemplary. The customers loved having her fawn all over them. Unfortunately, she’d taken a liking to Michael, and she didn’t bother to hide her attraction.

  “Michael, I wanted to be the first to welcome you back.”

  Cynthia gave Michael what he thought was her idea of a sultry glance, and then looked startled when she saw Peter standing on the other side of the room.

  “Oh, Mr. Caulder, I didn’t see you there. Melissa told me that Mr. Barrows was back this morning. I just wanted to know how the Atlanta project turned out. I can always come back later, maybe around lunch time?”

  Michael frowned at the invitation he heard in her voice. “Sorry, Cynthia, I’m not going be here at lunchtime. I’m leaving this morning for an extended vacation. Please check with Melissa for your schedule during the coming month. A lot of things have been postponed, or cancelled altogether. Make sure you get with her this morning and update your calendar.”

  Cynthia opened her mouth as if to say something, only to be interrupted by Peter.

  “That’s all for now, Ms. Carlisle. If you have any questions about the new assignments, make time to see me later.”

  The dismissal in Peter’s tone sent Cynthia scrambling back out the door. The solid bang of the door as it closed was proof she was not a happy camper.

  “You’d better be watching her carefully, Michael. That woman has definite plans for you, and I don’t mean as a lunch partner. She means to have you for lunch my friend, and something tells me that a wedding ring is involved in the future she’s got planned.”

  “She can plan all she wants, but it’s never gonna happen. I’ll fire her if she doesn’t back off.”

  “Now, Michael, let’s not do anything rash without discussing it first. She may be a personal barracuda, but she is good for business. Now let’s change the subject. Before you get too busy with your last minute details, let me tell you my good news.”

  Michael sat down at his desk and smiled at his partner. “By all means, Peter, give me some good news.”

  “This weekend I popped the question to Veronica, and she graciously agreed to become my wife.”

  Seeing the happy look on Peter’s face, Michael got up from his chair, and walked around the desk to grab his friend and partner up in a bear hug. “Congratulations, man, I hope the two of you’ll be very happy and have many, many years together.”

  Peter hugged Michael back, then pulled away to gaze into his eyes. “Thanks, Michael, it means a lot to me for you to give us your good wishes. When are we going to be able to do the same for you? I know you always said you had to stay single to take care of Maddie, but guess what, my friend, Maddie grew up, she got better, and now she has a husband to look after her. Don’t you think it’s time to forgive yourself and start working on your own life?”

  Peter was one of the few people who knew of Michael’s guilt regarding Maddie. At age nine, Maddie had been injured badly in a boating accident. The incident had changed her forever, keeping her hospitalized for most of her life. She’d been in a coma for a while, and when she woke, found herself to be telekinetic of all things. Unfortunately, she’d had no control over her gift and had to be confined to keep her from hurting herself or other people. After a court order released her from the clinic, Maddie had gone to live in their grandfather’s mountain cabin. She had amazingly found love and gotten married, actions that Michael had been dead set against. He’d shouldered the guilt for her accident since the day she was injured. He’d been driving the boat at the time.

  “That’s definitely a discussion for another time, Peter. I’m in a bit of a hurry this morning. You need to run along now so I can make a few phone calls and let some more people know that I’ll be away for a few weeks. Melissa has Maddie’s phone number if anything comes up that you can’t handle.”

  “All right, I can take a hint and leave when I’m not wanted.” He grinned at Michael. “One more thing, though. Veronica’s planning a big engagement party, as well as a huge wedding. I don’t have the actual date yet, but the party will be in the next few weeks. I hope you’ll make a special effort to be back here for it. I’m also hoping you’ll consider being my best man when the time comes.”

  Michael reached to shake his friend’s hand. “I’d be honored to be your best man, and I’ll make every effort I can to be back here for your engagement party. Just let me know when you get the actual date.”

  “No problem. Just check in with us from time to time, and let us know things are going okay.” With that, Peter gave him a mock salute, turned, and walked out the door.

  Sighing, Michael sat back down at his desk and stared at the only picture displayed in his office. Picking it up, he thought back to the day it had been taken. He and Maddie had been visiting their grandfather. Michael never really liked going to Wyoming to see him. He loved his grandfather, but he didn’t really like the great outdoors. He’d alwa
ys felt uncomfortable there, always nervous of the wild animals and strange forest noises. Maddie dearly loved it, though. She’d thrived when they were there, almost as if she knew someday she would be living there with her own husband.

