Chelsey swallowed and turned to face him. “Was anything missing?”
“No, I did inventory. Things weren’t where I remember them being, but I was also in a rush when I left here the other day. Are you sure you didn’t go in there to use the computer or anything?”
“No. Or maybe I did and I just don’t remember,” she said.
“Possibly. Well, I’m going to go get those security cameras fixed.”
“At least nothing’s missing, but you know what else is really odd…?
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I’m hearing rumors that you’ve made a group of people very angry because you and the other city council members are threatening to take their land and demolish what’s left of it.”
Dad grumbled. “I make a lot of people angry, Chelsey, but that doesn’t stop me from doing my job.”
“Does your job include putting dozens of Tellevue County residents out on the streets?”
“That tract of land is nearly ten percent vacant. That’s a very small portion of Tellevue County.”
“Who told you that the land was only ten percent vacant?”
“No one has to tell me anything. There are maps to tell us these things and the most recent County census report has been released. Besides, the tenants will get a reasonable token as soon as they vacate. It’s all part of doing business.I’ve conducted deals like this before with wolf shifter packs like the one here in Aspen Valley. Sometimes they win. Sometimes they lose.”
“You’ve conducted deals with them?”
Chelsey had to admit that politics weren’t really her thing, so she hadn’t been keeping up lately with what her father was doing or who he made deals with. After almost flunking out of her last year of college do to the stress of her parent’s nearly splitting up, she’d made a promise to herself to focus on nothing but her grades and her health.
“Yes, I have,” he replied. “Like I said, it’s the way business is conducted in this State.”
“What kind of deals have you conducted with local wolf shifter packs?”
Dad pulled out a desk chair from under the table and sat in it. “There are things that you’d never understand, Chelsey. You were only a child when these shifters began coming out. Back in our hometown where you were born, half of our police force was made up of shifters. One thing wolf shifters do exceed well at is protecting territories and securing borders from threats entering the State or, in that case, the town. We almost never had the use for police dogs because the wolf shifters were our eyes, ears, and nose…and they could talk. They picked up on everything. They kept our streets safe and drug-free. While I was a member of the city council, I did a number of things to help the shifters improve their way of living. Some of that included lawmaking that would allow them to repurchase or outright take back most of their hunting grounds. I funded some of their projects with private loans from my bank.”
“I remember when you used to work for the city council. I was just getting ready to graduate middle school at the time, but I didn’t know you were involved with wolf shifters on that level.”
“I was, but for the most part shifters don’t like to be governed by humans. We established what laws we could that were inclusive of the shifter population.”
“So that means you once cared about their way of life. Don’t you still do?”
Dad paused a moment before saying, “I tried to keep the reason for me and Priscilla’s rocky marriage away from you. You had a lot on your plate with entering your Senior year of college.”
Her heart grew heavy at the mention of her parent’s marriage which was hanging on by a thread. She sat on the edge of her bed, facing her dad.
“I think it’s time you tell me,” she said. “I’m not a little girl anymore. I understand about relationships and marriage and all that.”
“Yes, I know that. Your mother and I stayed together for a long time because of you. We wanted what’s best for you and we still do. I love your mother very much and I’m trying and willing to work things out with her. She’s just not very forgiving.”
“What does she have to forgive?”
“A whole lot.” His shoulders slumped and his eyes shifted across the room. “There was this woman. I would go on lunch dates with her. She was just someone that worked on the city’s council with me. Name’s not really important now, but I’m sure if you researched you could probably put two and two together. Your mother got the wrong impression and thought I was sleeping with her. We never slept together, but I had to admit that I was emotionally involved with the other woman to the point where anytime I’d meet her for coffee or anything, I’d tell your mother I was at work or having the beer with one of the guys. I was doing a lot of nice things for this woman—paying her bills and buying her things when she claimed to be going through hard times. Your mother had some of my credit card bills that attested to that.”
“Mom thought you were cheating,” Chelsey stated.
“She did. It took me a while to realize that’s what it was. I was untruthful and lying to myself and to her, which was nearly the same as cheating. My…friendship with this woman was cut short when your mother hired an investigator to look into my extracurricular activities. That investigator was a shifter and he helped her catch me in numerous lies. Your mother confronted me while I was at the spa with the woman.”
Chelsey swallowed and bit her lip. It was enough to make her angry. “This is the first time hearing the truth behind what caused the disconnection between you two. Mom hinted that there may have been another woman in the picture, but she didn’t come right out and say it and I didn’t want to open up any wounds for her by asking.”
“I know and I’m sorry. We decided together that you didn’t need to know the details. It was something Priscilla and I tried to fix. And for a while after that, we were working things out, but I don’t think she’s ever gotten over it.”
“Well, it hasn’t even been two years. It almost seems like yesterday when you two told me you were going to marriage counseling.”
