I’d only been into Granger Falls a few times in the last month, each time met with horrified stares, much like someone would approach a ghost. Many of them had gone to our memorial service. Most people smiled and nodded politely when we told them we’d been far out of town, out of touch. Too politely, silently telling us that they thought we were full of shit. But they would’ve recoiled in terror if we’d told them we were the dogs Ryker had been fighting.
Shadow and Dallas were at the farm, working with Trina to figure out what to do with the animals. There weren’t many there, they’d all been confiscated in the raid, but he’d been quick to reload his arsenal. We all agreed on one thing. The restoration of Ryker’s farm was our first order of business. Shadow had proposed we build our new houses there. We all wanted a place of our own. To share with our mates. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and also to send a message to anyone who wanted to challenge him: The Channings obliterated their enemies.
It was a huge plot of land, over a hundred acres. A stream ran through the back half, full of chinook and sockeye. Close to Baldy, and as with anywhere in Sun Valley, the views were breathtaking. I wanted to make it a reserve, a place that shifters would always have a place to go no matter what happened in Sawtooth. We could take tourists too, to make sure the packs always had money. Shadow suggested a rescue for the bigger animals that Trina couldn’t take at the shelter. We were rewriting the future of that land, and it felt damn good.
Mom answered the knock at the door. She and her friends were a bunch of feisty women nearing retirement age with no grandkids to keep them busy. The ones who’d had daughters didn’t see the grandkids as much as they wanted to, now that complete segregation of the classes had become the norm.
“Major, what are you doing here?” she gasped. I did, too. He was the last person I expected to see.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I stood up, motioning for him to come in.
“You better not be causing any trouble,” Mom followed us into the kitchen. Even though she was dressing him down, I knew how this was going to end. “We need a new way, one that has nothing to do with violence.” She sighed. “Can I get you coffee? Water?”
“No thanks, Mrs. Channing. I’m not staying long.” He shook his head smiling, then turned to me. “I wish your mom could be a part of my pack.”
“She’d rip you to shreds.” I wanted to do the same, now that I knew he’d had a brief past with Kiera. He’d never have her again.
“I know.” A light danced in Major’s eyes, it was the most human I’d seen him look in a long time.
“Shadow’s over at Ryker’s farm.” There was no harm in telling him. “We’re using that land to rebuild our home.”
“I heard. That’s cool.” Major’s fingers drummed on the table, clearly uncomfortable. This was the first time I’d ever seen him stripped of his confidence, bested by my brother. I had no idea what to expect. “We missed you at the pack meetings, Baron. It seems like the Channing brothers are having trouble being in the same place at the same time.”
“I’ve been busy with this.” I tapped my laptop. I had a notepad and a sketchbook open beside it. “We’re rebuilding from the ground up.”
Major shook his head. “Shadow would still have you there. This power trip is too pathetic for him to let you miss it. What’s going on with you two?”
“Nothing.” I stood up. Major wasn’t staying long.
“If you don’t agree with your brother, now’s the time to speak up, before he makes mistakes that he can’t recover from. He’ll see it as betrayal now, but he’ll thank you in the long run.”
I stood by the door. Major wasn’t stupid, he knew he’d outstayed his welcome. I didn’t want to fight anymore, with anyone, and I was always going to be loyal to my brother. And Major knew more than he was letting on. “There are other ways to support the pack. I need to get back to work, Major.”
Major stood eye to eye with me at the door. “I know his big plan is to mate with humans to keep the packs going.” He didn’t blink. “I get it, you want a woman. I do, too. But think of the long game. Children are what will keep the packs going. You know your shelter girl can’t give that to you.”
He walked away without turning back.
MAJOR HAD A WAY OF getting under anyone’s skin. It was his finest skill, annoying the ever living shit out of anyone who disagreed with him, but leaving them with little recourse because he was usually pretty spot on. He didn’t have to be such a dick about it.