  She’d inherited their grandfather’s cabin when he died. She and Remus had lived there after they married, right up until it burned several weeks ago. Their grandfather had taken this picture of the two of them that weekend, the last picture taken of Maddie before her accident. Not wanting to dwell on the past, Michael put down the picture and picked up the phone. Quickly dialing the new number from memory, he waited patiently for Maddie to answer her phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Maddie, my girl, how are things in Wyoming?”

  “Michael! It’s so good to hear your voice. Remus was just asking me when you were going to be here.”

  “Well, little sis, it just so happens I’ll be there Friday afternoon. I’m back in Texas, and I just have to clear the messages off my desk and I can head home to pack my bag. I’ve already managed to rearrange my schedule, so I have the next four weeks off if I need them.”

  “Four weeks? You’re planning on staying here for four weeks?”

  Michael could have almost sworn he heard panic in her voice. Why would she be alarmed at his sticking around for a month? “Is that okay?” he asked her cautiously. “Would you rather I didn’t stay so long? I just wanted to be available to make changes on the plans if the builders run into any problems. I sent you the final draft. I thought we could go over them with Remus on Saturday, and then you can give me any changes you want made.”

  Maddie answered him in a much calmer tone. “Oh, no, it’ll be great having you around. I’m looking forward to spending some time with you. Actually, I have some things I need to talk to you about. As for the plans, the only change I’m considering is the layout of the kitchen, but it’s something we can talk about when you’re here.”

  “Oh, yeah, I remember you said you wanted to tell me about Grandfather’s journal when I was there the last time.”

  “Yes, I definitely need to talk to you about Grandfather. What time do we need to pick you up at the airport?”

  “No need, little sis. Since I’m going to be around for a while, I decided to rent a jeep while I’m there. It’ll keep me independent and save wear and tear on you and Remus. Besides, I plan on doing some heavy sightseeing during my visit. I want to experience some of what you’ve always loved, the great outdoors!”

  Maddie snorted. “Careful what you wish for, Michael. You just might get more than you can handle. You’ll need to be careful about sightseeing on your own. The mountains here can be a very dangerous place for a city boy like you. That reminds me, Remus made arrangements for you to stay in the guest cabin owned by his company. You’ll like it there. It’s quite nice with all the extras, including a whirlpool tub, and it isn’t far from us.”

  Maddie punctuated her sentence with wicked laughter, warming Michael’s heart with the sound. It had been so long since he’d heard the sound of happiness in her voice. “Hey, just because you married Daniel Boone doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t play in the woods without getting hurt.”

  “Okay, Daniel Wannabe, what time do you think you’ll be here Friday?”

  Michael chuckled. “Sometime mid-afternoon for sure, maybe earlier. Don’t hold lunch for me, but definitely plan on a dinner guest. I have to run now, Maddie. The sooner I get my desk cleared, the faster I can get out of here. I’ll see you soon, little sis.”

  “Okay, Michael, we’ll see you on Friday. Travel safe.”

  * * * *

  Maddie hung up the phone with a frown on her face. She turned and collided head-on with Remus. She still couldn’t believe he was really her husband and, more importantly, her soul mate. He towered over her small frame, the top of her head barely reaching his broad, muscular shoulders. The dark brown hair that fell down his back beckoned her fingers to trail through the silken strands.

  Remus frowned and then put his arms around Maddie and pulled her close to his hard body. “What’s wrong, baby? You look upset.”

  She snuggled up to his warmth, loving the feel of his strong arms around her. “That was Michael on the phone. He’ll be here Friday afternoon.”

  “I would’ve thought that’d make you happy. You’ve wanted to spend some time with him ever since we mated.”

  Maddie scowled at her handsome mate. “That’s just it. I haven’t been able to tell him about Grandfather’s journal yet. He doesn’t know about us, Remus, or about our pack.”

  Remus ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “That’s okay, baby, you plan on talking to him as soon as he gets here, don’t you?”