“Right. If time is what she needs, I’ll give her that,” he said.
“And you’re holding a grudge against all wolf shifters because of something you were caught doing? By one of them?”
Dad lowered her head. “Unfortunately yes. This shifter may have been moonlighting as a private investigator, but he was also working in the special police force at the time. The same police force that I pushed because I wanted to help bring jobs to the shifter community.”
“I see.”
“But honey, that’s not what this eminent domain proceeding is all about. I didn’t target shifter land because of my past transgressions. I’ve been in communication with Midway Industries for several months now regarding their plans for Aspen Valley.”
“Midway Industries?” she mumbled. “That’s the same company who makes custom weapons, isn’t it? Rifles and guns, right?”
“Yes, it is. They’ll bring jobs and money to the entire County, not just Aspen Valley. It just so happens that the tract of land that would most benefit them is remote and virtually uninhabited, but unfortunately, the wolf pack has made claims that it’s not.”
“Haven’t you listened to them?” she asked.
“There’s no evidence. No homes, no cars…nothing indicates that this area has become the permanent resident of any of them.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Dad? These are wolf shifters we’re talking about. They live in homes too, but they also run free through the woods. Do you really think they’re going to cut down all those trees to build homes instead of preserving their natural habitats?”
“This isn’t the only tract of land they have access to in Aspen Valley,” he countered.
“Apparently they’re adamant about keeping this one. I visited the area. What may look like dozens of miles of forest and barren acreage to you, is home to them. Is money more important than retaining the natural resources of the state and the respect of t
he citizens, including shifters?” she asked.
Dad frowned. “You’re barking up the wrong tree. We won’t demolish everything. Midway Industries will do everything they can to salvage what they can. They’d like to acquire the land but would rather not deal with the local shifters.”
“They don’t want to deal with them because maybe they know they’ll be met with opposition. Do you know what Midway Industries is known for? Clearing out forests to use in their weapons manufacturing operations and then building huge retail centers that drive the local shops out of business. Is that what you want for Aspen Valley?”
“I want to do all I can for the local economy. My term is up next year and I doubt I’ll be running again. Why are you so concerned about this?”
“Because I actually have friends who live out there,” she stated. “These investors from Midway Industries aren’t concerned about Tellevue County. They’re just concerned with their bottom line. Who’s going to piece our County back together when Midway Industries exhausts all we have and then moves onto the next money hungry politician?”
Her dad gave her a side-eye that rivaled all others. “Are you calling me money-hungry? There’s a time and place to question me about things, but this issue isn’t up for discussion—certainly not with my daughter.”
“So you’re going to let this happen?”
“Plans have been underway for months. The President of Midway will be flying in from Texas next week to get some signatures and it’ll be a done deal.”
“Unless the wolf pack can prove their case, right?” she inquired, hopefully. “Because what it seems to me is that someone on your council has made it their priority to keep the wolves quiet and at bay.”
He rose swiftly to his feet. “You have a lot more things to worry about, Chelsey, and this isn’t one of them.”
“Please Dad. I’m just asking you. I promised my friends that you’d at least listen to what the leaders of the wolf pack have to say. I know sometimes you have to make decisions that won’t benefit everyone, but please…for me…”
He frowned.
She approached him. “I told them you’d at least listen to what they have to say. Your staff won’t even direct the calls to you.”
“Who would like to speak with me?”
Chelsey rushed to her purse on the nightstand and pulled out a business card from it. She handed the card to her dad with shaky fingers.
Her dad inspected it and read the name aloud. “Dane Magnus. I’ve heard of him.”
“Then that’s great, right?”
“Not sure, but he seems to have a fondness for acquiring real estate.”
“They said—I mean, my friends said that he’d like to talk business with you.”
“I’ll call him,” her dad stated. “In the meantime, I don’t want you conducting any more business on my behalf. That’s my job. You’re my daughter and you shouldn’t be doing anything to jeopardize your safety in my name.”
“Understood.”
“Besides, if you want to play the part of a nice politician, you should seriously consider the job I mentioned,” he said, grinning.
“I have seriously considered it,” she said. “For right now, just consider me the friendly mediator between the wolf faction and the money hungry politician.”
He chuckled. “Mediator, eh? I think you should seriously consider that as a career path.”
“I just might.”
Chapter Nine
Chelsey had watched the sunset many times before, but never while sitting by the lake and never with anyone else. As she rested back against Brock’s chest and threaded her fingers with his, she felt at peace, and nothing—not even the new chapter of her life that she’d be entering shortly—could take this moment of happiness away from her. It was too bad that she had to leave to soon to head back to campus. Even with the current dilemma surrounding Brock’s pack and her dad’s involvement, all she could do was think about what the next days, weeks, months—even years would hold for them.
