Copyright © 2021 Theresa Hissong
Disclaimer:
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The names of people, places, things, songs, and bands are all created from the author's mind and are only used for entertainment. Any mention of a song or band, in the book has been given proper credit for use.
This book is for adults, 18 and older only, due to content.
Cover Design:
Michelle Sewell
RLS Image Graphics & Design
Editing by:
Heidi Ryan
Amour the Line Editing
Formatting:
Imagine Ink Designs
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Sometimes, it was hard to keep a cheery attitude when you were crumbling on the inside. At least, Aspen tried to keep her fears to herself, but occasionally, they would bubble to the forefront and her brothers would notice.
“Safety first, Aspen,” Nash reminded her when he found her standing at the front door to the terminal. She’d been standing there for a month, watching the forest around their property. Her other brother, Mason, had been shot with an arrow not long before, and it had been a warning.
“Mason says they won’t come back,” she mentioned.
“He’s right,” Nash grunted, pulling her in for a comforting hug. Her brother, the alpha, was trying his best to lead a small pack that had been devastated by bears once before. She was barely a teenager when they came in and killed her parents and the rest of the pack. “Those bears want us to know they are here. It’s not that they’ll kill us like the others did. All they’re doing is sending a warning. They don’t want trouble out of us, and they won’t get any.”
“Can’t we just explain to them who we are?” she asked, hoping it would be enough to protect them.
“I’ve been considering it,” he agreed. “As of now, we continue our business. I’ll make a decision soon.”
“I can’t live in fear again, Nash.” She paused to wipe a tear. “I just can’t.”
“I know,” he whispered and hugged her tighter. She was trying her best to keep up the pack along with the new mates and run the business side of the flight service.
She stiffened. “Crap, here come Isabell and Charlie.” The last thing she wanted to do was to look weak in front of them. Aspen loved them like sisters, and they were new to the pack. There was no need to let them see her stressed. “Give me some of your damn calming magic, Nash. I don’t want to be coddled.”
“Fine,” he laughed. She felt the wave of power come over her, relaxing her to the point where she felt like her old self again.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. When the females entered, she bounced to the check-in desk and started the day. When she looked past the two mates, she saw Nash give her a wink and disappear into his office.
“Okay, I’m here to work,” Charlie announced. “What do you have for me today?”
“Two supply runs,” she began, picking up the folders she kept neatly organized. “Booker should be here after lunch for a flight back to his place. I’ve put him on your schedule.”
“Booker, huh?” Isabell whispered, looking over her shoulder. “I saw you two getting kind of acquainted the other day when he arrived. Are you two mates?”
Aspen tried to hold back her blush, but it failed. Her cheeks warmed and she ducked her head. “Honestly, I don’t know. My wolf notices him, but I still don’t have a mating scent when he’s around.”
“Maybe he just hasn’t been around you enough,” Charlie shrugged. “Maybe my plane will need some unscheduled maintenance this afternoon. Are there any rooms available for the night?”
“Charlie,” Aspen gasped, narrowing her eyes, “you wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would.” She winked and snatched her folders before making a hasty exit through the back door.
Aspen growled low in her throat, glancing at Isabell. “Don’t you get any ideas, either.”
“Me? Nooooo,” Isabell feigned, holding her hands in the air like she was surrendering. Aspen flashed her fangs at Nash’s mate, who laughed as she made her exit into the kitchen.
Aspen sat heavily in the chair and giggled to herself. She’d only admit to herself that she found the human male very attractive, and there might have been a small amount of flirting involved the last few times they saw each other or spoke on the radio.
But…her wolf. It didn’t produce a mating scent. So, she didn’t think it was anything other than her stupid, dried up hormones. Well, she didn’t have any experience with attractive males, anyway. It was hard to find a date when you lived over a hundred miles from the nearest town and the only other people you saw were just passing through.
If, and only if, Booker Dupree was her mate, she wouldn’t complain. He was a strong human male capable of protecting her from almost anything not paranormal. With his bulky arms and wide shoulders, she wondered if he could protect her from that, too.
“Ward Air, this is N99 Charlie Alpha Romeo, do you copy?” Charlie called out over the radio. Aspen reached over and grabbed the mic just as a gust of cool air filled the terminal. She froze when she saw him, but Charlie’s second call over the radio got Aspen moving.
“N99 Charlie Alpha Romeo, this is Ward Air,” she stated.
“I’m coming in with an oil light,” she declared, and Aspen wanted to scream at her. “Looks like I’ll be down for a few hours.” She was lying through her pretty little teeth, and Aspen couldn’t call her out on it in front of Booker, who was standing right in front of the desk.
“Fury will meet you at the hangar,” she said, hanging the mic up with a little more force than necessary.
“I’m assuming that was my pilot?” Booker asked, his voice deepening with each word.
