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

by Denying His Wolfen Heritage

  “Okay, Maddie, spill. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, I just wanted to spend some quality time with you. You know, catch up on your news, ask about your business, just innocent stuff like that.”

  Still not convinced that something wasn’t wrong, Michael shrugged and decided to let it drop for now. He knew his sister, and she’d open up to him in her own good time. He knew from past experience that nothing would rush her if she wasn’t ready.

  After easily finding the cutoff that led to the cabin, Michael pulled up and parked just outside the front porch. Getting out of the Jeep, he took a moment to just look around and absorb the peaceful setting. The small cabin had a long covered porch on the front with a swing hanging at one end and matching rocking chairs sitting side by side near the front door. Flower gardens up close to the base of the house surrounded the structure with colorful wild blooms. The house was painted a light tan and accented with chocolate brown shutters. He couldn’t believe how much it resembled their grandfather’s cabin. “Oh, Maddie, this place is perfect!”

  Maddie sighed and gave her brother a wide smile. “I’m so glad you like it. I’m hoping you’ll like it so much you’ll want to visit us often.”

  Walking around the Jeep, Michael took Maddie in his arms and hugged her tightly. He felt so blessed that Maddie had recovered and made a life for herself with Remus. It had taken him a while to accept her marriage, but now he was behind her one hundred percent. “One step at a time, kiddo. Let’s get through this visit first and then think about planning the next one.”

  Michael took her shoulders in his hands and held her away from his body. “What say I get my suitcase, and you show me the inside of this beautiful vacation cabin?”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Michael grabbed his suitcase out of the back seat, and together they climbed the steps and went into the house. “Oh, my!” Michael couldn’t help but exclaim as he got his first look at his home for the next few weeks. It’s exactly like Grandfather’s cabin.

  A king-size brass bed covered in what appeared to be an old-fashioned, handmade quilt took up a good portion of the room. There were small tables on each side of the bed. One held a table lamp, while the other was covered in candles. Along the wall at the front of the house stood a huge triple dresser, complete with an attached mirror. There were small, carved, wooden statues of a family of wolves on the finished surface. An open door on the far side of the bed showed what looked to be a bathroom.

  In the middle of the cabin, along the back wall, there was a huge rock fireplace complete with mantle and stone hearth. An oversized brown sofa and matching chair sat facing the fireplace, with a small table sitting in front of the couch. Throw pillows of all shapes, sizes, and colors lay scattered on the sofa.

  The small kitchen area, which included a stove, refrigerator, and open pantry, was to the left of the door. A small table with two chairs sat in front of the sink, displaying a huge bowl of fresh fruit.

  Spotting an outside door at the far end of the kitchen, Michael strolled over and opened it. On the back deck he saw a wide glider swing and another pair of matching rocking chairs. The spectacular view consisted of deep blue skies, trees swaying in the breeze, and colorful wildflowers.

  Michael let his voice clearly show his pleasure. “This place is great. You have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to this. It’s going to be the perfect place to relax and take a breather from everything.”

  “I’m so glad, Michael. It’s so good to finally have you here. I want us to all be a family, a big happy family.”

  Maddie walked back into the cabin with Michael, led him over to the couch, and sat down. “So tell me what’s going on in your life these days.”

  Michael sighed. “You know most everything about my life, Maddie. There isn’t anything new on the personal front, but I do have some big news on the work front.”

  “So, let’s hear it already.”

  Laughing at her impatience, Michael leaned back into the mound of pillows and smiled at her. “I have a new project starting in a couple of months in England. The firm has been hired to design a museum in Manchester. Either Peter or I will have to be on site for the duration. I was leaning toward letting him go and handle it, since I hate staying in hotels in foreign countries. But, right before I came here, he told me he’d popped the question to Veronica, and she’d said yes. So, now he’s planning a wedding and I have a feeling his future wife would really be put out if he had to go to Europe for a few months.” He shrugged and sighed. “So, that only leaves me.”

  “Well, I’m happy for Peter, but I’d much rather hear about your getting married. Any hope there?”

  “Maddie, I told you that I’d have to be dating someone for that to even be a possibility. I haven’t had free time for myself in months, so, no, it isn’t a possibility in the near future. Why don’t you tell me how things are with you and Remus?”

  Maddie’s face took on a dreamy look, and a smile that took his breath away came over her face. “Life with Remus is perfect, Michael, absolutely perfect. We’re so suited to one another.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s been difficult living with his brothers, though. I hadn’t realized how important having your own privacy is to people, especially newlyweds. They’re forever embarrassing me by walking in on us in compromising situations, or we’re walking in on them.”

  Michael snickered and received a dirty look from his sister.

  “I know they’ll be as happy for us to leave their house as we will be to leave it. How soon do you think our house can be finished?”

  “Difficult to say for sure, honey. With absolutely no problems, and no bad weather, it could be finished in as little as four weeks. But, don’t hold me to that please. You can’t always predict what types of problems you could run into.”

  “Okay, okay, that’s almost exactly what Remus said. I guess I’ll just have to be patient a little longer.”