  “Well, at least while he’s here. I thought it might be too much to hit him with it right off the plane.” She frowned. “Remus, explain to me again why he doesn’t remember the day Dr. Constantine kidnapped me.” Dr. Constantine had been in charge of the clinic Maddie’s family had placed her in after her accident. He’d deceived everyone, pretending to care about her well-being while he studied her Wolfen heritage. He’d tricked Michael into helping him kidnap Maddie after her mating. Remus and the other wolves had staged a rescue that left Constantine dead, and Remus wary of Michael.

  He sighed deeply before answering her. “I had the Elders put a suggestion in his head, one that convinced him he hadn’t seen what really happened. It’s only temporary, and his memory can come back. I figured it would do for a while, until you’re able to tell him the truth about his heritage. As for his staying with us for a while, that’s not a problem. We’ll just be careful while he’s here.”

  Nervously, Maddie lowered her eyes and stepped out of his embrace before she spoke again. “He plans on staying with us a month, Remus, a whole month!”

  Now it was Remus’s turn to frown. “Well, that could cause problems, especially if you don’t have that talk with him right away. Have you spoken to Ariane about his coming for a visit?”

  A feeling of guilt swept over Maddie, and she looked away. “No, I haven’t had the courage to tell her that he’s coming, and then have to tell her he doesn’t know about wolf shifters. She’s gonna think we’re one screwed up family.”

  “You can’t discount Ariane’s feeling that he’s her mate. It’s a very strong pull that you’re already aware of. She won’t be able to stay away from him for long. It’s genetic and his scent will draw her like bees to a flower. If Michael carries the wolf DNA it’ll affect him just as bad. They’ll both be filled with lust and feelings of love they can’t explain. It’ll be better if you go talk to her first and tell her the truth. Ask her to give you time to tell him about his family heritage.”

  Remus walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her. He cupped both of her breasts in his large hands and squeezed gently. Maddie’s breath caught when he began flicking back and forth across her nipples with his thumbs. She could hear the humor in his voice when he spoke. “I can make you forget your family troubles for a little while.” As he whispered, Remus lowered his head and sucked on the side of her neck, licking softly over his mating mark. It felt like that one spot was connected to every erotic zone on her body.

  Maddie whispered his name and began to sink into the passion he stirred. Remus was tightening his arms when she suddenly froze and tried to pull away. “Remus, wait, please, your brothers could come home at any minute. Let’s go to our bedroom.”

  “No, baby, I don’t want to wait. They won’t be home for hours. I want you now, Maddie, right now.”

  Remus slowly walked Maddie across the room and stopped beside the couch. Grasping her shoulders, he turned her around to face him. Before she could guess his intent, he grabbed the bottom of her top and whipped it up and over her head, leaving her upper body bare to his gaze.

  Squealing, Maddie raised her arms and covered her breasts, glaring at her mate. “Remus, sometimes they come home for lunch.”

  Grabbing both her arms, Remus pulled them awa
y from her chest and anchored them behind her back with one of his large hands. His other hand closed around one full breast as his mouth lowered to the pebbled nipple, closed around it, and began a strong suction. She groaned, and then felt him smile against her body as he tightened his hold on her waist when her legs buckled.

  Forgetting all about Remus’s brothers, Maddie lost herself in the feeling of his mouth against her sensitive skin. She didn’t notice at first when Remus lowered her to the soft cushions. Raising his head from her breast, he gazed at her with a loving expression while he quickly opened the button at her waist and lowered her zipper.

  Lost in a world of erotic sensations, Maddie felt Remus’s hands grab hold of her jeans. He yanked them down past her hips, taking her small, cotton panties with them, continuing until they were free of her body. Gasping, Maddie suddenly realized she was lying in the living room, stark naked. Struggling, she tried to sit up. “Remus, please, we can’t do this in here. Anybody can come through that door. I don’t even think it’s locked.”

  * * * *

  Remus looked down at his beautiful mate. He knew she was uncomfortable at the thought of anyone besides him seeing her without her clothes. She was beginning to struggle just a little to get up, but there was no way he was letting her get away now.

  Not bothering to answer her, Remus placed one hand between her luscious breasts, and gently pushed her back down to the couch. Continuing to stare at her with feelings of lust, he used his other hand to undo his own jeans and push them down his legs. He was glad he’d gone commando this morning, it meant he had less to take off now.

  Taking a moment to push off his sneakers, he used his feet to finish getting rid of his jeans. Removing his hand from Maddie, Remus pulled his shirt over his head as he lowered his body to lie on top of his aroused mate.