When Aspen looked up and their eyes met, she felt the stirring of her wolf. It wanted to cower down and submit to him right then and there, but she held herself back…
Until it happened.
The little woman who ran the desk at the flight company smelled even better than the last time he had been there. Aspen Ward always carried a soft, floral scent, but today, it was different. Not a perfume. No, this was natural.
Booker hiked his pack over his shoulder as he leaned against the counter. “If you can’t get me out today, I can wait until tomorrow.”
“I’m sure we can get a flight out for you,” she offered, but he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Especially, if it meant staying around Aspen Ward for a few more hours.
She blushed as his eyes roamed her body. The woman wasn’t like anything he’d seen in a long time. Why she decided to live out in the middle of nowhere and work for her brothers still boggled his mind. She should’ve been on the cover of magazines.
He wasn’t sure what nationality she was with those golden eyes, but he never asked. Usually, he preferred to live his life out in the bush and away from humans where he could have his peace and quiet.
It’d been twelve years since he had saved enough money to move from Texas to the harsh Alaskan forest. Once he found a large piece of land, he worked night and day to build his cabin and make a life trapping animals and selling their pelts for what little money he needed.
“I’ll set you up with a room anyw
ay,” Aspen offered. “You can get a shower, and I’ll have dinner ready for everyone around six if we can’t get you out before dark.”
“Thank you,” he replied as she sat a key on the counter. “I’ll be around. Just let me know.”
“Sure thing,” she answered and turned away. He snatched the key up and walked away when his eyes landed on her shapely hips. No woman should be that beautiful.
He found the first room down a short hallway and unlocked the door. The air service had a few rooms for their hikers and residents like him who needed to wait for their flight. He hadn’t used that service before, but there was always a first for everything.
If they were able to get him in the air later, he could still get to his cabin in time to heat things up since the weather was starting to change. Summer was over and the days were getting shorter. His trip to Texas had only lasted a few days, because he didn’t want to be there any longer than necessary to close out his father’s estate.
Getting back to the cabin was imperative. There were a lot of chores to get done before the first snowfall. Which could come in as little as six weeks…some years, even sooner.
After a shower, he went in search of the crew to check on the status of his flight. When he entered the terminal area, Aspen was still behind the counter, ripping a piece of jerky with her teeth. He could’ve sworn she had fangs from the way her teeth flashed.
“Any word?”
“Hmm.” She chewed quickly and covered her mouth with her hand. “Mason and Charlie are working on her plane. Looks like she needed some oil. They shouldn’t be long.”
“Okay, I’ll gather my things,” he replied, jutting his chin out toward her snack. “Caribou?”
“No, moose,” she beamed. “Left over from last season. My cousin, Harper, makes it.”
“Do you hunt?” he asked. If she was beautiful and lived off the resources of the land, he was certain he would fall in love with her.
“Actually, yes,” she said, raising her chin. “I do.”
“Maybe you could come out to my place at the end of the month,” he shrugged. “I’ve seen a few bulls in my area.”
“I might take you up on that,” she replied, looking over her shoulder at the back door to the terminal. No one was there, but when she turned her head back, he saw worry in her eyes. “I might have to have Charlie fly me out early one morning.”
“Your brothers are protective, aren’t they?” he guessed. With a sister like Aspen, he would’ve been protective, too.
“Just a little,” she chuckled. “One more so than the other.”
Nash was the oldest, and Booker had flown with him before he hung it up to have a wife and family. The newest member of their family was dating the second brother, and he knew how women stuck together.
“Well, if you can sneak away, just call on the radio. I’ll be heading out on the first day to hunt. My cabin is always open to you, Ms. Ward.”
He wasn’t sure she would come, but he would wait and see. He wouldn’t mind spending more time with her.
“Thank you, Booker,” she replied, giving him a soft smile.
They’d talked before. He’d only used their flight services for the last year, and Aspen had always been his contact when he needed to get in and out of the area. He kept his old truck in their lot to use whenever he needed to travel.
“Mr. Dupree,” Mason Ward, the middle brother, called out when he entered through the back door. “Charlie is ready to take you now. Sorry about the delay.”
“No problem,” Booker replied, shaking the brother’s hand. When he did, Mason’s head jerked to the side and his eyes narrowed on his sister. Aspen was basically ignoring them, and Mason let go of his hand.
“Let us know when you are in need of another flight,” Mason stated as he walked around the back of the counter.
Booker was neither afraid of her brothers nor did he care if they knew he’d invited her out to his cabin.
“I’ll see you at the end of the month for that hunt, Aspen,” he smirked, patting the counter as he headed for the back door, carrying the scent of wildflowers and the forest with him.
Chapter 2
“What are you up to?” Charlie asked when Aspen pulled her into the kitchen once all of her brothers were gone.
“I need your help,” she whispered, knowing if Nash was close, he would hear her every word.
“What are you planning?” Charlie had become her greatest friend and sister since she had mated Mason, and they got along great. Both of them were a bit stubborn, and Aspen knew she’d be on board with the idea.