It didn’t matter if Kiera and I couldn’t have kids. I couldn’t have kids without a mate, either. Walking away from my brother had left me with a lot of time to think about the pack. Our history and our future. Both of them seemed so certain, while the present was completely unknown.
No matter what I did, our way of life couldn’t exist anymore. The working class was being obliterated. Shadow could very well be the last alpha, if he held his title for the rest of his life. There’d be no one left to follow him.
I watched Mom flitter around the house. She kept the place spotless. She’d had me help her bring Christmas decorations down from the attic before I settled in to work. Good, working class pack women like my mother were withering and dying. I wondered how much the rich pups, kept in a bubble, knew about their werewolf nature.
“Do you know of any wolf that’s ever got a human woman pregnant?” I asked. We’d always been told not to do it, like we weren’t allowed to touch the she-wolves. Never given much of an explanation besides the fact there would be horrible consequences. If Mom could give me a living, breathing example of why not instead of an imaginary slap on the wrist, I’d be able to take a better course of action. Every possible outcome affected our future. We needed answers.
Mom looked up from the strand of lights she’d plugged into the wall to test, otherwise frozen. “Yes. Before you boys were born, one of the wolves fell in love with a woman in Granger. Come sit down, I knew I was going to have this conversation with you boys eventually.”
I did as she asked, sitting beside her on the couch. Mom wrung her hands in her lap. “They had two kids, but they weren’t fully wolf or human. They had hands and feet and walked upright, but they had patches of fur all over their bodies and their faces were much more canine than human. We didn’t see them around town much. I know that the hope was that as they grew they’d go in one direction or the other.”
This was exactly what I was afraid of. “What happened to them?”
“I don’t know.” Mom’s face paled. “They were little kids, the last I saw them. One day, the family was gone. No trace of them. There were a lot of rumors, and warnings for the pack men to stay away from human women, because they’d give birth to monsters. And it works both ways. When I was growing up, we obviously could still choose our own mates. One of my girlfriends fell in love with a Granger boy. They weren’t careful, and she got pregnant.” She stopped and took a deep breath. “As the baby grew inside her, it didn’t recognize its environment. My friend miscarried. Badly. She almost didn’t survive.”
My insides churned at the thought of what could’ve happened to that woman. “But you’re encouraging us to take the girls from Forever Home as mates. Why?”
Mom’s eyes glassed over. “Because this is the end of our pack line. I want someone there with you, holding your hand when your time comes. Just because it’s the end doesn’t mean you boys have to be alone. You deserve better than that.”
By the time my brothers got back, I was in an absolute rage. Pissed at circumstances I couldn’t control. It was the end of our pack, and we had no recourse. I was in love with a woman I shouldn’t be with, but I couldn’t tear myself away from. No matter what we chose, no one got what they wanted. We’d all done what was asked of us, and for nothing. Our reward was to be forgotten. Our packs deserved better. We deserved better.
“Let’s see what you’ve come up with,” Shadow said, putting on a show in front of Mom, but icicles hung off of every word. He picked up my ske
tch pad, examining it. “We’re going to burn down Ryker’s house, so we’ll be able to start construction soon. The barns are in good shape, and we want to keep those standing.”
I put on my own performance. “I think you’re going to like it. We’ll have a showcase property so clients can see what we’re capable of, and we’re not claiming any more pack land.” We weren’t doing that anymore. Our new focus was restoring. Granger Falls had taken enough from Sawtooth. “Major came by today,” I added once Mom left the kitchen.
Shadow sat beside me, groaning. “What the fuck did he want?” He ran his hands over his face then leaned back in his chair. “He’s been a son of bitch to rein in.”
“Shadow!” Mom called from the living room.
“Not sure if he was here to intimidate me or recruit me.” Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Neither worked. As usual, he did it in such a way to make me think about what he said. He was all too willing to remind me that wolves and humans can’t mate.”
Shadow rolled his eyes. “He dropped out of high school in the ninth grade.” He snickered. “I’d be surprised if he knew how to get anyone pregnant.”