They were seated on a blanket beneath a tree that had previously shaded them. The descending sun faded into the horizon, displaying a mix of muted orange and red colors. Mingling with the smell of freshly cut grass and a calming breeze was the spicy, irresistible essence of the man embracing her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
“I could sit out here forever,” she said. “I’d forgotten how relaxing being with nature could be.”
“It’s the small things like this in life that are worth living and fighting for,” he said. With his finger still locked together, he lifted their hand and kissed the back of hers.
“Thanks for bringing me here. When I first met you, I would have never guessed that you were the type of man to enjoy anything other than your Harley or going to the bar.”
“Looks are deceiving,” he replied. “When I first saw you, I didn’t think you were the type to hook up with guys at the bar.”
She chuckled, a heated blush fanning across her face. “It was my first time doing that. I figured that I didn’t have anything to lose. But actually, I gained something.”
“We both did,” he said.
“About us…” she started.
“Yes…?”
“How certain are that I’m your…how did you put it the other night…intended?”
“There isn’t a thread of uncertainty left in me. My birthmark would never have transferred to you if you weren’t. We’ve been identifying our mates this way since the beginning.”
“What if I had chickened out? Because I almost did. What if you and I never met that night?”
“Fate would’ve brought us together again and again until the mating was confirmed. But understand that meeting an intended mate isn’t a privilege, it’s a gift. Some of us never meet our mates. And some of us are more attentive than we realize. The attraction was there the moment I saw you, so I guess it holds true that we’re drawn to our mates in ways we can’t deny.”
She sighed. “I don’t know if I can be the woman you want. I—”
“You are the woman I want. You don’t even have to question that,” he said.
“I barely know where I’ll be living in three months,” she replied.
“With me, if you want. Or I'll come to you.”
“Isn’t it too soon to be moving in together?”
“If you say so, but I'm sensing that our connection is deeper than I first thought,” he replied.
"The mating and all that, right?"
"That too, Chelsey."
"Wait…there's more to this that you're not telling me?"
He traced the back of her neck with the tip of his nose. "I hope so. We can go at your pace, but know this, Chelsey: you are mine. Completely and utterly mine. I’m already committed to you because I know the value of a true mate versus someone I was with just to pass the time. I’m ready and I’ll be waiting when you are.”
She smiled. “Well, that’s romantic.”
“It’s the truth. You’ll do what you planned to do before we confirmed this. You’ll graduate, weigh your career options…whatever you need. We’ll handle everything together. Just know that I want to be in your life.”
“Hmmm…whatever I need?”
He pressed his lips to the back of her neck and kissed along her nape. “Whatever. You. Need.”
She lifted to her knees and spun around to face him. Only seconds passed before their lips met with an urgency that seemed to grow every moment she stayed with Brock.
They were so consumed in their public displays of affection that they barely heard Brock’s phone ringing beside them. Whoever it was called back a second time.
Brock parted from the kiss and picked up the smartphone from the ground. “It’s Raoulf,” he said.
“Your brother, right?”
He nodded and answered the call.
She was already straddling him and didn’t want to stop their intimate session, so she continued teasing him with kisses to pass the time. He
didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m kind of busy right now…” Brock told his brother. “Well, when is he coming back? Look, I can’t afford to get arrested again. Las time I walked away with a slap on the wrist.…This sounds more long term to me and I don’t have the patience right now for it….I can get it to you tonight. Can you meet me at LIVE?…Right…Okay….”
By the time Brock got off the phone with his brother, she’d gotten them both hot and bothered.
“If you keep this up, Princess, I’ll be taking you out here on the ground,” he groaned, pressing his mouth against the column of her throat.
“You wouldn’t…?”
He chuckled.
“You would,” she said, pressing her sex against his arousal. “Well in that case, why don’t you take me back to your place so we can get you taken care of?”
“That’s my intention. I’ll need the bed for what I’m going to do to you tonight. There’s no way I’m going to let you go back to campus unsatisfied. But first things first…I have to go drop something off to my brother at LIVE.”
She frowned and groaned.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be long. Wanna come?”
“Yeah, I do,” she said. “I could use a drink anyway.”
He grabbed her hands and helped her up. “Let’s get a head start then. The rest of the night will be ours.”
Chapter Ten
LIVE Nightclub had a private back entrance. About a dozen patrons were seated out on the back deck drinking beer, chatting, and laughing loudly. Only a few of them were women. When Chelsey walked up with Brock, she expected to feel out of place and unwelcome, but the opposite happened. Brock was well known by nearly everyone in the crowd, and he greeted them as he walked through the tables.
“Hey Brock. Didn’t know you were back in town. What’s happening?”
A slim, tattoed guy with a goatee pushed off of the railing and extended his hand. They greeted each other with something that looked like a cross between a handshake and a fist pump—maybe both.
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