  Maddie spent the next half hour just chatting about nothing in particular. Michael could almost swear there was something on her mind that she wanted to talk about, but whatever it was, she hadn’t been able to make herself bring it up. He didn’t like the way she seemed to be avoiding looking him in the eye.

  Maddie took a deep breath and got to her feet. “Okay, brother dear, I’m gonna leave you to unpack and freshen up. When you’re ready, come on back to the house. Ethan and Latan are out on a hot date tonight so dinner will just be the three of us.”

  “Sounds good, just give me about an hour and then look for me. That’ll give me time to unpack and unwind before joining you.”

  “No problem. If you want to get some exercise, you can walk over. That path you saw to the right of this cabin goes through the woods and opens up directly in front of our place. You can’t get lost. It doesn’t have any side trails.”

  “Sounds good, so then I’ll see you later.” Michael gave her a big hug and kissed her on the top of her head. Walking outside to the porch, he watched as Maddie walked into the woods and started along the path that would take her home. Smiling, he went back into the cabin to unpack his suitcase.

  * * * *

  Ariane stood hidden by the trees, watching as Maddie said goodbye to her brother, and then hurried down the path toward the Alpha’s home. She felt guilty as she stood there waiting for the coast to be clear. She’d promised her Alpha Femm she wouldn’t approach Michael about being her mate, but she hadn’t promised that she wouldn’t see him at all. She knew it was a fine distinction, but she couldn’t see what harm it could do as long as she didn’t say anything to him about the pack.

  She looked down at the plate she held in her hands. It was kind of silly, bringing him a pie that she’d baked. But she felt like, as his mate, she should be providing things for him, caring for him in some way. It made her feel good to do it, even if it was pretty sappy.

  Maddie had been inside with him for a long time, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d had the talk a
bout his heritage yet. She’d promised to let her know when it was safe to go and talk with him, so until she knew for sure, she needed to be careful of what she said.

  Sighing, Ariane realized it had to be now or never if she wanted him to have the pie. It would also be a chance for her to get a firsthand sample of his scent, and then she would know for sure whether they truly were mates. Truthfully, she didn’t really have any doubts, she just wanted an excuse to be close to him.

  Determined not to back down, Ariane marched up to the front door and knocked firmly. Almost immediately, the door opened, and she found herself looking up into the most beautiful brown eyes she’d ever seen. Inhaling, she took Michael’s scent deep inside her lungs and gasped as her nipples hardened and moisture began to gather between her legs. She could feel her cheeks beginning to heat in embarrassment. He was definitely her mate. There was no doubt about it.

  * * * *

  The woman standing at the door looked familiar to Michael, but he couldn’t quite place where he’d seen her before. Intrigued, he watched as a flush ran up her neck and into her cheeks, giving her a rosy, pink color. He allowed his eyes to travel down her body and back up, amazed to see the points of her hardened nipples stabbing out from her thin shirt. Realizing she still hadn’t said anything, he smiled at her before speaking. “Can I help you?”

  “Um, well, I brought you this pie to welcome you to the area.”

  Michael looked down as she thrust the wrapped plate toward him. Reaching to take it from her, he allowed his fingers to brush over her own. He couldn’t help but notice her own hands were trembling when she pulled them away.

  “Well, thank you very much. My name’s Michael Barrows. What’s your name, and how did you know I was here visiting?” Michael was amazed. He didn’t think her cheeks could get any redder, but they did.

  “I’m Ariane Blue Hills, and I’m a friend of your sister.”

  Michael smiled at her in pleasure. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Ariane. Won’t you come in for a moment?”

  Michael stepped back and allowed her to cross in front of him into the cabin. She seemed nervous as she walked a few feet into the room and then turned to look at him. He’d closed the door once she was inside and then leaned against it, still holding onto the pie. “Of course, that’s where I remember you from. You were coming to take Maddie shopping after the fire at the cabin. I passed you coming up the drive as I was leaving.”

  She looked shocked at his words. “Wow, that’s some good memory you have. I didn’t think you even looked at me that day.”

  “Oh, I looked at you.” He grinned at her. “I looked very closely at you.” Michael crossed the room in front of her and sat the pie down on the kitchen table. He turned back to his guest, amused to see that her blushes seemed to be taking over her whole body. Her breathing had quickened, and her nipples were even more prominent, pushing through her top.

  Maybe he could find more ways to relax on this trip than he thought. What harm could there be in having a little fling while he supervised the building of Maddie’s house? This little lady piqued his interest, with her long blond hair and green eyes the likes of which he’d never seen before. She was small and petite, but still curvy, just the way he liked his women. Plus, she was clearly attracted to him. Smiling wickedly at her, he stalked toward her slowly. She backed up a pace for every step he took until her back pressed up against the front door to the cabin. Michael kept moving forward until their bodies were almost touching.

  “Thank you very much for the pie, Ariane. I’m sure it’ll be delicious. Perhaps you’d like to come back later and share it with me?”

  Ariane turned her face away and stared down at the floor when she answered him. “Oh, I couldn’t do that, but I do hope you enjoy it.”

  She fumbled with her hand behind her for the doorknob. “I guess I need to be going now. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here while you visit your sister.”