“Booker asked me to go hunting with him tomorrow for the beginning of moose season,” she hurried to say. “I’m telling my brothers that I’m going out alone and you are flying me to the location. But actually…you’ll be taking me to Booker’s place.”
“Oh, Aspen,” Charlie gasped. “Is he your mate?”
“I think so,” Aspen replied, knowing her face was turning beet red. “Look, my wolf is interested, and I finally put off a mating scent when he was here a few weeks ago.”
“And you want to spend time with him on the down low, right?” Charlie asked.
“Well, duh,” Aspen chuckled. “I’ll need a pickup the next morning. He said he has an extra room, and I’m going to use it. I don’t want to touch him yet.”
“You’re staying the night?” Charlie balked. “I mean, that’s great and all…but won’t Nash and Mason worry?”
“Sort of,” she shrugged. “Usually, I hunt during the day and return late at night, but I’ve never flown out to do it. I’m taking a backpack and a tent. You know…just in case.”
“You mean, you’re pretending to camp so your brothers won’t know you’re shacking up with a male who might be your mate, right?”
“Exactly,” Aspen admitted, taking Charlie’s hand. “Please, just help me. Give me some time with Booker before my brothers start freaking out. I don’t want to be stressed when I go there.”
Charlie’s eyes crinkled as a smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. “I gotchu, sister. Be ready at seven. I’ll take you.”
“Oh! I love you, Charlie!” Aspen threw her arms around her new sister and hugged her. “I have to finish dinner and go home to pack.”
“Just be careful, Aspen,” Charlie warned. “And if you touch him, make sure you are open and honest about what you are. Don’t pull an Isabell and surprise him.”
“Are you talking about me again?” Isabell growled as she entered the kitchen.
“Me? Us? Noooo, never,” Aspen teased. “Come on. Grab your mates and tell them it’s time to eat.”
When the females left, she set the table and tried her hardest not to think about her upcoming time with Booker Dupree. Her wolf paced in her mind, wanting to be free, and she might need to shift after she packed to give the animal some time. She knew the wolf wouldn’t go in search of the human male, because he lived over a hundred miles away. If she did, she wouldn’t be back in time to catch her flight.
They had control over their wolf on any shift except the full moon one. She didn’t know how the other wolves did it, or even if they could pull back their wolf to know how to keep the balance, but within the Ward family, they accepted the fact their animal was completely wild one night a month.
“So, you’re going hunting tomorrow,” Nash said as they sat down to eat. Most of the time, Nash preferred for them to spend dinnertime together, and Aspen didn’t mind. It’d been like that since their family had been killed by bears eleven years ago. At the time, she was only twelve, and it was hard at first, but they made due. If it wasn’t for Nash’s ability to control them with his alpha genes, she had no idea how they would’ve survived.
She had the alpha gene, too, and one day, she could break off from the pack to make her own, but Aspen didn’t want to leave the confines of their compound. It was too dangerous, and with the black bears knowing they were in the area, it was more important to stick together.
�
��Yeah, I’m heading southwest,” she admitted around a bite of food. It wasn’t a lie, because Booker’s place was more west, but still out of the bears’ territory. She knew they’d be hiking on foot, and if they came across a bear shifter’s scent, she would insist they turn back.
“Stay out of the north,” Mason grunted.
“I know,” she replied, and refrained from rolling her eyes. If anyone was going to be open to her possible mating to a human male, it would be Mason.
“Take your satellite phone too,” Nash added, looking up from his mound of food. Isabell put a calming hand on his wrist, and he looked down at his food. “Charlie will be on call when you are ready to return.”
“Okay,” she replied and stood to dump her empty plate in the sink. When she turned around, Mason was giving her a look like he didn’t quite believe her story.
Booker stood on his wrap around porch, looking toward the northeast. He couldn’t believe Aspen had taken him up on the chance to hunt with him. The female was obviously knowledgeable about hunting after a chat he’d had with her when he called on his satellite phone the week before to verify her arrival. He wondered if she’d told her brothers where she was going, and he made a mental note to ask.
Something about that woman drew him to her, and he didn’t understand why. Her scent was like some natural potion he’d made from the resources in the wild, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was that appealed to him so much. Her golden yellow eyes were mesmerizing, and he wondered if the family were shifters like the ones he’d read about on the internet the year before. But those were panthers, and their natural eyes were blue. Or were they fooling everyone?
The fact of her species didn’t matter. Aspen Ward was as human as they came, and even if she was a shifter, would it be so bad? They weren’t dangerous. If they were dangerous, they would’ve already done something to threaten him during the times they’d delivered supplies out to his land. As it was, no matter what they were, the Ward family were some of the most honest and truthful people he’d ever met.
Her Protective Mate (The Ward Wolf Pack Novella Series, Book 3) Page 1