by Terry Spear
“We’ll have it in the sunroom. A wine and cheese and makeup party,” Lelandi said.
Lexi was delighted. “I wish we could videotape it, but we can’t.” Lexi didn’t want to do anything that could expose where her parents would be living. It would have made for a great promo opportunity. “That’s so generous of you to turn it into a real party. We’ll have free cosmetic samples for all the ladies who come and extras for anyone who couldn’t make it but would like some.”
“It’s not just a cosmetics party. It’s important to show our pack members how one of our own can be such a success,” Lelandi said. “You see, I have an ulterior motive.”
Lexi smiled. “A lot of hard work, a lot of stubborn determination, a lot of failures before I truly made any real successes.”
“And that’s what I want you to impart to the other women while we have the party.”
Lexi had learned Lelandi was a psychologist, not just a leader of her wolf pack, and she admired her for it. “I would be happy to.”
“Don’t worry about your parents living with us. They’ll be in good hands. The whole pack will look after them. We worry about you, though, living on your own.”
“I’ll be careful. And I’m sure my extra bodyguard detail will ensure I’m safe. I just worry about returning here to see my parents and alerting Tremaine and his men at the same time. I probably won’t be able to return for a long time. I know my parents hope I can enjoy some of the activities you put on, but I’m afraid Tremaine’s people will be watching me to see if I’ll lead them to my parents. Right now, we lost his men, and he doesn’t have any idea where we are.”
“Ryder will find a way to get you here safely without alerting them. I’m confident of it,” Lelandi said.
Lexi sure hoped so because she didn’t want to give up her family, but she didn’t want to endanger them either. She knew the holidays would be the hardest, if she couldn’t see them. And she was certain Tremaine’s men would be watching her like hawks when it came to the holidays. Which was another reason she’d love to eliminate the cause of all their trouble. Tremaine.
She glanced around at everyone enjoying themselves at the celebration and was really thrilled her parents were together again. Her father leaned over and kissed her mom’s cheek and placed his arm around her waist. Lexi was thinking they should be alone tonight to enjoy their time together after being separated for so long.
But she knew they would want to have her at home for as long as possible until she had to leave. Still, she was glad to see them together, loving each other, and she figured her father would court her mother again, just as he’d promised.
Ryder was speaking with Jake and Darien. She wondered if he was talking business. He seemed to focus so much on her family’s safety that she suspected he might be talking to the leaders about that.
“Any possibility between you and Ryder?” Lelandi asked.
Lexi laughed. Wolves were always curious about relationships. She suspected if her mother hadn’t survived her accident in Brazil, her dad would have had numerous widowed ladies interested in him in the Silver Town pack.
She still couldn’t believe their good fortune to learn her mother was alive and well.
After two hours of eating and visiting, the Silvers welcomed Lexi’s parents again to the pack and told them to rest up from their ordeal. Lexi was glad when they could return to the house and just relax. Even though it had been fun, it had also been a strain to meet so many new people and they just needed to chill.
“What do you think of your new pack?” Lexi asked her parents as they drove back to the house.
“I will never remember all the names and faces I met today,” her mother said, “but I’m thrilled to be with a wolf pack that’s this welcoming.”
“I agree,” her father said. “Not that I wished this business of Tremaine, but I think this new start is going to be just what we needed in our lives.”
“And you’re courting Mom all over again, right, Dad?”
He chuckled. “Of course. Didn’t you see that I returned home from the clinic before you went to the pack party?”
Lexi sighed. “Yes, but that’s not courting.”
“It’s a start.”
Everyone laughed. But her father was right. Normally, he’d be so wrapped up in taking care of patients, he’d miss meals and stay at the hospital way past when he could have been home. Of course, her mom did, too, on occasion.
“I was thinking this afternoon we could decide on the cars we wanted to buy. Darien said the closest car dealership is in Green Valley. He doesn’t want us leaving town right now, for our own safety. He said if we could pick out the cars we want online, he’ll have someone give them an offer they can’t refuse and purchase them. Then they’ll deliver them to the house. I want to feel like something is ours and that we’re not borrowing everything,” her father said.