“Talk to Mom. She’ll give you nightmares, wondering if that will happen to Trina, or Keira, or Lyssie. I’m not saying this to piss you off, Shadow. Everything I’m doing is for my love of the pack. But if there are no purebred, working class wolves, all that will be left is the wealthy class. We don’t have the resources to properly care for a baby that’s not fully wolf. It would hurt us, not help us. Our traditions, everything, will be gone in our lifetime.”
“It’s all going to be gone in our lifetime if we don’t do something. You’re not part of the pack anymore.” Shadow reminded me. “I’m only listening to you because you’re my brother, and my best friend. So what’s your point?”
“Let him have his she-wolf.” I glanced at our plans for the farm, sprawling and beautiful, with no one to enjoy it. “Insure our future.”
Shadow gasped. “Baron, that’s going to start a war you’re not willing to fight.”
“I’ll fight for what I believe in.”
Chapter Twelve
Kiera
“I’m so glad to meet you.” Baron’s mom squeezed me in a hug like I was her own kid, rocking me back and forth. She pulled back to take me in, her eyes glossed over with unshed tears. Happy ones, I hoped. “I never thought this day would come, that any of the boys would find someone they could be serious with. Baron’s told me all about you, and you’re an incredible woman, Kiera.”
I chuckled, not good with compliments. “He’s biased.”
“Well I am, too.” She didn’t back down. “Anyone who’s served our country and saved the lives of my boys is a hero in my book.” She let me go, but still held my hand, squeezing it. “And not only saved them from death, but gave them a reason to live. You’re giving me a reason to live.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.” There was a difference between truly living, looking forward to each day and the possibilities that it held, and surviving, waiting for the day to be over just to say you did it. That’s what Baron had given me. The ghosts were still there—any loud noise or crowd still freaked me out—but I had the strength to fight it, instead of running for cover. “Baron’s told me all about you, too. You’re pretty awesome yourself, Mrs. Channing.”
She shook her head and waved her hand, like raising four boys on her own was nothing. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us, Mom?” Baron asked.
“No, go out and have fun.” Mrs. Channing was absolutely beaming. “Some of the girls are coming over for cards.”
Baron laughed. “Yeah, good luck to them.” He turned to me, slipping his arm around my back. “Never bet money in a card game against my mom unless you want to lose it. You can’t win. It’s like her superpower.”
“It’s just attention to detail. Anyone can do it.” She dismissed Baron’s claim, kissing us both. “You’re invited to the next girls’ night, Kiera. I’ll show you how to keep this boy in line.” She swatted Baron’s ass.
I waited to get in the truck before I said anything. “Your mother underestimates me.”
“What? No way. She likes you more than she likes us.”
“That might be true.” Baron hit the brakes halfway down the dirt road that led away from the house when I smiled at him, knowing better than to operate heavy machinery. “Should I tell her how I keep you in line when she teaches me how to play cards?”
“Hell no.” Baron shuddered. “My mother might be hot for grandkids, but let me assure you that she’s perfectly happy to think they’re the result of a visit from the stork. She still has a fit when we swear in front of her.”
“That’s cute.” I nudged him, but he didn’t respond. I didn’t have to work today, which was unusual. We didn’t take many days off, since the animals always needed something. Now that we all actually had a chance at having a social life, Trina gave Lyssie and me each a day off this week. It felt like a vacation I couldn’t remember the last time I’d done something just for myself. I hadn’t wanted to spend any time alone.
Baron was still quiet when we got to The Pizza Pub. He’d asked for a booth without making a big deal out of it. They were all against the wall, and I could have my birds’ eye view. “Cranberry wheat, please,” I told the waitress. I was actually considering the pulled pork pizza, even if it was just to get Baron to crack a smile.
“Me too. Thanks.”
My mouth hung open when she left. “Is there anything you need to tell me?” I winked, still nothing. “Are we splitting a cheeseburger pizza?”
“Hell no.” Baron scoffed, smiling. He wiped his hand over his face, like he had to remind himself to be pissy about something. “There is something I want to talk to you about, though.”