  When Ariane failed to grasp the doorknob behind her, Michael stepped closer and put his arm around her, turning the knob himself. He smiled when he realized that she held her breath when he got close. “Well, Ariane, I hope to see a lot more of you while I’m here.”

  She raised startled eyes to his gaze. “Umm, well, maybe. We’ll have to see what happens. I really have to go now.”

  Looking embarrassed, Ariane ducked under his arm and scampered through the open door and down the porch steps. He chuckled quietly as she made her escape.

  Smiling, Michael watched as she disappeared into the woods. Sighing, he couldn’t help thinking that maybe he should leave that alone. She seemed awfully young and naïve. He wouldn’t want to overwhelm her into doing something she might not otherwise do, and he certainly didn’t want to do anything that would embarrass Maddie and Remus. Besides, it’s not like he could offer her anything but a brief fling. She sure as hell wouldn’t fit into his life in Texas. He reached down to adjust the jeans that had become too tight. Still, there was something about her that made him want to go running after her and bring her back.

  Regretfully, he put her out of his thoughts and headed for the Jeep to make the drive to Maddie’s house. Sure, he could have walked through the woods, but it would be dark by the time he headed back to the cabin and nothing could make him trek through the woods in the dark. Daniel Boone he was not.

  * * * *

  Remus was sitting in the kitchen when Maddie came through the back door. “Well, how did it go? How did he take the news?” He immediately knew something was wrong when his feisty mate wouldn’t look him in the eye.

  “Well, umm, I haven’t told him yet.”

  “What the hell do you mean, you haven’t told him yet? Why the hell didn’t you tell him?”

  Maddie looked shocked at the anger and fury in his voice. He felt a twinge of guilt knowing it was the first time he’d directed his anger at her. She cringed and took a step back. That was enough to erase the guilt and replace it with renewed anger. “I’d never hurt you, you know that. Maddie, I thought your sole purpose in going back to the cabin with him was to tell him about your grandfather’s journal and about his own Wolfen heritage.”

  Maddie sighed heavily. “I know I was supposed to tell him, but I just couldn’t do it yet. I look at him, and I see my father all over again. He never believed anything my grandfather told him, and it drove a wedge between them that still existed when my father was killed. I don’t want to lose my brother because of some family secret. I wanna find a way to tell him without driving him away or scaring him off. Can’t you try and understand that?” she pleaded.

  Remus looked at his mate, torn between anger and fear. He didn’t like secrets, and this one would be really hard to keep. All of his workers and all the people living on the mountain were shifters. It was unreasonable to think that Michael could spend a month here without seeing someone shift at least once. It would be better to prepare him for the shock before it happened.

  Plus there’d been someone inquiring about Dr. Constantine. If anyone tried to resurrect his research, they’d have to be extra cautious with Maddie’s safety. Since Michael came from the same family, he’d have to take precautions as well. He wouldn’t be able to make Michael understand the need for protection without him knowing about his heritage. Hell, he couldn’t even explain why he needed to be cautious without bringing back his memories of the kidnapping. Why couldn’t he get his wayward mate to see reason?

  “Maddie, I’m only going to say this once. Your brother will be visiting here for several weeks. It’ll be easier for you to tell him the truth than it will be for me to caution all of the pack members against revealing themselves. It’s not fair to me, or to my family, to expect us to hide what we are while he’s here. You tell him the truth, or believe me I’ll do it for you before this night is over.” Realizing that his anger had gotten the better of him, Remus turned and stormed out the back door, leaving it open behind him.

  * * * *

  M
addie watched as Remus walked away, and her mouth dropped open in shock. She’d never seen him so angry, and she’d never seen him angry with her. It brought heaviness to her heart.

  After a few moments, Maddie walked out onto the back porch and nearly tripped on the pile of clothes left lying in front of the door. Tears ran down her cheeks as she watched her beautiful black wolf run off into the forest. She felt like she’d disappointed her mate, and she didn’t like the feeling at all.

  Sitting down in one of the rockers, she pressed Remus’s clothes to her breasts, laid her head back, and closed her eyes. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt Remus or his family. She was just going to have to bite the bullet and tell Michael what he needed to know. She only hoped that Remus wouldn’t turn out to be the only family she had left.

  A half hour later she raised her head when she heard a knock at the front door. Knowing Michael stood outside, she sighed, and went to let him in. She clearly knew what she had to do now, and she wouldn’t put it off any longer.

  * * * *

  Michael smiled when Maddie opened her front door and then frowned as she took him by the arm and led him to the kitchen. Pushing him toward a chair, she finally spoke.

  “Sit down, Michael, and be quiet. There are some things I need to tell you.”

  Michael was worried but quickly did as she asked. “You’re looking pretty serious, Maddie. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. There are just things that you don’t know that I have to make you aware of.” Maddie grimaced, paced back and forth, then stopped and met his gaze. “You remember I told you about finding Grandfather’s journal before the fire took the cabin?”

  “Yeah, I remember. You were very anxious to tell me what it said, but I was in a hurry to get back to Atlanta and said that it would have to wait until I came back.”

  “Right, and now you’re back, so I have to tell you about it.”