“That’s sounds good to me,” her mother said.
“Tomorrow, when you’re having your makeup party, did you need my help with anything?” Kurt asked.
“I think we’ll manage all right,” Lexi said. “I assume Ryder and Mike will be with us. You can come and visit with the guys while we’re putting on our party or get together with some others in the pack if you’d like, Dad.”
Her father smiled. “Good. I’m going fishing then.”
They laughed.
“You have some fishing buddies already?” Lexi asked.
“CJ Silver, one of the deputy sheriffs, and four other men said they’d take me fishing while you ladies were having fun with your makeup session. If anyone gets a hook someplace it shouldn’t be, I can remove it with finesse.”
Smiling, Lexi shook her head. This was just the place for her parents to be. She was glad CJ was going with him, too, just in case there was trouble, but so many of the pack members were deputized that she figured some of them might be going fishing with him too. She was thrilled they were making him feel like part of the pack by keeping him occupied at something he loved to do. She hoped they’d take him out fishing every once in a while. She suspected they might, while her mom participated in women’s socials.
When they arrived at the house, her mother and father sat on the couch next to each other and discussed the cars they wanted to purchase. Mike was looking on, giving advice about each of the cars. Kate was getting iced teas for everyone.
Ryder said to Lexi, “I talked to Aidan about my employment, and he’s surprised, yet not surprised that Mike and I are going to work for you. He’s told Rafe all along that he didn’t need that many bodyguards, and he’s glad we’re working for a friend of his. But he said you could have taken a couple of the other guys who aren’t gourmet cooks instead.”
Lexi smiled. “That’s why I chose you. Um, two. Both of you.”
“I didn’t mention the pool-boy part. The other guys will be trying to convince you that they need to be guarding you, not Mike and me.”
She laughed, then took his hand and led him onto the patio and shut the door. “I feel ashamed to even talk to you about this, but I wish there was a way to eliminate Tremaine in prison. Don’t you think if he was gone, the contract on my parents would go away?”
“Yeah, because whoever’s in charge won’t care about anything that had to do with Tremaine. He has no family. His brother and two sons were killed earlier in shootouts with either the police or rival criminal elements. So no family is left to avenge his death. I’m sure several criminals would be pleased to see him buried six feet under. So no, I don’t think ill of you for feeling that way. I was thinking the same thing myself. It’s just not something we usually do. In self-defense, we have every right to protect ourselves. Trying to eliminate him in prison? That’s another story.”
“That’s what I was thinking too. I just wish there were some way to stop this. I don’t want to always have to look over my should
er or worry about seeing my parents and putting them at risk.”
Better to kill Tremaine herself before he got to her parents.
Chapter 20
The next day, Lexi, her family, and bodyguards arrived at Lelandi and Darien’s home, and she was thrilled at how excited Lelandi was to have the makeup party at her home. She’d decorated the sunroom in ribbons, bows, balloons with paw prints on them, vases of roses and babies’ breath, lacy tablecloths on all the tables, and jasmine candles scenting the air. Some of the ladies served up wine and cheese and petit fours, and music was playing in the background for additional ambience.
Her dad cheerfully went off with CJ and the other men.
Lelandi announced, “We’re pleased to have Lexi Summerfield come to Silver Town pack and present her Clair de Lune Cosmetics products. She’ll show us how to apply makeup and tell us about how she got started in the business and more. She’s open to any questions. Thanks, Lexi, for being here. Some of you already know Kate is her personal assistant and also serves as a bodyguard. She was the one who set up the party.”
Kate laughed. “With all your help.”
Lexi had thought she, her mother, Kate, and the guys would have done all the work, but other than Lelandi asking what Lexi’s favorite colors were—purple, blue, and green—the flowers she liked best, and her favorite wine, cheese, and desserts, Lelandi had the pack set things up. Kate and Lexi only had to set up the makeup stations while her mother left the sample cosmetic bags on each of the chairs.