“Anything.” The waitress came back with the beers. That’s why I loved this place so much. They never left anyone wanting for beer. I handed her my menu, smirking at Baron. “Shall we split the pulled pork?”
“God, I love you.” His head fell to the table, hand up so the waitress could take his menu.
She turned back to me, wide-eyed, knowing she needed to get in and out quickly. “We’ll have a large pulled pork.” I could barely speak.
“I meant it, you know,” Baron said quietly when she left. “I love you, Kiera.”
“I love you, too.” My heart was pounding. I never thought I’d hear those words from anyone, especially in the middle of The Pizza Pub.
Those three little words sure did change things, didn’t they? I felt like I was drinking champagne, not beer, that fuzzy feeling going straight to my head. I could get used to this. I squeezed his hand. “I’m glad we said it here, like that, with the waitress as our witness. If you said it in some big, gross way, like some internet proposal, I would’ve wanted to puke.” I laughed.
“Right?” Baron fought his smile but lost. “I do have a surprise for you later on.”
“Tell me.”
“No way,” Baron scoffed. “I want to keep you on your toes.”
I pulled him in closer. “And I want to keep you on your knees.” Our gazes locked, and holy shit was it hot in here. I bit my lip. Baron gasped, but I played it cool, sitting back and taking a sip of my beer. “So anyway, you can just tell me now and I’ll pretend to act surprised when we get there.”
He shook his head. “You need to be patient, Kiera.”
“Fine.” I pouted. “Was it connected to what you wanted to tell me?”
“Sort of, but you won’t guess from that, so I can still tell you.” Baron rubbed his hand over his face. “Major came by the other day.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tell him I said....never mind. He’s not worth it.” There was no need to make Major think of me. If he even remembered that night at The Redheaded Stepchild, he’d love rubbing it in Baron’s face. Eh, let him try. I had no problem telling anyone who asked which one was the better kisser.
“I don’t know about that.”
No fuck
ing way. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was. “You’re not going to work with him, are you?” I gasped. “Your brothers would never talk to you again.”
Baron hesitated. Crap. “Major knows we can’t mate with humans successfully. Have kids that can shift. My mom told me some horror stories. Babies that weren’t wolf or human, or couldn’t be carried to term because they weren’t compatible with their mothers. The only way to ensure we have another generation of working class wolves is to have some of them mate with wolf women.”
“There’s still going to be another generation of wolves, they just won’t be part of your packs.” A chill crawled down my spine. I hated what he was suggesting. I wasn’t exactly the most motherly type, but I saw myself somewhere down the road with kids. Baron’s kids. I wasn’t ready to give up that dream yet, and from the look on his face, neither was Baron. “You’re seeing it as black and white. Maybe what you need to do is say screw Major and work with the wealthier wolves. Because if they keep doing what they’re doing, they’re going to be a hot inbred mess within about fifty years.”
Baron laughed. “Did I tell you I loved you? Because I mean it now more than ever. You’re part of our pack now, Kiera. And we’re better for it.” The waitress brought our pizza, but neither of us touched it. “But I can’t stop thinking about what my mom said. You’re still in, right?” He attempted a wobbly smile.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” I smiled back, and his finally reached his eyes. “What does Shadow think of all of this?” Even if Baron wasn’t part of the pack, Shadow shaped and molded everyone’s future. It wasn’t going to change what we’d do, but his approval would make things easier.
“I told Shadow I was willing to fight for things I believed in. And that includes the future. My future. Yeah it sounds selfish, but no one is taking you away from me. I want you to experience what’s good about Sawtooth and the packs. It’s not all violence. But it is worth fighting for.”
“I can’t wait to get to know everyone. I might have a little bit of a girl crush on your mom.” I took a bite of the pizza and moaned. I’d never cheated on the Cheeseburger in Paradise before, but this was amazing.
Her Guardian Wolf (Sawtooth Shifters Book 2) Page 8