“I want to thank Lelandi for making this so special,” Lexi said, tears clouding her eyes. She hated getting emotional like this in front of all the women, but this meant the world to her. She’d never been around other packs, and if they all were like this, she realized how much she’d been missing out. “And thanks to everyone for their assistance with the party and for showing up.”
She usually had big parties, but she hadn’t expected to have this many from a pack turn up. There were about twenty ladies. Everyone looked so eager to get started that she said, “All right. Let’s start with Lelandi. My mother, Adelaide, and Kate will be the makeup artists for another couple of ladies.”
Alicia Silver sat at the table where Kate was going to work. She was the subleader Jake’s wife and a bounty hunter by trade. Elizabeth Silver, Tom’s mate, took the seat where Adelaide was set up.
Lexi could see that there was a definite pack order of leadership, but everyone seemed to respect it and enjoyed the food and wine while she explained about the makeup process.
“No matter what your job entails, whether you’re a psychologist or a bounty hunter, from young to old, or dressy to casual, a little touch of makeup can make you feel like a success.”
“Are you sure you’re not giving the wrong message?” one of the ladies asked. “I mean, aren’t we all beautiful just the way we are?”
Lexi had heard that argument before, and she agreed with it, to an extent. Guys didn’t have to wear makeup to be hugely sought after. Wouldn’t it be nice just to roll out of bed and get on with the day’s work without worrying about putting one’s face on?
“Sure we are beautiful just the way we are. And we’re wolves, so it’s a little different for us. Makeup vanishes when we shift into our wolves. Just like wearing nail polish or dyeing our hair does. Would I ever wear false eyelashes? No. Not because I don’t care for them. I think they have their place. But if I have a sudden urge to shift, that would concern me.” Lexi added eyeliner to Lelandi’s eyelids that was similar to her red eyelashes, but a little darker. “Have any of you worn false eyelashes and then had to shift?”
Smiling, Alicia raised her hand and the others laughed. “Luckily, I wasn’t caught in my wolf form and my mate hadn’t shifted, so he removed them for me. Being the photographer that he is, he had to take a picture first. A wolf with false eyelashes? Everyone else knows I am fairly newly turned, so I didn’t realize what a problem it would be, and Jake hadn’t told me about it.”
The women laughed.
Lelandi said, “He probably wouldn’t have realized there could be a problem with it.”
“That’s what he said.” Alicia pulled out her phone and showed the picture to Kate and then passed it around the room. The ladies were all laughing, and Lexi thought it was a great shot for posterity’s sake. A beautiful wolf with long, curling eyelashes. “I’m always learning the do’s and don’ts of what we need to know as lupus garous. I could have used your advice earlier.”
Lexi smiled. Men.
“What’s your most popular cosmetic line?” one of the ladies asked.
“Usually, it’s my newest line, and customers are eager to try out the new product. The key is to not only have the standard products customers grow to love, but to have new products each year too. It means a lot of work, but it shows in sales in the end.”
“Do the paparazzi cause trouble for you because of your wealth?” one of the women asked.
“Yes. Mainly, they’re watching to see if I’m involved in any scandals. I’m not. Being a wolf, I keep to myself a lot. There’s a lot of speculation in the tabloids about who my Mr. Right will be. Of course, they often get it wrong because my mate will have to be a wolf.”
“Like Ryder Gallagher?” one of the women asked.
Lexi only smiled. “Okay, what do you think?” she asked Lelandi, handing her a mirror.
“I love it. Darien will have to take me out now.”
The ladies chuckled. “You look beautiful,” several of them said.
“But it’s nice and natural.” Lelandi admired herself in the mirror. “That’s what I like.”
“Me too,” Alicia said, when Kate finished her makeup. Elizabeth was just as pleased with what Adelaide had done for her.
“We have some extra samples we’ll leave for the ladies who couldn’t make it to the party,” Lexi said.
“Thank you,” Lelandi said. “Some were running their businesses, so they couldn’t make it. They’ll be thrilled.”
Then Lexi, her mother, and Kate began working on the next three volunteers.
“You’ll have to come back and do this before our Christmas party and spend the holidays with your parents,” Lelandi said.
“Oh, yes,” one of the women said. “We have so much fun during the holidays. You have to come back and spend some time with us.”
“Yes!” Lexi’s mother said. “You have to.”
“I hope to, if I can do so without endangering my parents.”
“I wish we could find a way to just get rid of Tremaine,” one of the ladies said.
“Yeah, lure him here and take care of him,” another said.
“Then the police could think your pack had something to do with it,” Lexi said.
“The pack sticks together. No one would ever know. We take care of our own. If Tremaine sends men after your father, they’re going to vanish into thin air.” Lelandi snapped her fingers to emphasize her point.
“Do you have a lot of male suitors because of your wealth?” one of the ladies asked.
“Yes! Too many. You know how we can smell a wolf’s interest. A human’s too. Humans don’t have a clue that we can. Wolves know better, but I think the ones interested in me are so determined to convince me that they overlook that part of our true nature. Or they think with all their smooth talking, they’ll talk me into it. I get tired of all the phony compliments.”
“I’d love it if I had tons of suitors,” one of the teens said, her hands over her heart as she looked heavenward.
“Not like she has, you wouldn’t,” Kate said. “These men are fortune seekers. They’re cads, rogue wolves, just looking to hook up with a woman for her wealth. We need someone who truly loves us. Since we mate for life, it’s the only way.”
“Amen to that,” Lelandi said.
Several of the women agreed, including Lexi’s moth
er.
“So why would wolves do it? They know they can’t convince you they love you for real, so why try?” one of the women asked.
“I’m sure they think if they act sincere enough, I will believe what they say is true.” Lexi shrugged. “Who knows? If I find the right mate, I suspect I’ll still have trouble with some human males who think they can change my mind. Hopefully, the wolf suitors will give up.”
“We’ve heard Rafe has a bachelor friend who is a billionaire too,” Lelandi said. “That Derek Spencer? Any possibility there? At least you wouldn’t have to worry about him mating you for your money.”
“No possibility. For the right woman, he’d be perfect, I’m sure. Not for me,” Lexi said.
“What about Ryder?” one of the women asked.
Lexi’s mother stopped applying makeup and looked over at her, waiting for a response. Kate was wearing a smile as she applied lipstick to her volunteer’s lips.
Lexi laughed and started applying makeup to the next volunteer. She wondered how many more times she was going to be asked about her and Ryder. Was it that obvious she really liked him? “I thought you’d want to know more about how to apply makeup.”
“We’re wolves,” the lady said. “Finding a mate is what really intrigues us. Though this is fun and we’re eager to learn how you started your business and became so successful at it.”
“My mother and father were very supportive of my venture. They helped back my research into the kinds of products I could develop. Without their money and backing, I would still be trying to reach my first goal.”
Adelaide started working on another volunteer. “Lexi was driven to make a business of this. She had the drive to do it, and you need to have that more than anything else.”
“True. I probably drove my mother and father crazy when I was trying to figure all of this out to begin with. Once I had my first cosmetic line, I had to find a way to better market it. Rafe and Aidan Denali helped to promote me to their circles of friends. Especially Rafe, because he’s much more social. He introduced me to several important people through his social gatherings. Aidan was more help to me in my research. He even did some tests on products. I was already starting to bring in money. But then I began to get a lot of males interested in dating me. Rafe was concerned about my safety, but I also knew I needed to hire a dedicated personal assistant and Kate was a godsend. Not only is she a marketing guru, but she’s the perfect bodyguard. When Ryder and I were rescuing bear cubs, she was facing down the mother bear.”